The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 31: Good Night, Sleep Tight (I)

“How did this happen?”

Heinricion was wide awake. Definitely, he could hear exactly what Eristella was saying in his ear.

‘How did I hear my voice?’

Earlier, Eristella earnestly tried hard to tighten her neck and cry out, even though she knew she couldn’t deliver the message with her mouth.

The fox’s body moved as intended, recalling its previous movements. She thought that the sound of the wind escaping or crying would leak out.

Just now, her own voice could be heard clearly in her ears.

‘Uh…? It is really possible?’

Eristella was actually surprised.

She tried it just in case, but her voice was really conveyed to Heinricion.

It was impossible at first.

However, as she spent more time with Heinricion as she lived in the Grand Ducal house of Adelesia, his magical power was gradually transmitted to her. And she could sense that the magic was completely inoperable before she reacted.

But she was approaching this cautiously because she didn’t know what was going to happen. Still, she really wanted to say that to him, so she tried it just in case.

Delighted, Eristella tried to make her voice heard again, but… As it was, she collapsed.

*******

Clouds of colorful cotton candy spread across the horizon.

Long time no see. As soon as the fox’s foot touched the cloud, fwa. It was soft and fluffy. 

Every time the fox’s paw touched the cotton candy cloud, a pleasant melody played.

The melody grew louder and louder.

Eristella loved the dream in which cotton candy clouds appeared.

She was free to run and play to her heart’s content without any worries.

And somehow, while she was running around here, she felt like she was getting stronger. The more she played, far from getting tired, she got more excited.

‘Ah. Good night…’

The fox’s eyelids slowly lowered, lying on its back against the cotton candy cloud.

Hwaaak.

Eristella stretched her body.

‘I must have slept very well. How long have I been sleeping?’

Refreshed, Eristella started to think about it and paused.

‘When and where did I fall asleep?’

She didn’t remember. Looking back on her last memories… 

She remembered the conversation she had with Heinricion. At that time, a voice clearly came out and was relayed to him.

‘I even remember being surprised myself. Then…’

‘Did I faint?’

She had a pleasant dream, and when she woke up, she was just feeling good, so she didn’t remember right away. 

Now that the familiar ceiling and chandelier entered her field of vision…

This fluffy, soft touch of the bed. The furniture over there…

‘Uh…?’

‘Isn’t this place familiar?’

Eristella blinked rapidly.

And she quickly checked her surroundings. As expected, it was familiar.

‘Especially the scratches on the bedside table! Because that’s what I made!’

This was Heinricion’s bedroom.

‘Was I brought here after I collapsed?’

‘Who brought me here? Maybe Heinricion?’

He was with her when she fell, so it was most likely him, but she wasn’t sure.

‘Does this mean he doesn’t feel uncomfortable even if I’m here now?’

Eristella wondered if Heinricion had left her here and then stayed up all night in his office again.

She glanced around. But first… 

‘Nice to see you. Dear bed.’

The fox abruptly rolled over the bed. Then it hopped and jumped and buried its face in the blanket.

A pleasant laugh flowed out.

Recently, she had been sleeping on hard places like the hallway floor or the library desk instead of on a bed.

It was when she was savoring the cozy sensation.

An employee came in with a basin of water and found the fox out of its sleeping position.

“The fox is awake!”

The employee immediately went out into the hallway and shouted.

In a flash, literally all the people in the mansion flocked to her.

Suddenly, they surrounded the bed with the fox. Some of them even squealed.

“Fox. Are you okay? You have no idea how worried I was!”

The employees shed tears of joy.

“You finally woke up after two days…”

‘Two days?!’

‘I slept that long?’

That’s why the employees reacted so violently. Not one day, but two days.

It was then.

“Wait a minute. I will check its condition.”

The doctor soon arrived. All were unsure who actually called him.

“Everyone shut up! We need to make sure the fox is healthy!”

Anessa stepped forward, making a path. The doctor who walked through between the crowd carefully checked the fox’s condition.

“It experienced an unexpected physical strain and passed out. As long as it rests well, it will get well soon.”

The doctor said with a comfortable smile. Eristella thought the same.

*******

After making a fuss, all the employees left.

It was only when Eristella and Heinricion were left alone that they could have a proper conversation about what occurred that day.

“What happened?”

Eristella gathered strength to make her voice heard again. But there was only the sound of a deflated cry.

She couldn’t seem to do it now. She felt refreshed, but it felt like magical power was leaking out instead of gathering.

‘I don’t know for sure. It just felt like magic was spinning inside my body…’

Eristella shook her head.

It was so different from the magical powers she felt when she was Princess Eristella. It was very awkward because she always had overflowing magical powers.

‘I thought it was my misunderstanding.’

She thought it was just the residue of her magical powers that was left after it had all dissipated.

‘At that time, I knew it wouldn’t work, but I just said it with my heart in hope that it would be communicated.’

But it was.

Heinricion, who had been pensive and lost in his thoughts, opened his mouth.

“I noticed while you were down. It felt like magic was running through your body.”

Indeed, they had the same thought. However, Eristella was clearly unable to use any magic power, so she wondered how it was possible during that time.

“Your original magical powers seem to have recovered little by little while staying here.”

‘……?’

“You were originally a vessel full of magical power, so I was able to turn the magic flowing around you into energy.”

Heinricion stayed up all night looking for examples of the use of magical powers, and this was what he found out.

Again, this was the only case in hundreds of years.

Heinricion further explained what he had discovered.

A certain kind of energy was bound to flow around a person with strong magical powers.

After coming to the residence of the Grand Duchy of Adelasia, Eristella spent a lot of time with Heinricion.

Naturally, she was influenced by his magical powers.

Even though the fox’s body was small, magical power gradually accumulated, and she was able to produce a voice that was audible to Heinricion.

However, the magical power was still weak and the fox’s body could only use a limited amount. So, with just one sentence, her stamina was exhausted and she collapsed.

‘I can’t get used to it…’

Eristella took a deep breath.

‘I lived my life unaware of such a need, but now I’m desperate for magic as little as a rat’s tail.’

From the moment she was born, she had the greatest and most powerful magic in the empire.

She had never suffered from lack of magic.

Thus, she was unfamiliar with the weak and fading magic flowing through her body which seemed as if it would be cut off at any moment.

‘Oh my, it’s my life.’

Still, it was a great discovery.

Even though she wasn’t able to use it indefinitely, she was able to talk directly with Heinricion.

And with a little more magical power, she would be able to do other things.

It would also speed up the search for a way back to her original form.

*******

Eristella was rolling around in bed, organizing her thoughts of the situation of the past few days.

She still hadn’t figured out how to solve the black magic, but she was making progress.

She learned that she could use magic, even if it was just small as a pea.

‘For the time being, I don’t think I will have to leave the Grand Duchy of Adelasia.’

Then, while filling up her magical power by Heinricion’s side a little more… But was there any way to recharge her magical power faster and further?

‘Oh. How about, if I use a magic stone… I can fill it with more magic?’

A new possibility emerged.

Up until now, she thought it was of no use anyway, but in such circumstances, it didn’t seem impossible.

Eristella’s eyes twinkled with a terrifying force.

‘I should check this out.’

There was no reason to hesitate. Eristella immediately took out an object containing her own magical powers that she had brought from her palace and checked.

With this, she could escape the limitation of the fox’s body to some extent.

‘How is it?’

Eristella waited for the result with a pounding heart.

But soon, the eyes that quivered under Eristella’s long eyelashes were shaded with embarrassment.

‘…Why?’

Why not?