Sugar Apple Fairytale - Volume 4 - Chapter 2

Chapter 1

TO MILLSFIELD

She couldn’t move.

“Anne?! What’s the matter? Anne?”

Keith had come running over, and he knelt in front of Anne and peered at her face.

“Uh-oh, oh no, sorry! Looks like that was too much of a shock.”

Elliott shrugged frivolously.

The plaza in front of the royal castle was still crowded. Anne was sitting on the ground, and people were glancing at her as they passed by. Her gaze was still fixed on the crowd into which Challe had disappeared with Bridget. Her mind was blank.

Kat, who had come over with Keith, grabbed Elliott by the lapels.

“You bastard, what’d you do?”

“How disgraceful, Kat. I haven’t done a thing, not out in public like this.”

“Then I bet you must’ve said somethin’!”

“Ah, that is correct!”

“What’d you say?!”

The look in Kat’s eyes was unusually harsh. Glaring at Elliott, Keith held Anne’s shoulders as she sat there in a daze.

Mithril hopped from Keith’s shoulder to Anne’s. He stroked her cheek over and over again.

“Anne. Anne? What happened, Anne?”

She heard Mithril’s concerned voice and finally grasped the situation before her.

She felt the cold and rough texture of the cobblestones under her knees. Whether because of the chill from the stones or because of her fear at having lost Challe, a deep shiver ran through her body.

“I told you, I didn’t say anything bad. I simply enlightened her as to what happened. It was an act of kindness!”

“Kat…that really is what happened. So stop it, please.”

Finally, Anne managed to say something.

She gently pushed Keith’s hands away and stood up in front of Elliott. Keith looked at her with concern.

Kat snorted and released Elliott.

“For your sake, that fairy sold his freedom.”

Elliott’s words echoed in her head like the clanging of a bell.

“Mr. Collins just told me. Bridget knew where my silver sugar was, and in exchange for that information, Challe handed over his wing to her.”

“His wing?!” Mithril shouted in shock.

Kat grabbed Elliott by the collar again. He forced Elliott to turn toward him.

“How’d that happen when you were right there?!” he demanded.

“Is it such a problem? Anne’s silver sugar came back to her, didn’t it?”

“And the price for it was Challe?!”

“Listen, Bridget and Challe made a deal, all right? I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“But surely, any normal person would warn his fiancée against doing something so foolish?!” Standing next to Anne, Keith also expressed his anger.

Elliott laughed flippantly. “They came to an agreement while I was out of the room. Sorry.”

“I misjudged you,” Keith growled.

Kat thrust Elliott aside and spat, “What the hell were you thinking?”

“For your sake, that fairy sold his freedom.”

The voice echoing loudly in Anne’s mind made her head spin. She wanted to scream. But she suppressed the urge and tried to remain composed.

“Mr. Collins. Tell me, please. What do I need to do in order to set Challe free?”

If nothing else, she sounded calm.

“Well, normally, you could save up some money and buy a fairy back, but I suspect that’s not going to work. You could dump enough capital to buy the whole kingdom in front of Bridget, and I don’t think she’d let him go. I’m sure of it.”

“What is she going to do with Challe?”

“Not much, I’m sure. In fact, she’ll probably treat him with care. She’ll keep him by her side, give him tasty treats every day, and pet his head, I imagine.”

His words made Anne see red.

“Just what does she think Challe is?!”

Elliott frowned with pity at Anne’s reaction. But unmistakably, he was enjoying himself. The gleam in his eye was all too obvious.

“I don’t really understand why Bridget wants to treat him like a pet, either. This is truly unfortunate.”

He was making Anne angry on purpose. Hearing his words and looking into his eyes, she was convinced of it. Did he simply enjoy provoking her? Or did he have some other objective? At any rate, she hated being the object of his amusement. She held her tongue and just glared at Elliott.

Elliott cocked his head.

“Oh, are we done, then? Well, whatever. I’ll be returning to the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop. I abandoned my job overseeing the refining of the silver sugar to come here. Kat, won’t there be trouble if you don’t go back as well?”

“You head back first. Every once in a while, you should take the initiative and actually do some work.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Elliott turned on his heel, and Anne tightly gripped the royal medal that she had just gotten in front of her chest with both hands. She hung her head.

It would have been better if Challe had left of his own free will. She would have been sad, but there would have been nothing she could have done about it.

Yet he had sacrificed his own freedom so that Anne could obtain the royal medal.

“Why did he go that far for me? He didn’t have to do such a thing. I failed last year, too, after all. Even if I had failed this time, there would have still been next year.”

Keith heard her mumbling. “I’m sorry, Anne,” he said. “It’s because of what I told him.”

Anne looked up and saw Keith biting his lip apologetically.

“You… After what happened with the Duke of Philax, your name became widely known. Because of that, you became an object of envy among other candy crafters. If you had gone on without the qualifications of a Silver Sugar Master, you would have faced so much hostility that you wouldn’t have been able to make a living as a candy crafter. If there hadn’t been special measures in place this year, it probably would have been difficult for you to obtain enough sugar apples to enter the candy fair, even.”

Anne felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, and she started to stumble.

“Anne?!”

Keith panicked as he pulled her toward him by the arm. If he hadn’t done so, she probably would have fallen to her knees again.

Now that he had mentioned it, it was so obvious. If Kat hadn’t informed her, she would have never known about the special measures regarding silver sugar that year. Furthermore, when she’d been boarding at the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop, if Keith hadn’t put in a good word for her, she wouldn’t even have been allowed to set foot on the campus.

If that situation had continued, it would have been impossible for Anne to make a living as a candy crafter on her own. If she hadn’t gotten help from people like Kat and Keith, and especially Hugh, she would not have been able to even procure any silver sugar.

She was always receiving help or asking for assistance. She couldn’t have done her job without relying on others.

She wondered whether a person like her could really call themselves a full-fledged candy crafter.

I don’t want it to be like this. I can’t take pride in myself as a candy crafter if that’s how I operate.

Now that she had attained the rank of Silver Sugar Master, other crafters would not be able to carelessly mess with her any longer. If anyone interfered with the job of a Silver Sugar Master, a candy crafter who had been recognized by the king, they would be severely punished by the Silver Sugar Viscount.

It was a shock to realize that the path to her future had nearly been blocked because of malice.

Her skin prickled in horror at how spiteful people could be.

Even more shocking was the fact that she’d carelessly failed to realize the situation she’d been in. She felt so pathetic, she wanted to cry.

And Challe had helped her, in all her foolishness.

Challe is the one who gave me this royal medal.

She held back her tears.

It was not the time for tears. Crying out of pity for how naive she’d been would be even more foolish.

“Don’t apologize, Keith. This is all my own fault.”

She gazed in the direction that Challe had followed Bridget. There was neither a sign nor shadow of him in the crowd of people. A strong wind from the north blew across the plaza, fluttering the lace on the hem of Anne’s dress.

Mithril had been overcome by surprise, but he seemed to have finally come back to his senses, and he tugged at Anne’s hair.

“Hey, Anne. Let’s go to the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop, too. If that woman took Challe Fenn Challe there, we ought to be able to talk to them if we go there, right?”

“But—”

Anne had been kicked out of the studio by the maestro of the Radcliffe Workshop, Marcus. She wondered whether it would be acceptable for her to shamelessly show her face again. She was still thinking when Keith took her hand.

“Oh right, good idea. Let’s go!” Keith said encouragingly. “It’s all right. The incident with Sammy has come to light. Even Marcus ought to be wanting to apologize to you. So let’s go!”

“Go on, shrimp,” Kat agreed. “At any rate, if ya don’t go find the girl, ya won’t get anywhere,” he continued. “I’m takin’ Powell’s sugar candy back to the studio. After that…I got stuff to do. You two go on ahead.”

“Let’s go, Anne.”

Keith repeated himself a third time and squeezed her hand tightly. It was very comforting.

They were in Bridget’s room at the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop.

It was a guest room on the second floor of the building where the faction’s maestro and their family lived, commonly called the main house. Bridget stayed there while she helped with kitchen duties and other jobs.

Unlike the private rooms for the candy crafters, the guest room’s walls were plaster, and the wood paneling had been painted with lacquer. The curtains that hung over the windows had a woven pattern. The room was tidy and well-appointed.

Challe had been taken straight to this room. As soon as he was inside, he had leaned back against the wall beside the window and been gazing out of it ever since.

He had not spoken a single word. He looked annoyed. Bridget was perplexed and did not know how to interact with him when he was like that. She quickly lost patience with his silence.

“Challe.”

He heard his name. Before he realized it, Bridget was standing before him wearing an anxious expression.

“Are you angry?” she asked.

Am I angry? What a ridiculous question.

Challe chuckled quietly.

“Challe? Answer me. Are you angry?”

Once his chuckling abated, Challe wore a thin smile.

“You are my master. Why should you care about the feelings of someone under your control? Order me to do everything. Tell me to pay attention to you, to act like I’m in a good mood, and that if I don’t, you’ll punish me. That’s what you should say. If you don’t intend to order me around, give me back my wing.”

As if frightened by the sharp glint in his eye, Bridget stepped back. Then she raised her hand to protect the leather pouch that was hanging from her neck, hidden underneath her clothes.

“I will not. Absolutely not.”

“Then order me around.”

When he said that, Bridget looked frustrated for a moment. Then after a brief pause, she spoke.

“Stop it with the defiant attitude.”

“This is normal. I’m not defying you.”

“I don’t like the way you’re talking to me. Be nicer! Speak tenderly to me, like you did with that girl. If you won’t do that for me, then I really will punish you.”

Bridget fled even farther to the edge of the room, as if she was afraid of Challe. There, she took out the small pouch containing the wing from underneath her clothes. She opened the mouth of the pouch and produced the wing from within.

Bridget tightly grasped it, which was long enough to dangle down to her feet, in both hands and pulled it tight. The instant she did, Challe was assailed by a terrible agony that wrenched his entire body. He groaned and grimaced.

Bridget quickly eased her grip.

The pain subsided.

Challe took a deep breath.

Bridget looked back and forth between Challe and the wing in her hands with a guilty expression.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to make you suffer…”

Bridget folded the wing carefully and returned it to its pouch, then replaced it beneath her clothes. She timidly approached Challe.

“Listen, treat me like you treated that other girl. That’s all I want you to do. This is a first for me. The first time I’ve ever cared for someone so much.”

Looking into Bridget’s teary eyes, Challe felt nothing but a cold sensation spreading through his chest. It was a very familiar sensation. He had lived every day of his life with that feeling before he met Anne.

There was a knock at the door.

“Bridget? Are you in there?”

It was Marcus Radcliffe’s wife. Bridget jumped, as if she had a bad premonition about that voice.

“Y-yes. I’m here. What is it?”

When Bridget opened the door, Mrs. Radcliffe was standing there with a concerned look on her face. She held out an envelope.

“An urgent letter came for you. From Millsfield.”

Bridget took the letter, immediately cut the seal, and began reading. Her face quickly clouded over.

Mrs. Radcliffe stayed and watched Bridget finish reading the letter, then asked, “Bad news?”

Bridget furrowed her brow.

“It seems my father had a seizure this morning. He hasn’t had one for a while, but…”

“How’s his condition?”

“Not too good, apparently.”

“Then you must go home to Millsfield. If you leave now, you can arrive by evening.”

It was a kind suggestion, but Bridget looked torn.

“But my duties here—”

“The kitchen will be fine. We can always borrow a helper fairy from one of the studios in our faction. Even without you, we won’t have any trouble.”

At those words, Bridget hung her head.

“But…does that mean I’m not needed?”

“Isn’t it best if they let you go home, Bridget?”

Suddenly, there was a voice from behind Mrs. Radcliffe.

Mrs. Radcliffe turned around in surprise. “Oh!”

Standing there was Elliott, who had shown up unnoticed.

“Mr. Collins. Did you hear what we were just discussing?”

“I did. So Glen had a seizure, did he? If possible, I’d like to send Bridget back to Millsfield; would that be all right?”

“Yes, no problem at all. Let’s summon a carriage right away, shall we? What will you do, Mr. Collins? Will you go back with her as well?”

“I would really like to, but unfortunately, I have a job to do, and I can only go after getting permission from Marcus. So for the time being, I’d like to at least have Bridget return, so could I ask you to arrange the carriage? Oh, the fee will be paid after she arrives at the main studio of the Paige Workshop. Take this for the deposit.”

Elliott pulled several copper coins from his breast pocket and handed them to her. She accepted the money and headed down the stairs, saying she would prepare a carriage immediately.

Once Mrs. Radcliffe had gone, Elliott stepped into the room.

“What’s this? My darling little Bridget looks upset; what’s the matter?”

Bridget glared at Elliott.

“I have a job here. Don’t decide I’m going back without even asking me.”

“Your father had a bad seizure. I think you have a duty to return, don’t you?”

“Don’t I have a duty to do my job as well?”

“You heard Mrs. Radcliffe, right? They won’t have any trouble even if you’re gone, so it’s totally fine. They can find a replacement to do the kitchen work, but there’s no one to replace you as Glen’s daughter, is there?”

Hearing Elliott’s words, Bridget turned her face away.

“The only value I have is as Glen Paige’s daughter, I suppose.”

“I don’t know what you’re getting so bent out of shape for, but your life is looking pretty rosy right now, isn’t it, Bridget? After all, you got your hands on Challe, who you wanted so badly. Hey, Challe. You look like you’re in a foul mood.”

Looking amused, Elliott approached Challe and peered at his face. After flashing him a big grin, Elliott turned around to look at Bridget again.

“I hastened your return home out of kindness, you know? As long as you’re here, Anne will come, no question about it.”

Anne will come.

Bridget was startled by his words.

“Anne already knows Challe gave you his wing in exchange for her silver sugar. She’s aware he sacrificed himself for her sake, but she’s not the type to simply say thank you and let it go. She wants him back, so she’ll definitely come. She’ll press you to set him free and may even make a scene, you know? In which case, wouldn’t it be best to take Challe and go home to Millsfield?”

Bridget’s face stiffened.

“I won’t give him back.”

“Well then, shouldn’t you get packing?”

Bridget sprang into action.

She pulled down outfits that were hanging on the wall one after another, draping them over her arm. She balled the clothes up and tossed them onto the bed. She dragged a traveling bag out from underneath and began desperately stuffing dresses into it.

“Hurry now. They’ll have the carriage ready soon, so you’ve got to get out of here before Anne shows up.” Elliott seemed to be enjoying himself as he nonchalantly provoked her. “…Although,” he added, “that girl will definitely come chasing after you. No matter how far you go.”

He mumbled that last part quietly so Bridget wouldn’t hear him. It sounded like he was expecting Anne to come chasing after Challe.

Challe stared at Elliott, scrutinizing his face. He couldn’t understand what on Earth the man was thinking. But as he’d said, Anne was definitely on her way.

Challe had predicted Anne would quickly learn the reason why he had left with Bridget. He knew that once she learned the truth, she was unlikely to accept it so meekly, because she was a good-natured girl.

He had no doubt that Anne was going to strive to set him free.

But there was no way Bridget was going to allow it. Anne’s efforts would be futile.

Instead, now that she had the title of Silver Sugar Master, she ought to embark on her new path. She had plenty of people she could rely on. Even with Challe gone, she would be able to make it as a Silver Sugar Master.

Anne would set off on a journey with her new title with the others. That was a joyful thing, not a cause for sorrow.

But to the contrary, his feelings were hopelessly somber. He wanted to be happy for her, but in the depths of his heart, there was a part of him that couldn’t find any joy in it. Those were his own selfish feelings. He knew that perfectly well.

Don’t come, Anne.

He softly closed his eyes and implored her. He had made his decision for the sake of her future. He didn’t want Anne to ruin her future and her hard work by getting mixed up in his business.

But no matter what he did, he was overcome with emotions.

Visions of Anne’s myriad expressions appeared vividly in his mind. Her puzzled looks, her absent-minded stares, her flushed cheeks. The very mature and serious expressions that she showed him sometimes. He wanted to see her again.

Don’t come.

Even as he calmly prayed for her not to come, he wanted to see her. The emotional turmoil was agonizing.

Anne ran all the way to the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop with Keith pulling her by the hand. They were both out of breath when they arrived, but they passed right through the gate and headed straight for the main house.

When they rang the doorbell, a worker fairy came out to greet them. After announcing they had business with Bridget, the fairy told them where to find her room and let the two of them inside.

They had headed upstairs and were standing in front of the door when Anne suddenly felt nervous.

She didn’t know what to say or how to say it. More than anything else, she knew she would probably burst into tears of relief once she saw Challe. At any rate, she wanted to see him.

She gathered herself and knocked on the door.

“Hey, hey. Come on in.”

From inside came Elliott’s voice. Anne opened the door with suspicion and saw him sitting on the bed in the empty room, grinning.

“Welcome, you two!”

Bridget and Challe were not there. Anne looked around the room, confused.

“Mr. Collins. Bridget and Challe are…?”

“They went back to the main studio of the Paige Workshop, in Millsfield. Glen had a seizure this morning and is in poor condition, so it was necessary for Bridget to return home. You just missed them.”

“No…”

Atop Anne’s shoulder, Mithril raised a clenched fist.

“Hey, you! Why didn’t you stop them?!”

“I mean, I didn’t have any obligation to do that, so…”

“Don’t you have any empathy?!”

“I think I’m the type of person who hasn’t got much of that. Sorry!”

“You’re the lowest of the low!”

Elliott just laughed at Mithril’s indignation.

Let’s go after Challe. At least, for now. As far as Millsfield.

The town was only a half day’s distance from Lewiston by wagon. It wasn’t that far.

“Well, then. I think I’ll go get permission from Master Radcliffe and go back to Millsfield myself. I’m also concerned about Glen’s health.”

Elliott stood up and walked over to Anne.

“Right. Are you coming with me, Anne?”

Not understanding his words, she blinked repeatedly.

Elliott continued, “You’re a Silver Sugar Master now, right, Anne Halford? Will you come with me to the main studio of the Paige Workshop in Millsfield? If you work there as a Silver Sugar Master, you might find an opportunity to get Challe back. How about it?”

Keith stepped in front of Anne as if to protect her and asked warily, “What are you scheming, Mr. Collins?”

“Nothing. I’m not planning anything; I’m just being nice!”

“Are you suggesting I join the Paige Workshop and work at the main studio?” Anne asked.

“I am, indeed.”

Mithril gave Elliott a sidelong glance as he whispered to Anne, “This guy’s got some kind of ulterior motive. Definitely.”

She didn’t need the warning. She was perfectly aware that Elliott wouldn’t make such a proposal out of kindness.

Her mother, Emma, had always hated the factions. When Anne had asked her why, she had only ever answered that she didn’t like their way of doing things. And now Anne understood the reason behind her mother’s response. Emma had most likely dealt with the factions once, and perhaps in the same way as Anne, it had left her with a sour taste in her mouth. If she could, Anne didn’t want to have anything more to do with any of the factions.

But. But…that doesn’t matter.

Anne stared straight at Elliott.

“I’ll go. To Millsfield.”

“Anne, you ought to think this over carefully! There’s undoubtedly a catch to such a convenient proposal. What if they have something bad in store?”

Keith anxiously advised Anne against her snap decision.

Elliott frowned. His droopy eyes looked all the more charming.

“So harsh, Keith! Do you really think of me as such a villain?”

“Yes!”

Keith glared sternly at Elliott.

“So quick to answer…”

Without taking her eyes off Elliott, Anne said, “I don’t care if there’s something bad waiting for me there, because either way, I want to go to where Challe is. If you say you’ll let me work at the main studio of the Paige Workshop, then that’s what I want.”

“Anne, you…”

At her words, Keith held his tongue in apparent resignation.

Elliott flashed a broad grin.

“Wonderful. That’s what I was hoping for.”

“How should we go about this? Will we set off for Millsfield immediately?” Anne asked, challenging him.

“First, I need to get permission from Master Radcliffe to take off work. You ought to speak with him as well, to make sure you’re able to secure yourself enough silver sugar for next year. So you should come with me, too. Then once we’ve settled on an agreement, we’ll pack our things and be on our way. Though, it’s dangerous to travel at night, so we’ll probably leave tomorrow morning.”

“Understood.”

“So that’s it, then. Keith, I wonder if I could ask you to go back to the workroom?”

Elliott waved his hand as if to shoo Keith away.

“Why is that? Am I not allowed to be here?”

“Keith, didn’t you leave the silver sugar refining work without telling anyone? Playing hooky, are you? I’m your supervisor. Surely, it’s only natural that I would tell you to go back to work.”

“But I’m asking you, why now?”

“Keith, go. It’s fine,” Anne said, smiling to reassure him.

Keith frowned and looked worried. But in the end, he nodded obediently. Then he put a hand on Anne’s shoulder and tried to encourage her.

“Anne, remember this. Both me and Mr. Hingley are here to help you if anything happens.”

“Thank you.”

She was delighted enough just to hear his offer. The whole series of incidents, including the situation with Challe, were Anne’s problems. Yet Keith had been so kind, worrying about one thing or another and running around on her behalf. She felt bad about it. She didn’t want to presume upon his and Kat’s kindness any more than she already had.

Once Keith had left the room, Elliott put his hand on his hip and asked, “Okay, ready? We’ve got all sorts of arrangements to make. Master Radcliffe should be back by now.”

Anne nodded and followed Elliott out of the room.

Anne shoved a dress and a few towels into her small clothing trunk and closed the lid.

She didn’t have many personal effects and finished packing in a flash.

She was in the same room at the Weather Vane where she had spent the previous night. The sun had completely set, and it was pitch-dark outside.

As one could only expect in the royal capital, there were glass windows even at such a cheap inn. The glass itself had many impurities mixed in, and it wasn’t very transparent, so the view was warped. Despite that, having this separation where she could enjoy the scenery outside without being exposed to the open air felt like a luxury to Anne, who had been raised on the road, traveling between rural villages.

Mithril had thoughtfully lit the lamp for her.

Its light reflected softly in the windowpanes.

Anne sighed and sat on the bed.

It had been several hours since she had left Bridget’s room with Elliott, and it was a whirlwind of events.

They first had to find Marcus. But he was apparently running around because of the incident with Sammy, and it had been very difficult to determine his whereabouts.

By the time Marcus finally returned to the main studio, it was nearly evening.

Right after leaving the Royal Candy Fair with Sammy in tow, Marcus had gotten in touch with Sammy’s relatives and arranged for them to come collect him. Following that, he went to the Silver Sugar Viscount, Hugh Mercury, and got him to issue a notice of expulsion forbidding Sammy Jones from calling himself a candy crafter. After arranging for the news to be shared with all the crafters belonging to the Radcliffe Workshop, Marcus then drew up official letters for the maestros of the remaining two factions, informing them that one of his crafters had received a notice of expulsion.

He had apparently taken care of all that in half a day.

His swift actions, without the slightest delay, showed the degree of his anger.

When Anne went with Elliott to see Marcus, the maestro quickly explained all the steps he had taken to deal with the incident. After which he added morosely, “We will split next year’s silver sugar harvest with Ms. Halford. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, but as an apology, this is as much as I can do.”

Anne was satisfied with that. She had secured her silver sugar, and the person who had been so cruel to her had received an appropriate punishment. That was enough. And she was relieved to hear that Jonas had been exonerated.

As one would expect, Marcus also seemed pained by his poor treatment of his innocent nephew. He mentioned he had written a letter to Jonas’s home, apologizing and inviting him to come back to the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop.

Elliott had also received permission to take off work.

The refining of the silver sugar would be finished within the next three days. Even without Elliott there, they would have no difficulty getting it done. And the reason that he was leaving had to do with the maestro of a faction. Marcus seemed to be in favor of Elliott prioritizing the maestro of his own faction.

They made arrangements for Anne to travel to Millsfield with Elliott the following morning.

“Anne, aren’t you hungry?” Mithril asked.

Anne wasn’t hungry at all.

“How about you, Mithril Lid Pod? Are you?”

“So hungry. I’m on the verge of starvation,” he complained in a miserable voice.

Anne then remembered that she and Mithril had not had lunch.

“Ah, sorry! You were keeping me company and didn’t eat lunch, did you?”

Flustered, she stood up and pulled several copper coins from her wallet, which she had tossed into her luggage.

She handed the coins to Mithril, who was standing beside the lamp.

“Take these and go eat something in the dining room on the first floor.”

Mithril took the money, and his face lit up in a smile. But then he looked up at Anne with concern.

“You’re not eating, Anne?”

“I’m not that hungry. It’s fine.”

Anne forced herself to smile, but Mithril stared intently into her eyes.

“I guess you’re not interested in eating, huh? What you’re interested in is Challe Fenn Challe. But I also understand his feelings really well, okay? If someone like me was able to do what he did, I would have done the same thing. He did it because he wanted to. You don’t have to worry about him, Anne.”

Mithril’s kindness gently touched her heart. Her chest ached all the more.

“I understand perfectly well that he was thinking of me. I also understand he wouldn’t want me to worry about him. But I want to help Challe. I want to set him free.”

When Mithril heard that, he looked a little troubled.

“I’m not really sure whether this is something I ought to tell you, Anne, but if I was in Challe Fenn Challe’s position, I think I would have prepared myself before handing over my own wing. And since I had resigned myself to it so you could become a Silver Sugar Master, I wouldn’t want you to come save me. I would be happy so long as you made a name for yourself and lived a pleasant life as a Silver Sugar Master. I wouldn’t want you to come set me free. Because of who he is, even if you go help him, he might say it was none of your business.”

“He probably will. But I want the three of us to be together—Mithril Lid Pod, Challe, and me. I can’t stand being apart. This isn’t for Challe’s sake; it’s for mine. I’m sure I’m being very selfish, but I just want the three of us to be together again.”

“I see… Mm, okay.”

Mithril nodded several times, looking satisfied with her explanation.

“It’s for your own sake, you say? That’s why you’re going to Millsfield, Anne? In that case, it’s fine. Let’s get him back, that Challe Fenn Challe guy. Everything will be fine, then, won’t it? So cheer up! Let’s eat some dinner. If you don’t feel like going downstairs, I, Mithril Lid Pod, will help by bringing food and mulled wine to our room. No matter how much you insist that you have no appetite, once a tasty feast is laid out before your eyes, you will certainly feel like eating! Guaranteed!”

Mithril bounced out of the room.

Anne rubbed her cheeks roughly with both hands.

“Come on, cheer up!”

The next day, she would go to Millsfield. But from there, she had no idea what she should do.

Elliott had said she might be able to find a way to take Challe back.

But it was hard to tell what Elliott was thinking. She couldn’t pin him down.

Her eyes landed on the royal medal, which she had set down by the window. The silver medal was beautiful and untarnished, and its beauty and the weight of its presence were delightful. Yet at the same time, it made her chest hurt. It was hard to look at, like it was a symbol of Challe’s consideration and her own foolishness. She walked over to the window and picked it up.

With it in hand, she opened the lid of her small trunk. She pulled out a scarf that she had inside, carefully wrapped it around the medal, placed it at the bottom of the trunk, and closed the lid again. She looked down at the trunk.

If Challe is the one who gave me this royal medal, then until I set Challe free, I can’t say with pride that I have earned my title as a Silver Sugar Master.

She was reluctant to take full ownership until she was able to get Challe’s wing back. It seemed appropriate to lay it carefully to rest at the bottom of her trunk.

She had wanted to obtain the royal medal for so long. But why had she wanted it so badly? Why had she wanted to become a Silver Sugar Master? Why had she wanted to make sugar candy in the first place?

The fact that Challe had lost his freedom in exchange for her royal medal raised some fundamental questions.

All Anne had ever thought about was wanting to make sugar candy, and her only goal had been to become a Silver Sugar Master. She had never wondered why or questioned herself. The joy of creating something beautiful with her own hands drove Anne to make sugar candy. But beyond that, a strong urge to create had taken root in Anne, the true nature of which wasn’t clear to her.

Why do I want to make sugar candy so badly? Becoming a Silver Sugar Master is what I wanted, right?

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Anne snapped out of her reverie and rushed over to open the door. When she opened it, an unexpected person was standing there.

“Yo, it’s the fresh new Silver Sugar Master!”

“Hugh?!”

Standing on the other side of the door was Hugh Mercury. As always, he was accompanied by Salim, who was close behind him. Hugh was dressed not in the attire of the Silver Sugar Viscount, which he had worn that afternoon. Instead, he was wearing an inconspicuous brown jacket. Dressed in such simple clothing, his wild intensity was all the more striking.

“What are you doing in a place like this?” Anne asked.

“I’ve got something to discuss with you. Can I come in?”

“Ah, sure. Please.”

Anne moved aside to let him enter. Hugh told Salim to wait in the hallway and stepped inside.

He closed the door and looked around the room.

“Wow, it’s tidier than I thought. Maybe I’ll use this place when I’m traveling incognito.”

“I recommend it; the food here is good, too. But do you really need to go incognito that often?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. I go out to enjoy some adult entertainment, among other reasons.”

“I…probably don’t want to hear about that. By the way, what did you have to discuss with me? Does it have to do with me winning the royal medal?”

Hugh gazed out the window, then turned back to Anne. He was grinning.

“Well, since you asked, it does. Anne, you know how Kat hates my guts?”

“Mm. Ah…! I don’t think Kat hates you that much…”

She had almost answered honestly. But she had caught herself and hastily corrected her statement. Even Kat had a reputation to uphold. And she was talking to the Silver Sugar Viscount.

But Hugh seemed to understand and waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. I’m aware of his dislike for me. He’s so childish. Just because I gave him a nickname, he’s been sulking about it for over fifteen years. Anyway, since he’s such an immature fellow, whenever he sees my face, he just tells me to beat it or says I make him sick. But today, in a rare move for him, he came to see me of his own volition. That alone was surprising enough, but what business do you think he had with me?”

Anne didn’t have the slightest idea. Hugh continued talking.

“He came to me with a request. Honestly, I was flabbergasted. Seeing him bow to me was like some kind of miracle. And the cause of that miracle was you, Anne.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Kat came to ask me to use my authority as the Silver Sugar Viscount to get Challe back from the daughter of the maestro of the Paige Workshop.”

“Ah…so that’s what he went to do.”

After the Royal Candy Fair, Anne and Keith had left for the main studio of the Radcliffe Workshop. Kat had not accompanied them, as he’d said that he had something else to take care of. Perhaps that was when he had gone to enlist Hugh’s help.

“He seems to feel somewhat responsible for what happened with your silver sugar, since the swap took place at the main studio. He was supervising the refining of the silver sugar and was aware of the difficulties between you and the others, so he feels like he played a part because he didn’t notice.”

“But Kat isn’t to blame for any of this.”

“I told him the same thing. But he’s a sweet guy at heart, just like someone else I know!”

Hugh burst out laughing.

“He worked alongside you and came to think of you as a kind of apprentice of his. It sounds like he wants to get back something his darling apprentice treasures.”

Kat thought of Anne as his protégé. That made her really happy. It meant Kat acknowledged her as a true candy crafter. Both Keith and Kat accepted Anne as one of their colleagues without complaint. That was probably why they were so concerned on her behalf.

“So it is possible for me to accept Kat’s request—to put pressure on the Paige Workshop and take Challe back. Though, it would be awfully tyrannical of me.”

“That’s…”

Hugh stared intently at Anne. After thinking about it for a moment, she slowly looked up at him.

“I’m sorry, Hugh. Please don’t do that,” she said decisively. “I’m grateful that Kat cares. But if I don’t make up for my own foolishness, it won’t mean anything. If I had been smarter and more cautious, this whole thing could have been avoided. I don’t want to ask someone else for help again. I’m the one who’ll set Challe free. I’ll save him on my own. Otherwise, I’ve got no right to go around calling myself a Silver Sugar Master, holding a royal medal that Challe won for me.”

Kat accepted Anne as a fellow candy crafter and had asked Hugh to help her. That was all the more reason she couldn’t take advantage of his kindness.

The person whom Kat and Keith respected was Anne the candy crafter. She had to act like a proper crafter should. She couldn’t depend on them. She had to be strong and stand on her own two feet, or she would be embarrassed to show her face in front of them.

Hugh grinned.

“I win.”

“Huh? You win?”

“Yep, I win. Because I was right about how you’d respond. I didn’t accept Kat’s request. But he kept insisting that I do something, so we made a bet. In the event that you wanted my help, Kat would win. I would become the tyrannical Silver Sugar Viscount he wanted me to be and put pressure on the Paige Workshop to return Challe. But if you didn’t want me to interfere, it would be my win. So now Kat’s going to do whatever I ask of him.”

Hugh’s mouth curled into a terribly sadistic smile.

“Kat lost?! So that means… Hugh, what are you going to make him do?”

“I’m going to carefully think about it. I’ll get him to do something he hates and really make him cry.”

Hugh looked absolutely delighted and thrilled, which made Anne worried.

“I’m begging you. Don’t torment Kat too much. He’s a good person.”

“I can’t promise you that. Bullying him has been like a hobby for me these past fifteen years, after all.”

“What a dreadful hobby to have!”

The thought that maybe Hugh deserved Kat’s enmity flashed through Anne’s mind.

“No helping it, I’m afraid. He always starts yowling right away, so he’s fun to tease,” Hugh said readily.

Then he suddenly put on a serious expression.

“Anne. You intend to go to Millsfield and get Challe back? I’m sure you know this already, but I’ll still say it: The first year after becoming a Silver Sugar Master will be an important time for you. It’s when you should be figuring out your crafting style and building your reputation. The world is going to be curious about its newest Silver Sugar Master, at least until the next one is announced next year. During that time, you have to work hard to pave your path in this profession.”

A new Silver Sugar Master was crowned every year. In the period before the subsequent one was selected, that year’s new Silver Sugar Master received a lot of attention. If they didn’t use it to their advantage and create a solid reputation, rumors would spread that they did not deserve that title. Excluding Anne, there were currently twenty-three Silver Sugar Masters. Several of them had poor reputations.

Anne’s mother, Emma, had a very good one. Immediately after becoming a Silver Sugar Master, Emma had gotten in her horse-drawn wagon and started traveling. Apparently, she had visited as many places as she could in her first year, drawing people’s attention by hanging up a sign identifying herself as that year’s new Silver Sugar Master. She had established her reputation across a wide area.

Anne was well aware that the first year was important.

“This is your time to establish your standing as a Silver Sugar Master. If you mess this up, people will say your win was a fluke. Especially because you’re a girl. The world is harsh. Give up on Challe or at least go after him once this year passes and your standing is stable.”

Anne bit her lip. She shook her head forcefully.

“I can’t do that. I said this before, but as things stand, I can’t proudly call myself a Silver Sugar Master. There’s no way I can establish myself as one like this. I can worry about my standing and other such matters after I help Challe.”

“That’s naive.”

“I know. But I have to do what I have to do. I’m going to set Challe free.”

She had resolved herself to all that.

Hugh saw her expression, and the harsh look in his eyes immediately softened.

“I see. You’re hopeless, you know.”

Then Hugh ruffled Anne’s hair.

“Go do it, then. Get him back, Anne. I guess for you, that’s the first step. So that you can call yourself a Silver Sugar Master.”

Anne nodded firmly.

“No matter what, I’ll get him back.”