98. Older Sister
98. Older Sister
[Chapter 97] - Eonni
"...Why are you crying?"
"......Who says I'm crying?"
I wiped the tears with the back of my hand, trying to hide the ones that had spilled out before I could stop them. Feeling a suffocating tightness in my chest, I let out a long sigh, then glanced up to look at Snow White, who was sitting in front of me.
Perhaps because she felt a bit lighter after pouring out what was on her mind, unlike me, Snow White was wearing a gentler smile than before. Still, that smile also looked a bit weary.
After hearing her story, I couldn't say a word. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to this child. Truly, I was at a loss for how to even open my mouth.
The first thought that came to mind after hearing Snow White's story was that Aurora was a real piece of shit. I couldn't think of anything other than that she deserved to die. Even beasts love their own offspring, so why did Aurora...
'...The Aurora here was like that, too. Is it just that the human named Aurora is the problem?'
And, after hearing her story, I realized why I had been able to recognize Snow White's face so easily at the ball. It wasn't just that she had the same face as Titania; it was because Snow White's appearance hadn't aged.
Three years ago, and even now, Snow White had maintained the exact same face. Snow White had said she came here when she was seventeen and Titania was two, but compared to that, she didn't look like she had aged at all.
Was it a side effect of turning into a fairy? To me, it looked as if Snow White's time had simply stopped. Like the Snow White in the fairy tale who fell asleep in a coffin after eating the witch's Poison Apple.
She said she was gradually becoming a fairy, so if that was the case, how much had she transformed by now? Come to think of it, three years ago, Brownie had asked Snow White if her body was alright—could it have been because of this?
"That..."
I wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't leave my lips. I didn't know if it was okay to ask such a thing, what I should say to Snow White, or how I should react. The shock was that great.
As I sat there stupidly, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish, Snow White looked at me and let out a snicker. Then, she gently shook the Red Thread tied to her wrist and asked me.
"It's my turn now. You know that, right?"
"...Yeah."
Yeah, it would be better to be the one asked questions. I needed some time to sort out my thoughts, too. Twisting the Red Thread connected to me with her fingers, Snow White groaned in thought.
"You are..."
I was prepared to answer truthfully, no matter what question I was asked. Even the fact that I wasn't Vivian. No, I had thought for sure that Snow White would ask about my identity. I was certain of it, but...
"...No, never mind. I have nothing I want to ask you now."
"What? Ah, no, you must have something...? About me, perhaps...?"
Saying she had nothing more to ask me, Snow White rested her chin on her hand and let out a small sigh. Seeing her look as if I were the one begging for a question, Snow White giggled and answered me.
"Forget it. Telling you my story cleared my head a bit. And..."
"....?"
"Seeing you cry after hearing my story convinced me. You really aren't the Vivian I know. I don't think I've ever seen you cry because of me."
"Wh, who cried...!"
Just in case, I wiped my eyes, and a little bit of moisture came off on my finger. Watching me wipe away my tears, Snow White chuckled and continued.
"Just like how I and Titania are different, you and Vivian are different entities. I vaguely knew that fact, but I didn't want to admit it."
"......"
"I mean, she killed me dozens of times. How could I easily accept that she's changed? After everything I've suffered from you?"
After hearing Snow White's story, I could fully understand why she had approached me with such malice.
Honestly, how could she not hate someone who had killed her dozens of times? It was only natural that she couldn't judge things rationally.
Besides, she probably couldn't understand how the Vivian who had killed, tormented, and hated her could love a different version of her here.
She had hated her enough to kill her dozens of times, so it must have been incomprehensible to Snow White that the version of her here was raising her with love.
"...So, that's enough. I'm tired of hating you, too. Whoever you are, the fact that Vivian has changed is enough for me now. Because Titania won't have to go through what I did."
Having said that, Snow White let out a long, weary sigh and wiped her face with both hands. As if she no longer had the strength to hate Vivian, as if she had no more energy to waste on hatred, Snow White leaned back in her chair and slumped slightly.
Snow White, who had been slumped in the chair, opened her eyes wide as if she had thought of something, then glanced at me with just her eyes and asked.
"Actually, no. Cancel that about having nothing to ask. I'll use my second question."
"Sure, ask me anything."
"Why did you name Titania 'Titania'? You know the meaning of that name, right?"
At Snow White's sudden question about the meaning of Titania's name, I calmly sorted out my thoughts and explained to her why I had named Titania 'Titania, the Fairy Queen'.
"Titania. It's the name of the Fairy Queen, isn't it? I know that, too. The reason I gave her that name is, quite literally, because Titania will become the Queen of the kingdom. Besides, I intended to teach Titania about fairies and magic back then. I stopped because you told me not to."
"You said you had no intention of raising Titania as a witch?"
"Do only witches use fairies? I thought if Titania became Queen, the fairies would be of help to her. That's really all there is to it. I thought it was a good name for the future Queen Titania."
Snow White, who shook the Red Thread tied to her wrist to confirm it hadn't snapped, let out a humming sound, "Hmph~". As I thought back to when I named Titania, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
"Then it's my turn to ask."
"That's right. Ask me anything."
"How about I give you a name?"
"What?"
At my question, Snow White's eyes went wide, and she glared at me. Seeing her gaze, which was as guarded as a cat's just like before, I sighed for a moment and calmly continued.
"It's been a day or two that I've been frustrated not knowing your name. And you won't tell me. You have no intention of telling me, do you?"
"Right. I don't."
That stubbornness is just like Titania's. Who on earth does she take after to be so stubborn? Aurora? The King? I hope it's not Aurora's bloodline. I let out a small sigh, then looked at Snow White with a smile.
"Then I have to call you by a name I choose. Don't I? How long do I have to call you Princess~ Princess~? You're not even a princess anymore, are you?"
"Just call me Princess like you always have! Why do you need a name for me?!"
"I don't know, I can't hear you. I want to make it a set with Titania. Since Titania is the Fairy Queen, how about Oberon, the Fairy King? Oberon is too masculine, so Oberon... Beron... Veronica..."
"Huh...!"
Ignoring Snow White's gaze as she looked at me with a flushed face as if I were absurd, I focused on naming Snow White.
To make it a set with Titania, 'Oberon', the Fairy King, was the correct answer, but that was too masculine. It wasn't suitable for a girl's name.
After much thought, I smiled at the name that flashed through my mind and looked at Snow White. Snow White crossed her legs as if annoyed by my pushy behavior, rested her chin on the table, and clicked her tongue. She was a total delinquent.
"Hmm... Your name is..."
"Don't. I told you not to do it."
But I knew she wouldn't listen if I didn't force it like this. Besides, I thought Snow White would secretly like it if I did this. Why did I think that? Well, because—
No matter how different Titania and Snow White were, they were fundamentally the same children. If you think of Snow White as Titania going through puberty, she's cute as can be.
"Veronica."
"......"
"Veronica Snow White. How is it? Do you like it?"
For a moment, silence descended. Snow White, who had been resting her chin on her hand without reacting, soon glared at me as if to kill me and replied.
"Really, what a childish name. Your naming sense is terrible. I really don't like it. I told you, right? I don't need a name. I'm just—"
Snap.
Just as Snow White was complaining with an annoyed expression, saying it was ridiculous, the middle of the taut Red Thread snapped with a sound. The Red Thread, which had been flying lightly in the air from the recoil of snapping, soon settled gracefully onto the table.
Clearly, this Red Thread snaps if you tell a lie...
Suppressing the corners of my mouth that were trying to rise, I looked up at Snow White's face. Perhaps having forgotten about the Red Thread for a moment, Snow White, whose face was bright red, was opening and closing her mouth, looking for an excuse. But—
"......"
"......"
Snow White must know, too.
That no matter how much she tried to make excuses for this situation, it wouldn't work.
After all, it was Snow White who had tied the Red Thread to my wrist in the first place, and it was Snow White who had suggested the Three Questions. Is this what they call digging your own grave? I asked Snow White, suppressing my laughter until my mouth hurt.
"I guess you really liked the name I gave you? Please take care of me from now on, Veronica."
"You...!!"
Veronica, her face bright red, jumped up from her chair and approached me, starting to push me. She poked and pushed me, telling me to get out of the chair and get out of here, until I was pushed all the way to the terrace door of my room.
"Get lost! Don't come back! Don't expect to see my face again!"
"Cough, haha. Don't be like that, listen to me. Veronica. Yeah? Just listen for a second."
"Don't call me Veronica!!"
Veronica, pushing my back with all her might, telling me to get lost immediately, and me, holding onto the terrace with both arms to keep from entering the room. Fortunately, since Veronica and I were evenly matched in strength, I was able to hold onto the terrace door frame.
"Come visit here at least once a week from now on. Let's talk again next time."
"I told you not to expect to see my face again!"
"Then, do you intend to never see Titania again? I want you to be Titania's eonni."
"E, eonni?"
Suddenly, Veronica stopped pushing me and began to ponder. Then, she glanced over to look at Titania sleeping on my bed, even knitting her brows in deep thought.
"I don't care about me, but please get close to Titania. She's lonely since she's alone."
"......."
"You know that well, since you were alone too. Growing up alone is lonely. At least if you, like an eonni, were there, I'd be relieved..."
"Stop."
At Veronica's coldly dropped voice, I couldn't continue. Just as I thought it was a no-go, Veronica poked my back and pushed me into the room. Worried about when we'd meet again if we parted here—
"....I'll come at this time next week, so wait with Titania."
With those last words from Veronica, the scenery of the terrace changed in an instant. To the familiar terrace overlooking the royal garden, not the beach. As I thought of Veronica's face, flushed red and deep in thought, a laugh escaped me before I knew it.
"Really... I'm looking forward to next week."