Morgan rose slowly, hot spring water streaming down her jade-like skin. She lifted her arm, loosened her coiled hair, then sat on a rock by the pool's edge, absentmindedly running her fingers through the strands.
"There you are."
A familiar voice reached her ears. Without needing to think, she recognized it and turned her head. Shiomi stepped out from behind the shrubs, brushing past branches that shook off light snow, scattering it across his robes.
"Just taking a quick soak. Want to join me?" Morgan asked with a smile.
"I'll pass. Besides, you just finished."
Shiomi knelt beside her, took her damp hair from her hands, picked up the wooden comb at her side, and began to comb through it.
"There's no rule that says you can't bathe twice in the same spring," Morgan murmured contentedly, rubbing her shoulders and neck. Her fatigue, both body and mind, had already melted away. She idly dipped her toes in the steaming water.
"Next time," Shiomi said softly, leaning over her shoulder to place a kiss on her cheek.
He combed her hair with gentle care. Since their return, her golden locks had gradually faded to pure white, like untouched snow, with the faintest traces of icy blue at the ends—like memories frozen in time.
Too many fairies had seen Aesc the Savior. To keep them from realizing who she was, she had changed her appearance and chosen to go by her original name, "Morgan," sealing away the name "Aesc."
Under Shiomi's guidance, she trained in new manners and speech until she was no longer the same person she had once been. Even Totorot had said it felt like meeting her for the first time.
But to Shiomi, it was simply watching her shift from one familiar form to another—and finally understanding the connection between who she was and who she had become.
"Lately, you've been staring at my face in a daze," Morgan said softly. "Even when you comb my hair, your thoughts seem far away. We made this choice together. But there's still time—nothing's begun yet. If you want to reconsider, it's not too late."
"No," Shiomi replied honestly. "It just feels... as if a lifetime has passed, seeing you like this."
Morgan's cheeks flushed faintly. "It's only a matter of adjusting my inner magic, changing my appearance a little," she muttered, sounding slightly defensive. "I'm still me. You should know that better than anyone."
"I do," Shiomi said quietly. "That's exactly why it feels so profound."
The air around the hot spring was mild. In Orkney, snow rarely lasted—it melted as it fell unless the storm grew heavy. A flake landed on her shoulder, and Shiomi leaned down to kiss it. Morgan felt a pleasant warmth rise within her.
"If you didn't come for a bath, then why are you here?" she asked.
"The new clothes we talked about—Totorot finished them. You weren't in the library, so I came to find you," Shiomi said with a faint smile, brushing aside a strand of her hair.
"I see. So you left Baobhan Sith in her care?" Morgan asked.
"Don't make it sound so bad. I just had Totorot keep her company for a while," Shiomi protested.
"Still, I'm curious… It's been two hundred years since Baobhan Sith became a baby, yet she's only about as tall as Totorot. Whether human or fairy, that's slow growth."
"Other than that, have you noticed anything strange about her?" Shiomi asked.
"Not really. Her Magic Circuits, physical qualities, and potential all seem excellent," Morgan replied with a small shake of her head.
Shiomi paused in thought. "Honestly, I didn't expect this either. It's probably the price we paid when we made her rebirth as a new life—changing her essence entirely."
"To humans, she's a fairy. But to fairies, she's human… I suppose," Morgan said with a sigh. "Who would've thought our first child would be born this way."
"Well, technically, you could say Baobhan Sith was born from me," Shiomi said with deliberate mischief.
"…You can't really say that," Morgan muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead.
As they talked, Morgan's hair was already neatly combed and tied back with a slender black cord.
She rose again, stepping into the steaming water, then turned to face Shiomi fully, her bare body glistening under the mist.
From where he sat, the blue markings on her lower abdomen were perfectly visible. Shiomi instinctively reached out to touch them. The unconscious gesture drew a soft, sultry sound from Morgan's lips.
"You deliberately showed me this to remind me of something?" Shiomi asked.
"We'll be pretending to be enemies from now on. Do you think it's necessary to undo the spell?" Morgan was referring to the spell that compensated for her pain.
In a rare gesture, Shiomi flicked her forehead. "Don't be silly. Precisely because I won't be able to stay by your side all the time, this spell is even more important. If I ever lose control on the battlefield, at least I won't end up hurting you."
"That's some incredible confidence," Morgan replied, pressing her lips together with a hint of teasing.
Her tone successfully irritated Shiomi. His hands immediately found her waist, kneading at the spot she was most ticklish. Morgan struggled to escape, but his hands were merciless, leaving her laughing helplessly under his teasing.
In the end, Shiomi carried Morgan—who refused to walk—back home.
Totorot, who was playing with Baobhan Sith, immediately called out to Morgan when she saw her return, urging her to try on the new clothes.
After changing, however, Morgan looked a little hesitant.
"Isn't this a bit too revealing…? I don't want to show my skin to anyone other than my husband."
"Don't worry. This is just the initial design. According to Totorot's plan, the final full attire is meant for when you ascend as Queen," Shiomi explained, sharing her sentiment and adding the clarification.
Standing before the mirror, Morgan turned around and smiled. "Then I have nothing to worry about. The outfit fits perfectly, and I love it. Thank you, Totorot. You made me a wedding dress in Londinium, but I never had the chance to wear it."
"That one's still in Londinium for now," Totorot said, sounding a bit regretful. "It's hidden in a very secret place, so we should be able to get it back."
Shiomi nodded. "I understand. Once I return to Londinium, I'll have the wedding dress sealed away."
"Hm?" Morgan and Totorot voiced their confusion in unison.
"There's nothing strange about it," Shiomi said calmly. "That city was built by our own hands. Since it hasn't been destroyed, I'll naturally go back and reclaim it."
This time, though, Londinium would no longer stand as the symbol of Britannia's greatest prosperity.
...
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