Chapter 43

Rapunzel grinned wickedly. Her whole body trembled with excitement she couldn’t contain.

“Hahahaha! Kehehehe!”

The bizarre laughter erupted from her mouth. Rapunzel’s shoulders shook as an unfamiliar thrilling chill ran through her entire being.

She had no idea. No clue that she’d been holding back all this time. An endless rage with no bottom, the resentment of spending a cursed life trapped in despair – it all burst forth without end. The repressed emotions she’d ignored gave birth to a new personality through her golden hair, keeping her from collapsing.

Without knowing any better… So stupidly.

She thought everything would be okay.

Rapunzel burst into hysterical laughter at the glorious feeling of liberation. She didn’t have to hold back anymore. The tower’s barrier was gone. Finally, she could leave for the outside world. Leave and…

It was time to swing the blade to take revenge on the disgusting world that cursed her.

How much suffering has she endured? How many tears has she shed? How lonely and suicidal has she felt? In her dreams, dead Merel appeared and blamed her while Godel’s corpse rose to whisper that she’d never escape.

She could endure those nightmares. They were just illusions after all. What truly drove her mad was waking up to see the same ceiling day after day.

The thought of spending her whole life imprisoned here ate away at her heart. No one came near the tower. No one cared for her. The cheerful laughter of villagers sometimes reached her ears, driving her to bash her head against the walls until blood flowed.

She managed to survive somehow. Hiring heroes to kill herself before she turned into a monster that destroyed everything within reach of her hair.

“HAHAHA!”

But none of that mattered now. She was truly free! There was no need to die! Because she finally realized this was her true self.

She was the world’s curse. And Rapunzel found satisfaction – no, ecstasy – in that fact.

“Ah, hurry up! Hurry, hurry, hurry!!!”

She wanted to destroy everything. To dye the world red with blood.

She planned to tear apart the citizens who called her a demon, flay alive the king and queen who wished for her death, and eliminate all those living peacefully while she was imprisoned.

Just imagining it made her laugh.

“Rapunzel…”

That voice tickling her ears. For some reason, hearing it made her heart sink. Distracted by the joy of freedom, she looked straight at the speaker.

“Ahh, that’s right. Siyoo. You were there. Sorry, puhaht! Actually, not sorry at all. I’m not sorry anymore. You were just another stupid human I used. Nothing more, nothing less than a game piece to me.”

Rapunzel covered her mouth with her hand to avoid laughing while speaking to Siyoo with minimal courtesy.

Siyoo’s eyes widened. They carried sadness and despair. Yeah, those eyes. The same ones she saw during her wasted years in the tower.

“Sorry, but could you get out of my way? Ex-boyfriend?”

WHOOSH! An overwhelming wave of golden hair lunged at Siyoo. Numerous clones within the wave screamed as they tried to dismember him.

Just before the wave engulfed Siyoo…

SWOOSH!!!

A refreshing emerald wave collided violently with Rapunzel’s golden one. It barely diverted the golden wave enough to protect Siyoo, but Rapunzel was irritated. From the golden wave emerged one of her clones.

[No way! The prince is mine to protect!]

The foolish red-haired woman bravely stepped forward. She spread water across the area, creating puddles that trapped other clones inside droplets.

“KYAHahaha! You’re completely insane!”

At the strange laughter from above, Rapunzel looked up. The shadow falling on her face. Its owner, Elise, swung her staff with all her might at Rapunzel’s head.

CLANG! Sparks flew as metal clashed. Rapunzel stared emotionlessly at the hostile Elise, whose staff failed to harm even a single hair on her head. It merely bent some strands slightly.

Rapunzel’s lips curled upward. She bared her teeth in a wide grin.

“You guys are pathetically weak.”

A golden spear shot out and impaled Elise’s limbs.

Elise crashed into the wall after being pierced by the spear, still laughing maniacally.

“KYAHahaha! Did you really think you could stop me with this?!?”

Then, despite her severely wounded limbs, Elise kept moving recklessly.

But…

With no hesitation, countless golden daggers pierced through her limbs, rendering her unable to move.

The dark shadow falling over Elise’s face. As the giant’s golden fist charged at her like lightning, Elise smirked.

BOOM!

Dust billowed everywhere, blood dripped down. Elise’s head bowed deeply as she stopped moving altogether.

[Grrrrr! Get out of the way!]

Though Ariel trapped one of Rapunzel’s clones in a droplet, she struggled against the endless others emerging from the floor. She fought desperately to protect the dazed Siyoo. Rapunzel glared at her unpleasantly.

Then, waving her hand in the air…

[PAIN! AGONY! INTENSE PAIN!]

The hair rising from where Ariel stood pierced through her torso and limbs. Ariel fell to her knees but kept her gaze fixed on Siyoo.

[Wa… Prince, please… run…]

Ariel couldn’t continue.

Now only one person remained. Just Siyoo, her ex-boyfriend who confessed to her. The boy still stood there, his face showing disbelief at the scene before him.

“Siyoo, it’s just us now.”

Rapunzel walked through the bloody path left by Ariel and Elise, smiling faintly.

Siyoo slowly turned his head to look at the fallen Ariel and Elise, then faced Rapunzel again.

“Rapunzel, why…?”

“Why? Siyoo, you’re such an idiot. Did you really think meeting you today, just for a short while, would make my hatred and anger disappear? That we could live happily ever after like nothing happened? Really now~”

Rapunzel scanned the foolish Siyoo with a cold gaze.

“You’re such an idealistic fool.”

Siyoo stayed silent. Even when given time intentionally by Rapunzel, he didn’t speak, causing her to frown. Strangely, looking at that foolish face made her chest ache continuously. She instinctively knew.

The very existence of Siyoo before her was a big obstacle blocking her sweet future of vengeance.

Therefore, she had to finish him herself. With her own hands.

As Rapunzel extended her hand into the air, hair rose from the floor, intertwined, and became a golden sword. Gripping the hilt firmly, she advanced resolutely.

I’ll kill him. Kill Siyoo and destroy the world. This disgusting world that cursed me, this terrible world – I’ll annihilate it.

I can do it. Slash Siyoo’s neck. Then move forward.

Rapunzel steeled her resolve. Savage killing intent emanated from Rapunzel as she stared blankly at Siyoo. The boy momentarily lowered his head, closed his eyes, and seemed lost in thought.

Rapunzel frowned seeing Siyoo standing there silently, neither running nor cutting her hair to fight back. The golden sword’s shadow slowly crept up toward Siyoo.

“Siyoo, this is who I truly am. Being with you was fun, but I’ve reached a point where I can’t survive without killing everyone. So, I’ll cut you down and enjoy my moment of vengeance.”

As the sword in Rapunzel’s hand twitched, Siyoo raised his head and stared directly into her eyes. For a moment, Rapunzel’s pupils wavered.

“Rapunzel.”

Siyoo smiled faintly.

“It was great being your boyfriend, even if it was just for a short time. I probably wouldn’t have made it without you. Thank you. If possible, I wish you’d pour all your emotions into me. I want to see you live a normal life rather than seeking revenge.”

After finishing his words, Siyoo obediently offered his neck. Rapunzel couldn’t understand. Looking at his vulnerable neck, knowing it would slice off cleanly with one strike…

Why was he thinking of her like this? After meeting her so briefly, why was he treating her like this?

Why was he making her chest hurt like this? Imaginations flashing through her mind. Giving up revenge and living happily with Siyoo. Moving to his world, watching movies together, going to cafes, enjoying real amusement park rides…

But those imaginations were quickly consumed by the uncontrollable flames of vengeance.

Rapunzel gritted her teeth. Raising the sword high into the sky, she brought it down with all her strength.

SWISH.

“…Thank you too, Siyoo.”