episode_0160

[Episode 156] – What Remains After Parting.

“Veronica…?”

With just one blink, Veronica’s figure vanished before Vivian’s eyes. Vivian stared at the spot where Veronica had been standing, then let out a strained laugh.

She felt truly tormented.

Only now could she grasp what she had done to the children. The pain of someone she cherished disappearing before her eyes was even more unbearable than she had imagined.

Did Titania and Veronica feel this way back then?

Vivian reached out towards where Veronica had stood, making meaningless gestures repeatedly, as if questioning whether she was seeing things correctly, hoping that maybe Veronica was still there.

But all she felt in her hand was the sea breeze. The sensation of salt clinging to her fingertips remained, emphasizing her solitary state and adding to her torment.

Vivian cried silently.

Even with her eyes open, the world appeared blurred, soaked in moisture. Like a newborn baby, everything in her field of vision seemed indistinct, nothing clear.

What did Veronica hope to achieve? She asked to be treated like a daughter, expressed a desire to become part of their family, so why did she follow Morgan? Why couldn’t they have just hidden away together?

Why…

Vivian simply couldn’t understand Veronica.

The explanations were not only insufficient but far from adequate.

She wanted to be a daughter, yet ultimately left their side.

For some reason, this situation brought to mind the lies she had told Titania, causing her anguish. She remembered promising to stay with Titania for life, yet she had left without a word.

Was this her punishment?

What did she say about lying? She had mentioned swallowing a thousand needles. That’s exactly how she felt now. Each swallow felt like ingesting a needle, causing a searing pain deep within.

Veronica, what will happen to her? Can we meet again? Can the fairy’s egg be unraveled again? Vivian, who has no knowledge of magic, couldn’t be sure.

Now that Veronica is gone, the only person left by Vivian’s side was Titania. With such thoughts, Vivian suddenly had this thought. What if, really what if here…

“If even Titania leaves my side…”

Ah, I see.

Just as the children said they couldn’t live without me.

I can’t live without the children either.

At that moment, Vivian realized how much she depended on the children. She just had such a thought, but it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her and the world around her was falling apart.

Titania and Veronica must have felt this way then.

No, it must have been more agonizing and painful than this.

As the realization hit her like a massive tidal wave, simple emotions overwhelmed Vivian. The guilt of not being able to hold onto Veronica and feeling these emotions towards the beloved children…

“What am I supposed to do…”

In the end, she blamed herself.

Finally, the tears that flowed freely clung to Vivian’s chin and fell onto the sandy beach. No matter how much she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, they wouldn’t stop. She simply shed tears silently.

How long did she cry like that?

As she wiped her swollen eyes and felt the stinging pain each time, Vivian, who had somewhat regained her composure, looked around with puffy eyes and sniffled.

“How do I go back…?”

Come to think of it, Vivian didn’t know where she was.

She didn’t know where she was, but she had definitely flown over one or two continents. It must have been opposite seasons. Thinking about being left alone in an unknown place, she couldn’t even cry out of astonishment.

When she turned around, thinking she should go back to the cabin.

“Are you okay?”

“Brownie…”

“Follow me. I’ll take you back where you came from.”

Brownie, the fairy of the small sighing cabin, reached out to Vivian, who was sniffling. Had she been waiting by her side until the crying stopped?

Vivian sobbed, and Brownie let out a small sigh before firmly grasping Vivian’s hand and starting to walk along the sandy beach, listening to the crashing waves.

The dawn breeze on the sandy beach was cold and lonely. Despite holding each other’s hands, Vivian and Brownie shivered with the emptiness of someone dear having departed.

“Brownie… are you okay?”

-I’m fine. I… already knew. We exchanged our last goodbyes with our master vaguely, didn’t we?

“You knew…?”

With those words, Brownie quietly took Vivian’s hand and walked towards the cabin. Did Veronica inform the dwarves beforehand that it would turn out like this? She didn’t say a word to me…

It seemed inevitable to feel a little disappointed.

Arriving at the cabin with a slightly disappointed heart, the dwarves gathered in front of the entrance to welcome Brownie and Vivian. Seeing all seven dwarves gathered together, Vivian forced a smile.

“It’s the first time we’ve all met like this…”

The dwarves, who had always hidden, claiming they didn’t want to meet whenever Vivian visited the cabin, were now all gathered in front of her today. Moreover…

“Even Katarina, whom we couldn’t meet because she was always sleeping…”

“Hehe, hehe…”

As Vivian looked at Katarina with disbelief and let out a forced laugh, Katarina responded with a wry smile. Turning her head to Brownie, who let out a small sigh, Vivian asked:

“What will you do now?”

-We will wait for our master here. Our master surely said he would return here.

-That’s right! Even if it takes decades, he said he would come back! We’ll wait while enjoying ourselves until then!

-Where should we go next time? I’ve been tired of living by the sea for the past few years. How about a destination in the snowy mountains?

-I don’t like the cold…

Rustle, rustle. Rustle, rustle.

With just one question, the dwarves began to gather and decide on their next destination. Perhaps it was needless worry. The dwarves didn’t seem as saddened by Veronica’s absence as initially thought.

No, actually-

I want to go back to the place where I first met the owner! It was a deep valley…

Me too, me too! I wonder if it’s still there? It used to be a ruin… I think humans might have destroyed it.

I miss it. I also…

It seemed like they were forcing a cheerful atmosphere to avoid crying. With teary eyes and a forced smile, the dwarves reminisced about Veronica.

Seeing the dwarves like that, Vivian unconsciously let out a bitter laugh. Really, everyone likes Veronica. Was Veronica a good family for the dwarves?

While listening to the dwarves’ stories, Vivian looked at Katarina, who was standing hesitantly. Approaching the somberly smiling Katarina, Vivian raised her head and asked.

“What about you? What are your thoughts for the future?”

“Oh, I probably… will go back to my hometown… I’m really sad but… there’s nothing I can do…”

“I see… Will you be okay on your own?”

“I’ll be… fine… I sometimes visit my twin children in my hometown… I plan to bake snacks for them and raise them while teaching them the recipe…”

“Twin children…?”

“Yes, yes… They are a little mischievous… but they are kind children…”

…Are they talking about Hansel and Gretel?

It was a bit worrying, but since Katarina said they were kind children, it should be okay. It seemed a bit harsh in the original story…

Feeling an inexplicable anxiety, Vivian asked Katarina once again.

“Are they really… kind children?”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay… They are really kind children… Both are girls… They are just a little mischievous… If you’re worried… I’m a little worried that I left without saying anything to the children…”

“I see… If that’s the case, I won’t worry anymore.”

Katarina nodded with a forced smile. As Vivian bid farewell to the dwarves and Katarina, Brownie approached her to announce their arrival at the palace.

“Vivian, we’ve arrived.”

“…I see.”

– …Vivian, don’t worry too much. Master really will come back. He has never lied to me even once. So…

Even as Brownie said this, she couldn’t continue speaking, her throat seemed to tighten. Brownie must have known. The fact that “he will come back” could be the first and last lie.

Vivian slowly approached Brownie and hugged her tightly. Unable to hold back any longer, Brownie buried her face in Vivian’s shoulder and burst into tears.

Childlike sobs.

No, it was the cry of a child.

As Brownie began to cry, the other dwarfs who had been holding back also started crying along with her. In an instant, the cabin, which had turned into a sea of tears, was filled with the sound of the dwarfs’ weeping.

The dwarfs embraced each other, wailing loudly. Seeing the dwarfs crying and calling out for Veronica like they were calling for their parents made Vivian feel choked up.

“…If you ever feel lonely, come find us. Titania will miss you too. Of course, I will too.”

– Huh, huaaah…!

Vivian, who had been comforting Brownie in her arms, lifted her head and stroked her choking throat. She felt that if she didn’t do something, she would end up crying along with the dwarfs.

*

After bidding farewell to the dwarfs and Katarina, Vivian opened the door of the cabin and headed vigorously outside. As she opened the door, she felt the winter chill seep into her body.

Unlike the morning on the beach, it was evening at Weseng, and Titania, dressed in a Negril jersey, was sitting on the bed reading a book.

Seeing Vivian’s arrival alone, Titania gave a bitter smile. She could tell right away from Vivian’s somber mood.

In the end, Veronica chose “ambition”.

Titania closed the book she was reading and approached Vivian, who looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

Vivian tried not to cry, pinching the back of her hand, but eventually, tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Titania… Is V-Veronica… here…? I mean…”

Vivian continued to speak in a choked voice to explain the situation. Titania slowly embraced Vivian and patted her back, saying it’s okay, she knows everything, and that it wasn’t her mother’s fault.

Eventually, unable to resist Titania’s affectionate touch, Vivian burst into tears. She buried her head on Titania’s shoulder and poured out her emotions with sobs and tears.

Truly, like a child, she burst into tears.