The Wizard of Fairy Tale World

Chapter 125: Snow White’s Words

The Queen’s lips moved slightly, but no words came out.

Rhine didn’t need her answer.

As a Wish Magician, he could feel the immense power of her fulfilled desire surging within her soul.

The echoes of a wish whispered around him, fading into the air—

"I wish for the King to be forever obsessed with me. I wish for the King and the kingdom to never be able to leave me."

The wish had already come true.

The Queen nodded slowly, as if she only half-understood Rhine’s words.

She turned to look outside the window, watching the birds chirp from the treetops and the wind rustle the leaves. Yet, because of Rhine’s soundproof spell, she couldn’t hear the birds' songs or the whisper of the wind.

Everything that had happened today was too sudden.

She had inexplicably awakened from the crystal coffin.

She had inexplicably been attacked by the Eastern Witch and nearly died.

She had inexplicably been saved by Rhine.

And after returning to the royal city, she had inexplicably become a revered ruler, praised by all.

It felt like a dream—so unreal that, for a fleeting moment, she wondered if she had ever truly awakened at all.

Perhaps she had died the moment she bit into the poisoned apple.

Perhaps everything she had experienced today was nothing more than a beautiful hallucination in the final moments before death.

"If this is a dream… well, it’s a wonderful one."

Rhine’s voice came from behind her, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Your Majesty, you don’t need to worry. Other than me and my companions, no one in the world knows the truth—not even the Magic Mirror.

"You can embrace all of this without guilt. Become the great Queen everyone respects. Enjoy the praise of an entire kingdom. Let your deeds be recorded in history, your name sung for centuries to come. ꞦÂɴȏBĚꞨ

"Consider this a gift from me.

"And don’t worry—my friend who impersonated you over the past two months never had any… intimate interactions with His Majesty."

Rhine glanced toward the Magic Mirror in the corner, which remained oblivious to their conversation.

"However, my friend and I will soon be leaving White Kingdom. From here on, ruling this land will be up to you.

"But don’t worry. With the Magic Mirror by your side, governing won’t be difficult.

"I will stay in White Kingdom for another week or two.

"During that time, I will help you transition into your role, so you can continue the reforms successfully."

The Queen nodded numbly. A faint sting rose in her nose, and a thin veil of mist clouded her vision.

Through Rhine’s words, she had pieced together a rough idea of what had happened during her absence.

She hesitated for a long time before speaking softly.

"What is the name of the one who impersonated me? I’d like to thank her properly."

Rhine smiled. "Aurora."

The Queen stiffened slightly.

Aurora—the very person she had once tried to kill.

"Maybe Rhine and Aurora don’t know the apple was poisoned? Maybe they simply found me unconscious and protected me while helping White Kingdom?"

The Queen could only hope.

Taking a deep breath, she forced a sincere expression and said, "Thank you, great magician. Sage of both Rose Kingdom and White Kingdom, Lord Rhine!"

Then, she rose from the bed, stepped beyond the soundproof barrier, and walked toward the Magic Mirror—her trusted advisor for the future.

As she left, a bird that had been perched outside suddenly flitted into the room and landed on Rhine’s shoulder.

This was no ordinary bird.

It was Aurora, transformed by magic and gifted with the ability to speak.

She tilted her head and chirped, "The Queen really has changed a lot.

"She’s… not as bad as I thought. Actually, she’s much better than I expected."

Hopping onto Rhine’s knee, she added, "By the way, Teacher, your plan was really risky! I was worried she might slip up in front of the King and the ministers and blow her cover."

Rhine chuckled. "No need to worry. I had already foreseen this through divination and prophecy."

"But Teacher, haven’t you always said that divination isn’t perfect? That it can’t predict every little detail? Wait—oh! Did you only ask a vague question, like whether things would have a good ending?"

Rhine shrugged with a mischievous smile. "What do you think?"

Meanwhile, the Queen stood before the full-length mirror, gazing at her own reflection.

Her mind replayed everything that had just happened.

She thought of her daughter’s sweet smile when she called her ‘Mother.’

She thought of the merciless woman she had once been, who had tried to kill Aurora without hesitation.

And suddenly, an old habit surfaced.

She turned to the Magic Mirror and asked the question most familiar to her lips—

"Mirror, Mirror on the wall, tell me—who is the most beautiful woman in White Kingdom?"

Aurora, still in bird form, flapped her wings in alarm.

"Oh no! Why is she asking that again?!"

She worried about what would happen once she and Rhine left White Kingdom.

Would the mirror soon declare that the most beautiful woman was Snow White?

Would the Queen turn against her daughter just like she had with Aurora?

But then—

To Aurora’s shock, the Magic Mirror answered:

"Your Majesty, of course, it is you! Not just in White Kingdom, but in the entire world, you are the most beautiful woman!

"My previous answer about Aurora? That was my mistake."

The Queen blinked, stunned.

"You… made a mistake?" she asked, incredulous.

"Aesthetic judgment is subjective," the Magic Mirror argued. "Aurora is only eleven years old. She’s still in the ‘cute’ category. How could she possibly compare to someone mature, elegant, and wise like you? The two aren’t even in the same league."

The Queen scratched her head, puzzled. "Then why did you answer differently before?"

Something felt… off about the Magic Mirror today.

"Because of my personal tastes and aesthetic preferences," the mirror admitted. "I just like children more!

"Like I said, beauty is subjective. When you asked me before, I simply gave my honest opinion, based on my own taste."

The Queen’s mouth twitched. "So you mean to tell me… it was just your personal preference?"

"What kind of nonsense is this?!"

Aurora, still in bird form, was equally stunned. She turned to Rhine, her tiny eyes full of confusion.

Rhine only smiled.

"I knew the Queen might ask the mirror that question again, so I had a little chat with it the other night.

"After a long philosophical debate on the nature of beauty and subjective aesthetics, the mirror finally concluded that its magnificent, noble, and beloved master—the Queen—was the most beautiful of all.

"From now on, no matter how many times she asks, she will always get the same answer."

Aurora tried to imagine the scene—Rhine passionately debating with the Magic Mirror in the dead of night.

She found it both absurd and hilarious.

Knock, knock.

A rhythmic knocking came from the door.

Still basking in the glow of the Magic Mirror’s flattery, the Queen swung it open.

Standing there was none other than her young daughter, Snow White.

Her skin was as pale as snow, smooth and delicate, her ebony-black hair cascading down her shoulders. Though still a child, her beauty was undeniable.

Her jewel-like eyes gazed up at the Queen, filled with innocent joy.

"Mother, you’ve been locked in your chambers for two whole months. Father said you were busy handling national affairs and told me not to disturb you.

"But today, I heard you finally have time to take a walk! Have you finished your work? That’s wonderful!

"Mother, please don’t overwork yourself," she added sweetly.

Then, she smiled—pure, radiant, trusting.

The Queen stared at her daughter’s innocent face. Her lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no words came out.

After a brief struggle, she finally made up her mind.

She crouched down, wrapped Snow White in her arms, and stroked her silky black hair.

As she looked at her daughter’s flawless, snowy skin, memories surfaced—

Memories of nearly killing her.

"Mother, you’re being so gentle today," Snow White whispered, hugging the Queen’s neck tightly. "I love you most of all."

Aurora and Rhine watched in silence, feeling a quiet sense of relief.

Having used the Perfume of False Love, they knew Snow White’s words were completely true.

Aurora hopped onto Rhine’s shoulder and murmured, "Teacher, you’ve saved another kingdom. Another wish fulfilled."

"Not yet," Rhine said. "The Eastern Witch is still alive. She’s lurking nearby, waiting for a chance to strike."

"We need to deal with her first—whether that means killing her or driving her away—before we can leave for Oz."

Aurora nodded. "But at least… the conflicts within White Kingdom are resolved."

She hesitated, then spoke again.

"Teacher, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you."

"Go ahead," Rhine replied.