I Thought It Was a Fairy Tale but the Genre Is Strange - Chapter 62
61-Snow White (2)
Snow White’s crew, blatantly failing their assassination attempt, had made the situation worse. Adel exploded in anger at the other six dwarfs.
“Seriously, didn’t I tell you not to do anything until I got back?!”
“Come on, the hunter guy swore up and down he could nail it! Huh? Said he’d just shoot her with an arrow during the festival, easy!”
“Yeah, but that only works if you hit the heart dead-on! Security’s tight around there and anything could go wrong! We just ended up putting ourselves in more danger for nothing!”
“The princess agreed too!”
In that instant, all eyes turned to Snow White. Adel wanted to hear her reasons, what she was thinking, while the six dwarfs stared at Snow White with looks that pleaded for her to tell Adel it was a good idea.
“U-uh… uhh…”
And then Snow White blushed and lowered her head, flustered. Was she the type that couldn’t handle attention? I thought she was too shy to answer, but unexpectedly, Snow White spoke up.
“A-at that time, the queen had deployed troops, so security was lax. Lord B-Vivid was throwing a lavish f-festival for his birthday. So, it was the right time. E-even if they’re a vampire, if the h-heart takes a hit, they die, right?”
“Haa… Alright, I get it.”
Huh? I thought he was about to say more, but surprisingly he backed down easily. I guess he really listens to the princess.
“But, Adel, the others who were sent with you… where are they?”
At Snow White’s question, Adel lowered his head, crestfallen.
“W-well…”
“They’re all dead, what else? Devoured, nice and clean.”
Alice answered instead of Adel. She wore an expression like she wanted to skip the tedious story and press the fast-forward button.
“Wha-what!? Devoured!”
Snow White slammed the table and jumped up, shocked. Tears, like dewdrops, gathered in the corners of her eyes. I quickly covered Alice’s mouth.
“No, you can’t say it like that! What I mean to say is…”
The dwarves and Snow White, having heard the entire story of the Hansel and Gretel incident, were in shock. Most of all, the fact that her subordinate hadn’t just been killed, but had been reborn as a dish and eaten, made her unable to contain her rage; her small hand on the table trembled.
“Oh…I see.”
A somber mood filled the room. Yet, even so, Snow White smiled faintly at me.
“Th-thank you. If it weren’t for you, Adel wouldn’t have been safe either. So, um… *hic*.”
Tears like chicken droppings streamed down Snow White’s pale cheeks. She forcefully swallowed the overwhelming emotion, quickly wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
“I-I made a scene, didn’t I. I’m sorry.”
Something about her was so fragile and delicate, stirring my maternal instincts. I glanced at the sword at her waist, wondering if she could even wield it.
“Still, the fact that you came to help us is such a joy. I’m truly grateful.”
Snow White grabbed my hand. The sensation of her pale and soft skin was like touching pudding.
[Get your hand off!]
Ariel snatched Snow White’s hand away as if jealous. The dwarves frowned at the scene, clearly displeased, but didn’t dare interfere with people who could become valuable assets.
Snow White, dejected, said,
“A-ah, I-I’m sorry. I acted too carelessly.”
“No, it’s alright. If, if you don’t mind, could I ask why you are being chased by the kingdom?”
Snow White hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“…It all started after my mother passed away and the new queen arrived.”
She began her story with a distant look in her eyes.
“As time went on, my father grew weaker, and all the astute courtiers seemed ill as well. Like they were becoming corpses. Then, when my father passed away, I realized. There were two bite marks on his cold neck.”
It was an image often associated with vampires. The victim who had their blood sucked usually left such marks on their neck, it was a cliché.
“But I realized too late. The vampire queen had already seized control of the kingdom, and no matter how much I tried to restrain her or struggle, the courtiers and soldiers who had already had their souls taken by the vampires didn’t even listen to a word I said. Then one day, I saw it. I saw the queen talking to a mirror.”
Was this the magic mirror scene? In the original, it asked who was the fairest of them all, but it didn’t seem like that question would come up in this Snow White story.
Alice scrunched her face, clearly displeased.
“It asked who had the sweetest blood.”
“The sweetest blood?”
[Ugh. Sweet blood. That’s weird just to imagine.]
This was unexpected. Is it like looking for the most delicious food, if you’re human?
“Yes. The mirror answered that I had the most delicious blood. It said that my blood, once I turned 18, would make the Queen a transcendent being. As soon as I saw that, I ran. I didn’t want to be eaten by the Queen. Then the huntsman, who was ordered to bring me to her, actually helped me, and I met the dwarves, who also helped me get here.”
A transcendent being? This is getting big.
Snow White stared straight ahead, her eyes filled with an anger I hadn’t seen before.
“I will destroy the Queen. I will rip out the heart of that vile vampire who ruined my father and my kingdom!”
Snow White’s voice had risen. She seemed startled to realize she’d gotten worked up, then shrank back to her former timid posture.
“Ah, I… I’m sorry. I got too emotional.”
“No, it must have been very difficult for you.”
My simple words widened Snow White’s eyes, and she gave me a faint smile. So the Queen wasn’t after her death, but her blood. It’s a bit different from the original, but the general direction is similar.
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Come to think of it, where’s the prince? Just like in the original, where the prince saves Snow White after she falls from eating the poisoned apple, he should appear here too. Or maybe, since the story was stagnant, now that I’ve arrived, a prince might appear.
Then, Alice, who had been listening to the story casually with her feet up on the table, nudged my side. I knew what she wanted me to say.
“Um… Actually, we’re looking for the white rabbit and the black rabbit. Adel told us that the huntsman had encountered the rabbits. We came here on the condition that we meet the huntsman, so is it possible to meet him now?”
“Ah, um, I see. Well, yes, I suppose it is strange to help without conditions. Haha. But, um, the thing is…”
Snow White’s words were severely faltering, and her expression was troubled. And I had a hunch.
“Ha! I knew something was off, so there’s no huntsman, is there?”
It wasn’t just me. Alice, who had been staring around with wide eyes since earlier, shouted with a grimace.
[Shock! Come to think of it, the hunter isn’t visible! Where is he?]
Adel sighed shortly. He probably noticed it the moment he stepped in here. But he must have been afraid to actually say it.
“Well, we’re caught.”
“Huh? Caught? You don’t mean, captured by that Count Vivid?”
“Yes… But, since you all have come, we- we can make a new plan to rescue the hunter!”
Alice abruptly stood up, clearly displeased.
“Plan my ass. With your fancy plans you can’t even catch one vampire and now you’re hiding in this gloomy place, what good are you talking about plans? He’s probably being held somewhere by that hunter’s nature, right? We should just barge in. You, the utterly useless princess, stay out of this.”
“Ugh, even if they are the precious heroes that Adel brought, how can you speak such disrespect to our Princess!”
“That’s right! Even if you saved Adel, there’s no excuse for acting like this!”
“Apologize right now!”
“E-everyone, please calm down!”
Ugh, this is bad. We’re gonna end up fighting each other right after arriving.
“I’m sorry everyone! My friend just has a bit of a temper!”
I desperately tried to calm down the dwarves, but they seemed unable to bear the fact that their princess was insulted.
“Then make an apology!”
“That’s right! Apologize to our princess, formally!”
“Hey, you guys! What are you doing! Who do you think these people are! This is not the time for this!”
Adel, just like me, tried to mediate the fight, blocking the dwarves who were approaching Alice with hostility.
“Move.”
“Yes!”
At Alice’s murderous word, Adel immediately tucked her tail and moved aside. Alice, passing Adel, looked down at the dwarves. The dwarves, intimidated by Alice’s oppressive aura, faltered.
“Hah~ What do these pathetic b*stards believe in to be so loud? You incompetent vassals working under an incompetent princess?”
“Sh, shut up! How dare you spout such harsh words!”
“That’s right! The princess and we aren’t incompetent!”
“If you’re not incompetent, why are you like this? I thought you were at least gathering a decent force. Huh? But what is this? There’s nothing prepared, and you’re making such a fuss because you couldn’t even catch one vampire with your poorly planned operation. All you’ve done is sit here, praying and believing that salvation will come someday, isn’t that right?”
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