[Episode 53] - The Runaway That Wasn’t a Runaway (3)
Led by Brownie’s hand to the dining table, Titania sat down, stealing glances around her as she took in her surroundings. What on earth was going on right now? Should she consider this a kidnapping?
But for a kidnapping, it was far too sloppy. She wasn’t tied up, she wasn’t imprisoned, and there wasn’t even anyone watching her. The only one there was a young “fairy” about her own age.
Brownie, bustling around in busy little steps, began setting food on the table as though she were truly enjoying herself. She ladled soup from a large pot and placed warm, steaming bread on the table.
-Hehe, I prepared it in a hurry, so this is all I have to offer. Please, try some!
Titania looked down at the soup, steam rising from it in wisps, and then glanced helplessly at Brownie sitting across from her. Was it all right to eat it? But food given by someone she didn’t know was...
She had been taught not to accept food from strangers, but the soup in front of her looked far too delicious. The aroma rising from the soup, filled generously with meat, made Titania squirm.
Groooowl— The sound from Titania’s stomach rang out loudly, filling the cabin. Titania quickly wrapped her arms around her belly, but there was no way such a booming noise could be hidden.
Once again, even louder, groooowwwl! As the sound filled the cabin resoundingly, Titania flushed and lowered her head in embarrassment. Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten anything since the tea party...
“Uuugh.”
-Ehehe, it’s all right to eat it. Brownie made it herself. Brownies don’t put things like poison in food, so don’t worry too much!
Brownie placed both hands on her hips and proudly declared that she would never tamper with food. Titania stared at Brownie with suspicious eyes, but Brownie only smiled brightly.
As Titania swallowed her saliva and waged a tug-of-war with her patience in front of the bowl, Ainsel glanced at the soup and Brownie, let out a small sigh, and whispered to Titania.
-It’s all right to eat food made by a house fairy, a “Brownie.” Those children truly belong among the good fairies. They play pranks sometimes, but they’re fairies who don’t play malicious tricks.
“Really...?”
-Yes. As a fellow fairy, I guarantee it. So you don’t have to worry too much. You may eat.
At Ainsel’s words, Titania nodded, picked up a wooden spoon, and scooped up some of the soup full of meat in front of her, placing a piece of meat on the spoon. Then she took a large bite and swallowed it down.
The tender, fatty meat cut into bite-sized pieces melted softly in her mouth. Even the potato, soaked through with the rich savoriness of the soup, crumbled fluffily against her tongue.
The nutty scent of butter and the sweetness of onion had melted into the soup, and when she swallowed it together with the tender meat, nothing could have tasted better. Titania had lived her whole life eating all manner of delicacies, and yet...
“This is the most delicious soup I’ve ever had...”
-Hehe, there’s still plenty left! If you’d like more, just say so!
As Titania gulped down spoonful after spoonful of soup, she lifted only her eyes to glance at Brownie. A girl who looked around the same age as her. She was a fairy, yes, but why was she here alone?
As Titania pondered while swallowing the soup, Ainsel spoke to Brownie.
-Brownie, we’re truly grateful that you prepared food for the princess. But could you tell us now why we are here? To suddenly open our eyes in a cabin like this... I honestly can’t understand it. Where exactly are we?
-This is the “cabin” where Brownie and the other fairies live together. The reason you came here is... because “Habetrot” brought you here...? Brownie doesn’t know the details either. “Princess” told me that guests would be coming today and asked me to welcome them.
-...Habetrot?
As far as Ainsel knew, Habetrot was a “spinning wheel fairy.” And Brownie was a “house fairy.” Normally, it was nearly impossible for different kinds of fairies to gather and live in one place.
After all, fairies rarely ever left the place where they were born. Since the “meaning” of their existence lay in the place of their birth, even if they tried to leave, there was no particular reason for them to do so.
Except for exactly two reasons.
The first was when the place they had lived disappeared with the passage of time, leaving them wanderers. Ainsel, too, before meeting Vivian, remembered being a wandering fairy who traveled through various regions in human hands.
The second was...
-Are you, by any chance... a witch’s “familiar”?
-Yes! That’s right! Brownie is the witch’s “familiar”!
Brownie even snorted proudly and puffed out her chest. A “witch’s familiar.” Fairies who made contracts with witches, lent them their power, and received mana from the witches in return.
Convinced that the “Princess” Brownie spoke of was a witch, Ainsel narrowed her eyes and looked at Brownie. Who did she mean by princess? As far as Ainsel knew, there was no witch in the “Coven” who was a “princess.”
-...Which witch? Surely, it must be one of the witches of the Coven?
-Uh, well, that’s...
When Brownie hesitated and couldn’t continue, Ainsel felt a sense of unease wrap around her entire body. If a witch of the Coven had brought the princess here, then it would not matter.
They were mischievous, but they would not hurt people. If bringing the princess here without a word was also something a Coven witch had done, then it was something she could accept as nothing more than a “prank.”
But what if it was not a Coven witch? Aside from the witches of the Coven, Ainsel knew of “one” witch currently active. The witch who had turned Aurora into a “fairy” and stolen her true body.
A criminal even the Coven was searching for. Ainsel had to be wary of the existence of a “witch” who went around turning people into fairies. Had she lowered her guard too much because Brownie belonged among the “good fairies”?
Ainsel opened her eyes wide and threatened Brownie.
-Speak quickly. Whose familiar are you? The candy witch who lives with the twins? The mermaid witch? Or the witch who keeps her own daughter locked in a tower? I don’t care who it is, as long as it’s a witch of the Coven.
-Ah, well, you see, Brownie is...?
Brownie’s eyes began trembling in every direction. Just as Ainsel’s suspicion was turning into certainty, that Brownie’s “master” must be the very “witch” she suspected—
Jingle—
The sound of the cabin door opening rang out, and a “woman” with a familiar face approached Titania. Looking at Titania, who was taking a large mouthful of soup, the woman let out a faint chuckle.
“You really are bold. You must have woken up in a place you didn’t know. Aren’t you frightened?”
“Pwincess Piona.”
“Swallow what’s in your mouth before you speak.”
Princess Fiona stared at Titania in disbelief and gave a hollow laugh. At Princess Fiona’s words, Titania busily moved her small lips, chewing.
After chewing diligently, her throat bobbed as she swallowed the soup. Then her little tongue licked what remained around her lips and slipped back inside. After that, the princess, her eyes widened in surprise, looked at Princess Fiona.
“Why are you here?”
“...That’s all you have to say to me? Isn’t there anything else you want to ask? Aren’t you curious where this is, or why you are here? No, aren’t you frightened after suddenly being brought to an unfamiliar place?”
At Princess Fiona’s incredulous question, Titania tilted her head. Then she scooped up another large spoonful of soup, put it in her mouth and swallowed it, puffed out her cheeks, and answered Princess Fiona.
“I’m not scared... What is there to be scared of? It wasn’t some frightening person who brought me here, the soup is delicious, and I don’t really get a bad feeling, so I actually felt comfortable. Ah, come to think of it, your way of speaking suddenly changed. Are you angry with me?”
“...I see. So that’s all you were curious about.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Princess Fiona flopped down onto the chair beside where Brownie was sitting. Then she propped her chin on the table, behaving without any manners, and quietly stared at Titania.
“This is how I normally speak. I’m not speaking like this because I’m angry with you, so relax.”
“...Is that so?”
At Titania’s suspicious gaze, Princess Fiona sighed. Whether she was bold beyond measure or simply fearless, the sight of Titania eating soup made Princess Fiona feel dizzy.
As she waited until Titania finished her soup, Ainsel, hanging around Titania’s neck, glared at Princess Fiona as though she wanted to kill her. Yes, normally, this sort of reaction would have been natural.
-What in the world were you thinking, bringing the princess here...?
“...Right, I was a little curious about you too. Why Vivian’s ‘familiar’ is traveling around with the princess instead of Vivian. Did Vivian make you accompany the princess in order to monitor her?”
-My question comes first. Tell me why you brought the princess here. What exactly was your reason for kidnapping the princess?
Seeing Ainsel growl, Princess Fiona shrugged. Then she told Brownie, who was sitting beside her, to bring tea, and looked at Ainsel with a gentle smile.
“Kidnapping sounds rather unpleasant. I intended to send her back within the day anyway. If I had truly intended to kidnap her, I would have sent her to a slave market or somewhere like that instead of a cabin, wouldn’t I? And you call yourself a fairy, yet you don’t even know where this is? Ah, since your true body is a mirror, have you never been here?”
-What are you...?
“This is the ‘Fairy Byway.’ And among them, this is my and the ‘dwarves’ cabin,’ a place only I know. It’s a byway among byways, one even the Witch of Avalon cannot find.”
-This is the Fairy Byway...? So that’s why I can’t reach my true body...
Only then realizing why she could not transfer to her true body, Ainsel opened her eyes wide. The Fairy Byway was like the other side of the world. So it was only natural that she could not connect to her true body.
“As for bringing her here without permission... Yes. I simply wanted to see Vivian’s true feelings. I couldn’t understand that woman raising a child with love, you see. I thought that if the princess disappeared, she would show her true colors.”
-...Didn’t I tell you? The Vivian of now is different.
“How am I supposed to believe that? There’s no way you wouldn’t know that woman’s personality. Weren’t you tricked by that woman into contracting as her ‘familiar’ too?”
-H-How do you know that...?
Princess Fiona giggled and looked at Ainsel as if she were pathetic. Ainsel glared at Princess Fiona as if she wanted to kill her, but Princess Fiona merely sighed and continued speaking.
“At any rate, answer me. Did Vivian hang you around the princess’s neck for the purpose of surveillance? Did she put a leash on her so she could always know where she was? With that woman’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange—”
“That’s not it. Ainsel is with me because she’s my friend.”
“...Friend?”
Having finished her soup and dabbed her lips with a handkerchief, Titania lifted her eyes slightly to look at Princess Fiona. Then she let out a small sigh, crossed her legs, and continued speaking haughtily.
“This necklace is a ‘gift’ Ainsel gave me. And you keep insulting my mother from earlier, but I told you before, didn’t I? Never insult my mother again.”
At Titania’s murderous glare, Princess Fiona let out a hollow laugh. Just as she was about to open her mouth, thinking that the brainwashing had gone too far, the cheek she had been struck on earlier began to sting.
And before her eyes flickered Vivian’s face after she had slapped her, tears flowing down her cheeks. That revolting sight of her being sincerely angry at her, and sincerely worried for the princess.
‘...Just what is the difference between you and me? Did you change that woman? Or is it because that woman changed that “I” became this bold too?’
Princess Fiona let out a heavy sigh and, without saying anything, simply looked at Titania. Originally, she had never intended to make things this big.
After all, the reason she had come here was simply to “confirm” something.
Having turned Mother ‘Aurora’ into ‘Lynansie,’ and after Father died alongside Mother, I came wearing the mask of ‘Princess Fiona’ simply to ‘check’ on how my younger self was living.
Surely, if things had gone according to my thoughts, young me at this time should have grown up as a ‘witch,’ suffering abuse and torment from Vivian. I had only come to give such a young me some small help, and yet…
But completely contrary to my expectations, Vivian was truly loving young me, and young me, too, was growing up trusting and following Vivian sincerely, receiving affection.
Unlike me.
At that sight, without even realizing it, I felt ‘jealous,’ felt ‘envious.’ It was because of that that I had staged this absurd ‘play.’ I thought that if young me ran away and worried her, I would surely be able to know Vivian’s true feelings.
Surely, that worried look for her was a lie; the smile directed at her was a fake smile; that heart caring for her was fake—Princess Fiona had thought so.
But contrary to my thoughts in every way, Vivian had worried about young me as if she truly thought of me as her daughter. Upon hearing that I had run away, she cried enough to redden the corners of her eyes and grew angry.
That sight was terribly disgusting.
That sight was horribly unbearable.
That woman was showing young me a face she had never once shown to ‘me.’ ‘I’ had been ruined like this because of that woman, so why did ‘you’ look happy thanks to her?
Such doubts continuously echoed in my head.
Shouldn’t you be unhappy just like me? Why do you look happy? You’re the same ‘me’ as me, aren’t you? I’m struggling like this, so shouldn’t you struggle too? You…
Why are you different from me?
Princess Fiona bit down hard, smiled bitterly, and looked at Titania. The princess was still glaring at her with an impudent expression. With her eyes, she was demanding an apology for insulting her mother.
At that gaze, she no longer wanted to concern herself with this child. Since she was different from herself anyway, since she was happy here, she felt there was no need to trouble herself to help.
Rather, having tried to help, she now found herself met with nothing but glaring, cursing eyes, and a hollow laugh escaped her. From where it had all gone wrong, Princess Fiona simply could not know.
“…That’s enough, go back. If you open the cottage door and go out, you’ll arrive at a secluded room in the royal palace. It’s dawn over there right now… so you won’t be scolded too badly.”
“Huh? Scolded? Why would I be scolded?”
“I left a note written in your handwriting saying, ‘Please don’t look for me.’ Over there, you’re currently a runaway. Everyone is desperately trying to find you. Especially Vivian.”
“Whaaat?!?! W-what on earth did you do!!”
Seeing Titania yelling in disbelief with her mouth gaping open, Princess Fiona giggled. Titania scrambled down from her chair and ran toward the door with a clatter.
As she grabbed and turned the doorknob to go outside, Princess Fiona called out to Titania with her arms crossed. Titania was already halfway out the door.
“Princess Titania, if you go outside, will you tell Vivian what happened here?”
“I will! I’ll tell Mother and have her scold you!”
Snickering, Princess Fiona smiled faintly and looked at Titania. Then, while looking at Titania, she waved her hand lightly in farewell.
“I’m sorry, but if you go outside, all your memories of what happened here will disappear. Because this is ‘that kind of place.’ You’ll simply become a ‘runaway girl’ discovered in a secluded room.”
“Wh-what?!”
Titania, who had already slipped outside with only her head left, looked at Princess Fiona in shock, but it was no use. As if sinking into a bottomless swamp, her body was gradually being pulled out the door.
“T-there’s no such thing?! Mother is really, really scary when she’s angry!!”
“I know.”
Titania flailed and waved her hands, asking to be saved, but Princess Fiona merely waved her hand lightly in farewell. At that, Titania puffed up her cheeks and—
“I hate you!!!”
With that final cry, Titania vanished from the hut.
As the noisy hut fell silent, Brownie hesitantly approached Princess Fiona’s side. And another ‘fairy,’ too.
A ‘fairy’ in the form of a young girl with petal-like pink hair approached Princess Fiona’s side. Then, lifting her head, the pink-haired girl asked Princess Fiona:
-Are you okay?
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
Princess Fiona, who had been gently patting the heads of the pink-haired girl and Brownie, let out a small sigh and looked at the door that had swallowed Titania. It seemed the time had come to admit it.
That child is different from me, who was unhappy.
Glancing down, Princess Fiona looked at the pink-haired girl and asked her. The girl, who had been looking at Princess Fiona with vacant eyes, let out a big yawn and answered.
“The next experiment subject?”
-The blonde woman hiding in the tower. I heard a witch is preventing her from going outside. Right now, her heart is connecting with some man who has drawn near. She’ll surely make a good test subject.
“…Right. Once the envoy affairs are concluded, let’s go immediately.”
With those words, Princess Fiona swept her hand over her face. Then, the shape of her face began to gradually change. Her skin turned white as snow, and her eyes, which had been like obsidian, slowly reddened.
When she swept up her hair, too, her light brown hair—bright enough to be mistaken for blonde—gradually darkened and transformed into hair as black as ebony. Then, Princess Fiona pulled a red ribbon from her pocket.
Tying her hair up with the red ribbon, Princess Fiona let out a comfortable sigh and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall. Princess Fiona, whose face had become exactly the same as ‘Titania’s,’ smiled faintly.
“It’s a face I hate no matter when I see it. I look too much like Mother.”