episode_0088

[Last episode] – The ending of a common fairy tale

Early morning on prom day.

Trisha, who had not slept well at night, woke up early in the morning and walked around the mansion. Trisha drank some cold water from the kitchen and rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache. It was because her mind was complicated as the ball day approached.

I told Elise that I would collect my thoughts before the ball, but it wasn’t easy to collect my thoughts. No matter how positively I thought about it, reality held me back.

‘…What should I do?’

To tell the truth, my heart had already been turned toward the children for a long time. I thought it would be okay to give up everything, sell my property, and live with the children in the countryside far from the capital.

However, if you live in the countryside, public safety is bound to be poor. I heard through rumors that in the countryside, wild animals often come down from the mountains and attack houses whenever they get a chance.

When I thought about it that way, I thought it would be okay to live in the capital with my children. The more people there were in the city, the safer it was than in the countryside.

However, because there were so many people, the capital city was a place where you had to be mindful of other people’s opinions. If you lived in the capital city, you were worried that your children would be cursed at or looked at with contempt by other people.

‘If you live in the capital, you can’t live without worrying about what other people think…’

No matter how hard she tried to hide it, it was certain that rumors about her and her children would eventually spread in social circles. No matter how hard Catherine tried, there was nothing she could do to stop the social circle.

Trisha wiped her face in frustration, struggling with a dilemma that she couldn’t do this or that. I feel sorry for the kids, but there was a time when I prayed that I would meet a good person at the ball and fall in love at first sight.

I felt like my insides were seething at the thought of my children marrying off to a stranger, but I thought it was a better choice than living a miserable life with myself.

The more she thought about this, the more it seemed that Trisha was the one who was hurt. The more she thought about it, the more she fell into self-loathing and self-destructiveness, and Trisha drank cold water to soothe her bitter feelings.

‘…First, the ball. Let’s think about it after the ball.’

Trisha put down her empty cup and headed out of the kitchen. It was still early morning, but it was just the right time to wake up the kids and get ready. There was so much to prepare today.

*

“Hello! Madam! Today, I will be your attendant! It’s Vivi! Please take care of me today!”

While wandering around the mansion looking for the invisible children, Trisha encountered Vivi running towards her from the end of the hallway.

Then, Vivi smiled brightly and said, “Please take care of me today,” and that she would be taking care of me today. Trisha tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what he was saying and asked Vivi.

“Vivi, what are you talking about? My servant?”

“Yes! I will help you with your skin care and hair care before going to the ball!”

“No, the kids are better than me…”

“The Madame’s children went to the Count’s house with Catherine at dawn. They said that they couldn’t take proper care of their skin here… Catherine said that she would take them to the Count’s house with her children and prepare them… Didn’t you hear?”

I never heard of such a story..? Trisha, who felt a strange sense of anxiety in the sudden situation, bent down and met Vivi’s eyes. When they met eyes, Vivi’s pupils trembled slightly. As if she was hiding something.

“…Vivi, do you have anything to say to me?”

“Oh, there isn’t any..?”

“Really?”

“Oh, no…”

Trisha narrowed her eyes and glared at Vivi, but Vivi simply avoided eye contact and said nothing. Catherine must have been keeping her mouth shut.

In most cases like this, it was obvious that Catherine or Elise had planned it. No one else would act like this without saying anything to her.

“Haa… Okay, I’ll ask you to take care of me today, Vivi.”

“Yes!”

Now, no matter how much I think about it, in the end, I always end up thinking, ‘It’ll work out somehow.’ Because there was never a single time that I could do anything about any of Catherine and Elise’s plans.

*

“Is it still far..?”

“Yes! There’s still a long way to go! You have to stay in the bath for another hour! And after that, you’ll take another bath in the bath with lavender oil! And also…”

Trisha frowned and protested at Vivi’s endless answers, but it was no use. Vivi was just busy preparing to dress Trisha up with all her heart.

‘Haa… I feel like I’ve been bathing for three hours already…’

Trisha cupped her hands together and thought of the bath water she was soaking in. As the clear, white milk gathered in her hands, the sweet scent of warm milk tickled Trisha’s nose.

A bath filled with expensive milk, something I had never even thought of in my previous life. And what awaited me was not just a milk bath.

“It wasn’t originally supposed to be completed in one day…but I didn’t have time.”

“That, is that so..?”

After the expensive milk bath, I had to take a second bath with lavender-scented oil, and I had to rub something into my skin and hair during the bath.

Trisha even went as far as to rub raw eggs into her hair, as Vivi had told her that putting eggs on her hair would make it shiny. Trisha had to follow Vivi’s orders and spend the entire morning bathing and taking care of her skin.

After washing, washing, and washing again during the morning, Trisha’s already pale skin began to glow as if it were glowing white, and her sweet body odor was accompanied by a faint scent of lavender.

After the bath, the next thing that came was a forced sleep. A deep sleep to make my skin a little better, yoga to make my body a little prettier, and then there was the hair care.

‘It’s like I’ve become some kind of doll…’

Even before the ball had even started, Trisha was completely exhausted and felt like she wanted to fall asleep right away, regardless of the ball or anything. With a sigh, Trisha collapsed onto the sofa and closed her eyes.

“Mrs. Trisha, you can’t sleep. You have to put on your dress now!”

“Haa…”

But now that I just have to put on the dress… Trisha sat up on the sofa, her body hunched over, and stared blankly into space. The kids must be doing this by now, too. It must be hard, right?

When she felt like she wanted to see the kids for some reason, Vivi grabbed Trisha’s hand, who was fidgeting on the sofa, and led her to the room where the dress was.

“What a beautiful dress! My brother said it was the most masterpiece he’d ever made!”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes! Even I think it’s a really beautiful dress! So definitely…”

As the door with the dress slowly opened, Trisha’s eyes were drawn to the dress in the middle of the room. The pure white dress, bathed in the sunlight streaming in from the window, shone like the first snow in the sunlight.

Trisha was speechless when she saw the dress in the middle of the room. Clearly, the dress she had in mind was a plain dress with mixed colors.

But the dress in front of me was dazzlingly white. It was like a fairy tale dress that beautifully puffed out from the waist. Yes, this dress was like…

Vivi slowly closed the door, took Trisha’s hand, and approached her dress. Then she looked at Trisha, who was standing there blankly, and smiled.

The smile was just like the smile Catherine always had.

You can’t run away anymore, so give up.

That kind of laughter.

“I’m sure it’ll suit you well.”

*

After that, my memory was vague. Maybe it was because of the shock, or maybe because I was too tired. When I came to, I was wearing a pure white dress and riding in a large pumpkin carriage that I had borrowed from the count’s house.

Trisha sighed in dizziness and looked out the window. It was already dark outside, almost pitch black. That made it even clearer. This carriage was not headed to the ballroom.

Beyond the dark forest, a large castle was visible in the distance. The bell to start the ball rang, and colorful fireworks exploded above the castle, lighting up the night sky with many colors.

Normally, he and his children should have been there, but for some reason, the pumpkin carriage he was riding in was running in the exact opposite direction from the palace where the ball was being held.

‘What on earth were you guys thinking…’

Trisha rubbed her forehead against the fatigue and headache that was creeping up on her. She had no idea what the kids were thinking. No matter what, she never thought they would do something like this on the day of the ball.

What on earth were the children thinking when they didn’t even attend the ball? This ball wasn’t just any ball. It was also one of the most important days in the country, when the prince was looking for a bride.

There were even rumors that all the nobles of the kingdom would attend this ball. Even if they had no children, it was a day to make eye contact with the prince and his new bride. Either way, it was definitely a very important day.

‘What should I do with you guys…’

Rattling.

The carriage stopped, and Vivi, who was sitting in front, jumped up and opened the carriage door. As I went down the dark carriage steps, following Vivi’s instructions to watch my step, I knew right away where I was.

“Church…”

“This way.”

Vivi started to walk away from the dark church. As I followed Vivi, each step felt very heavy.

Now, there was no way she didn’t know. What the children had prepared for this church. Trisha vaguely remembered the story she had told Elise at Catherine’s shop.

‘It’s natural for parents to want to see their daughter’s wedding dress at least once.’

Clink, clack, each time the heels of my shoes touched the marble floor of the church, a clear sound echoed through the quiet hallway. Every time I heard the clack, my worries seemed to increase by one.

I’m sure you told Elise that you were going to worry about it until the ball.

Couldn’t you have waited just a little longer?

Catherine, Sylvia, and Lily too. Why are they suddenly acting like this…

“I’ve arrived. Everyone is waiting for my wife here.”

“……Okay.”

While I was lost in thought, I found myself in front of the chapel door. The large door was closed, so Vivi alone was unable to open it.

Trisha put her hand on the firmly closed door. It felt bad to have to open it herself, to be forced to make a choice.

Will you open this door and choose ‘greed’?

Should I go back and choose ‘Wish’?

It was as if the tightly closed door was asking me which one I would choose.

‘I am…’

There was no way to escape this choice any longer.

But I still didn’t know which choice was correct.

Because no matter which one I chose, I was sure I would regret it in the end.

This was all that was clear.

The outcome of this choice was either a brief moment of happy regret or a continual, painful regret. No matter which choice I made, I was sure I would end up regretting it.

but.

Even so,

Even if it has to be that way.

Trisha just wanted the children to be happy, even if it was just a little bit.

And finally, he also hoped that he would be happy.

And make a choice you’ll regret later.

Pursuing happiness with children.

In the end, can’t it end like this?

Like the end of a fairy tale.

‘And they all lived happily ever after.’

I tightened my grip on the doorknob. Slowly, very slowly. The large door slowly began to open with a loud creaking sound.

And soon, with great determination, I pushed the doorknob and opened the door to the chapel. A bright white light poured in, contrasting with the dark hallway, and my eyes squinted in reflex.

As her eyes gradually became accustomed to the light and she looked at the sight before her, Trisha looked into the chapel and smiled with the corners of her eyes arched.

Then, I walked down the red road that was spread out in front of me, taking one step at a time, then two steps at a time. As I walked down the red road, for some reason, it didn’t feel real.

A tingling sensation deep inside my chest. Isn’t this the joy a bride might feel when she is with her loved one?

Now, I wondered if this was the joy of having someone by your side until you die. So… Trisha bit her lip, feeling like she was going to cry.

Slowly, Trisha, standing in front of four brides in pure white dresses, suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter that started off as a “haha” quickly turned into a huge laugh.

It was because I couldn’t stand it.

A sudden burst of laughter.

And I thought that all the worries I had had up until now were stupid.

Because it seemed so stupid to have been worrying about such clear and vivid emotions.

Trisha burst into laughter and tears in front of the four brides. The children followed her as she burst into bright laughter and smiled with tearful eyes.

Yeah, I really couldn’t stand it.

That I love my children so much.

Trisha just couldn’t stand it anymore.

-Fin-