episode_0114

[Episode 114] – Letter from a loved one (2)

「To my missing mother」

“Mom, can you believe it? It’s already been a year since I entered the academy. By the time this letter reaches my mother, I will be in second grade. Honestly, I still can’t believe it. “It’s already been a year since I came here.”

“In other words, it’s like saying it’s already been a year since I haven’t seen my mother. It’s like saying there are still two years left before I can see my mother. “Time seems to pass quickly, sometimes it seems slow, I’m not sure.”

“How is your mother? Has it already been a year? Is it still a year? It’s just my greed, but for my mother, I wish the past year was still just one year. Why? It means that you missed me so much that it feels like the past is still over. lol.”

“Do you know that? The fact that Veronica misses her mother more than she thought. Veronica said she wouldn’t write to mom, but I know. “The fact that Veronica has written several letters to my mother over the past year.”

“I’m not sure whether the letter was sent or not, but if your mother received a letter from Veronica, please let me know. I should use it when teasing my sister. Oh, you thought you shouldn’t make fun of your older sister as a younger sibling, right? But, Veronica is the one teasing me first? 」

“He always gets better grades than me without showing any signs of studying. I hate Veronica, who makes fun of me every time that happens. How on earth can you maintain top grades without even studying? I just can’t understand it. “Am I secretly using magic?”

“Anyway, I think I need to find even the slightest weakness to relieve this overflowing person. Please, please let me know secretly. I’m sure Veronica’s face will turn bright red if she finds out what kind of letter she sent me. “I’m looking forward to seeing that.”

“…Actually, I completely understand Veronica’s feelings. Lately, there are times when I feel like I’m going crazy because I miss my mother, as if I’m homesick. I’m barely holding on, missing the memories I have with my mother, but it’s not easy. “I really miss my mother.”

“It’s finally spring here. The royal garden must already be in full bloom, right? Obviously, it’s time for that. I would like you to enclose a daisy from your garden in your next letter. Only then will this homesickness go away a little. “I really miss my mother that much.”

“With longing, Titania Snow White.”

*

“To my beloved mother”

“I’m sorry for not sending you a letter for several months. After I entered my third year, I had more to do with my social life than my studies at the academy. When I got home, I didn’t even have the strength to hold a pen. “I was so busy falling into bed and falling asleep… It’s been really hard these past few months.”

“I’m just holding on to the thought that I’ll graduate soon and be able to see my mother. If I hold on just a little longer, it won’t be long before I can return to my mother. If I just survive the summer and winter, I can go see my mother. You didn’t forget your promise, right? Do you really need to come pick me up?”

“The person I want to see first is my mother. If my mother came to pick me up, I would feel like I did a good job surviving the three years at the academy. As soon as we arrive at the royal castle, I will jump out of the carriage and jump straight into my mother’s arms.”

“And I will brag about it. The fact that I am taller than my mother. Now I am tall enough to look down on my mother. Now, rather than being held in my mother’s arms, I will be held by my mother in my arms. “You can look forward to my growth.”

“Oh, now that I think about it, Veronica asked me to tell it to my mother. It’s okay if Veronica writes a letter herself, but… ever since I teased Veronica with a letter, I don’t want to write to my mother. sorry. “It’s all my fault.”

“What Veronica asked me to tell you is, ‘I got what I wanted.’ You’re probably referring to the ‘fairy egg’ I got earlier this year. They even held an auction to get it? Perhaps because of the rumor that it will grant wishes, many students participated in the auction. Well, in the end, my sister got it.”

“The reason I was able to win the auction was because of Ainsel’s help. I told Veronica how much the other party would bring to the auction. Ainsel also dug up the other person’s secrets and things like that. After that, Veronica and Ainsel also became a little closer. I mean ‘a little’.”

“That’s how well we are doing without any problems. How is your mother doing? You always write in your letters that you are doing well, but I feel very anxious because I can’t see you in person. “Even if my mother says she’s sick, I think she’ll lie to me and tell me she’s not sick.”

“So, I guess I’ll have to see my mother in person. I have to see with my own eyes whether my mother is really okay and how she is doing, and I think I will be relieved. “I think this anxiety will be relieved only when I meet my mother and touch her skin with my hands.”

“I’m sorry for being soggy. It’s because I miss my mother that much. If I close my eyes, I can almost see my mother’s image. Now that I think about how little time is left until graduation, I keep thinking about my mother. On the contrary, don’t you feel sorry for me missing my mother like this?”

“just joke. I believe she misses me as much as I miss her. So, when you graduate and return, please welcome me with a smiling face. Please relieve my anxiety by meeting me in good health. “I really miss my mother.”

“Titania Snow White, my mother’s daughter, waiting for the day to see her mother.”

*

‘This is a letter from two years ago, this is a letter from three months ago, this…’

Late morning.

I sat down at my desk and started organizing the letters Titania had sent me so far. When I re-read the letter Titania sent me from the Academy, I felt so bitter that I felt like I was going crazy.

It was as if guilt was squeezing my heart every time I read the letter. The contents of the letters I received every month were full of sad words, such as saying that he wanted to see me and that he missed me.

Every time that happened, I endured the pain of guilt piercing my heart and wrote a lie on a piece of paper. I’ll be able to meet you soon, I’m looking forward to seeing you grow up, and I’ll definitely come and meet you.

He sent such letters filled with lies every month, lying to Titania every time. It was so unbearably painful that I cried every time I wrote the letter. I’m sorry and I’m sorry again.

As I started to read the letter again, I heard a knock on the door and it opened without my permission! And the door opened. The person who entered the room without my permission was none other than the Queen Mother.

When I went to help the queen in shock, she frowned.

“Your Majesty the Queen…? What’s going on here… Is it okay for you to walk like this?! You’re not feeling well, so where are the maids…! “You’d rather call me…!”

“Don’t make a fuss at night. “The maids came here secretly.”

“…the maids will be shocked if they find out.”

Hmm, either that or not.

The Queen Mother came into my room with a sniffle and sat down on the bed. The Queen Mother, who was catching her breath, looked at the ‘bag’ placed on my bed and asked me if it was hard for her to walk all the way here.

“…Is this all you have?”

“…Yes, what do I need to take care of? “I only packed a few clothes and the essentials.”

“That greedy kid from when I was young has grown up.”

“haha…”

I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at that answer.

Because it was Vivian who was greedy, not me.

Besides, I really didn’t have anything worth packing. Even if I had a closet full of dresses, I couldn’t wear them outside the castle, and since all the dresses were tailored to my body, there was no point in selling them.

All I needed to take with me were a few accessories that could be sold, simple clothes, and a bag containing gold coins given to me by the Queen Mother. At this rate, I didn’t think I would starve to death even if I went outside.

‘Yes, even if I leave the capital tomorrow, I’ll be fine as long as I take this much with me.’

There are about three months left until Titania’s graduation.

In the end, I decided to leave the capital tomorrow.

Originally, Titania had planned to stay here as long as possible until just before she graduated, but Her Majesty the Queen’s health, which had lasted three years at most, was not that bad now, and in fact was getting better.

Moreover, since Her Majesty the Queen herself had told me to leave, it was impossible for me to resist. Rather, I decided to think that it went well. Because you set a departure date for me who couldn’t decide on a departure date.

As I was smiling bitterly, the queen took out an envelope from her bosom and handed it to me. As I was hesitating and debating whether to accept it or not, the Queen Mother sighed and continued.

“Get it quickly.”

“…what is this?”

“It’s an invitation that says you’re invited to my funeral. “With this, even the queen, who is banned from entering the royal castle, will be able to enter the royal castle for that day.”

At that moment, I felt my heart sinking.

When I found out the contents of the invitation in my hand, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. An invitation to the funeral of Her Royal Highness the Queen Mother? I can’t believe you suddenly gave me something like this…

When I raised my head and looked at the Queen Mother, she smiled gently and stroked my cheek. The moment the Queen Mother’s rough hand brushed my cheek, a teardrop fell down my cheek.

A teardrop formed on the tip of my chin and fell to the floor. The Queen Mother smiled as she wiped away my tears with the back of her hand. Without knowing that that action actually made me cry.

“…You should live a long time. See Titania become queen, and see her great-grandson who looks exactly like her. “You have to live a long time until then…”

“Don’t worry, I plan to live a very long time even if you don’t say so. “I don’t know about my great-grandchildren, but I have no intention of dying until Titania becomes queen.”

“???”

No, then why are you giving me this now? Like I’m going to die soon? When I stopped crying and looked at the Queen in bewilderment, she started pulling my cheeks.

“No, then why are you giving me this now?”

“Since you are leaving here and not saying where you are going, I have no choice but to give it to you now! “I don’t know if I’ll be able to contact you then or not, so I have no choice but to give it now!”

“Ugh-”

The Queen Mother grabbed my face and started shaking it, as if she was annoyed. My head hurt because my vision was shaking back and forth. The Queen Mother sighed as if she was tired of shaking my face and glared at me angrily.

“I don’t know where on earth you plan to wander, but don’t go beyond the kingdom. “If you have an accident in a foreign country, the kingdom will not be able to help you.”

“Do you think I’m going to go to a foreign country and cause an accident?!”

“Yes, you stupid daughter-in-law! “When I think about your childhood, my head still hurts!”

“Ugh-”

My vision is shaking back and forth again. Even though my face was shaking back and forth, I somehow managed to smile. When the Queen Mother saw me smiling, she smiled and put her hand away from my face. When I touched her cheek as if in pain, the Queen Mother sighed and looked at Titania’s letter.

“…Write at least a letter to Titania and go. “It’s really hard to explain.”

“…I don’t know what to write. “No, even if I write a letter, will Titania forgive me?”

“It’s better than leaving without saying anything. At least, write down the reason why this happened. After that, we’ll do our best to appease you somehow.”

“…yes.”

As I smiled bitterly and was lost in thought for a moment, the Queen Mother tapped my arm.

It meant that I was going to get up from my seat now, so please support me.

When I held out my hand to the Queen Mother to help her, she stood up, hugged me, and patted my back. Feeling like I was about to cry again, I bit my lower lip and held back the tears.

“…Baby, I’m sorry I can only do this to you.”

“…no. “This is enough.”

“If only you really, really got ‘sex’…”

The Queen Mother stopped patting my back for a moment and let out a deep sigh. Knowing that tens of thousands of emotions were contained in that sigh, I did not say anything and quietly remained in the Queen Mother’s arms.

“…I’m really sorry.”

From then on, the Queen Mother did not say anything until she returned to her room with my help. It was a short apology, but it was enough for me. Because I knew the feelings he had for me in those words, that was truly enough.

I quietly returned to my seat, picked up the fountain pen and looked at the letter.

“To Titania”

“……”

What on earth should I write to Titania? Was it right to write the letter in the first place? Can you explain this situation to Titania with just one letter?

The tip of the fountain pen nib, which had consumed ink for a long time without being able to write, dried out and cracked. Even though I repeated that action once, twice, three times, several times, I could not write a single letter in succession.

Time passed like that, the night passed, and dawn began to break.

The day I left the royal castle began to dawn.