Having reached an agreement, Aristovelli turned and made for the door.
"Ah… how exhausting," she sighed, stretching lazily as though the tense exchange had merely drained her patience rather than threatened the lives of everyone present. "Now then, you should bathe as soon as possible. You reek." She glanced back toward Victoria. "That is hardly fitting for a woman."
With that, she stepped out of the chamber, followed closely by Aiden and Godric.
The cool evening air greeted them as they walked along the dim wooden corridor of the isolated house. Outside, the village had grown quieter, though the distant murmur of conversation and the crackling of torches still lingered beneath the night sky.
Before long, the two guild masters voiced the doubts weighing upon their minds.
"Can we truly trust her?" Godric asked at last.
"Trust?" Aristovelli repeated before laughing softly to herself. "I am far too old to place faith in such things."
She clasped her hands behind her back as she walked.
"It is called a deal for a reason. A mutual exchange. Nothing more." Her smile thinned knowingly. "Relationships built upon shared interests tend to be far more honest than those built upon trust."
Godric frowned slightly.
"But what if she fails to honour her side of the agreement after you have fulfilled yours?"
"Hmm…" Aristovelli hummed thoughtfully, pressing an index finger lightly against her lips. "That would indeed be unfortunate."
Then she smiled again.
A dangerous smile.
"But there is no need to trouble yourselves over such possibilities. Should that day ever come…" Her eyes narrowed faintly as she stared into the darkness ahead. "I would simply respond with equal measure."
Aiden instinctively glanced at her from the side.
"She is just as insane as that monster," he thought warily.
Godric, meanwhile, merely sighed to himself.
The answer was exactly what he had expected from his former master.
Back within the chamber, Victoria remained standing in silence, her gaze fixed upon an empty corner of the room as though something lingered there unseen.
And in truth, something did.
A small light hovered quietly in the air.
It did not stand upon the ground, but drifted weightlessly like a wandering firefly, its gentle radiance reflecting across the fallen princess's irises as she studied it with cautious curiosity.
The strange being had remained beside her from the very moment she awakened in chains.
At first, Victoria had assumed it belonged to Aristovelli or the others. Yet as time passed, she slowly realized something unsettling.
No one else reacted to its existence.
Neither Aristovelli. Nor Aiden. Nor Godric.
It was as though she alone possessed the ability to perceive it.
"Who are you?" Victoria asked directly, unwilling to waste time circling the matter.
At her voice, the floating light slowly softened and took shape.
A tiny figure emerged from the glow, no larger than a finger.
A fairy.
She possessed delicate features framed by long platinum-blonde hair adorned with crystal-like ornaments that shimmered faintly like distant stars. A soft blush rested upon her cheeks beneath luminous amber eyes filled with warmth… and a sorrow difficult to describe.
From her back extended translucent wings resembling those of a butterfly, pale rose in colour, scattering faint trails of sparkling dust each time they fluttered.
Her attire resembled layered flower petals woven into a shimmering pink garment, giving her an ethereal beauty that scarcely felt real—as though she were the final remnant of light surviving within a dying world.
"Me?" the fairy asked innocently, pointing at herself.
Victoria sighed faintly.
"Who else would I be speaking to? We are alone in this room."
"Ah—sorry! Sorry!" the little fairy apologized repeatedly, bowing her head over and over in embarrassment.
"It's fine," Victoria replied, rubbing lightly at the back of her neck. "Just answer my question. Who are you? And am I truly the only one capable of seeing you?"
"I am a fairy…" the tiny being began timidly.
"I already know that," Victoria interrupted flatly. "I read of your kind as a child. Begin with your name."
The fairy straightened herself immediately.
"My name is Elysia," she answered politely, bowing once more. "Your humble servant."
Her glowing eyes softened.
"As the newly chosen Goddess of Love, it is my duty to ensure your awakening reaches completion, so that you may one day fulfil your role as a supreme deity."
Victoria's expression darkened slightly at those words.
"And yes," Elysia added gently, "you alone can see me."
Victoria studied the tiny fairy in silence, her thoughts turning cautiously behind narrowed eyes.
"Everything points to her speaking the truth," she reflected inwardly. "Those three were not fools—especially that woman. They would have reacted immediately after seeing her. Could this be some hidden scheme devised by Eros to seize my body?" Her gaze sharpened dangerously. "Possible… let us see."
Without warning, Victoria moved.
In a single instant, she lunged forward, snatched Elysia from the air, and crushed the tiny fairy within her grasp.
Yet when she slowly opened her palm, no blood stained her hand.
No remains.
Only shimmering particles of light drifted from between her fingers like scattered stardust.
Then, from the opposite side of the chamber, Elysia suddenly reappeared entirely unharmed.
"Ahh…!" the fairy cried, panting in distress. "What sort of Goddess of Love are you supposed to be?! Were you trying to kill me!?"
Tears welled in her glowing eyes as she hurriedly inspected herself from head to toe, checking frantically for injuries that did not exist.
"Be gentle!"
Victoria, meanwhile, regarded the result of her little experiment with quiet satisfaction.
"She appears immortal as well," she concluded inwardly. "So, getting rid of her will not be simple. I am stuck with this creature… troublesome."
Meanwhile, Elysia continued her dramatic complaints without pause.
"Would you stop already?" Victoria sighed. "You are clearly unharmed. I merely wished to confirm something."
As she spoke, she casually cracked her fingers one after another.
Elysia immediately shrank back with a frightened pout, struggling to hold back her tears.
"You mentioned helping me fully awaken," Victoria continued. "What exactly does that mean?"
The fairy folded her tiny arms stubbornly.
"First, promise me you will not try to kill me again!"
"It is not as though you can die anyway." Victoria exhaled tiredly. "I have not even known you for a full day, yet already you are a burden."
Elysia puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"Fine," Victoria relented at last. "I will not attempt to kill you again. Satisfied?"
"Yes!" Elysia beamed instantly, all traces of fear vanishing.
"To answer your question…" The fairy floated upward slightly, regaining her composure. "As things currently stand, you have yet to awaken even a quarter of your true power. At present, you have not even reached the rank of a demigod."
Victoria's brows furrowed faintly.
"But…" Elysia added excitedly, her amber eyes glittering.
"But?" Victoria urged.
Just as the fairy prepared to continue, a knock echoed from the wooden door.
Both Victoria and Elysia turned toward it simultaneously.
"Excuse me… may I enter?" a soft, feminine voice asked from outside.
Victoria immediately lowered her voice.
"We shall continue this later," she told the fairy quietly.
"Yes, enter."
The door creaked open gently, revealing Loof standing at the threshold.
"Good evening, my lady," she greeted respectfully with a small bow. "My grandfather, Chief Lashkar, considers you an honoured guest. I have come to escort you to our family's hot baths so you may wash and recover properly."
Truthfully, such hospitality stood in complete opposition to the old chief's usual temperament—especially toward the very woman who had thrown the village into chaos only four days prior.
Yet there was reason behind his sudden generosity.
Aristovelli, in one of her more mischievous moments, had jokingly convinced the chief that should Victoria be treated poorly, she might grow displeased enough to destroy the entire village. Worse still, even the Legendary Witch herself might fail to stop her if such a calamity came to pass.
Chief Lashkar was prideful, loud, and fond of boasting.
But beneath all that bluster hid the heart of a frightened old man.
Thus, he wasted no time ordering the villagers to treat the fallen princess with utmost care—as though she herself were village royalty.
Without protest, Victoria followed Loof through the quiet evening lanes toward the chief's family bathhouse.
Upon arriving, she found several maids already assembled at the entrance, standing neatly in line with bowed heads as though awaiting the arrival of nobility.
As Victoria walked forward with Loof beside her and Elysia fluttering invisibly nearby, hushed murmurs spread among the servants.
"She is incredibly tall…"
"And imposing…"
"Is it normal for a woman to possess such a presence?"
"I heard she fought both guild masters equally."
"No, the rumours say she defeated them."
"Defeated several powerful mages at once… that is amazing."
"Quiet!" one maid whispered urgently. "She might hear us!"
Unfortunately for them, it was already too late.
"I can hear you quite clearly, you know," Victoria remarked without even glancing back.
The entire line of maids stiffened instantly.
"We-I-We are terribly sorry, my lady!" they cried out together, faces reddening in embarrassment.
Victoria merely sighed and continued past them.
Beside her, Loof burst into laughter at the girls' reactions.
The maids immediately puffed their cheeks and lowered their heads further, mortified by their own carelessness.
Victoria stood quietly before the steaming waters, her reflection trembling upon the bath's surface.
For the first time since her arrival in this world, she truly looked at herself.
The woman staring back was no longer the gentle and romantic princess she once knew.
The softness that had once defined her features had faded beneath sharper lines and colder eyes. Even her aura had changed. The woman reflected in the water no longer resembled someone born to be loved, but someone forged through ruin and bloodshed.
Seeing this, Victoria made a silent decision.
If she could no longer reclaim the woman she once was… then she would at least shape this new self into something fitting.
"Before I bathe," she spoke calmly, "I would like my hair cut."
"No problem," Loof answered immediately. "Leave it to me."
At her command, the maids hurried away before returning with a polished mirror, combs, brushes, scented oils, and a finely sharpened pair of scissors.
Victoria took a seat upon a small wooden stool while Loof stood behind her.
Then she began washing her hair thoroughly.
Once was not enough. Twice was not enough either.
Only after cleansing it several times did the dust, sweat, and dried traces of battle finally disappear.
Then Loof carefully combed through the long silver strands until they flowed smoothly like silk beneath the bathhouse lanterns.
"What sort of cut do you desire?" Loof asked gently.
"A short one." Her answer came without hesitation.
Nearby, Elysia had created a tiny bath of her own atop a floating leaf, quietly soaking herself while humming cheerfully to pass the time.
For a while, silence lingered between the two women.
Not an unpleasant silence… merely an awkward one.
Eventually, Loof decided to break it.
"You have beautiful hair," the future chief remarked softly.
Victoria lifted a handful of silver-black strands between her fingers, letting them slip slowly through her grasp.
"This?" she murmured. "There is nothing beautiful about it."
Loof paused briefly.
Victoria noticed it immediately.
It was not merely hesitation that Loof held back. It was words.
"Speak," Victoria said calmly. "Do not restrain yourself. The heavens granted you a voice, so use it. That right belongs to you."
Loof inhaled quietly before continuing, her tone composed rather than hostile.
"Four days ago, you nearly killed all of us."
With careful precision, she began trimming Victoria's hair.
"I hated you for that." She spoke calmly. "And while I am not the sort to wear my feelings openly like knights parading in their armour… I am rather skilled at holding resentment in my heart."
Snip.
Silver and black strands drifted softly to the floorboards.
"But after meeting you…" Loof continued, "I realized something strange."
Victoria remained silent, listening.
"There is immense hatred within you. Vast enough to drown kingdoms." Her hands slowed slightly as she worked. "Yet somehow… beneath all that darkness, I can still sense kindness."
Victoria gave no reply.
Partly because she did not know how to answer.
And partly because Loof's voice possessed a strange gentleness—one soothing enough to calm even someone as broken as herself.
"What is your story?" Loof asked warmly.
"It's not important," Victoria answered flatly.
But Loof did not retreat from the rejection.
She continued cutting the fallen princess's hair with quiet persistence.
"Your story matters to me," Loof insisted softly. "Women like you and Miss Aristovelli are the people I admire most."
Victoria's reflection rippled faintly across the steaming water.
"That woman stopped me from destroying your village. Admiring her is only natural." Her eyes shifted slightly toward Loof through the mirror. "But why admire me of all people?"
Loof lowered her gaze briefly as she continued trimming the silver strands.
"The hand that destroys can also protect," she said quietly. "My late father taught me that much. In the end, strength itself is neither good nor evil. It is the will behind it that gives it meaning."
For a moment, the only sound within the bathhouse was the steady clipping of scissors.
"My grandfather is old," Loof continued. "And ill."
Her hands trembled faintly.
"Most of the villagers already see me as the next chief. Some even whisper that his remaining days are few."
Despite her calm tone, the sorrow beneath her words could not be hidden.
"I love him dearly," she admitted. "And I wish he could remain by my side forever. But eventually… the duty of protecting this village will fall to me."
She lifted her eyes toward Victoria's reflection.
"When that day comes, I want to become someone strong enough to protect my people. Someone capable of making a difference." Her expression softened with sincerity. "That is the only ambition I have in this life."
Victoria fell silent.
Slowly, she absorbed the young woman's words.
Though she no longer viewed herself as someone worthy of admiration, she could not deny the conviction within Loof's voice.
"Even if I do not consider myself an example to follow," Victoria said at last, "your resolve carries weight."
Her gaze lowered slightly.
"Rulers exist to protect and provide for their people. If you truly devote yourself to such a duty…" She paused briefly. "Then you already possess something worthy of respect."
Loof's cheeks flushed red at the unexpected praise.
A shy smile appeared on her lips.
After a moment, Victoria added, "And… I apologize for attacking your village."
Loof immediately shook her head.
"No, no, it is fine!" she insisted quickly. "Everyone injured was healed, the homes were restored, and you even compensated my greedy grandfather."
Victoria exhaled faintly through her nose.
At last, Loof stepped back.
"The haircut is finished."
She lifted the mirror before Victoria carefully.
"Well? Do you like it?"
Victoria studied her reflection quietly.
The long silver-and-black hair that once flowed down her back had been shortened into a cleaner, sharper style that better suited the cold intensity of her features.
"Not bad," she simply answered.
Loof immediately puffed out her cheeks.
"That is not a proper answer. Either you like it, or you do not."
Victoria stared at her briefly before sighing.
"…Yes. I like it."
Even so, her face remained as cold as ever.
Loof folded her arms.
"You truly are frightening, even when saying something nice." She leaned forward slightly with an exaggerated smile. "You are supposed to say it like this: 'Yes, I like it!'"
She demonstrated warmly.
Victoria attempted to imitate her.
"Yes… I like it."
A smile formed on the fallen princess's face.
Or rather, something resembling one.
The expression looked stiff and unnatural, almost painful, as though smiling itself had become foreign to her.
After abandoning love, Victoria had unknowingly cast aside many emotions alongside it.
The awkwardness of her expression was so overwhelming that Loof burst into laughter.
Even Elysia joined in—until Victoria slowly turned her gaze toward the fairy.
The tiny creature immediately shrieked and darted into hiding behind a wooden bucket.
"If you smile like that," Loof laughed between breaths, "you are going to frighten everyone away. You will never make friends."
Victoria stared at the young woman quietly.
Loof's laughter carried a warmth difficult to resist.
Something gentle. Something painfully nostalgic.
Slowly, Victoria turned her face away.
And for the briefest moment, a faint smile—small, fragile, yet genuine—curved softly upon her lips.