CHAPTER 219: EX 219. HE WAS A FAIRY

James stood tall in the hall, as a faint, smug curve pulled at the corner of his lips. He saw it clearly, the stunned look on the city lord’s face, the way his composure had cracked for that brief, honest heartbeat. So you did expect us to die out there, James thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. But now... the very thing you fear most is just a short walk away. I wonder what you’ll do, old fox.

It wasn’t a secret that the people of Shantel despised their lord. His total disregard for their well-being, his greed, his habit of stripping what little they had to decorate his manor, those things had turned him into the embodiment of everything they hated. Even this mission... James knew it had nothing to do with the safety of the townsfolk. The lord had simply wanted to confirm if he would be safe staying here.

James’s jaw tightened, and his thoughts darkened. This suffering started with his grandfather. Since then, it’s been back-to-back misery for Shantel. And now, his gaze flicked to the lord’s pale, stiff face ’I’d love nothing more than for you to clutch your chest and collapse right here.’

But fantasy would remain fantasy. The city lord wasn’t that weak. Slowly, steadily, the man pulled his mask back into place. His eyes regained that cold, practiced glint as he leaned forward on his seat.

"You say," he began, each word deliberate, "the new ruler is in the library?"

"Yes, my lord," James replied evenly, though the smugness in his gaze remained.

The lord’s lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke again, his voice low but firm.

"Take me to him. I want to see this... new ruler."

James bowed his head, suppressing the satisfaction burning in his chest. "As you command, my lord."

****

The city lord rose from his seat, signaling with a sharp flick of his wrist. A cluster of guards fell in step behind him, steel armor clinking as they moved through the broad halls of the manor. James walked at the front, leading the way, his squad trailing close.

Servants lined the corridors, bowing as their lord passed, their eyes flicking curiously toward the armed procession. Whispers lingered in their wake, wondering where the lord was heading to with such a strong escort.

The manor was a marvel in its own right. Intricate carvings danced along the archways, golden inlays gleaming where lantern-light touched them, but the city lord had no attention to spare for such things. His mind was elsewhere, swirling with unease.

’Why would a powerful warrior come to our town?’ The thought gnawed at him as his steps quickened. He was not foolish, if this so-called new ruler had appeared in Shantel, then they weren’t some beast from the forest. No, this was a professional. Someone far more dangerous.

His hands curled behind his back as his chest grew tight. ’Could it be... they’ve caught wind of what I’ve been doing here? Would all my years of effort and every carefully laid step, be wasted?’

For a moment, panic clawed at him. His pulse raced, and his breath became shallow, until suddenly a strange calm washed over him like a tide. He exhaled slowly. ’No. I shouldn’t overreact. Not yet. I should meet this person first, see what his reasons are. If they are unaware of my plans, then all the better. I may even use them, if I play my cards correctly.’

’But then,’ a darker edge settled into his eyes. ’If they have come to intervene...’ His gaze hardened, the thought finishing cold and silent.

’I’ll have to use that.’

The group pressed onward, boots striking against polished stone, until they emerged outside the grand library. There, leaning against one of the pillars, stood Crystal.

James frowned at the sight of her. "What about Lord Leon?"

The city lord caught the name, but his mind was still too occupied to dwell on it. His focus was on the figure they were about to meet.

Crystal straightened and answered calmly, "He asked for some time alone inside, so I decided to wait here."

James tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing. "How long do you think it will take before he—"

But the words died on his tongue.

The great wooden doors creaked open, spilling soft light into the courtyard. From the shadows within, Leon stepped out.

****

All eyes locked onto Leon as he stepped out of the library.

There were countless words one could use to describe him; strong, regal, imposing. But two stood above all the rest, whispered silently in every mind present: domineering and handsome.

Leon was undeniably handsome. His snow-white hair, tied loosely behind him, caught the soft gleam of light as if it were spun from silver. His sharp blue eyes, steady and calm, held a quiet weight that made the female guards falter in their discipline. More than one of them found themselves staring longer than they should, their composure cracking under the intensity of his presence.

Crystal, who had already been staring, felt her chest tighten with a strange thought: ’Did he... become more handsome?’

The truth was simpler. When James and his squad had first encountered Leon, fear had been their anchor. Fear of what he was. Fear of the dangers his presence might bring. That fear had colored everything, even their perception of him. To them, he had been an unknown storm, something to survive. Handsome or not, it hadn’t mattered then.

But now, standing there with the air calm and their nerves cooled, they looked again. For the first time, truly seeing him.

And the realization struck like a bell. Leon wasn’t just imposing, he was aesthetic perfection made flesh, a presence that drew the eye and refused to let go.

James, who prided himself on his own sharpness, caught himself thinking it. Crystal, still shaken by the thought, couldn’t deny it. And even the guards, trained to resist distraction, couldn’t help but shift uneasily as the truth settled in their hearts.

Leon Kael, the new ruler of the forest, looked less like a man born of flesh and blood,

and more like a fairy who had wandered into their world.