Sugar Apple Fairytale - Volume 6 - Chapter 3.2

It was obvious that Lafalle meant to take Anne away with him, and Challe had to make sure that didn’t happen.

He threw open the hallway window and leaped out of it. He flapped his wing, intending to float gently to the ground, but because he only had one, the motion was imperfect. Landing on one knee, he quickly regained his balance, managing to stand just as Anne was coming out the front door.

“Stop there, Challe.” Lafalle’s soft voice echoed through the courtyard. “Be still. Anne is in my grasp, so don’t do anything rash. If I feel I’m in danger, I’ll take off her head. I hate to kill a Silver Sugar Master, but I can simply find another one to replace her. It’s a different story for you, though, isn’t it? For you, it has to be her.”

Lafalle’s whole body blazed with crimson light. And yet despite his brilliant glow, the scarlet fairy still seemed somehow insubstantial. He shimmered and shifted, like a flame without substance or heat. It was a beautiful, eerie sight.

Challe was facing off against Lafalle at quite a distance. Lafalle had the advantage, and he seemed intent on keeping Challe where he was.

While all this was happening, Lafalle continued pulling Anne toward him, until at last, he caught her in his arms.

Anne let out a little shriek, but he embraced her from behind, enveloping her. Then as if showing off what he could do, he kissed her hair, her cheek, and her neck. Anne went pale, and her whole body stiffened.

Challe’s sword trembled in his grip.

“Lafalle. You bastard.”

Lafalle whistled softly, and two horses emerged at the bottom of the sloping hill. One of them was a palomino, its coat shiny and golden, while the other one was as black as midnight.

The palomino came up beside Lafalle, and still holding Anne, he leaped lightly onto its back.

“Get rid of the sword in your hand and come over here slowly. If you dawdle, I might get angry and take off one of Anne’s legs. After all, a Silver Sugar Master only needs their hands and eyes to work.”

His red threads were still wrapped around Anne’s neck, and he made them slither to show Challe how quickly he could move them.

Immediately, Challe waved his hand, turning his sword into beads of light and making it disappear. Then he slowly approached Lafalle.

Looking down at the other fairy from atop his horse, Lafalle smiled.

“I’ll have your wing now.”

Challe did as he was told and dug through his pocket, producing the pouch that held his other wing.

“Take Challe’s wing, Anne.”

As ordered, Anne bent over and extended her hand. As her fingers touched the pouch to take it, Anne looked like she was going to cry. Challe pushed it into her hand.

“Challe…your wing…”

“Don’t worry.”

With trembling fingers, Anne sat back up, and Lafalle ripped the pouch out of her hand. Then he suddenly squeezed it with all his might.

A sharp pain ran through Challe, like his whole body was being bent and twisted, and he stumbled, gritting his teeth.

Anne covered her mouth and screamed.

Lafalle nodded, seeming satisfied. “Now I’m certain that this is yours.”

Lafalle put the pouch in his jacket’s inner pocket and issued Challe an order, his voice gentle.

“Get on that horse. I picked it out just for you, Challe. Doesn’t it have a beautiful black coat?”

There was nothing to do but obey. Challe was helpless. He had someone to protect, and that inevitably put him at a disadvantage against such a cunning opponent. He got on the back of the black horse.

“Follow me,” said Lafalle, kicking his horse in the side.

The fairy easily handled the startled horse as it reared its front legs and neighed, and then he was off. Challe urged his mount forward, too.

If nothing else, I’ve got to protect Anne, he thought as he followed the palomino.

The others remained glued to the spot. They had all witnessed the events in the garden from the window.

“Anne…”

Jonas murmured her name in a daze. But there was nothing anyone could do, and they simply watched as Anne and Challe left with Lafalle.

Mithril Lid Pod, who had been standing imposingly by the window, trembled as he looked on. He balled both hands into fists and stared at the two horses as they galloped away, trying to hold his anger in check.

“What happened…?” asked Elliott from the corridor. His voice was hoarse as he held a hand over the wounds on his neck.

At the sound of his voice, Kat seemed to finally recover his senses, and he ran over to Elliott.

“Elliott, are you all right?” he asked.

“What happened to Anne?”

“That red fairy took her with him…and Challe, too.”

Blood was slowly oozing from Elliott’s neck. It had soaked his shirt down to the shoulders. Paying it no mind, he grabbed Kat’s arm with one bloody hand.

“Kat, go report to the Silver Sugar Viscount that a dangerous fairy has appeared and he’s attacking Silver Sugar Masters! Tell him he’s the same one who attacked several candy crafters on the highway, and now he’s kidnapped our Silver Sugar Master. If the Viscount doesn’t mobilize soldiers to go after him, there will be more casualties! Go now and tell him! Hurry!!”

The Silver Sugar Viscount was in charge of all candy crafters. And he was also their protector.

Mithril hopped down off the windowsill and leaped onto Kat’s shoulder.

“Kat, let’s go!”

The Silver Sugar Viscount was only furnished with enough soldiers to safeguard his castle and act as his personal bodyguard. If he needed an actual military force, then the Earl of Downing, his guardian, was supposed to answer the Viscount’s call and come to his aid. Aside from the Downing family’s retinue, the Earl of Downing also had the right to mobilize one section of His Majesty’s personal army.

There was no question that this was a situation requiring help from the Silver Sugar Viscount, the protector of all candy crafters. If he judged it necessary and gained approval from the Earl of Downing, he could rally a considerable force.

Kat nodded. “On it.”