As soon as I confirmed his identity, I almost burst into tears.

“Sir Roengreen? Is it really you?”

Gined nodded and examined me.

“You weren’t affected by the fairies’ magic. That’s a relief.”

“I guess it’s because I’m with Lord Shahar. You seem to be fine too, Sir. But what about the other holy knights?”

“I haven’t found them yet.”

“Oh…”

If even the elite holy knights had been enchanted, the fairies’ power was stronger than expected. On the other hand, Gined’s eyes were as clear as ever. Truly, his faith was befitting the last light of this era.

“By the way, where is the Crown Prince?”

“The fairies took him. For someone who claims to be a descendant of the gods, his mental fortitude is quite weak…”

Gined’s expression grew serious at my words.

“This is a big problem.”

“He’s strong, so he’ll find his way back.”

“But aren’t you worried about your former fiancé?”

It was an unexpected question. I hadn’t anticipated such a question from him. Though surprised, I soon smiled and shrugged. It wasn’t a difficult question to answer.

“Worrying about him is the most useless thing in the world. Besides, I have my own problems to worry about.”

“However, considering we’ve been unable to leave the mountain for so long, it’s unlikely the fairies kidnapped him for a simple reason. Moreover, they rarely leave their homeland unless it’s been destroyed or they can no longer live there.”

“So, you’re saying they’ve decided to make this mountain their new home?”

“Yes. I think the fairy queen plans to settle in Mount Acheron and proceed with a marriage.”

“A marriage? With the Crown Prince?”

Gined nodded.

“Well, that’s good. He was already looking for a new woman right after breaking off our engagement. And the fairy queen isn’t a bad match.”

“Marrying a fairy doesn’t just mean taking a partner. Once the marriage is over, the queen’s husband is trapped in the illusions she shows him. If time drags on in that state, he’ll never wake up.”

I was shocked, my mouth agape.

“Let’s move quickly. We must find the Crown Prince as soon as possible.”

“Hah, for someone who always acted so superior, to be enchanted by fairies…”

No matter how annoying he was, he was still the future ruler of the empire. If the only direct heir couldn’t wake up, the country would fall into chaos. The situation was already complicated, and a struggle for the throne would greatly disrupt my plans.

“Let me be clear, I’m searching for the Crown Prince out of pure loyalty, not because I have any feelings left for my former fiancé. Understood? And just to add, the rumors surrounding me are all nonsense. Don’t pay any attention to them, Sir.”

Gined started walking ahead, ignoring my lengthy explanation. It was an embarrassingly thorough dismissal. Despite my mental preparation, being ignored face-to-face was quite a blow.

“Don’t stray too far from me. If you fall out of sight, we might get separated again.”

“Yes.”

Using Shahar as a staff, I hurriedly followed him. With his long legs, Gined’s strides were very wide. My already exhausted body struggled to keep up with him.

I transformed Shahar into a plank and stood on it, and Gined glanced back at me briefly before looking away again.

We headed swiftly toward where the fairy queen was.

In my childish dreams, I had imagined a prince rescuing me from an evil dragon. But in reality, the frail and incompetent Lou Dronay had to rescue the strong and beautiful Crown Prince.

‘Once I find him, I’ll call him Pin.’

Determined to tease him properly this time, I was interrupted by Gined’s sudden words.

“Lady.”

“Yes, yes?!”

“The fairies’ magic is getting stronger. Be prepared.”

Indeed, the laughter was clearer, and I could hear the sound of wings flapping. But I still couldn’t see anything. Hugging Shahar tightly, I looked around nervously.

“There are more of them than I thought. I can’t handle them alone. I need your and Lord Shahar’s help.”

“What? But I have no abilities.”

“Lord Shahar will precisely strike the targets.”

Our conversation was cut short by the sound of large wings flapping right above us. I could feel the vibrations and wind from the wings, but I couldn’t see anything. Gined calmly swung his sword at the air.

“Kyaaaa!”

With a sharp scream, the vibration disappeared. A thick floral scent filled the air, making my head ache. The atmosphere around us became sharp and tense. Even I could feel it.

“Lady, behind you!”

“Ahhh!”

Startled by the presence suddenly behind me, I swung Shahar wildly. I felt something soft and squishy give way. I briefly saw a transparent shape in the air before it dispersed into the mist.

“Did I do it?”

“You did well.”

From then on, I gained some confidence. I swung Shahar at every sound of wind, moving forward. But the number of fairies didn’t seem to decrease.

“At this rate, it will never end. Lady, hide among the fairies.”

“What?”

This time, I was genuinely horrified.

“That’s a bit…”

I hesitated and tried to refuse, but Gined didn’t listen. He covered my eyes and muttered something. When I felt a warm sensation and tensed up, his hand fell away. In that short moment, the scenery had completely changed.

More precisely, the background remained the same, but it felt like the light waves my eyes perceived had changed. As I stared blankly, Gined handed me something. It was a rosary made of black stones.

“This rosary will hide your appearance for a while. The magic won’t last long, so you must finish quickly. Also, the range of the magic is limited, so don’t push Lord Shahar to transform too much.”

For the first time, I couldn’t focus on Gined’s words. I nodded mechanically, half-listening. My attention was entirely on the fairies I was seeing for the first time.

They didn’t look like the elegant, delicate girls or children typically imagined as fairies. Nor were they completely different from humans, but they had unexpected features.

‘Insects?’

The yellow and black stripes on their fuzzy fur and the light brown transparent wings on their backs were unmistakably those of bees. Gined spoke to me sternly as I stood there dazed.

“Focus. We must find the queen before she escapes.”

His firm grip on my shoulder snapped me back to reality.

“W-where is the queen?”

“She’ll be in the deepest part of the nest. The queen looks different from the other fairies, so you’ll recognize her immediately.”

“If she’s the queen, she’s probably stronger than the other fairies, right?”

“The queen is actually the most timid and least aggressive. It’s safer to confront her. I’ll distract the other fairies, so use that chance to eliminate the queen.”

Before I could respond, a swarm of fairies charged at Gined. He raised his sword and shouted.

“Lady, go now!”

Startled by his commanding voice, I dashed into the swarm of fairies. Bumping and jostling through the fairies filling the sky and ground, I found myself deep within the swarm.

“Wow…”

Unlike the fierce battle outside, the inside was like another world. Fairies danced around a misty lake. The knights who had been missing were dancing with them, all looking dazed as if in a trance.

I wanted to watch this beautiful and absurd dance longer, but Gined’s warning about time flashed in my mind. I tore my eyes away and looked for the queen.

Fortunately, I found her quickly. There was a small island in the center of the lake, and the queen was there. As Gined said, she was unmistakably the queen.

Unlike the other fairies, she looked very human. If not for the large wings on her back, she could have been mistaken for a person. Her slender figure and tanned brown skin were alluring enough to captivate any man. Her honey-colored golden hair flowed under a crown made of wildflowers. Despite the dense trees blocking the wind, her golden dress fluttered as if it could take flight at any moment.

The Crown Prince lay stretched out with his head on her lap.