Sugar Apple Fairytale - Volume 1 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7

WHAT BECAME OF THE ROYAL MEDAL

Atop a small hill surrounded by a moat stood an enormous, sprawling castle. Eight large, cobblestone boulevards radiated out from the hill with the castle at its center, as if to draw all eyes to the monarch inside.

The Royal Candy Fair was held on the broadest of the eight thoroughfares, the triumphal road that led directly to the front gate of the castle. A white tent had been erected in the plaza before the castle gate, and underneath it was a riser with seats meant for the members of the royal family attending the fair.

Such festivals were very popular in the royal capital. The plaza was crowded with people trying to get a glimpse of the royal family.

Sitting at the center of everyone’s attention were the king and queen. With them were the princesses and princes. Anyone would sigh at their dazzling outfits and gorgeous looks.

In front of the royal seating stood a long table covered with a white sheet. On top of the table sat a line of sugar-candy sculptures, each so large that a person could have barely wrapped their arms around them.

Every single one of them was sure to be richly colored with detailed handiwork.

But at the moment, all the candy sculptures were covered with cloth, obscuring what lay beneath.

Behind each of the entries stood the crafter who had made it. Since they were appearing before the king, all were dressed in their finest clothes.

Jonas was there, too, wearing a splendid fur vest.

The man in charge of the Royal Candy Fair was the Earl of Downing. He was an old man who had distinguished himself for his tact as the minister of home affairs during the previous king’s reign. He had since withdrawn from that position, but even so, he was an elder statesman greatly trusted by the current monarch.

This esteemed gentleman confirmed that all the candy artists in attendance and that every member of the royal family was seated.

Just as the Earl of Downing was standing to make the opening announcement that would begin the judging process—

—a section of the crowd began to stir.

The earl scowled, wondering what could possibly be the matter, as a single boxy wagon came charging through the spectators.

“Watch out!!”

“Stop that wagon!”

The guards ran forward, and the small girl driving the carriage yanked on the reins and pulled her horse to a stop. She then jumped down from the driver’s seat, slipped right past all the guards, and rushed into the plaza.

Behind her, as if to protect her, was a young man with black hair.

The girl was trying to dash to the front of the tent where the Earl of Downing stood.

“Seize her!”

One of the guards grabbed the girl’s arm, but her raven-haired protector unleashed a hard kick to the man’s stomach. The guard was sent sprawling into the crowd. The girl was free again.

The young man shouted to the girl, “Go!”

She kept running.

The bold fellow fearlessly fought against the guards and their spears, preventing any of them from following.

That was when people finally noticed that the young man had a single beautiful wing on his back.

“Don’t you touch that girl!”

“Are you…a fairy?!”

Right in front of the tent where the Earl of Downing still stood, the intruder, who had been running at full speed, tripped. She lost her footing and pitched forward.

But even after tumbling to the ground, she kept her face up and shouted desperately, out of breath:

“I can see you haven’t yet announced the opening of the Royal Candy Fair. If that’s the case, then it should still be possible for me to enter, which I would like to do. I am a candy crafter. My name is Anne Halford. My place of origin is unknown!”

A guard leaped from the tent and pinned Anne where she had fallen. “You disrespectful wretch!” he shouted.

However, a cheerful, amused voice interjected from behind the stunned earl. “Just when I thought you weren’t coming! My, my, what a flashy entrance that was!! You truly are an interesting specimen, Anne.”

Anne’s eyes went wide at the sound of the familiar voice.

A young aristocrat stepped out from behind the earl. He wore formal clothing ornamented with silver embroidery. Without a doubt, it was the attire of the Silver Sugar Viscount.

The man wearing it had a familiar face and wild brown eyes.

“Hugh?!”

“Mercury. Do you know this girl?” the Earl of Downing asked Hugh.

Mercury?

Anne focused on the familiar man’s face.

Hugh Mercury?! The maestro of the Mercury Workshop and the current Silver Sugar Viscount?!

“Yes. I know for a fact that this girl is a simple candy crafter. There’s no need to be alarmed. The fairy over there is her bodyguard.”

Hearing this, the Earl of Downing raised his hand and gestured toward the guards, who were still holding their spears at the ready.

“Fine. Stand down over there. This girl wishes to enter the competition.”

The guards surrounding Challe and the one pinning Anne down all followed the earl’s orders and stepped back.

Anne pushed herself to her knees.

The Earl of Downing looked back at her and asked, “I can see that you are young. Despite your youth, you announce your intention to enter. You seem to know what you are doing. Who taught you?”

“My mother. My mother was a Silver Sugar Master.”

“I see. Your statement of entry was well-made. But are you aware that there are other procedures?”

“Yes. The candy crafter states their intention to enter to the Earl of Downing, then after that, the Silver Sugar Viscount will ascertain whether the crafter is skilled enough that their work will not offend the eyes of His Majesty the King by making them produce a simple piece of candy. Once deemed acceptable, the candidate will be permitted to enter.”

“That’s right. And that process finished yesterday. Furthermore, His Majesty is already in attendance, and we are about to start the candy fair. There is no time to test your skill now.”

“I will complete the test as quickly as possible. Please let me try!”

The Earl of Downing seemed moved by her desperation and turned back to Hugh to consult with him.

“What do you say, Mercury?”

“There is no time to test her now.”

His response was curt. Anne bit her lip and cast her eyes down.

But Hugh kept grinning.

“However, Earl, as luck would have it, I tested this girl’s skills just the other day. I know that they will not offend the eyes of His Majesty.”

At those words, Anne lifted her head. When her eyes met Hugh’s, he gave her a cheerful wink.

The Earl of Downing nodded.

“Very well. If the Silver Sugar Viscount deems you worthy, you are permitted to enter.”

He pointed to the table where the candy sculptures were all lined up.

“Now then, go and get your three barrels of silver sugar and give them to the guards so they can carry them to the edge of the plaza. Then, set the candy you have made over there, stand behind it, and await the judgment of the royal family.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you very much.”

Anne stood up and bowed in gratitude. She dusted off her now dirt-covered clothes.

The curious gazes of the onlookers and the participating candy crafters followed Anne as she stepped out into the middle of the plaza.

Her competitors were all dressed in their finest.

Anne, on the other hand, wore baggy men’s clothes that didn’t fit her, and her hair and face were dirty. Her slim body looked even skinnier than it was, and she looked much younger than her age. She also had a beautiful fairy accompanying her, the likes of whom no one had ever seen before.

Who could that be? People whispered to one another as they stared in curiosity.

Oddly enough, the spot where Anne had been told to line up was right next to Jonas.

Jonas had nervously watched everything unfold.

When Anne stood beside him, he sneered and tried to act tough.

“Wow, Anne, my clothes look great on you, don’t they? Anyway, you have a candy sculpture?”

Anne shot Jonas an intense glare.

“Thanks for your concern. These clothes came in handy. And don’t worry about me; I’ve got my candy.”

“Well then, hurry up and put it on the table. Where is it?”

“Right here.”

Anne stepped forward and set a small object covered in a cloth atop the white table.

Scornful laughter erupted among the spectators and candy crafters when they saw it.

Jonas snorted with laughter as well.

“Well, considering the time, I suppose that’s about the best you could do, huh? I’m impressed by your courage, Anne. To think you would enter with a piece the size of a child’s treat.”

Staring at the royal family’s tent directly in front of her, Anne answered, “I’m astonished by you, too, Jonas. Entering someone else’s work—how shameless can you be?”

“I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Do you think you can fool Hugh’s eye? He’s the Silver Sugar Viscount. You ought to know how attentive he is from what happened at the Doctor’s Inn.”

Jonas’s expression stiffened ever so slightly, but his mouth immediately relaxed into a smile.

“When I registered, I was surprised to learn that Hugh was the Silver Sugar Viscount. But he only became Viscount six months ago. He acts self-important, but he’s new to the post. He didn’t say a thing when he saw my candy that I brought this time.”

“There’s no way he doesn’t know.”

“I wonder?”

After making sure that Anne’s piece had been placed on the table, the Earl of Downing raised his hand and made the announcement.

“The Royal Candy Fair is hereby open. The title of Silver Sugar Master shall be granted to the most outstanding candy crafter in the kingdom.”

One of the officials managing the candy fair instructed the crafters, “Everyone, present your sugar candy to His Majesty.”

When he said this, they all simultaneously removed the cloths covering their sculptures.

The onlookers sighed when they saw the row of gorgeous candies.

The king was leaning on his armrest, sweeping a cursory gaze over the entries from right to left, not showing much interest.

Then, the king’s eyes stopped. He leaned forward.

His focus was directed toward Jonas and Anne.

No way, did I catch his attention?!

Anne’s heartbeat quickened.

The king beckoned the Earl of Downing over and whispered something into his ear.

The earl nodded and walked over to the pair.

“You two crafters. Jonas Anders and Anne Halford. Bring your candies to His Majesty.”

Jonas and Anne locked eyes.

The spectators were puzzled and whispered to one another.

“The one on that side is clearly impressive. It surpasses all the rest; it’s an easy win. So why are they summoning that little one up in front of the king?”

“Don’t know; I can hardly see it from here.”

With the aid of a guard, Jonas set his sculpture on a table before the king. He knelt, his face stiff with nerves.

Anne nodded to Challe, who was standing in the crowd.

“Here I go.”

Cradling her candy gently in her hands, she carried it up to the king. She placed it on the table and knelt as well.

The king serenely rose to his feet and studied the sugar candies.

“How curious. Come here and take a look, Mercury.”

In a quiet voice, he called over the Silver Sugar Viscount.

Hugh approached the king’s side and nodded.

“The character of the pieces is similar, isn’t it? As if both candies were created by the same artist.”

At his words, Jonas cringed. Hugh’s eyes brightened.

“Your Majesty, which do you prefer?”

The king narrowed his scrutiny at Hugh’s question. His gaze was fixed on the small fairy sculpture.

“I like this one. It looks like it might shatter at any moment. It’s ephemeral. Yet it’s also truly alive. I’ve never seen such a beautiful piece of candy.”

“Indeed.”

“I think that this sugar candy is the best. How about it? I am of the opinion that this candy crafter is worthy of becoming a Silver Sugar Master.”

No way, no way, Anne thought, her heart pounding faster as she continued staring at the ground.

However—

“That candy sculpture is truly splendid, Your Majesty, but…”

—from behind the king came the queen’s calm voice.

“But, Your Majesty, the requirement was to make something large and flashy to serve as a centerpiece for the festival. Even if she has the skill to make this small piece, it remains a question whether she has the ability to create something sizable. I think you ought to consider what qualities make someone worthy of the title.”

“That is true…”

The king was silent for a while. Anne’s heartbeat quickened even more.

“I’ve decided,” the king pronounced. “I have decided. This crafter is worthy of becoming a Silver Sugar Master. Your name?”

The Earl of Downing answered:

“Jonas Anders.”

“All right, then, I will make the proclamation. I award the royal medal to the sugar candy brought forth by Jonas Anders. The person who made this work is this year’s Silver Sugar Master.”

The spectators stirred.

When she sensed Jonas lift his head, Anne went limp.

Of course.

“Now, Anne Halford, please step back. Jonas Anders, remain up here. The guards will bring the three barrels of silver sugar you refined up to me. You will show them to His Majesty and then present it and your candy sculpture to the kingdom.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jonas’s cheeks flushed with excitement, and he threw out his chest proudly.

After glancing briefly at his face, Anne bowed to the members of the royal family once more and picked up her candy.

Jonas’s three barrels of silver sugar were carried before the king.

Anne had just turned her back on them when she heard—

“Wh-what?! What is this?!”

Jonas shouted in a loud voice that was inappropriate in the presence of the king.

Anne wheeled back around to look.

Something flew energetically out of one of the barrels that had been placed before Jonas. As they watched it flit away nimbly, Jonas, the king, and the Earl of Downing were all speechless.

A small fairy had emerged from the barrel. A fairy with silver hair and blue eyes. It was Mithril Lid Pod.

Anne gasped.

“What is the meaning of this, Anders?!” the earl bellowed after recovering from his shock and peering into the container from which Mithril had exited. “One whole barrel of silver sugar is completely empty!”

“Th-that can’t be!”

Jonas was flabbergasted as Mithril prostrated himself before the king in Jonas’s place.

“Aaaaaah!! Please forgive me, Your Royal Highness, sir! I am but a lowly worker fairy employed by my master, Jonas Anders. My master is extremely unskilled at refining silver sugar, and although he managed to create a fine candy sculpture, he was not able prepare the amount of silver sugar required. He ordered me to employ my skills of deception and make it appear as if there was silver sugar filling this barrel, then he shut me in. But I think it’s terrible to deceive you, Your Royal Highness, sir, and I just couldn’t do it!!”

Mithril flailed dramatically in a performance worthy of any stage. He even pulled out a tiny handkerchief that he’d somehow thought to have on hand, biting down on it as he wailed.

Anne was stunned.

Why is Mithril here? What is he doing?!

Then, she noticed something.

As Mithril stood there bawling, Anne saw that his stomach was bulging, stretched almost to bursting.

Is it possible Mithril ate that whole barrel of silver sugar…?

Anne didn’t know how the little fairy had ended up inside one of the barrels that Jonas had hauled to the fair.

But she could only think of one reason for him to put on such a display.

He was doing it for her.

This was his attempt to repay Anne after her candy had been stolen.

“This is all a plot!!” Jonas leaped and protested loudly, seemingly having forgotten that he was in the presence of the king. “This worker fairy is under the command of that crafter right there! He belongs to Anne Halford! I expect the Silver Sugar Viscount knows this as well!! She and I are acquaintances. She’s been harassing me in all sorts of ways, just ’cause she wants to become a Silver Sugar Master herself! This is another of her schemes.”

Anne was stunned by his terrible false accusation. Jonas yanked her violently by the arm.

“Get over here, you coward!!”

“Ow!!”

When he saw Anne shriek, Mithril’s expression changed, and he jumped into the air.

“Which one of you is the coward?! Let go of Anne, you scumbag!!”

He stopped his crying act and shouted angrily.

When he did, Jonas pointed at Mithril triumphantly.

“There, see for yourself!! This girl and her fairy have known each other from the start. We ought to kill this foolish fairy right away.”

“I won’t let you do that!”

At those words, Anne flared up and shook her arm free from Jonas’s grip.

She turned to face the royal family’s tent.

She could no longer stay quiet after Jonas mentioned killing Mithril. It was his most craven behavior so far.

“It’s true, that fairy is an acquaintance of mine, and he also did this for my sake. But there is a reason for that. The candy this person, Jonas Anders, is calling his own, the piece that he submitted, is one I made. He stole my candy. He was planning to become a Silver Sugar Master with my work, and this fairy was trying to stop him.”

“That’s a lie! I didn’t steal it!”

“You’re going to keep lying even now?!”

“Shut up! You are the liar!”

Anne and Jonas glared furiously at each other.

The spectators, every member of the royal family, even the Earl of Downing—each person in the plaza was shocked and perplexed by Anne’s and Jonas’s claims.

Exactly which of them was lying? They all wondered.

Only Hugh wore a faint smile.

“Well then, will you allow me to clarify things, Your Majesty?” Hugh asked the king, who was staring at the two crafters with a sour look on his face.

“The question is, which one of them made this candy sculpture? The artist who created it is the rightful Silver Sugar Master. In that case, allow me to ascertain who it was.”

“Indeed. Do you have a method for determining that, Mercury? If so, you may do so.”

“Yes, sir. Now then—”

Hugh whispered some orders to a man standing off to the side who appeared to be his valet. Once the valet had left the royal family’s tent, Hugh stood in front of Anne and Jonas.

“I’ll have you do the same thing you did at the Doctor’s Inn that night. But this time, there’s a theme.”

Another small table was carried in and set before the king. On top of the table, two types of basins containing cold water and all the tools needed to make sugar candy—spatulas and rulers, various sizes of cotton swabs and the like—were quickly arranged.

“This is the work that His Majesty selected. The sculpture includes some small butterflies, here and here. You will make identical ones now, in front of His Majesty’s own eyes. That way, we will be able to see, by examining your butterflies, just whose hand crafted this candy.”

“Understood. I’m ready.”

Anne nodded. It was exactly what she’d hoped for.

But Jonas looked pale.

“All good, Jonas?”

Jonas managed to nod when prompted.

Anne and Jonas stood beside each other at the table.

Anne could feel the curious stares of the onlookers all around them, and the members of the royal family watched them coldly.

With the silver sugar right in front of her, she closed her eyes softly.

She could feel a kind pair of eyes gazing at her. Somehow, she knew they belonged to Challe.

Make a butterfly. An exceptionally beautiful butterfly, one that would make Challe happy.

“Begin!”

Anne opened her eyes at the sound of Hugh’s voice. She added cold water to her silver sugar.

She kneaded it and brought out the luster of the sugar dough.

Let’s knead it more. I want the wings to be glossy. Yeah, I want to make beautiful wings like Challe’s.

Once the silver sugar was in her hands, strangely enough, Anne ceased to care about Jonas, who was banging around, making clumsy noises beside her.

Sweat was beading on Jonas’s forehead. From time to time, he clicked his tongue.

Anne’s fingers moved nimbly.

More beautiful.

Challe was watching. That gave Anne great peace of mind. Due to his presence, she was free from any doubt.

“That’s enough.”

The sound of Hugh’s voice startled Anne.

When she looked up, Hugh was standing right in front of her. She hadn’t noticed him approaching. Next to him was the king, having emerged from his tent once again.

His Majesty had been intently observing the two crafters at work.

Jonas’s hands were shaking, and he had sunk to the ground where he stood.

“Anders’s butterfly isn’t even worth considering,” Hugh said.

The sugar-candy butterfly Jonas had been working on had only barely taken the shape of a butterfly at all.

It certainly didn’t seem like it would be anyone’s top choice. It was clearly inferior to the sculpture that had been chosen by the king.

Hugh looked at Anne’s workspace next.

“Halford’s butterfly… It resembles the butterflies on the candy that Your Majesty chose, but it is different.”

Anne looked down at her own hands.

There was a beautiful butterfly there.

It was much more modest than the ones decorating the candy sculpture the king had selected, yet it had a charm to it, like it might start fluttering its wings at any moment. It was a pure-white butterfly, devoid of color, but the way it reflected the light made it look rainbow-hued.

The king scowled.

“What’s the meaning of this, Mercury?”

Hugh shrugged and smiled. “I don’t know. Ultimately, I’m not sure which of them made the candy sculpture that you selected, Your Majesty.”

The king looked back and forth between the butterflies the pair had made.

“But it seems obvious to me which of these crafters made the work that I selected…”

“Well then, take a look at Halford’s butterfly and the butterflies on the winning sculpture, Your Majesty. Which do you like better?”

“Halford’s butterfly, of course. Compared with those on the sculpture, it’s more…” The king looked surprised, like he had just realized something. He then smiled. “I see. They’re not the same; is that what you mean?”

“Yes. So I cannot say for certain which of these two made the sculpture.”

Jonas jumped on those words, as if he had discovered one last chance to escape.

“I—I can’t make anything unless I work quietly, alone!! So if you allow me to take my time and work by myself somewhere quiet, I’ll be able to recreate the same butterflies that are on the piece His Majesty so kindly selected. Really. I swear to you, it’s true.”

If it was proven that Jonas had taken credit for someone else’s work, he would be guilty of attempting to deceive the king. That was a capital offense, and he might even be beheaded.

“Your conduct is unseemly, Jonas,” said Hugh.

Jonas’s protests grew even louder.

“But I’m not lying!! You have no proof that I’m lying!!”

“You say you’re not lying?” the king asked solemnly.

The plaza fell silent for a moment at the dignified sound of the king’s voice.

Trembling, Jonas prostrated himself.

“I swear to god, I am not telling you a lie.”

Next, the king looked at Anne.

“And you’re not lying, are you, Halford?”

“No.”

Without hesitation, Anne met His Majesty’s gaze. When she did, the king grinned.

“If neither of you is lying, then I really don’t know what to do. And without any evidence, I can’t make a proper judgment. I can’t bestow glory on either of you. Downing!!”

“Sir.”

The elderly retainer approached the king’s side when summoned.

“It appears there is no one here qualified to become a Silver Sugar Master this year. The contest is over!”

The king turned on his heel. Casting a backward glance at the bewildered royal family and their assorted retainers, he calmly departed the tent.

The spectators looked at one another.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s no royal medal?”

“They’re not going to pick another sculpture?”

“I mean, the king already left…”

“It doesn’t look like they’re going to pick one.”

The king had selected a sculpture and then taken his leave.

But it was still unclear who had actually made the piece.

It was an unprecedented turn of events.

In the end, no one was named Silver Sugar Master at that year’s Royal Candy Fair.

The queen rose to her feet. She was astounded by her husband’s actions. Sparing a quick glance at the dumbfounded Anne, she summoned the earl, whispered something to him, and departed as well.

There was commotion among the candy crafters, who exchanged various looks amongst themselves. Once it was clear, though, that the king was not going to resume the candy fair, they gave up and started making arrangements to leave.

The spectators also milled about, chatting noisily.

The Earl of Downing walked slowly to Anne’s side.

“Anne Halford. I have a message from the queen.”

Anne turned to him in surprise, and the elder statesman informed her quietly, “Her Majesty says that next year, you are to bring a sugar-candy sculpture worthy of a celebration. She looks forward to seeing your work.”

The moment she understood the meaning behind the queen’s words, Anne’s heart filled with joy. Her cheeks flushed red.

“Yes… Yes! Definitely. I’ll definitely be here!”

“By the way, Halford. If you don’t already have a buyer for that fairy sculpture, would you sell it to me? My granddaughter is planning to get married soon, and I’ve been looking for a splendid candy sculpture for the occasion. How does six hundred cress sound?”

Six hundred cress. That meant six gold pieces. It was a dizzying sum of money. It would buy two horses and a brand-new wagon. Anne felt faint just thinking about it. But she shook her head.

“I’m terribly sorry, Earl. I’ve already promised this to someone.”

“It’s six hundred cress.”

“…I’m very sorry.”

“I see. That’s too bad. Well, I suppose if you weren’t a bit eccentric, you wouldn’t have been able to create something like that in the first place. By the way, Mercury. I’m leaving Anders’s fate up to you. As Silver Sugar Viscount, take whatever measures you see fit.”

“Leave it to me, Earl.”

Hugh gave an exaggerated bow.

“Well then, Halford. See you again next year.” With one last cordial smile, the elderly statesman turned his back to them, leaving Anne and Jonas behind in all the commotion.

Hugh looked down at them with his hands on his hips.

“Now then, Anne. It’s too bad it turned out this way, but what should we do? Dealing with Jonas has been left entirely to me, after all.” His tone was quite casual. “Is there anything you want to say to the boy? Anything you’d like me to do with him? I am not inclined to be as kind as His Majesty, you know. I’ve got no problem lopping off the head of one measly candy crafter.”

Anne was startled to see Jonas slumped in the same spot. He hadn’t looked up, and his body trembled.

Unnoticed by Anne, Salim had appeared behind Hugh. He was regarding Jonas with predatory eyes.

Anne shook her head.

“Hugh…Viscount, you have my gratitude. Thank you for supporting my entry.”

“Come now, you don’t have to be that formal. Hugh is fine.”

Hugh patted her head, and Anne shrugged.

“I really am grateful, Hugh. Thank you. I’ve had enough of Jonas. There’s nothing I want to say to him. Nothing I want to say, but…”

Jonas looked defeated, like he had already taken plenty of punishment for his foolish actions.

At this point, she had no words for him. There was, however, still something she wanted to get off her chest.

“Stand up, Jonas,” she instructed him quietly, but Jonas didn’t move.

“Stand up,” she repeated.

Jonas stood sluggishly, keeping his face pointed toward the ground.

“Jonas!! Look at me!!”

The instant he looked up in surprise, Anne slapped his face. She watched coldly as he withdrew in shock. Then, she grinned cheerfully.

“Ah, what a relief! I wanted to give him one good smack! I’m good now.”

“A fitting punishment!”

Hugh roared with laughter. Behind him, Salim let out a quiet laugh.

“Great, so that’s that!!”

At Hugh’s words, Anne quickly curtsied. Hugh smiled and nodded back at her. The two then took off walking in opposite directions.

Jonas was left standing in the same spot. He raised a hand to touch his cheek where Anne had slapped him.

Cathy rushed over to Jonas and gently grabbed his trouser hem.

Anne searched for a pair of black eyes in the plaza’s jumbled crowd.

Challe was a short distance away, watching her.

She walked slowly toward him, her sugar candy in her hand.

“Challe. Thank you. I wasn’t able to become this year’s Silver Sugar Master, but I’ll participate again next year. I didn’t achieve my goal in time to send Mama off to heaven, but…but Mama will have to make do with the best candy I can create right now.”

Anne had been fixated on becoming the Silver Sugar Master that year, but those feelings had now faded.

Because she missed her mother so much, she had been consumed with the idea of giving Emma a proper send-off to the next life. She had been desperately chasing that goal to avoid having to confront her sadness and loneliness.

Having been made aware of this, it was as if the clouds had disappeared from her heart. She felt like she was finally able to accept Emma’s death.

It was all thanks to those black eyes in front of her.

Even if Challe disappeared as soon as she handed him the candy, that wouldn’t erase the fact that he had returned for her sake. Somewhere in the world, even if just for a moment, someone had cared about Anne. That alone made her feel like she could keep living.

Now Anne felt like she could pursue her own dream. Her dream of becoming a Silver Sugar Master. A future she chose for herself and not for her mother’s sake.

I will become a Silver Sugar Master. No matter how many years it takes…

A new purpose was born in her heart.

I will become a Silver Sugar Master and surpass Mama.

“I’m feeling motivated now, and it’s all because of you, Challe. Thank you. As promised, this sugar-candy sculpture is yours, so I’m giving it back.”

Anne’s chest was tight with sadness over his departure. Nevertheless, she couldn’t stop smiling now that she had finally latched onto a real aspiration.

Challe stared at the candy being offered to him. But he huffed and immediately turned away.

“It looks gross.”

“Huh?!” Anne shouted.

“When it comes to sugar candy, beautiful craftsmanship imparts a delicious flavor. Badly made candies don’t taste nice. I want an exquisite candy made by a Silver Sugar Master.”

“Wh-what are you talking about? Are you saying this one isn’t good enough?”

“It’s not good enough.”

“So how am I supposed to make something better than this?!”

Anne wondered why Challe would say something so hateful at such a moment.

The sweet emotions Anne had felt when she’d looked into Challe’s beautiful eyes vanished all at once.

Then, Challe said smoothly, “I’ll claim my candy on this day next year. I don’t need it until then. I’ll stay with you until you become a Silver Sugar Master.”

Anne blinked in surprise.

“Huh…? With me?”

“Is that so bad?”

Challe seemed displeased as he cast a sharp glance at Anne.

“It’s not…bad. Not at all. But…why?”

Challe looked offended and acted like he couldn’t think of a good response. However, after a little while, his expression softened.

Instead of answering the question, he took Anne’s right hand in his. And then—

“Anne.”

—almost in a whisper, he called her name. It was the first time he had ever spoken it. Anne felt her chest grow hot.

Challe gently placed a kiss on Anne’s fingers. Almost tenderly.

It was as if he was swearing some sort of vow.

Anne didn’t understand the meaning behind the kiss, but her heart was pounding so hard, she could barely think.

Challe looked directly at her.

He’s got beautiful eyes. Truthful and honest eyes.

Anne felt a surge of affection unlike any she had experienced before. It was somewhat different from the fondness she felt for her friends.

It was probably the feeling of first love.

Just then—

“Hey, did you see?! Did you see my performance of a lifetime?!”

—with a cheerful voice, Mithril Lid Pod came bounding across the plaza. Challe casually released Anne’s hand.

With one large jump, Mithril landed softly on Anne’s shoulder.

Anne was bursting with regret and delight.

“Mithril!”

Without thinking, she grabbed the little fairy and hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mithril, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have suspected you of eating my silver sugar, even for a second. I was stupid, so stupid for not trusting you. I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“I—I—I—I—I—I am Mithril Lid Pod! D-don’t abbreviate it! Anyway, it’s not a question of forgiving you or not. I would never act that way unless it was to help you.”

Even though Mithril had flushed bright red, when he pulled himself out of Anne’s arms, he rubbed his upper lip boastfully.

“But I still suspected you,” Anne said, “even if it was just for a moment.”

“Hmph. The thing with humans is that you’re all dummies. I’d already factored in that you’re a dummy, too, Anne. It was no surprise you’d make a mistake like that, and it doesn’t change the fact that I was determined to repay my debt to you. I’m a fairy, after all. If I gave up on repaying you that easily, it would hurt the reputation of fairies everywhere!”

Mithril threw out his chest proudly despite having said some very rude things.

“I saw the nasty trick that guy was playing and decided I would take him down. He’s just awful, huh? I figured I would embarrass him and ate up one of his barrels of silver sugar!”

Mithril cackled with laughter, which was quickly cut short by a sickened groan.

“I ate a whole barrel of silver sugar, in fact… I think I’m gonna be sick… Uuugh.”

Thinking about how fairies ate, Anne hadn’t the slightest idea where or what a fairy might throw up. However, given that Mithril did look like he might expel some unimaginable substance from somewhere unspeakable, Anne took a step back out of the line of fire.

“Well, honestly, I didn’t even help that much… In fact, I feel like I might have trapped you in a difficult predicament…” Mithril reflected quietly, despite his earlier boasting.

“Not at all! Thank you. But how did you know Jonas had stolen my sugar-candy sculpture? Did you follow us secretly?”

“I was inside your wagon the whole time, Anne.”

“Huh?”

In her surprise, Anne turned to look at Challe, and he shrugged.

“After Mithril Lid Pod was accused of stealing the silver sugar, he took refuge in the cargo hold of your wagon to hide. He disappeared from your sight, as requested.”

“I-in a sense…”

Jonas had stolen Anne’s wagon, where Mithril had been hiding. Ultimately, the cunning fairy had taken him down.

Mithril Lid Pod snorted with laughter.

“Did you forget? I’m sticking with you at any cost to repay my debt, Anne. I’ll follow you to the depths of hell!”

“But you just exposed Jonas and ruined his plan; surely, that’s sufficient?”

“I’ve still got a long way to go! My debt to you is nothing so minor as that! You’ll have to accept a much grander repayment!”

“Ah, ha-ha-ha…a grand repayment…?”

That could mean anything. Somehow, Anne felt frightened.

Challe muttered, “Have you ever heard the phrase unsolicited acts of kindness, Mithril Lid Pod?”

“Nope, sorry! And what about you? Why are you here? You made it to Lewiston, so I thought softhearted Anne was going to set you free. Aren’t you at liberty to go wherever you want now? Why are you still hanging around?!”

“There’s something I need to get from the scarecrow.”

He called her scarecrow again.

Anne felt dejected.

I could have sworn he called me Anne just a moment ago… Could I have imagined it?

“You’re a rude jerk to the very end, Challe Fenn Challe! No matter how much Anne favors you, even if she does look just like a scarecrow, you can’t call her that all the time!”

“What’s wrong with calling a scarecrow a scarecrow?”

“Listen, you!! Don’t call her ‘scarecrow, scarecrow’ over and over again!”

“You’re the one calling her scarecrow over and over.”

“Anyway! Even if it’s the truth, there are things in this world that you should and shouldn’t say! Like ‘scarecrow, scarecrow’!! It’s too on the nose; it’s not even funny!!”

Anne smiled weakly. “You guys… Can you both give it a rest with the rude comments?”

When she said that, both fairies seemed to suddenly realize what they were doing. They exchanged glances and stopped arguing.

I didn’t make it as Silver Sugar Master this year. But Her Majesty told me to come back again next year. That’s enough for me.

The obsidian fairy said he wanted a delicious piece of candy.

The water-droplet fairy wanted to repay a debt she didn’t need repaid.

Anne knew that at least she wouldn’t be alone anymore.

I am not alone. Someday, I’ll probably become a Silver Sugar Master. I have a future. That’s the best I could ask for.

Anne smiled.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Whether I’m a scarecrow or you’re a crow, I’m going to make sugar candies for you two. Wonderful candies. That’s all I can do.”

The sky was high and clear overhead.

The sweet aroma of many sugar candies hung in the air over the royal plaza.