Previously
Helio mocks Liliana's misunderstanding and notices her bruised cheek, eventually promising to help her once if she stops suppressing her feelings against rivals like Betty. After he leaves, Liliana hears mysterious crying that only she can perceive, leading her to a neglected storage room in the Emerald Palace.
The fairy had a voice that was youthful and remarkably lovely, though tinged with such sorrow that it stirred Liliana’s pity.
Even so, astonishment outweighed Liliana’s sympathy. Clapping both hands over her mouth, she let out a muffled gasp.
In an identical tone of wonder, the fairy gasped back.
They blinked at each other in mutual shock.
In the original novel, parallel dimensions existed, and humans could journey between these worlds only in spiritual form.
Spirits, on the other hand, could cross between realms at will. Whenever someone formed a contract with a spirit, they gained access to the elemental powers of those other worlds. Such individuals were known as Spirit Masters.
The original story’s protagonist—the daughter Liliana might bear in the future—had also been a Spirit Master. Having awakened her gift in early childhood, she had gone on to contract with two Spirit Kings, becoming an extraordinary figure.
The very first requirement to become a Spirit Master was the ability to perceive spirits. Those devoid of talent could never catch so much as a glimpse of one. Liliana had never seen a spirit before, and she had never dreamed that she possessed the gift of a Spirit Master.
Yet when she thought about it, Helio possessed no such aptitude. If the child’s talent was hereditary, it had most likely been passed down through Liliana.
The fairy asked, voice trembling with anxiety.
Liliana hesitated for a brief moment before reaching out to tap the fairy gently on the forehead. Against her fingertips, she felt something exceedingly small—like a tiny kitten, or perhaps something even smaller and more fragile.
Startled by the uncanny sensation, Liliana jerked her hand back and stared at the creature.
Rubbing its forehead, the fairy let out a hopeful squeak.
The fairy fluttered back from where it had been perched, and a metallic clink echoed as an iron ball came into view beneath its tiny feet.
Taking a closer look, Liliana realized the fairy was bound in iron shackles. It was that heavy iron ball anchoring it down and restricting its movement.
Though the fairy beat its wings in distress, the short chain kept it from flying more than a few inches.
The fairy sniffled, bursting into fresh tears.
A pang of pity tightened Liliana’s chest as she carefully lifted the iron ball. While it must have been an unbearable weight for the fairy, it was not particularly heavy for Liliana, who lifted it with ease.
As soon as Liliana set the sphere on her palm, the fairy flapped its wings in excitement.
She could hold it for a few moments, certainly, but carrying it indefinitely was impossible. When Liliana’s face fell, the fairy slumped back into tears.
It seemed the poor creature had been trapped here for a very long time. The maids passing by had simply never noticed it, possessing no aptitude as Spirit Masters.
Liliana set the iron ball on a nearby table and scanned her surroundings. The storage room was packed with all sorts of tools, among which she spotted a hammer.
Picking up the hammer, Liliana brought it down against the chain connecting the ball to the shackles. The strike yielded nothing more than a loud, hollow clang.
She tried several other tools, but none made the slightest dent in the shackles.
The fairy’s face grew darker with every failed attempt, making Liliana’s heart ache.
Liliana scooped the iron ball back onto her palm, and the fairy fluttered its wings before landing gently beside it.
As she made her way toward the bedchamber, Liliana asked in a quiet voice.
Though a hostage from a defeated realm, she was still an imperial princess and soon to be invested as Queen. Even if the necessary item were costly, she could obtain it with enough effort. But the fairy shook its head.
Liliana brought her palm closer to her face to ask. The fairy reached out, placing a tiny hand against her forehead.
Its voice was thick with longing, yet Liliana hesitated. In the original novel, the young protagonist had endured harrowing ordeals while learning spirit arts and contracting with spirits.
While the child had needed to display extraordinary gifts simply to survive, Liliana was in a position where flaunting such power could prove far more dangerous than beneficial.
Liliana saw the fairy’s nervous expression and how desperately it looked up at her.
The fairy’s impassioned cry startled Liliana, causing her hand to dip. Wobbling for balance, the fairy hurried on.
Liliana murmured under her breath.
Wouldn’t it be faster to find an established master rather than learn spirit arts from scratch? But just as the thought crossed her mind, a sudden realization struck her, and her eyes widened.
‘Wait… Come to think of it, if I had the power of the wind…’
A clever scheme took shape in Liliana’s mind. Lowering her head, she asked the fairy,
The fairy’s answer came without a second’s hesitation.
Hearing that, Liliana nodded firmly.
Her tone carried absolute resolve.
The fairy’s eyes lit up, and it twirled in a gleeful midair loop.
Taken aback by its sudden burst of energy, Liliana chuckled and playfully tapped the tip of its nose.
The fairy tried to dart ahead, insisting they start at once, but could only circle fruitlessly around Liliana’s palm.
Liliana gave the fairy’s head a gentle stroke with her fingertip, cradled it close, and slipped into her chambers.
At the entrance to the bedchamber, the maid dozing in the hallway jolted awake at the sound of approaching footsteps. Her curious gaze dropped to Liliana’s cupped hands.
Liliana replied smoothly, keeping her voice hushed.
‘What! Did she just call me nothing important?!’
Liliana settled the indignant fairy beside her pillow before lying down on the bed. Once the maid had reminded Liliana to call if she needed anything else, the door clicked shut.
Just as Liliana was drifting off, the fairy whispered into her ear.
Liliana offered a soft smile and nodded. Palace life had been suffocatingly dull with so little to do; having something new to look forward to besides books and embroidery brought her a quiet joy.
❈❈❈
As a rule, strong winds rarely swept through the Imperial Palace.
An imperial capital was naturally established on temperate, sheltered terrain; it would have been stranger if bitter winds constantly battered such an estate.
Choo Choo, however, insisted that made no difference.
A gentle breeze was more than enough, so long as one opened one’s senses to feel it wrapping around the body.
So for nearly two weeks, Liliana wandered the gardens of the Emerald Palace, communing with the wind. In doing so, she discovered a surprising affinity for spirit magic. Though she might not match the prodigy of the original novel’s heroine, she learned to perceive the surrounding air with remarkable swiftness.
Having never met another practitioner, she had no standard of comparison, but the moment she focused her mind, the breeze seemed to cling to her fingertips like spun sugar.
Soon she could wrap the currents around her limbs, her body, and even her hair. From there, Liliana turned her attention toward crushing Choo Choo’s iron ball.
According to Choo Choo, condensing wind currents around the sphere and exerting pressure might crack it open. Directing the magic around an inanimate object, however, proved terribly difficult.
Choo Choo clung affectionately to Liliana’s finger as it spoke. Smiling down at the fairy, Liliana offered it a tiny morsel of cake. Choo Choo accepted it with a squeak of delight and began nibbling happily at the edge.
Watching Choo Choo with an affectionate smile, Liliana turned as Sophia approached.
Liliana stood carefully, minding the hem of her gown.
Today was the investiture ceremony—the day Liliana would formally become a Queen.
As the ceremony was to be hosted at the Empress Dowager’s palace, Liliana set off with her attendant maids.
To Liliana’s slight surprise, the venue was not the expansive main garden as she had expected, but the charming little grove she had admired during her previous visit.
Fine silks hung draped between the boughs, and a clean white runner carpeted the grass. Truth be told, the setting felt far more pastoral than solemn.
Thinking a wreath of fresh wildflowers would have suited the woodland clearing far better than an imperial crown, Liliana stepped into the open-air pavilion.
Walking down the carpet toward the dais, she saw the Empress Dowager seated in waiting. The older woman watched her approach with an approving smile.
‘Did she prepare the venue here just for my sake?’ Flustered by the unexpected consideration, Liliana bowed her head with graceful modesty.
This was likely the only wedding under the Emperor’s reign that would ever be so subdued. After all, not a single courtier would offer congratulations to a consort hailing from a conquered nation.
The only attendees present were Liliana, the Empress Dowager, and their personal maids.
Yet the intimate ceremony nestled within the grove resonated deeply with Liliana. In her eyes, this quiet blessing felt far more meaningful than any lavish state function.
Stepping forward, Liliana knelt gracefully before the Empress Dowager. The former empress lifted the Imperial Crown and settled it gently onto her head. The silver circlet, glittering with brilliant diamonds, heightened Liliana’s delicate beauty all the more.
Liliana smiled and looked up at her benefactress. The Empress Dowager gazed down at her warmly, then suddenly lifted her chin.
Liliana followed her gaze and froze. Standing at the edge of the clearing was someone who was never supposed to be there.