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Chapter 8
What Sylvia had thought was simply light actually had a faint physical form.
They were only about the size of a finger, with wings as large as their own bodies.
Did fairies from storybooks look like this?
Filled with wonder, Sylvia interacted with the mysterious beings.
The fairies also seemed delighted as they flew closer to her and circled around her. Every time their wings fluttered, bright light sparkled from the tips.
It was only after Sylvia spoke that the Duke of Werner’s eyes widened.
“…You can see them? These beings of light?”
The duke’s voice trembled slightly.
Sylvia, who had been staring at the fairies in amazement, turned toward him.
If he was asking whether she could see them, then it probably meant most people could not.
“Yes, I can see them. Can’t you see them, Duke?”
The Duke of Werner slowly nodded.
“All I can see is the light itself. And ordinary people can barely even sense that faint glow.”
“What? Then that means…”
Confused, Sylvia looked around her surroundings.
What appeared to him as nothing more than light looked perfectly clear to Sylvia.
Though they were slightly transparent.
“Go a little farther in. You should be able to communicate with the fairies as well.”
Still dazed, Sylvia walked forward exactly as the Duke of Werner told her.
The fairies dancing through the air immediately followed after her.
To Sylvia, they looked happy.
As though they were delighted to meet her.
Watching them, Sylvia suddenly felt her eyes grow hot for some strange reason.
Soon, tears began filling her eyes.
She could not understand why she suddenly felt this way.
Was it because the scene before her was too beautiful?
Or because beings that only existed in fairy tales were welcoming her?
Several reasons came to mind, but she could not identify the exact one.
In the end, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Sylvia turned toward the Duke of Werner, afraid she might burst into tears if this continued.
She was just about to suggest going back inside.
But the Duke of Werner looked even more overwhelmed with emotion than she did.
“…Duke?”
Sylvia called out to him hesitantly.
The duke slowly began walking toward her.
“…Vivian, you really are Vivian!”
Muttering to himself, he stepped forward and tightly embraced Sylvia.
Although the duke’s large frame completely enveloped her, Sylvia did not feel uncomfortable at all.
That only showed how carefully he was holding her.
“I’m sorry, Vivian. I’m sorry for losing you.”
The Duke of Werner suddenly broke down in tears.
His emotions were vividly conveyed to Sylvia through his uneven breathing.
“I’m truly sorry for not being able to protect you.”
Was it because she had seen the fairies?
Or because the Duke of Werner’s emotions had spread to her as well?
The emotions Sylvia had been suppressing suddenly burst out like a flood.
“From now on, I’ll protect you, Vivian. I’m sorry for being such a pathetic father.”
Gathering her courage, Sylvia slowly wrapped her arms around the Duke of Werner’s back.
The fairies floated gently around the two of them, as though trying to comfort them.
That was Sylvia’s final memory of that day.
* * *
Feeling the dazzling sunlight shining on her face, Sylvia frowned slightly.
Unlike her usual mornings when she had to force herself awake, today she woke up feeling unbelievably refreshed.
Still trying to clear her mind, Sylvia blinked blankly at the ceiling before tilting her head.
‘Where am I?’
Still half asleep, Sylvia could not immediately understand where she was or why her surroundings looked unfamiliar.
Only after a moment did she finally remember everything and let out a quiet laugh.
“Right… that happened.”
Wrapped in the soft blankets, she slowly recalled the previous day.
The strange glowing fairies she had seen in the central garden.
The deep regret in the Duke of Werner’s eyes.
And how she herself had become overwhelmed by emotions before eventually losing consciousness.
‘What exactly was that? Glowing fairies…’
Sylvia had always believed fairies only existed in storybooks.
Yet somehow, she had truly seen them.
If possible, she wanted to visit the central garden again and confirm whether what she saw had really been fairies.
Knock knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
When Sylvia lifted her head, Melody’s voice could be heard from outside.
“Miss, it’s time to wake up. May I come in?”
“Come in!”
Sylvia hurriedly sat upright as she answered.
The door opened, and Melody entered while pushing a wagon.
“Did you sleep well, Miss?”
Stopping briefly by the door, Melody politely greeted her.
“Yes, I slept well. Good morning, Melody. By the way, may I ask what happened yesterday? I can’t really remember.”
“Yesterday, while you were taking a walk with the master in the central garden, you collapsed. So the duke personally carried you back to your bedroom.”
“The duke carried me himself?”
“Yes. Ah, and I brought water for your morning wash.”
“Thank you.”
The lukewarm water felt pleasant against her skin.
Sylvia carefully washed her face with the water Melody had prepared.
Once she finished, Melody, who had been waiting nearby, handed her a towel.
After drying herself neatly, Sylvia stood up and followed Melody into the dressing room.
Just like yesterday, several dresses had already been prepared for her.
“I just need to choose one again, right?”
“Yes.”
After hearing Melody’s answer, Sylvia began examining the dresses.
Perhaps because she had already experienced this once yesterday, the situation no longer felt quite as awkward.
Though she still seemed shy about it.
“I’ll wear this one.”
Today, Sylvia chose a blue dress.
Only after the maids helped her get dressed did she begin heading toward the eastern dining room for breakfast.
Julia was already there.
“Good morning, Lady Julia. Did you sleep well?”
Sylvia greeted her with a bright smile, causing Julia to lift her head from the book she had been reading.
“Yes.”
It was only a short reply, but Sylvia was satisfied with even that.
After confirming Sylvia had taken her seat, Julia paused briefly before speaking.
“I heard you saw Undines yesterday?”
“Undines?”
Sylvia blinked at the unfamiliar name.
“Yes. The water spirits. The spirits flying around the central garden.”
“Those fairies were spirits?”
Only then did Sylvia realize the true identity of the fairies she had seen yesterday, and her face brightened.
“You didn’t know?”
“Not at all. Then I guess I really wasn’t imagining things yesterday.”
“Yes. This confirms it.”
Julia looked directly at Sylvia.
“You truly are Vivian Werner.”
Instead of answering, Sylvia simply smiled quietly.
She still could not fully believe it herself.
Whether she truly was Vivian or not.
Everything around her pointed toward Sylvia being Vivian.
Yet Sylvia still found it difficult to accept that fact.
“Do you really think I’m Vivian?”
After carefully choosing her words for a long time, Sylvia finally asked the question.
“Why do you think you aren’t?”
“Because everything about us is different, Lady Julia.”
Julia slowly looked Sylvia over from head to toe.
Then she nodded.
“If we’re talking about appearance, then yes. You’re very different. You don’t even have our family’s blue hair.”
“…Yes. That’s why I don’t understand why you keep saying I’m Vivian.”
“To be honest, if I only looked at your appearance, I wouldn’t think you were my sister either.”
Julia’s blunt honesty caused Sylvia to press her lips together.
“But the power you possess reveals your identity. In this family, only you and I can see the Undines.”
“But that’s all. I can’t make rain fall like the Vivian from the stories…”
Julia answered calmly.
“You’ll find out once we go to the temple.”
