At those last words, Anne’s heart ached.
It was quite cruel to make the fairies give their wings back to their human captors. But if they didn’t, then the next group of fairies would never get a chance at freedom.
Their fate—freedom or continued servitude—would rest solely on whether or not they were chosen. But doing away with this arrangement entirely because it was cruel or unfair would not pave the way for the future. Anne and the others, who had created this absurd, unjust framework, were all at fault. That was why they had to change the way the world worked, even if it was just a little at a time, to alter the circumstances of the fairies who were not selected.
That’s the one thing we can do to atone for our sins. Anne bit her lip. If the fairies can work on their own as candy crafters, that will put them on equal footing with humans. When that happens, their kind will gain a way to live outside slavery.
As it became more and more common for fairies to become candy crafters, she expected humans would eventually begin to see them as colleagues, rather than as slaves.
But that was no simple matter. Both Challe and Edmond II had said as much. Slavery was a foundational institution in their society—one that had persisted for over five hundred years—and it would likely take another five hundred to change it, they had told her.
Anne and the others had been asked to set their eyes on a future five hundred years hence and take the first steps toward it.
“We accept the deal.”
Allele was the first fairy to stand up and answer. There was a hungry impatience in his vermilion eyes.
“We promise to follow the rules. Give us back our wings.”
Words of agreement came one after another from the other fairies’ mouths. Their anticipation, anxiety, and joy swelled to fill the space.
Anne nodded, smiled, and said simply, “We will. We believe your promises.”
Without a moment’s delay, Keith instructed, “Now, please come over one by one, starting with the person closest to this edge of the table. Check the contents of your pouch and take your wing with you.”
The first fairy practically leaped out of her seat.
“All right, here you go.”
When Anne handed over the wing, the fairy’s eyes lit up, and she hugged the pouch with her wing in it to her chest.
Challe watched the proceedings intently from the other end of the long table, his chin still in his hands. His face was expressionless, so Anne couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but when Mithril said something to him, Challe allowed himself to smile just a little.
That made Anne happy, as did the cheerful expressions on all the fairies’ faces.
There was something different about the way the fairies worked that day. Their expressions were bright, and from time to time, they even laughed. Their irrepressible joy seemed to bring out their motivation.
Anne was relieved at the sight.
We made the right choice.
However, it still wasn’t certain that the fairies would keep their promises.
Anne had paid attention to their movements while they worked, during break times, and during dinner, but she hadn’t noticed any particular changes.
Even after they all finished eating, Anne sat in the lesser hall, which the fairies would have to pass through to leave. She didn’t want to directly monitor them but felt she ought to determine quickly if any were inclined to escape so she could speak to them.
As she remained there idly, the day’s exhaustion made her thoughts drift. She was staring drowsily into the flickering flame of a candle when she heard a voice.
“Do you plan to stay there all night?”
Challe was on his way from the second-floor corridor of the west wing. Anne rubbed her eyes and turned to face him.
“Mm, well…”
“I thought I told you I was watching over them?”
“You did, but…I can’t place the burden on you alone, Challe.”
“You handle everything related to candy making. I can’t do any of that. But I can watch the others. This is my responsibility. You need to get your sleep so that nothing interferes with your work.”
“But—”
“This is not a burden. It’s a division of labor.”
When he said that, Anne felt childish for having anxiously hung around the fairies all day.
“You’re right…”
“Go take a bath or something.” Challe walked past her and brushed his hand across the tips of her hair, then headed down the stairs to the front hall. It seemed he was going out.
“Um, Challe? Where are you off to?”
Though he had already opened the door, Challe stopped where he was and turned around.
“I don’t intend to keep watch inside the castle. I’ll do things my own way. Don’t worry. If they run, I’ll call on you to persuade them. I won’t let them escape.”
With that, he turned and went out the door.
After dinner, Keith noticed Anne wasn’t with them.
When he asked where she had gone, Mithril said she was taking a bath.
The fairies had been keeping clean by dousing themselves daily with water drawn from the well in the bathing room. But the nights were too chilly for the humans to rinse off with cold water. Instead, they would heat bathwater on the hearth, which took time. For that reason, they mostly used the baths after the fairies had finished.
Kat had enlisted Benjamin and Mithril to join him in a game of cards on his bed. However, Keith wasn’t able to remain so calm. He was worried about the fairies.
Keith peeked into their bedrooms to check on them. They had all gone back to their quarters to relax. They showed no signs of running, so he was reassured for the moment, at least.
The fairies had promised to stay put, but Keith was still plagued by anxiety. If they left, not only would it cause serious trouble for the Silver Sugar Viscount, but it would jeopardize their entire enterprise.
Challe said he would handle things if anything happened, but… Come to think of it, I haven’t caught sight of Challe since dinner, either.
Keith was certain the fairy had eaten with them that evening, but he had no memory of seeing him after that. Challe was probably making himself inconspicuous and keeping an eye on the other fairies.
Keith walked past the fairies’ doors and entered the lesser hall. There, he happened across Anne, who was briskly climbing the gently curving staircase.
“Oh, Keith!” she said. “This is perfect. I boiled some water in the bathroom, but I made it way too hot. Why don’t you all get clean, too? If you go now, it’ll still be warm.”