—The Next Morning—
A soft knock sounds against the door.
Kel slowly enters the room.
"Lady Velora— ..."
She takes one step inside.
Her gaze falls upon Young Lord Nylis, who is still lying motionless on the floor beside my bed.
Her face immediately drains of color.
"GYAAAA—"
She quickly covers her mouth and forces the scream into a cough.
"C-Cough!"
I jolt awake from Kel's scream and hurriedly swing my legs over the side of the bed.
The moment my foot touches the floor, it lands on something unexpectedly firm.
Nylis's chest.
I gasp in shock as Nylis groans.
"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"
I leap backward so violently that I nearly fall onto the bed again.
For a second, I genuinely feel as though my heart is about to burst out of my chest.
'Why is he on the floor!?'
Suddenly I remember our talk last now.
'Isn't he a grand duke's son!?'
'How in, what world would he take it seriously.'
Nylis slowly sits up, one hand pressed against the place where I stepped on him. His black hair is completely disheveled, several strands sticking out in every direction.
His sleepy expression twists with annoyance.
He turns toward Kel.
"What a rude servant."
Kel stiffens as if she's saying 'why me?' when she isn't the one who stepped on him.
Nylis raises his right hand.
Dark elemental energy gathers above his palm, curling around his fingers like black smoke.
'OH MY GOD, KEL, WATCH OUT!'
I scream internally and immediately reach toward him.
Before I can stop him, something small emerges from behind his shoulder.
A dark fairy.
Its tiny body floats unsteadily in the air, as though it has only just woken up. Its wings flap lazily, and its round face carries the same grumpy expression as Nylis.
I look at Nylis's messy hair then at the fairy
The fairy has the same sleepy glare and same annoyed frown.
Even the same messy violet fluffy fur sticking up in random directions.
'They look identical.'
Like a before-and-after picture or a mother duck and her duckling.
"Pfft."
The laugh bursts out before I can stop it.
"Ah—"
The dark energy above Nylis's hand disappears instantly.
He suddenly looks at me, blinking.
"Eh...? Eh?"
His entire personality shifts so quickly that it is almost frightening.
"Did Velora just laugh?"
'Crap... Why's he happy and too close.'
His violet eyes widening with excitement and suddenly gets closer.
"Is this real?"
He looks toward Kel with a smile that somehow appears cheerful and threatening at the same time.
Kel remains frozen beside the door.
Nylis turns back to me, beaming.
"I should have come much earlier to celebrate your birthday if I knew you could smile like that."
He scoots closer and wraps both arms around one of mine.
I stiffen.
He presses himself against my arm like an overly affectionate child.
A chill runs down my spine.
'What is happening...'
Before I can pull away, the dark fairy suddenly flies closer to Nylis's ear.
Nylis stops smiling.
His gaze shifts toward it as though he is listening carefully.
I stare between them.
'Huh? Do fairies talk?'
Nylis's expression becomes serious.
'I feel like I've seen people stare at their fairies as if they have deep connection to understand one another.'
Without warning, he releases my arm and rises to his feet.
"I am sorry, Lady Velora. I would like to spend more time with you, but there is somewhere I must go."
Before I can respond, he suddenly bends down and hugs me again.
My arms remain awkwardly in mid-air.
'What am I supposed to do?'
After a moment of hesitation, I pat his back gently and awkwardly.
Nylis freezes.
He slowly pulls back and stares at me.
His eyes shine and a bright smile spreads across his face.
"What?"
He says nothing.
He simply looks far too pleased with himself.
"Well! Until later, Velora."
A moment later, he turns toward the door.
As he passes Kel, he casually pats her shoulder.
His cheerful smile remains, but his eyes lock directly onto hers.
Kel goes completely rigid and bows hardly.
Nylis walks out of the room with his fairy following behind him.
The door closes.
Kel remains standing in place, her face pale and her shoulders tense.
It looks as though a chill has travelled straight down her spine.
I pat Kel's back who collapse on the floor.
'ha ha...'
"There, there..."
—Later That Day—
Several days have passed since my ban was lifted, yet I have barely seen anyone besides Duke Lucien and a handful of maids.
It seems the former duke is still staying at the manor yet it seems to left for a few days since.
'So he's going back again soon.'
"Tsk... that's annoying."
I threw some of the letters away as I cross my arms in annoyance.
'Even now, I still do not know where Erisa is.'
The letters I recently received contain no mention of Rey, or Marigold.
I lower my eyes toward the letter in my hands.
Mira asks how I have been and says she will visit soon if I reply.
Kel brings along a fresh sheet of paper.
I sit at the desk and begin writing my response to Mira.
'At least there is still something I can look forward to.'
Suddenly, the earth fairy pops into view beside me.
I blink at it.
'I almost forgot this thing existed.'
That reminds me.
I did not see it at all while Nylis was here.
'Did it hide from him?'
I cautiously reach toward it.
The earth fairy immediately flies away from my hand.
My smile disappears.
"Tsk."
I reach for it again.
It moves farther away.
My eyebrow twitches.
"If you dislike me that much, then leave me alone."
I begin waving both hands at it, trying to drive it away.
"Go on. Shoo."
The fairy remains where it is.
I wave harder.
"Go away."
It continues staring at me with its tiny beady eyes.
A low growl rises from my throat.
—Later that day—
I take a slow stroll through the garden, as though time itself has begun to move more gently.
My gaze drifts across the flowers surrounding the path.
The sight makes me smile, especially when I remember how carefully Ethan tends to each of them.
Still, since I cannot touch them, all I can do is admire them from a distance.
I take a slow breath and the scent of fresh air and flowers fills my lungs as the wind brushes past me, stirring my hair and the fabric of my dress.
For the first time in a long while, I feel free.
Not completely but close enough to imagine myself escaping this so-called destiny.
A thought quietly enters my mind.
'Even if it is possible that this body will eventually return to its rightful owner, at least she will no longer have to feel suffocating.'
'I feel like no one in this manor can be trusted any longer.'
I look at the flowers again.
'That reminds me.'
'If my ability also affects seeds, then should the flowers that grow from them not change as well?'
'Yet the flowers blooming here are exactly the same as before.'
I frown slightly, still thinking about it as I return to the manor.
Before I can enter, I suddenly see Lucien stepping out of one of the guest rooms.
'What is Lucien doing there?'
'Is he visiting Nylis?'
Lucien notices me and bows.
I return the gesture.
Without saying anything, he walks away.
A moment later, Nylis steps out of the same room.
Perfectly composed.
'Of course.'
He looks as though he has just walked straight out of a novel.
The moment he notices me, he lets out a gentle smile as if the sun shines at his back.
Annoyance immediately settles in the back of my mind.
Still, I force a faint smile and give him a small nod.
—The Next Day—
Nylis is brought into my room early in the morning, startling me awake once again.
'Déjà vu!?'
Apologizing for not sleeping beside me.
'As if I care!?'
'Why is everyone in this manor so obsessed with entering someone else's room without knocking?'
—Later That Day—
Mira finally comes to visit.
The moment Nylis sees her, however, the peaceful atmosphere disappears.
He looks her up and down before raising an eyebrow.
"You're small."
Mira freezes.
"What did you say?"
"I said you are small." Nylis holds one hand above her head as though measuring her height.
"Are you certain you are not still a child, maybe I can consider you a baby?"
Mira immediately slaps his hand away.
"I am not small!"
"You are."
"I am not!"
Nylis smiles, clearly enjoying himself.
Mira's cheeks puff out as she glares at him.
"At least I do not barge into other people's rooms like an ill-mannered lunatic!"
Nylis places one hand against his chest.
"Ill-mannered?"
"Yes!"
"How cruel. I am Velora's childhood friend."
"And I am her friend too!"
They continue arguing in front of me, growing louder with every exchange.
I quietly lift my cup of tea and take a sip.
'Why does it feel as though I am supervising two children?'
After several more insults about Mira's height and Nylis's terrible personality, Nylis finally leaves as he has other business to attend to.
Mira watches him go with her arms crossed and her tongue out.
"Hmp! Why's the Dark Element visiting my territory."
"My?"
I mumble.
'Ah right, I forgot we living in the Earth element's territory alongside the Lysanthir.'
Mira finally feels relief seeing me fine, and talks about what happened to her.
'I didn't realize academy was a thing, yet all my life I've been home-schooled?'
She glances toward the door before moving closer to me.
Without saying anything, she slips a small folded note into my hand.
I look down at it.
"What is this?"
Mira leans closer and lowers her voice to a whisper.
"The Laurel asked me to give it to you."
I blink.
"The Laurel?"
My eyes widen slightly.
'The High Priest?'
Mira shrugs.
"I do not know why. We met outside, and he told me he doesn't want to come in and leave this to you instead."
I look back at the folded note resting in my palm.