Since the text given is a long passage, I’ll provide the translation in parts for better clarity and readability.
—
From the moment I was born into this world and started experiencing the passing of the seasons, Remi began reading me fairy tales every night when I saw the first snowfall for the second time.
At that time, two-year-old me found it super adorable as six-year-old Remi struggled to read the book with her clumsy pronunciation.
I had a laugh when she sometimes came to mom for help without me knowing, then proudly picked back up the story with the right answers she got.
Honestly, I can say it now, but I knew everything, Remi…
Every day, Remi would tell me new stories, but sometimes she would read her absolute favorite fairy tales over and over again.
Among those, the very first fairy tale she read to me, and the book she loved the most more than any other, was…
『Alice in the Blue Forest』.
The protagonist, Alice, is a girl who dreams of traveling. Alice thought her life was just like a windmill, fixed and going round and round.
So, she just found her parents who stopped her from entering the forest annoying.
“Monsters that eat people live in the forest, so absolutely do not enter.”
To Alice, the forest wasn’t a terrifying place with monsters but a peaceful space where birds chirped and deer frolicked.
Why do parents want to keep me from entering the forest, I wonder?
Is there treasure hidden there?
If she had been the obedient child that listened to her parents, the story wouldn’t have progressed. Growing up as an ordinary girl, causing no trouble, she would’ve gotten married, had children, and died after living a long life.
But this story, unfortunately, is a fairy tale.
And—fairy tales exist to teach lessons.
This story is a warning.
Good people are rewarded, and bad people are punished.
A child who does not follow their parents’ advice will face misfortune.
Excessive greed may harm rather than benefit.
Foolishly, on a day when the sun was higher than ever, Alice disregarded her parents’ words and entered the forest.
And there, she met fantastic beings and formed connections.
She helped a little fairy who lost her wings by finding them by the water.
She moved a tree that was smaller than the others and couldn’t get sunlight to a new spot so it could flourish.
She offered advice to a dwarf who dreamed of making boots that would withstand a hundred years of wear, and a passionate fish that wished to one day fly in the sky by training its gills.
Those encounters with mystical beings that she had never experienced before made Alice’s heart race.
Living is the most joyful thing of all, Alice said.
Just breathing isn’t enough to say you’re alive. She declared that until now, she wasn’t a living person but more like a form that merely existed.
Now, I am more alive than anything else.
As every precious relationship she shared grew, her surroundings became noisier, but for her, that noise was a pleasant one.
But a punishment awaits the child who ignored their parents’ advice.
This fairy tale is written to warn children who don’t listen to their parents.
Warning.
The place that the friends warned her about, where they said never to go.
The deep forest laden with darkness.
A box that should never be opened, but it was sweeter than anything else.
“Hey, who are you?”
“….Me…?”
Alice, who entered there, encountered a “monster.”
—
Soft fabric brushed against my eyes.
I tried to move my body, but it felt like I was weighted down and sinking into the sea. A strange scent wafted through the air.
I could smell the bitter herbs mixed with the metallic tang of blood, producing an unsettling odor.
Haa.
My consciousness slowly awakened.
To understand what happened to me, I thought back to what I had done last.
The perfectly executed plan, the beautifully orchestrated death, and the affection from my loved ones—yes, I recalled everything.
I stabbed Anna multiple times in the abdomen. Though I avoided the vital spots, I fell off what seemed like a cliff dozens of meters down.
Even if they pulled me up right then, it would be absolutely impossible to save me.
Yes. The likelihood was not just low; it was nonexistent.
So, what is this sensation now? Have I died and been reborn?
No, it’s different. Something feels wrong. Being someone so familiar with death, I could tell. This is not that feeling.
Something more desperate, pitiful, and tragic than death.
An overwhelming sense of despair, horror, and sorrow flooded over me.
I felt tears welling up.
Yes, is that it?
—
Am I alive?
—
“……ㅡㅡ, Ah—”
Where am I?
My mouth felt as dry as a parched land. I tried to speak, but only a small groan came out. My vocal cords felt like they were cracking.
My voice was rough and lower than usual, but it was so familiar that I was certain.
For some reason, I could tell that Aris Akaia had survived.
Tap.
“—You’ve awakened.”
“….Ah…!!”
“Please don’t move. I will give you water first. Be careful and take it easy.”
It sounded like a solid object was being placed on a wooden desk, and I heard the voice of an unidentified woman.
The voice sounded mysterious enough that I almost forgot the tears rolling down my face.
It was a voice like rolling jade, clear and beautiful. Yet, within it, I sensed an undeniable maturity and wisdom.
It felt dreamlike. So beautiful.
I’ve never heard such a voice before.
Who is this?
—
“I’ve soaked a cloth in water. I’ll put it in your mouth, so sip it slowly. Slowly, slowly. Yes, you’re doing well.”
“……Hah, hah.”
“Bit by bit, bit by bit…Yes.”
The wet, soft fabric entered my mouth.
I desperately moved my tongue, which wasn’t cooperating, to drink that water. Droplets dampened my tongue.
It felt like watering a dry field, yet this long-awaited water was refreshing and cool.
Swoosh.
“…Ah.”
“It’s not allowed.”
Even though my body craved more water, the woman didn’t give me more because I shouldn’t drink excessively.
The cloth left my mouth.
Hiiing.
So good.
It definitely didn’t come out of my mouth, but was it visible on my face? For a moment, I think she smiled.
I opened my eyes to see her face. But I felt a sting in one eye and had to close it again, letting out a slight groan.
Ouch.
In the momentary glimpse, there was only darkness. It felt as if something had been set upon my eyes.
The discomfort I felt around my eyes—was that the sensation of the cloth?
It seemed like a rough bandage was wrapped all around my eyes.
I heard the sound of her tidying up the tools she had brought to give me water. The clattering stopped, and after a few seconds, her question reached my ears.
“Are you feeling alright now?”
“……Yes.”
“That’s good to hear. When I first saw you, I thought you were a corpse.”
Her voice came from very close by. I could feel her breath, scent, and presence so intensely.
What I felt earlier, I thought it was coming from me.
What is this person?
Is she even a person?
—
“It looked like something was off, so I brought you here and ‘treated’ you… but can you tell me what happened?”
“…Ah?”
“If you’re having difficulty, you don’t have to speak.”
—
She seemed to be considering me. From what I heard, she was the one who found me floating downriver and pulled me out. Also, it seemed like she didn’t know me well yet.
She doesn’t know me? Is this a remote countryside where nobody knows each other?
Really, how did I get treated?
Did she handle it alone?
The curiosity only grew.
—
And.
While her tone was polite and warm, I thought if consideration had a voice, it might be something like this.
—
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”
From your mouth.
From your fingertips.
On your clothes, heavily soiled.
—
“My name is Saelli.”
—
The smell of blood, what is it?
And you’re a healer?
Not a murderer?
—
“I… I am…?”
I felt intrigued.
I’ve no particular attachment to this world, so I could either end up as a corpse somewhere or head to the royal palace to see Anna and Remi.
But if I see them now, the statue I’ve painstakingly cared for will come crashing down again.
And right now, I’m too curious about you, Saelli, to die.
Ah, I’ve always thought about it, but I seem too good of a person.
“Ah… Aah… I, I am…!?”
“….What?! Calm down!”
Yeah, let’s just say I’ve died and been reborn. No need to overthink it.
Aris Akaia is dead.
That’s it.
“I don’t, know. Why, why? It hurts… hurts… please tell me. There was definitely something more precious than anything else… it hurts… it hurts… help me….”
“…..!!”
I could hear the sound of her taking a breath.
I heard her mumbling a few words as she looked at me, but I continued my charade.
I didn’t need to shed any extra tears. The cloth that had been covering my eyes had soaked and was dropping onto the ground.
“Please don’t throw me away… it hurts… I need to know. Don’t hurt me. Don’t stab me—Unnie.”
“……Ah.”
I raised my hand with all my strength. I reached out to Saelli, who was sitting beside me. Thud, my fingertips touched her, and Saelli reacted violently, causing the sound of a chair crashing down.
—
The strong scent of fresh blood wafted around, showing me this wasn’t something I had ever experienced.
The more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became.
“What the…!!”
“Help me, Unnie……ㅡ”
Whack, something seemed to slice through the air and fly toward me. With no way to evade it, I could do nothing but take the blow.
How gentle, Unnie.
Thud.
“—You.”
“…What on earth has happened outside?!”
My body lightly jolted from the impact. Did she hit my neck? Well, fainting would be the answer for a raging child.
Now that I think about it, I never got to say thank you for saving me. Well, I’ll just do that when I wake up next.
—
So, good night.
My consciousness began to sink back into the depths once more.
—
The succubus approaches. The bright sun is shining, and the water surface gradually drifts away.
—
Grrr…
Deeply.
—
Grrr…
Even deeper.
—
