Hmm, my body feels shrunken.

As Eora said, I wanted to get closer to them, but even when I approached, the darkness didn’t utter a word to me. 

When I looked into their deep eyes that seemed to draw me in, I only felt eerie shivers. Then, I was seized by uncontrollable anxiety and had to run away. It’s the same even now.

I swallowed my saliva and whispered so that only Eora could hear, 

‘I’ll try my best. Still, the darkness scares me a lot.’

Eora responded with a vague smile as if she was swallowing the words that were hovering in her mouth.

That’s how I woke up from my sleep.

When I raised my head, I saw Dianel. He looked at me for a moment, then turned his head with a faint smile.

“Next is probably caffeine.”

As he said, the door of a cafe located just one block away from the restaurant was open. I grabbed his hand as he tried to head toward the cafe and asked, 

“Is that where we’re going?… What was that scene I just saw?”

“I’m not sure. I saw the darkness showing it to me just now.”

“Darkness? Are you talking about the demon king?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Dianel turned his body toward me and wiped my cheek with his hand.

‘Why is your hand so cold?’

Without realizing it, my shoulders shrank at the chill that didn’t feel human. Meanwhile, Dianel pushed my fallen hair behind my ear and whispered, 

“From the moment I accepted the darkness and started leading them, I gained more power. As a result, I began to feel the emotions they had felt all along.”

“….”

“Every time that happened, I was caught in a strange feeling. I hated you, yet I couldn’t stand not liking you either.”

“Just like I saw just now.”

“That’s right. But that doesn’t mean I hate you, Siara. You have paid enough already, and I’m well aware of that.”

“Paid a price… Are you talking about the curse?”

With a confused expression, I looked at him, and he smiled faintly before pulling his hand away from mine.

“You were born to love and be loved entirely. Perhaps you were born with the most ideal mission among the lives Eora created. But the world isn’t an ideal place, and variables are inevitable.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“It’s alright. You already know.”

Even though he said I didn’t need to know, he made it sound so difficult. I pondered on his words.

‘If the scene I just saw was shown by the darkness, could the origin of the savior be that fairy? And that fairy was afraid of the darkness, and the darkness cried because of that…?’

Was the darkness hurt by the fairy’s words?

Suddenly, I reached out and patted Dianel’s shoulder. Startled by the unexpected touch, he flinched, and the darkness surrounding him also shook in confusion. I smiled as I looked at them.

“That little one was wrong. Maybe she was scared because she didn’t know. To be honest, I found you guys a bit scary too. But not anymore. So if I ever meet that little one again, I’ll tell her you’re not scary.”

“But you said I was scary.”

“Dianel, you said you don’t hate me. You believed in me, so I’m not scared of you either. I trust you.”

Dianel remained silent, but the corners of his tightly closed lips trembled subtly. I keenly noticed his hesitation. Dianel and his darkness indeed resembled the darkness I saw just now.

Why did that massive existence yield to the words of a tiny fairy?

‘Well, size doesn’t determine the strength of the heart.’

If the fairy lived in ancient times, it must have been a very long time ago. It was a time when Eora existed, and the ancient races were still alive. Since then, they must have accumulated countless complexities, and those wouldn’t unravel just because of one word from me.

However, Dianel led the darkness, and the leader of the darkness, Dianel, had favorable feelings toward me. More importantly, befriending the darkness would also help lift my curse. So it was a gain for me as well.

‘A fairy’s innocent words made the sad darkness.’

Behind the fearsome facade of the demon king, he was unexpectedly cute. With my heart opening up to this gap, I spoke hesitantly, 

“I don’t hate you. That little one probably felt the same way. Darkness might have been unfamiliar to her since she was born from Eora. She might have needed some time to adapt.”

I, too, had a moment when I wanted to kill the demon king in front of Dianel. While I was at it, I wanted to apologize again.

“I also had times when I disliked you. I was so angry about being cursed. But when the curse is lifted someday, I won’t hate you either.”

“…Even if the curse is lifted, will you still not leave me?”

“Of course not. I’ll stay in the empire. My family, friends, they’re all here.”

I had become close to Izbe Ladies, and I had some friends in the social circles as well. The male leads had also become dear to me.

At that moment, I imagined several people gathering together, laughing. My soon-to-be-married brother Therid, spent leisurely time with his wife, and my parents after retiring, all while I laughed and chatted with them. Beside me were Dianel, Adandito, and Hierian.

They sat like our family in front of the fireplace in the Astita mansion. Even the family members seemed comfortable, talking to them and doing things together.

But then, as things got busy and scattered, I fell asleep.

In the dream, the rain was falling sporadically. In that place, flowers and grass were blooming diligently. I watched them bloom, blossom, and bear fruit. Whenever I moved busily, the wings on my back fluttered vigorously.

“Huh? What kind of dream is this? Or is it Dianel showing me again?”

In the moment of bewilderment, the Goddess’s Blessing ring on my finger began to emit light.

“Siara.”

I heard the voice calling me, and my surroundings dimmed as if about to vanish. And at that moment, poof! I transformed into a small form.

Fluttering wings moved busily on my back. My movements became much lighter as I faced less air resistance.

Whirling around in the air, the scent of flowers mixed with the refreshing breeze filled the space.

I widened my eyes and looked around. Dianel reached out his hand to me. I sat on his palm and looked up at him. His large, dark eyes gazed back at me. His pupils were intense as if he could swallow me whole.

“Ahaha, Dianel, you’re like a giant.”

A terrifyingly erratic magical power spread in all directions as I burst into laughter. 

Hierian, with his tousled hair, quickly stood in front of me. Tears filled his ashen eyes. When those eyes filled my vision, it felt like I was looking at a cloudy sky.

“Siara…?”

As I gestured to Hierian, he leaned forward toward me. Whenever he blinked, a gentle breeze blew, and his body swayed back and forth. I instinctively reached out to fix his messy hair, but my tiny hand was no match for it.

Hierian’s ashen eyes were full of confusion. As his eyes filled my vision, it was as if looking at a cloudy sky.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with me. But why did I suddenly turn into a fairy? Weren’t all the fairies sealed away in ancient times?”

If it were someone as smart as Hierian, he would probably know everything. But he was just teary-eyed. Tears fell from his cloudy eyes before I could tell him not to cry.

Thanks to that, I was drenched all over. My wings drooped down like wet cloth. I instinctively shook my body to shake off the water.

As I did, Dianel carefully shielded me and scolded Hierian.

“It’s not the time for crying.”

“But, Siara…”

“Even so, don’t splash water everywhere. What if she catches a cold?”

“Siara is a healer! She won’t catch a cold! So why is she here with you?”

“I am spending time together with the family’s permission. And besides, sitting on my palm was a direct action taken by Siara herself.”

“But you’re meeting her by forging your identity, aren’t you?”

His voice was as loud as thunder and lightning, making a ruckus. I covered my ears tightly and suddenly thought of something, which made me smile. 

Even with my faint laughter, they stopped their clamor and looked at me. I looked into the innocent eyes of the two and said, 

“By the way, Hierian, you’re getting along well with Dianel now, right? That’s great.”

As soon as I said that, Hierian’s voice abruptly stopped. He blinked his eyes, seeming confused, and wiped his nose.

“Of course. We’ve always been on good terms.”

“That’s good to hear. But by the way, can I not go back to my original body?”

I didn’t know how I ended up like this, but it was a big problem if I couldn’t return to my original body.

Should I use my power like when I heal? After much contemplation, I tried using my power in various ways, and suddenly, I returned to my original form. I still didn’t know how it happened, so it seemed like I needed to practice separately.

‘Living through all sorts of experiences in life.’

As I was thinking that, I looked at the Goddess’s Blessing ring and the fairy that was inside disappeared like magic. I examined the ring closely, but there was no change.

‘What’s going on?’

Before I could hide my surprise, the surroundings became noisy. The shopkeepers who were watching the store, as well as the estate workers who had been asked to leave, all gathered. 

Among them were the family’s knights, and at the forefront stood my brother, Therid, with a pale expression.

“What on earth is going on?”

He must have heard my question, as Therid suddenly rushed towards me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Siara…”

In a voice that seemed about to break, I looked up at him in surprise.