The wide, green lawn of the mansion's grounds.
As I sat down with my butt on the grass, my fists trembled uncontrollably.
"[How could you all do this to me?]"
The higher you fall, the more it hurts. When you're betrayed by something you trusted, the pain in your heart can be unbearable.
The betrayal boiled up in me, making my fists shake.
Even the voice from my necklace was full of betrayal.
"Your Majesty... at that time, it was unavoidable."
"Yes, Your Highness said so, how could we stop it...?"
"We wanted to stop it too..."
The nine fairies gathered in front of me, pouring out excuses.
Kali, Rio, Oru, Rudy, Dip, Prin. And then Linne, Randy, Theo.
The first six were so synchronized that their names almost seemed to flow one into the other like a game of word association. The last three were from different generations, so there was no connection there.
On their faces, there was an overwhelming mix of embarrassment and apology.
But was it because of the betrayal? I found them almost contemptible.
I let my eyes narrow and shook my fist in irritation.
"[Even so, even if I’m being tormented, shouldn’t you have come over to stop it?]"
Which kingdom allows its king to be tormented and just watches it happen?
"[You too. How can you just lie down and watch...]"
My arrows of betrayal turned to the spirits as well. In the corner of my mind, I could clearly picture the spirits who had just ignored me, leaving me abandoned.
"[You ignored me earlier too. Why act all friendly now... Ugh.]"
The baby unicorn, which had seemed to gleam with excitement, crept up behind me and lightly nudged my back with its horn.
My body, now smaller than the baby unicorn’s, swayed and, eventually, I collapsed onto the soft grass.
The baby unicorn, seemingly satisfied, exhaled deeply and laid down next to me.
It probably wanted to lie down with me just like the day I visited the unicorn habitat in my younger form.
"Hehe, Your Majesty. Please calm down~"
Seeing that, fairies fluttered over to comfort me, and the spirits, cautiously coming closer, rubbed against my body.
Soon, I was buried under them, to the point where I was completely hidden from sight.
"[Sigh.]"
Being buried under them, even my desire to complain slowly faded away.
I felt pretty good about it too.
‘At least I don’t have to worry about food for a while.’
I had thought about eating some tasteless nutrient porridge, but thankfully, I wouldn’t have to do that.
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Savoring the nutty sweetness on my tongue, I rolled on the ground with the spirits in my arms.
When they saw that I had calmed down, the fairies smiled brightly and gathered around.
It was such a peaceful sight.
Not long ago, the memory of being sprawled out like laundry on the front lines felt like a distant memory.
‘It really seems like my body’s improving.’
It wasn’t just my mood. My body had significantly recovered within a single day.
To be exact, it was growing.
From crawling on the ground, now I could walk on two legs without issue.
‘If I just let it happen naturally, does time pass and restore it?’
I hadn’t realized this before, as my recovery had been rapid in the past. It seemed, as Lee Ji-yeon had guessed, that simply staying at the mansion allowed my body to naturally heal.
Lying on the lawn, my body and mind felt at ease.
It was unusual to feel this way, not in anyone’s arms, but it was still calming.
A strange expression appeared on my face as I stroked the grass.
‘The Master of the Tower probably created this environment intentionally.’
My fingertips, no, my whole body, felt an abundant and fresh vitality. It was so plentiful that my body seemed to absorb it on its own.
Sioram was made for me.
This building at its center was built to be the perfect environment for me to live in.
Especially the vitality that filled the grounds. No matter how much I absorbed, there seemed to be no sign of it running out.
It was the ideal environment for someone like me, whose vitality was constantly leaking.
‘So, is this mansion like an incubator... a temperature-controlled place?’
The thought popped into my head, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the silliness of it.
"Dad."
It was then that I heard Seo-yul’s voice in my ear. She had narrowed the range of her observation to only a small space, and now she had entered in front of me.
My body jolted in surprise.
"Hmm? I can’t see Dad. Where could he be~?"
Seo-yul giggled and walked toward me.
Swish! The spirits parted to make way for her.
The speed was so remarkable, it reminded me of the parting of the Red Sea, and my mouth hung open in awe.
The betrayal flared up again.
But I had no time to dwell on it.
"Ah, here you are?"
Seo-yul promptly lifted me up again. The spirit I had been holding fell, and my body floated into the air.
"Hehe, were you playing with the spirits?"
"[Uh...]"
Her white, flowing hair and the multi-colored wings fluttering behind her. Her snow-white eyes, as pure as freshly fallen snow, flashed a smile.
That smile was as bright and pure as the sun. Everything around us seemed to glow.
‘...When did she grow this much?’
She looked so beautiful, yet it was still shocking.
I knew fairy knights grew quickly, but experiencing it firsthand felt completely different.
Of course, she was still smaller than my original self...
But at this rate, who knows?
‘...’
Suddenly, I felt a shiver of fear at the thought.
"Why do you look like that?"
Seo-yul, noticing the trembling in my face, chuckled and planted a kiss on my cheek.
As I snapped out of my fear, I gently kissed her forehead in return.
"Hehehe..."
Seo-yul’s laughter grew, and she hugged me tightly, laughing with joy. I smiled wryly at the situation.
She really took after someone when it came to affection.
...Of course, being held by my daughter was an indescribable feeling, but since she was happy, I was happy too.
After a while, Seo-yul, still holding me, got to the point.
"Dad, Dad, how about we go outside for a bit?"
"[Outside?]"
I blinked in surprise at Seo-yul’s words.
I subtly widened my observational range.
The barrier that surrounded the mansion. Snowflakes melting as they touched it.
Sioram’s grounds were blanketed in pure white snow.
It was winter now, and the seasonal adjustment system in Sioram was making it snow heavily.
We stopped by the park near the mansion.
The sound of snow crunching underfoot was familiar to me.
I had spent quite a bit of time wandering the snowy ground in search of the Underlying.
‘Places where the snow piles up to the height of a person were common.’
I remembered jumping around on snow piles that didn’t even reach my ankles.
"A little one? Be careful you don’t fall."
"I’m fine, um... Elia. I’ll hold on tight."
...The concern from around me, worrying I might fall, was a bit ridiculous.
Both Elia and Seo-yul’s treatment of me made my pride sting.
"I won’t fall. Even if I’ve become younger, do you think I’d trip over this?"
I paused my carefully moving legs and tilted my head slightly.
The white fluff on the end of my hat fluttered.
"Wow...! Little one! Stay just like that! You’re so, so cute!"
"Wouldn’t it be better to take a picture from a bit to the side? Yes, yes. Right there!"
Click! Click! Click!
"[Shock]"
"[Embarrassment]"
I rebelled, but it only made them treat me more like a child.
Pouting, I didn’t resist, especially when Seo-yul held my hand with such a bright smile.
Soon, Elia came over with a satisfied smile, checking the photos.
"Hayul, if you’re cold, you should say so and come inside right away."
"If the cold air can pierce through the magic we’ve set up, it must be some high-level ability."
"That’s true."
My current condition was practically fully equipped with defensive gear.
The hat, scarf, gloves, thick clothes, and boots that rose above my ankles. I had even applied temperature-control magic myself.
Elia and Seo-yul were dressed similarly.
If the weather were cold enough to break through this, it’d be the kind of cold that could only be felt in the Tower of Extreme Cold’s early stages.
...Suddenly, the fact that the clothes I wore were ones I had intended to make for Seo-yul made me feel miserable.
"Still, we can’t help but worry."
Elia smiled warmly as she straightened my crooked hat.
Her smile carried such warmth.
"...It’s a bit cold."
I opened my arms, subtly checking the atmosphere.
Elia, who had looked surprised at my words, smiled and bent down to pick me up, giggling.
"Hehehe, young Hayul is so affectionate, it’s cute."
And then, she hugged me warmly.
Even through the thick clothing, her soft warmth filled my senses.
The slight chill was instantly gone, replaced by Elia’s warmth.
"...Dad. I can hug you too. Why just Elia?"
"[Ack]"
"[Startled]"
A snowball from behind hit my back.
I quickly pulled away from Elia’s embrace, and there was Seo-yul, frowning and shaping another snowball with both hands.
"[Seo-yul?]"
"Ugh."
"[Aaaaah!]"
"[Cold]"
"[Chill]"
We continued to have fun for a while after that.
The photos kept coming, as we built a huge snowman together and watched the water spirits freeze into ice.
The fairies had snowflakes building up on their heads, and I laughed as they slowly collapsed.
I played with the baby unicorn, packing snow onto its horn...
I had taken photos of everything, so later, I could laugh and reminisce as I looked through them.
Sitting on a bench in the park, I asked Seo-yul, who had plopped down beside me.
"[Seo-yul, did you have fun?]"
"Yes, it was so nice to be with Dad after such a long time."
She smiled brightly. The word "long time" she emphasized hit me hard.
"[Let’s go out more often.]"
"Okay!"
Whether she meant it or not, she smiled even brighter at my promise.
I smiled wryly and took a sip of the warm hot chocolate, using both hands.
It tasted terrible, though.
‘...I’ll tell Elia I’m hungry when I get home.’
I wasn’t fully down in the dumps. After all, I’d get to eat something much tastier than hot chocolate later.
I drank it quickly, letting out a sigh.
"[Huh?]"
"[Confusion]"
It was then.
The wind from afar brushed against me.
[The wind?]
This was no ordinary # Nоvеlight # breeze.
It wasn’t just a touch of wind—it was an intangible pressure that seemed to resonate within my senses.
The air itself carried a powerful, refreshing magical force, like the wind was infused with magic.
[Player Adjustment System: Affection Level]
Ihayul → Elia Slade
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡♡(89/100)
"Affection," "Gratitude," "Cow?" "Chick," "Kindness," "Possessiveness"
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡(90/100)
"Affection," "Gratitude," "Cow," "Chick," "Kindness," "Possessiveness"