[Episode 119] - Was I the Only One Who Didn’t Know? (2)
“Veronica... unnie...”
“...Hello, ragged little Titania.”
Veronica looked down at Titania, who was curled up small beneath the blanket, crying, and gave a bitter smile. She must have cried so much that her eyes were swollen and she could barely open them; her hair was a wild, disheveled mess.
Perhaps because she had barely eaten for days and had suffered so much in her heart, her once-soft face had grown gaunt, and the shadows beneath her eyes were as dark as those of someone ill. Veronica had expected this situation from the moment Vivian said she was leaving, but...
Still, it was not a pleasant sight.
It was as though she were looking at her old self.
With a sigh, Veronica brushed a hand beneath Titania’s darkened eyes. The faint moisture on her fingers and the painfully reddened corners of Titania’s eyes told her just how much Titania had cried all this time.
Titania seized Veronica’s hand as it wiped at her eyes and pleaded with her. Why hadn’t she thought of this? Why hadn’t it occurred to her until now? Titania clung to Veronica.
Because Veronica unnie was a witch. A witch who lived with the seven dwarves. So surely, if it was her, she would be able to find her mother who had left the palace. Titania looked up at Veronica with that hope.
“U-unnie, Mother... they said Mother left the palace. They said she left me behind and disappeared somewhere...”
Titania swallowed dryly once, then pleaded with Veronica in a voice hoarse from crying. Find Mother. Please find Mother. She couldn’t live without her mother. So please.
“Unnie, c-can’t you help me? You said you’d grant all my wishes back then. Right?”
“...Titania.”
“So, please? Bring Mother back. Please, please, please...”
But Veronica said nothing as she looked at Titania. No, she simply had no idea how to answer her. What could she possibly say that would get through to Titania when she was pleading like this?
Veronica knew that Titania loved Vivian. She also knew that the emotion Titania held for Vivian was of a different nature from what Veronica herself felt.
Veronica had seen “family” through Vivian, but Titania was looking at something beyond what Veronica saw in Vivian. A relationship closer than family, more precious than that.
What lay at the end of the beyond that Titania saw through Vivian? That was an emotion even Veronica, who had regressed dozens of times, had never felt. And so Veronica was at a loss, not knowing what to say.
Unlike herself, who had accepted it when Vivian said she would leave, Titania could not let go at all. The sight of Titania like that was pitiful. And seeing that pitiful Titania, Veronica felt truly sorry.
“...I’m sorry.”
Veronica apologized as she wiped away Titania’s tears. If I’d known you would hurt this much, I would have stopped Vivian. If I’d known you would be this sad, I would have helped you prepare your heart.
But...
“I can’t bring Vivian back.”
“Un... nie...?”
Because I, too, have sinned against Vivian.
As someone who had committed a sin against her, Veronica had no right to stop Vivian from leaving. Veronica looked at Titania with the corners of her eyes curved apologetically. Titania did not understand Veronica’s apology.
Why is unnie sorry to me? What does unnie have to be sorry to me about? And you said you’d grant my wish. You said you would help me. Then why? Why are you saying you can’t bring Mother back?
“Just why—”
The moment Titania opened and closed her mouth to ask again, a thought flashed through her mind at the sight of Veronica smiling with her eyes curved like that. Ah, I see. Veronica unnie knew too, didn’t she?
That Mother was leaving.
“...I see.”
A terrible sense of betrayal seemed to hack her heart to pieces. She had thought Veronica unnie wouldn’t know. Mother had told Veronica unnie, and yet why had she not told Titania? She could not understand.
She hated Mother. She hated Mother to death for leaving her side without saying a single word, and yet, at the same time, a strange laugh burst out of her at her own feelings, at how desperately she wanted to see the mother she loved.
She loved Mother, yet hated her.
She hated Mother, yet loved her.
Those contradictory emotions tormented her so much she felt she would go mad.
A twisted smile deepened on Titania’s face. Along with her slow words, a pale smile formed at the corners of Titania’s mouth. Her lips trembled, then made a distorted arc.
“...So I was the only one who didn’t know.”
Moisture gathered at the ends of her curved eyes. As tangled emotions surged up inside her, Titania’s cheeks began to tremble. With that trembling, the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes finally rolled down her cheeks.
Drip, drip, drip.
“Really, I was the only one who didn’t know.”
“......”
“Grandmother, Vin Chaud, you—everyone knew, and I was the only one who didn’t. I’m sure Ainsel knew too, didn’t she? Right? In this whole place, I was the only idiot who didn’t know Mother was leaving, wasn’t I?”
-Princess...
“Don’t call me!!”
When Ainsel, flustered and at a loss, called out to Titania, Titania, overwhelmed by emotion, took off the necklace that held Ainsel and threw it at Veronica. Ainsel, flying through the air, landed in Veronica’s hand.
“Get out!! All of you, get out!! Don’t ever appear before me again!!”
After flinging Ainsel away, Titania picked up a pillow and threw it next. Get out, don’t come near me—Veronica simply watched as Titania grabbed and threw anything her hands could reach.
Now that there was nothing left to throw, Titania collapsed facedown onto the bed and sobbed. As Veronica watched her, she began to wonder what she should do. At this rate, she felt as though she would end up breaking her “promise” to Vivian too.
The promise that she would stay by Titania’s side, help Titania, rely on each other, and live like true sisters. Hidden within that promise had been the meaning: please help Titania.
‘...I’m sorry to Vivian, but it can’t be helped. This is also for Titania’s sake.’
Veronica plopped down onto the bed, crossed her legs, and looked at Titania. Titania, still like an abandoned puppy that had even been caught in the rain, curled up and glared at Veronica with only her eyes moving.
Looking at her, Veronica let out a sigh.
“Titania. Vivian asked me to stay by your side. So that you wouldn’t be lonely, so that I would always help you when things were hard.”
“......”
“So I was planning to help you and stay by your side until you became queen. That was the promise I made with Vivian, and after that, I had things of my own to do as well.”
At Veronica’s sincere voice, Titania lifted her head slightly and looked at her. Veronica smoothed Titania’s tangled hair with her hand and smiled softly.
“So, thinking of the promise I made with Vivian, I intend to help you without holding anything back until you become queen. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Titania shook her head, saying she did not. Right now, Titania had no interest in becoming queen or anything else. She only desperately wanted to see her mother. She had lived for her mother more than for becoming queen.
Veronica let out a small sigh and continued.
“In other words, until you become queen, if there’s something you ask of me, I’ll grant it as much as I can. For example, if you ask me to find Vivian, I’ll find her for you.”
“R-really...?”
“Yes, I’ll find her. But I can’t let you meet Vivian through me. That would break my promise with Vivian. Instead—”
Like offering a carrot, Veronica presented a proposal that Titania could not refuse. Because what Titania wanted most right now was obvious. At the very least, she needed to help her regain some will.
“You won’t be able to meet Vivian right away, but I’ll let you see her.”
At the words that she could see Vivian, Titania shot her head up and looked at Veronica. Should she say the carrot had been too effective? Veronica gave a bitter smile at the sight of Titania staring at her with sparkling eyes.
“Really...?”
“...Yes. I don’t know where Vivian went either, so I can’t do it immediately, but I’ll find her as quickly as I can and let you see Vivian through Ainsel.”
-Y-yes? Me?
“Yes. As a fairy, your trait is that you can project an image as long as your double is there, no matter how far away it is, isn’t it? You can do at least that much for Titania, whom you like so much, can’t you?”
-Well, yes, but...
Ainsel glanced over at Titania. Unlike how she had been crying until just moments ago, Titania was now looking at her with eyes full of life, and Ainsel could not bring herself to refuse. If this could at least help Titania come to her senses, then Ainsel thought there was no helping it.
-...All right. I’ll do that.
“Good. Ainsel agreed too, and I’ll start preparing to look for Vivian. Titania, what will you do?”
Titania rubbed her eyes and opened them wide. She still could not meet Mother, but for now, it was enough just to be able to watch from afar. As long as she knew how Mother was living, she would be able to go find her anytime.
Titania rose from the bed and fidgeted for a moment before smiling bashfully and thanking Veronica.
“...Thank you, unnie.”