I Raised Snow White!

“How is it? You’re not scared anymore, right?”

When I smiled and patted the princess’s head, she seemed to realize she had stepped out from behind the tree, and her beaming expression instantly turned sour.

Crumple.

‘Oops.’

Seeing the princess’s crumpled face, I instinctively pulled my hand away from her head. For some reason, her scrunched-up expression felt like a more terrifying warning than any threat could be.

Was it because of the colorful expressions children have?

As the princess glared at me, looking like she wanted to kill me, I raised both hands lightly in surrender, showing I had no intention of touching her further.

“Sorry for petting you so freely. If you didn’t like it, I won’t do it again. Could you forgive me?”

She didn’t run away like before, but she still stood there, busy glaring at me, her lips pouting and eyebrows raised sharply.

It was the perfect look of a typical angry child.

Looks like one magic trick wasn’t enough.

I pulled out the flower tucked behind her ear and placed it in my hand. Maybe she couldn’t resist her curiosity because her raised eyebrows gently relaxed.

“Watch closely. I’ll show you a different trick this time.”

At some point, Ellie had crouched down beside the princess, both of them gazing with sparkling eyes at the flower in my hand.

I didn’t know many magic tricks from my school days, but it seemed I had enough to entertain the princess and Ellie. I clenched my hand holding the flower, pretending to exert force as I made my hand tremble slightly.

“Alright, starting now! One… two…”

*

Thump… thump…

Bainshaw was walking with weary steps down the vast corridors of the royal castle. His destination was the secluded room where the king was confined. Bainshaw visited that room every day to check on His Majesty’s condition.

One of his daily duties was also to supply ‘it,’ which His Majesty used in his seclusion, once a day. Bainshaw sighed and dismissed the guards stationed at the door to His Majesty’s room.

Knock, knock.

“Your Majesty, it’s Bainshaw. The weather is exceptionally fine today. The roses in the garden are in full bloom, filling the air with their fragrance.”

Bainshaw knew this conversation was meaningless, but he continued speaking anyway. In a calm voice, he started sharing how the outside world was changing day by day.

“The princess seems to be struggling with her studies. Although it’s the same Marchioness who taught Her Majesty the Queen… it might still be a bit challenging for the young princess.”

The door didn’t open.

Bainshaw knew that too well.

“Perhaps because of the mental effort, she’s started craving sweets lately. Every time she looks for something sweet, she first reaches for candy, just like you always did, Your Majesty. Haha.”

No sound came from behind the door.

Bainshaw bit his lower lip tightly.

His feelings—growing resentment toward His Majesty and sympathy for the hardships His Majesty might have endured—piled up day by day, and he once again tried to control his emotions by biting his lip.

“Your Majesty, I’ll leave ‘it’ here by the door. I wish you good health today as always.”

Leaving ‘it’ by the door, Bainshaw headed toward the end of the corridor as usual. When he was far enough that his footsteps wouldn’t be heard from ‘inside the room,’ he stopped and gazed blankly at the door where the king was confined.

As he stood there, staring in a daze, the door creaked open just a sliver, and a thin arm slipped out.

Who would believe that arm belonged to an adult man?

Seeing that, Bainshaw felt a painful mixture of joy at His Majesty still being alive and a burning sensation in his chest.

The thin arm snatched ‘it’ from the doorway, pulling it back into the room before the door closed. As if it were routine, the guards returned to their posts the moment the door shut.

It had been two years.

In the span of those two years, His Majesty had not stepped out of that room even once. Bainshaw, who had served His Majesty since his days as a prince, found this reality unbearably heartbreaking.

“Sigh…”

However, he had no time to wallow in sadness. With His Majesty’s absence from state affairs, Bainshaw, the Chancellor, had to manage those responsibilities.

Though there was the Council of Elders and Her Majesty the Second Queen…

The Council was nothing more than a pack of hyenas, constantly eyeing His Majesty’s power, and the Second Queen… while she seemed to have changed recently, he couldn’t fully trust her yet.

Exhausted by the endless power struggle with the Council, Bainshaw wished for His Majesty’s return as soon as possible. He was growing old and worn out for battles like this.

Ruffling his already thinning hair, Bainshaw glanced at his palm, seeing strands that had fallen out from stress, symbolizing his sorrow.

‘At this rate, I’ll be bald soon…’

Brushing off the hairs, Bainshaw resumed walking down the corridor, mentally organizing the tasks he needed to accomplish as he made his way to his office.

Just then, while heading toward his office, Bainshaw noticed someone standing at the end of the corridor, looking out the window. A noblewoman with silver-gray hair was gazing intently outside with sharp eyes.

“Marchioness of Lorenzo?”

Called by Bainshaw, the noblewoman, known as Marchioness of Lorenzo, turned her head and looked at him. She bent her knees slightly and lowered her head in a graceful bow that retained its elegance.

“Greetings to His Excellency, the Chancellor.”

“As I always say, there’s no need to be so formal, Marchioness.”

“No, etiquette is something that must be upheld at all times and in all places, regardless of who may be watching, Your Excellency.”

Ahem.

Bainshaw coughed at the Marchioness’s firm tone.

Though they had known each other for many years, she was still a challenging person. During his childhood, the Marchioness had served as a mentor and tutor to Her Majesty the First Queen, while he himself had assisted His Majesty.

‘She is currently in charge of the princess’s education…’

Naturally, they often interacted as fellow “educators,” yet her strict adherence to noble etiquette had always made her difficult to deal with.

As the conversation fell silent, Bainshaw was about to end it and bid her farewell when loud voices from below caught his attention, prompting him to look outside.

“Huh.”

It was a surprising sight.

Seeing the princess laughing and playing in the garden was heartwarming, but when he saw who was playing with her, Bainshaw couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Well now, what an odd combination.”

To think that Her Majesty the Second Queen was laughing and chatting with the princess? And the princess, in turn, showed no sign of fear toward Her Majesty.

Watching the princess laugh brightly like that, Bainshaw felt a rush of emotion. It had been so long since he’d seen her look so joyful.

At the same time, a bittersweet feeling arose within him.

‘Isn’t that a sight that His Majesty, her real father, should be showing her, not the Second Queen, her stepmother?’

Bainshaw sighed quietly and spoke to Marchioness of Lorenzo, who was watching the scene alongside him. Surely, as the princess’s tutor, the Marchioness would find this scene heartwarming.

“Isn’t this a delightful sight? I can’t remember the last time I saw the princess smiling like that.”

But, contrary to Bainshaw’s expectations, the Marchioness clicked her tongue softly as she watched the heartwarming scene. For the etiquette-obsessed Marchioness to click her tongue in public?

“No matter how well a parrot speaks, it is still a bird, and no matter how well a monkey imitates, it remains a beast. No matter how exemplary a person’s actions, if they lack the proper etiquette expected of them, how are they different from a parrot or a monkey?”

“…Marchioness?”

“Pardon me, Your Excellency, but I must excuse myself. There isn’t much time left before the princess’s lesson.”

With that, Marchioness of Lorenzo turned and disappeared down the hallway. Bainshaw stared blankly at her retreating figure.

Who was she talking about just now?

Bainshaw quickly realized whom the Marchioness’s words were directed toward. After all, there was only one person within earshot. Clicking his tongue, Bainshaw stroked his beard.

‘Who would have thought the Marchioness would call Her Majesty the Second Queen “a beast.”’

Her words were harsh enough to border on slander against royalty. Bainshaw could easily press charges against her right then and there.

But he didn’t. Because he partially agreed with her. Bainshaw was someone who believed people don’t change easily.

Recently, the Second Queen had been treating the maids well, and they seemed to have warmed up to her. But her past was full of terrible deeds.

Does someone really change just by surviving a brush with death?

He couldn’t say, as he had never known anyone who had come back from the dead, except the Second Queen. Listening to the princess’s laughter from the window, Bainshaw let out a deep sigh.

“Soon, the Marchioness and Her Majesty will clash.”

In terms of etiquette and education, the Marchioness was extremely strict. Seeing the princess playing with a queen who had never once shown respect to another person must have been infuriating.

It was probably like a parent watching their child playing with the worst neighborhood troublemaker.

‘From the Marchioness’s perspective, it must be something that can’t be tolerated, especially since she was the first queen’s “godmother.” It’s no wonder she’s attached to the princess.’

With a long sigh at the looming confrontation, Bainshaw pondered what he would do if the Marchioness and the Second Queen collided. Whose side should he take?

Watching the princess laughing with a flower crown on her head, Bainshaw gave a bitter smile.

All of these problems would be resolved if His Majesty just left that room.

*

There was one thing I overlooked while playing with the princess.

“Is that it? Is it over now?”

“Huff, huff… Princess… could we rest for a moment…?”

My stamina.

There was an undeniable gap between a child’s energy and an adult’s. After performing all the magic tricks I’d learned in school and running out of things to show, I even did tricks with my fingers.

The princess, looking a bit bored, ran over to Ellie. After wearing myself out to the point of collapse, seeing her abandon me so easily for Ellie stung a little.

Utterly exhausted, I leaned back against a tree and stared blankly at the sky. As I sat there dazed, Ainsel called out encouragingly from beneath the tree.

I instinctively turned my gaze toward the tree where I heard his voice.

-The princess wants to keep playing! Hang in there!

“Just… a little… rest…”

There was a small mirror earring propped up against a rock under the tree. Atop the mirror was a tiny flower crown, small enough for a fingertip.

When I had made flower crowns for the princess and Ellie, Ainsel had grumbled a little, as if wondering why she didn’t have one, so I made a tiny crown and placed it on her head.

Though it was just a tiny flower on a small mirror, Ainsel seemed quite pleased. Ignoring Ainsel’s nagging for a moment, I watched the princess and Ellie playing together.

They looked happy as they braided each other’s hair with the flower crowns and made rings from leftover flowers. At this rate, she wouldn’t be scared of me anymore.

If I just avoided bringing up funeral-related topics, the princess wouldn’t have any more trauma. I listened to the cheerful chatter of Ellie and the princess as drowsiness washed over me.

Just a quick nap should be okay—just as I thought that.

Rustle, rustle.

I heard footsteps approaching over the garden grass. Peeking one eye open, I looked to see who was coming.

A gray-haired elderly woman with pale white hair was striding over, her face scowling as if she was furious.

‘That woman…’

“Princess. So, here you are.”

The elderly woman let out a long, bitter sigh as she looked down at the princess playing in the garden with a cold gaze. It was as if the sigh was meant for me to hear, and it irritated me.

The princess glanced at the elderly woman and, surprised, let out a small hiccup. The joy on her face began to fade as the woman spoke.

“It’s time to return. Your lessons are about to begin.”

“But there’s still… a little time left before the evening lessons…”

“Princess—”

Cutting off the princess’s words, the elderly woman called to her, letting out another long sigh as if there was no need to hear more, and spoke firmly.

“Haven’t I always told you? To be someone as esteemed as Her Majesty the Queen, you must learn to judge people wisely.”

The elderly woman’s gaze was fixed squarely on me. It felt like she was saying it directly to me, warning me not to get close to the princess.

‘I see. So you’re warning me to stay away from the princess, aren’t you?’

I knew who this woman was.

She was an NPC who appeared in the game as an ‘educator.’ I knew she had been the First Queen’s mentor and was her ‘godmother.’

“Marchioness of Lorenzo.”

I slowly rose and approached her. We stood so close our noses were almost touching, but neither of us stepped back. This was a battle of pride.

‘Silver-gray hair, orange eyes, and a glare as fierce as Vivian’s.’

Indeed, she was the Marchioness of Lorenzo I knew.

Crossing my arms, I slightly lowered my head to look down at her. The Marchioness’s gaze sharpened in apparent displeasure.

Ignoring her reaction, I smirked down at her. I couldn’t see myself, but I was sure it was the same “villainous” smile I had seen on Vivian.

The Marchioness slightly inclined her head in an unamused greeting.

“…Greetings, Your Majesty the Second Queen.”

…Even after raising the princess over three hundred times, I had only allowed her to be educated by the Marchioness once.

The reason?

“Why is an old woman from the Council here? Or perhaps you’d prefer it if I put it this way?”

Because any princess taught extensively by the Marchioness was inevitably bound for a “bad ending.”

All because of the Marchioness’s twisted ambitions.

“What brings the First Queen’s dog here?”