I Raised Snow White!

It was my first time stepping outside the castle since possessing Vivian’s body. Every day, I could only wander within the castle, and even then, just on the same floor.

It wasn’t as though someone had explicitly forbidden me from going elsewhere. However, I didn’t have a reason or pretext to go to other areas, so I stayed on the floor where my room was.

And honestly, the maids following me around the hallways made me feel uncomfortable…

The only way for me to see outside was through the window, gazing at the castle garden below.

For the first time, I stepped into the castle garden with blooming roses, unable to keep my mouth closed as I saw the world through Vivian’s eyes.

As Ellie and I admired the garden together, she pointed to the roses with a bright voice that sparkled like sunlight.

“Look, Your Majesty the Queen! The roses are already like this!”

“…Yes, they’re beautiful.”

Indeed, they were beautiful, but…

My eyes were drawn to “something” above the roses rather than the flowers themselves. I wondered if Ellie knew that there was “something” about the size of a thumb, sleeping beneath the rose petals as though they were a blanket.

While I stared blankly at “something,” Ainsel, who was on my earring, cleared her throat and began to explain it to me.

-That’s a fairy called a “Sylph.” They carry the wind or are like the wind itself. Don’t get too attached just because they look cute, alright? They lose interest quickly, like the wind itself, so don’t give your heart to them!

‘That… is a fairy?’

When Ellie touched one of the roses, the fairy lying on it, as if annoyed, frowned and opened its wings, flying to another rose.

Following that fairy’s example, the fairies around us seemed to notice me and Ellie, sending glances in our direction. As I stayed still, they floated around me, chattering like they were singing.

“It’s Vivian!”

“It’s Baba Yaga, Vivian!”

‘Baba Yaga…?’

Baba Yaga?

Wasn’t that an old hag from fairy tales?

It was a name often used for “witches” or “villains” in books and comics, so I knew it well.

‘So even fairies called Vivian a hag?’

As a fairy gently landed on my shoulder, Ainsel on my earring yelled so loudly that I almost went deaf.

-Don’t get close to Vivian, you flirt!

-Oh, Ainsel is here?

-So Ainsel also got tricked by Baba Yaga?

-Argh…!

Though I couldn’t see it, I was sure Ainsel’s face was red. The fairies, finding her reaction amusing, laughed and flew around her.

-Useless—fooled by a mere witch, useless fairy~

-And you can’t even hit us, mirror girl! Useless~

-Useless~ Useless~

-Argh!! This is infuriating!! Vivian, please chase them away!!

Finding the fairies’ squabbling cute, I couldn’t help but smile.

Following Ainsel’s plea, I waved my hand to shoo away the fairies, but Ainsel was still fuming, her anger unrelenting.

The other fairies giggled as they watched Ainsel seethe, but one fairy didn’t flee and remained perched on my shoulder.

Should I say it looked a bit different from a regular “Sylph”? It was slightly larger and wore a gentle, motherly expression.

As I stared at the fairy in curiosity, it chuckled softly and whispered in my ear.

-So, you’re the child who possessed Baba Yaga’s body.

I flinched.

The kind voice made my shoulder tremble.

-Don’t be startled. I’m just here to satisfy my curiosity after hearing a rumor, like a passing breeze.

-Hey! Get off of Vivian’s shoulder!!

-Now that I look closely, I see. Just as the rumor says, Baba Yaga must indeed be dead.

Though the fairy’s expression was kind as it touched my cheek, its gaze felt as though it could see deep into my soul.

What was this? Were all fairies like this?

-…What a foolish way to die. Everyone, including here, warned her against that “ritual.” It was doomed from the start; a ritual with a flawed premise could never succeed.

The fairy let out a bitter laugh. A ritual doomed from the beginning? I wondered if the ritual was flawed, seeing as it had failed in the original story as well.

As I walked around the garden with Ellie, lost in thought, Ainsel growled at the fairy on my shoulder as though she didn’t like it.

-When will you leave?! Why are you clinging to Vivian?!

-You haven’t changed at all, Ainsel. Still quick to anger if someone touches what’s “yours.” Why not be kinder? After all, “Vivian” now belongs to no one.

-Y-you…!!

The gentle fairy’s expression transformed into a playful one, and it chuckled as if enjoying teasing Ainsel, stretching before letting out a contented sigh.

-Well, I’ll be off then. If you ever need me, feel free to call me. Unlike that stingy mirror, I’ll grant you that privilege once.

“Why?”

I asked, my voice low enough that Ellie couldn’t hear, purely out of curiosity.

After all, it was the first time I’d seen this fairy today, so I didn’t understand why it would help me. Was it just because it was familiar with Vivian?

Just as I was considering this—

The fairy smiled brightly at my question and gently pressed its lips to my cheek, feeling like a cool droplet of water.

-Y-you!!

Ainsel let out a shocked cry so loud that it nearly caused her to lose her voice.

-The magic of witches is like sweetness to us. Especially Baba Yaga’s—it has a richer flavor than other witches. We help witches in exchange for that.

-Hey!!! Stop ignoring me!!!

-Now that that unpleasant personality is gone… is there any reason not to help?

With that, the fairy burst into laughter and flew high into the sky on its dragonfly-like wings.

As the fairy disappeared from view, I unconsciously touched the cheek where its lips had been.

-Didn’t I tell you not to get attached?! They’re like the wind, so they won’t even remember that promise! Don’t even think of calling them!

Is that my fault?

All I did was say one word…

Honestly, I didn’t even understand half of what the fairies were saying to each other, yet Ainsel seemed to scold me for some reason.

As I listened to her grumbling, Ellie, holding a parasol beside me, gasped softly.

When I turned to look at her, she was staring at something in surprise. Following her gaze, I found myself looking at the edge of the garden.

“Ah.”

Under a large tree, there was someone.

A child lay there, deeply asleep, using the tree root as a pillow and a book the size of her torso as a blanket.

In that moment, I recalled the scene from when I first possessed this body.

The little girl holding a white lily in a black dress in front of me, when my throat and lungs were searing with pain. I’d wondered why she felt familiar, but now I was sure.

‘With hair as black as ebony window frames, skin as white as snow piled on the sill, and lips and eyes red like drops of blood.’

It was just as described in the game.

“The Princess…”

How could I not recognize a face I’d seen hundreds of times in the game? Seeing the Princess’s face caused my heart to race.

‘Should I approach the Princess?’

‘No, is it alright for a “witch” like me to approach her?’

‘What would happen to the original storyline if I involved myself with the Princess?’

‘If I interact with the Princess, will she die like in the game because of me?’

‘But, this isn’t a game; it’s reality.’

Thump, thump, thump.

My mind spun in confusion. Seeing the Princess directly filled me with fear and dread.

Because right now, I was a “witch” who had killed the Princess over and over again in the game.

It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about it before. As long as I was in this body, I’d inevitably become entangled with the Princess.

But if I got involved with her, I feared things would follow the “original” storyline, and eventually, I’d kill the Princess.

This was my greatest fear since possessing this body.

I was afraid of meeting the Princess. So, I hadn’t included her in my plans to break free from this scenario.

Convincing the Council of Elders or pleading with His Majesty to avoid a divorce seemed far easier than becoming involved with the Princess.

‘Ignore her.’

For now, I’d ignore her.

One way or another, I’d run into her eventually while living here, so for now, I decided to run.

“…Ellie, let’s—”

Just as I turned to leave, my gaze landed on the Princess once more. She was sleeping soundly, squinting in the sunlight as if it bothered her.

…Sigh.

“…Hand me the parasol.”

“What? Your Majesty?”

“Hurry.”

Yes, I’d just leave the parasol beside her.

I could have asked Ellie, but I thought seeing the Princess’s face up close might calm this turmoil in my heart, so I picked up the parasol.

At the very least, I should know the Princess’s face.

That way, when we meet later, I’ll feel less of these confusing thoughts. I felt I needed to become somewhat familiar with her face.

Gently stepping on the grass, I moved quietly to avoid waking her. As I took a step closer, my heart pounded louder with each step.

…She really wouldn’t know if someone carried her off.

Finally, I reached the spot beneath the tree where the Princess lay asleep.

Lowering my head to look at her, I saw the Princess frowning from the sunlight, letting out soft grumbles.

Seeing her like this was so cute, I couldn’t help but smile.

I couldn’t understand why Vivian was so jealous that she’d go so far as to kill such a young Princess. No matter how I thought about it, Vivian was incomprehensible to me.

As I carefully placed the parasol on the ground to shade her without touching her, the Princess’s scrunched expression began to relax.

She was still deeply asleep, and it was fascinating that she hadn’t woken despite me being beside her.

At some point, I crouched beside her, watching her as she slept.

As I stared at her intently, Ainsel asked in curiosity.

-Why is the Princess sleeping here?

“…?”

Right?

Why was the Princess sleeping here?

Seeing that she’d used a book as a blanket, I guessed she might have fallen asleep while reading in the warm sunlight.

‘Even so, shouldn’t there be at least one maid nearby?’

I turned my head and looked around.

Perhaps her maid was nearby. However, aside from Ellie, me, and the sleeping Princess, there was no one else around.

“Ellie? The Princess’s maid—”

Just as I was about to ask Ellie where the Princess’s maid was, I met eyes with the Princess, who had suddenly opened hers wide in alarm.

Her intense gaze startled me so much that I almost fell backward.

The Princess blinked a few times but didn’t look away.

I felt like I was frozen, like an animal locking eyes with a wild creature, unable to move out of tension.

“……”

“……”

After one, two, three seconds passed—

The one to break the silence was the Princess.

“Waaaah!!”

The Princess lifted the large book she’d been using as a blanket and threw it straight at me. Rather than being thrown, it fell with a thud to the ground.

Then, the Princess swiftly turned and started running into the bushes. I expected her to vanish in an instant but…

Thud-!

“Ah! Waaah!”

The Princess tripped over the tree root she’d used as a pillow and fell forward. Not tumbling, just a solid thud.

“Ouch…”

She hadn’t fallen hard, but her small palms and knees were scraped, and a bit of blood seeped out. Seeing the injury, I regretted not asking Ellie to come over instead.

“Oooh…”

The Princess tried hard not to cry, but when she saw the blood on her palm, she burst into loud sobs.

And that was my first encounter with the Princess—no, our second meeting after the funeral.

With Ainsel’s sigh in my ear and Ellie busy soothing the crying Princess in a flurry of panic…

It was a chaotic encounter.