71. A Strange Message
71. A Strange Message
[Chapter 71] - A Strange Message
Brownie's hut in the mist.
I returned to the hut holding Brownie's hand, sat in a chair, and let out a deep sigh. I had absolutely no intention of making a fool of myself in front of that woman, but I was so annoyed at myself for finally giving in to my emotions and even crying.
Whenever I stood in front of her, my emotions always took precedence over my reason.
My brain knew she was different from the Vivian who raised her, but whenever I saw that face, I couldn't think rationally at all. On top of that, I even cried in front of her. The fact was so humiliating that I squeezed my eyes shut.
But if there was one silver lining, it was that I stopped the 'Princess' from becoming a witch, right? Anyway, Brownie and the other dwarves had already contracted with me, so there was no way the Princess would become a witch like me, but...
Still, I had told her to her face, 'Don't even think about raising the Princess as a witch,' so I figured I wouldn't have to worry about the Princess becoming a witch in the future.
'Well, I don't know if she'll actually listen to me, though.'
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I was furious with myself, thinking I should have just strangled her back then. If I had just killed her back then, I wouldn't have to deal with these trivial worries.
'Seriously, I should have strangled her somehow back then...!'
As I trembled with shame, the expression on Vivian's face when I strangled her earlier came to mind. Her expression, as she stroked my cheek with eyes that seemed to understand and even pity me, made me feel so nauseous I couldn't stand it.
'...The "woman" who had already died had never once given me that look. Was she even capable of making such an expression in the first place? She must be the same person, but...'
Seriously, I couldn't understand it at all.
Why is this Vivian so different? Did she come to her senses while raising the Princess? That crazy woman? What on earth triggered it? Is the reason she changed because of the 'Princess' who is different from me? What on earth...
I didn't want to think about it anymore, but my head kept filling up with her.
That expression she had never once shown me. The way she spared no effort for the Princess, more than for herself. Every time I recalled all of that, my stomach churned and felt sick. I felt frustrated because I didn't know how to define the name of this sickening emotion I was feeling right now.
"So annoying..."
-Master...
As I sighed and muttered, Brownie, who was watching me from the side, welled up with tears as if worried. I sat Brownie on my lap, slowly stroked her hair, and comforted her, telling her not to worry. As I was calming my mind while stroking Brownie-
"Ah, right..."
-Hm?
"I forgot I was in the identity of Princess Fiona..."
I had completely forgotten that I had attended the hunting tournament in the identity of 'Princess Fiona'. A princess who didn't come out much because she was half-reclusive. And an identity that could be used because only a few people in the Silverword Kingdom actually knew that fact.
The country provided a daily allowance for maintaining dignity, and since Princess Fiona had no right to the throne, I didn't have to worry about political infighting. Even if I went to play in other countries, it was an identity that the country didn't really interfere with, as it felt like the King had just cast her aside. There was almost no other identity as convenient for activities as this one, so I didn't want to lose it.
If I just disappeared without returning to the hunting tournament site, it seemed like a pretty big deal would happen, so I had to go back quickly, but if I went back now, I would definitely run into that woman. It was a bit... awkward to meet her again after parting like that earlier.
Just as I was agonizing over what to do, my gaze fell on another 'dwarf' sleeping lazily. A 'black cat' sleeping on the bed with its belly exposed and tongue sticking out. The cat fairy 'Cait Sith' was sleeping soundly, unaware of the world, not even knowing if someone snatched her away.
"Cait Sith. Stop sleeping and wake up."
-......
"...Brownie. Could you wake Cait Sith up?"
At my command, Brownie nodded and vigorously stroked the belly of the cat lying on the bed. Surprised by the sudden petting, the cat snapped its eyes open, flailed its paws, and threw a cat punch, but the cat's short arms couldn't reach Brownie.
Eventually, Cait Sith twisted her whole body to escape Brownie's grasp, looked at her, and hissed shortly, keeping her guard up. Whether Cait Sith did that or not, Brownie put both hands on her waist and snorted, huffing.
-What are you doing! Brownie!
-Master is calling you! Wake up quickly!
Cait Sith, just woken up, blinked and looked at me, who was sitting in a chair waving. Cait Sith, making eye contact with me, diligently washed her face like a cat, then hopped off the bed and settled onto my lap. The purring sound was a bonus.
-Why are you waking me up when I'm sleeping?
"Um... I wanted to ask a favor. Would that be okay?"
-A favor? Master asking me for a favor? Oh, seriously-
At the mention of a favor, Cait Sith made a grumpy face as if it were a bother and tried to get off my lap, so I quickly grabbed Cait Sith's belly and sat her back on my lap. The black cat, sighing deeply about having woken up for no reason, lifted her head and glared at me.
-So...? What favor?
"It's nothing much... Just disguise yourself as 'Princess Fiona' and go to the hunting tournament for me. There's someone I don't really want to meet if I go there. And... you know, right? My current physical condition. I don't want to overdo it anymore today."
-Someone Master doesn't want to meet? Ah, Baba Yaga? I don't want to meet that witch either... There are tons of bad rumors... I don't want to get involved for no reason...
"...Can I ask you?"
-...Ignoring Master's physical condition would be disqualifying as a 'familiar'... Fine, I'll do it.
Cait Sith, who had been grumbling for a while, sighed as if she had no choice, got down from my lap, and washed her face three times with her adorable hands. Then, in an instant, Cait Sith transformed into the appearance of 'Princess Fiona'. Cait Sith, muttering about how human form is a hassle, frowned and looked down at me.
-Master knows, but I'm not very good at transforming into a human. If I get caught by Baba Yaga, I don't know, okay?
"It's okay if you get caught. Even if you do, I don't think that woman would harm you. She'll realize it's not me right away anyway."
-Reeally? Well, if there's no need to hide, that's comfortable and good for me. Then I just need to finish the event well and come back, right?
When I nodded, Cait Sith raised both hands above her head and stretched. Then, grumbling again about how annoying it was, she walked out of the hut. The moment Cait Sith was about to go outside, I called her for a moment and stopped her.
"Oh, right. Could you pass a message to that woman?"
-What message?
"That is..."
*
I couldn't help but be wide-eyed with surprise at the person inside the tent.
"...Didn't you go back?"
Because Snow White, who had definitely gone into the mist, had arrived at the tent before us, disguised as Princess Fiona. I was looking at her, wondering why she had returned after we had parted like that earlier-
The pupils of Snow White, who made eye contact with me, slit vertically. For a moment, the sharply slit vertical pupils looked like a reptile's, but looking closely, they were cat pupils.
-I am not 'Master'.
Snow White, looking at me with pupils constricted into thin vertical lines, frowned while covering her mouth with a fan and opened her mouth. For some reason, it felt like I heard a purr, purr sound...
As the thought that she was like a 'cat' came to mind, I felt like I knew who the Snow White in front of me really was. Come to think of it, Snow White had called the names of 'Habetrot' and 'Cait Sith' before she left earlier.
There was only one fairy in the game with cat-like eyes and a purring sound. The cat fairy 'Cait Sith', who held the position of the Princess's pet. It was clear that Cait Sith was imitating Princess Fiona.
-I am 'Cait Sith'. I am imitating Princess Fiona at Master's request.
"...Yeah, I thought so."
When my prediction turned out to be correct, I let out a snicker.
When I snickered, Cait Sith frowned as if displeased and glared at me. I feel sorry for Cait Sith, but the reason I could be sure that the fairy disguised as Princess Fiona was Cait Sith wasn't just because of the cat eyes and the purring sound.
"You hid your ears well, but you couldn't hide your tail."
-Ack?!
It was because I could see a tail stretching out long from under the skirt, with only the tip of the tail wagging. As I looked at the tail wagging under the chair, Cait Sith quickly patted her butt to check that the tail was sticking out.
Realizing that the tail was indeed sticking out, Cait Sith turned bright red and was busy hiding the tail back into her skirt. Titania, who was in my arms, must have also seen the wagging tail, as she looked at Cait Sith, who was imitating Princess Fiona, with sparkling eyes.
As I giggled and took a seat next to Cait Sith, Cait Sith cleared her throat and glanced at me, glaring. At the blatant gaze that scanned me up and down as if evaluating me, I smiled awkwardly and asked Cait Sith.
"Why? Do you have something to say to me?"
-Yes, Master's message.
Master's message? At the words that Snow White had sent me a message, I perked up my ears and listened to Cait Sith's voice. After pausing for a moment and covering her mouth with a fan, Cait Sith smiled and told me Snow White's message.
-She said if you don't keep what you said back then, she'll kill you.
"...Is that it?"
-Yes, that's it.
...I couldn't help but frown at the extremely short message. The 'what you said back then' that Snow White is talking about must be about not raising Titania as a witch. I wondered why she sent such a message, but then I sighed again, thinking it was because 'Vivian's' credibility had hit rock bottom.
"...Then, I have a message too. Tell your master."
-What is it?
...Right, what should I say?
Tell her not to worry about Titania? That I'll raise Titania well? No, it didn't seem right to say that to Snow White, who grew up being abused by 'Vivian'.
What should I convey...
I thought for a moment while stroking the hair of Titania, who was in my arms. Because it was a shame we couldn't talk. I felt like I could clear up the misunderstanding with Snow White if we just talked a little bit.
'Well... she could probably enter the royal castle as she pleases through the hut. The hut is practically a Fairy's Side Path... Then the problem is the location in the royal castle...'
In the end, there was only one place in the royal castle where I could meet that child. A space where I don't have to worry about others' gazes, and where only Titania and I stay.
I smiled and asked Cait Sith to deliver the message.
"...I can't go to see her, so I can't visit her myself... but tell her that if she has anything she wants to say to me, she's welcome to come anytime. Tell her I'll be waiting in my bedroom. Tell her she's welcome to come anytime, morning or night."
*
-That's what she said.
"What? She really said that?"
-Yes.
Snow White, who heard the message Vivian left for Cait Sith after returning to the hut when the hunting tournament ended, couldn't help but frown at the absurd message. It didn't matter if she ignored the part about the woman coming anytime, but she doubted whether the words that followed were something that could come out of a 'female noble'. No, isn't it?
No matter how much 'Vivian's' personality had changed, at her core, she was a female noble who should have high self-esteem and value her honor, and she was a queen of a country.
A woman of that stature saying what? Waiting in her bedroom? The moment it was discovered that she had said this to someone else, it was a statement that would cause her dignity as a female noble, let alone her honor as a queen, to plummet to the ground. Even if it was the same sex, it was something that should not have been said.
"What? Waiting in her bedroom? What kind of talk is that...? Is she crazy?"
For a moment, Snow White was deeply worried about Vivian.
That perhaps her personality hadn't changed, but she had just become stupid...