I Raised Snow White!

– Hiccup! Hiccup!

After some time had passed, with seemingly no energy left to cry, the “mirror” in Vivian’s form lay curled up on the floor like a beanworm, doing its utmost to avoid my gaze.

Even with the fierce look of Vivian, its actions resembled that of a child. Just how much had Vivian tormented it for it to react so violently to a single word?

“Hoo… Mirror? Mirror Sir? I’m not sure what to call you… Could you please listen to what I have to say?”

– ……

“I didn’t summon you to judge my appearance. It’s just that, aside from that method, I couldn’t think of any other way to call you, so I said what I did.”

– …Really?

At that, the “mirror,” who had been huddled over, slowly raised its head and met my eyes. Not wanting to miss this moment, I spoke to the mirror as soothingly as possible.

“Of course. I called you because I need your help. Unlike ‘that woman’ who only used you to evaluate appearances, I truly need your help.”

– ……

“You know ‘something’ has happened to me, don’t you..? Honestly, I’m utterly confused by this situation. When I opened my eyes, I was at a funeral… and then I realized I was inside this woman’s body…”

Thinking about it again only left me feeling more bewildered.

I’d decided to accept this reality, but I couldn’t completely process it yet. If I had Vivian’s memories, it would be much easier to adjust…

But there wasn’t a single trace of Vivian’s memory in this body.

The only thing I remembered was that this world was from a “child-raising simulation game.” However, knowing that alone wasn’t enough to live as Vivian.

I needed something to fill the gap left by the missing memories—like someone who had been by Vivian’s side long enough to know her every move.

“Please. Could you help me?”

I pleaded with sincerity to the mirror.

Right now, the only one I could trust and rely on was this mirror.

Had it sensed my earnestness? The mirror, which had been crawling along the floor, now hugged its knees and looked up at me. Still, suspicion lingered in its eyes.

– …Ainsel.

“Yes?”

– My name isn’t “mirror”; it’s Ainsel. I am the familiar of ‘Vivian of the Coven’ and a fairy of the mirror.

A fairy.

Hearing the word “fairy,” I could feel the reality of being trapped in this world sink in. Perhaps I should call it spirit faith? This world was full of various fairies and spirits.

Fairies, as I recalled from the game, were beings that either teased humans with sweet words or sometimes helped those they fancied.

The “seven dwarfs” who later helped Snow White were also of this type. Instead of beard-covered dwarfs, they were small and cute fairies.

‘Will I get to meet them later…?’

And those who could form “contracts” with these fairies or spirits and control them were called “witches.” Since ordinary people couldn’t see fairies, they feared witches who wielded them.

In the game, there was also one other witch besides Vivian. She was someone encountered only toward the end with the princess.

But that wasn’t important right now.

I looked at Ainsel with a smile and extended my hand toward the mirror, as if to shake hands. While the mirror didn’t have hands, the gesture seemed to convey my intent.

“I look forward to working with you, Ainsel.”

– …You don’t have to use polite speech with me. It’s chilling to see that face being so polite.

“…Alright, Ainsel. I’ll be relying on you.”

Ugh–

Ainsel dry-heaved again as if horrified to see Vivian’s face speaking politely. Just what kind of relationship did Ainsel have with Vivian to respond this way?

– You don’t seem surprised. Did you already know I was a fairy?

I flinched.

Unconsciously, my shoulders jerked.

Ainsel looked at me curiously, tilting her head in wonder. What should I say? Should I reveal that I already knew?

Should I explain that I knew this world was from a game? That I knew about fairies and could even predict a bit of the future?

I closed my eyes.

After taking a small breath, I answered Ainsel’s question.

“…It’s just that… It feels like I’ve seen it in a dream. Hearing you talk about it kind of jogged my memory a bit. Could this be Vivian’s memory…?”

– Who knows? You’re the first of your kind I’ve ever seen, so I can’t give you a clear answer.

After some quick thinking, I decided there was no need to stir things up by explaining further. If she asked, “How did you know that?” I could always say, “I saw it in a dream.”

“Anyway..! Since I don’t fully remember, it’s really troublesome. I have no idea how Vivian acted as a queen or who her friends were.”

– Vivian didn’t have any friends.

“…Surely she had at least one…?”

– Nope, Vivian had no friends.

Ainsel’s blunt statement left me feeling a bit sad and bitter. In the game, Vivian was notorious as a troublemaker, so it turned out she didn’t have any friends either…

Unlike my gloomy mood, Ainsel continued her mocking tirade against Vivian with a wicked grin, looking downright pleased.

“Well, fine. But I’m worried about my speech and mannerisms. Right now, everyone assumes I have ‘amnesia’… but I can’t keep pretending to have memory loss forever.”

– True… Vivian didn’t speak like you. Her tone was more arrogant and presumptuous, acting as though no one was above her.

Indeed, in the game, that was the Vivian I remembered.

She was insufferably arrogant, exceedingly selfish, more audacious than the king, cunning as a snake, and meaner than anyone else. That was the Vivian I pictured.

– Hmm…

Ainsel stroked her chin thoughtfully, then seemed to resolve something and looked at me with determination.

– Alright then. It’s odd to call you anything else, so I’ll just call you Vivian. I’ll stay and help you until I finish what I have to do here.

“Really?”

– Of course! Fairies don’t lie.

Receiving Ainsel’s assurance eased my heart. Though it was a time-limited offer, just having help was a relief. I sighed deeply, feeling a bit more at ease, and let myself fall onto the bed.

‘Finally, I can ask what I’ve been wanting to know.’

Springing up from the bed, I looked at Ainsel and asked the question that had been on my mind since the beginning. What exactly happened to “Vivian’s” body, and how did she recognize me right away?

“Could you tell me what happened to Vivian? And how did you know who I was immediately?”

– Naturally…

With narrowed eyes, Ainsel hesitated as though deciding how to answer, then looked directly at me.

– I saw Vivian die with my own eyes.

“What?”

My brow furrowed before I could even think about it. Ainsel sighed softly and continued.

– Vivian was an envious, selfish, and greedy person. She was someone who had to possess whatever she desired, no matter what.

For the first time, Ainsel’s face softened into a bitter expression as she thought of Vivian. This was different from her usual grimaces or exasperated sighs—she seemed genuinely pained.

– In a way, she was remarkable. It was her jealousy and greed alone that allowed her to climb to the position of queen. But even so, no one truly thought of her as their queen.

“…”

– In the end, her greed drove her to desire even what she could never have. What do you think that was?

Caught off guard by the question, I paused to think.

In the game, Vivian’s jealousy was directed at the “Snow White Princess.” The princess’s appearance, her personality, her charm—Vivian envied everything about the princess.

Vivian’s jealousy and hatred for the princess led her to the conclusion that if she couldn’t have it, she should remove it from her sight.

This was why the princess kept dying in the game, turning the child-raising simulation into a rogue-like game.

Come to think of it, there was an event in the game…

“Could it be… the person she envied?”

Ainsel let out a twisted smile at my hesitant response.

As if I had guessed correctly.

– That’s right. Vivian wanted to become the person she envied. She envied not just their appearance or voice, but their life itself.

“……”

This was indeed a scenario from the game.

Vivian, envious of “Snow White,” performed a ritual using dark magic in an attempt to swap bodies with the princess.

But there was no real need to stop her from doing this in the game.

After all, it was a lottery-like event where Vivian would end up destroying herself. I saw this event only five times out of over 340 gameplay attempts—an exceedingly rare event.

If you saw it, a happy ending would be much easier to achieve.

“So… Vivian, in her jealousy of the princess, tried to swap bodies with her, failed, and that’s why I ended up possessing her… Is that what you’re saying?”

– Princess? What princess?

At my words, Ainsel widened her eyes in surprise and waved her hands in denial.

So it wasn’t Snow White whom Vivian envied..?

– The one Vivian envied was the First Queen.

“The First Queen?”

– Yes, Vivian was jealous of the First Queen, who was loved by the king. In her envy, she performed a “body-switching ritual,” which was essentially a curse, and it failed. That’s why Vivian died. And maybe… you ended up in Vivian’s body because of that.

After hearing Ainsel’s explanation, I covered my mouth, lost in thought. This was different from the story I knew.

‘The First Queen..? That can’t be…’

Initially, the reason Vivian could become the Second Queen was because the First Queen had died.

When the king, a devoted husband, declared he would not take a new queen, the council vehemently opposed him, pleading with him.

‘Please! Bring in a new queen!’

Since the only heir was the princess, a queen to bear a prince was needed. Seizing that opportunity, Vivian eliminated her rivals and rose to become the Second Queen.

So Ainsel’s story was different from what I knew.

The person Vivian envied and performed the ritual on wasn’t the First Queen but her daughter, “Snow White.”

‘Could it be… the First Queen isn’t dead? But then how did Vivian become queen? And what state is the king in now?’

Knock, knock.

As I struggled with a pounding headache, a loud knock came at the large door.

Without waiting for permission, a maid entered with an annoyed expression and bluntly announced her message.

“The Chancellor has requested an audience with Your Majesty.”

“The Chancellor?”

Why would the chancellor want to see me?