Chapter 94
A new flower bloomed on the parched earth.
Trees and bushes hid their sharp thorns and sprouted green leaves.
The black, murky river transformed into a clear stream, carrying petals as it flowed refreshingly.
The sky, once swirling in somber hues, regained its blue, and the eerie sounds that had echoed incessantly from the forest vanished.
In their place, the chirping of birds and someone’s soft, beautiful song resonated.
The sight of life filling the dying land was wondrous.
It was a scene akin to the miracles of gods praised by humans.
As she dyed the black world green, Chesha poured her sincere heart into her power, striving to convey it.
“It’s okay.”
Because she understood the emotions the fairy must have felt better than anyone.
She whispered the words the fairy most wanted to hear right now.
“Nothing will torment you anymore.”
The reason she put her whole heart into it wasn’t just because she empathized with the fairy’s emotions or to escape the illusion realm.
In truth, it reminded her of her mother.
If Chesha had been by her mother’s side when she went mad back then.
She would have tried anything.
She would have filled the land of death her mother created with flowers, soothing her.
Even if all attempts failed, at least…
She would have stayed by her side so her death wouldn’t be lonely and painful.
Chesha recalled the only trace of her mother left to her.
Thinking of the lullaby called in that gentle voice, she transformed the gloomy illusion realm.
When the illusion realm regained its original, complete beauty.
Her vision filled with flowers.
The fairy, having regained her sanity, was withdrawing the illusion realm she had unfolded.
“I did it.”
Chesha smiled brightly.
She wanted to confirm her return to reality, but there was no strength left in her body.
This was the first time she had scraped the bottom of her barrel to use her power like this.
She tried to force her flickering eyes open, but it was futile.
She didn’t even have the strength to lift an eyelid.
Feeling the arms embracing her, Chesha finally lost consciousness.
She dreamed.
It was an extremely simple dream.
A woman with long golden hair carelessly draped sat leaning against a tree, stroking her round, swollen belly as she sang a lullaby—a scene that continued endlessly.
The singing woman’s face wasn’t visible.
But the lullaby echoing in her ears was familiar.
It was the lullaby her mother had sung to Chesha.
Chesha watched her from afar and then awoke from the dream.
“……”
Still in a hazy consciousness, Chesha stared blankly ahead.
Four red gems came into view…
‘What is this?’
For a moment, she couldn’t gather her wits.
The four gems drew even closer, right up to Chesha’s nose.
Just as they seemed about to collide, the red gems spoke.
“The baby’s eyes are open.”
“Sis, you’re awake?”
Only after hearing the voices did she realize the gems’ identity.
‘It’s Karha and Ishuel.’
Her senses gradually returned.
As Chesha just stared without saying a word, the twins showed signs of anxiety.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking? Is this okay?”
“I don’t know either.”
They were whispering so seriously that a sudden urge to tease them arose.
Chesha blinked quietly and then moved her lips slightly.
“Who… are you…?”
A brief silence fell.
The twins’ eyes and mouths slowly widened.
Karha, shocked at the youngest who had lost her memory, stammered with a stricken face.
“Uh, hey, what do we do about this…”
That’s when it happened.
Ishuel swiftly smacked Karha in the side.
As Karha groaned in pain with an “Ugh,” Ishuel smiled brightly.
The boy, making full use of his radiant and pretty face, whispered.
“We’re the people you love most in the world. Especially me.”
The quick-witted opportunism was impressive.
If she teased a bit more here, there might be nothing left of her bones, so Chesha quickly corrected herself.
“Ah, it’s my brothers.”
Then Ishuel clicked his tongue and pursed his lips.
Karha let out a sigh of relief and grumbled.
“I thought my heart was going to drop.”
Chesha chuckled inwardly as she looked around.
Judging by the somewhat shabby furniture and interior decorations, it seemed like an inn.
Chesha was lying on the bed, with the twins sitting on either side, looking down at her.
They were stuck right beside her, unwilling to budge, but upon closer look, it seemed like they were standing guard to protect her.
Receiving the twins’ fervent gazes, Chesha slowly traced her memories.
She tried to calmly recall the events before she fainted.
‘This is really embarrassing…’
She couldn’t think calmly at all.
The more she retraced her memories, the more mortified she felt, wanting to hide in some flowers or something.
It was unbelievable that she had cried like a baby, when she wasn’t even a child.
Her body had become young, but there was no need for her mind to act like a kid too.
‘And on top of that, my fairy nature got exposed.’
Thanks to Hailon’s firm misunderstanding, it seemed to have been glossed over somewhat plausibly.
For now, the only ones who witnessed what happened in the illusion realm were Kierne and Hailon.
She wondered if they had told the others.
Chesha casually tossed out the word to the twins to test them.
“Fairy…”
“Why fairy?”
Ishuel asked promptly, his eyes clear and innocent.
From the lack of reaction, it seemed they didn’t know Chesha was a fairy.
“Nothing.”
Chesha reached out her hands to them.
The twins each took one side and helped her up.
They cared for her with utmost devotion.
They propped her up against the headboard to sit, brought lukewarm water, and held it to her lips.
Chesha drank it gulp by gulp without moving a finger.
As if they had been waiting just for Chesha to wake up, the two chattered from both sides.
“You woke up after half a day, sis. You must have been really shocked being dragged into the illusion realm.”
“I’ve lived and lived, but a fairy popping out on the road? And sneakily taking only a baby, that’s cheap.”
Listening absently to the twins’ chatter, Chesha pondered deeply.
She had searched for years but never once encountered a fairy.
To suddenly come face-to-face with one like this.
It felt unnatural.
‘And it wasn’t a sane one; it was a fairy going mad.’
But she couldn’t let go of this hard-won clue.
To fix her body that wouldn’t grow into an adult, she needed information about the fairy kingdom.
She didn’t want to remain a child forever next to the Basilian three brothers who would grow tall and strong.
An eternally ungrowing baby would just be a horrific monster…
Chesha glanced sideways at her small feet.
The situation was suspicious in many ways, but she had learned something new.
Not all fairies who could wield illusion realms were as strong as Chesha.
She hadn’t been sure before, lacking anyone to compare with.
‘I’m exceptionally strong even among fairies.’
She had vaguely thought so, but this opportunity confirmed it.
Otherwise, there’d be no reason for a fairy who could handle illusion realms to be chased by hunters.
Even Chesha’s mother, a mad fairy, had hordes of hunters after her, but she slaughtered them instead as she roamed.
‘Anyway, I need to ask the fairy this and that.’
She also had to ask how it ended up like this.
It might have escaped from a lab, after all.
Chesha asked the twins, who were still flanking her on both sides.
“Where did the fairy go?”
“That was what you were curious about earlier?”
“Don’t pay attention to something like that. It’s dirty, dirty.”
Karha pronounced “dirty” with unusual clarity.
Chesha pretended not to notice and said again.
“I want to meet it.”
Then the twins suddenly went “Umm,” “Hmmm,” showing signs of difficulty.
Karha scratched the back of his head and muttered.
“I wonder if the form is even left. Nah, probably not even a trace.”
“Idiot, you should’ve said it escaped.”
Ishuel snapped irritably.
It seemed they had captured the fairy for now…
‘What on earth are they doing to elicit this reaction?’
Chesha looked at the twins with a sense of unease.
Then Karha laughed awkwardly, “Haha.”
“Well… they’re questioning it a bit.”
“Questioning…?”
Ishuel shot back primly.
“How could we just let it go after messing with you, sis? Of course, we caught it and…”
Mid-sentence, Ishuel grimaced and said irritably.
“Father and the Inquisitor are personally interrogating the fairy right now.”
