Chapter 8
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“That’s stupid. Give it up. Even if you go, there won’t be anyone there.”
“They say lots of people have heard her singing.”
“Oh, so you haven’t even heard it yourself. You just heard that there are people who supposedly did. Right. I’m sure that really was Rapunzel singing because she was trapped in a tower.”
William whipped his head around and glared at his sister for ruining his fantasy. He stayed silent like that for a moment, then suddenly grinned. Muttering that he understood everything now, he narrowed his eyes.
“I know why you’re saying that. You’re jealous of me, Erin.”
“What?”
“You’re still staring up at a tree you can never climb. Because you want to become king.”
“……”
“It must burn you up inside, knowing you’ll have to sit there helplessly and watch King William make a name for himself. You’re smart. Deep down, you probably know better than anyone just how foolish your dream is.”
“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Erin flinched without realizing it, but quickly pretended otherwise and feigned composure. William didn’t miss that brief moment of agitation.
“I don’t care if you do stupid things on your own, but don’t torment everyone around you because of it. They’re the people who will one day become my subjects.”
William lowered his leg from the chair and turned fully toward his sister. He crossed his arms, lifted his chin, and sneered at her with a triumphant expression.
Erin didn’t want to lose to his smug attitude. She tried to look him straight in the eyes as though none of it bothered her. But she couldn’t completely hide the anger boiling inside her.
William grinned and taunted her.
“Admit it, Erin. The only thing you can do is congratulate me when I become a great king whose name will go down in history.”
He cackled that all her efforts were pointless, making it truly difficult for Erin to maintain her composure. Her younger brother was so infuriating she thought she might lose her mind. Gritting her teeth, she took deep breaths through her nose and barely managed to let the heat in her head slowly dissipate.
Even while she tried this hard to control herself, William kept acting smug.
“Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not saying this to make fun of you.”
“Oh, really? Then why are you saying it?”
“Because I pity you. Oh, so much that it’s painful to watch!”
“I’m not pitiful.”
“No. You are unfortunate and pitiful. You even refuse the marriage matches Father goes to the trouble of finding for you. If you keep rejecting them, you’ll die without becoming a queen, let alone a king.”
“That’s none of your business.”
William strode over to his sister and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gently kneaded them as though giving her a massage, then leaned his face closer and whispered.
“You can never become king. Not unless you die and are reborn as William.”
The heat in Erin’s head, which hadn’t subsided no matter how deeply she breathed, rapidly cooled the moment she heard those words. Her blood had gone cold.
* * *
William disappeared a few days later. He had still been there at breakfast, but by the afternoon, he was nowhere to be found.
It was Erin who explained the meaning of the cryptic note left behind in his room.
Mother screamed and pleaded with Father.
“A witch’s tower? We have to bring William back at once!”
Unexpectedly, Father remained calm. If anything, he was proud of his son for setting off on an adventure in pursuit of honor and had no doubt that William would soon return with good news.
With Father saying so, Mother gradually calmed down as well. She stopped screaming and instead prayed to God that William would return soon.
Erin also wanted him to come back quickly, though for a different reason than her mother.
“He can’t even wait long enough to have one portrait painted. Does he really think he can risk his life fighting a witch? He won’t even make it to the tower.”
Even though she thought he would return empty-handed, she still felt uneasy deep down. Because there was a chance he might succeed.
William was right. Erin was furious about her own situation, unable to become king, and she was terribly jealous of her younger brother. She didn’t think she could happily watch a younger brother she considered inferior to herself succeed.
He won’t rescue Rapunzel. He can’t.
He has to fail.
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