episode_0070

[Episode 70] – The child you raised

Hair as black as ebony, down to the waist, and skin as white as snow.

Round tears flowing down from red eyes that look like blood drops.

How could I not recognize that face?

When I saw that face, I unconsciously squeezed Titania’s shoulder in my arms. A face that looks exactly like the ‘child’ in my arms. As my child seemed to have grown up and become an ‘adult’, I unconsciously looked at that woman and called ‘child’s name.

“T-Tania…?”

When I called her Titania, she glared at me with venomous eyes. As I met her gaze, I could vaguely understand why she had reacted to me that way.

I didn’t know why this happened.

My mind was so jumbled that I couldn’t even tell if it was reality or a dream. I couldn’t believe the existence of the ‘woman’ who appeared before my eyes.

However, what was happening before my eyes was real, and no matter how much I looked at her, that image was unmistakable as Titania grew up and became an adult. Because I couldn’t recognize that face.

Why is the adult Titania here?

Did Titania come to the ‘past’ as an adult?

I thought about it again with a slightly cooler head, but it didn’t seem to be true. If the woman in front of me was ‘Titania, who grew up in my arms,’ I don’t think she would look at me with such hate.

So, isn’t there only one conclusion?

‘Snow White grew up watching the real Vivian.’

If that were true, I could understand most of the unnatural actions and words that Snow White said to me and Titania. The actions and words of hating ‘Vivian’ and trying to protect a ‘princess’ like herself.

There were still several things I didn’t understand – what happened to the ‘player’ who raised Snow White, how was there a different Snow White here, etc., but that wasn’t important right now.

“I…”

The moment I tried to talk-

-Owner~~!!!

A young girl’s voice was heard shouting loudly from inside the forest. A brown-haired girl running straight here, sprinkling dust everywhere. As soon as you arrive, pretend to be between me and Snow White! He blocked me and shouted at me with green eyes.

-Don’t bother the owner! Naughty Baba Yaga!

Looking at that girl’s appearance, I couldn’t help but frown again.

Dark brown hair like earth, green eyes like buds. The appearance of the girl in front of me, glaring at me, was exactly the same as that of the ‘first dwarf’ I had seen in the illustration.

-B-brownie…?

I tried to call the girl’s name first, but the angel in the earring spoke first. Even the fairy Ainsel looked embarrassed, as if he couldn’t understand the situation. Same goes for me too.

A brownie is grinning and raising both hands above its head like a red panda making a threat. The appearance was more cute than threatening… but what was shocking wasn’t the cuteness.

Seeing the other ‘Snow White’ in front of me calling her master, I felt that everything I had planned was completely twisted.

What on earth is going on…?

“…Titania, please wait here for a moment.”

I stood up to assess the situation and slowly approached Snow White’s side, despite Brownie’s threats. Let me try to get a little closer –

-Don’t come any closer! Baba Yaga! If you come closer, I…!

A brownie growling, showing its teeth.

That sight was so scary that I raised both hands and put my hands in the threatening Brownie’s armpits, then lifted him up and moved him behind me.

The brownie tried his best to protect his owner by swinging his sharp little fists, but unfortunately, it was of no use to me.

Ignoring Brownie, who was patting me on the back, I looked at Snow White sitting on the floor. It was really embarrassing, no matter how I looked, all I could see was the adult Titania crying.

-How can something like this happen…?

When Ainsel looked at Snow White and muttered softly, Snow White, who only glanced up her eyes, came out and glared at Ainsel. Eyes that looked as if they were going to kill. Heincel made eye contact with bloodshot red eyes and swallowed his saliva with a whimpering sound.

I also swallowed my dry saliva and asked Snow White.

“…Hey, this really doesn’t make sense… but is what I’m thinking right? So you…”

“What are you thinking about?”

Snow White sat down and slowly extended her hand towards me. I felt like I was covering my cheek with both hands, and the feeling of touching the downy hair sent a shiver down my spine.

“That child’s future?”

Snow White shook her head.

“Or, just someone who looks exactly like that kid?”

Snow White shook her head again.

Snow White shook her head, smiled, and instantly wrapped both her raised hands around my neck. Snow White wrapped her hands around my neck without stopping and very slowly began to strangle me.

“Wrong. Whatever you think, it’s all wrong. I am not that child’s future, nor am I someone else who looks exactly like that child. I am…”

Because she wasn’t strangling me too hard, I just quietly listened to Snow White. However, my reaction of not even resisting seemed to have offended her, so she made a tearful expression and put even more pressure on her hands that were wrapped around my neck.

“I am…!”

Still, my neck had enough room to breathe. Her face as she looked at me seemed to be conflicted about whether to strangle me to death or save me. but…

‘Why does the expression on her face when she is being strangled look more painful than me when she is being strangled?’

That sight was so pitiful that I gently stroked her face, which was desperately strangling me without even realizing it. Then, thick teardrops flowed silently down her cheeks.

Snow White introduced herself in a trembling voice.

“I am…the child you raised.”

“……I see.”

To be exact, it’s not ‘me’, but ‘Vivian’.

Now I really understand everything.

It also meant that Snow White, who didn’t know that Vivian was dead, had no choice but to hate me. I don’t know how to resolve this misunderstanding. The moment I sigh –

“Don’t bother mommy!!!”

Bang for Snow White! Titania threw herself.

Due to the shock, her hand that was covering my neck fell off of its own accord. As she was taken aback by what happened so quickly, Titania also raised her hands above her head and made a gesture as if Brownie was threatening her.

Meanwhile, Brownie, who had been patting my back, also walked in front of Snow White and started threatening me like before. A posture in which a child exaggerates his or her gestures as much as possible.

The two red pandas looked at each other and growled.

Snow White, who fell to the floor due to the impact of the headbutt, let out a small sigh, got up, and glared at Titania. They had to talk somehow to resolve the misunderstanding, but Snow White didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Snow White let out a deep sigh and looked down at Brownie, who was now threatening her with an expression of annoyance.

“…That’s enough now. Let’s go back to the cabin, brownie. Havetrot and Katsy will be waiting.”

-huh! master! Also, please don’t overdo it… The owner’s body is still…

Brownie looks at Snow White with worried eyes. Snow White smiled at the sight and was busy stroking Brownie’s head. It was an afterthought that the names of the familiar ‘dwarfs’ came out of her mouth.

I didn’t think I was sending her back like this, so I reached out and asked her.

“…Are you going back already? Even if we just talk for a moment…”

“story? What story? Should I at least talk about my past in detail? In front of you?”

Snow White still glared at me with her venomous gaze. I wondered how on earth she was raised by Vivian and why she hated her… but it wasn’t hard to imagine what her childhood was like.

When I saw Snow White turning around and going deeper into the forest, I shouted and asked again. At least-

“Hey, the name…! Can you at least tell me your name…? “Your name… won’t be Titania, right…?”

When I asked her name, Snow White turned her head and glared at me. She frowned in disgust, let out a deep sigh, and continued.

“There is no name. Because you became queen, you erased my name. From then on, you were called a throwaway, a maggot, or whatever you wanted.”

“……”

I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut in response to an action that Vivian could easily have done. What on earth was Vivian thinking…

As I frowned, Snow White also frowned even more. Then, with that face, he told me not to pity me and that my behavior was disgusting.

“Don’t pity me. The pity you give me is the greatest insult to me. I don’t want to be pitied by you. No matter how much you…”

Snow White gritted her teeth so hard that she could no longer speak. Then he sighed deeply and patted Brownie’s head as if showing off to me.

“As you can see, I am already the owner of the cabin. I may have intended to raise Titania as a witch, but I will never forgive you for that. “The other dwarves are already by my side, so don’t waste your efforts.”

“…..okay. “I will do that.”

“Tsk. “It’s disgusting to speak so meekly.”

Snow White clicked her tongue in annoyance, then looked down and looked at Titania, who was still growling in front of me. Unlike his expression when he looked at me, he lowered his sharp eyes and smiled.

“You’re really bold, unlike me.”

With those last words, Snow White turned her back and disappeared into the fog. Brownie who was nearby also disappeared along with her, leaving only me, Titania, and Ainsel at the picnic site.

As Snow White stared blankly at the disappearing fog, Titania tugged on my collar and called to me. Titania’s shoulders were shaking slightly, as if she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened.

“…For now, let’s go back.”

I needed time to organize my thoughts.

I felt like I had a vague understanding of why Snow White was here and why Titania was preventing her from becoming a witch. It’s not a certainty, but an expectation.

maybe…

Couldn’t Snow White be the princess from the witch ending that I didn’t see? It’s the same with using magic and gathering dwarves.

Unlike other endings that are not so connected to the dwarves, Snow White, who disappeared into the fog, seemed very close to the dwarves.

Titania, who was pulling my collar, asked me with a puzzled expression. Titanina must be very confused too. Suddenly, someone just like you appears…

“Mom… that person is really…”

“…No. “No, but…”

I picked up Titania and headed back to the hunting competition tent. I was busy comforting Titania the whole way back.

Really… I wonder what’s going on…