The castle was close to Lewiston, which boasted the largest fairy market in the kingdom, and it had plenty of space to set up a workshop. At the same time, it was far enough from town to provide a nice, calm environment.
The day before, Anne and Keith had learned that the preparations were largely complete, and so they planned to relocate to Hollyleaf Castle the following day. A day after their move, they would finally bring the fairies from town to the castle.
At Challe’s urging, Anne cradled Mithril in her arms and slipped back into bed.
“…Huh?” With her head resting on the pillow, Anne glanced down at Mithril.
“What’s the matter?” Challe asked.
He came up to the side of the bed, and Anne looked up at him.
“I think Mithril Lid Pod has lost weight.”
“With how much he eats?”
“Yeah. He feels a little lighter than usual.”
“You must be imagining it. Quit worrying and go to sleep.”
“But he was acting a little strange just now…” Once again, Anne felt the unsettling feeling in her chest from earlier.
“Just rest for now.”
Challe knelt by the side of the bed and pulled the thin sheets up to Anne’s neck. Then he placed a light kiss on her shoulder through the blanket.
“Huh?” she gasped.
But Challe straightened up before she could be certain of what had happened.
What was that?
She was positive she had felt his breath through the bedspread and her thin cotton pajamas.
You big dummy! Stupid Anne! You’re letting your imagination get the better of you!
Even if it was only a fantasy, Anne suddenly felt embarrassed about where her mind had gone, and she buried her face in the covers.
“If you’re that worried, ask Mithril Lid Pod about it tomorrow. Now go to sleep,” Challe said quietly. Then he stood up and headed for the couch.
Seems like I’m imagining all sorts of things…
Anne hugged Mithril tightly again, trying to feel his weight as she held him to her breast.
Yeah. I’m probably imagining this, too.
Telling herself that, she closed her eyes.
The following day, Anne, the fairies, and Keith arrived at Hollyleaf Castle as planned.
Anne was in incredibly high spirits as they entered the building. She couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.
She went through the doors, ran up the stairs, and flung open the windows. She peeked into every room. While she was looking around, Anne let out little cheers of joy. And after she got her fill of exploring, she came to a halt on the second floor. There, she gazed out one of the windows she had thrown open and heaved a satisfied sigh.
“Incredible. It’s just so lovely.”
Through the arch-shaped window, she took in the distant sight of the royal capital, Lewiston. She could make out the tower of the Church of Saint Lewiston Bell standing against the blue sky; it seemed small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.
This is a good place for a new beginning.
As she gazed at the scenery and said a prayer in her heart, a summery breeze carrying the scent of new growth blew past, ruffling the ends of Anne’s hair.
“Quit running around so much.”
Someone poked the back of her head. Pressing a hand to the spot, Anne turned.
“I can’t help it. The castle is just so amazing,” she said.
Challe was the one who had poked her. Mithril was there, too, sitting quietly on the larger fairy’s shoulder. Mithril seemed to be in his usual spirits, and Anne felt foolish over worrying about him the night before. His big, round, silver eyes shone brightly.
“As far as I’m concerned,” said Mithril, “this place, the Paige Workshop, and the Radcliffe Workshop all look the same.”
“They are not the same!” Anne replied. “Hollyleaf Castle is going to become a fairies’ workshop, you know. That’s amazing!”
Hollyleaf Castle had once belonged to the Chamber family. Then the Millsland family had destroyed it, turning it into a haunted ruin. But now this castle, which had endured so much, was about to enter a new era.
The broken and weathered parts of the building had been restored, and every nook and cranny had been cleaned. The furniture and finishings had all been changed to suit the building’s new purpose, so the interior had a completely different appearance now. It no longer looked like the residence of an aristocrat.
Most of the inside walls on the first floor had been removed. Against one of the remaining ones was a line of large stoves, and there were rows of workbenches laid out in the open space. Buckets, millstones, and shelves were arranged in an orderly fashion throughout the space. In short, the ground floor had become a workplace for making sugar candy.
Each of the rooms on the upper floors now contained two wooden beds. These would serve as the crafters’ living quarters.
The entire castle had been remodeled into a midsized candy crafting workshop, filled with the invigorating aroma of Saint Ellis Nut.
Hollyleaf Castle had once been owned by the state church, and the Paige Workshop had taken out a contract to rent it until that winter. However, Hugh had negotiated with both the Paige Workshop and the church to buy the property and reconstruct it, and he’d enlisted Kat to assist him. Despite complaining furiously about the task, Kat was innately good-natured, and he had given his all to help Hugh.
On top of getting the space ready, Kat had single-handedly undertaken the administrative work needed to gather fairies from the markets and send them back again. Even now, he was in Lewiston meeting with a representative from the fairy market to work out the details of the arrangement.
“I understand why you’re flitting around,” Challe said. “However, we can’t forget about Lafalle. Don’t stray too far from me.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.” For a moment, Anne’s chest tightened with fear.
“Anne! Did you see?! They even built a silver sugar warehouse out back!” Keith Powell came running up to them from the lesser hall, eyes sparkling. The hem of his fine, knee-length jacket swayed in time with his movements. “It’s got double walls and a raised floor to protect against moisture. It’s quite the thing to behold. Let’s have a look!”
Keith tried to take Anne by the hand and pull her along, but Challe knocked away the young candy crafter’s arm from below.
“Surely there is no need to hold her hand, boy,” Challe said arrogantly.
Keith’s face clouded over. “That was mean, Challe,” he complained.