‘Yawn.’

Perhaps because she was lying on his warm stomach, drowsiness suddenly overcame her. Though she wanted to clean her sticky lower region, she had no strength to do so.

Larien barely kept her heavy eyelids open as she called him in a sleepy voice.

“Jayden…”

“What?”

“Could you… yawn… open the door later… for me? I locked it earlier.”

Though it was embarrassing to reveal her scheme, she had no strength to move even a finger now. She’d rather avoid someone breaking down the perfectly good door when trying to enter the shop after the festival.

“What? You went that far?”

Jayden burst out laughing in disbelief.

“Well… it worked out in the end.”

Though Larien mumbled that she needed to return before her friends came, she quickly fell into deep sleep.

* * *

“Larien, wake up. The sun’s about to rise. You need to return to your place.”

Larien, who had been sleeping soundly, snapped her eyes open at Anne’s voice waking her.

Her last memory was lying on Jayden’s body, so she looked around startled. Somehow she had been moved to her bed in her room.

As if the night had been a dream, her body was freshly cleaned and she was properly dressed in clean nightclothes. Only the tingling pain below told her that what happened with him had been real.

“Jay…”

Larien, who almost unconsciously asked where Jayden was, quickly shut her mouth. Instead, she pulled over a mirror, tidied her hair and clothes, and walked outside.

Though she wanted to run at full speed to where Jayden was before sunrise, her legs wouldn’t cooperate, as if she had been holding an arabesque position for hours.

It was painful just getting back to her position with her trembling legs.

Promising to meet at night, she positioned herself where she could see Jayden’s still-empty spot well. Not long after, the sun rose, and her soft body hardened like wax.

Unfortunately, because the owner cleaned the shelves from the morning and turned Larien’s body toward the window, she couldn’t see where he was.

After seeing off her friends who were going to the second day of the festival as soon as night fell, Larien went to look for Jayden herself.

Though she was a bit hurt that he hadn’t come to find her first, she decided to be understanding since he disliked drawing attention.

Even after thoroughly checking the locks, when she went to his regular seat, only moonlight occupied where he used to sit.

She looked up at the music box just in case, but it was empty too.

Where did he go?

He wouldn’t have gone to the festival, she searched the entire shop thoroughly but couldn’t find even his shadow.

Overcoming her fear, she went up to the attic alone, but there wasn’t even a trace that he’d been there. After coming back down, Larien called his name at the top of her lungs.

“Jayden!”

“Where are you?”

“Stop teasing and come out if you’re here.”

Though she shouted until her throat hurt, there was still no response. Larien climbed onto the music box with slumped shoulders.

Is he avoiding me?

No matter how she thought about it, there was no other explanation for his absence.

He wouldn’t have been sold suddenly. And he wouldn’t have gone to the festival with the children either.

That’s why Larien started thinking, ‘Maybe he’s hiding somewhere because he feels awkward about meeting me.’

Maybe he regretted acting on impulse yesterday? Or maybe I snored badly while on top of him. He wouldn’t be the type to ignore a woman after sleeping with her once, would he?

All sorts of thoughts consumed her mind, and though she tried not to cry, tears finally flowed.

“Hic…”

Even if she got rejected, she wanted to at least face him. Even in this situation, she couldn’t resent him and only missed him more.

Stupid Larien. Stupid Jayden.

Larien sat on the spinning music box, leaning her body far down, hoping to catch sight of him.

Two mornings came and went, and after the second night passed, Jayden was still nowhere to be seen.

Not just her, but others also questioned his whereabouts, but that was all.

The next day, he still wasn’t there.

The final night of the festival.

Though she wanted to stay in her room due to her troubled heart, she ended up being led to the stage by her friends’ hands.

“Larien, you practiced non-stop for today. Even if your legs hurt, hang in there a little more.”

“You can definitely become the Queen.”

“Even if there’s no one to kiss, becoming Queen is a great honor in itself.”

Larien, who had been discouraged thinking what use was being Queen without Jayden, decided to gather her strength seeing her supportive friends.

She couldn’t keep worrying them with her gloomy appearance forever.

She willingly put her feet into her most cherished pointe shoes.

Though she hadn’t practiced for days while searching for him, Larien was as graceful and beautiful as a swan as she danced to the music.

Everyone held their breath watching the stage, moved by her somehow sorrowful movements.

When Larien finished her final jump perfectly and bowed with bent knees, the dolls’ cheers filled the festival grounds.

As expected, she was crowned the Festival Queen.

The Pinocchio doll hosting the event placed a flower wreath around her neck and asked Larien.

“Now that you’re the Queen of the Doll Festival, is there someone you’d like to confess to? Though of course, no one would reject you. Including myself.”

Though said jokingly, seeing that Pinocchio’s nose didn’t grow longer, those words were sincere.

“Well…”

Though Jayden immediately came to mind at Pinocchio’s question, Larien hesitated to answer right away. She couldn’t confess to someone whose whereabouts she didn’t even know.

But she still wanted to reveal her feelings at this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

‘Even if it won’t be returned, giving my heart is my choice.’

Larien closed her eyes tightly then opened them, looking at the audience facing her as she slowly parted her lips.

“The person I want to confess to is…”

“May I speak first?”

Her confession was interrupted by someone who suddenly leaped onto the stage.

The lamplight that had been focused on Larien shifted to a tall man standing in polished attire.

Wearing what appeared to be a newly tailored red uniform, tight deerskin pants hugging his thick thighs, and long boots gleaming as if dusted with fairy dust, the man removed his soldier’s cap and bowed politely toward her.

Larien’s eyes widened at the familiar outfit.

The one smiling brightly at her with curved eyes was Jayden, whom she had been searching for these past few days.

Forgetting any resentment, tears welled up in Larien’s eyes the moment she saw him.

“Where did you…!”

She was about to ask her question, then belatedly noticed he was standing without crutches. Come to think of it, his movements were very light when he jumped onto the stage too.

“Could it be your leg…”

“Yes. I was away for repairs these past few days. Though I was going crazy missing you, I wanted to appear looking my best. Seeing your surprised face made it worth it.”

He walked toward her with a fresh smile. As he got closer, Larien had to struggle to maintain her consciousness that threatened to drift away.

Stopping within arm’s reach, he pulled her hand and kissed its back.

“I’ve liked you since the moment you appeared before me, Larien. Will you be with me?”

He knelt on one knee and looked up at her with sincere eyes, waiting for her answer.

Though Larien’s answer was obviously yes, she wanted to tease him a bit for making her wait without any news.

“…I’m the festival Queen, so why are you confessing first?”

“So… does that mean you won’t accept?”

His lips trembled with tension as he asked back.

Larien tried to hide her trembling heart by speaking gruffly.

“Only if you let me kiss you first.”

At her acceptance, his tense expression melted into a deep smile.

The moment their eyes met filled with deep affection, her waist was pulled close and a dark shadow fell over Larien’s face.

Their lips slowly met as they confirmed each other’s feelings.

The fairies who had been watching in hiding seized the moment to shower golden powder over them.