The Red Harlequin's toybox

If life were a fairytale, then after the happy ending would be…

”And they lived happily ever after”.

But everyone knows such things only exist in fiction. 

Good and evil. Life and death. Love and hatred. Happiness and sorrow — 

This balance lasts only for a fletting moment before it all falls apart, inevitably. 

… 

【 CROWN CASTLE DINING HALL 】 

This happened one fine day, some time after I stepped into the darkness and became a Fairytale Keeper. 

Having completed a lengthty report, I was enjoying my first day off in a while. 

That morning, a large feast was being hosted at Crown’s castle for both Crown and Vogel. 

The dining table was lined with luxurious dishes — Victor’s homemade beef wellington, savoury pies, finger sandwiches, seasonal fruit trifles… I thought I was drooling. 

Kate: The food today looks splendid…! 

Victor: I wanted to reward everyone for working so hard day and night, and so I might've gotten a little too carried away. 

Liam: We’ve got all sorts of alcohol too. Anything for you, Kate?

Kate: I’ll start with champagne. 

Liam: Okie dokie～ have a seat, I’ll go bring you some. 

Roger: Ah. As your doctor, I’m responsible to tell you that getting wasted in the middle of the day is terrible for your health. 

Roger: Anyway. Grab me a beer, Al. 

Alfons: You are the embodiment of contradiction. Please, get it yourself. 

Elbert: You’re the closest to it, why don't you just do it? 

Alfons: Elbert, have you forgotten that the moment you indulge this four-eyed egoist even just one time, he gets full of himself and dumps another 100 tasks on you? 

Victor: Now, now, boys. Let’s all get along and enjoy the food— … Oh?

Victor: Whoa there, Harrison. Where are you going? I’m not letting you leave until you’ve eaten! 

Harrison: Tch… you’re too strong. 

Kate: Fufu. You’re choking him, Victor. 

Harrison: Don’t just laugh at me. Help me out a little. Sigh… geez… 

Liam: But the food smells so good, Harry! 

???: Seriously though, I can’t imagine there’s anyone who wouldn't get hungry smelling food this good～

Liam: Right? Right!? You’re so mean for tempting us with this aroma first thing in the morning, Victor～! 

Liam: Wait, what?

???: Hm?

(W-Who is THIS!?) 

A mystery man with a dubious smile had inserted himself into the conversation as though he’d been there the entire time. 

Standing there dressed in a flashy chinoiserie coat, he didn’t so much as flinch under everyone’s stares. Instead, he grinned and cocked his head to the side. 

The ornaments and accessories he wore jingled every time he moved. 

Victor: Oh, Euren. It’s been a while. 

Euren: Hi, hi～! I thought everyone must be starting to miss me, so I came back to England～! 

Alfons: Here on another unannounced visit.

Liam: Kind of rare to see you come to the castle in the morning. You’re usually only out on the streets at night, doing shady stuff. 

(Looks like everyone knows him… that’s surprising.) 

William: Kate, he’s a broker who does business across several countries. 

Euren: The name’s Euren～ Nice to meet you! If a client wants it, I can arrange just about anything in the world! 

Euren: From beautiful carpets from foreign countries… to people and information :) 

William: Victor and I have been making deals with him for some time. He’s one of our informants. 

Kate: Does that mean he knows about Crown…?

William: He knows. He’s also aware of the existence of the Cursed. 

William: Apparently, he’s also accompanied Liam and Alfons on countless of their dangerous nighttime adventures. 

William: Also,— 

Ellis: Oh, we have an unusual guest. 

Jude: ……… Ugh. 

Euren: Ahh! 

William: It seems that he and Jude attended the same public school. 

Euren: If it isn’t my favourite senior Jude～ heeeyyy how have you been～? 

Jude: Must be hearin’ things. Gotta get myself to the hospital. Bye. 

Euren: Aww～ you're still as cold as ever ♡ That’s why you’re my fav senior ♡ 

Jude: Ya gross as hell. Mind bitin’ yer tongue and dyin’? 

Kate: … Their relationship sure is interesting. 

Alfons: The colder you are to Euren, the more excited he becomes. 

Liam: If Jude were nice to him, he'd probably cling to him a lot less…

Euren: Don’t glare so hard at me. Are you still upset I’m 0.3 inches taller than you～? 

Euren: Your attitude makes up for your lack of height, so no problem at all! 

Jude: Ya want me to lop off three inches from yer ankles? 

Alfons: That is not happening. 

Victor: What brings you here today, Euren? 

Euren: I came to meet the rumoured “Fairytale Keeper” of course. 

Euren: You’re the girl everyone’s talking about, right? From the moment I saw you, I’ve been thinking…

Euren: Hmm… yup! You’re totally my type! It must be fate that brought us together! 

Kate: Huh? 

Euren: Do you have a boyfriend? What’s your type? How about me? I’m rich and I’ll treat my girlfriend super well.

Kate: UHH…!? 

Roger: That’s enough. 

Roger: Give the little lady a break already. Her stomach’s been growling this whole time. 

Euren: Oh, really? Sorry, sorry! I didn't notice at all～ 

Thankful to Roger for rescuing me, I quickly distanced myself from Euren. 

As I watched him immediately waddle off to bother another member of Crown, Elbert sat down next to me with a concerned look. 

Elbert: … Are you alright? 

Kate: Yes. I was simply a little overwhelmed. Do you know him too, Lord Elbert? 

Elbert: Yeah. I often run into him at auctions for foreign antiques and artworks. 

Alfons: Though he sees Lord Elbie as a rival because they always end up wanting the same things. 

Nica: Guten Tag, Crown and Spatzi— Oh?

Ring: … That information broker guy? 

Nica blinked in surprise while Ring appeared wary. 

Darius: … What is a member of Libra doing here? 

Darius frowned, displeasure written all over his face. 

(“Libra”…?) 

Victor: My apologies. We weren't expecting him. 

Euren: I’m terribly sorry. I promise I won't get in anyone’s way! Just think of me as a speck of dust in a corner! 

Darius: Dust doesn’t talk. 

Euren: You’re as sharp as ever for noticing that, Director～

Nica: That level of flattery is almost admirable. 

Kate: You guys know him too?

Ring: Yeah. Nica sometimes trades information with him. 

(Euren’s really popular, huh.) 

Victor: Alright, alright. Since we have an unexpected guest with us, let’s get the party started! 

Victor’s words turned the atmosphere lively once again. 

While the feast was in full swing—

Euren: Heeeyy, Kate. Let's go on a date sometime～ Pretty please? I’m the super loyal and devoted type!

Jude: Ya mean the clingy pest type. 

Just as Euren started hitting on me again after going around pestering everyone in turn, another unexpected guest arrived— 

Euren: No, really, are you free this weeke— 

???: You’re late.

Euren: OW!!? 

Kate: Eek!? 

A fist appeared behind Euren and punched him square in the head. 

Euren: OWIEE～! I think there’s a dent in my skull now! Is there!? 

???: Don’t care. Drop dead. 

A man stepped out from behind him, eyes sharp and practically screaming that he was no saint. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense. 

(Do he and Euren know each other? That was way too violent though…) 

???: … What're you looking at?

While I was thinking of all the possibilities in my head, the man turned to glare at me like a predator eyeing its prey. 

(It'd be weirder if I wasn’t looking at you in this situation…!) 

But it definitely wasn’t the time for such comments. 

His eyes made him look like he could kill someone right this second if he wanted to. 

He was a burly, intimidating man with a gun hanging from his waist and even beneath his thick coat, I could sense he had more weapons.

My experience as a Fairytale Keeper told me one thing: “keep your mouth shut”. 

Victor: Zane! What brings you here, of all places? 

Kate: Eh!? You know him too!? 

Alfons: Ah, could he be the one you mentioned before? 

Elbert: The one Victor invited to join Crown, only to be refused on the spot…? 

(! Does that mean he’s a Cursed too?) 

Roger: He’d make a damn good hitman. I’ve seen him at underground boxing tournaments.

Liam: Underground boxing tournaments? Is that some illegal gambling thing?

Ring: You can tell just by looking at him that he’s no regular person. This guy… he’s strong. 

Victor: Could it be that you’ve finally decided to join Crown? 

Zane: …… 

Not saying a word, the man named Zane raised his middle finger and glared at Victor. 

(H-He just flipped Victor off…)

Euren: Now, now, Zane. You gotta butter up to people in power if you want them to treat you well, you know～? 

Zane: Ah? I don’t care about your bullshit philosophy. We’re leaving. 

Zane grabbed Euren by the scruff off his neck and dragged him away. 

Euren: I welcome you to come do business with me again～～～ and I’m not giving up on you, Kate～～～ 

Even while being hauled off in the literal sense, he never dropped his merchant’s smile. 

(Euren… and Zane…) 

I thought I'd come to know Crown and Vogel rather well by now, but…

Now, it felt as though there was an even deeper darkness stretched out before me. 

…

【 CROWN CASTLE HALLWAY 】 

Victor: Kate, wait. 

After the feast ended and everyone was leaving the dining hall, Victor called out to me. 

Victor: There's something I’d like to speak with you about… do you have a moment? 

Kate: … Sure. 

I had a hunch it was about today’s visitors.

Then suddenly, another person chimed in.

Darius: I’d like to sit in on this too.

Victor: …

Darius: I think the information I can provide will prove useful to you as well. 

…

【 VICTOR’S OFFICE 】 

Victor: There is an international organisation made up entirely of the Cursed. 

Victor: Unlike Crown, it wasn’t formed as a part of an alliance between a country and the Cursed. 

Victor: And unlike Vogel, it's not a research organisation founded to exploit the Cursed for military purposes. 

Victor: They’re a group of outlaws unbounded by any country’s control. 

Victor: — Their name is Libra. 

(Libra…) 

Kate: What kind of organisation are they, then? 

Victor: Do you remember what William told you before? About the Cursed being treated as criminals or psychopaths, and a threat to society? 

Kate: Yes, of course. 

Victor: Apparently, Libra is an organisation where the Cursed who are societal outcasts cooperate for mutual benefit. 

Victor: I've heard they engage in charitable activities for the Cursed, helping to solve problems and offering support for their everyday needs. 

Victor: They also help mediate in disputes involving the Cursed. 

Victor: Not every member is actively involved in their work. Some only receive support, while others keep their membership to seek help in emergencies. 

Kate: So Euren and Zane are members too. 

Victor: That’s correct. You’re quick to catch on, Kate. 

Victor: Their headquarters are in France, but they have bases all over the world. 

Victor: Since England has Crown, they rarely interfered with the matters here… 

Victor glanced briefly at Darius before turning his gaze back to me.

Victor: But there's been word of their leader having recently entered England. 

Kate: Why…? Could there be a Cursed in England who got into trouble and asked them for help? 

(But if that were the case, it’d be strange that Victor hasn't heard a single thing about it.) 

Victor: Even we can’t put a finger on what their purpose is yet. 

Victor: Nonetheless… just as absolute evil doesn't exist, neither does absolute good. 

Victor: We’ve also received information suggesting that Libra has an ulterior motive. 

(Ulterior motive…?) 

Darius: Why not tell it to her straight? 

Kate: …!

Darius: People are saying that in the shadows, Libra is an organisation formed to monitor and kill the Cursed. 

(Monitor and kill them?) 

Kate: … That’s the complete opposite of everything Victor just described. 

Darius: Let me teach that innocent little head of yours something. 

Darius: People plotting something evil will always first approach you with a kind smile. 

(That sounds all the more believable coming from Darius…) 

Darius: Cursed dying from unknown causes, or being killed because they made enemies… that’s hardly unusual. 

Darius: But if Libra’s the mastermind behind all those deaths, that’s when things get extremely unpleasant. 

(All I’ve heard from both sides are unconfirmed rumours, so I still can’t make my own judgement.) 

Still, their contradictory impressions made it clear that Libra was no simple organisation. 

Victor: Until we know for certain what their goals are, I want you to stay on guard against them. Alright? 

Kate: … I understand. 

…

【 CROWN CASTLE HALLWAY 】 

As I walked down the hallway after leaving Victor’s office, I recounted today’s events in my mind. 

If the Cursed are the ones Libra are truly targeting, then we should be cautious with its members. 

And yet, from what I saw today, the members of Crown and Vogel interacted with them casually like fellow human beings. 

(I want to see them as ordinary human beings too.) 

If we judged everything as a whole, some minor details were bound to slip through the cracks. 

I came to realize that through working as a Fairytale Keeper. 

— Then the incident happened that very night. 

…

【 LONDON TOWN: FOUNTAIN AREA 】 

The chilly night air was dense with a heavy fog, the cold clinging to my

skin. 

I’d gone out to town to watch a play at the theatre on my long awaited day off. 

(Huh…?) 

On a dark street, I saw William, Jude, and Ellis. 

Kate: Are you on a mission…? 

William: Oh, you spotted us. Yes, we are. It's a mission that's a little too extreme for livening up the night. 

Ellis: Seeing that it’s the three of us specifically should give you a rough idea what it’s about. 

Jude: We crashin’ a dinner party, knockin’ the teeth outta some puffed-up noble, punishin’ him, then callin’ it a night. 

Just as absolute evil doesn’t exist, neither does absolute good. 

Those who “conquer evil with evil” are still, at the end of the day, evil themselves. 

Even so, Crown was on their way to do just that in London’s darkness. 

All to preserve stability in England. 

Kate: Now that I’ve run into you all, as a Fairytale Keeper I can’t pretend I saw nothing and head on back to the castle anymore. 

Jude: Ah? Ya seriously goin’ to a bloody scene on yer day off? There somethin’ wrong with yer head? 

Ellis: What do you think, Will? We’re expecting there to be quite a number of people at the location. This mission is dangerous. 

William: If this is what she wants, I have no reason to object. 

…

【 MANSION ENTRANCE HALL 】 

For a mansion hosting a dinner party, the entrance hall was eerily quiet. 

Kate: Strange that a mansion this grand doesn’t have a single maid in sight… 

Indifferent to my cautiousness, Crown stepped inside. 

The moment they flung open the doors to the dining room — we were greeted by a near unbelievable scene.

【 MANSION DINING ROOM 】 

Bodies laid motionless on the floor, surrounding the long dining table. 

Kate: What on earth… 

And on top of the dining table laid the bodies of a man and woman, who clearly died together. 

The man had a blade stabbed into the woman’s abdomen, and the woman laying on his chest had a knife in his heart. 

What made it all the more bizarre was that they died with their lips pressed against each other’s. 

To my eyes, it looked as though — 

“A pair of lovers killed each other”. 

Ellis: … They’re dead. 

Jude: Dinner for the dead? Sick as hell if ya ask me.

???: The party is over. 

The unexpected voice had me snapping my head toward it. 

Only then did I realize there was a man seated at the head of the long dining table. 

He was strikingly handsome, his features cold yet elegant. He merely sat there with his fingers interlaced as he stared at us, and yet it felt like an invisible blade was pressed against my throat. 

William: It’s been a while, Lucien. I’ve heard rumours you were in London, but never thought our meeting would be in a place like this. 

Lucien: You haven’t changed, William Rex. 

(William knows this man…?) 

Hearing the familiarity in William’s greeting, I stole a glance at Jude and Ellis to see if they knew him as well. 

But both of them appeared guarded as they stared at him. 

William: … I see you still dislike small talk. I’ll be direct with my words, then. Why did they kill each other? 

Lucien: It was foreseen that they would disrupt order. No further explanations are necessary.!

His curt response sounded far too void of emotion for something as severe as human death. 

(The way he says it… it’s like he punished them himself…)

(Yet he doesn’t have a single drop of blood on him.) 

More importantly, he was sitting in the same space so calmly. 

(Was he sitting there, watching them kill each other?) 

That horrifying thought crossed my mind, then our eyes met — and a chill ran down my spine.

Jude: … Target’s dead, so the mission’s done. I’m goin’ home.

Euren: Eeehh… my favourite senior’s leaving already?

(THAT VOICE—!) 

I spun around to see two people standing in the doorway. 

One was Euren, the dubious looking broker I’d met earlier in the day at Crown’s castle. 

The other was Zane, the rumoured master hitman who’d punched Euren in the head and dragged him away. 

Euren: Since you’re already here, let’s chat a little more～ 

Euren: You think so too, right, Kate?

Zane: … Why’s there a woman here? She’s being a nuisance. 

Neither of them looked the slightest bit shocked at the scene before them. 

Lucien: Euren, I ask you to leave if you’re only here to make small talk. Your voice grates my ears. 

Euren: Ahh, that’s so cruel～ you’re as cold as ever, but I like that about you～♡ 

Euren: Don’t worry, I did a proper job. Right, Zane? I worked hard, riiiightt～? 

Zane: Shut up, scum. 

(Euren and Zane, members of Libra, seem to know him too.)

(And William mentioned there’s been “rumours of Libra’s leader being in London”. Could it be that this man is…) 

William: This is Lord Lucien Morsandre, a member of one of France’s most distinguished noble families— 

William: — And the current leader of Libra. 

(Just as I thought…!) 

Victor had described Libra to be a charitable organisation that helped the Cursed by solving their problems and supporting their livelihoods. 

But if they had anything to do with the scene before my eyes, then “charitable” is the last word I’d use to describe them. 

William: Won’t you tell me why you came to England?

Lucien: I don’t see why I have to. 

Lucien: I came to do what must be done. That’s all you need to know. 

Lucien gave a short, brief response before standing and walking toward us. 

As he came closer, I realized how tall he was. 

The sheer aura his presence gave off was enough to leave me breathless. 

William’s gaze met Lucien’s, and for a brief moment, a murderous intent sharp enough to make my skin crawl hung in the air before vanish just as quickly. 

William: If you plan to operate in England, I’ll remind you that Crown has our eyes on you. 

Lucien: Be my guest. We’ll be doing the same. 

William: Since you went through all the trouble of travelling to England, perhaps I should invite you to Crown’s castle sometime. 

Lucien: Should there be a need, I’ll visit you myself. 

Their exchange appeared amicable on the surface, until they broke eye contact… 

— And a cold gaze fell upon me. 

Lucien: You interest me as well, Fairytale Keeper Kate. 

(… Me?) 

I never imagined someone who wasn’t a Cursed would be interested in me. 

William and the others immediately stepped between us, blocking me from Lucien’s line of sight. 

William: Unfortunately, she’s one of England’s top secrets. 

Jude: Kate, we leavin’. 

Ellis: … Sorry, I suggest you give up on finding anything on Kate. 

I left the room, shielded by the three of them. 

Euren: Aww, she’s so precious to them… should we really be letting her go so easily? 

Lucien: Leave her be. 

Lucien: … We will meet again soon enough. 

“Libra” — What exactly are they after?

Learning the answer to that question would become the catalyst for the destruction of the stability in England and my world. 

— That was something still unbeknownst to me. 

…

【 UNKNOWN ROOM 】 

The ticking of a broken clock echoed in the pitch darkness. 

Tracing his cold fingertips on a carelessly discarded list on the desk, the man muttered under his breath.

Lucien: They possess too much power.