A Fairy Tale Written by a Villain

Chapter 9

Grand Duke Karl Waschke slowly opened his eyelids.

Am I in the back garden? he wondered. His toned muscles were exposed through his shirt, and his pants were ripped apart like rags. One servant, who had been searching for him all morning, finally spotted him and came running. The servant covered the grand duke’s shoulders with a cloak he had brought.

“Where’s Snow?”

“He’s overseeing the soldiers’ morning training.”

“I’m later than I usually am.”

Even if he were in beast form, he usually returned to his room when it was time for the curse to be lifted. Strangely enough, he opened his eyes outside today. My body seems to be in less pain as well. Whenever he changed into a beast, he suffered through a burning pain that felt like boiling oil was being poured on his entire body. But somehow, the aftereffects were less severe today. And he noticed something else as well.

“Where’d this slipper come from?” The grand duke looked down at the tattered slipper that he was holding firmly. Suddenly, he had a flashback from last night. Did I meet the princess? She had shouted something while throwing this slipper.

He was trying hard to remember the words, but the servant hurried him on. “Please, it’s time for breakfast, Your Grace. We have prepared soup made of fresh mashed beans.”

“Beans?” The grand duke, who was in a bad mood for no reason to begin with, crumpled his eyebrows.

“I-if you don’t like it, I will change it to something else.”

“Tell them to change it right now.” The grand duke stood up and headed to the mansion.

***

Isabelle woke up long after lunch was over.

When she got up from the bed and took a seat at the dressing table, Badelle ran to her and started combing her hair. “Are you fully awake, Your Highness? It seems like you were very tired.”

“Yes, Badelle.”

“Was the massage tiring yesterday? Maybe changing to another masseuse...”

“Badelle, my scalp stings.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. As I get older, I seem to be making more mistakes. At this rate, I’ll pull out all of my princess’s hair.” Badelle laughed awkwardly and continued to brush her hair.

“I know. Aren’t you trying to pull it all out to give to your son?” Isabelle moved her eyes to stare at Badelle in the mirror.

“Y-Your Highness?” The comb Badelle was holding dropped to the floor. Badelle did not dare look at Isabelle’s angry face and dropped her head.

“You should have told me, Badelle... that you very desperately needed my hair. How hard has it been for you to suffer by my side just to get a few strands of that damn hair? Poor Badelle.” Isabelle said calmly with an indifferent look.

Badelle, who was more scared of that look, dropped to the floor right away and kneeled. “Your Highness, I have wronged you. Please spare my life!”

“Even if I have acted evil, I have never killed anyone. It doesn’t feel so good to hear you asking me to spare your life.”

“My son was sick... He really needed it.”

“Then you should have said so, Badelle.” Isabelle listened to her excuses indifferently looking down at her beautifully manicured nails. “In which country is it polite to pull out someone else’s hair without permission?” She glared ferociously at Badelle’s reflection in the mirror.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Badelle sobbed, slamming her forehead on the floor. “But... But, Your Highness, I didn’t stay by your side just because of the hair.”

Isabelle scoffed at those words, partially because she was appalled. “Badelle, if it were you, would you believe those words?”

“It’s the truth, Your Highness. Although I coveted your hair for my sick son, my feelings toward you...”

“Stop.” Isabelle cut Badelle off, then picked up the scissors on the dressing table. She proceeded to snip off all her luscious hair that flowed down to her waist, stopping only when it was shoulder-length. It was not a difficult decision—thanks to her quietly seething anger, it was made quickly.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“Here.” Isabelle handed the hair to Badelle. With this much, there won’t be a reason for her to pull my hair out again before I die—about eighty more days, to be exact.

She could just not hastily kick out someone who knew her secret. It would be fatal if Badelle spilled that secret to someone. I can’t live the rest of my life trembling in fear. In the past three time warps, Badelle never harmed her—rather, whenever there was someone who wanted her blood, Badelle lost her wits and kicked them out. Although, it was probably to get my hair, now that I think about it. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. Giving her hair and being wary of a bigger enemy was the wisest decision she could make right now.

Isabelle shook the hand holding her cut hair once more. “This isn’t enough?”

“Ahh, uh, what am I going to do? Your hair, Your Highness!”

“Are you going to take it or not?”

“Your Highness, I didn’t mean this... I never meant this!”

Isabelle hated those words—that “this isn’t what I meant!” after deceiving another person. “You have been constantly taking them, deceiving me. What are you saying?” Isabelle threw her cut hair in front of Badelle, who was still in a heap on the floor. “I believe this much should be more than enough.”

“Your Highness!”

“So as long as I’m alive, don’t pull my hair out again. Don’t take a single strand.” Badelle remained sobbing on the floor. “If you understand me, get up and comb my hair again.”

“Please believe me. I really didn’t mean to harm you, Your Highness...”

“Pulling out a few strands of someone’s hair without permission was doing no harm? Why, you should have cut me with a knife and taken blood as well.”

“Your Highness, I would never do something like that!”

“Ifs or ands. Your touching my body without my consent is the same thing, isn’t it?” Isabelle looked at the mirror again with an indifferent expression. “Hair. Comb it. Don’t make me say it twice, Badelle.”

Wiping away her tears with her sleeve, Badelle started to carefully plait Isabelle’s hair.

After that day, her scalp never stung again.

***

Just like that, another fifteen days passed.

Isabelle’s day and night cycle was now reversed, and she always went on a walk in the middle of the night. The reason for her walk was...

“Beanie!”

“Grrr!”

“Do you really hate that name that much? I’ll just call you ‘Grand Duke,’ then.”

The grand duke, who turned into a beast around two in the morning, would linger around the tower.

“Grand Duke, are you coming here every night perhaps because you missed me?” Isabelle asked flirtatiously.

Did you eat? How is your health? He was the kind of guy who just asked about her and left, like a doctor checking up on his patient.

Does his personality change when he turns into a beast? she wondered. Why is he so affectionate at night? Isabelle pondered, looking at the large tail that shook vigorously.

“Grrr... Woof!”

“Okay, okay. Here, come here.” Isabelle plopped down on the grass. Then, the large beast lay down on Isabelle’s lap. Fifteen days had passed since she first met the grand duke like this at dawn. He was completely tamed by Isabelle’s hands. “I don’t get why the others are scared of you, Grand Duke. To me, you just look like a large dog.”

He was just like one too, seeing as he fetched things when she threw them and closed his eyes happily when she stroked his chest or chin.

Isabelle gently stroked his black fur. “Sir Snow told me that your body hurts a lot when you turn into a beast.”

“Grrr.” The grand duke tapped Isabelle’s hand with his snout. Seems like he’s asking me to stroke his head now, she thought. Isabelle’s thin hands stroked through the abundant fur. His pointed ears had been all perked up, but now, they dipped down and fluttered. Seeing the large pair of horns on top of them so often, she got quite used to it. His soft fur went through her fingers. Would stroking the grand duke’s hair in real life feel like this? she wondered—not that there would be a reason for her to stroke that cold man’s head.

“I went to town today and spent a lot of money. Can you believe that after I bought everything I wanted, my closet is now overstuffed?” Isabelle giggled, telling him that she ended up buying a second closet because of it. “Apparently, the villagers are saying that the Waschke Duchy will go bankrupt because of me.”

“Woof!”

“I’ll take that as you telling me not to worry about it.”

Isabelle slightly opened the grand duke’s long muzzle. The sharp fangs, each one as long as her finger, glistened menacingly. In the beginning, she had been very scared. But after she became certain that he would not hurt her, she became fine with him.

Isabelle pricked her finger at the end of one of his fangs. “I have a modest but special ability, Grand Duke.” A drop of blood beaded on her fingertip. Isabelle dropped it onto his tongue. As if confused by the taste of blood, the grand duke’s eyes opened wide. “Since I’m sorry for just taking and using your money, this is a special reward. I actually have the power to heal others.”

She felt sorry seeing him as a beast whimpering in pain. This will probably make you hurt less. Since he barely remembered anything when he was a beast, Isabelle felt comfortable sharing her secret. “Maybe that’s why I acted harshly toward people—to protect my body.”

Even before she transmigrated, Isabelle would have done the same. If she didn’t, everyone would be dying to rip her into pieces. “Although I’m still called ‘the villainess’ because of my facial expressions and actions, you know? Maybe this is why habits are important.”

“Grr...”

“You said that you were waiting for a bride to lift the curse too, right, Grand Duke? I can’t believe you have to go through the deaths of so many brides because of that one hope. Why do we have to live like this?” Isabelle smiled bitterly, then leaned her upper body on top of his. Since his body was so large, it felt like she was lying on a giant teddy bear. It’s warm, she thought.

The dawn’s fresh sea breeze and the scent of grass blew past her cheeks. The sight of the stars spread across the ultramarine blue sky like jewels, the beating sound of the grand duke’s large heart echoing in her ears—because it all felt so cozy, Isabelle closed her eyes. It truly was a kind of peace that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

***

The grand duke shot up. It was dawn, and the sun had not yet risen.

What exactly happened? He had turned back into a human. And he noticed something else. What is the princess doing here? He saw Isabelle asleep in his arms. The grand duke, who was going to further raise his body quickly, lay back down in case he woke her. A lot of strange things have been happening recently. Not only had the pain lessened, but he kept waking up near the tower. Moreover, the curse was lifted when the sun hadn’t even risen as of yet today.

One day, a bride who will lift the grand duke’s curse will come. The high priest’s prophecy, which he had dismissed as useless, flashed through his mind. Strange things started happening after this princess came here. She was always on his mind.

The grand duke was going to fix the blonde hair scattered on Isabelle’s face but quickly took his hand away. He could not just touch a sleeping woman as he wanted. Instead, his eyes remained on Isabelle’s face. She had neat eyebrows and tightly closed eyes, a straight nose just like her personality, and red lips that puckered like she was waiting for a true love’s kiss to wake her. She always looks so on edge, but she looks like an angel when she’s sleeping. The grand duke clenched and unclenched his fist and relaxed his tense body. I should take her to her bed. I’ll ask her why she fell asleep here later.

The grand duke lifted Isabelle up carefully and frowned. I heard she eats well, but why is she so light? Maybe it was because of her sheer presence that she looked quite big from afar, but she felt so small and fragile while he was holding her like this.

He stared at the tower intently, then turned his body and headed to the mansion. The reason was simple: Seeing this woman, who was so small and soft, made the rumor that she was a terrible villainess laughable. He felt the urge to protect her at the very least. He continued rationalizing his actions until they reached his bedroom. He looked down intently at Isabelle, who still slept soundly in his arms.