Episode 44
Records of fairy experiments conducted centuries ago in the Holy Empire of Hilderd.
They were likely classified documents, closely guarded by the Holy Empire.
How Kierne had managed to smuggle them out was a mystery, but if discovered, they would surely plunge the continent into chaos.
That must be why he hid them in the Black Forest.
Not just hidden, but doubly concealed with magical inscriptions on the trees.
It was almost unbelievable.
The Holy Empire of Hilderd might occasionally act hypocritically, but they were ultimately devoted to pursuing light, justice, order, and goodness.
They were the sort to execute heretics like fairies, not capture and experiment on them.
Take the sacred relic, the Fairy Queen’s Crown, for example—it had been sent out of the Holy Empire.
If they were the type to experiment on fairies, they would have dismantled that crown for study long ago.
They would have ordered sorceresses like Cheshire captured alive rather than killed.
Yet the Inquisitors, Holy Knights, and Holy Priests were always desperate to end her life.
*So this must be a secret even within the Holy Empire.*
Cheshire’s theory was strongly supported by one person: Hailon.
He was fastidious, almost obsessively so.
He didn’t pursue absolute good, but he also didn’t go out of his way to stain his hands with unnecessary evil.
The only evil he’d ever touched was the sorceress Lichesia.
He wasn’t the type to stand idly by while the Holy Empire conducted cruel experiments on fairies.
Hailon had the power, authority, and position to act on his convictions.
*And yet even he doesn’t know.*
If those experiments from centuries ago were still ongoing…
It would have to be orchestrated in secret by someone at least at the level of a Cardinal or the Holy King.
This explained why Cheshire had struggled so much to find any information on fairy experiments.
*Because I never even suspected the Holy Empire.*
A sudden wave of disgust washed over her.
Fairies were beings of resolute minds.
Their powers were all tied to their psyche.
The illusion realms they created were manifestations of their mental essence.
So, under normal circumstances, a fairy wouldn’t simply “go mad.”
But the fairy who birthed Cheshire had done just that.
She must have endured experiments like those described here.
By those who claimed to serve God.
Confined in a rigid, sterile space, unable to touch a blade of grass or a single flower.
Treated like an animal, her blood drawn, subjected to all manner of pain…
Cheshire clenched her tiny teeth tightly.
The butterflies drifting lazily through the Black Forest reacted to their master’s emotions, swarming together in an instant.
The sight of a whirlwind of butterflies spiraling rapidly above the trembling flowerbed was menacing.
“Lichesia!”
Hata scrambled across the flowerbed in a panic.
The little puppy gazed at Cheshire with trembling eyes.
No words were needed—they both knew what the other was thinking.
Cheshire spoke the words she knew he most wanted to hear.
“I’m okay.”
“But…”
“Really. Just a little shocked, that’s all.”
Worried she might damage the flowers, she called the butterflies back.
“…Haa.”
Everything had circled back to the beginning.
The rumor that had first drawn Cheshire to the Basilian family—one of the empire’s three great noble houses conducting cruel experiments on fairies.
It seemed Kierne’s investigation into fairy experiments had caused the rumor to spread inaccurately.
*In a way, Kierne’s like me.*
For reasons she couldn’t fathom, he seemed to be in a similar position to her, digging into fairy experiments.
It might have something to do with the Fairy Queen’s Crown he sought, but she couldn’t be sure.
That was a question she wouldn’t answer until she asked Kierne directly.
“So, does this mean we need to investigate the Holy Empire now?” Hata asked, his voice tinged with worry as he looked at the pensive Cheshire.
Of course, Hata would follow her even into the fires of hell.
But he was concerned she’d get burned in the process.
Cheshire murmured slowly, “Looks like it.”
The path ahead felt daunting.
When she’d heard about the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly, she’d panicked at the thought of being dragged to the Holy Empire.
Now, she was about to walk into it herself to investigate.
How could she, a sorceress, infiltrate the Holy Empire, bypass its stringent security, and obtain classified information?
Nothing about it was easy.
*But joining the Little Saints’ Prayer Assembly…*
Before that could happen, Kierne might discover she was a sorceress and take her head.
Lost in thought, Cheshire finally spoke.
“Let’s get out of here for now.”
The situation was complex, but one thing was clear.
There was nothing more to gain from the Basilian family.
It was time to leave.
That night, Cheshire, with Hata in her arms, went to find Belzeon.
Of course, walking to his study in her toddler body was no small feat.
So she asked a servant to carry her to where Belzeon was.
The servant, upon her request, started babbling nonsense.
Saying things like he wouldn’t wash his hands all day, or that holding Miss Cheshire felt like a dream.
*The servants here always say weird things when I ask to be carried.*
But as long as she got what she needed, it didn’t matter.
She let him ramble.
“Miss Cheshire is here to see you.”
A knock on the study door announced her arrival, and after a brief silence, permission to enter came from within.
Cheshire asked to be set down and toddled forward eagerly.
Her short legs scurried along, and Belzeon, who had been reviewing documents at his desk, stood up in surprise.
“Hi,” Cheshire said, grabbing the hem of his trousers with a serious expression. “I need to talk.”
She held up two fingers for emphasis. “Just us two.”
“Just us?” Belzeon seemed taken aback but complied.
He dismissed the assistant aiding him in the study and ensured no servants lingered nearby.
“What’s this about?” he asked coolly.
She knew his coldness wasn’t from any real attachment but rather a deliberate effort to keep his distance, so it didn’t bother her.
She was leaving soon anyway.
Cheshire got straight to her point. “When do I have to leave?”
Had he not expected her to bring it up first?
Belzeon’s eyes widened slightly.
After a moment of silence, he averted his gaze slowly.
Without meeting her eyes, he said, “The dawn after tomorrow.”
His voice was lower than usual as he explained she needed to leave before the banquet.
It seemed he’d already made all the arrangements, planning to send her away suddenly at dawn without telling her.
Fair enough—what was the point of telling a toddler in advance?
It wouldn’t persuade her, and if she resisted, it would only cause a fuss.
A rational decision.
“If there’s anything you want, you can take it with you,” Belzeon offered, suggesting money or jewels.
But Cheshire wanted only one thing.
She held up Hata and said, “I want to take the puppy.”
“…That’s all?”
“Yup!”
Belzeon stared at her and Hata with a stiff expression.
A faint tremor flickered in his eyes.
He bit his lower lip, as if suppressing something.
“You could ask for more,” he said, fixing her with an intense gaze. “You could demand a fortune from the Basilian family if you wanted.”
