On the way back to the mansion with Lee Ji-yeon and the spirits.
I casually turned my gaze and sensed Hong Yeon-hwa’s presence near the entrance of the mansion.
“…!”
[Joy]
“Your Majesty, ooh?”
“Seonbae-nim?”
My body jolted. The moment the fairies clinging to the sky’s feathers and Lee Ji-yeon walking beside me tilted their heads, my legs were already kicking off the ground.
– Tap tap!
My legs were moving urgently. I didn’t put enough force to crush the ground, but my impatience and anticipation were evident.
I opened my eyes against the wind that hit my face.
In the distance, I saw red. As my focus sharpened, Hong Yeon-hwa came into view clearly.
“…Huh?”
Hong Yeon-hwa, leaning against the wall near the entrance and staring at a hologram, suddenly lifted her head.
Her eyes widened. My approaching figure rapidly reflected in her bright red irises.
“Yeon-hwa!”
Without hesitation, I leaped into her arms, wrapping around her waist and burying my face right in her embrace.
The sensation I missed so dearly while inside the dungeon washed over me.
Soft as being buried in clouds, a sweet and nutty scent filled the air. The warmth encapsulated within made my mind go hazy.
“Hehe…”
[Happiness]
Happiness blossomed. It felt as though the stress I got from the dungeon melted away like snow.
The sky’s feathers, still in winged state, fluttered gently.
“Hmm, Ha-yul… Did you really miss me that much?”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who was blinking blankly, beamed and hugged me even tighter. One hand wrapped around my waist while the other gently patted my head.
“Yes… I missed you.”
“Hehe, I missed you so much too! You have no idea how much.”
I subtly raised my head, gazing up at her bright red eyes looking down at me. I felt as if the affection within them was dripping down onto my face.
“Hehe.”
Giggling uncontrollably, I noticed Hong Yeon-hwa slowly lowering her head.
What was she up to? No need to ask further.
I kept my eyes closed and savored the anxious anticipation.
“Hmm?”
…But she wasn’t coming down. Blinking, I realized that Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze had shifted behind me. My cheeks naturally puffed up.
[Jealousy]
Curious, I moved my gaze to where she was looking and could sense Lee Ji-yeon and the awkward fairies not too far away.
Lee Ji-yeon was rolling her eyes while gazing at a distant mountain, and the fairies were tilting their heads and covering their mouths.
“…What’s that?”
Among them, Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze was fixated on the fairies.
‘Ah.’
At her semi-dazed mumble, I suddenly realized: I hadn’t introduced them. I had been so delighted that I forgot.
[Ah… They’re the fairies I met in the dungeon.]
“Hmm…?”
Hong Yeon-hwa blinked again, apparently not fully understanding.
“…Ahem, hello.”
At that moment, one of the nine fairies flew toward us. It was Kali, distinguished by her black hair.
“I’m the fairy Kali, who came to follow Your Majesty. Nice to meet you.”
“Your… Majesty? Oh, um, nice to meet you.”
Kali’s abrupt introduction made Hong Yeon-hwa stammer as she shyly averted her eyes towards me.
She hadn’t said a word and yet, her expression seemed to convey, “What does that mean?!”
[Ahahaha]
I let out an awkward laugh. Truth is, I still didn’t quite understand that ‘Your Majesty’ title either.
“Your Majesty, is this lady the Queen as well?”
“Hmm, yes, I… she is also…”
Um.
[Hey, don’t go around calling everyone ‘Queen’ indiscriminately…]
Somehow, I managed to convince Hong Yeon-hwa and made sure to remind the fairies as we entered the mansion.
I was confused about the whole thing and left it be for now, but if I went around being called ‘King’ and calling any woman ‘Queen’, I would be in deep trouble…
[Then this human, Hong Yeon-hwa, isn’t the Queen?]
The yellow-haired fairy, Rio, tilted her head and asked.
Seemingly heeding my warning, the expression on Yeon-hwa turned slightly sour at Rio’s whispered comment.
[…No, well, how should I put it… she’s not really, but… I mean, I’m technically a king…?]
[So we shouldn’t call her the Queen?]
[…]
While responding absently to Rio’s whisperings, I moved forward.
“Ha-yul! You’re a day late… huh?”
“The homeowner has finally returned! And what new trouble did you bring with you?”
As expected, the moment we stepped into the mansion, the fairies captured everyone’s attention.
Elia and Baek Ahrin were wide-eyed in surprise, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at their reactions.
[Yeon-hwa causing trouble?]
I was curious about Baek Ahrin’s unfinished remark.
Trouble? I can’t believe they thought Hong Yeon-hwa actually caused trouble; I figured there had to be a story behind it.
“Ah! Wait! Please listen to me!”
Upon my inquiry, Baek Ahrin shouted rather indignantly, thumping her massive chest.
“While Ha-yul was away, Yeon-hwa was so overly clingy and bothering me! She kept saying she’d kick me out of the house… Boo-hoo, I was almost in tears…”
“Hey! You… you ate my hot dog!”
“And so? I can’t eat just one small thing? You could’ve shared!”
“It was something I made for myself, you brat!”
“Yeon-hwa, you’re starting to lose your filter…”
As expected, they had their own issues, always bickering. Understanding this, I nodded as another voice resonated in my head.
[Your Majesty, are those two also Queen as well?]
This wasn’t Rio but rather a whisper from Randy, the fairy using Rio’s channel. Randy’s gaze shifted between Elia and Baek Ahrin.
[No… um… let me think…]
Hmm… uh… um…
– Ahem
[When everyone’s gathered, I’ll explain it…]
[Ah! You dodged the explanation!]
[Randy, it means you should catch on yourself!]
[Ah-ha!]
‘Ugh.’
The whispers among the fairies created an odd feeling in my chest.
“Oh, Seo-yul was just put to sleep…”
[Yes, I’ve checked.]
[It would be rude to wake him, so I’ll explain to him separately later.]
Fortunately, my mentor and Professor Liana were also at the mansion.
I soon found myself surrounded.
“Hmm, um…”
“Hmm…”
As we sat around a round table in the first-floor lobby, the two soon descended the central staircase.
At first, they blinked in surprise at the sudden visit from the fairies, but upon spotting me, they rushed over, checking my condition.
Their hands felt like they were extracting power from me as they checked every inch of my body.
Last time, they left my injuries unattended to boost my recovery, and ever since that revelation caused a stir at home, I ended up being examined for injuries as well.
Such were the discomforts of cohabitation.
In the dormitory, I could cut myself and treat it any time, but here, one wrong move could get me in trouble…
[You’re really not hurt?]
But this time, I genuinely had no injuries.
It was thanks to the spirits and Lee Ji-yeon, who stayed by my side as if they were looking after a kid sitting at a rough riverbank.
It was somewhat frustrating. If I had come alone, I might have been more proactive.
…But that cozy sense of being protected was incredibly nice. I wanted to protect, but feeling protected was a delightful feeling as well.
– Ahem
I shook off my drifting thoughts. Anyway, I was perfectly fine, and there was no reason to be anxious. I proudly stood tall.
After a moment, the hands that were meticulously checking my status slowly withdrew.
“I was worried you might’ve been hurt since you’re a Level 2, but thankfully, you seem fine. Did you gather the spirits well?”
[Yes, I brought back almost a hundred from the dungeon.]
[And all the existing ones are satisfied; it’s just a matter of leveling up.]
[Could you help us later…?]
“Of course. I’ve already prepared what’s needed for leveling up, so just let me know if you need anything.”
[Yes! Thank you!]
Professor Liana smiled brightly, patting my head lightly.
Meanwhile, my mentor, who had seemed displeased with that sight, started to loosen up as well.
Her hand was gently pressing against my cheek. Before it could fall away, I turned my head and lightly pressed my lips against her palm.
Smooch—! The palm covering my face twitched.
My mentor’s eyes widened in surprise, but she soon processed the situation, trembling slightly as she once again pushed her palm against my cheek.
“Ugh, ahem. Who’s the disciple that gets hurt so easily? That’s just common sense.”
“And that so-called common sense hasn’t let you sleep well since Lee Ha-yul left…”
“Shut, up.”
“You’ll soon lose your filter too, huh… Anyway.”
Professor Liana trailed off and shifted her gaze.
Her eyes turned towards the fairies. When the sudden attention made them flinch, she smiled gently at them to soothe their nerves.
“Nice to meet you, fairies! I’m Liana Velus.”
Her soft smile matched her affectionate tone. The overwhelming presence and a hint of maternal warmth melted away the tension in the fairies.
‘That transformation was likely impacted by Professor Liana’s affinity with spirits.’
Professor Liana’s affinity influenced not only spirits but those closely related to them like fairies.
Even Seo-yul, who usually harbored a keen sense of wariness, had easily opened up to Professor Liana because of her strength.
The fairies were likely feeling the same closeness. I, myself, felt an urge to snuggle up to Professor Liana and act all cute.
It was the same with Elia, who also had a significant affinity for spirits.
Whether that affinity could evolve into a unique ability remained uncertain, but if it kept growing like this, there was a chance it could someday become one.
[Well, to explain the situation…]
In the first-floor lobby. After observing everyone sitting around the round table looking at me, I began to speak.
[I believe Professor Liana is the consort of this kingdom.]
[First, regarding the dungeon—]
– Ugh!?
“Ha-yul!? Why did you suddenly do that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing…”
Suddenly, a voice pierced into my head, causing my throat to choke. For a second, I thought the odd noise was coming from me.
But it wasn’t. The Hong Yeon-hwa sitting next to me startled and offered me a glass of water.
I gulped down the drink and swallowed the weird feeling stuck in my throat, glancing over at the fairy that made the strange sound… observing it.
Now that they looked a bit more relaxed, the fairies were sitting comfortably, spaced out around the table.
Though their mouths closed tightly, I could detect the whispers of thoughts passing between them.
…I should probably put a stop to their automatic detection of magic.
“Whoa?”
Trying to hide my awkward expression, I firmly poked one fairy’s cheek who had been whispering weird things to the others.
The soft sensation from my fingertips pressed against their cheek.
Taken by surprise, the fairy blinked cutely.
[Don’t think weird things.]
“Okay…? Did you read my mind?!”
[Well… something similar. Now, just eat quietly.]
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
The surrounding fairies blinked in astonishment as I handed them each a candy.
They weren’t from the market; they were fruit candies I had made.
The fairies’ eyes sparkled as they saw the candy, and they hurriedly started unwrapping them.
[Take your time, there’s plenty, so don’t rush, okay?]
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
It was easier to have their mouths full before the conversation began.
Handing out their favorite treats helped loosen the atmosphere, as the fairies dove into their candy with glee.
“?”
While I found their antics quite adorable and smiled, I noticed an unusual gaze upon me.
Turning my head, I saw everyone around the table staring at me with peculiar looks.
[What’s wrong?]
“…Your Majesty?”
[Ah.]
Was it because of that title?
I felt my expression become awkward.
[I honestly don’t know why the kids are calling me ‘King’ either.]
“A king is a King!”
[… Like this, haha… Wait, don’t just bury it all; eat clean, understood?]
“Wheee!”
As I wiped the crumbs from their mouths after they were done munching, they smiled brightly in delight. Their innocence was wonderfully endearing.
“…Not just that, Ha-yul.”
[Yes, Baek Ahrin-nim?]
“Don’t you think there’s a different vibe with the fairies?”
[Huh? The vibe?]
What did she mean by that? What’s wrong with my vibe?
“Um… How can I put it, something’s different.”
[What do you mean? I’ve always been the same… But?]
Huh?
Suddenly, my head buzzed. A surge of accumulated knowledge unfolded in my mind like a book.
– Hello?
– You really don’t need to stress so much. And it’s okay to just say it now.
– Um… You must be Roa, right? The one who asked for help from me?
– I’m Lee Ha-yul. Nice to meet you.
My attitude, thoughts, and actions during that first meeting with the fairy back in the dungeon…
Come to think of it, why was I so casual from the start?
– Thud…
Formal language and informal language. Words of politeness versus impudent ones.
While some languages don’t differentiate, this world, where our conversations were unified by the Power of Harmony, translates even such nuances.
I usually strive to incorporate respect in my speech. There’s no deep meaning behind it, it’s just a habit.
There’ve been cases where speaking casually got me in trouble, but generally, I try to avoid being overly casual.
In this world, there are hardly any people to whom I can talk casually without consequence. It was usually too much of a hassle to differentiate the formal and informal, so I typically respond formally.
Yet, that wasn’t the case with the fairies.
Automatically, effortlessly, I treated them comfortably…
‘Why?’
That was the case, right?
I don’t really understand.
– Thud…
A disquieting sensation rattled in my mind.
– Flutter
Sky’s feathers, which had retained a winged state, fluttered gently.
*
[Beginning to awaken the essence of the source]
[The mind frame “Fairy” is changing…]
…
[“The Curse of the Beautiful…” interferes with the change.]
…
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