They Forgot Her

I returned to the Love Fairy Kingdom crestfallen.

Sure, no one recognized me. But I had once been their rightful Queen. I had stood up to Dark Fairies like the one who killed Edna.

Edna—her loss was too sudden. In this new world, she had been a stranger to me, but she was one of my kind. One of the people I hoped to rule, to protect. Just like I once did, centuries ago.

Maybe everything would be restored once I pried them from King Baltimore's grip.

But this wasn't about Baltimore now. It was about Edna and what she represented. An innocent, in this new world.

Anxiety crept in as I thought about another Love Fairy I had gotten to know.

Where was my only friend since escaping the dungeon? Where was Doverel?

Did she return to the Love Fairy Kingdom after we parted ways earlier?

I scanned the clearing—and heaved a breath of relief. Thank goodness.

There she was, among a small crowd of fairies, basking in the glow of attention.

"You're fantastic, Doverel!" they cooed.

"98? How did you even get 98 couples?" a male fairy asked, amazed.

Doverel had better luck venturing further, unlike poor Edna.

"Doverel!" I called out. She turned at once, her bright smile softening into concern when she saw my face.

I must have looked distraught. How could I not?

"What happened?" she asked gently.

"Edna..." My voice dropped. "She didn't make it."

"Edna?" Doverel blinked. For a moment, I saw a flicker of sadness—or maybe guilt. But then, with a glance at her admirers, her face hardened. She scoffed lightly. "She went too close to the dark woods, didn't she?"

I nodded grimly.

What she said next knocked the air from my lungs.

"Then that's on her. Just like the elders always say—choices have consequences."

And with that, she turned back to her new fans.

"Oh my goodness, Doverel, I need to learn from you."

"The King's going to be so pleased!"

"Rising star!"

"Please, guys," Doverel said with false modesty, "we still have more time to go on."

I stood there, horrified.

"Don't any of you care?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Edna died. She was one of you."

"Who?" one fairy asked, genuinely puzzled.

"One less competitor, I guess," another shrugged.

I felt cold all over. What kind of values were these? When did being a top scorer become more important than being a decent person?

We were love fairies. Where was the love?

No one remembered Edna.

Not a single one of them cared.

Not even Doverel.

Did I even know her?

Then Arisa came. I didn't like her. But I had hope—surely, she'd understand.

"Elder Arisa," I called out, pleading. "Edna is dead. A Dark Fairy got her."

She didn't even blink.

"A tragic end," Arisa said, folding her hands. "But the lesson remains: don't wander where you don't belong."

What did I expect?

They didn't care.

Not a single one.

Not even when one of their own fell.

"Let that be a lesson to you too, young fairy," she added, gesturing toward the golden board displayed near the palace gates. "Maybe get your name on there before we give a damn."

I turned.

There it was. The Kingdom's shrine to achievement.

Gervan: 120 couples.

Doverel: 98.

Lucien: 89.

A sickness swelled in my gut.

This was what mattered here? A numbers game? No defensive training. No value for life. Just racking up couples and smiling pretty for the King.

Should I even be happy that Doverel was second?

Something was broken.

They needed to relearn what it meant to be a Love Fairy. Or maybe... learn it for the first time.

They needed more than ideals and sparkles. They needed to care. They needed to protect themselves.

They needed offensive magic.

They needed me to protect them and guide them.

And I had to be strong for them.

So I didn't wait.

Dusk was falling—5 pm. Most other fairies were retreating home, but not me.

I ventured out again. Only I wasn't venturing too close to the dark woods... not yet anyway.

Instead, I found myself near the edge of the woods, practicing like the fate of the world depended on it. The Dark Fairies won't hurt my kind once my powers were back to what they were.

Then, about a hundred meters away, perched like a raven on the twisted branches of a poison apple tree, sat a Dark Fairy.

He didn't move. But I could feel his presence.

I saw his lanky build, his curly black hair, and pale skin. He lounged on the branch with a twig in his mouth, half asleep. He even seemed borderline attractive in an eerie kind of way. You could feel danger emanating off him.

It was his presence that gave me privacy. No Love Fairy would dare venture this close. I needed privacy from these brainwashed goons to do what I needed, and I just had to stay far enough not to tempt fate.

You heard me—Dark Fairies are dangerous.

You don't approach them. You don't talk to them. You treat them like wild animals—carefully, and from a distance.

Heck, one even killed Edna—because she got too close.

But this one…

This Dark Fairy was too still. Too calm. Too tame.

He even seemed to be taking a nap. Was he pretending?

Don't get me wrong. I was still wary. Dark Fairies don't feel guilt, don't forgive. If you offend one, the rest will come for you. I'm still wary. But this one—he seemed different. Too calm. Too still.

I carefully summoned my red mists from my palms to form a single orb. I felt my magic getting steadier as the orb grew bigger. I felt its warmth, its promise, and power.

There was hope after all.

And then—of course—my orb betrayed me. It trembled, slipped free from my fingers—and drifted.

Slow and silent, it floated like a wandering flame toward the trees.

Toward him.

My heart seized. I didn't dare breathe.

I had to act like this was planned. Like I was in control.

I calmly tucked the orb back, whispered an apology to the wind, and turned my face away.

Maybe if I ignored him, he wouldn't ruin everything. He wouldn't attack me.

Because I needed this. I needed to act.

I needed to teach my people how to care.

How to defend themselves.

How to fight back.

I needed to be the one to rise above King Baltimore.

He had his time pretending to be the rightful heir.

His indoctrinations were toxic. The elders below him weren't any better. Mindless servants.

The elders didn't care about death. They wanted conformity. Silence. Obedience.

But I won't bow.

I refuse.

They'll regret underestimating me. They'll regret dismissing my warnings.

I'm not asking for forgiveness.

They started this.