Chapter 14 – Mystifying Fairy Tree 

“You don’t feel that way, sis?”

Levisia kept her silence to Lidan’s question. As a matter of fact, Siaphyl had said something similar a few days ago. She didn’t know how to phrase it, but she didn’t feel it because she wasn’t a legitimate Kraiden. It was well known that the Kraidens regarded the Fairy Tree more particularly than the nameless siblings. 

It was fair to assume why they cherished and treasured the Fairy Tree: it was essentially the source of their power. For that reason, it seemed that Lidan and Siaphyl both felt something she couldn’t feel. So, to say that her powers were too ordinary to feel anything would be a better way to put it.  Levisia pondered for a moment for a refined way to articulate her thoughts but eventually, she ended up telling him plainly:

“I do not feel anything.”

“Really?”

“Yes, because I am not a Kraiden…”

“Ah.” Lidan nodded his head as though he roughly understood what it meant. Truthfully, it was even dismal he understood that.

‘I mean, should I be thankful that he understood that?’

There’s even a saying, “A genius cannot comprehend an average person.” They cannot comprehend the other like because what may be easy and natural for them might not be so for an average person.

‘Yes, it seems better to think it this way than have him just wonder why I can’t feel it.’

“Are you sure you didn’t secretly transplant a Fairy Tree here?” Lidan raised his eyebrows, still skeptical. 

When she looked at him, speechless, Lidan tilted his head as if to regard her as strange, but it seemed to her that he was the stranger one here. “Why would I transplant a tree that cannot survive outside the forest?” She asked, holding back the urge to plant her palm on her face. 

Then, Lidan said something very odd.

“You never know. It could all be made-up that it cannot survive outside the forest.”

“What? Is it so?”

“Of course not.”

Levisia stopped following him around, baffled by his unpredictable demeanor. It took a while before Lidan looked back at her after wandering around some more.

“I get it now,” Lidan said with a grin, “it wasn’t the place, but the person.”

For some reason, Lidan’s eyes seemed to gleam insidiously as he said those words.

* * *

Levisia kept herself in her sanctuary as much as possible since the day Lidan visited, fearing running into another Kraiden if she left. However, despite her efforts, visitors to her palace only increased.

“Hello, sis.”

Here he was with a lazy face waving at her when he should be taking his nap by the window in the library.

“The Third Prince, your highness.”

“I think I’ve gotten used to that cold greeting now.”

For a week now, Lidan had been coming to her palace every day, just like Siaphyl did. Once they became acquainted with her, it continued on for reasons only known to them. How could she leave the palace? She intended to visit the garden but became unsure where she wanted to go because of him. Just then, Lidan approached her and handed her a book.

“This is…”

“You haven’t read this one yet, right?”

The last of the [How to Survive] series: How to Survive in a Dragon’s Lair. It was no wonder Lidan knew which books she had read and which she hadn’t. He would come by every day to see what she was doing.

‘This is rather nice.’ 

Lidan had been bringing her books, sparing her the effort and time to visit the library. Though it seemed as though she were treating Lidan as an errand boy… But nice is nice. What could she say? It was not like she asked him for it. He acted willingly. Owing to him, she now owned a stack of five books in her room. ‘But I have yet to finish the previous book, How to Survive a Volcano. I must hurry.’

“Where were you heading to today?” Lidan asked as he followed behind her.

Leaving the books in her room, she answered, “I was going to the garden.”

“What is there to see?”

She had forgotten that Lidan thought the garden was nothing but a bare piece of earth.

“I have something to do there.” She had planned to put in support rods for the seedlings so that they would grow straight and healthy. By now, Sheila and Pel would’ve started already, so she had to go soon as well. “Are you going to keep following me?”

“Shouldn’t surprise you. That’s all I’ve been doing these past few days.”

How could he so proudly talk about having nothing better to do? He was correct though. However, she couldn’t argue and went to the garden with him trailing after her.

Soon, upon arriving at the garden, Lidan was filled with disbelief.

“What is this?”