One day, there she was, in a room with a glowing spiral staircase, helping to light up the surroundings. Another day when the doors appeared, with those doors came highly intelligent life forms with supernatural powers and they were outside of her control. They could open the doors slightly to drop in all sorts of stuff.
She was watching over the doors of many beings. The doors of those being whose times have come were going to be disposed of. That is her duty as the Fairy of Time and Space.
What she was doing wasn't ordered or taught, it was a way of nature. Repeating the process without a second guess as time flows. Even on days where she erases doors, nothing changed. The same monotonous, never ending cycle continues. However, things didn't always go as planned. One day, the calm surface of the lake has been thrown off by an anomaly.
『What?』-Lydia
Feeling the anomaly appear in one of the largest doors she has ever seen, she immediately rushed over to that door.
Even she, herself, couldn't make a room as big as this one, meaning the room's owner had a huge amount of mana that was more than her's… This was the first time this has happened, and she didn't know what to do. It can be said that this was her first crisis.
After observing the room a bit, she felt the anomaly was in the room and it was a living being. Deciding to get closer, she was surprised, so much that her eyes almost popped out.
"Are you the Fairy of Time and Space?" -Vito
『…Who are you?!』-Lydia
This was her first conversation to someone from the outside other than the fairies. While speaking with an irritated tone, she was also cautious with the person in front of her so she didn't approach him.
"Oh, I'm Vito. Thank you!" -Vito
Vito greeted her even with his bruised body, and flashed a bright smile that exposed his row of pure white teeth.
It was a smile that could light up the world of a repetitive, mundane life. This was the first encounter between the spirit that was later named Lydia and the Founder King of the dragon kingdom, Vito.
***
When Vito came into the space, he shouted into empty space.
"Oi, I've come to play!" -Vito
He yelled a bit but there wasn't any reaction. He took another deep breath when a woman with a long white hair appeared in the room.
『You're here again?』-Lydia
"Oh!" -Vito
He gave a wide smile that showed his teeth. Ever since the first day he appeared, Vito comes every now and then to visit. When Vito came to visit, he didn't seem to suffer any side effects from staying too long in the space. He even seemed to be refreshed.
She then decided to make a contract to Vito in order to minimize his influence. The most common thing that was being discussed was that they could always cancel a simple contract.
"Hmm, can I give you a name?" -Vito
She got angry at the sudden proposal that came without any signs.
『I can't decide yet!』-Lydia
"Well~." -Vito
She was dissatisfied and grabbed Vito while pouting. Immediately, she turned away. Giving a name to a spirit meant becoming the master of the said spirit. Vito decided on a whim to give a name even though it is not "a good name," or if it was a "good thing."
『It's better not to think about it too hard. There's nothing I could do for you for I cannot leave this space, even if I was to have a different name. It would be inconvenient for you if you named me, but would it be better to have one?』 -Lydia
"I don't feel any inconvenience. Especially since there's no way that spirits could easily be named." -Vito
『But you easily accepted Kai.』-Lydia
"Don't be like that…" -Vito
Kai was the Spirit King of Earth who belonged to the 12 highest ranking spirits. He already had a name from Vito. Unlike her, the fool lives on his instincts and accepted the offer from the man who asked nonchalantly, "Can I name you?"
The reason why Vito knew about the Fairy of Time and Space was in this space was because of Kai. Lydia thought about it but couldn't say it. Vito brought various things from the outside world. He talked about what it was like, memories of the outside world while she listened enthusiastically.
There were special ways to communicate with the fairies. Lydia knew about the outside world thanks to the fairies from there. But through fairies, it was biased and told with or without much interest. This was the reason why Vito was telling it with such detail, including the subjective and objective part.
Besides, in this space, she could be an entity similar to Vito. Thanks to that, she was able to actually touch and feel a sense that she couldn't understand just by looking. Since Vito came, the fairies of the space became angry, happy, and sad. The fairies became busy expressing their emotions while wondering if he will come again, they were looking forward to his visits.
"Hey, can I give you a name?" -Vito
『No.』-Lydia
"Take it." -Vito
The conversation was the same ever since Vito came. Even though he would say he gave up, Vito always talked about this every time he came to see her without getting tired.
"Can I give you a name?" -Vito
One day, after she forgot how many times he asked, she caved in and agreed.
『Sure.』-Lydia
"Ta-… yeah?!" -Vito
Vito who returned to his usual tone, was surprised as his eyes went into two wide circles. It was a wonderful day as he laughed and jumped in happiness at the pleasant surprise.
『You asked for it but you're also surprised.』-Lydia
"No, that's right…is it really okay?" -Vito
『Yes.』-Lydia
"Okay then, from now on, you're Lydia!" -Vito
(Up to here was edited by: Vladarius)
(From here was co-translated by: Naruin)
"How is it?" -Vito
He asked her with a somber face. The delightful response he had anticipated did not appear and Vito became somewhat uneasy about Lydia who had a difficult face.
"You didn't like it?" -Vito
『Not like that. I was worried about whether it was a name that you thought of properly because it came out so easily. It's not that you've decided it with your usual force and momentum, right?』-Lydia
"There's no such thing! It's because I've already been thinking about it for a long time before I asked if it was ok to name you." -Vito
『I am relieved to hear that.』-Lydia
Lydia pleaded her mind to remember her new name, then she turned to Vito and gave him her best smile.
『Thank you, Vito.』-Lydia
"Oh, yes." -Vito
Facing Lydia's truly delighted smile, Vito, who had a slight tint of red on his cheeks, turned his head away.
After that, Vito visited Lydia more than ever and they shared most of their time together. One day, they went to a room, whose owner had already disappeared, to erase it.
"Hey, can I have this?" -Vito
『Doesn't that stuff belong to someone else?』-Lydia
"But it's going to disappear anyways? It's a pity to erase it when it can still be used. If so, wouldn't it be better if I could make a good use out of it?" -Vito
『Nevermind.』-Lydia
"Cool!" -Vito
One time, he gave Lydia a surprise box saying it was a souvenir. She was so surprised by it that she got mad.
"Don't be mad, sorry." -Vito
『Don't do this again. Next time you do, I'll send you out!』-Lydia
"Yes… I'm sorry…" -Vito
Some days, Lydia comforts Vito who kept complaining about his job.
"I don't want to work any more~. What a tough thing to be the king! I'm going to stay here forever!" -Vito
『Yes yes, you can stay as long as you like. After you take a break, try your best again because everyone is counting on you.』-Lydia
The time she spent with him was fun and enjoyable.
So Lydia had forgotten that the time was, by no means, eternal.
One day, he brought a portrait with a frame. It's about half the size of his body. It was Vito who was painted on it.
Lydia grinned at the portrait which seemed to be more vividly drawn than Vito himself.
『What's the matter, bringing me this portrait?』-Lydia
"I hope Lydia won't miss me." -Vito
『Hello, you often come to see me. How am I supposed to miss you?』-Lydia
When Lydia saw his face looking back at her after he had finished decorating his portrait on the wall, it startled her.
Vito in the portrait was young and full of life like when Lydia first met him.
His hair now, however, was mixed with gray, and his face and hands were now deeply wrinkled.
(Why didn't I notice it until now…)
Though it was difficult to perceive because Vito was a dragon. He aged relatively slower compared to other races, but he was obviously getting old.
Fear hit her at once. Although she had forgotten about it, a dragon was not like a spirit. Even though it has a longer lifespan than the other species, someday it will reach the end of its life.
『Ah…』 -Lydia
"Hey, Lydia, when I die…" -Vito
『No! I don't want to hear anything.』 -Lydia
Lydia covered her ears with her hands and turned away from Vito.
Vito bitterly smiled and clasped Lydia's arm.
"If I die, don't erase this room and leave it as it is. If Lydia has another contractor, can you give them everything? They will surely care for Lydia as much as I do." -Vito
『… I won't meet anyone like that anymore.』 -Lydia
"It's all right, they'll definitely appear. I've been there. I don't know how far off it'll be in the future but you'll have someone who can make you laugh again. I'd like a woman if possible. I'll be jealous if it's a man." -Vito
『But then…』 -Lydia
"Lydia, have patience. Good luck." -Vito
As if he was sure of it, Vito laughed. Even though he was old, he still smiled so warmly as if the sun shined upon his face.
One day was only a blink of time for fairies. Lydia felt a sorrowful emotion that came from her fellow fairies. The Earth and the flower fairies that were contracted after Lydia, also the fairies who love Vito, were all crying.
Lydia sat down in a room that was full of Vito's memories.
She wished she could go to Vito's side right now. But that didn't come true for Lydia, who couldn't leave this space.
At the end of his peaceful death was seen through by his fellow-men. Vito finally disappeared from Lydia's life…
That warm, sunny smile which had once made Lydia felt warmth was now only visible in the portrait hung on the wall.
Then, a quiet daily life begins again.
It will not be the same anymore though. Because in her free moments she remembers Vito's face and it made her heart feel heavy.
To distract herself, Lydia focused on her duty. She cleaned the rooms whose owners were already gone or have disappeared. She would always check the things inside and did not forget to take out those which Vito said can be useful to her.
They were all taken out of the room, the same as with all the other owners' belongings and brought it back to Vito's room. Nevertheless, loneliness and sadness still nestled in her heart and would not disappear.
Then the time came when it already became irresistible and she couldn't take the sadness anymore. She went there and stood silently before it, staring at the portrait Vito had brought in.
She leaned in closer to take it off and hugged it.
It was then that she felt something's wrong at the back of the picture frame. She turned over the portrait to examined it and there she found a green stone buried at the top of the picture frame.
She took it off easily and put it on her palm. Lydia leaned her head to examine it.
『A gem? It doesn't seem so… a scale? Oh! it's a dragon's heart scale…』-Lydia
The only knowledge she had about dragon's heart scale is that it's proof of love given by dragons to their companions. It has the same green color as Vito's eyes. Besides, he took the trouble embedding it in the frame, it doesn't look like he put it there by mistake.
That only means one thing.
There was something that Vito didn't tell her till the very end.
A teardrop fell down on her cheek. Then another tear trickled down, one after another until she was sobbing.
『Here you are… I never noticed… I'm such a fool…』-Lydia
She gripped the dragon's heart scale tightly and kept on crying until she felt better.
***
Time passed by beyond the gentle senses of the fairy.
Someone else entered the space, no one else did that except for Vito.
"Lydia, I brought you a present." -Ruri
The contractor who she had thought would never appear again has come.
She thought that she would be lonely and would wait endlessly.
But, as Vito said, another contractor came. Someone who could make her smile again has arrived.
『Welcome back, Ruri.』-Lydia