After returning to the annex.
Sion diligently heated the bedroom’s fireplace with the wood he had chopped.
The room, which had been filled with the cold air of a winter night, quickly became warm and cozy.
“Ah, it’s so warm.”
I said, feeling entirely content.
At the moment, I was nestled inside Sion’s bed, peeking out only my face from the blankets.
A short while later, Sion returned after washing up and noticed me. With a bewildered look, he said.
“Are you comfortable?”
“Yeah, it’s perfect.”
“Can I ask why you’re confidently trying to sleep in someone else’s bed?”
“Because it’s the warmest place here.”
I gave him a bright smile.
Just as I thought I could get away with this smoothly, it became clear—my favorite character wasn’t one to let things slide easily.
Sion casually glanced at me while drying his wet hair with a towel. Then, he pointed somewhere and said.
“If you’re looking for a spot, Garen set up something for you over there. Get out now.”
I turned my eyes to where he pointed.
There was a small chair placed in front of the crackling fireplace, with a blanket draped over it.
While it might have been a better option in terms of warmth, the distance between that chair and Sion might as well have been a million miles.
“Thaaat place? No way, no way.”
I feigned a pitiful cough and said.
“It’ll be unbearably cold there.”
(In my heart, I thought, ‘How could I bear it?’)
“…Cold, you say?”
“Yes.”
I nodded vigorously. Then, lifting the blanket, I showed him my pink sleepwear.
“See? This outfit isn’t as warm as it looks.”
My attempt to appear weak made Sion briefly falter, his gaze scanning me with a hint of concern.
“It’s a strange outfit, but it seems fairly thick.”
“Not at all. Ugh, it’s not like I can make you wear it to see for yourself….”
“…….”
“But if you’re really uncomfortable with this, I suppose I have no choice. Even if I shiver from the cold, your comfort is more important.”
“…….”
I wore a bitter expression and started to move the blanket aside, preparing to leave the bed. At that exact moment, Sion spoke.
“…Alright, but only for a while.”
I quickly lay back down.
Oh, dear. How will you manage in the world with such an innocent heart, my favorite character?
“Yay! Thanks, Sion!”
When I cheerfully thanked him, Sion muttered under his breath, looking somewhat exhausted.
“…I suppose I should arrange for some extra clothes soon.”
***
A few days later.
The calm and eerie atmosphere of the grand ducal castle became noticeably more chaotic.
A certain ‘distinguished guest’ had arrived.
“What? Noel, the head of the merchant guild?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Garen, who visited me early in the morning, explained the situation within the grand ducal castle in his usual informative manner.
“Hmm, Noel, the head of the merchant guild….”
To my surprise, the guest was someone I recognized.
To be precise, a character I knew from the original work.
Noel’s merchant guild served as a bridge connecting the imperial capital with the northern Luxior Grand Duchy. For generations, they had supplied countless goods to the North, building a long-standing relationship of trust.
“And if my memory serves correctly… wasn’t the guild master an outrageous miser?”
Though not a significant presence in the original story, I vividly remembered Noel as a greedy opportunist who sold food and weapons at exorbitant prices whenever dealing with the North.
“For that reason, security around the inner castle will be tightened for the next few days. Both the young lord and Ms. Lin should be cautious about their movements during this time.”
“Hah, I couldn’t care less. Just make sure they don’t poke around the annex.”
I spoke indifferently, half-lounging on Sion’s left shoulder.
At this point, the only person worth paying attention to was the female lead of the original story.
Getting unnecessarily involved with others was something I wanted to avoid altogether!
“Sion and I are about to get busy with the ‘Ultimate Favorite Supporting Character Redemption Project’.”
When I muttered this to myself, Sion raised an eyebrow and asked.
“With what?”
“Huh? I didn’t say anything.”
I replied with an innocent smile, lying effortlessly, but Sion narrowed his eyes.
His gaze seemed to say, ‘Suspicious.’
“Just in case, let me remind you—surely you haven’t forgotten the promise you made to me?”
“A promise? What promise?”
“…To avoid causing unnecessary trouble or incidents during your stay here. And to keep out of others’ sight as much as possible.”
“Oh! Ohhh, yes, of course! Naturally, I remembered!”
Of course, I had completely forgotten.
Sion’s narrowed, piercing gaze made it clear he saw right through me.
As I met his distrustful blue-gray eyes, I clamped my mouth shut.
“Ugh, how can someone look this handsome even while doubting me?”
“…….”
Even without trying, his aura and radiance were this overwhelming.
If Sion ever dressed up properly, even the female lead of the original story wouldn’t be able to resist falling for him.
‘Absolutely! Just wait, Sion. I’ll make sure your beauty shines even brighter!’
With the coming winter’s coming-of-age ceremony and his first meeting with the female lead, it was essential to prepare thoroughly starting now.
“Hmm. First, a breathtakingly stylish suit for the coming-of-age ceremony… and a refined, luxurious yet understated outfit for his first meeting with the female lead…”
…But where would I even find such outfits?
For now, Sion’s wardrobe consisted of a few plain everyday clothes and some dull black attire for stealth.
According to Garen, there were a few uniforms provided for official occasions, but since Sion had shown no interest in them, they eventually disappeared.
Someone must have stolen or sold them off.
“How dare someone steal my favorite character’s clothes? Just wait until I find out who it was!”
As I muttered to myself, an idea struck me.
“Wait a second… stealing?”
…Not a bad approach, actually.
“Come to think of it, the head of the merchant guild is currently in the grand ducal castle.”
I began to think rapidly.
What is a ‘merchant guild head’ in romance-fantasy novels?
They are people who tirelessly travel across territories, selling luxurious and high-end goods to the wealthy and noble.
“Which means…”
My eyes gleamed with excitement.
Somewhere in this grand ducal castle, countless rare items brought by Noel, the guild head, were waiting patiently to adorn Sion.
“…This is it.”
I marveled at my own ingenuity and shook my head in admiration.
Ah, the years of experience in the romance-fantasy genre haven’t gone to waste.
“Ahem, hem.”
I let out a faint cough.
“Oh dear, I suddenly feel so hungry. I should go find some dessert or something.”
Even to my ears, my words sounded incredibly contrived. As expected, Sion’s gaze shifted toward me.
“What are you scheming now?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’re not planning to go to the main building, are you?”
“Whhaaat? Not at all! Why would you even think that? I really just suddenly crave some dessert, that’s all. Haha, so ridiculous!”
“…….”
“Oh, wait! I forgot to tell you something, Sion. You see, fairies mainly survive on sweet desserts. Not just any dessert, but ones made with lots of love and the freshest ingredients. That’s how we recharge our energy.”
It was obviously nonsense.
Over the past few days, I had been happily devouring the modest meals the maids brought up.
Still, I laughed cheerfully and flew over to the terrace door.
“So, could you open this door for me?”
“…….”
Garen, who had been silently observing, spoke up with concern.
“Ms. Lin, the human world is far more dangerous than you might think. Even if it doesn’t seem obvious, there are many vile and malicious people out there. You could end up in a terrible situation, so you must be cautious.”
I grinned boldly and replied.
“Sir Garen, are you implying that I, of all people, could be overpowered by mere humans? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Well….”
“I’m a fairy, a Devoted Fangirl Fairy.”
Not just any fairy, but the one and only officially recognized fangirl fairy of this world.
“So don’t worry about such trivial concerns. I won’t die until Sion finds love and happiness.”
“…….”
“…….”
At my confident declaration, Garen looked at Sion with a conflicted expression.
After a moment of silence, Sion let out a deep sigh. He opened the terrace door.
“…Do as you please. But keep the promise you made to me.”
Clearly, Sion had realized over the past few days that once I made up my mind, there was no changing it.
I saluted Sion with a grin.
“Don’t worry, Sion! I’ll be right back!”
“Who’s worried….”
With that, I launched myself into the sky, soaring away with a whoosh.
