121. News That Came Too Late
121. News That Came Too Late
[Episode 121] - News Too Late
It had been snowing for days on end.
Katarina and I, living in the forest a bit away from the village, were in a situation where we couldn't leave the house for days due to the snow piling up. Of course, the shop had been closed for the past few weeks while it was snowing.
The white snow covered the forest, blocking the path to the shop, and the flow of supplies to the village was also cut off, so not only could we not open the shop, but we were even running out of firewood.
"Katarina. Katarina!"
"Ugh, ugh... Co, cold..."
"Putting the cold aside, let's go to the village. We're out of firewood, and the ingredients we stocked up are hitting rock bottom."
I sighed as I forcibly snatched the blanket away from Katarina, who was wriggling like a caterpillar on the bed. This shut-in, unemployed witch hadn't left her room for the past few days, so she was literally a mess.
Katarina is like a completely different person when she's making sweets, but other than that, she's always like this. Washing is a hassle, eating is a hassle, moving is a hassle. A witch who attaches "it's a hassle" to the end of every sentence.
Katarina was a witch afflicted with such laziness.
"Haa... Then, you don't have to follow me, but at least clear a path outside the house. We need to go to the village and buy something, don't we? Are you planning to starve to death like this?"
"Ugh... O, okay, just a moment..."
Eventually, unable to win against my nagging, Katarina wiggled and started putting on the clothes scattered on the floor. Honestly, I really wished she would wear clothes that had been washed.
Maybe she hated the cold even if she was lazy, because Katarina, bundled up in so many layers she was waddling, followed me like a baby penguin. I sighed softly and slowly headed out the door.
Outside the door, it was still snowing, and everything was gray. As I walked along the path I had cleared with a shovel, Katarina cleared the rest with magic. The fairies around her slowly moved the snow.
Every time Katarina took a step, the snow that had piled up to our knees moved aside on its own. I was so fascinated by the sight that I stepped back from Katarina's side to watch.
As we walked, I heard the sound of people murmuring in the distance. Katarina, who had been perking up her ears, shashashak scurried behind me and started using me as a shield to block people's gazes.
I sighed at the sight, kicked the snow with my feet to clear the rest of the path, and headed toward where the voices were coming from. Upon entering the village, the first thing I felt was a "dark atmosphere."
Perhaps because of the gray sky, or because they were exhausted from the snow that had been falling for days, the villagers' mood seemed somewhat dark. I approached two Ajumoni who were chatting nearby and spoke to them.
"Hello, Ajumoni. Have you been well?"
"Oh my, isn't that Vivian? Did you come all the way here from your house?"
"Yes, I came out to buy some firewood and ingredients."
Perhaps because it had been almost a year since I came here, or maybe because the village was small, getting to know the villagers was just a matter of time. To begin with, Katarina's shop was easy to gossip about.
Between it being a bakery in the countryside and being built a bit away from the village, the nature of Katarina's bakery made it easy for rumors among the rural villagers to concentrate there.
The villagers flocked to confirm the rumors, and since we greeted them every time we met or shared sweets as a bonus, we were soon close enough to exchange greetings with the villagers.
"You came out with your daughter? It feels like it's been a while since I've seen your daughter, too. Hello?"
"H-h-hello, h-hello..."
The Ajumoni greeted Katarina, who was hiding behind me. I hadn't told the villagers anything about Katarina, but for some reason, they thought we were mother and daughter.
I tried to explain, but I just said she was a child I had early. It was a hassle to explain, and the villagers thought I was a widow who lost her husband at a young age, so they took care of me.
It wasn't that I didn't explain because it was convenient for the villagers to take care of me. They wouldn't have believed me anyway. At first, I really tried to explain that Katarina and I weren't like that, but...
'They don't believe me anyway. Might as well use it.'
I sighed shortly and naturally joined the conversation of the village Ajumoni. I ignored Katarina, who was tugging at my clothes from behind, telling me to go back quickly.
"Is something the matter? Everyone looks so down..."
"Well, it doesn't concern country folk like us, but rumors have reached us that a royal has passed away in the capital. The weather is bad, and the news is bad, so it's only natural that we look down."
"...? What? What do you mean...?"
For a moment, my heart sank. When I opened my eyes wide, the Ajumoni started talking about the rumor. It seemed the Queen Dowager had passed away about a month ago.
The reason the news of the Queen Dowager's passing was late was because the heavy snow had cut off exchanges with the neighboring village. Even after clearing the snow, it kept piling up, so the roads would be blocked again after just one day.
That kind of weather had lasted for about a month. Once the weather cleared up a bit and the roads opened, a merchant from the neighboring village told the villagers the news of the Queen Dowager's passing.
That the Queen Dowager had passed away about a month ago.
"Vivian? Are you okay? Your face is pale..."
"Ah, it's nothing. I think I'm just dizzy from being out of the house for the first time in a while..."
"I see. Oh, if you need firewood, don't buy it, just take it from our house. We still have plenty."
"Th-thank you."
The Queen Dowager had passed away.
And a month ago, at that.
The guilt of finding out about the Queen Dowager's passing so late pressed heavily on my heart. Royal funerals last about a month, so wouldn't the funeral still be going on? What if it was already over?
There was no time to worry for long. I forgot why I had come out and started heading back home immediately. Even if I was late for the funeral, I had to go to the royal castle and at least pay my respects at the grave.
I thought I would be contacted within a week, even in this countryside. The problem was this weather with snow pouring down. The snow was falling so hard that even the neighboring village was unreachable, cutting off logistics.
"...You said you would live a long time."
I muttered, staring blankly at the sky where snow was pouring down. I didn't resent the Queen Dowager for passing away early. I resented myself for not even hearing the news of the Queen Dowager's passing properly.
Back home, I took out the funeral invitation I had received from the Queen Dowager. The letter had the Queen Dowager's seal, along with a single line: "Vivian Liliensole is permitted to enter the royal castle."
If it was like the Queen Dowager to write only what was necessary, then this was it. A chuckle escaped me at the thought that the content of the funeral invitation was a bit too brief.
'...Is Titania okay?'
Is Titania okay after the Queen Dowager passed away? Are Veronica and Ainsel comforting Titania well? I wanted to go and comfort her right away, but I had no right to do so.
'...I left the royal castle to make Titania stand on her own. I left only one letter for Titania so she wouldn't rely on me. I have no right to comfort Titania.'
Still, wouldn't it be okay to watch from afar? Wouldn't it be okay to just check if she's doing well without meeting her? If I just watched from a distance without being caught by Titania...
"Hoo..."
I took a black dress out of the closet, changed into it, and stared at myself reflected in the mirror. I tied up my noticeable blonde hair to hide it, wearing a modest black dress that one would wear to a funeral.
Finished with my preparations to see the Queen Dowager, I went out of the room and called Katarina. One of the reasons I had negotiated with Katarina to work here was for days like today.
That she would use magic for me if I wanted.
In return, I would also do work for Katarina.
That was the "contract" Katarina and I had made.
"Katarina. Are you ready?"
"Y-yes. I'm ready. We can leave right now."
"...Okay, let's go."
Katarina, who had opened the Fairy's Side Path, held out her hand to me. Seeing the heat haze-like shimmer beyond the door, I sighed deeply, grabbed Katarina's hand, and followed behind her.
"I-it'll be dizzying. Please close your eyes."
"...Okay."
*
"...Princess. Are you alright?"
"......Yes. I'm alright."
Three days had already passed since Grandmother's funeral ended.
Even though the month-long funeral had ended, Titania couldn't believe any of this. The whole world she saw was dyed in gray, so it felt like she was dreaming.
If only all of this were a dream, how good would that be? To wake up from a dream and return to the happy days as if nothing had happened. To the days when Mother was always by my side, and Grandmother was alive.
However, whenever I woke up from sleep and opened my eyes, nausea would well up at the terrible sense of reality. The moment I woke up from a happy dream and realized the reality was so painful that I cried and got out of bed every day.
Titania, who had been staring blankly out the window, looked at Grandmother's grave visible at the edge of her vision. For the time being, Titania was staying in a room where the grave was clearly visible because she wanted to at least see Grandmother's grave.
Titania turned her head and looked at Vin Chaud with hollow eyes.
"...What do the other ministers say?"
"First of all, they say the Princess's coronation ceremony should be moved up..."
"...Okay."
She had no interest in the coronation ceremony. Even if she became Queen like this, could she be a normal Queen? Titania chuckled at the question she asked herself. That there was no way.
Titania turned her head again and looked out the window where snow was pouring down. She was annoyed because she couldn't even see Grandmother's grave properly due to the blizzard. It felt like everything she wanted was being obstructed.
As she was staring blankly out the window like that—
A streak of gold light shone through the gray colors.
A golden woman walking toward Grandmother's grave, wearing black mourning clothes.
When Titania looked at that woman, goosebumps rose all over her body.
"...Vin Chaud, wait a moment."
"Princess?!"
Titania felt her heart sink for a moment and ran out of the room. She couldn't see properly due to the blizzard, and her head was covered, so she couldn't see well, but Titania was certain.
It's Mother!
It must be Mother!
Titania, who started running down the hallway barefoot, began to run like a madwoman.
Even if her feet got tangled and she fell in the hallway, she got back up and ran toward Mother. Even if her soles were torn and she fell and scraped her knees, Titania got back up and ran.
Even though the sensation of blood flowing from her knees and the pain that felt like her soles would freeze rose up, she endured it. If she could see Mother, this much pain was nothing.
"Mother...! Omma! Omma!!"
Please, don't leave me behind!
Please, stay by my side!
If it's now, I'll forgive you for leaving me without a word! I'll just forgive you without saying anything! I won't be greedy anymore! I won't ask you to love me! I won't beg!
Instead, I'll ask for just this one thing.
I have no one but you now.
So, please stay by my side.
So, please don't abandon me.
Titania, gritting her teeth, ran out of the castle. When she came outside, the blizzard began to slice thinly at Titania's skin like razor blades. But Titania didn't care.
Stepping on the snow barefoot, Titania ran toward Mother with all her might. Whether it was because of the tears or the blizzard, she couldn't see ahead properly. Even if she tripped over a stone and rolled on the ground, or the blizzard blocked her vision, she ran straight toward Mother.
Running, and running.
Beyond the blizzard, someone's figure could be seen.
A blonde woman in mourning clothes.
"Mom... Mom..."
Titania cried like a child and slowly approached the woman.