Chapter 79

Today is the release day of Volume 5! I'm so happy to have finally made it this far. There's also a new side story, so I hope you enjoy it!

"Phew..."

"Are you sleepy?"

"...Yes."

When Tiara and Aquasteed returned to the bedroom, a yawn escaped her, perhaps from feeling relieved. I wonder if I'll be scolded for staying up all night... But then, Aquasteed gently stroked her head.

"Go take a bath first."

"Thank you."

Nodding at Aquasteed's caring words, Tiara slowly went to take a bath. By the time she came out, the warmth made her drowsy, and her head started to nod. Aquasteed, who had already finished using the other bathroom, smiled wryly and dried Tiara's still wet hair with a wind spell.

Then, Tiara was led by the hand and laid down on the bed. When he whispered "Good night" softly in her ear, she was already half-asleep—her consciousness already drifting into dreams.

◇◇◇

Tiara and the others woke up in the afternoon and had a light meal. Still feeling sleepy, Tiara started making a cake with Lilian in the kitchen. Due to staying up all night, Aquasteed, worried about her catching a cold, had forbidden her from going outside. Aquasteed had gone out with Ferres to inspect the nearby area on horseback.

When Tiara told Lilian about last night, she laughed happily.

"Ferres and Aquasteed were drinking on the roof?"

"Yes. I was quite surprised..."

"Indeed, it's rare for royalty to drink outside. But Ferres has always been like that."

Ferres, despite his regal demeanor, has a childlike side. Lilian explained that he used to sit on the ground and drink with the fairy kings. Thinking about it, that image fits Keith perfectly.

"I was often dragged around by his free-spiritedness. At first, I really disliked Ferres for intruding."

"Intruding...?"

"Yes. Ferres was royalty, but he had many older siblings. He ran away from home to create a new country."

Hearing Lilian's words, Tiara was stunned. She knew Ferres was originally from another country and had founded Marin Forest with the fairy king, but she didn't know the details.

"Ferres' country didn't have fairies. He came to the current Marin Forest because he wanted to see fairies."

Lilian, who was more beloved by fairies than anyone else, had heard the rumor and Ferres visited her. He then settled in the village and became friends with the fairies.

Lilian, looking cheerful, casually mentioned that she used to hate Ferres. Despite their obvious mutual affection, they must have faced many difficulties before they got together. Tiara, silently vowing to overcome any challenges with Aquasteed, felt a warm resolve in her heart.

"Oh, Tiara! The cake should be done by now, right?"

"Yes, it looks good."

Lilian's nose twitched at the smell of the sponge cake baking in the oven. Her glossy tail swayed from side to side, conveying her excitement more than words.

Tiara squeezed the whipped cream, and Lilian placed strawberries on top. The cake was covered with strawberries, making it look very luxurious. As a final touch, Tiara secretly made a cute chocolate decoration in the shape of Lilian and placed it on top.

"What is this? It's so cute!!"

"It's you, Lilian. Chocolate can be melted and reshaped using molds. Isn't it cute?"

"Yes!"

Lilian smiled, thinking Ferres would be delighted. Making someone happy with sweets brings Tiara immense joy. She smiled, mirroring Lilian's happiness, and carried the finished cake to the living room.

Just as Filine was serving tea, Aquasteed and the others returned home.

"Welcome back, Tiara."

"Welcome back, Aquasteed."

As Tiara greeted Aquasteed, he gently kissed her temple. Though embarrassed by Ferres standing nearby, she was too happy to say anything. "Oh well..." she muttered, but Aquasteed just smiled. Seeing this, Ferres tried to kiss Lilian's cheek, but—

"Welcome back. But it's embarrassing, so no!"

Lilian playfully punched him with her small paws.

Tiara took their jackets and hung them up before heading to the living room. The cake they had just finished was waiting for them.

"By the way, you said you were making a cake."

"Wow, a cake with Lilian on it."

Aquasteed praised the strawberry cake on the table, saying it looked delicious. Ferres was captivated by the chocolate Lilian Tiara had placed on top. The four of them enjoyed the cake while sharing their day's events, spending a cozy afternoon together.

Watching Lilian happily eating the cake, Ferres spoke up.

"Tiara, you're here for your convalescence. How long do you plan to stay?"

"Two weeks."

When Aquasteed answered, Ferres looked at Tiara and suggested, "If you don't mind, could you teach Lilian some delicious recipes? What do you think, Tiara?"

"I'd be happy to, if it's okay with me."

"Really!? I'm so happy!"

Since becoming able to move around in her small monster form, Lilian has been obsessed with delicious food, especially sweets. She dreams of making them herself one day and having Ferres eat them. Knowing she could learn from the skilled Tiara, Lilian's tail wagged excitedly.

—This means more sweets will spread!

Her goal is to make Marin Forest a place full of sweets.

From the next day, they spent their mornings leisurely and afternoons making sweets with Lilian. In the evenings, they read books in the library without staying up too late.

However, their happy time didn't last long.

After about a week of peaceful days, a messenger on a fast horse arrived at the villa with urgent news. Upon hearing the story, it turned out the king had collapsed. The current king of Marin Forest, Sotiris Marin Forest, is Aquasteed's father.

After giving the breathless knight some water, they immediately prepared to return to the castle. The knight didn't know the full details, but they needed to return urgently.

"Why did His Majesty..."

"Tiara, Ferres, and I will return with you. ...I hope he's alright."

Tears welled up in Lilian's eyes, worried. To her, Sotiris was like a child, someone she loved dearly. It was impossible for Lilian and Ferres not to be worried.

◇◇◇

When they returned to the castle, everything seemed the same. The king's collapse had been kept secret to avoid panic. Feeling anxious, Tiara, Aquasteed, Ferres, and Lilian headed to Sotiris' bedroom.

The guard was surprised to see Ferres and Lilian but didn't say anything with Aquasteed present.

In the room, decorated with light blue and green furnishings, Sotiris lay on a bed with off-white lace. By his side, Queen Ravina looked worried.

"Aquasteed!"

"We've returned, Mother."

Peering at the bed, they saw Sotiris, weak but conscious. Relieved, but cautious until they knew more. Before coming, they had received an explanation from the doctor, but the exact illness was unknown. Fortunately, no one else had the same symptoms, so the risk of infection was low, allowing them to visit.

Sotiris, supported by Ravina, sat up and looked at them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your trip."

"It's fine. We can go another time."

"I'm relieved you're safe. I'm feeling much better now, so please rest."

Tiara stared at Sotiris, wondering what illness he had. She considered the possibility that it was a disease from her world, not this one. His slightly gaunt cheeks, poor complexion, and faint dark circles under his eyes. He said he had an appetite but experienced fever, dizziness, and fatigue at night.

—No idea what it could be.

Symptoms worsening at night were unheard of. As Tiara felt discouraged, she heard Lilian's voice from behind, "Could it be..."

"That's... Tiara's friend, Lady Lilian. And the one who teamed up with the fairy king at the sweets competition."

"Sotiris, besides what the doctor explained, do you ever wake up in the middle of the night? Your body feels heavy like stone, and your breathing becomes shallow?"

"—!"

Sotiris' eyes widened, and he took a small breath, recognizing the symptoms Lilian described. It was clear from his reaction that it was true, but Tiara and the others hadn't been told. Perhaps to avoid worrying them.

It was frustrating not to be told, but Sotiris was trying to protect them from unnecessary worry.

"Lady Lilian, do you know this illness?"

"...Yes. It's a very dangerous disease. In the early stages, it's hard to tell from appearance, but gradually, the body feels heavy like stone, and breathing becomes difficult with a crushing sensation."

"I see. But I've never heard of such a disease before."

Lilian, held by Ferres, was passed to Tiara. Ferres approached Sotiris, slowly reaching for his throat, looking extremely sad.

"It's a very rare disease. For someone to have it in this era is surprising. You must be having trouble breathing, wind, bless this one."

"...!"

With Ferres' words, a gust of wind blew, filling the room with light. The size of the wind showed how much the fairies loved Ferres. Sotiris took a deep breath, and his expression relaxed, indicating he was breathing easier.

"I feel much better. Thank you."

"I'm glad."

Ferres stepped back, and Tiara hugged Lilian.

"Thank you, Ferres."

"Sure. We've seen him, and we should leave now."

"Yes."

Staying too long would exhaust Sotiris. They said their get-well wishes and left his bedroom.

After seeing them off, Sotiris, surprised by what just happened, spoke to Ravina.

"I never thought he could use the power of the air fairies like that."

"Yes. But I'm relieved Sotiris' breathing improved. Who could that be?"

"..."

Remembering the unnamed Ferres, Ravina tilted her head. Sotiris smiled gently, thinking he might die. But seeing what Ferres did and that Lilian knew the illness, maybe he could live.

"Still, it's the first time I've seen his face."

"Oh, you knew him?"

"No, but... I've known his name since birth."

Sotiris didn't miss the name Lilian called—Ferres. It was the first name he ever learned.

◇◇◇

"Prince Ferres, Lady Lilian, do you know what's wrong with Father?"

"...I had the same disease in the past."

"Lady Lilian, too?"

After leaving Sotiris' bedroom, they moved to the tea room. Tiara, Aquasteed, Ferres, and Lilian sat on sofas facing each other, discussing what happened.

After dismissing the servants, Aquasteed asked Ferres and Lilian for confirmation. Lilian's serious expression suggested it wasn't a simple illness. Aquasteed clenched his lips, asking about the treatment. Since Lilian survived, it wasn't incurable.

Ferres answered instead of Lilian.

"There's only one known cure for that disease."

"One?"

"Yes. The method I used to cure Lilian. Unfortunately, there were no other options at the time."

Seeing Ferres shrug, it was clear there were no other methods. Relying on the doctor to find a cure might be too late.

"Also, the doctor said the risk of infection is very low, but it's not zero."

"! Then, I should tell Mother to leave immediately."

"It's fine."

Ferres stopped Aquasteed, who stood to tell his mother, saying it wasn't immediate.

"Someone else died from that disease. At the end, it spreads. Whether it's to someone nearby, random, or follows a pattern, it's unknown. When the patient dies, someone new gets sick."

"The cause is unknown?"

"Yes. It's a tricky situation. If we don't treat Sotiris, it could become a major problem. There's a real possibility Tiara could get sick."

Ferres' serious tone made Aquasteed shiver. Tiara, sitting next to him, covered her mouth, feeling the fear.

Aquasteed asked about the one method, then realized something.

"Is it—"

"You're right. But we can't get it immediately."

Seeing Aquasteed's troubled expression, Tiara became worried. There was a method, and Aquasteed could do it, but it was very difficult.

—I'll support whatever Aquasteed decides.

"It's okay, Tiara. Trust Ferres and me."

"Lilian! Yes, I trust Aquasteed."

Lilian jumped onto Tiara's lap. Petting her fluffy fur, Tiara felt a bit calmer. From Ferres' tone, it would take some time to get the medicine. Tiara, hoping to help, watched Aquasteed, who was deeply considering the situation.