episode_0014

[Episode 14] – Great Teacher Vivian (1)

The time system in the ‘Childcare Simulation Game Snow White Princess’ was divided into four major periods, following the names of the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter, reflecting the growth of Snow White Princess.

From 5 to 10 years old was spring.

From 10 to 15 years old was summer.

From 15 to 20 years old was autumn.

And after 20 years old, it was the ending, winter.

Excluding the ending “winter,” a standard was set every five years based on the names of the four seasons. Each season had mandatory “main events” that needed to be cleared, and the gameplay of ‘Snow White Princess’ revolved around gradually growing by aiming to clear these events.

Currently, the princess is 6 years old.

She’s soon turning 7.

The “main event” of spring will take place on her 7th birthday, but there was no need to worry about it. It was an event that could be cleared regardless of nurturing, especially since it was an early game event.

It was more like a “declaration” than an event.

What worried me more than this event was… the princess’s “timid personality.”

In the game, the mischievous, thorny princess would act out if not teased at least once a day, but the princess I had seen so far didn’t seem to be like that.

Perhaps due to the unusual situation not present in the game and the suppression from the stepmother overlapping, the princess’s “timid personality” seemed more severe than expected. I wanted to make her less timid at least until “summer,” starting from age 10, but…

“Princess, it’s not scary, come on up quickly.”

I reached out my hand to help the princess get on the boat for boating, but she shook her head vigorously and hid behind Ellie’s skirt.

Normally, if the princess disliked something this much, I would have given up, but I couldn’t do that today. This lake was the most suitable place to test what we had practiced all night with Ainsel.

The princess, burying her face in Ellie’s skirt, seemed to really dislike it, refusing to meet my eyes. After sighing softly as I watched her, I got off the boat and approached the princess.

“Princess, do you not want to go boating with me?”

“Oh, no…”

“Then, are you afraid of the boat? Or is it the lake?”

The princess glanced at my question and looked at the small boat. Perhaps it was scary to get on the small boat; the princess’s hand holding onto Elly’s skirt suddenly tightened.

“It can’t be helped.”

“Ah, oops!”

I slipped my hand between the princess’s armpits, which were holding onto Elly’s skirt, and swiftly lifted her up. In an instant, the startled princess’s eyes widened.

“N-no…! Elly! Elly!!”

The princess, dangling in my hands, struggled and called out to Elly, tears welling up in her eyes. Elly, hearing the frail princess’s cry, fumbled with both hands behind her, unsure of what to do.

“Y-your Majesty… Do you really have to get on the boat?”

If you keep being scared, what will you do? And don’t worry too much; we won’t go too far today.”

As the struggling princess hung on, I had no choice but to embrace her. Using my hands as a seat for her hips, she placed both arms on my shoulders and clung to me as if squeezing my neck.

She buried her face in my shoulder and seemed to shudder every time she sniffled, as if she didn’t even want to look at the lake. Each time she sniffled, I felt my shoulder getting damper.

Embracing the princess, I sat her between my legs in the middle of the wooden boat. Normally, we would sit facing each other, but she was too frightened, so there was no other choice.

“Elly, prepare something for the princess to drink when we return.”

“Would it be alright for just the two of you to go?”

I looked at Elly’s worried face, chuckled, and then lowered my head to look at the princess. The princess sitting between my legs remained still, as if petrified, except for her trembling body.

“Princess, wave goodbye to Elly.”

The princess didn’t lift her head, but she raised one hand that was embracing her knee and lightly waved it to Ellie. Ellie also waved her hand back to the princess while looking at her.

“Alright, let’s get going then.”

“Mm-”

Creak.

As I moved the oar, the wooden boat shook heavily. Although we weren’t far from the shore, I started rowing to a place where our conversation wouldn’t be overheard by others.

Slowly rowing and cutting through the lake, the shaking gradually lessened. I glanced down at the princess, who had her head lowered between her legs, and asked, “Princess, lift your head a bit. The scenery is beautiful.”

After coming this far, the princess, whose dress was soaked with tears, slowly raised her head. Perhaps due to crying too much, she quickly lowered her head again.

“Take it slow, it’s okay. It’s not scary.”

I carefully wiped the tears from the princess’s eyes. She had cried so much that my palm quickly became damp, almost to the point of needing a handkerchief.

The princess took deep breaths, straightened her back, and looked out at the landscape unfolding from the boat. Sitting on the flowing boat, she gazed at the scenery.

It was a small, vibrant lake, yet it was undeniably beautiful.

The cool breeze of the lake brushed against our bodies, and the sound of the boat cutting through the water echoed in our ears. With wide-open eyes, the slowly moving landscape and clear sky were engraved in her eyes. The princess no longer embraced her knees.

Slowly unfolding her knees and leaning towards me, the princess lifted her head high to look at the sky. It was as if she was trying to capture the slowly moving scenery in her eyes, like clouds.

“How is it? Not scary, right?”

I smiled and lowered my head to look at the princess. Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed about having just cried, she turned her head without saying anything and began to look around at the surrounding scenery.

Having rowed for a while, we arrived at a suitable spot without realizing it. It wasn’t exactly the center of the lake, but still a bit far from the shore. That ambiguous place was where I stopped rowing.

Now… it was time to start the lesson.

“Princess, don’t lean over the boat and look at the lake carefully.”

-Do you remember what you practiced yesterday?

Recalling all the things I had learned from Ainsel overnight, I nodded slightly. Then, slowly reaching my hand outside the boat, I lightly touched the calm surface of the lake with my fingers.

Ripple.

I felt something circulating through my body, escaping through my fingertips and seeping into the lake, creating a sensation. As it continued to escape, ripples spread from the touching finger, causing the sky on the water’s surface to fluctuate.

Ripple. Ripple.

As the sound of ripples echoed, I gradually felt something crawling up my finger. Gloop, gloop. The water making the sound crawled up my arm and slowly took on a small form.

What came up on my hand was a cute mermaid princess, with the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a human.

“You called? You called?”

“Yes, I called you. Undine.”

As I stroked Undine with my finger, she giggled and started rolling around on the palm of my hand. Placing Undine on the princess’s palm, she looked at me blankly.

“Oh, I see. Your Majesty, are you a witch…?”

“Huh?”

Facing an unexpected question, I looked down at the princess with a puzzled expression. Normally, if I had shown something like this, she would have said something like, “Your Majesty can see it too!” or “I don’t know about that.” I thought she would deny it.

The princess looked at me with a slightly anxious gaze. Seeing her gaze, I smiled and held the princess’s hand, looking at Undine playing on her hand.

“Why do you think that way?”

“B-but… Lady Hujak said… I can see this because I’m cursed by the queen… The queen put a curse on me… That’s why… I can see this…”

“……”

She’s really clinging to this idea. Lady Hujak.

I gently stroked the princess’s head as she looked anxious, then continued speaking.

First of all, you seeing this isn’t because of a curse.”

“R-really..?”

“Then, it’s more like a blessing. Not just anyone can see these ‘beings.’ In this vast kingdom, only you and I can see them, just the two of us, right?”

As if agreeing with my words, Undine, resting on the princess’s palm, began to bounce up and down. The princess found Undine’s actions endearing and looked at her with a gentle smile.

“And, in the world, it’s not just wicked witches that exist. There are plenty of good witches too.”

“…I can’t imagine that.”

To be honest, neither could I. I’ve never met any other witches, and the witches in the games were somewhat similar in character. Still, there must be at least one kind witch out there.

Ahem. I cleared my throat and smiled at the princess again.

Anyway, being able to see something like this is no curse at all. And why would I curse you? I wouldn’t torment a child like you, would I?

“But, but last time you called me a cursed brat…”

That cursed Vivian. She has no filter when it comes to a six-year-old. It wasn’t even something I said, yet I felt stuck, not knowing how to navigate this situation. I took a shallow breath and turned the princess to face me. Perhaps the memory from back then really was hurtful, as the princess’s cheeks started to swell up gradually.

“T-that time… I’m truly sorry. Will you forgive me?”

I apologized while gently pressing down on the princess’s swollen cheek with my finger. As I did, a soft pshh sound escaped from the princess’s mouth. With the release of air, her expression suddenly crumpled.

The princess, tilting her head, seemed to have a lot to say, but I seemed disinterested in that expression, instead tapping the creases between her eyebrows with my finger as if to smooth them out.

Perhaps my touch tickled, as the corners of the princess’s mouth, which had been deeply furrowed, began to soften slightly. Not missing that moment, I asked the princess.

“Will you forgive me?”

“…Just this once.”

“Haha, thank you.”

The princess, though reluctant, turned her head as if to reluctantly forgive me. She then turned back to me and sat between my legs, looking down at Undine resting on my hand.

Undine seemed to be trying to cheer up the princess, playfully frolicking on her hand. Spinning in mid-air or twirling around on her palm, she spun energetically in any case.

Pointing at Undine with my finger, I spoke to the princess, “So, let’s talk about this again… What do you think this little one on your palm is?”

“I’m not sure… Lady Hoojak said it was some kind of spirit or demon.”

In response, I brought my hand back to the lake and scattered the “magic” circulating through my body into the water. As a result, unlike before, droves of Undines gathered on my arm and swarmed onto the surface of the water.

One, two, three… Nearly more than ten Undines gathered and played tricks. Watching their antics, the princess exclaimed, “Wow, wow,” in admiration.

“These creatures are fairies.”

One of the Undines leaped from the water onto the princess’s shoulder. Distracted by watching the Undine while listening to my story, the princess seemed preoccupied.

“In the future, I will teach you about ‘fairies’ in my lessons.”

Until you meet the ‘Seven Dwarfs.’