Collector’s Cage - Chapter 12

“…Even though she looks like this, she’s as quick as a mouse!”

“I asked how much.”

“Ah, what’s the most you could offer? My research funds are tight these days… And I’m pretty sure catching this fairy cost at least 300 gold…”

Needing to recoup the cost of the Fairy’s Tear, Dormi threw out the figure of 300 gold. Froy slightly raised an eyebrow and replied.

“2,000 gold should suffice. You can collect it on your way out.”

“2,000 gold?!”

“Why, is it too little?”

“No, not at all! Thank you!”

Dormi eagerly accepted the offer. Hermie, crouched at the far end of the cage sniffling, ground her teeth as she watched their slipshod negotiation.

‘Should I be laughing right now? That damned bastard!’

At least give me back the handkerchief! Left stark naked in the cage, she felt like an animal on display.

Dormi, having finished the negotiation, reached out to Froy.

“Th-then, could I have the cage back for a moment?”
“Why?”
“I just need to check the security enchantment.”

They say he becomes intensely obsessed with a rarity once it’s in his hands, and true to that, Froy made a displeased expression at even briefly returning the fairy to Dormi.

“Hurry up and finish.”
“Yes, yes. Understood.”

Dormi, mindful of Froy’s mood, stuck his face close to the cage. Inside, he could see the tiny figure trembling. He felt a pang of pity.

“You’re doing well.”

I guess that means he’ll come to save me? Hermie whispered in a small voice.

“You f*****g bastard, just try breaking the contract. I’ll blow the whistle on your whole scam. Then it’s you dead and me dead.”

Dormi lifted his head with a weary face. He then cleared his throat awkwardly and handed the cage back to Froy.

“The magic seems fine.”
“It sounded like it was muttering something. Can it speak?”
“Ah, yes yes. It can speak. It’s a very clever thing.”
“Oh.”

Froy looked down at Hermie as if observing a fascinating creature. It was his first time taming a rare creature, and his interest was piqued. Moreover, it was a fairy—it felt as satisfying as finally obtaining a long-coveted rare item.

“It’ll open up once you become friends.”
“How does one become friends?”
“Hmm… It opens its heart quickly if you take good care of it with tasty food and show it affection.”
“I’d like it to open its heart soon.”

Froy looked down at the cage with a subtle smile. Seeing this, Dormi added some unnecessary advice, pretending it was helpful.

“The fairy’s name is Hermie. Please call it often.”

“Hermie…”

As Froy quietly muttered the name, Dormi raised an index finger as if he’d forgotten another important fact.

“Ah! And it eats well—fruit, bread, meat, it’s not picky—so please provide a balanced diet. Don’t just give it fruit because it’s a fairy. It could suffer from nutritional imbalance.”

“I see.”

“Please take good care of our Hermie. It’s a very good child.”

Hermie, who had been living quite well eating and sleeping to her heart’s content, had transformed into a fairy overnight and was now adopted by Marquis Froy.

All of this happened because of that malignant debtor, Dormi.
It was a truly f****d-up situation.

***

Marquis Froy placed the cage in his bedroom.

As Hermie kept trembling incessantly, a soft silk handkerchief was provided, and an hour later, soft cotton was laid on the floor. Soon after, a generous amount of fruit and nuts was placed inside through the wide gaps in the cage ceiling.

Inside the silk handkerchief, which was incomparably softer than Dormi’s, Hermie was enjoying unexpected luxury.

How do I use the bathroom?

Although food, clothing, and shelter were solved, another difficulty awaited. Does he think fairies don’t use the bathroom either? She was troubled, unsure how Marquis Froy would handle her physiological needs.

For now, Hermie decided to hold it in as long as she could.

Her head was dizzy from starving all day, so she decided to fill her stomach first. Groaning with effort, she dragged a single cherry into the handkerchief. Even one cherry seemed too much to eat. From inside the handkerchief, Hermie took a bite of the gigantic cherry. Because she had shrunk, the skin felt tough.