Chapter 54
The unexpected response hit like a brick wall, leaving Hansel breathless. Her vision went white, and the shock to her mind was so profound that even the word ‘impact’ felt inadequate. Her muscles stiffened like stone from her toes upward, and it was only after realizing she was still breathing that she could begin to process the situation.
Right. He hadn’t said my name.
Hansel gingerly touched her neck, her fingers trembling.
Not yet. I’m not dead yet.
It was then, belatedly, that Hansel grasped the significance—he had mentioned the name of her family, not her own. A quiver rippled through her breath like a stone causing ripples in a still pond.
Her thoughts spun aimlessly. No amount of books she had read or rumors she’d heard could have prepared her for this revelation. The Arsinoe family, her own lineage, had dealings with the Witch of the Gingerbread House? She had never heard of anything remotely resembling this before.
Upon calmer reflection, this might actually be a positive sign. If there had been dealings, then perhaps their relationship wasn’t hostile. That meant there was a good chance she wouldn’t be harmed even if her identity as a member of the Arsinoe family were discovered.
Still, she needed to gather more information. Hansel lowered her gaze, hiding her trembling hands beneath her thighs to keep them from view.
“So, if an Arsinoe enters your forest, would you kill them too?”
“Yes. Because they’re mages.”
Her words caught in her throat. A jumbled confusion began to stain her mind. Fear and curiosity entwined and writhed up her spine. Was it her mother? Her grandmother? When had this happened? What had the Arsinoe family done to Dante?
“Then, can you at least explain from the beginning why you kill mages—”
Hansel’s question trailed off as she froze. At some point, Dante had moved close, his face now looming just inches away. He stood there, like a massive boulder on the shore of a windless lake, his crimson eyes radiating a heavy, serene light.
Hansel’s pupils wavered, darting restlessly. When had he gotten so close? The faint sweetness of his scent seemed to envelop her completely. Just a slight tilt forward, and she’d be nestled in his arms. Instinctively, Hansel leaned her torso slightly backward, away from him.
“You’re trembling.”
The room’s temperature was regulated, so it couldn’t be the cold. Was she unwell? Dante’s concern sounded genuine, but Hansel’s mouth was dry. She averted her gaze, unable to meet his.
I can’t look suspicious. But anyone would see how terrified I am. I can’t bluff my way out of this clumsily again. I shouldn’t have reacted at all. But now that I’ve slipped up, I need to handle this cleverly.
“I-I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“You keep talking about killing people. Who wouldn’t be scared listening to all this? Even the day you brought me here—”
Hansel swallowed hard.
From the moment he shattered her staff to pieces, to when he tried to snap her neck, to the desperate deal she made to save herself, claiming she was good at pleasing men—it all flashed back. Did he even realize the sheer terror she had endured in those moments?
“You tried to kill me. To be honest, Dante, I’m still afraid of you.”
The air around Dante grew heavy. Not with hostility or menace, but with an oppressive silence that awkwardly settled between them. For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
Eventually, Dante broke the stillness, his voice low and steady.
“I won’t kill you anymore.”
“……”
Hansel’s heart, fluttering like a frightened bird, began to calm. She believed him. There was no deceit in those pure, straightforward eyes. But a single statement wasn’t enough to reassure her completely.
She needed certainty—whether she was truly safe or not.
“You only met me a few days ago. Can your feelings really have changed so quickly?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you now. So I won’t kill you.”
Hansel was rendered speechless by the sudden confession. A cascade of thoughts tumbled through her mind like a landslide of pebbles down a slope.
How could anyone be so simple? She had sensed that Dante was growing fond of her, though not in a romantic way. It was mere curiosity and kindness—a pure sort of goodwill that came from having no reason to reject her.
But she hadn’t expected him to accept and declare it so openly, so quickly, without hesitation. Hansel was awestruck by how effortlessly he could express such a change of heart.
For a fleeting moment, she wanted to embrace that simplicity, to take his words at face value and accept them without question.
What would it feel like to think and feel without a shadow of doubt?
Discussion
1 CommentReactions
Peony.