Side Story: The Green Fairy (2)

The train traveled for eight days before arriving in Valence. The couple headed to the house Yvonne had purchased earlier. Thanks to prior arrangements to have the house cleaned, the small but tidy residence welcomed them. 

The house had been chosen with the intention of living there with Claude, making it unsuitable for housing multiple servants and maids.

As a result, aside from one maid to assist with childcare, the rest of the staff were accommodated at a nearby inn. 

After feeding Claude until he was full, Yvonne entrusted him to the maid and set out with Liam for the cemetery. Although they got slightly lost again this time, they managed to find the grave quicker than before, as it was their third visit.

“This is the place.”

Yvonne pointed to the grave marked with a flat stone slab. It lacked any inscriptions or names, appearing plain and unremarkable. Neglected over time, the grave was stained with clumps of dirt, and a few decayed leaves surrounded it. 

These were likely remnants of the lily bouquet Yvonne had brought during her previous visit.

Liam silently gazed down at the stone slab. He couldn’t fathom the emotions Yvonne had felt at that time. Slowly, he gripped the slab and lifted it. This was to relocate the child’s grave to the Arthus estate, as they had decided before arriving.

The slab, buried for what felt like both a short and long time, was unexpectedly heavy and difficult to remove. The box buried beneath it was equally challenging to retrieve. 

After digging through the hardened soil several times with a borrowed shovel from the cemetery keeper, the shovel’s tip finally hit something. Carefully, Liam used his hands to clear the dirt, revealing the box.

Yvonne confirmed that it was the same box she had buried before. Liam cautiously unearthed the box and wrapped it in the cloth he had prepared. After tidying up the area, they left the cemetery.

Their stay in Valence was limited to just three days. Although brief, this was only possible because Gabriel and the other family heads had made considerable accommodations. Including the travel time by train, the trip took nearly 20 days in total.

During the first day of their stay, they visited the now-former grave of the child and retrieved the box. On the second day, Yvonne set out to sell the house she had purchased, heading toward a real estate agent.

“Oh!”

A soft exclamation was followed by a woman’s voice calling out to him.

“Could it be you, Monsieur Arthus?”

Liam didn’t recognize the voice. If she had addressed him as “Conrad,” he would have ignored her and walked past. However, hearing his current surname, he turned to look at the woman. She smiled brightly, expressing her delight.

“It really is you!”

Liam couldn’t immediately respond. Beneath her bonnet, her long, curly ginger hair cascaded down to her waist, and freckles adorning her nose gave her a charming appearance. Her smile made her seem quite attractive, but beyond that, she simply looked lively and pleasant.

Even so, Liam found it difficult to look away from her. Perhaps it was because she had approached him first, or maybe it was the faint, hazy memory that seemed to surface but remained elusive.

‘Where have I seen that ginger hair before?’

He pondered briefly but couldn’t find an answer. Finally, Liam spoke.

“…Do you know me?”

“It’s me! Valerie de Marlon!”

Valerie de Marlon?

After repeating the name in his mind, Liam recalled that Valerie was Natong’s daughter.

“It’s been a while, Mademoiselle Marlon.”

“I’m glad you remember me. I was worried I might be embarrassed.”

“You’ve changed so much that I couldn’t recognize you. Please forgive my oversight.”

“I understand. I’ve changed quite a lot.”

Valerie laughed as she swept her hair behind her shoulders.

“Living under my father’s protection and then gaining my freedom has been wonderful. Especially in the southern region. It’s warmer and sunnier than the central region, and it makes me feel brighter. The people are warm too.”

“I see. But what brought you to the south?”

“Well… To find a husband, of course. After all, I need a spouse to inherit the Marlon estate.”

Valerie’s response reminded Liam of her situation. Now that he thought about it, that made sense.

After Earl Marlon’s accident, Valerie, the only daughter, needed to marry a nobleman to safely inherit the Marlon estate. She had mentioned traveling to search for a husband, though Liam had forgotten, as it wasn’t something he cared about.

“Have you succeeded in finding what you were looking for?”

“Not yet. I’ve decided to be more cautious.”

“A wise decision. You seem more radiant than before; it’s good to see.”

“It’s all thanks to you. You continued to acknowledge my family’s canal rights and showed us mercy, so I’ve gained a lot of freedom.”

“That alone doesn’t seem to explain the significant changes you’ve undergone.”

Liam’s words were mere pleasantries. However, Valerie interpreted them differently, her eyes widening in surprise.

“How did you know? Well, maybe it’s natural since you’re married and wouldn’t feel the effects.”

“…?”

Liam couldn’t hide his confusion at Valerie’s seemingly self-directed muttering. However, since his face displayed a perfect lack of expression, Valerie remained caught up in her own assumptions. In fact, she was more eager to boast about her “luck” than anything else.

“I’ve changed thanks to this belt.”

Valerie gestured to her waistline. Empire dresses typically featured velvet ribbons as belts. However, Valerie wore a pearl-adorned jeweled belt. Its white color blended with the fabric of her dress, making it less noticeable, but upon closer inspection, it was stunningly beautiful.

“It’s called a Kestos Himas.”

“I’ve never heard of it. What is it?”

“It’s said to be a magical belt. It’s modeled after the one worn by the ancient goddess of beauty, and it’s supposed to make the wearer more attractive. It doesn’t work for married individuals, though.”

Liam blinked. He couldn’t understand why Valerie suddenly decided to share this information. After all, he had only made a polite remark, and he hadn’t expected such a boastful response.

Moreover, a belt that supposedly made the wearer more attractive?

‘Was she scammed?’

How could such a thing exist?

Unaware of Liam’s thoughts, Valerie continued to enthusiastically boast about her supposed good fortune.

“You don’t believe me, do you? That’s understandable. But if you knew who made this belt, you might change your mind.”

Though he wasn’t curious and felt the conversation would drag on endlessly, Liam was about to excuse himself when Valerie interrupted.

“Excuse me, but…”

“It was made by Eris Witch!”

Valerie’s exclamation made Liam pause.

“Eris Witch?”

“Yes! A merchant whose predecessor was a great alchemist. I’d heard they made fascinating items, but seeing them in person was beyond imagination.”

The familiar name made Liam mutter softly. He had heard it before. Wasn’t it the name of the person who made the potion that changed Yvonne’s eye color?

When Yvonne first told him about it, he dismissed it as nonsense. However, since there were multiple witnesses, he had come to realize it wasn’t a lie.

To hear that name again from Valerie was unexpected.

Though he was slightly surprised, his interest didn’t grow. Potions that changed eye color or belts like Valerie’s weren’t things Liam cared about.

On the other hand, Valerie seemed to think Liam was intrigued by the topic, excitedly exclaiming.

“They had all sorts of items: a pomegranate of forgetfulness, a love potion, a time-reversing hourglass…”

“A time-reversing hourglass?”

“Isn’t it fascinating? Of course, you can only buy what Eris Witch’s crystal ball selects for you. But it’s still fun to browse.”

“…Where is this place?”

Valerie was startled by Liam’s sudden grip on her shoulder. The pressure was strong enough to hurt, causing her to grimace as Liam urgently asked.

“I don’t know. They move around so much… Could you let go? It’s a bit painful.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

“It’s fine.”

Liam released Valerie, who responded with a slightly sharp tone. Watching her brush off her shoulder, Liam couldn’t help but feel disdain for himself. To get excited over the idea of reversing time? If he thought about it calmly, such a thing was clearly impossible.

Yes, it was undoubtedly impossible and absurd…

“How did you purchase the belt from Eris Witch if the shop keeps moving, Mademoiselle? Where was it?”

He couldn’t let go of his lingering curiosity.

“Hmm, I bought the belt in the southern region.”

Thankfully, Valerie earnestly shared what she knew with Liam.

“I went to the south expecting it to be warm, so I dressed lightly, but it turned out to be colder than I thought. While walking through the shopping district to buy a shawl or something, I came across a shop displaying this belt.”

“Then isn’t there still a shop in the south?”

“No. Eris Witch told me herself that her shop moves on its own. Its location constantly changes. She’s more like a traveling merchant.”

“That’s impossible…”

“You think so, right? I understand. I thought the same. But after buying the belt and leaving the shop, I turned around, and there was a completely different shop in its place.”

“….”

“Eris Witch sold the item only to me and then vanished.”

Valerie spoke with conviction. Seeing how sincerely she seemed to believe this, Liam couldn’t press her further. All he could do was respond with a generic comment like, “I see.”

“Don’t be too disappointed. Who knows? Perhaps the shop will miraculously appear before you as well.”

“I hope so.”

“It will. By the way, I’ve been talking too much about myself. What brings you here, Monsieur? What about the canal meetings in Arthus?”

“I came here on a short trip with my wife.”

“Madame Arthus? Did you… perhaps remarry?”

“No, it’s the same person you’re familiar with.”

“Ah? So Madame has safely returned. That’s good to hear.”

Valerie joked lightly.

“I’d like to greet her, but my train is about to leave. You’ll return to Arthus, won’t you? I’ll visit then. I plan to rest in Marlon for a while anyway.”

“You’re heading back, I see. Yes, let’s meet again.”

“It was nice seeing you. I hope the rest of your trip is peaceful.”

Valerie bent her knees slightly in a light bow and then passed by Liam. Afterward, Liam recalled the purpose of his visit and resumed his steps, which had briefly halted.