{ Chapter 27 }
Reyester and Dallen weren’t enemies from the beginning.
In fact, they used to be close enough to be called friends.
‘Back then, Her Highness didn’t know anything.’
But over time, as interests and politics got involved, their relationship grew distant and eventually turned into something irreversible.
The playful younger sister from the past was long gone with time, but without realizing it, the Crown Prince found himself missing those days.
“Your Highness,” Sabin spoke hesitantly.
“The child’s identity is unclear. Shall I look into it more closely?”
Sabin’s words cooled Reyester’s head a bit.
After all, a child wandering alone in the outer palace was not a normal sight.
‘Don’t trust anyone.’
That was a rule Reyester had lived by since he was young.
After his nanny—who raised him—once tried to assassinate him, he stopped trusting people easily, no matter who they were.
‘But Shiz doesn’t seem suspicious at all…’
Though he always doubted others, Reyester also trusted his instincts.
And his instincts, sharpened by years of being royalty, rarely failed him.
If there had been anything fake about Shiz when they met, he would’ve noticed immediately.
Besides, the visit to the outer palace garden that day wasn’t even planned.
For someone to use that moment to plant a child would require fortune-telling powers.
Thinking that far, Reyester gave a faint laugh.
“You’re getting soft,” his inner voice warned.
‘You just want to believe in Shiz, don’t you?’
Maybe it was because the child reminded him of better times.
He hadn’t been this off-guard in a while.
Reyester gave a silent nod, and Sabin bowed politely.
“I’ll wait outside the garden.”
While all this happened, Shiz kept her head down, hiding her face.
As Sabin turned to leave, he glanced back at the child’s face and tilted his head.
‘She looks familiar… Have I seen her somewhere before?’
But he wasn’t sure—he had only seen her briefly.
Still, a vague feeling lingered as he exited the garden.
‘…The glasses lady is gone.’
Meanwhile, with the stranger gone, Shiz let out a small breath.
Her heart was beating fast.
While she tried to calm herself, Reyester knelt in front of her.
Seeing the dirt and grass stains all over her clothes, he let out a soft chuckle.
“How did this happen?”
He asked gently.
Shiz tried to recall what she had done.
She had jumped out of the window… followed the meowing cat…
“The petals were fluttering, so I stopped to watch.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I saw a pretty butterfly too…”
“Yeah? And then?”
“I found a bird in a tree.”
Reyester smiled warmly. “I see. And what were you doing here?”
“Um… dancing…?”
The whole time, Shiz kept her eyes on the ground.
It was such a change from her usual boldness.
Seeing her suddenly so timid made Reyester feel a strange tightness in his chest.
“How do you know that ‘meow-meow’ cat?”
He pointed to the cat that was still hanging around.
“The cat came into our garden. I looked after it for a while.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, look.”
Shiz gently petted the cat to show how close they were.
“She lets you touch her?”
Reyester was surprised.
That same cat would bare its teeth at him if he got too close, yet now it was calmly relaxing in Shiz’s arms.
There was only one other person in the palace who could do that.
His half-sister.
‘Even things like this… they’re so alike.’
It felt almost too intentional.
Reyester frowned slightly.
Shiz cautiously spoke up.
“Um, fairy… are you upset?”
“Huh?”
“Your face looks scary…”
Surprised, Reyester touched his own lips.
He had always thought he was good at hiding his emotions—better than any actor.
But it seemed the child had noticed anyway.
He forced a brighter smile.
“I’m okay.”
“Feels like a lie…”
“I mean it.”
He answered kindly and slumped down onto a bench inside the gazebo.
“Ah—”
Then, seeing Shiz standing awkwardly, he gently picked her up and sat her beside him.
A short silence followed as they sat side by side.
Shiz stole a glance at him.
He was looking off into the distance with a soft smile, lost in thought.
‘He looks like he’s mad…’
Having grown up in an orphanage surrounded by other kids, Shiz had learned to read people quickly.
She was sharp and sensitive to others’ emotions—more than most children her age.
“Re-ya, Re-ye, uhmm…”
Hmph, what was it again?
Anyway, the fairy man with the hard-to-pronounce name was different from the others.
Even the simple act of sitting and standing looked elegant. His clothes looked incredibly expensive. Even the lady with glasses had spoken to him very politely. So, he must be someone really important.
‘Maybe he’s the owner of this garden? He might be annoyed that I wandered around. I even brought a cat without permission…’
Come to think of it, he kept asking what she had been doing here. Realizing that, Shiz suddenly panicked.
‘Am I going to get punished? Waaah, what should I do?’
She remembered picking up fallen flower petals. Maybe she also broke some branches and walked all over the grass.
“Ugh…”
Reyester stared curiously at Shiz, whose expression had turned serious. Her small face was now full of worry. He found himself quietly amused.
What am I even thinking, watching a child with such a readable face? He shook his head inwardly.
While Reyester watched silently, Shiz suddenly opened her eyes wide.
“Ah!”
Like she remembered something, she gasped, jumped down from the bench, and ran off.
“Shiz?”
Startled by the sudden action, Reyester half-stood. But seeing that she only knelt a little way off, he stayed where he was.
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“W-wait a minute, Mr. Fairy! Don’t come here! Stay there! I’ll be quick…!”
He couldn’t hear the rest, but Reyester roughly understood what she meant and sat back down.
Shiz was busy using her hands for a while. It looked like she was picking grass, but it wasn’t clear what exactly she was doing.
“Done!”
She suddenly shouted and came running back to him. This time, unlike before, her face was glowing with excitement.
“Your hand!”
“Hm?”
“Give me your hand.”
Confused, Reyester held out his hand.
Shiz used her small fingers to fiddle around, tickling his palm. Then she stepped back with a big, bright smile.
“Tadaa!”
Reyester looked at his finger. There was something on his index finger—a little ring made from woven grass and wildflowers.
“What’s this?”
He asked gently, not understanding, and Shiz beamed.
“It’s a flower ring that brings happiness! Now that I have given this to you, only happy things will happen to you, Mr. Fairy!”
Reyester froze for a moment, unable to react.
“So… you gave me this because I looked upset?”
Nod, nod. Shiz nodded energetically.
Reyester looked down at the ring again.
Messy and dirt-stained. Awkwardly made.
It wasn’t something anyone could call pretty, even out of kindness. The weaving was clumsy, and it looked like it might fall apart at the slightest touch.
He prided himself on his refined taste. As the Crown Prince, he had been surrounded by only the finest things since birth.
His personal collection included priceless items. Something like this—clearly a child’s handmade ring—shouldn’t even catch his interest.
And yet…
‘I don’t hate it.’
The thought annoyed him.
Was his once-perfect eye for beauty broken?
“This is way too ugly to be called a gift.”
He muttered the harsh words without realizing it.
