128. The Story From Now On
128. The Story From Now On
[Chapter 128] - The Story From Now On
"Ugh, uhehe, so this is..."
Sneaking into the royal castle, Katarina began to look around the room, turning her head this way and that. As she stared blankly at a place she had never visited before, Veronica stepped in front of her.
"Nice to meet you, Katarina."
"Uh, ueh? Uh, wha? Tw-twins?"
"Not twins. I'll explain that later..."
Seeing Veronica's face, Katarina jumped in surprise and shrugged her shoulders. No matter how she looked at it, it was the exact same face as Titania's. No, looking closely, it was a slightly younger face than Titania's.
Veronica let out a small sigh and pulled something out for Katarina. A small, 'golden, glowing oval ball' floated above her palm. This was what Veronica had obtained at the academy auction—
"A, a Fairy's Egg...? Wo, wow...! So it, it actually exists...?!"
Katarina stared at the 'Fairy's Egg' resting on Veronica's palm with curious eyes, as if it were something miraculous. It was the kind of expression a child might have when looking at a new toy.
As expected, Veronica smiled, knowing Katarina would react this way, and placed the 'Fairy's Egg' on Katarina's palm. Then, she explained the 'reason' she had brought Katarina here.
"Katarina. From now on, you'll be living with me and helping me analyze the 'Fairy's Egg.' In exchange, I'll be living with you for the time being."
"Uh, u... What about Vivian...?"
"...I'll let you see Vivian occasionally. But for the time being, you'll have to live with me. The reason I asked Titania to bring you here is because I need your 'knowledge' as a witch."
At the news that she wouldn't be able to see Vivian for a while, Katarina made a sullen expression. As her lips pouted, Veronica chuckled, took back the Fairy's Egg, and continued.
"Don't make that face. There are a lot of fairies where I live... It's a real big family. You won't have time to feel lonely."
"Uh, uh... Ho, how many are there...?"
Veronica grinned and replied.
"Seven. If you come, that makes eight. Plus, I'll handle every meal, and the cleaning too. You just have to research the 'Fairy's Egg' with me there. How about it? Sounds fun, right?"
At the answer that contained everything she wanted, the corners of Katarina's mouth began to twitch as if she were holding back a smile. Veronica had known it since the regression, but Katarina was the type of person who suffered from 'loneliness' quite a lot.
Even when they met before the regression, it was so hard to part ways...
'...I should repay the help I received back then.'
Veronica smiled faintly as she watched Katarina, who had started to beam. This was simply repaying the kindness to Katarina, who had saved her from the crisis of almost being killed by the hunter.
'While repaying the kindness, I get some help, too.'
She had been stuck on the research of the Fairy's Egg, after all.
Thinking it was the perfect opportunity, Veronica accepted Katarina into her 'Dormitory.' Feeling as if her seven dwarfs had become eight, Veronica smiled.
"From now on, call me Veronica-eonni."
*
Time passed, and before long, Titania's Coronation Ceremony began. Since the ceremony began in a very solemn atmosphere, the inside of the royal castle was so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard.
As per Titania's request, Veronica had tied Vivian to a chair, and she let out a small groan as she looked at Vivian's bound figure. She had tied Vivian to the chair as Titania asked, but...
'...Is this right?'
She really wondered if it was right to go this far.
However, if she didn't do this, it was clear that Titania's anxiety would only continue to grow. After finding out that Vivian had left, Titania had become so haggard that she was truly difficult to look at.
Veronica could still see the face of Titania looking up at her from under the blanket. Her pale face looked like it was about to push Titania to the threshold of death at any moment.
Her deathly pale face was like a corpse, and all she cried out with her parched lips was Vivian's name. She couldn't just leave Titania alone, living like a wreck holed up in her room.
It was as if her own life had no meaning without Vivian by her side; she didn't even eat and acted as if she would die at any moment, so Vivian was needed to keep Titania alive. Besides...
"...This is also for your own good, Vivian."
Veronica stroked the face of the sleeping Vivian and smiled faintly. She had no choice but to bring her here by force, but Veronica was a little happy that Vivian had returned to the royal castle.
'...It won't be easy to go back to how things were, though.'
The reason she had no choice but to bring Vivian here by force was for the sake of the increasingly broken Titania, and ultimately, it was also for the sake of Vivian, who had run away.
When Titania said she would label Vivian a witch and report her to the temple, it had been truly terrifying. Titania's eyes, which had smiled gently while saying it was a joke and that such a 'method' also existed, were not joking.
'...Really, who does she take after?'
As Veronica sighed and lamented that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Vivian's body flinched and trembled. Her closed eyes began to blink slowly, and soon, she made eye contact with Veronica.
"Tita...? No, Veronica...?"
"...Did you sleep well? Vivian?"
Veronica looked at Vivian with a gentle smile. Vivian looked around with dazed eyes, as if she hadn't fully woken up yet, and then, realizing this was the royal castle, her eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
"Huh? What is this...! Huh?!"
The moment Vivian checked her state of being tied to the chair while flailing about, fireworks were launched into the sky outside the window. With a bang! sound, the colors of the fireworks added various hues to the dark room.
"...Vivian, we don't have much time, so I'll be brief."
"Huh...? W, wait a minute! Veronica...! Untie me first..."
"...First of all, I'm sorry. For your sake, and for Titania's sake, I had no choice but to do this. It's my fault for not making the right choice."
"Huh...?"
Veronica looked at the fireworks being launched outside the window. Vivian couldn't understand this situation. No, there was no way she could understand. She had opened her eyes and woken up to find herself bound to a chair.
Besides, this place is...
"Veronica... Why am I in the royal castle? Huh? Explain this properly...!"
"...Don't think about running away from here for the time being. I'm saying this for your own good."
Seeing Vivian's restless appearance, Veronica gave a bitter smile and gently stroked Vivian's face with her fingertips. She felt sorry seeing her nervous and anxious expression, but there was nothing she could do right now.
"...First, go meet Titania."
*
Click-clack— click-clack— click-clack—
The sound of shoe heels striking the floor echoed through the hallway. Fast and sharp. It was a sound of footsteps as if chasing something. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Titania walked quickly, as if urging her own footsteps.
Titania, who had arrived in front of the room where her mother was, took a small deep breath and slowly opened the door. In the dark room, her mother was waiting for her, tied to a chair.
Vivian, who frowned at the bright light from the hallway, opened her eyes slightly and looked at Titania. The moment their eyes met, Titania was engulfed in all sorts of emotions, and her heart felt like it was burning up.
The affection she felt looking at her mother, the hatred for leaving her on a whim, the anger for leaving without a word—even amidst those emotions, the terrible love for her mother was still felt.
Inexpressible emotions engulfed her all at once, and Titania felt confused, as if a great storm had arisen in her chest. Slowly, Titania approached Vivian, who was tied to the chair.
As their faces got closer, the first emotion she felt was a terribly vivid hatred and anger. She wondered what on earth she was thinking two years ago to ignore her, who was desperately calling out for her mother, and leave.
If she had at least shown her face back then, if she had met and talked to her, if she had comforted her even a little, it wouldn't have come to this, Titania thought as she glared at Vivian.
Titania, who had arrived in front of her bound mother, grabbed her mother's chin and lifted it up violently. To make eye contact, and to confirm if it was really her mother.
Titania let out a scoff and gripped Vivian's chin tightly. Don't run away, look at me straight, don't look away from the daughter you abandoned.
"You really are a witch. A witch who left my side without a word."
Titania sneered and called Vivian 'Witch.' It was a nickname she used to mean that she already knew everything about where she had been and what she had done after leaving her side.
At being called a witch, her mother's pupils trembled. She seemed to be trying to avoid her gaze somehow, wondering what excuse she should make. The words she finally thought of and brought out were—
"I, I just did it because of a 'promise'..."
Ha, a promise?
A promise again?
Titania gripped Vivian's chin even harder, as if she didn't want to hear it. Her chin was squeezed, her cheeks were pushed out, and her mouth was forced open. Is that really all you have to say to me even in this situation?
Then, what about the promise you made to me? Are the promises you made to the ministers the only important ones, and the promise you made while linking fingers with me? Are you saying it's okay to ignore all those promises? Just because it was a promise with a child?
"Aha, so the 'promise' you made with me can be ignored, but the 'promise' with others must be kept?"
Her mother said nothing. She didn't know if she couldn't speak because of her captured chin, or if she didn't answer because she knew it too, but the feeling of disappointment was unavoidable.
Since you value promises so much, Mother, why didn't you keep the promise you made to me? She wanted to shout and ask her to answer right away, but Titania sighed and let go of the chin she was holding.
"Well, that's enough now. Regardless of the process, the fact that you've returned here is what matters."
"Wh, why on earth...?"
Why? Why, you ask? That comes out of your mouth? Titania pouted her lips and let out a dry laugh. Her mother's face, which looked like it was about to cry at any moment, seemed to be saying that she was the 'victim.'
Ah, I see. Mother doesn't know anything, does she? You don't know anything—why I'm doing this, why I brought you here, why I tied you up. That must be why you're asking me this.
"Why, you ask?"
Titania slowly stroked Vivian's lips as if crushing them. The lips that could only spit out such pathetic answers were impudent. Yes, if you don't know, I have to tell you. I have to tell you myself. However...
"Because you don't know that, I have no choice but to do this."
I won't tell you yet. For the time being, you will stay by my side, and I will teach you one by one, step by step. What you did wrong, and what kind of feelings I harbor for you. One by one, step by step.
Titania, who smiled with her eyes curved softly, tilted her head slightly and stroked Vivian's lips. Her hand, which had moved from her lips to her chin, and from her chin to her neck, gently stroked her collarbone.
"If you run away from me one more time, know that I will put a collar around this neck."
No, later on, it would be good to put a collar on her. Not a crude and ugly iron chain, but a chain that resembles a beautiful necklace. It would be nice to decorate Mother's neck prettily.
I will put a beautiful chain on her that keeps my beautiful mother tied to my side. With the wish that I will never let her go from my side again. A chain that she will never be able to take off herself for the rest of her life.
"Do you understand? Witch? No—"
Titania gently stroked Vivian's neck and imagined Vivian wearing the chain. She thought that the sight of her pitiful neck wrapped in a chain studded with sparkling jewels would surely be beautiful.
Titania smiled softly.
"Mother?"
