Chapter 4
“…Emma?” Regina called out, feeling a chill run down her spine. Emma, who had been staring blankly into space, blinked a few times and quickly returned to her usual self.
“If you’re talking about Miss Margaret’s older brother, you must mean Mr. Noah, right? Of course, I know him. Isn’t he the one you’ve had a long-standing crush on, Miss Regina?”
“…What?” Regina froze in place. It took her a moment to process Emma’s response.
“What did you just say…?” Regina’s face contorted as she abruptly stood up, grabbing Emma’s shoulders with both hands.
“Ouch! Miss, what’s gotten into you? It’s dangerous to stand up in a moving carriage!”
“This is a joke, right? Emma, you just said that Maggie is an only child!”
“What? When did I say that, Miss?” Emma looked up at Regina with a bewildered expression.
“No, just a moment ago…!” Regina felt an overwhelming frustration but stopped herself mid-sentence.
Something was wrong. No, everything was wrong. Fear and confusion washed over her, making her want to cry. What in the world was happening?
“Miss? What’s wrong?”
“…”
Regina remained standing, gripping Emma’s shoulders tightly. When the carriage hit a small stone and jostled roughly, Regina fell back into her seat with a thud.
“Oh, Miss! Be careful!”
“…”
Emma, startled, held onto Regina to keep her from falling. However, Regina barely registered Emma’s concerned words, only blinking in a daze.
Why? Why did she suddenly remember the words of her nanny from early that morning?
“The Black Fairy disguises itself as a person it has eaten and hides among humans.”
A chilling sensation ran down Regina’s spine.
* * *
Back at the mansion, Regina immediately went up to her room and collapsed onto her bed. The dress she had carefully chosen that morning got wrinkled, but she didn’t care.
Following her, Emma looked at Regina with concern, noticing her bad mood since they were in the carriage.
“Miss, you should change your clothes before lying down. Should I prepare some water for you?”
“…I’m too tired, Emma. Just call the nanny for me.”
Responding with her face buried in the pillow, Regina spoke softly. Emma sighed lightly, acknowledged her request, and quietly closed the door behind her.
-Click
Hearing the door close, Regina confirmed Emma had left and turned onto her side.
“…Could it be? Could the Black Fairy really exist as the nanny said? Could that man be the Black Fairy?”
She had seen and heard too much to deny reality. Regina tried to stay rational, anxiously biting her lower lip.
As she curled up in fear, a knock sounded at the door.
“Miss, it’s the nanny.”
“Come in!”
The nanny entered, saw Regina lying on the bed, and hurried over in surprise.
“Oh my, Miss! Lying down without even changing your clothes!”
“Nanny!”
Seeing the nanny she had been waiting for, Regina sprang up from the bed.
“Goodness, look at your dress all wrinkled. Come, let’s take it off and get you washed. I’ll help you.”
“That’s not important, Nanny! I have something to ask! Is it true that the Black Fairy exists?”
As the nanny turned Regina around to untie her dress, she looked puzzled.
“Why do you want to hear about fairies all of a sudden?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you while you take a bath. Now, lift your arms.”
The nanny gently coaxed Regina, quickly removing her dress and ushering her to the bathroom. Regina found herself in hot water before she realized it, thanks to the nanny’s practiced hands.
While washing Regina’s hair and wiping her body with a soft cloth, the nanny asked,
“Why are you suddenly curious about fairy stories? Did something come up during your tea time with Miss Margaret?”
“Well, sort of.”
Regina, who had been feeling drowsy from the nanny’s touch, snapped back to attention. This was no time to relax. The urgency made her fully awake, and she widened her eyes, making the nanny chuckle quietly.
“Alright, Miss. What do you want to know?”
“This morning, you told me about the Black Fairy. How it eats people and hides among them. Is that true? How can you tell if it’s the Black Fairy? Can it be gotten rid of?”
Turning urgently towards the nanny, Regina splashed water out of the tub, soaking the nanny’s dress.
The nanny looked at Regina with wide eyes before calming down and wiping her face with a wet hand.
“Well, I only know the stories my grandfather told me. I’ve never seen one myself. But the forest where you got lost recently? It’s actually called the ‘Fairy King’s Tomb.'”
“Fairy King?”
“Yes, they say that from a high hill, the forest looks like a fairy’s wings, so it got that nickname.”
“Are fairies that big? Aren’t they usually about the size of a finger?”
Recalling the vast forest, Regina asked. The nanny chuckled softly.
“Maybe it’s because he’s a king? I’m not sure. The forest is mostly dark and almost devoid of animals, which might be why it got such a name. My grandfather once sneaked into that forest as a child. He said it was because of childish curiosity and he heard something.”
“Heard what?”
“He said he heard his name being called. Three times.”
The nanny held up three fingers, and Regina involuntarily swallowed hard.
“And then? What happened?”
“Back then, people in the village believed the Black Fairy would kidnap children, so they never called them by their real names. My grandfather was usually called ‘Bertie’ or ‘Bert.’ But from the dark shadows of the forest, he heard this: …Albert.”
Goosebumps appeared on Regina’s arm. The nanny, seeing this, smiled mischievously and draped a towel over Regina’s shoulders.
“Scary, right? My grandfather was so terrified that he ran for his life. After hearing that story, even I was scared to look at the forest in the evenings and would hold onto my grandfather’s hand tightly with my eyes closed.”
“…So what happens if the Black Fairy disguises itself as a person? Does it keep eating people in secret? When it disguises itself, do people’s memories get weird?”
Gripping the towel around her shoulders, Regina looked up seriously at the nanny. Seeing Regina deeply immersed in the fairy tale, the nanny nodded.
“I’m not sure. But it might be possible. …Oh, come to think of it, I’ve heard that if you wash your hands and eyes with water blessed by a good Light Fairy, you can see through the Black Fairy’s disguise.”
“That’s it!”
-Splash!
“Oh my, Miss!”
Regina sprang out of the tub, startling the nanny who grabbed her instinctively to keep her from slipping.
The nanny’s clothes got soaked, but Regina hugged her excitedly.
“That’s it, Nanny!”
“Yes?”
Caught off guard, the nanny could only look up at Regina in confusion.
* * *
After Regina regained her health, Viscount Evelyn immediately reported Lily and Hans to the constabulary. It was a rare move for a noble to publicly announce internal family matters. The viscount’s firm resolve to capture the criminals outweighed the shame.
“Still no news?”
The viscount swirled the glass of wine in his hand and asked.
Inspector Hudson, in charge of the constabulary in this small estate, wiped the sweat from his forehead and nose with a handkerchief, despite the cool late autumn weather.
“Not yet. But I’ve requested cooperation from other districts. With a bounty and flyers distributed, we should find some leads soon.”
“We can’t just sit and wait. We must catch them at all costs. If you need more funds, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll handle it. But you, why do you look so thin? Now that Miss Regina is safe, you should rest. Leave the criminals to us.”
Touched by his friend’s concern, the viscount rubbed his face, feeling the roughness of his unshaven beard, and looked embarrassed.
“You’re right. Sorry, I got too caught up in this. I trust you’ll take care of everything.”
“Of course. This study is too dark. Let’s open the curtains and get some fresh air. No, better yet, let’s go out and have a drink. Staying here will make you sick.”
“…Alright.”
Rising to see Hudson out, the viscount nodded and donned his coat.
Realizing how smoky and filled with the scent of alcohol his study was, he called for the servants to clean it up before leaving the mansion with Hudson.
