Chapter 49
Fay seemed no longer afraid of snakes at all—she abruptly let go of him and even took a step back.
The way she stared at him stiffly, her face red with embarrassment, was oddly provocative. Alnazir grinned and glanced behind her head.
“If you keep stepping back like that, you’ll get bitten by the snake behind you.”
Fay shrieked and threw herself straight into his arms.
“Y–you’re kidding, right? Where? Where is it?!”
She was clearly terrified, yet still desperate to see for herself. Clutching his collar tightly, she hid against his chest and peeked out with just one eye.
Of course, there was no snake. Smiling faintly, Alnazir covered her eyes with his hand.
“Shh. Don’t provoke it.”
Fay obediently bit her lip and went completely still. He could even feel how tense she was, holding her breath.
“I–it’s still there, isn’t it? Please, just chase it away. Alnazir…”
“It looks like it’ll move on soon. Just wait.”
The way Fay leaned into him, relying on him so completely, pleased Alnazir. The crease in his brow—so stubbornly fixed the night before—finally smoothed out, and the lingering anger from earlier melted away.
For quite a while, he indulged himself, using a nonexistent snake as an excuse to soothe the resentment he’d felt about not being allowed to sleep together.
* * *
After the snake scare, Fay gathered the firewood with extreme caution. Once she had collected what seemed like enough, all that remained was transporting it.
The amount the carpenter had requested was fairly heavy. Carrying it by broom made it impossible to fly high, she worried the broom might snap in half.
“Please hold together. Don’t break.”
Fay murmured encouragement to the broom the entire time she flew low to the ground.
Alnazir watched her with a sullen expression, like someone observing a distant fire across a river. It had been nice when she’d clung to him during the snake incident. He’d even felt generous enough to indulge any amount of clingy behavior.
But the moment she realized there was no snake, her attitude changed. She pushed him away coolly and went back to her work. Forgotten in favor of sturdy, high-quality wood, Alnazir was not pleased.
So, despite being perfectly capable of helping her carry the load with ease, he stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
Alnazir, it’s too heavy. Please help me! If she’d begged like that, he might have reconsidered. But instead, she even suggested leaving him behind to lighten the load, questioning whether he really needed to come to the castle.
Unaware that a sulking ruler was pouting behind her, Fay struggled onward and eventually arrived at the castle.
Just as the young witch had said, the place was full of witches. Not only witches, but also ordinary humans familiar to Alnazir and animals that seemed unnaturally close to the witches.
There were all kinds of beasts: ones that flew, ones that ran on four legs, and slithering ones without legs—snakes, which Fay absolutely hated.
Unfortunately, Fay failed to notice the snakes before heading inside.
* * *
[Bilter’s Carpentry Shop]
As Alnazir read the sign, Fay suddenly rushed back out of the cabin, looking flustered, as if she’d forgotten something. She hurried over and grabbed his hand.
“You said you wouldn’t leave my side.”
Her tone sounded scolding, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. Alnazir didn’t resist and let her pull him into the cabin.
“Who was that man standing next to Fay just now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before.”
Witches lingering in the marketplace whispered among themselves. They hadn’t seen Fay in a while. Had something happened to her? Shouldn’t someone go check on her house?
They were in the middle of gossiping about her when they spotted Zynie passing by and stopped her.
“Zynie, do you know who that man with Fay is?”
“Fay? She’s here?”
Zynie, who had visited Fay’s house several times without finding her, glanced around in surprise. The witches grabbed her head, telling her not to make it so obvious.
“Why are you acting so suspicious?”
“Just tell us who he is.”
“What man are you talking about?”
“That man! The black-haired one!”
As Alnazir approached the workshop window, one of the witches whispered urgently. Zynie followed her gaze and let out an ah.
“That’s Fay’s new boyfriend.”
Hearing the answer they’d been hoping for, the witches cheered triumphantly.
“Even when the world’s about to end, someone’s still falling in love.”
“What nonsense are you spouting? Have flowers bloomed in your head or something?”
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