Chapter 13
The sofa converted into a bed when the backrest was laid flat. Noah spent most of the train journey sleeping on it. His shimmering platinum blonde hair scattered around his eyes, with slightly darker eyelashes perfectly arranged below. His white skin and well-formed lips added to his appeal. Sitting across from him, Regina propped her chin on her hand, silently admiring this unnecessarily beautiful yet terrifying man.
“Even poisonous mushrooms are pretty…” she muttered to herself, but there was no reaction from him. Watching the impeccably composed, peacefully sleeping man was bearable for a day or two, but after three days, Regina felt like she was going to go crazy from boredom.
“He looks so different from how he did at the mansion. Back then, he at least seemed like an elegant nobleman…”
“An illusion isn’t perfect. Besides, my illusions are weaker than the Black Fairy’s.”
Startled by his unexpected response to her mumbling, Regina quickly straightened her posture. The man who had been sleeping so quietly that his breathing was barely audible responded in a lazy voice without opening his eyes.
“To maintain an illusion, especially for someone close like family, you have to match their subconscious expectations. ‘If I had a son, he’d be a refined nobleman; if I had a brother, he’d be kind.’ You have to align to those expectations to keep the illusion from breaking, especially for long-term relationships.”
Regina recalled Noah speaking kindly to Margaret, and his impeccable table manners and posture. She was about to ask where he had learned noble etiquette when Noah stretched and turned over.
“Stop chattering next to me and go play outside. It’s noisy while I’m trying to sleep.”
“…Are you going to sleep again?”
She couldn’t understand how he could fall asleep so easily, like a napping cat. Regina looked at him in disbelief. Noah simply waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly, without bothering to answer. Though his attitude annoyed her, Regina obediently followed his suggestion and left the compartment.
* * *
After another day, the train finally arrived at the capital, their destination. Only then did Noah slowly get up and gather his belongings before stepping off the train. Regina hurriedly grabbed her luggage and followed him, shivering as if the train had been unbearable.
“Ugh, I never want to take a train again. Four days of boredom and exhaustion!”
Noah, yawning softly, glanced at her. He decided it was best not to mention that they would be taking the train again after their business in the capital was finished.
“Is this the capital? Wow, there are so many people!”
The capital was far more impressive than the illustrations she’d seen in social magazines. Buildings of unfamiliar designs and intriguing objects of unknown purpose were scattered everywhere, leaving Regina unsure where to focus her gaze. It was hard to believe this place was in the same world as the Evelyn estate.
“So noisy.”
As Regina turned her head this way and that to take in the sights, passersby chuckled at her obvious curiosity. Annoyed by the attention, Noah scolded her, causing Regina to pout.
“But everything is so fascinating. There are so many things I’ve never seen before. Look over there! That carriage is moving without a horse! What’s that? Is there a horse inside the carriage, or are people inside carrying it?”
Regina, pointing at something in the distance, quickly ran to Noah and tapped his arm in excitement. The unexpected pain made Noah frown.
“Hey!”
Unable to contain himself, Noah started to speak, but the driver of the horseless carriage laughed heartily and addressed Regina.
“Ha ha, is this your first time in the capital? Don’t you know about Black Star Fragments? Miss, would you like one as a gift?”
The man, who appeared to be a driver, bent over and extended his hand. Regina, her curiosity piqued, accepted the object he offered. In her palm lay a dark blue, diamond-shaped fragment. It didn’t sparkle like a gem, nor did it feel rough like a stone; it was a peculiar, smoothly crafted piece.
“Wow, what is this?”
“This is what powers the carriage without a horse. It’s called a Star Fragment. It’s cheaper than renting horses, so it’s often used. Of course, real horses are still used for carriages, especially by nobles who prefer them. But miss, aren’t your legs tired? Would you like to take a ride?”
Regina, marveling at the fragment in her hand, gazed at it with bright eyes. The driver, grinning, glanced at Noah while making his offer. Noah sighed deeply, pulled out some coins, and handed them over.
“To 36 Capsen Street.”
“Thank you! All right, hop in, we’re departing!”
The driver, pocketing the fare, opened the carriage door with a wide smile. Regina, smiling back, accepted his help and climbed inside. Thankfully, there were neither horses nor people inside. Relieved, Regina thought to herself.
‘The smell of horses is stronger than I expected. I’m glad I don’t have to ride with them.’
“What is this exactly? How can it power a carriage?”
Regina held the fragment close to her face, examining it closely.
“Ha ha, that’s something invented by the royal research institute, ‘Arme.’ It’s lighter and lasts longer than coal, and it can move heavy objects.”
“Really? The capital has such amazing things! How does this small piece move the carriage?”
“Ha ha, I reacted the same way when I first saw it! If you fit the Star Fragment into a specially made slot, it harnesses the power within the fragment. I don’t understand the exact mechanism, though!”
“Wow!”
Regina blinked in amazement, staring at the Star Fragment. Noah, sitting opposite her, grew impatient and tapped the carriage wall. Understanding his signal to be quiet, the driver chuckled and wished them a good journey.
“Then, I hope you two siblings have a pleasant trip!”
As the driver closed the inner window, his face disappeared from view. Finally separated from the driver, Noah spoke quietly with a hint of frustration.
“Why the sudden change in attitude? You used to tremble like a leaf whenever you saw me.”
At some point, Regina had stopped fearing him. She smirked confidently.
“You said you’d kill me if I ate people, but I’ll never eat people, so you won’t have any reason to kill me! Why should I be afraid?”
“Even if I grant you that point… Aren’t you worried I might kill you out of sheer annoyance?”
“Looking at you, it seems like killing me would be more troublesome for you.”
During the four-day train ride, Regina had hardly seen Noah stand up or move around. He often complained about being bothered, to the point where she was tired of hearing it. Regina muttered softly, and Noah, hit where it hurt, grumbled back.
“Damn, why do I have to take care of such a brat?”
“A brat? I’ll have you know I’m eighteen. I’ve already had my coming-of-age ceremony. In a month, I’ll be nineteen!”
“Where do you look like an adult? Your behavior is that of a ten-year-old.”
“My goodness! How can you be so rude?”
“It’s obvious. ‘Regina Evelyn’ must have been pampered growing up.”
“That’s not true!”
Regina, feeling a pang of guilt at Noah’s words, protested with a serious expression. But Noah shook his head and fell silent. Crossing his arms, he signaled he had nothing more to say, prompting Regina to insist once more.
“Really, it’s not true!”
But Noah simply waved her off as if to say she was being noisy.
The carriage turned down an alley and stopped in front of an old two-story house. As they got off, the driver smiled brightly, bid them farewell, and departed.
“Ah!”
“What?”
Regina, who had been waving at the departing carriage, suddenly exclaimed. Noah turned to look at her.
“The Star Fragment is gone!”
“What?”
“The Black Star Fragment. I was holding it, but now it’s gone.”
Regina showed her empty palm, where the fragment had been. Noah glanced at her hand and then turned away, walking towards the house.
“That’s strange. I didn’t drop it. I didn’t put it in my pocket, so how did it disappear?”
With Noah giving no response, a crestfallen Regina muttered as she checked her pockets. Unable to find it, she reluctantly followed Noah and looked up at the old house.
“Where are we?”
“This is the house of Maverick, the inventor.”
Noah replied as he pressed a small button on the door.
Beyond the fence, weeds were growing wild, and ivy covered one wall entirely. The vines were so overgrown that they even obscured the windows, making Regina wonder if any sunlight could get through.
“An inventor?”
“Yes, he’s the man who invented the weapon to kill the Black Fairy.”
At those words, Regina looked at him in surprise. Noah, still indifferent, continued to gaze beyond the house’s fence as he spoke.
“About eight years ago, his wife was devoured by the Black Fairy. He has an intense hatred for the Black Fairy, so if he finds out you’re a fairy, he’ll kill you instantly.”
-Click, creak.
As he finished speaking, the iron gate of the house opened on its own. Startled, Regina took a step back, but Noah ignored her and walked through the gate.
“Wait, hold on, let’s go together!”
Regina hurriedly followed behind him.
“Is it okay to just walk in like this?”
“Yes.”
The house, which looked uninhabitable from the outside, felt surprisingly lived-in once inside. Though messy, there was a semblance of order, and dried herbs hanging from the ceiling showed signs of human presence.
Without hesitation, Noah descended to the basement. As the creaking sound of the stairs echoed, Regina quickly followed the noise, looking around anxiously.
“The stairs are old. They won’t collapse, right?”
“They won’t collapse that easily, miss.”
A voice filled with amusement came from below as Regina carefully stepped down, her anxiety evident. She stopped in surprise at the unfamiliar voice and saw a man looking up at her from under a bright light. He had messy red hair tied roughly and wore oversized goggles that looked more like a headband.
Regina, who had imagined the inventor to be a small man, was taken aback by his muscular arms. Though shorter than Noah, the man had a solid, large build.
