“Do you like the moon?”
“Huh?”
He leaned in closer and asked again.
“Do you, like the moon?”
“The moon?”
“Yes, the moon.”
Staring at Felix who brought up the moon out of nowhere, Sylvia responded without much thought.
“Who doesn’t like the moon, is there anyone who hates it?”
Who would hate the sun or the moon, especially when the moon here shone with a silvery light. The area around the moon was always filled with stars, giving the impression of being dotted with pointillism.
Absentmindedly thinking of the moon, Sylvia felt a warm arm wrap around her waist.
“Huh?”
With a single exclamation, Sylvia’s body lifted off the ground. As she was about to scream out loud, lifted swiftly by a gust of wind magic, Felix spoke first.
“Look, there’s the moon.”
Having climbed to the top of the tallest tree nearby, Felix pointed at the moon. Sylvia was left speechless by the scene unfolding before her eyes.
It wasn’t the moon and stars seen from the castle. They were much larger and brighter than before. The stars densely filled the space around the moon, and a soft green aurora waved gently around it. Being so close that even the moon’s surface was visible, Sylvia forgot she was floating in the air, utterly captivated.
Felix smiled proudly as he held her, then lightly lifted her to sit side by side on a nearby branch. He began speaking as they both looked up at the moon.
“My mother’s name is Luna… Named by my grandfather for her beauty, akin to that of the moon.”
His voice resonated softly.
“When my mother looked at me, I felt like I had everything. I could feel her affection with my whole being.”
As Sylvia continued to gaze at the moon, listening to Felix, she felt that turning her eyes towards him might render her speechless.
“Like this gentle moonlight, subtle yet brightly shining.”
He paused to look at the moon quietly, then continued.
“That’s how she loved me. My mother.”
There was silence as if he had finished speaking. Sylvia couldn’t take her eyes off the moon, unable to offer any response. She just listened to him calmly, nodding her head.
Even as silence fell, she quietly observed the moon.
The moon in this world was enchanting. Though she had never met her, Sylvia was certain Felix’s mother must have been a very beautiful woman.
“Why are you like that?”
Felix softly broke the silence. Without turning her head, Sylvia responded.
“Like what?”
Suddenly, a large hand grasped her chin and pulled. The movement was not forceful, but it startled her. Felix murmured as he gazed into Sylvia’s wide, turquoise eyes.
“You’re not my mother… So why, why do you look at me with those eyes?”
Unsure of what he meant by ‘those eyes’, she just widened her eyes and moved her lips, at a loss for words.
His unusual, flushed expression asking the question felt unfamiliar to her.
“Tell me. Okay? Sylvia.”
Feeling him seemingly drawing closer, Sylvia leaned back, but the hard tree trunk behind her made her bite her lip instead.
Felix gently stroked her chin with his thumb, urging her to answer.
“Why do you look at me with such affectionate eyes, huh? Tell me.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Did I look at you that way?”
“Didn’t you?”
Now their noses were almost touching, feeling each other’s breaths brushing by. Sylvia looked straight at him.
“Because we’re friends?”
Despite her answer, Felix remained silent. He gently pressed his forehead against hers and asked,
“So, are you my girlfriend?”
“What?”
She knew that the term ‘girlfriend’ here and in her own world meant the same, but the exact meaning could vary.
Girlfriend! Or just a girl who is a friend!
What exactly was he implying?
Blushing with embarrassment, she gasped for breath when suddenly her body tilted and began to fall.
“Wha-what?”
Experiencing the illusion of the moon shrinking rapidly, she called out to him.
“Felix!”
“Uhh…”
Mumbling something incoherent, Felix pulled her closer with his arm around her neck, making Sylvia curse inwardly.
‘This guy makes my heart flutter and then falls asleep!’
Instead of screaming in fear as they fell, Sylvia sent her magical power into a wind magic circle.
Anger made her fearless.
Now, like a child clinging to her in his sleep, Felix was cradled in Sylvia’s arms in a princess hold, suspended in mid-air.
Of course, all thanks to her wind magic.
“Let’s see if I ever bring out alcohol again! For you or for any of the mercenaries!”
***
The next day, the mercenaries woke up clutching their heads. As soon as they opened their eyes, their heads throbbed as if they were about to split open.
“Ugh!”
“What is this!”
Each of them woke up in their tents and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before simultaneously letting out a scream.
“Ugh!”
Their last memory was clearly at the dining table, but how and when they ended up in their tents asleep was beyond them.
Hubert and Dennis were in no different situation. Disturbed by the fact that they had fallen asleep without setting a night watch, they barely opened their swollen eyes and rushed outside.
They were greeted by Sylvia, who was sitting at the table, leaning her head back and staring vacantly. The table was already set for breakfast, and everything around was neatly organized.
With bleary eyes, Sylvia lazily waved at the mercenaries.
“Awake?”
“Sylvia?”
Hubert called out to her with a doubtful look. Understanding his gaze, Sylvia nodded and replied.
“Don’t worry about the night watch. I took care of it. Nothing happened.”
“Ah…”
Someone sighed, and Hubert and Dennis shook their heads. Just then, the wooden door of Sylvia’s makeshift house creaked open. Felix appeared in the doorway, looking bewildered, and after scanning around, he walked briskly towards Sylvia.
He paused halfway, clutching his head, then approached her and asked.
“What’s going on? Why did I fall asleep over there?”
Avoiding Sylvia’s intense gaze, which seemed to say, ‘Do I really need to spell it out for you?’ Felix muttered under his breath.
“I’m hungry, give me food.”
Standing up with her arms crossed, Sylvia faced him, still frowning deeply.
“Yes, friend. It’s ready, go ahead and eat!”
“Friend? What’s that?”
Felix, puzzled but getting no answer, watched the back of Sylvia’s head as she sat down, then quickly took the seat beside her.
The aroma was enticing, making his mouth water.
For Felix, this moment felt surreal. From being able to smell the delicious aroma to his salivary glands being stimulated by the sight of food instead of feeling nauseous.
The mercenaries, though hesitant, all took their seats and began eating the hot soup. And as expected, writhing in agony after drinking the bitter gourd juice Sylvia claimed was healthy was a foregone conclusion.
★★40. Village outside the castle★★
The fairies were busy chatting among themselves inside Felix’s armor.
[Did you hear what Felix said yesterday?]
[I didn’t expect Felix to talk about Queen Luna.]
[Now that I think about it, it’s the first time he mentioned her name since she died.]
[Since we were born after they disappeared, we don’t really know the full story.]
[Right, Felix never tells us.]
[But he told Sylvia!]
[Yes! Our Sylvia is really something!]
Eryngium was very pleased that Sylvia was taking care of Felix. Moreover, since Eryngium was the one who brought Sylvia, it made her even prouder. Clover chided the smug Eryngium.
[Our Sylvia, you say! You always refer to her like that!]
[Right, Erin is such a greedy one.]
[What did you say!]
While the fairies whispered amongst themselves within Felix’s embrace, he was preoccupied with taking care of Sylvia. Having stayed up all night, she was absentmindedly turning her head around on the horse.
Felix, amazed by her flexibility to turn her neck 360 degrees, held the reins in one hand and with the other, carefully supported Sylvia’s head to prevent her neck from hurting.
Consequently, he was unsure of their direction. Lagging behind the mercenaries who had gone ahead, he focused solely on Sylvia, slowly guiding his horse.
Sylvia was too disoriented to gather her senses. She couldn’t sleep, troubled by Felix’s words, and was worried because no one seemed to be keeping watch, so she stayed outside.
Thinking she’d scream to wake everyone if any danger appeared, she kept a vigilant watch until dawn, which was torturous, so she started preparing breakfast early.
As they moved, it became difficult for her to keep her eyes open. Whenever she came to, the scenery of the forest seemed entirely changed. Felix pulled Sylvia into his embrace, holding her tightly to prevent her neck from bending awkwardly.
Only then did he feel somewhat relieved.
And only then did Felix notice the landscape, furrowing his brows. Despite having traveled this area multiple times, this place was unfamiliar to him.
Felix’s frown deepened at the sound of flowing water, surveying the surroundings. Unknown to Sylvia, the forest outside the castle lacked anything that could be called water. There were no valleys, lakes, ponds, or even small springs left in this area.
Especially along Felix’s usual routes, where water was never found, he was wary that the sound he now heard might be some unseen monster. He cautiously led his horse towards the sound, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.
Just then, Sylvia stretched and yawned.
“Yaaawn!”
The bird perched on a branch flew away with a flutter at the sound of her voice. Sylvia, fully awakened by the sound of the bird flying away, looked around and asked,
“Where are we?”
She had not realized until then that she had been leaning on him. Felix said in an unconcerned tone,
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
Sylvia, now fully alert, pulled herself up. It was then she realized she had fallen asleep leaning on him.
“It’s okay, lean on me more.”
He pulled her closer as he stared at her flustered turquoise hair. Sylvia’s eyes widened at being embraced again.
“No, I…”
“Wait.”
Felix, hearing something out of place, grabbed the reins and raced towards it. His black horse breathed heavily as it galloped quickly. Sylvia was amazed by the scenery they arrived at.
They emerged through the dense trees to a lake filled with blue. Sylvia exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the lake, rippling in a clear yet deep blue, and the animals gathered there.
Felix was taken aback.
He had not expected to encounter such a scene outside the castle. Then, they spotted someone hiding in a small bush. Both Sylvia and Felix saw it.
“Who’s there!”
Felix called out as he spurred his horse forward, ready to swing his sword at the rustling bush.
“Waaah!”
At the sound of a child’s crying, Sylvia grabbed Felix’s arm.
“Wait!”
She jumped down from her horse first, using a wind magic spell, just as Felix was stopping and sheathing his sword.
“Wait…”
Felix grew anxious as she descended first. It would be troublesome if it was a dangerous creature. Unaware of his concerns, Sylvia boldly made her way through the bush and found a child shivering and hiding there.
“A child?”
Following her, he muttered in a voice mixed with astonishment.
“Didn’t you say it’s dangerous outside the castle?”
Sylvia turned to Felix with a puzzled look as he nodded and then turned her gaze back to the child. A boy, looking about five years old, was sobbing pitifully.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
Unable to stand by as the child cried out, Sylvia went over and picked him up. Even though she was a stranger, the child quietly allowed himself to be held.
“There, there, it’s okay. Stop crying now.”
“Sniff, sniff.”
Perhaps due to shock, the child could not easily stop crying. Sylvia used plant magic to grow strawberries and put one in the child’s mouth. The child’s eyes widened as he tasted the strawberry.
After all, snacks are the best for a crying child.
“Do you like the moon?”
“Huh?”
He leaned in closer and asked again.
“Do you, like the moon?”
“The moon?”
“Yes, the moon.”
Staring at Felix who brought up the moon out of nowhere, Sylvia responded without much thought.
“Who doesn’t like the moon, is there anyone who hates it?”
Who would hate the sun or the moon, especially when the moon here shone with a silvery light. The area around the moon was always filled with stars, giving the impression of being dotted with pointillism.
Absentmindedly thinking of the moon, Sylvia felt a warm arm wrap around her waist.
“Huh?”
With a single exclamation, Sylvia’s body lifted off the ground. As she was about to scream out loud, lifted swiftly by a gust of wind magic, Felix spoke first.
“Look, there’s the moon.”
Having climbed to the top of the tallest tree nearby, Felix pointed at the moon. Sylvia was left speechless by the scene unfolding before her eyes.
It wasn’t the moon and stars seen from the castle. They were much larger and brighter than before. The stars densely filled the space around the moon, and a soft green aurora waved gently around it. Being so close that even the moon’s surface was visible, Sylvia forgot she was floating in the air, utterly captivated.
Felix smiled proudly as he held her, then lightly lifted her to sit side by side on a nearby branch. He began speaking as they both looked up at the moon.
“My mother’s name is Luna… Named by my grandfather for her beauty, akin to that of the moon.”
His voice resonated softly.
“When my mother looked at me, I felt like I had everything. I could feel her affection with my whole being.”
As Sylvia continued to gaze at the moon, listening to Felix, she felt that turning her eyes towards him might render her speechless.
“Like this gentle moonlight, subtle yet brightly shining.”
He paused to look at the moon quietly, then continued.
“That’s how she loved me. My mother.”
There was silence as if he had finished speaking. Sylvia couldn’t take her eyes off the moon, unable to offer any response. She just listened to him calmly, nodding her head.
Even as silence fell, she quietly observed the moon.
The moon in this world was enchanting. Though she had never met her, Sylvia was certain Felix’s mother must have been a very beautiful woman.
“Why are you like that?”
Felix softly broke the silence. Without turning her head, Sylvia responded.
“Like what?”
Suddenly, a large hand grasped her chin and pulled. The movement was not forceful, but it startled her. Felix murmured as he gazed into Sylvia’s wide, turquoise eyes.
“You’re not my mother… So why, why do you look at me with those eyes?”
Unsure of what he meant by ‘those eyes’, she just widened her eyes and moved her lips, at a loss for words.
His unusual, flushed expression asking the question felt unfamiliar to her.
“Tell me. Okay? Sylvia.”
Feeling him seemingly drawing closer, Sylvia leaned back, but the hard tree trunk behind her made her bite her lip instead.
Felix gently stroked her chin with his thumb, urging her to answer.
“Why do you look at me with such affectionate eyes, huh? Tell me.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Did I look at you that way?”
“Didn’t you?”
Now their noses were almost touching, feeling each other’s breaths brushing by. Sylvia looked straight at him.
“Because we’re friends?”
Despite her answer, Felix remained silent. He gently pressed his forehead against hers and asked,
“So, are you my girlfriend?”
“What?”
She knew that the term ‘girlfriend’ here and in her own world meant the same, but the exact meaning could vary.
Girlfriend! Or just a girl who is a friend!
What exactly was he implying?
Blushing with embarrassment, she gasped for breath when suddenly her body tilted and began to fall.
“Wha-what?”
Experiencing the illusion of the moon shrinking rapidly, she called out to him.
“Felix!”
“Uhh…”
Mumbling something incoherent, Felix pulled her closer with his arm around her neck, making Sylvia curse inwardly.
‘This guy makes my heart flutter and then falls asleep!’
Instead of screaming in fear as they fell, Sylvia sent her magical power into a wind magic circle.
Anger made her fearless.
Now, like a child clinging to her in his sleep, Felix was cradled in Sylvia’s arms in a princess hold, suspended in mid-air.
Of course, all thanks to her wind magic.
“Let’s see if I ever bring out alcohol again! For you or for any of the mercenaries!”
***
The next day, the mercenaries woke up clutching their heads. As soon as they opened their eyes, their heads throbbed as if they were about to split open.
“Ugh!”
“What is this!”
Each of them woke up in their tents and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while before simultaneously letting out a scream.
“Ugh!”
Their last memory was clearly at the dining table, but how and when they ended up in their tents asleep was beyond them.
Hubert and Dennis were in no different situation. Disturbed by the fact that they had fallen asleep without setting a night watch, they barely opened their swollen eyes and rushed outside.
They were greeted by Sylvia, who was sitting at the table, leaning her head back and staring vacantly. The table was already set for breakfast, and everything around was neatly organized.
With bleary eyes, Sylvia lazily waved at the mercenaries.
“Awake?”
“Sylvia?”
Hubert called out to her with a doubtful look. Understanding his gaze, Sylvia nodded and replied.
“Don’t worry about the night watch. I took care of it. Nothing happened.”
“Ah…”
Someone sighed, and Hubert and Dennis shook their heads. Just then, the wooden door of Sylvia’s makeshift house creaked open. Felix appeared in the doorway, looking bewildered, and after scanning around, he walked briskly towards Sylvia.
He paused halfway, clutching his head, then approached her and asked.
“What’s going on? Why did I fall asleep over there?”
Avoiding Sylvia’s intense gaze, which seemed to say, ‘Do I really need to spell it out for you?’ Felix muttered under his breath.
“I’m hungry, give me food.”
Standing up with her arms crossed, Sylvia faced him, still frowning deeply.
“Yes, friend. It’s ready, go ahead and eat!”
“Friend? What’s that?”
Felix, puzzled but getting no answer, watched the back of Sylvia’s head as she sat down, then quickly took the seat beside her.
The aroma was enticing, making his mouth water.
For Felix, this moment felt surreal. From being able to smell the delicious aroma to his salivary glands being stimulated by the sight of food instead of feeling nauseous.
The mercenaries, though hesitant, all took their seats and began eating the hot soup. And as expected, writhing in agony after drinking the bitter gourd juice Sylvia claimed was healthy was a foregone conclusion.
★★40. Village outside the castle★★
The fairies were busy chatting among themselves inside Felix’s armor.
[Did you hear what Felix said yesterday?]
[I didn’t expect Felix to talk about Queen Luna.]
[Now that I think about it, it’s the first time he mentioned her name since she died.]
[Since we were born after they disappeared, we don’t really know the full story.]
[Right, Felix never tells us.]
[But he told Sylvia!]
[Yes! Our Sylvia is really something!]
Eryngium was very pleased that Sylvia was taking care of Felix. Moreover, since Eryngium was the one who brought Sylvia, it made her even prouder. Clover chided the smug Eryngium.
[Our Sylvia, you say! You always refer to her like that!]
[Right, Erin is such a greedy one.]
[What did you say!]
While the fairies whispered amongst themselves within Felix’s embrace, he was preoccupied with taking care of Sylvia. Having stayed up all night, she was absentmindedly turning her head around on the horse.
Felix, amazed by her flexibility to turn her neck 360 degrees, held the reins in one hand and with the other, carefully supported Sylvia’s head to prevent her neck from hurting.
Consequently, he was unsure of their direction. Lagging behind the mercenaries who had gone ahead, he focused solely on Sylvia, slowly guiding his horse.
Sylvia was too disoriented to gather her senses. She couldn’t sleep, troubled by Felix’s words, and was worried because no one seemed to be keeping watch, so she stayed outside.
Thinking she’d scream to wake everyone if any danger appeared, she kept a vigilant watch until dawn, which was torturous, so she started preparing breakfast early.
As they moved, it became difficult for her to keep her eyes open. Whenever she came to, the scenery of the forest seemed entirely changed. Felix pulled Sylvia into his embrace, holding her tightly to prevent her neck from bending awkwardly.
Only then did he feel somewhat relieved.
And only then did Felix notice the landscape, furrowing his brows. Despite having traveled this area multiple times, this place was unfamiliar to him.
Felix’s frown deepened at the sound of flowing water, surveying the surroundings. Unknown to Sylvia, the forest outside the castle lacked anything that could be called water. There were no valleys, lakes, ponds, or even small springs left in this area.
Especially along Felix’s usual routes, where water was never found, he was wary that the sound he now heard might be some unseen monster. He cautiously led his horse towards the sound, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.
Just then, Sylvia stretched and yawned.
“Yaaawn!”
The bird perched on a branch flew away with a flutter at the sound of her voice. Sylvia, fully awakened by the sound of the bird flying away, looked around and asked,
“Where are we?”
She had not realized until then that she had been leaning on him. Felix said in an unconcerned tone,
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
Sylvia, now fully alert, pulled herself up. It was then she realized she had fallen asleep leaning on him.
“It’s okay, lean on me more.”
He pulled her closer as he stared at her flustered turquoise hair. Sylvia’s eyes widened at being embraced again.
“No, I…”
“Wait.”
Felix, hearing something out of place, grabbed the reins and raced towards it. His black horse breathed heavily as it galloped quickly. Sylvia was amazed by the scenery they arrived at.
They emerged through the dense trees to a lake filled with blue. Sylvia exclaimed in admiration at the sight of the lake, rippling in a clear yet deep blue, and the animals gathered there.
Felix was taken aback.
He had not expected to encounter such a scene outside the castle. Then, they spotted someone hiding in a small bush. Both Sylvia and Felix saw it.
“Who’s there!”
Felix called out as he spurred his horse forward, ready to swing his sword at the rustling bush.
“Waaah!”
At the sound of a child’s crying, Sylvia grabbed Felix’s arm.
“Wait!”
She jumped down from her horse first, using a wind magic spell, just as Felix was stopping and sheathing his sword.
“Wait…”
Felix grew anxious as she descended first. It would be troublesome if it was a dangerous creature. Unaware of his concerns, Sylvia boldly made her way through the bush and found a child shivering and hiding there.
“A child?”
Following her, he muttered in a voice mixed with astonishment.
“Didn’t you say it’s dangerous outside the castle?”
Sylvia turned to Felix with a puzzled look as he nodded and then turned her gaze back to the child. A boy, looking about five years old, was sobbing pitifully.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
Unable to stand by as the child cried out, Sylvia went over and picked him up. Even though she was a stranger, the child quietly allowed himself to be held.
“There, there, it’s okay. Stop crying now.”
“Sniff, sniff.”
Perhaps due to shock, the child could not easily stop crying. Sylvia used plant magic to grow strawberries and put one in the child’s mouth. The child’s eyes widened as he tasted the strawberry.
After all, snacks are the best for a crying child.
