69. (Re-upload) Distrust
69. (Re-upload) Distrust
[Chapter 69] - Distrust
"What are you planning to do by sending Princess Titania into the fog?"
Fiona felt herself becoming emotional once again.
No matter how hard she tried to think rationally and coldly, she melted endlessly in front of that woman's face. The anxiety, impatience, and hatred that seemed to boil inside her became heat that melted away her reason.
However, it couldn't be helped, could it?
Sending the princess into that fog right now was no different from Vivian saying she would introduce a 'fairy' to Titania. Fiona frowned, looked at Vivian, and made a vow to herself.
She had to stop that, at the very least.
From Fiona's perspective, no matter how hard she tried to look at it charitably, Vivian's goal could only be seen as 'this.' Her intention was to introduce a fairy to the princess and turn the princess into a 'witch' just like herself.
Truly, that was the one thing she wanted to stop.
Because becoming a 'witch' was never a good thing.
*
"What are you planning to do by sending Princess Titania into the fog?"
At Princess Fiona's worried question, I was momentarily speechless and couldn't say anything. I didn't know on what grounds Princess Fiona had reached such a conclusion, but for now, clearing up this misunderstanding—if it could be called that—was the priority.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Why do you think I would send the princess into that fog? You heard what kind of fog it is, so you should know well, right?"
"...Yes, I know. I'm asking because I know. What are you planning to do by putting the princess into that fog? Why do I think that? Well, because you're the type who would do such a thing."
"...Princess Fiona. Did you learn nothing from getting slapped by me last time?"
When I lifted my hand slightly as if to threaten her, did she think I was going to slap her again? Princess Fiona's shoulders flinched. Just like a child afraid of being scolded. At that sight, I lowered my hand again and let out a deep sigh.
"...The thing you're thinking of will never happen, so go back to your tent. I think this every time, but it's unpleasant because you seem to view me as such an unreasonable person. It's annoying because you act as if you're certain I'm abusing Titania."
Perhaps I was exhausted by Princess Fiona's attitude of constantly treating me like a bad person. I ended up answering sharply without realizing it. However, if I didn't speak stubbornly like this, Princess Fiona wouldn't understand.
I sighed deeply once more, then lifted my head to look at Princess Fiona. Shouldn't I be able to ask now? What on earth happened with Vivian in the past.
I had asked Ainsel about Princess Fiona, but Ainsel had said she didn't know about their relationship either. Ainsel didn't know every detail of Vivian's life, after all.
The reason I hadn't been able to ask until now was because I was worried that if I—that is, Vivian—said, 'I don't remember what happened between us,' Princess Fiona would be hurt.
Princess Fiona was someone who would grind her teeth just seeing 'Vivian's' face. But if I, who am Vivian, said, 'What did I do to you? I don't remember?', what would Princess Fiona think?
I had kept my mouth shut until now simply because I could easily imagine Princess Fiona lunging at me to choke me, saying, 'You did that to me and you don't remember?! You don't remember?!'
I glanced at Titania, who was at a loss beside me, and tapped my knee as if to tell her to come here. Then, Titania, who had been looking back and forth between me and Princess Fiona, hesitated before settling onto my lap.
"Ha."
Princess Fiona's face twisted again. At that expression, I let out a small sigh myself, patted Titania's back, and asked. In times like this, the opinion of the person involved is best.
"Titania, it seems Princess Fiona is under the impression that I'm abusing you. Won't you tell Princess Fiona for me? How you and I usually get along."
"U-um, so..."
Titania glanced up to look at Princess Fiona's face. At the terrifyingly twisted face, Titania immediately averted her gaze and answered in a small voice, stammering.
"Don't, don't fight... M-Mom isn't a bad person...? They said she was bad in the past... but she's not a bad person now... She treats me really well... A-and..."
Where did the spirit she had when snapping at Princess Fiona earlier go? Seeing Princess Fiona's heavily twisted expression, Titania looked like a terrified baby squirrel. In the end, Titania, who had been mumbling in a fading voice, had no choice but to hang her head and close her mouth.
Well... even to my eyes, Princess Fiona's face was terrifying.
I could fully understand why Titania was scared.
"...Anyway, as Titania said, I have never abused the child or anything of the sort. If anything, I am trying my best as this child's parent. The thing you're thinking of will really never happen."
"...Really?"
"In the first place, I have no idea why you think I would put Titania into that fog. As you know, that fog is one that you can't get out of once you enter."
As I continued speaking, I felt frustrated.
Even without this, I didn't have much time, and I was getting annoyed because of Princess Fiona, who kept finding strange faults. I questioned Princess Fiona in a slightly sharp voice.
"Are you trying to say that I would 'abandon my daughter in that fog'? That I, of all people, would abandon my daughter, Titania?"
"My, daughter...?"
Princess Fiona let out a hollow laugh, as if my answer was absurd.
Seeing her losing her reason again, I frowned and looked at Princess Fiona. I couldn't tell at all if she was jealous of Titania or if she hated me.
Princess Fiona, who had been muttering something, twisted her face and looked at me with an expression that looked like she was about to cry. It looked so sad, and the expression seemed so miserable, that I was left speechless and couldn't say anything more.
"You... say that?"
In the end, a single tear flowed quietly down Princess Fiona's cheek.
It looked as if suppressed emotions were leaking out. To hide her strangely twisted face, Princess Fiona covered her face with both hands and spoke to me with trembling lips, barely managing the words.
"You, who called me vermin, or maggots, are saying that in front of me?"
Her fragmented words became increasingly incoherent. As she continued to speak, sobs leaked from her mouth. Princess Fiona's body began to tremble like an aspen tree, and eventually, she collapsed and sank to the ground.
Just as I approached Princess Fiona, wondering what on earth this situation was—
The brown hair, which had looked like gold under the sunlight, began to turn dull from the ends, and before I knew it, it started changing into black hair like the night sky. The hair that had been shoulder-length grew in an instant, cascading down to her back.
The black pupils brimming with tears also began to ripple, and soon they started turning into a pomegranate-red color. Skin as white as snow. Ebony-like hair. And, eyes as red as drops of blood.
That appearance resembled someone so much that I could only stand there, mouth agape, staring at her. In a situation where everything was questionable, this much was certain.
That she was not 'Princess Fiona.'
Rather than Princess Fiona, she was—
I looked at Titania, who was in my arms with a surprised expression.
The same black hair and the same red eyes.
"Ti, tania...?"
As I called 'her' with trembling lips, the woman who looked exactly like Titania, who was in my arms, stood there shedding tears and glared at me with piercing eyes. With a gaze that looked like she would lunge at me and kill me at any moment.
*
I didn't want to believe it.
I didn't want to believe it.
The fact that that woman was different from the woman I knew.
I just didn't want to believe it, so I didn't face reality.
I didn't want to know.
I didn't want to know.
Because if I admitted that she was different from the woman I knew, I felt like something inside me would collapse. Only the hatred toward her was everything in 'this' life. Only if she didn't change could I feel that I was still alive.
However, for some reason, the 'Vivian' here was different. Instead of insulting the 'me' here, she praised me, and instead of hitting 'me,' she gave me a hug. Every time I saw that, only one phrase came to mind.
'Why only me?'
If you were someone who could share love like that, why did you treat me so badly? It was you who insulted me instead of praising me, and slapped my cheek instead of stroking me.
'Why only to me?'
Was there something wrong with me? Did I do something wrong? Was it because I did something wrong that you insulted and persecuted me? Then, what on earth is different between that child and me?
With questions piling up one after another, I had no choice but to give up. It was already in the past, and the 'Vivian' I knew was already dead. And in such a futile and vain way, at that. Perhaps that's why it felt even more so.
The reason my insides seem to boil and I get angry every time I see that woman.
A woman who looks exactly like 'that woman' who died before I could even resolve the hatred piled up inside me. However, her actions are unmistakably those of a different person. I found it hard to handle the disgust that came from that discrepancy.
That's why whenever I stood in front of that woman, my emotions took over.
Memories of the past ran wild, and unresolved grudges seethed.
Even now, I couldn't control my emotions, and the magic I had used to disguise myself as 'Princess Fiona' had worn off. I hadn't intended for this to happen. I hadn't planned on this. I had just come to stop the princess from entering the fog.
Whenever I stood in front of that woman, everything I had planned fell apart.
I wiped away my tears, lifted my head, and looked at Vivian and Titania standing in front of me. Perhaps not having grasped the situation yet, Titania had her eyes wide open, and the mirror fairy was also flustered. Vivian, like the mirror fairy, was just opening and closing her mouth. How foolish.
As I sniffled and wiped away my tears, I heard small footsteps running toward me from the forest. Perhaps realizing that my magic had worn off, a small 'dwarf' was approaching my side from afar.
-Master~~!!
'Brownie,' running with brown hair fluttering and green eyes welling up with tears, reached my side in an instant. Then, to protect me, she spread her arms wide and growled at Vivian.
-Don't bully my master!! You wicked Baba Yaga!