It was a fine day.
As if I had just woken up from a slumber, I was freed from the restraints of the hypnosis magic that had been binding me.
I can still vividly recall how bewildered I was back then.
Morgan, with a gentle smile like the moon, stood before me as I was experiencing memory confusion.
"I have dealt with all the flying insects. It is now time to go together, Cael."
In her hand was the Holy Grail, and I realized that everything was over.
"To our eternal Fae Kingdom…"
That I had failed to protect my daughter, my family, or anything at all.
The night was restless.
To think I'd recall something from 20 years ago now. I thought I had forgotten it all, but it seems that wasn't the case.
The sheets were soaked in sweat.
I must have sweat so much in my sleep that the silk cloth, woven stitch by stitch by the finest artisan, looked cheap.
"...Still, I don't want to get up."
My mind was hazy. I don't know if it's because of the dream, or because of my weakening body.
What's certain is that I have no will to get up from this damp bed.
The faint light of the sunset streams in through the window. I pulled the covers over my head to escape the sun, which held more bitterness than warmth.
But even if I could escape the sun, I couldn't escape other things.
The sound of clicking footsteps echoed a few times from the hallway, then stopped abruptly in front of the door.
At the same time, an unfamiliar visitor roughly threw open the bedroom door and burst in.
She must have used so much force that I could hear the metal hinges trembling.
And then a girl's high-pitched voice struck my eardrums. It was a voice so full of excitement it could move my heart.
"Father! Get up quickly! Today's the day I'm debuting my new shoes!"
"..."
If I pretend to be asleep, maybe I can get through this.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but it had no effect.
Because the girl knew all too well how to wake me up.
"I know you're awake, you know? I'm going to tell Mother on you!"
"Won't you give me a break on that?"
I threw off the covers I had pulled up over my head.
Pinkish-red hair immediately spilled over my face.
Her eyes, as deep as her hair, curved into crescents as soon as they saw me.
"Heeey!"
"...Yes. It's good to see you, Baobhan Sith."
The girl's name is Baobhan Sith.
The identity of the fae playfully toying with my arm, which hadn't fully woken up from sleep, was,
My and Morgan's daughter.
I abandoned one daughter, and got a new one.
Of course, she isn't my real daughter by blood. Baobhan Sith is a fae who existed even before coming to the Fae Kingdom.
She's a fae whom Morgan adopted to raise as her successor, but as you can tell from the word 'adopted', her origins are unclear.
Given the fae characteristic of grouping together as a clan rather than a family, I thought Baobhan Sith must also have a clan, but Morgan has never once mentioned it.
So I decided not to be curious either.
Morgan only told me one thing.
-She is our daughter.
Therefore, Baobhan Sith is my daughter.
I couldn't accept it well for the first few years, but after 20 years, she now feels like a real family.
Though she's a daughter, she also has a bit of a younger sister feel to her.
...I can't tell you how relieved I am that her hair isn't blonde.
"Wait a minute, Father. Are you listening properly?"
"Uh... hmm. Of course."
"You weren't listening at all. I'll tell you one more time, so you have to listen carefully this time, okay?"
"Yes, I understand."
Baobhan Sith chattered on about recent events all the way to the dining hall.
Even after arriving at the dining hall, her mouth didn't stop.
"So do you know what I did? I smashed the head of a cheeky fae with a hammer! You should have seen his head bouncing on the grass, Father!"
"When I'm feeling better, let's go out together next time."
"Really? There's an auction in Glasgow, let's go together! Mother is busy, so you have to go instead, Father? Okay!"
"Of course."
Even at the open-ended promise, Baobhan Sith beamed.
I played along appropriately and picked up a freshly baked piece of bread.
And I gestured to the fae who were about to serve the prepared dishes to stop.
"Do you not require more, Your Majesty?"
"One piece of bread is enough."
If I eat more, my stomach just feels bloated, and I can't digest it well. It feels like I'm eating just to live.
I said I was fine, but the fae were actually glancing at Baobhan Sith.
"All of you, stop."
At that one phrase, the movements of all the fae working in the dining hall ceased.
The cheerful expression from before could no longer be found on Baobhan Sith's face.
Only a coldness that resembled Morgan remained.
Baobhan Sith roughly slammed the table. The wooden table, along with the tablecloth embroidered with gold thread, split in half.
"It's because you only serve trash-like food that Father doesn't want to eat. You useless, insect-like things!"
"We... we're sorry!"
"Ah~ I'm tired of that phrase now. Try using some more creative words. Don't you know how to say anything other than 'sorry'?"
"Um... well..."
The head of the fae who had been hesitating was the first to fly off.
The fae, whose head was perfectly severed from his neck, fell backwards like a wooden doll.
"Now, next. Make the next one a little more refreshing."
"Aaaah! Please, please have mercy!"
"Did I say you could move? Does any fae remember?"
And the next, and the one after that...
The fae begged for mercy in various ways to live, but it was a meaningless act.
Baobhan Sith, who was already in a bad mood, had no intention of leaving any fae in the dining hall alive.
I left Baobhan Sith's execution show behind and moved to the garden.
There was a prior guest in the garden.
Noticing my presence, she immediately took off the visor that covered her face and showed her respects.
Though, her actual tone of voice had no hint of respect.
"Oh my, it's the sleeping beauty majesty. How many months has it been since you woke up this time?"
"Well, the last I heard was of Gawain's departure for battle."
"Is there any point in her fighting all the time?"
"That's true too."
Mélusine. Her other name is Fairy Knight Lancelot.
A girl with a constantly relaxed atmosphere... well. As expected, she's a fae, and she's strong.
If Baobhan Sith kills other fae like wringing a baby's wrist, Mélusine can kill them like scooping up grains of sand.
I heard she just goes swoosh and they all die. Even the renowned fae in the Fae Kingdom yield to Mélusine.
Of course, I've never seen her force in person. And I probably never will.
I am the sole king of the Fae Kingdom. Morgan's husband.
Mélusine is loyal to Morgan as a Fairy Knight, so she probably... won't harm me.
She hasn't so far. Hmm.
"Oh dear. I was lost in thought and didn't see, but what are you doing there?"
"Nothing, Your Majesty."
Mélusine was now sitting on a nearby flower bed.
It bothered me a little. This garden, Morgan is quite fond of it.
"You'll crush the flowers if you're not careful."
"To me, Your Majesty and the flowers are all the same."
"Because they're weak?"
"Because they die quickly."
Mélusine grinned.
"Can't you stop saying such creepy things?"
"Sure. I'll be careful next time."
"...If my memory serves me right, I think I've told you to watch your words more than 20 times."
"Did you? I don't remember well. It would be good if Your Majesty could be lenient."
How absurd.
I laughed out of exasperation, but Mélusine was laughing because she was genuinely amused.
"Your Majesty is always so interesting. I'd be really happy if you woke up more often and became my conversation partner."
"My body is not as strong as a fae's."
"I know. You're human, right? Humans are... weak."
Mélusine's eyes seemed to darken for a moment, but they soon brightened again.
"Then I'll be on my way. Her Majesty Morgan is calling."
Putting her visor back on, Mélusine flew high into the sky without even giving me a chance to say goodbye.
"She's a jet."
A single blue light streaked across the sunset-colored sky, disappearing endlessly beyond the horizon.
I went to the flower bed she had been sitting on and checked the condition of the flowers.
"There don't seem to be any damaged flowers."
So she is a knight after all.
If she can show this much consideration, why can't she fix her way of speaking?
Even after Mélusine left, I continued to look around the garden, and another fae came to find me.
I could tell who it was just by the giant shadow cast over me.
"It's been a while, Gawain."
"You have arisen, Your Majesty!"
"Ah. Yes. Have you been well?"
"By the grace of Your Majesty's boundless benevolence, during this time I have..."
Barghest. Her other name is Fairy Knight Gawain.
She is a fae much closer to a knight than Mélusine, whom I just saw.
A sense of security that comes from her enormous build of 190cm. A dependable general to her allies and a terrifying one to her enemies.
She is perhaps the second most diligent fae among the fae, dedicating every day to suppressing the Mors.
For reference, the first is Morgan. Because there is no fae as diligent as Morgan. Barghest can generously be given second place.
The downside is... she's excessive.
"How is your body, Your Majesty? Do you have any difficulty moving? If you are alright with it, I, Gawain, can offer my arm for Your Majesty."
"What do you mean by offering your arm?"
Barghest picked up a nearby flower pot and placed it on her forearm.
And then she lifted it vigorously.
Due to the laws of physics, the flower pot soared high into the sky, then fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
Soil and flowers were scattered on the ground.
"Does that perhaps mean you intend to shatter me like that?"
"N...no, Your Majesty! What I meant was, that I could carry Your Majesty like this..."
Barghest explained in a fluster. Her voice was loud, but so loud that I couldn't properly hear what she was saying.
"...I apologize."
"It's fine. It was quite amusing."
Her loyalty is tremendous, but she's a bit of a klutz.
Sometimes she shows off these ridiculous gags.
It's more of a fun point than a downside? I think it can be considered an unexpected charm point.
Though Barghest herself is probably serious.
I politely declined Barghest's sky-viewing service.
"I might hit my head on the garden structures, so I'll pass for today."
"Understood, Your Majesty. However, that flower pot..."
"The fae in charge of management will clean it up. Don't worry about it."
"But..."
I had to drag Barghest, who couldn't let go of the broken flower pot, around.
Since I had been asleep for a long time, I had many things to ask. As for why Barghest specifically,
Mélusine's personality is such that she doesn't know anything unless it interests her, so she's not a suitable person to ask anything.
As for Baobhan Sith, the moment I ask her anything, she'll try to find the best answer by grinding up the fae (literally).
I'm not curious about anything grand, just about how the world is turning.
In that sense, Barghest is the best. Because Barghest, for a fae, was an excellent intelligent being... an intelligent spirit?
I walked around the garden with Barghest.
Barghest stood half a step behind me, matching her pace to mine.
"The garden feels a little bigger."
"There were several expansions while Your Majesty was last asleep. This is now the old wing, and that is the new wing. The new wing was designed and built by Her Majesty Morgan herself."
"It does seem so. It's certainly a familiar sight."
Leaving the slightly questioning Barghest behind, I headed for the new wing of the garden.
It wasn't just a familiar sight.
The new wing of the garden had a perfect level of reproduction, as if it had been pulled out of memory.
'The Orkney Island days. She recreated the palace where we all lived together.'
Just placing my hand on the bricks brought a poignant nostalgia that tugged at my heart.
"...A palace."
"In my opinion, it seems a bit too small to be called a palace."
Barghest cautiously offered her opinion on my mutter.
That's probably true. Barghest wouldn't understand.
Because compared to the magnificent palace Morgan had built, the new wing of the garden was so shabby.
And yet, I called this a palace. Everyone on the island thought so.
Just as tears were about to well up from the nostalgia of a memory that was now so distant, I gave a small nod.
"I agree. It's more of a mansion than a palace. Just right for a family of four to live in."
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
"I've seen enough, let's go now."
Barghest said to me as I was about to turn back.
"You have not yet seen the interior of the new wing, Your Majesty. Her Majesty Morgan built it herself, so why not take a look inside?"
"I know it all, so is there really a need to see it with my own eyes? Let's go now."
"...? Understood, Your Majesty."
Barghest, though puzzled, didn't press further.
We returned to the old wing of the garden and talked about various things.
"Is Adonis doing well?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Hearing that the lover of the Fae Kingdom's greatest knight is doing well puts my mind at ease."
"A...a lover! Adonis is just a guest!"
Like the always entertaining love stories of others.
"When is Morgan's birthday? With my memory being so erratic, I'm worried I might not be awake for her birthday."
"You need not worry, Your Majesty. You say that, but you have never missed Her Majesty Morgan's birthday, have you."
"Thank you for saying that."
Birthday.
And the most important thing.
"Has the Great Calamity... come? Or has it not?"
"It has not yet come, Your Majesty, but it is expected to arrive in the near future. Her Majesty Morgan has said, as always, that there is no need to worry."
"Morgan is a deep thinker, so she's always misunderstood. I doubt she said it as kindly as you put it."
"...In reality, she only said to be quiet."
The Great Calamity.
A disaster that comes to destroy Britain.
Morgan, as always. She will fend off this disaster well this time too.
She has done so until now, so there's no way she'll fall now.
After the walk, I sent Barghest back.
"You must be busy with work, thank you for accompanying me."
"Not at all, Your Majesty. It was an honor to be of service to you."
Listening to the clanking of her armor, I returned to the bedroom.
I met many fae while walking down the hallway.
To be precise, I saw them, and the fae lowered their eyes.
-Your Majesty.
They bowed as low as they could, showing me respect.
This was one of the things I couldn't get used to even after 20 years.
The reason I, an old and weak human, can be called 'Your Majesty' is all thanks to Morgan.
Thanks to the overwhelming radiance of being the king of the fae, I am living a life of luxury like this.
Am I happy?
The palace dining hall, which the fae don't even need, was made solely for me.
The garden is the same. Morgan specially made it because I couldn't adapt to the Fae Kingdom for several years.
The reason my body, which should have died according to my average lifespan, is still holding on is also thanks to the countless magic formal wears Morgan made.
Returning to the bedroom, I immediately lay down on the bed.
The sheets and blankets, which had been damp with sweat when I woke up, had already been changed.
The food I eat, the clothes I wear, the bed I sleep in... from one to ten, there is nothing that Morgan's influence has not touched.
I
Why am I here?
"Cael. Cael."
"...Morgan?"
My head is hot.
The outside of the window was filled with darkness. Is it night? When did I fall asleep?
"It's alright, Cael. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Was I trembling? Since when?"
Morgan was silent.
My relentlessly trembling hands couldn't find their place.
"Morgan. Answer me."
I'm still lying in bed.
But my body wouldn't move.
Then why am I trembling?
"Hic...! Hic!"
"Morgan?"
The room was not lit, so I couldn't see anything.
Of course, I couldn't see Morgan's face either.
All I could feel was Morgan on top of me, and the bed shaking.
The sound of creaking could be heard, and my hot head slowly cooled down.
At the same time, forgotten truths came to my mind.
How old am I?
Am I really 40?
Have I really lived for an additional 20 years in the Fae Kingdom after the Holy Grail War ended?
Is it really just 20 years?
"Shh."
Morgan said.
"It seems strange memories are trying to surface again. I believe I told you that there's no need to remember such bothersome things."
"What? No, wait a minute. What is all this...?"
Goosebumps. A chill ran down my spine and cold sweat dripped down.
Who am I?
A beast? A fae?
What was my name?
"Cael. There's nothing to be afraid of."
"Morgan, you..."
Morgan placed her hand on my forehead.
As a blue energy surged from her hand, my head began to heat up again.
"You've already... my memories several times..."
My mind grows distant. My vision blurred.
"It's alright. It's just that you've exceeded the memory capacity of a human, so sometimes it needs to be reset like this."
"...Ugh...!"
"The cycle is getting shorter and shorter. It's indeed painful. But there's no need to worry. My one and only Cael."
A short sensation brushed past my forehead.
"Because we are together."
Hot breath tickled my ear.
"Forever."