Chapter 13
She tore into it with all her might, like tearing meat. Juice burst forth, drenching Hermie’s body. It was sticky and unpleasant.
Marquis Froy lay on his bed, watching Hermie’s every move without missing a thing.
“Is it eating?”
The sight of it dragging only the fruit into the handkerchief was indescribably cute.
Marquis Froy was originally the type to meticulously and cautiously assess the value of a rarity before transacting.
First, it had to possess genuine value, and second, it had to meet the Marquis’s aesthetic eye for him to buy it. When purchasing artworks, he basically always had them appraised.
This time, however, there was a definite sense of an impulsive purchase. He neither had this tiny creature appraised to confirm if it was a real fairy, nor did he analyze its worth.
As if bewitched, his gaze was captured, his heart swayed, and he bought it on the spot. An intense desire to possess that creature immediately had surged over him.
He didn’t regret it, as it was proving quite entertaining to watch. He never understood nobles who doted on pets or other species, but now he thought he might.
“It’s cute.”
The small creature wriggling inside the handkerchief tickled a peculiar corner of his heart.
He had finally obtained the fairy he had wanted since childhood. Even when submitting a request to the Magic Tower, he hadn’t truly expected to actually get a fairy, yet this seemingly scatterbrained mage had really brought one.
Fascinated, he placed it by his bedside and watched for a long time. Even though the fairy was hiding inside the handkerchief, he wasn’t bored and kept observing the cage. Just watching the handkerchief rustle was quite enjoyable.
“Hermie?”
He called the fairy’s name softly. Whether it recognized its name or not, the handkerchief rustled vigorously. At the same time, the half-eaten cherry rolled out from under the handkerchief.
The cherry skin was dotted with tiny, frequent tooth marks.
“Ugh.”
Strangely, seeing that caused a pang in his heart. Simultaneously, an impulse to smash something surged.
When will it feel safe enough to come out? He gazed blankly at the cage and waited.
Hermie, having filled her stomach with half a cherry, forgot her predicament amidst the soft cotton and silk handkerchief and fell into a deep sleep. It seemed a bit stuffy inside the handkerchief, making it hard to breathe. In her sleep, she fidgeted and managed to poke just her face out. Breathing became much easier, and Hermie’s face relaxed as she began to snore softly.
“Hmm…”
After persistent and tenacious observation, Froy finally saw Hermie’s face again and let out a long sigh.
In Marquis Froy, who had been staring into the cage all night, one could glimpse the mad obsession of a collector who had gotten his hands on a rare creature.
***
Dawn broke. Hermie, who had secretly wished it was all a dream, confirmed she was still trapped in the cage and her face fell into gloom.
How long do I have to endure this?
How long would she have to live like this? The lack of a definite end date made it feel even more daunting. Even with soft cotton laid out and no worry of starvation, it was still inside a cage.
Hermie stared blankly up at the cage ceiling before rising sluggishly from her spot.
“KYAAAH!!”
Then she spotted Marquis Froy watching her with bloodshot eyes and let out a piercing scream.
That crazy bastard, what’s he doing?! He looked like he’d pulled an all-nighter. Surely he hadn’t been watching her all night? Hermie trembled violently and covered her face with the handkerchief. Her frail, quivering body was clearly visible.
Froy calmly stroked his chin.
“You’re still scared.”
He thought it had adapted well to sleeping, but the moment it woke up, it started trembling again. What should he do to help it regain its composure?
He was worried the fairy was too easily frightened. He recalled stories of sensitive animals dying from failure to adapt to unfamiliar environments.
It would be troublesome if the fairy he bought at a high price died.
“I suppose I must meet Jobern.”
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