07. A World with Fairies
07. A World with Fairies
[Episode 7] - A World with Fairies
Since possessing the body of 'Vivian', this was my first time stepping outside the castle. Every day, I had only been able to wander around inside the castle, and even then, only on the same floor.
It wasn't as if anyone had forbidden me from going anywhere. But since there was no particular justification or reason to move to another place, I had only wandered around the floor where my room was located.
Besides, the maids who followed me around even when I just walked down the hallway were burdensome...
So, the only way I could see the outside was by looking down through the window. The royal castle garden, visible directly from the window.
Having set foot there for the first time, I couldn't keep my mouth shut at the sight of the royal castle garden with its dazzlingly blooming roses, and the appearance of the 'world' as seen through the eyes of 'Vivian'.
Ellie, who was looking around the garden in full bloom with me, pointed at a rose with one hand and called out to me in a voice as bright as sunshine.
"Look at this, Your Majesty the Queen! The roses are already like this!"
"...Yes, they're beautiful."
Certainly, they were beautiful, but...
I noticed 'something' on top of the roses more than the roses themselves. Did Ellie know? That on those roses, there was 'something' the size of a thumb, lying down using the petals as a blanket.
As I stared blankly at 'something', Ainsel, who was in my earring, cleared her throat and began to explain about 'something'.
-That is a fairy called a 'Sylphie'. They are the ones who carry the wind, or are like the wind itself. Don't give them your heart just because they look cute. You know? They are fickle creatures like the wind, so they lose interest in an instant. So, absolutely do not give them your heart!
'That's a, fairy..?'
When Ellie poked the rose, the fairy that had been using the rose as a bed frowned as if annoyed, spread its dragonfly-like wings, and flew away to another rose.
Starting with that fairy, the fairies around us seemed to notice the presence of me and Ellie and cast their gazes our way. As I stood still, the fairies that flew around me fluttered and chattered as if singing.
-It's Vivian!
-It's 'Baba Yaga' Vivian!
'Baba Yaga..?'
Isn't that Baba Yaga?
The old hag from fairy tales?
It was a term I knew well because it appeared frequently in subculture like novels or manga.
Usually, someone with the name 'Baba Yaga' was a name often used for a 'witch' or an 'antagonist'.
'Did Vivian have a reputation as an old hag even among the fairies?'
As one fairy landed softly on my shoulder, Ainsel, who was in my earring, shouted at the fairy at the top of her lungs, loud enough to make me go deaf.
-Don't come near Vivian! You playboy!
-Ainsel is here too?
-Is there an Ainsel who got fooled by Baba Yaga too?
-Ugh..!
I couldn't see it, but Ainsel's face must have been red. The fairies giggled as if they found Ainsel's reaction amusing and flew around her.
-Loser~ A loser fairy who gets fooled by a witch~
-You can't even hit us because you're a mirror, right? Loser~
-Loser~ Loser~
-Ughhh!! So annoying!! Vivian!! Please chase them away!!
The sight of the fairies fighting among themselves was cute, so I let out a chuckle before I knew it.
As I waved my hand to chase the fairies away at Ainsel's request, Ainsel was still huffing and puffing, her anger not yet subsided.
The other fairies giggled at the sight of Ainsel fuming and disappeared, but one fairy sitting on one side of my shoulder did not run away like the others and remained seated.
Should I say it looked a bit different from the ordinary 'Sylphies'? It was a being that was a little larger and had a kind, motherly expression.
When I stared at it, the fairy laughed, 'Ho ho', and whispered in my ear.
-So you are the child who possessed the body of Baba Yaga.
I flinched.
My shoulders trembled at the kind whispering voice.
-Do not be startled. I merely came to watch after hearing the 'rumors' that flowed like the wind.
-Hey!! Get off Vivian's shoulder!!
-Yes, now that I see you closely, I understand. As the rumors said, Baba Yaga is truly dead.
The fairy stroked my cheek with a kind smile, but for some reason, that action felt as if it were piercing through to my very core.
What on earth is this? Are all fairies like this?
-...It was a truly foolish death. I and everyone else tried to stop that 'ritual'. There is no way a ritual with a flawed premise could succeed.
The fairy gave a bitter smile, as if truly feeling bitter. A ritual with a flawed premise? Come to think of it, seeing as it failed in the original work, was there a problem with the ritual itself?
As I walked through the garden with Ellie, lost in thought for a moment, Ainsel, who was sitting on my shoulder, growled at the fairy, clearly not liking her.
-Are you not leaving?! Why do you keep clinging to Vivian?!
-You still have the same personality of getting angry whenever someone touches your things, Ainsel. Why don't you try to be a bit kinder? Currently, 'Vivian' belongs to no one.
-You, you..!!
The kind fairy's expression changed, showing a smile as pure as a child's for a moment. The fairy, who seemed to have enjoyed teasing Ainsel, stretched out—stretch—and let out a refreshing sigh.
-I shall be going now. Call me whenever you need anything. Unlike that stingy mirror over there, I will grant you the authority to call me as you please at least once.
"Why?"
I asked in a whisper, soft enough that Ellie, who was next to me, wouldn't hear, out of pure curiosity.
After all, this was a fairy I was seeing for the first time today, and I couldn't understand why she would suddenly help me. Was it because she was somewhat acquainted with Vivian?
Just as I was thinking that.
Smooch.
The fairy smiled brightly at my question and planted a small kiss on my cheek. The fairy's lips felt like a cool water droplet touching my cheek.
-You, youuuuu!!
Ainsel, who was watching that scene, shrieked at the top of her lungs, sounding like she was going to lose her voice.
-Because the mana of witches is sweet to us. Especially Baba Yaga's mana has a richer taste than other witches. In exchange for that, we fairies help the witches.
-Hey!!! Stop ignoring me!!!
-Even if that grumpy personality has disappeared... what reason would there be not to help?
With those words, the fairy, who was giggling, spread her dragonfly-like wings and flew high into the sky.
Watching the fairy disappear from my sight in an instant, I stroked the cheek where her lips had touched, without realizing it.
-I told you not to get attached, didn't I?! They're fickle creatures like the wind anyway, so they won't even remember that promise?! Don't you dare think of calling her?!
Is this my fault?
All I did was say one word..?
Honestly, I didn't even understand half of the conversation between the fairies, but for some reason, Ainsel started scolding me.
Honestly, I felt very wronged...
As I listened to Ainsel's nagging with one ear and let it out the other, Ellie, who was holding a parasol next to me, let out a gasp.
When I turned my head to look at Ellie, Ellie was staring at something with a surprised look. Seeing that Ellie's gaze was directed at the bushes at the edge of the garden, my gaze naturally turned there as well.
"Ah."
Under a large tree, someone was there.
A young child was sleeping soundly, so deeply that even if someone carried her away, she wouldn't know, using a tree root as a pillow and a large book the size of her own torso as a blanket.
In an instant, the scene from when I first possessed this body flashed through my mind.
A young child wearing a black dress, holding a white lily in front of me while my throat and lungs felt like they were tearing apart. I thought I had seen her somewhere before, and now I knew for sure.
'Hair as black as an ebony window frame, skin as white as the snow piled on a window sill, and lips and eyes as red as blood droplets fallen upon it.'
It was exactly as described in the game.
"Princess..."
How could I not recognize a face I had seen hundreds of times in the game? Seeing the Princess's face, for some reason, my heart started beating loudly.
'Should I approach the Princess?'
'No, is it okay for me, a 'witch', to approach the Princess?'
'If I approach the Princess, what will happen to the original story?'
'If I intervene with the Princess, won't the Princess die because of me, just like in the game?'
'But, this is reality, not a game.'
Thump, thump, thump.
My head was a mess with various thoughts blooming. Seeing the Princess in person made me suddenly scared and afraid.
Because right now, I was the 'witch' who had killed the Princess countless times in the game.
Actually, it wasn't that I hadn't thought about it. Once I possessed this body, I was bound to get involved with the Princess one way or another.
However, I was afraid that if I got involved with the Princess, the situation would flow according to the 'original work', and the situation would flow and flow until I eventually killed the Princess.
This was exactly what I feared most after possessing this body.
I was afraid of meeting the Princess. That's why I didn't include the Princess in the options to resolve this situation.
Because I felt that persuading the Council of Elders, or begging the Emperor, who was a shut-in, not to divorce me, was much easier than getting involved with the Princess.
'Let's ignore her.'
For now, let's ignore her.
In the first place, if I lived here, it was clear that we would meet eventually. So, I decided to run away for now.
"...Ellie, stop-"
The moment I turned my head to go back to my room, the Princess was caught in my sight once again. I could see the Princess sleeping, frowning hard as if the sunlight was dazzling.
...Haa.
"...Give me the parasol."
"W, Your Majesty the Queen?"
"Hurry."
Yes, let's just leave the parasol next to her.
It would have been fine to have Ellie do it, but I thought this troubled heart of mine might calm down a little if I saw the Princess's face up close, so I took the parasol.
At least I should know the Princess's face for sure.
That way, I wouldn't have these thoughts as much when I meet the Princess later. I thought I needed to get used to the Princess's face to some extent.
I moved my steps very slowly so as not to wake the Princess, stepping on the grass softly. With every step, every two steps, I approached the Princess, and it felt like my heartbeat was getting louder and louder.
...Really, she wouldn't know even if someone carried her away.
That was how I was able to slowly approach the tree where the Princess was sleeping.
As I lowered my head to look at the Princess, the Princess, who had crumpled her face because of the sunlight, let out a groaning sound.
That sight was quite cute, and for some reason, I let out a laugh.
What on earth was Vivian so jealous of that she tried to kill such a young Princess? No matter how much I thought about it, 'Vivian' was a person I could never understand.
As I placed the parasol on the ground so it wouldn't touch the Princess's body, shading her from the sunlight, the Princess's expression, which had been crumpled in a frown, began to relax slowly.
It was fascinating that she was still sleeping so deeply that she didn't wake up even though I had come right next to her.
Before I knew it, I was crouching next to the sleeping Princess, admiring her sleeping form.
As I was admiring the Princess's face intently like that, Ainsel asked as if puzzled.
-Why would the Princess be sleeping in a place like this?
".....?"
That's right?
Why is the Princess sleeping in a place like this?
Seeing that she used a large book as a blanket, I deduced that maybe she fell asleep in the warm sunlight while reading a book.
'Even so, shouldn't there be at least one maid around?'
I turned my head to look around.
Just in case there might be a maid for the Princess nearby. However, there was no one around except for me, Ellie, and the sleeping Princess.
"Ellie? The Princess's maid is-"
The moment I was about to ask Ellie where the Princess's maid was, I made eye contact with the Princess, who had opened her eyes wide and scary!
She opened her eyes so scarily that I was so startled for a moment that I almost fell backward and landed on my butt.
The Princess, who had made eye contact, blinked her eyes and, for some reason, did not avoid my gaze.
For some reason, the situation of making eye contact with a wild animal, where both sides are so tense they can't move their bodies, came to mind.
"......"
"......"
And so 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds passed-
It was none other than the Princess who broke this silence.
"Hwaaaang!!"
The Princess, who lifted the large book she had been using as a blanket straight over her head, threw the book at me just like that. Since the book was large, rather than throwing it, it just dropped straight to the ground.
The Princess, who had thrown the book to the ground, quickly turned her body and started running toward the bushes on the other side. I had clearly expected the Princess to disappear between the bushes in an instant, but...
Thud-!
"Ah! Hwa!"
The Princess tripped on the tree root she had been using as a pillow and fell forward just like that. Not even rolling, just thud.
"Ah, it hurts..."
It wasn't a hard fall, but perhaps she hit a stone on the ground, as the Princess's small palms and knees were slightly scraped, and blood began to seep out. As soon as I saw that wound, I regretted not just asking Ellie.
"U, ugh..."
The Princess had been trying hard not to cry, but seeing the blood flowing from her palm, she burst into tears right then and there.
Was this my first meeting with the Princess? No, it was the second meeting since the funeral.
Ainsel's sighing sound was heard in my ears, and a surprised Ellie was busy comforting the crying Princess...
It was such a chaotic meeting.