Felix and Sylvia climbed back onto the tree. Looking at his slightly swollen face, Sylvia bit her lip.
‘What should I do…’
She applied an ice pack to his face, carefully wiping off the red marks below his nose.
“Does it hurt? I’m sorry…”
Watching Sylvia’s flustered apology, Felix struggled to keep his smile from growing.
“Yeah, it hurts a bit.”
“It hurts? Where? Here?”
Though Felix wasn’t the type to complain about such minor injuries, he exaggerated his discomfort. It was the first time since he was very young, after whining to his mother, that he pretended to be more hurt than he was.
Having someone to trust felt reassuring.
Felix, enjoying the laziness, leaned back against the tree, dangling one leg precariously over a branch.
“Wait… then where should I sit?”
Sylvia, gradually pushed aside, awkwardly sat holding the ice pack.
Felix dismantled his armor, storing it in a spatial pocket, and in his everyday clothes, he pulled her by the hand to sit on his thigh, offering his swollen cheek.
“Sit like this. My cheek hurts here.”
Their close proximity caused Sylvia’s face to flush. She darted her eyes around before applying the ice pack to his proffered cheek.
“Does this feel better? Is it cool?”
“Yeah, it’s cool.”
“Right. The others are taking a break, too. Shouldn’t we give them some snacks…”
Felix, stirred by Sylvia’s muttering, suddenly opened his eyes.
“Ow, ow.”
He inadvertently grasped his nose and leaned his head against the tree.
“Does your nose hurt? It’s not bleeding again, is it?”
Sylvia quickly moved his hand away to inspect his nose and bridge, concerned.
“It’s not bleeding… Where does it hurt? Your nose bridge, or somewhere else?”
Close enough for their breaths to mingle, Sylvia examined his face, while Felix, with his eyes slightly open, lazily smiled.
“My head… it kinda hurts.”
“Your head? How?”
“I feel a bit dizzy.”
“Dizzy? What should we do? Isn’t it a concussion or something?”
At the mention of a headache, Sylvia turned pale, struggling to stand up.
Wondering if he’d taken the joke too far, Felix quickly held her waist, making her sit again.
“Ah, I feel better now.”
“Really? Are you sure you’re okay? You’re not just saying that?”
As Sylvia gently brushed his hair, asking if he was alright, Felix beamed.
“I like it when you run your fingers through my hair.”
As if asking for more, he pressed his head into her palm. Sylvia enjoyed this side of Felix, who was showing his vulnerable side only to her, a side he didn’t show to others.
Complex thoughts made her hesitate, but Sylvia decided to think positively.
‘Yes, let’s be good to him while we can. If he ends up meeting the female lead and lives happily, that’s good in its own right.’
She felt like she might start feeling sad already, but she forced a smile and tousled his hair.
[The two of us, are we invisible?]
[Sylvia, Asta has been sitting on your shoulder since a while ago.]
[That’s why! We have to go to Lord Aetherium, don’t we? There’s no time to be doing this. Felix, I was told to bring you quickly.]
[Wait a minute, Eryngium. Weren’t we supposed to bring Sylvia along too?]
[Asta doesn’t remember well.]
As the three fairies bickered, they all looked at the two people and said in unison.
[Anyway, we have to return to the royal palace.]
Felix narrowed his eyes at the fairies’ words. It seemed like the last thing he wanted to deal with had to be addressed first.
“Hmm.”
It seemed possible to force their way into the royal palace if necessary.
“But why does Aetherium want me?”
Felix’s question made Eryngium leap into the air and respond.
[Why else? It’s because Lord Aetherium’s life is really running out now!]
Felix thought it was about time, and Sylvia was more worried. It was reaching the climax of the novel she knew.
“We have to go, Felix.”
Sylvia said as she lowered the ice pack she had been holding against his cheek.
“Before the Black Dragon dies, we must go there.”
Otherwise, things could turn out even worse than they did in the novel. Sylvia hoped Felix wouldn’t suffer anymore. Felix, having seen her face, gently cupped Sylvia’s cheek with his hand.
“Got it. So……”
Felix kissed the corners of Sylvia’s eyes and cheeks and then continued.
“Don’t make such a sad face.”
***
The members cheered as they took out the lunchbox Sylvia had prepared during their break.
The first layer of the two-tiered box was filled with colorful rice balls. Stir-fried carrots, blanched broccoli, braised lotus roots, stir-fried meat, and finely chopped various bell peppers were neatly attached to the surface of the round rice.
Thick omelets and potato salad decorated one corner. The second layer was filled with easily eatable slices of watermelon and pear, firm peaches, grapes and cherries, and blueberries.
Henry and the knights of the ducal family were utterly fascinated by the lunchbox they saw for the first time.
“Sir Henry, you must wash your hands first.”
It was a phrase Dennis, now thoroughly brainwashed by Sylvia’s frequent reminders, stopped Henry from picking up a rice ball with the hand he was about to use to grab a beast. Hubert magically cleaned everyone’s hands on the spot.
“Now, we can eat. Sylvia’s food looks so pretty, it seems even more delicious.”
Dennis said as he put a meat rice ball into his mouth.
“This has a very good texture, doesn’t it?”
Isaac said, eating a lotus root rice ball. Henry was the first to drink from the disposable cups that came with the lunchbox. The refreshing orange juice whet his appetite.
“Hmm…”
As the captain of the ducal family’s knights, he prided himself on only eating the best, but now he realized that wasn’t the case. Moreover, he had never dreamed that eating vegetables and fruits together could enrich the flavor so much.
“Captain, it’s really delicious.”
One of the knights of the ducal family whispered to Henry. Henry nodded as if agreeing, stuffing two rice balls into his mouth at once.
“Oh, eating them together like this makes a different taste.”
Following his actions, people mixed two flavors in their mouths, chewing contentedly. The carcasses of the beasts scattered around them made it seem like the troubles were from another world, as the atmosphere was lively and warm.
After emptying the first layer and eating all the fruit, Henry asked Hubert.
“By the way, does His Highness always dine with the plant magician like this?”
Hubert, who was rinsing his mouth with water, showed a bitter smile at Henry’s question.
“Sir Henry might not know, but… His Highness didn’t use to eat well. At best, he would eat only a little, fruits or vegetables.”
“What? But why…”
Faced with Henry’s surprised expression, Hubert said.
“When His Highness was alone in the royal palace… it seems something must have happened. I didn’t dare to ask, but we tried to move past it, pretending everything was alright.”
Hubert glanced up at the trees and continued with a serious face to Henry.
“The reason His Highness can dine like this now is all thanks to Miss Sylvia. Sir Henry might not like her way of speaking, but… I truly think it’s fortunate for His Highness to have her by his side.”
Henry’s expression darkened as he heard about a past they didn’t know.
“As long as His Highness permits it, we have no right to intervene in her use of informal language. And I’m actually thankful that His Highness has someone he can be so comfortable and open with.”
Hubert finished speaking and stood up. Henry followed suit.
“I understand your point.”
They had come to understand that there were hardships of their own while they were searching. Even as the two men leisurely conversed, beasts were being hunted on one side.
Without giving them a moment’s rest, the beasts attacked incessantly, and Hubert, looking at them with annoyance, aided the members with water magic.
“Really, they don’t give us a moment’s peace.”
“Indeed.”
Henry said, drawing his sword, and immediately charged in. Following him, Felix, in armor, jumped down.
Felix, who quickly joined the fray, swung his heavy sword a few times. The beasts were sliced into pieces and tumbled to the ground just by his sword grazing them.
Sylvia checked on the horses to make sure they had eaten enough. She also washed them with water magic. Several people took care of the horses, but they particularly liked Sylvia. They greeted her, recognizing the sound of her approach.
“Have you eaten well and rested? If you want to eat more, go ahead.”
After taking out more hay from her spatial bag and placing it in front of the horses, she also took out round sugars. As if they had seen her taking out the sugar, the horses all neighed together.
“Let’s eat one at a time.”
After giving them hay and sugar, and lastly, to hydrate them, she took out water and carrots. After feeding them the carrots one by one, she floated the water in the air. Sylvia smiled at the sight of the horses naturally bringing their mouths to it and drinking.
“How smart you are. How can you be so clever?”
She gently stroked the backs of the horses with her hand. After petting all the horses, Sylvia approached the members.
Even though she approached quietly, Felix always noticed her first. Wiping the blood of the beasts off his sword with an indifferent expression, he turned his head towards her and smiled brightly.
“Siri.”
The gap was so great that each time, Sylvia couldn’t help but feel ticklish. She was happy and incredulous that he liked her.
“Shall we depart?”
Sylvia became anxious at the fairies’ words. Noticing her worry, Felix nodded and instructed Hubert, Dennis, and Henry.
“We’re changing direction.”
Putting his sword back into its sheath, Felix scanned the members and then commanded in a heavy voice.
“Our destination is the Capitis Royal Palace.”
At his command, which was brief and low, Hubert, Dennis, and Henry bowed deeply, their expressions filled with respect. Following the three, the rest also bowed and exclaimed.
“We will follow the command of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!”
Finally, they were returning.
To the place that was his home, which they had fled.
Seeing Sylvia smiling softly at him from a distance, Felix thought.
This will also be your home from now on.
He would never send Sylvia back once he brought her to the royal palace, Felix smiled warmly, his eyes crinkling.
Like a splendid flower trapping a bee in its embrace.
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