Chapter 53

“Hey, Hansel!?”

Gretel called out Hansel’s name with a trembling voice. Her eyes were filled with anxiety. And at that moment, I clearly felt it—the oppressive force on me had slightly loosened. With this, I focused all my nerves on moving the scythe. Dodging fingers—it’s now or never!

“Why, why are you here? Ah, no, that’s not it. Are you hungry!? Right? Just wait a sec. Let me… let me…”

“That’s enough, Gretel.”

Hansel’s firm words left Gretel visibly shocked as she stumbled back.

“What do you mean? Enough? What about? And you have to listen to me! Right? I’m your Lady Witch—you must obey me!”

“No, you’re not a witch.”

Hmm, what an intense conversation. Though I was concentrating on moving the scythe, my eyes and ears couldn’t help but follow Hansel and Gretel. Adel seemed to feel the same way—his expression looked like he’d be munching popcorn if he had any.

Despite being covered in sticky candy residue, Hansel looked completely different from before—sharp and clear-minded. His eyes sparkled with vitality. He wasn’t the food-crazed Hansel anymore.

“What are you talking about?”

“You killed her, didn’t you.”

Right. In the original story, Gretel did kill the witch. But is that really the issue here? Ugh, no time for that—I need to break free of this telekinetic grip!

“Wh-what are you saying? Hansel, your memory is messed up. Let me fix it for you. Just wait! Eating my food will make everything better…”

“My little sister, Gretel. I remember everything clearly now. You’ve done enough dirty deeds. Not only did you murder our Lady Witch, but you crossed a line you can’t come back from by harming me too.”

Hansel’s words made Gretel’s shoulders shake. From where I stood, her face slowly transitioned from confusion to anger.

“What are you talking about? Me… me, a witch?! Look! I’m using magic right here! This is all your delusion! It’s just the candy messing with your mind!”

“There’s nothing wrong with the House of Candy.”

Hansel glared at Gretel with pure disdain. The intensity in his gaze made her tremble. It wasn’t ordinary anger—it was a murderous hatred.

“Gretel, you killed the witch who took us in. She was kind and beautiful. She welcomed us, abandoned because of our greed, and taught us how to control our excessive hunger. We were slowly becoming a family. But you… YOU RUINED IT ALL!!!”

Hansel’s shout caused Gretel to shrink back. Her anger was no match for Hansel’s volcanic emotions.

“H-Hey! Don’t yell at me!”

“Our Lady Witch pitied us! She truly loved and embraced us! How could you kill her? And worse, how could you shove her roasted body down my throat?!”

Wow, so the witch was actually good and took care of the out-of-control greedy Hansel and Gretel until Gretel murdered her in cold blood and fed her remains to Hansel?!

He covered his face with trembling hands.

“No, no! I’m the witch! Hansel, you’re the one who’s deceived! There was only us two here! OUR LOVE…!”

“Shut up! I don’t love you, you disgusting monster!”

Hansel glared at Gretel with burning hatred.

“I told you, I remember everything clearly! I know you used brainwashing magic on the witch’s meat to manipulate my memories! You calling yourself the witch? Hell no, that makes me want to puke. You’re not the witch anymore, nor my sister. You’re just a fat, monstrous pervert!”

Oh my god, what am I hearing? Pervert? Wait, Hansel and Gretel are siblings… Did Gretel pretend to be the witch and… Oh my goodness…

What a twisted setup. Quite scandalous indeed.

“No, no, NOOOO!!!”

At Hansel’s shocking revelation, Gretel screamed wildly. The entire House of Candy shook violently as if hit by an earthquake. The loosening telekinesis tightened again, making movement even harder. Gah, I’ll be flattened like a pancake!

“I’m the witch! I’m the witch you loved, your sister! It’s just the cursed house messing with your mind!”

“Shut up! You’re the one losing it, you ugly hag! The House of Candy suppresses our excessive desires and purifies negativity! You, holding onto that fatty body of yours, have no right to spew such disgusting lies!”

Hansel grabbed a chocolate spear nearby.

“I’ll avenge our Lady Witch! Die, you disgusting monster!”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no!”

Just as the spear was about to strike Gretel’s head…

“I am your Lady Witch.”

A fierce gust erupted from Gretel’s body, blowing everyone away. A sudden sharp pain shot through my body, but strangely, I felt lighter. Lighter?

The witch’s telekinesis is gone! Nice one, Hansel! Sure, the wind slammed me into a wall and hurt like hell, but this is nothing.

“Heh! Freedom! Freedom! Siyoo, let’s take down this damned incestuous psycho witch once and for all!”

“Ugh, please don’t say that so directly…”

But something’s off. A violent whirlwind surrounds Gretel, making it impossible to approach.

Suddenly…

A loud explosion sound and the wind disappeared. Gretel emerged, her hair sticking up like a Super Saiyan, and grotesque veins wriggling across her body like snakes. I expected some dramatic transformation into a horrifying form, but surprisingly, there wasn’t much change… until…

I realized she was crying. Her eyes were fixed on Hansel.

“Haa, haa…”

Hansel, thrown by the wind, lay gasping for breath. His body was mixed with something foreign—something large. Thick melted chocolate mixed with his blood and oozed out from his abdomen.

A chocolate spear pierced through his stomach.

“Aaah, no, no!! Hansel, Hansel, Hansel! My Hansel!!”

Gretel, who was about to lose control, regained her senses and rushed to him, but Hansel struck her cheek with his chocolate-and-blood-soaked hand with all his might.

Crack!

Tears streamed down Gretel’s face after being slapped by Hansel. She froze in shock. The imprint of Hansel’s hand remained on her cheek.

“S-shit. D-don’t show me that filthy face. You disgusting monster…”

Hansel couldn’t continue.

His head hung low, motionless. The fatal wound to his abdomen. The rapidly fading color. This scene feels familiar—like something I witnessed not long ago.

Rapunzel’s delicate flesh pierced by the cold blade.

Thump thump.

My heart raced. Every hair on my body stood on end, and my mouth went dry.

Rapunzel’s death. Her final moments linger in my mind.

Breathing became labored, and my grip on the broom tightened excessively.

“Aaaah, AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”

An ear-piercing scream. Gretel wailed, hugging Hansel’s cold corpse.

“No, no, no!!! Oh, Hansel. My Hansel! My Hansel!!! Aaaaahhhhhh!!!”

She clutched Hansel with one hand and tore her own hair with the other, revealing her scalp. Tears streamed down her face as she caressed Hansel’s face.

“This isn’t real. How could my Hansel… Oh, Hansel. Before the warmth fades, let’s share our final moment of love…”

The moment Gretel tried to insert her thick tongue into Hansel’s mouth…

Plop.

The scythe blade pierced her shoulder. She turned around with cold eyes. I glared at her and said,

“You disgusting rapist. Can’t you let go of that dirty hand?”

“Yes… It’s all your fault! All of you ruined everything! Because of you, Hansel is dead! Hansel was supposed to live happily with me!!! You bastards!!!”

Gretel’s body suddenly swelled. Something alive seemed trapped under her skin, which bulged and wriggled before several arms burst out. Then her belly split open horizontally, revealing sharp teeth above and below, followed by a long, thick tongue protruding from inside.

“Eeeek! She’s really a monster!!!”

Adel freaked out and hid in the corner at the sight of this grotesque and terrifying form.

But I didn’t run.

“It’s our fault? No, this is all because of you! You killed Hansel! You inflicted unbearable pain on him and then murdered him! You destroyed his happy ending!”