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Chapter 23
Behind the massive sculpture—
In the thick shadows, a few laborers exchanged hushed whispers.
“…This won’t end in disaster, will it?”
“It won’t collapse all at once. Just act natural, and we’ll be fine.”
“You sure about that? If we get caught, we’re really—”
A man trembling like a leaf was sharply interrupted by another’s low growl.
“Then back out if you’re scared! But don’t expect a share of the payment.”
“H-Hey now, who said anything about backing out? I’m just saying we need to be careful.”
“No more whining. This is the perfect time. Just keep watch properly.”
At the man’s sharp words, the nervous one hunched his shoulders and scanned the surroundings.
The workers, having labored non-stop, were finally relaxing.
Those seeking rest headed toward the nearby tents or dining area—no one would bother coming around the back of the dusty sculpture.
The support structures holding up the fairy statue were chaotic and crowded, deterring passersby.
*‘Yeah… no one will notice.’*
A faint sense of relief crept over the nervous man’s face.
Meanwhile, the sharper one’s eyes gleamed.
It had to be *just right*.
Not so weak it would collapse instantly,
but not sturdy enough to hold under strain either.
Something that *seemed* stable—until it finally, *barely*, gave out under weight.
He circled the sculpture slowly, then stopped at a particular point.
One wooden brace caught his eye.
*Perfect.*
Twisting his lips into a smirk, he glanced around, then casually nudged the brace with the toe of his boot.
The brace barely moved, scraping against the ground with the sculpture’s weight pressing down.
But it was enough.
From the base—where the wood met the earth—came a faint, ominous creak.
Then, the triangular joints above it began to moan and strain.
*Creaaaaak…* *Craaaack…*
A tremor, born below, slowly climbed upward.
Finally, the support connecting to the fairy statue shuddered violently, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The man watched the tremble with keen eyes, then abruptly grabbed the collar of his still-dazed companion.
“What are you doing, idiot?! Run!”
“Wh-What?! A-Ahh!”
The two darted off at a brisk pace, emerging from the shadows into the sunlight.
They whistled nonchalantly and blended seamlessly into the crowd of workers.
The square remained peaceful.
Luminel blossoms fluttered gently in the breeze,
and people smiled, imagining the coming festival.
Yet elsewhere—
The fairy, still in its quiet slumber, was beginning to scream.
—
It happened just as we returned to the square after lunch.
“…?”
Something was off.
Clusters of people were gathered at the square’s edge, murmuring anxiously.
All their eyes were fixed on the fairy sculpture.
Sensing something was wrong, Gerald quickened his pace.
“What’s going on? Why is everyone—?”
And then—
From somewhere far off came the sharp *crack* of wood splintering.
“Get back!!”
“—!!”
Panic erupted across the crowd.
People screamed and scrambled away as the sculpture began to lean.
It tipped backward, the fairy’s delicate face tilting helplessly.
*BOOOOM!*
The massive fairy statue slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash.
Splinters of wood and scraps of cloth exploded in every direction.
A cloud of dust engulfed the area,
and something shot into the air—twisting wildly as it flew.
“Watch out!”
At the cry, everything went dark for a moment as Denok’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, yanking me close.
Something spun past in a blur just inches from my eyes.
A wing—
A shattered piece of the fairy’s wing, its wooden grain fully exposed, sharp as a blade.
*CRACK!*
The shard embedded itself in the earth with a piercing crack.
From its base fluttered a length of crimson fabric, billowing like blood in the wind.
“…Damn.”
Denok’s breath rumbled over my head.
My eyes remained fixed on the shattered fragment as I slowly lifted my gaze to the arm that had shielded me.
There was a small cut—likely from one of the smaller splinters—on his rolled-up sleeve.
“Y-You’re hurt… Are you alright?”
My voice trembled before I realized.
He withdrew his arm and replied calmly.
“I’m fine. More importantly—”
He didn’t finish.
A new cry rang out from the square.
“Oh no… Oh dear, this is terrible!”
I turned instinctively—and froze.
The once-beautiful fairy statue was gone.
The carefully carved wings were now shattered down to their roots.
The garden of flowers beneath it lay trampled and crushed.
“What… what happened?”
“I was sure it was secured tightly.”
“This doesn’t make sense…”
Some frowned, others wrung their hands in despair.
I could only stand there, blinking blankly at the ruins.
“…”
“The fairy… she’s broken…”
A child’s quivering voice reached us.
The mother hurriedly scooped the child into her arms, but it was too late.
The child’s sobs spread like ripples across the crowd.
And in that moment—
Something deep inside me caved in.
Like sinking into a sticky, inescapable bog.
The festival was just one day away.
—
“Is everyone alright?!”
Gerald was the first to collect himself.
Gone was his usual smirking bravado.
He rushed from person to person, helping them up and checking for injuries.
Though a few shards had flown off during the collapse, miraculously, no one was hurt.
“Everyone alright over there?!”
He waved toward the other workers.
They responded with raised hands, indicating they were unharmed.
“Thank goodness. Seems no one’s injured.”
While people exhaled in relief,
my eyes remained fixed on the fallen statue.
It still wore a peaceful expression, as if unaware of the chaos.
But the wing, bent at an unnatural angle, stood out like a wound.
We had worked on it for so long.
The sketches, the revisions,
the struggle to procure materials, to manage budgets, to convince the townspeople—
All of it, collapsed in an instant.
I bit down hard on my lip.
“…It’s alright. No one was hurt. And the sculpture—can always be rebuilt.”
It wasn’t until I heard Denok’s voice that I realized I was still in his arms.
I didn’t move.
Some of it was due to the weakness in my knees.
But more than anything, the warmth and security of leaning on something—someone—grounded me.
So I stayed there, back resting against his chest, and let out a quiet sigh.
*But how do we recover from this?*
Maybe it would be best to remove the sculpture altogether.
Even if it left the square a little emptier, it would be better than leaving that broken ruin standing.
As the thought settled in my mind, my head bowed low.
Then—
A Luminel petal drifted to my feet on the wind.
It began to glow faintly.
I watched in silence as it fluttered away again,
and my gaze followed it upward.
It danced freely through the air, before descending gently onto the round fountain at the center of the square.
The water rippled where the petal touched.
*That…*
Just below the petal,
a shadow mirrored it perfectly on the surface of the water.
A flower-shaped shadow.
As if the world above and the world below were briefly aligned.
I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
*No… it doesn’t have to go back exactly the way it was.*
Taking a breath, I turned to Denok.
“Your Highness.”
He met my eyes.
“Will you help me?”
