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EPISODE 179 – SUMMER FESTIVAL (2)
“Are we really going to fairyland?”
“Yes, Your Highness. We’re going to fairyland.”
Cordelia beautifully answered Princess Darianne’s question, while Princess Daphne happily looked at the two before she shifted her gaze.
“You have a lot of stuff.”
The royal family didn’t pack anything since they had come to the hot spring in order to relax in the first place.
But Jude and Cordelia were different.
Because they had prepared special gifts, or rather, trading goods in case the summer fairies really appear.
“We had met the fairies several times, so we had prepared in advance.”
When Jude answered politely, Princess Daphne’s eyes narrowed a bit before she nodded.
“It’s natural to give gifts when visiting, especially when you visit frequently. So it would be better for our side to prepare a gift too.”
Our side.
At her meaningful words, Jude felt relief and a sense of crisis at the same time.
After all, Jude and Cordelia were nobles of the Sälen Kingdom while Princess Daphne was royalty, so it was possible for her to ‘requisition’ the goods Jude and Cordelia had prepared if she wished for it.
‘Of course, it’s unlikely that she’ll openly requisition it.’
Tyrants were the only ones who openly seized things.
But it would also be difficult if they presented money as a gift.
Money had no value for fairies.
‘Of course, they could also give pretty-looking money.’
In any case, Jude was worried because items were better to give than money, but when he heard her say ‘our side,’ it seemed like she had no intention to take away the things that Jude and Cordelia had prepared.
‘The problem is that the rarity of our gifts would decrease if there are more gifts.’
He had naturally prepared a trump card to somehow negotiate for the ‘most important deal,’ but…
“You’ve prepared chocolate, right? Then, our side will prepare some snacks too.”
Perhaps it was just him.
At Princess Daphne’s words, Jude closed his eyes once before he gave a positive answer.
“Yes, Your Highness. The fairies really love sweets.”
“Indeed, they have their own preference.”
Princess Daphne said and smiled a bit, but it seemed like she was still feeling bitter about it.
What the fairies liked.
What kind of physical appearance the fairies preferred.
‘Well, of course, there’s that, but…’
Alright, that’s enough.
Jude stopped his thoughts for Princess Daphne’s honor, and he turned to the gift again.
‘Isn’t it good if it’s a snack?’
If her snacks were a completely different type, he could push for a comparative advantage.
‘And.’
Even if this was the royal palace, they was a limit to the number of snacks they could prepare in a hurry.
A chef could prepare some amazing and freshly-baked sweets in a short amount of time, but…
‘The fairies won’t wait for that.’
They were already whining about leaving right now.
Fairies had always been childish whenever the two met them, but this time, their childish nature was quite helpful for Jude and Cordelia.
“Quickly. Quickly. How long do we have to wait?”
“The Queen goes to bed early.”
“That’s right, that’s right. If you keep delaying, she might be asleep by then.”
As the fairies raised their voices, Princess Daphne flinched and looked back at the royal palace’s maids, and the maids nodded their heads, bringing out some snacks they had prepared in case the royalty wanted to have some tea.
‘It would be impossible to wrap all that up.’
But still, Princess Daphne was satisfied with the fact that she had some gifts, so she glanced at Jude and said.
“Our side is ready.”
“I understand. I’ll convey your message.”
Jude bowed and turned to the fairies, who immediately responded to him.
“Oh, you’re all done now?”
“Let’s go then?”
“Let’s go~!”
It was the moment when the pestering fairies shouted.
The unique space movement magic of the fairies that was familiar to Jude and Cordelia, but unfamiliar to the royal family was unfolded.
“W-wait! Escort!”
“Your Royal Highness!”
The royal court attendants and maids hastily shouted, but it was useless.
Because they had already moved in the blink of an eye.
They crossed the space into the land of the summer fairies.
Fairy village.
“Wow.”
Princess Darianne exclaimed as her eyes widened at the sparkling forest that suddenly appeared. On the other hand, Princess Daphne and Prince Dion were amazed and surprised for an instant before they quickly suppressed their emotions like adult royalty.
“What is this? What is this?”
“Are these children from outside?”
“They’re humans.”
“Oh~ She’s really pretty.”
“Cute.”
“He looks scary.”
“Yes, he’s like a lion.”
“Wow! Look at her! So pretty!”
“Uwaaaah! I want to touch her!”
The fairies acted as expected.
Dozens or more gathered in an instant as they loudly chattered, and Jude smiled.
‘Well, just as I thought. As expected of Cordelia.’
Because nearly half of the fairies flocked to Jude and Cordelia.
‘Let’s proceed quickly.’
The royalty were distracted by the appearance of the fairies now, but they would be displeased once they realized the difference in treatment.
Jude approached and quickly spoke to the fairy who was in the middle of the tumult – that is, the fairy who brought Jude and his group here.
“Can you guide us to your Queen? I’ll give you the special gift we promised.”
“It’s really special. So we’ll give it only to you.”
As the saying goes, he who touches pitch shall be defiled therewith.
Having been corrupted by Jude already, Cordelia brightly smiled and said, and her words were quite effective since the fairy liked the words ‘only to you’ and quickly nodded.
“Yes-yes! I’ll guide you!”
“Thank you.”
Cordelia smiled again and glanced at Jude who replied with a pleased smile.
‘Cordelia, you’ve grown up.’
‘Because I have a really great teacher.’
The husband sang and the wife followed.
Because they were like husband and wife.
Obviously, they were still engaged and not married.
Anyway, Princess Daphne approached Jude and Cordelia while they were having a conversation with their eyes.
“Jude Bayer, Cordelia Chase. Are we going to meet the Fairy Queen like this?”
“Yes, we will.”
“I understand. Dion! Darianne! Come here.”
“Yes, dear sister.”
“Yes, unnie.”
As Prince Dion and Princess Darianne approached while holding the sweets they received from the palace maids, Jude turned to Cordelia who quickly checked the chocolate boxes before she nodded.
They were ready.
“Then, let’s go!”
Right after the fairy shouted with excitement.
Their surroundings changed again, and a wide flower field came into view instead of the forest.
“Uuuugh…”
And the fairy in front of them turned pale and collapsed.
She seemed to have weakened because she transported several people together by herself alone.
“T-the Queen is here in this flower garden…”
“Yes, we got it. Thank you very much. You’re a really special fairy. Here’s your gift.”
“Hehehe…”
Satisfied with the ring box-sized chocolate that Cordelia gave her, the fairy smiled and closed her eyes, while Princess Darianne flinched and asked.
“S-she’s not dead, right?”
“She just fell asleep.”
Jude immediately answered but checked the fairy’s breathing just in case. Fortunately, she was just very tired and seemed to be not in danger of dying.
“Let’s go then.”
It was the moment Princess Daphne spoke while looking at the center of the flower garden.
“Humans.”
“How interesting.”
“It’s been a while.”
“It’s been a long time.”
The flowers at their feet spoke out at once.
Each had a different tone and pitch, but they could tell the moment they heard it. They weren’t saying different things. They were only sharing the words of one person and conveying it.
And that one person.
“Nice to meet you, human children.”
In front of them.
A fairy with a proud smile sat on top of a big and ornate throne that had suddenly appeared.
She wore a crown of flowers and a red dress reminiscent of a rose. Butterfly wings were on her back, and she had lovely black hair and charming brown skin.
“We greet the Summer Fairy Queen.”
When Jude and Cordelia courteously greeted her, the Fairy Queen nodded with a happy face before she turned to Princess Daphne.
“Are you not going to greet me?”
Princess Daphne had a bitter smile at the queen who talked down to her, and Jude quickly opened his mouth before Daphne could say anything.
“Fairy Queen, this is Her Royal Highness, Princess Daphne, the Crown Princess of the Sälen Kingdom.”
“Is she a human princess?”
“Yes, you are correct.”
At Jude’s answer, the Fairy Queen looked at Princess Daphne again, and Princess Daphne faced the Fairy Queen with her usual dignity as she immediately greeted the queen politely.
“Daphne D. Sälen, the Crown Princess of the Sälen Kingdom, greets the Fairy Queen.”
After all, one was a queen while the other was just a crown princess.
Princess Daphne was the one who politely greeted her first, and the Fairy Queen was satisfied and accepted the greeting.
“Yes, nice to meet you. I’m Carmen, the Summer Fairy Queen.”
The Fairy Queen looked a bit younger than the Fairy Queens that the two had met before since she appeared to be in her late teens. Carmen then said as she stood up from her throne.
“I have a lot of guests, but I’m only one, so give me a moment. I’ll talk to you individually.”
“Excuse me?”
It was the moment when Prince Dion asked on what she meant.
The space was divided.
No, it was duplicated and arranged in a row.
It was the same flower garden as before.
But it was definitely a different flower garden.
“Now, I can focus on you more. Don’t you agree?”
The Fairy Queen sat on her throne and asked before she smiled, and Jude nodded to her. He agreed with her because he understood what she had done.
The queen in front of him was no longer a singular being.
She had duplicated herself along with the space.
Perhaps by now, Princess Daphne, Prince Dion, and Princess Darianne were each meeting a Fairy Queen alone.
“Uh, what about us then?”
Cordelia unconsciously spoke following Jude, having realized what had happened, and the Fairy Queen said again with a giggle.
“Because you two are a set. I thought that I shouldn’t separate you two.”
“S-set?”
“Yes. Do humans call it the red thread of fate? Anyway, there’s a very thick line between you two. I can see it with my eyes.”
At the Fairy Queen’s explanation, Jude and Cordelia turned to each other, and Cordelia was convinced.
She didn’t know what the red thread of fate was, but it was true that Jude and Cordelia were bound by a tight relationship.
“Anyway, let’s talk now. I want to quickly eat the chocolate too.”
Jude’s eyes shone for a moment at the Fairy Queen’s urging.
Because her words inferred a lot of things.
“Have you heard the rumors?”
“Yes, I even met and heard it in person. The Fall Fairy Queen… I mean, Lorelei-unnie bragged a lot. She kept praising it but didn’t give out much.”
There were many mountains, fields, and villages between Langesthei and the royal capital, but they were fairies who could move across space.
Moreover, both were queens, so it was not impossible for them to have a meeting by suddenly jumping over that distance.
“She bragged a lot but only gave me one piece. And she told me that if I wanted to eat more, I should ask for it myself.”
The Fairy Queen grumbled and complained as she pouted her lips, while Jude and Cordelia quickly exchanged glances.
‘Good, she already knows.’
‘We can easily do this now, right?’
The Fairy Queen had already tasted chocolate, and she even wanted more.
Furthermore, it was important that she knew the Fall Fairy Queen, Lorelei.
‘Because it’s much easier to instigate when you compare her to someone she knows.’
An evil smile spread on Jude’s face while Cordelia’s eyes were filled with a bit of slyness.
“I heard that you exchanged two boxes of premium chocolate for a Fairy Dress…but I’m not someone who could be easily pushed around. Lorelei-unnie had said that she gave it as a proof of friendship. So you’ll have to rethink the terms of the deal.”
The Fairy Queen smiled and said, having already known the price, and Jude nodded his head.
“Yes, we’ll proceed with different conditions.”
Because they were going to rip off a lot more- no, they were going to make a better deal.
“Isn’t that right, Cordelia?”
“Yes, Milord.”
The already corrupted Cordelia beautifully smiled, and the deal began with everyone smiling.