Chapter 1

"Baby, you have wings on your back, and you're floating in the air."

When I said this as a little child, Mother was very surprised at first, then she smiled gently.

"That's something only you can see, so you mustn't tell anyone."

"Anyone?"

"Special powers can be a very strong ally to protect you, but they can also be a reason for people to use or hurt you. So, let's keep it a secret between you and me until someone comes along who looks at you and loves you not because you are the beloved child of the fairies, but just because you are Margaret."

At the time, I didn't fully understand Mother's words, but I remembered them for a long time. Even when Mother passed away when I was 10, and within a year Father brought a new mother and a step-sister, Cynthia, who was only a year younger than me, I still remembered Mother's words.

Even when my step-mother started hitting my back with a ruler, and Cynthia started taking dresses and jewels from my room, saying, "You have so many and it's unfair," I still remembered Mother's words.

"Margaret, are you okay?"

"I'll heal you."

"I'll send the pain to them."

The fairies were always by my side. Even though they couldn't change human lifespans, they softened Mother's pain until the very end and always healed my back when it was hurt by my step-mother.

"Cookie, chocolate, mint, thank you always."

"I hate everyone in this house."

"They all treat Margaret badly."

"I'll make their faces covered in bug bites."

"But, the pain is healed by all of you, and you protect Mother's brooch from being stolen, so it's okay."

If it weren't for the fairies, I would have been lonely, suffering, sad, and in despair in this house, and I can't even imagine how terrible it would have been. As Mother said, the fairies became my very strong allies.

"I hate the maid who pulls Margaret's hair on purpose."

"She takes jewels from Margaret's room sometimes."

"I'll shave her head."

What? The maids don't come to my room because of my step-mother's orders, so I always do the cleaning and changing myself. But I was puzzled when the head maid sometimes fixed my hair. It was just harassment after all. No wonder it hurt.

No, more importantly, it's what chocolate said.

"Does the head maid take jewels from my room? Is it on my step-mother's orders?"

"No, she sells them."

"She takes them sometimes."

"I'll hit her vital points with the jewels."

I never realized that the head maid was stealing among all the other things Cynthia was stealing.

This is unacceptable behavior for a duchess's maid, and I should tell Father.

But... After looking at my step-mother and Cynthia with a gentle gaze, I remembered Father's cold, icy eyes when he looked at me.

Not only would he not believe me, but he would punish me for lying.

"I hate the head chef."

"He puts bitter herbs in Margaret's food on purpose."

"I'll pickle the head chef."

What? That was harassment too?

I thought everyone was eating normally despite the bitter taste, and I even wondered if the head chef was just bad at cooking, but that can't be the case.

"But those herbs are really good for your body."

"Humans don't realize it, but they are good for you."

"I'll make the head chef swallow the bitterness."

Is that true? I did feel good, but that's not the issue.

Feeling overwhelmed by all the harassment I didn't know about, I looked at cookie with distant eyes as he continued, "And, and..."

The fairies are my strong allies, right?