Aesc slowly came back to her senses and realized she was lying in a man's arms. Heat rose to her cheeks and ears, and she cupped her face with both hands, averting her gaze toward the broken ice floating on the lake's surface.
Then the memories returned—what had happened, why she was here, and who this man was.
He was the human who had been sealed inside the ice coffin.
"Was it… you who saved me?" Aesc asked cautiously.
"I opened my eyes and saw you fall into the lake, so I did my best to bring you back to shore," the man explained gently. "Fortunately, you're not hurt."
His voice carried a note of relief, as though he himself had narrowly survived. Though Aesc had nearly drowned, he seemed even more shaken than she was.
"Thank you."
Feeling the sincerity in his kindness, Aesc couldn't help but smile as she expressed her gratitude.
"Aesc!"
Vivian came running anxiously along the riverbank. She had seen Aesc fall into the lake, then watched as the man sank down with her—only to surface again with Aesc in his arms. In an unbelievable manner, he had landed them on the floating ice and, with a few leaps, brought her back to shore.
It was strange, but he didn't seem like a bad person.
"Vivian…" Aesc tried to sit up from the man's arms but found she had no strength. Her clothes were soaked through, already forming icicles.
"Vivian, huh." The man seemed surprised at the name, then shook his head and murmured softly, "What a coincidence."
Lifting his gaze, he spoke calmly to her sister.
"This girl is fine. You don't need to worry."
"That's good." Vivian let out a breath of relief.
"But she doesn't seem able to move just now… Do you live nearby? I'll take her back for you," the man offered.
"That would be a great help," Vivian agreed with a nod.
Aesc felt the same.
Whatever his origin, the man had saved her life and shown no malice. Both sisters believed he was someone they could trust. As for how the rest of the clan would react, that was another matter—but at the very least, the princess would accept him.
"Then…"
The man rose from the shore, still carrying Aesc, and picked up her wand and hat. He returned the hat to her, which she held tightly to her chest, while he carried the wand for her.
Vivian walked ahead to lead the way, with the man following behind, Aesc still in his arms.
She had expected to be carried on his back, but instead, being held like this left her completely flustered. It was the first time in her life that a strange man had carried her this way.
Through the damp, cold fabric of her clothes, she could faintly feel his warmth. Her face must have been bright red, though the frigid weather made it easy to hide.
Cold?
Aesc suddenly realized that, despite being drenched, she didn't feel cold at all. The man had cast a Magecraft barrier around her, warding off both heat and chill, keeping her body warm.
"You can use Magecraft?" Aesc asked in surprise.
It wasn't unheard of for humans to wield Magecraft, but their kind rarely lived beyond thirty years, and almost none could manipulate Mana with such mastery.
And even if such humans did exist, the Rain Clan—who seldom interacted with other tribes—would have little chance of ever meeting one.
"Well, I know a little," the man said.
"Right, we haven't even asked your name yet," Vivian turned back. "Aesc, hurry and ask him. Otherwise, you won't even know who saved you."
Aesc blinked in realization. "Ah, right. Your name—?"
"Tenkei Shiomi," he introduced himself.
"Tenkei… Shiomi?" Aesc tilted her head, baffled. "That's such a difficult name."
"I see." Shiomi couldn't help but laugh. "Just call me Tenkei. Or, if even that feels awkward, how about… Sage?"
"Sage?" Aesc didn't really understand what he meant, but she remembered her manners. "Anyway, thank you for saving me today. My name is—"
"Aesc," Shiomi finished for her. "Right? That's what Vivian called you earlier."
"…Mm."
Aesc felt her heart skip a beat, her reply barely more than a whisper. He had only spoken her name, yet it felt as though even her soul trembled in response.
When he said her name, his voice was calm and gentle, carrying a tenderness that felt as though it could endure for all eternity without fading.
Then she remembered—last night's dream, the fragments of information preserved within the ice coffin's Magecraft.
That wasn't a dream. It was her future self conveying a truth to the "past" self standing here now.
[This man is Morgan's husband.]
True or not, no matter how strange the idea of a fairy and a human marrying might be, Aesc knew this wasn't a mistake. As the fragments of knowledge clarified in her mind, the reality only grew sharper.
Her real name—Morgan le Fay—was known to no one in the Rain Clan except her adoptive mother, the queen.
How could this be…
Aesc pulled her hat down to cover her face, then slowly lifted it just enough to sneak a glance at Shiomi. Her heartbeat quickened even more.
"Are you alright? You look a little pale…" Shiomi noticed her gaze and lowered his head to ask.
"I-I'm fine." Aesc's eyes darted away, torn between avoiding his gaze and stealing another look.
Whether among humans or fairies, Shiomi's appearance stood out. He was handsome, almost mesmerizing—just looking at him was pleasing to the eye.
And yet…
"By the way, Tenkei… Shiomi?" Vivian still sounded a little uneasy saying his name. "Earlier you told Aesc to call you Sage. What did you mean by that?"
"Oh, that…" Shiomi's expression turned thoughtful.
It was a title he had suddenly remembered, one he had picked up from a dream long ago.
"It's nothing complicated. I came here… for Aesc," Shiomi said.
"…Eh…"
Aesc's eyes widened, staring straight at him in disbelief.
Her fairy eyes could pierce through lies. No matter how clever a person or fairy was, no one could deceive them.
He wasn't lying.
And because he wasn't lying, his words carried more weight—more danger—than any falsehood could.
Aesc buried her face against Shiomi's chest, too flustered to look at him any longer, afraid of where her thoughts might wander.
"Oooh—"
Vivian's voice took on a teasing lilt, prompting Aesc to shoot her an angry glare, only for her sister to respond with an even more mischievous smile.
Though they trudged through deep snow, Shiomi's arms held Aesc with steady ease. Before long, the exhaustion of the day's events caught up to her, and to the rhythm of crunching snow, Aesc drifted into sleep.
...
[History]
In the early winter of the 4000th year of the Fairy Calendar, the "Fairy of Paradise" encountered the "Sage" for the very first time in the forest outside the Rain Clan's city.
In later records of Faerie Britain, the origins of the Sage were considered even more of a Mystery than those of the Fairy of Paradise. No one knew the truth.
By the time he appeared upon the stage of fairy history in human form, much time had already passed.
When the Fairy Calendar was replaced by the Queen's Calendar, this tale became even more shrouded in obscurity—reduced to fragments of rumor, passed down by word of mouth and eventually recorded in books.