"Now, answer me, human girl."
A cold fingertip brushed against her chin. Mia slowly pushed the hand away and replied,
"What you originally wanted... was just to be warned ahead of time when Julius tried to invade Muria, right?"
"That's right. It would be even better if the invasion could be stopped altogether, but that might be too much to ask."
"And what were you planning to give me in return for playing that role? When I became Queen—"
"That option has already been scrapped, hasn't it? Why would I bother telling you now?"
A few bats flapped their wings and vanished into the air. A breeze stirred from somewhere again. The king looked at Mia with a face full of distrust.
"To be honest, I haven't set my future in stone. I'm not completely ruling out the path of becoming queen."
Her heart pounded. It wasn't a lie, but she needed to speak with care. Slowly... She could do this.
"And why not?"
The king slowly closed his sapphire eyes and opened them again.
"Of course, I won't stay in Sibareth forever. I'll return someday. But every task has its proper time."
"Hmm."
"I did come here for money, after all. I wouldn't want to go back empty-handed."
"So you want me to change your body back and give you money, too?"
"...That's not what I said."
"Sorry, but I can't give you both. You may not know this, but my land has suffered significant damage at the hands of Sibareth's refugees. Sibareth offered to compensate with money, but I refused and brought you instead."
The king slowly leaned his face closer toward Mia.
"You must give me something of equal value in return. So, choose."
Mia swallowed hard.
"You may receive only one of three things. First, money. Second, your original body, before the fairy transformation. And third..."
The king paused and studied her expression. Mia tried her best to look composed.
"...Something I just thought of. It might be a good option, especially if you wish to stay in Sibareth a little longer."
"What is it?"
"The wings of the Fairy King. Wings identical to mine. With them, you can fly tirelessly, with remarkable speed and agility. You could outrun most monsters with ease. Comparable to the highest-ranking spirits, even."
"Well, that sounds great and all, but... if I suddenly start walking around with those, how do you think people in Sibareth will react?"
"Don't worry. I'll teach you a spell to conceal them."
"Well, that's something at least."
"In return, what you must give me is—first, a child. Second, your blood."
"My... blood?"
"Yes. There are a few experiments I'd like to try with it. We refer to it as bodily fluids, actually."
Ugh. "Bodily fluids" sounds like something you'd say about insects. Then again, fairies have wings like insects too... maybe it makes sense?
"But if it's a child… how could I raise one in Sibareth?"
"Don't worry about that either. I have my ways."
Mia paused, deep in thought. The offer to return her to her original body was certainly tempting. But...
A child was out of the question. Even if this fairy was trustworthy, there was still the danger of being discovered in Sibareth. Just look at what happened with Mithys—she said it would be fine, and look how that turned out.
And she couldn't just give birth and abandon the child here. Unless she really did become queen, like he said.
"I can give you my blood, but a child… no. And to make a baby, you'd have to... you know..."
She trailed off awkwardly, unable to finish. Surely, this cunning king knew exactly what she meant. As expected, he laughed heartily, clutching his stomach.
What is with this guy? Mia glared at him, and he cleared his throat, regaining composure.
"Ah, my apologies. To be honest, I was a little hurt being rejected."
"Rejected?"
"What else would you call it? That was quite the ambitious proposal, at least in my mind."
Unbelievable! That was his idea of a proposal? He was just trying to use her! Mia shot him a venomous look, and he quickly grew serious again.
"Don't worry. When it comes to sleeping together, we can proceed with dreams, memory erasure techniques, hypnosis... whatever you prefer."
What?! That's even worse! Mia took a step back, waving her hands furiously.
"Okay, okay! Fine. Then let's say the first deal is settled... the sooner the better, so why don't you take my blood first? I'll take the wings."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mia felt her body lifted into the air, as if lying on an invisible bed. She couldn't move—something was holding her in place. What is this?! No, this is scary!
A thin, transparent tube was inserted into her neck. She felt drowsy, languid... but oddly pleasant. She could tell blood was being drawn, but it didn't hurt or feel unpleasant at all.
She didn't know how much time passed in that drowsy state. She drifted in and out of consciousness, and then—her back itched. The tube in her neck was gone before she even realized it.
"I've finished drawing your blood and completed the wing grafting spell. You'll probably feel weak for a while, so rest. The wings won't sprout right away."
"Then... when will they?"
Mia's voice was groggy, her eyelids heavy.
"I can't say exactly. But it won't take too long. Don't worry. Now sleep well."
In an instant, everything around her went black—and then, Mia found herself standing before a blue door. It felt like waking from a dream. She touched her back—her wings were there. Her hair—shoulder-length again.
She had returned to her fairy form.
"Lady Mia?"
Standing in front of the door were Muria's attendant and Leca, who had escorted her here. Mia swayed a little from dizziness, and Leca rushed to steady her.
"Lady Mia! Are you all right? What happened in there?"
Mia shook her head.
"Nothing. Let's just get some rest."
She was given a room adjacent to Leca's. Exhausted and disoriented, she fell asleep the moment her body hit the bed.
But then…
She had a strange dream.
In what looked like a secret underground prison, Roy was lying collapsed, bound tightly in chains. Above her, Salamander hovered, spinning helplessly in mid-air.
Roy appeared to be asleep. Her disheveled hair clung to her face. Without meaning to, Mia found herself speaking to Salamander.
—Salamander? Do you know where this is?
To her shock…
Salamander turned to look at her. Its split tongue flicked out before it spoke.
—This is someone's secret estate.
—I figured that much! Is Roy all right?
—Yes, but I overheard someone say, "It'll be your turn next."
—Turn? What are you talking about? And can't you use your powers to break her out?
—I tried, but it's no use. There's a spell sealing my magic.
—Can you tell me how to get there?
—The estate is hidden by a barrier, invisible from the outside. It's near the crocodile marshes… Are you coming?
—I have to. If Roy's turn is coming, I can't just sit around. Is there no way to break through the barrier?
—…If you're coming, I'll meet you there.
Pop.
The dream vanished like a screen flicking off. Mia woke with a gasp, drenched in cold sweat. A dream… Was it really just a dream? It had felt too vivid for that. As if she'd actually gone somewhere…
Gone somewhere through a dream? No, this was—
Mithys's power.
She had met the Fairy King this way before. Had seen Mithys in her pajamas in a dream. And now—
Had she inherited the ability?
Or was it just a coincidence? Mia hesitated, but…
No. She was sure of it. This wasn't just a dream. She had really visited that prison in her sleep. She couldn't explain it logically, but she knew it to be true. Quickly, she got out of bed and looked out the window.
The sun hadn't risen yet. Maybe three or four hours of sleep? Her head still foggy, Mia carefully changed her clothes. When she stepped out into the garden, the air was thick and humid.
By land and sea, it would take two days to travel from Muria to Sibareth. But if she flew, she could make it in a day. If only the wings given by the Fairy King had sprouted already. Had they?
She touched her back—disappointingly, her wings were still the same as before. Mia stared up at the dark sky. How was she supposed to fly to Sibareth from here? No, before that—could she even get out of this palace?
She started looking for an exit, cautiously. But the garden was so vast, she couldn't tell which direction led out. She was pretty sure she'd entered from this side yesterday, but now the door was nowhere in sight.
She wandered for a while, and then—
"…What are you doing here?"
Startled.
She turned around to find Leca standing there. Unlike her, he was fully dressed, not in sleepwear. Mia scratched her head with an awkward grin.
"Early riser, huh?"
"Where exactly were you planning to go? Alone, without telling me?"
"Well, um…"
Mia had no choice but to explain everything about Roy. Even the dream she just had. Leca listened silently, not reacting, then muttered under his breath.
"…So that's what the two thousand denarions was for."
"Yes, Leca. I have no choice. I have to go."
"Why go this far? Why risk so much?"
His face showed nothing but confusion.
"Call it cheap heroism if you want. But…"
She touched the necklace given by Kai, the beastfolk cat, and refined by Leca himself.
"Would it sound strange if I said… she's a friend? When your friend's in danger, of course you go to help them."
"…You must be very lonely here."
That stung. Maybe he was right. Maybe opening her heart even a little had made her act this way…
"Either way, I have to go. I can't just lie in bed when I know someone's life is at stake."
"But you're here as a diplomatic envoy. If you leave like this—"
Mia paused. But at this point, there was no turning back. Their business was concluded. She had received the wings, and he had taken her blood.
"It's not like he's going to come chasing after me, right?"
Given what they both knew of Thorpel's personality, it was unlikely he'd bother with pursuit. Leca knew it, too. He nodded with resolve.
"Then… shall we go?"