They would probably not be sung by fairies alone, however.
Because they shared the same earth, the fairies needed to find a way to coexist with humans. Though there might be hardships and sorrows that came with living together, they couldn’t fear it. Such troubles were to be expected. That was why they needed so much joy that it made the sorrow seem like nothing.
“Don’t be afraid. Bring it up with her and find out how she feels. You’ve got a chance at love, so what are you worrying about?”
Challe recalled the words of his beautiful kinswoman, who had lived for six hundred years. At last, he understood what she meant.
The ripples of song, so pleasant to his ear, gave him encouragement.
I can’t be afraid, either. If we try it, something might come of it. Just like how this song was brought to life.
Challe was flooded with inexhaustible love for the young woman looking up at him with sparkling eyes.
The only thing she could make was sugar candy. She was weak, naive, and a fool. And yet she was facing the fairies with all the strength she could muster. She was facing Challe with all her might, too.
I won’t let her go. I won’t give her over to anyone.
Keith had told him to do as he pleased. In that case, Challe wouldn’t fight these feelings any longer.
The crafters from the Mercury Workshop and the Radcliffe Workshop finally left Hollyleaf Castle around dusk. They had spent almost an entire day intently watching the fairies work.
On top of that, John Killean and Marcus Radcliffe had been eager to take note of the faces and names of the fairies working there. They must have been hoping to recruit some of the more talented ones for themselves.
Marcus Radcliffe had by no means fully accepted the idea of fairies becoming candy crafters. But he must have seen that if he continued to refuse them, he would fall behind the other factions. It was clear to him that once the others started producing beautiful pieces of art using fairy labor, the Radcliffe Workshop would go into decline.
Ultimately, it was profit that motivated him.
But that was exactly what Anne and the others needed.
Whether someone liked fairies or hated them, the work they did would become indispensable. That was the way they would create a place for fairies in the world regardless of how humans felt about them.
Hugh said that he was going to show Marcus and Killean directly to his villa in Lewiston. In fact, he said he’d invited the proxy maestro of the Paige Workshop, Elliott Collins, to come to Lewiston from Millsfield as well.
Apparently, the Silver Sugar Viscount and the faction leaders would spend that evening discussing the treatment of fairy candy crafters, and how to dispatch and manage them.
Their work at Hollyleaf Castle was finally on track. Now that it finally seemed real, Anne felt deeply relieved.
After finishing the day’s work, she washed her body using water from the well. It felt refreshing. Then she dressed in her favorite cotton nightgown, the one decorated with simple lace around the collar, and dried her hair with a bit of cloth as she left the bathroom.
She was feeling much more at ease.
There were still several candles burning in the lesser hall, and the light spread out across the railing, brightening the entry hall as well. Anne glanced up at the second floor as she began to ascend the stairs. When she saw Challe at the top, she was briefly frightened.
“What is it, Challe? Don’t startle me like that.”
“I didn’t. You were spaced-out and startled yourself.”
“Well, still… But it’s okay. Today made me so happy.”
Anne climbed the stairs with a smile, but for some reason, Challe kept standing on the landing, blocking her way.
“Challe? What kind of game is this?”
Anne tilted her head, unsure of what was going on.
Challe’s wing, illuminated by the flickering light from the lesser hall, was a calm, pale-blue color that became more transparent near the tip. He was looking at Anne, his black eyes so dark and deep that they seemed to see through everything.
What could be the matter?
Anne thought back over her own actions, wondering if she might have done something to hurt his feelings. But then—
“I’ve got something I need to say to you,” Challe said abruptly.
“Huh? Uh, what is it? Did I do something after all?!” she asked, but Challe was silent.
What’s wrong? Is he really mad at me?
Her heart began to pound strangely under Challe’s serious gaze, until she could hear it thumping in her ears. Though she was positive Challe was about to say something mean to her, it didn’t change how beautiful he was.
Challe stared silently into Anne’s face. After a little while, he began to speak very quickly. “You’re who I care—”
“‘Scare’… Ugh, you needed to remind me of that so badly?”
Challe frowned. “What?”
“I can’t believe you went out of your way to call me a scarecrow again…” Anne’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. “There’s no reason for you to be so mean to me.”
Challe’s expression grew even cloudier. “What is the problem, your ears or your brain?” he said, sounding perplexed. “What do you think I just said? Are you trying to make me repeat myself?”
“You’ve never had a problem calling me a scarecrow hundreds of times before, have you?”
“Who called you a scarecrow?”
“Just now, you said, ‘You’re a scarecrow.’”
Challe pressed a hand to his forehead. Then he let out a very deep, very exasperated sigh.
“…………You are………………so stupid.”
Naturally enough, Anne was annoyed. “I already know I’m stupid! What do you get out of making fun of me like this…?!”
Before Anne could finish her objections, she suddenly found herself wrapped up in Challe’s arms. He held her tightly around the back with both arms, so that her cheek pressed against his jacket. The cloth she’d been using to dry her hair, which had been draped over her shoulders, fell onto the stairs.
“Uh… Challe?”
Anne was bewildered by this unexpected development, and the throbbing of her heart grew louder until it filled her ears. Challe’s warm breath grazed her skin. Though the fingers holding on to her back were cold, his breath felt almost hot.
“Listen carefully, dummy. This time, make sure you don’t mishear me. I love you. That’s what I was trying to say.”
Anne’s heart was pounding twice as loudly as before, but she heard him clearly.
Love?
Her knees trembled.
“If you say your heart belongs to me, I will never let you go. Even if fairies and humans living together can only end in sorrow, I will give you enough happiness to make up for it. Though the length of time we live may differ, I will stay with you and protect you for as long as you live, as your lover. And if you can’t leave behind a child as proof that you lived, I will do everything in my power to fulfill your wishes, so that you may leave behind some other legacy instead.”
Anne could understand the meaning of the words being whispered into her ear, but they didn’t seem real.
This can’t be happening. Challe would never say something like this to me.
And yet his voice seeped into her heart and made her so happy that tears welled up in her eyes.
What should I do here? What do I do?
All sorts of thoughts ran around in her head.
She thought about Challe’s position as the fairy king. And the fact that she would get old and die much earlier than he would. She thought about the fact that she would die and leave him behind just like Liz.
I will probably only make Challe unhappy and hold him back.
Many possible futures, all of them sad, swirled around in her mind.
“Answer me, Anne.”
Still holding Anne with one arm, Challe pulled away just a little bit and peered into her eyes. His lovely, slim fingers gently lifted Anne’s chin as he pressed her for an answer.
Challe’s insistence was likely to make her ignore the worries and misgivings in her mind and accidentally blurt out that she loved him, too.
“I…”
She opened her mouth, but her voice was shaky. Even when she started to speak, she didn’t know how she ought to answer.
An autumnal breeze blew in through a gap in the window and brushed across the nape of Anne’s neck.
The flames on the candles flickered.
“I…”
“Mithril Lid Pod?!”
As she was about to answer, Keith’s shout echoed past them.
Startled, Anne looked toward the second floor of the west wing, where the voice had originated. Challe frowned and followed her gaze.
“Challe! Anne!”
They heard Keith’s frantic voice and footsteps coming toward them. When Keith finally came rushing out into the lesser hall, he seemed like he had been in the middle of getting ready for bed. He was only wearing a single shirt. Struggling to catch his breath, he glanced around, then opened his eyes wide when he saw Anne and Challe on the landing.