Rapunzel hesitated for a moment. She put down the churros she was eating and stared at me blankly. For a very brief instant, a myriad of emotions crossed her face. I tensed up. There was no telling what words might burst out of her mouth next. Maybe she’d unleash some terrifying threats on me. But still, I had to ask.
Some time had passed, yet Elise and Ariel still hadn’t entered the tower. Even if they were battling golden monsters outside, it didn’t make sense that they couldn’t defeat them and come in. After all, Elise’s staff had already proven capable of killing those creatures before.
So, they’re probably stuck outside, blocked by some kind of barrier. That must be it.
Thus, it’s up to me. No matter how scary, I have to move forward.
“Hmm.”
Rapunzel remained silent for a while as if pondering something, then finally spoke.
“Siyoo, you know, right? I’m Rapunzel, the princess who killed a maid at a young age and cursed the kingdom.”
“No, I want to hear your real story. What I’ve heard so far was through other people’s mouths. When I first heard it, I was shocked, but seeing you now, my perspective has changed. So, could you tell me from the beginning until now?”
Rapunzel’s eyes widened in surprise at my words, then she smiled faintly.
“Siyoo is so kind. But unfortunately, I can’t tell you.”
“Eh, why not?”
Rapunzel stood up from the bench and stretched.
“Uuuh! Because Siyoo hasn’t accepted my confession yet. And I still have so many things I want to do~ Like playing the game where the prince on a white horse rescues the princess captured by an evil monster.”
Rapunzel stood with her hands behind her back, smiling cheerfully. For some reason, there was a hint of wistfulness in her expression.
“Rapunzel, are you really confessing to me sincerely? Do you truly like me?”
Rapunzel nodded firmly, looking straight into my eyes without wavering.
“Of course! How could anyone not like me if they were in my position?”
What would someone else have done in this situation? Would they have doubted her words even more instead of believing her? Or would they have considered accepting her confession falsely just to uncover her true intentions?
In my case, neither applies. At least, based on what I feel, this girl isn’t lying. If her goal was simply to get me to accept her confession to leave the tower, she could’ve easily coerced me using various tactics. If her condition was that I genuinely liked her, she probably would’ve used seduction rather than going on a date at an amusement park.
That’s why I believe she isn’t lying. The short time I’ve known Rapunzel makes me see her as an ordinary girl. Not a wicked woman who casually kills people and curses kingdoms, but a normal girl like one of my peers.
That’s why I can say this—I believe my feelings are sincere.
“Let’s go out.”
“Eh?”
Rapunzel looked surprised, just like when I first confessed to her. She blinked and repeated the question.
“Really? You actually want to go out with me?”
“Yeah. Actually, I like you too. Cough.”
I said it awkwardly. Ugh, confessing directly is way more embarrassing than I thought it would be. Though I tried to act nonchalant, the burning sensation in my face wouldn’t stop.
“But I’m the evil princess Rapunzel. Do you really trust my words?”
“Yeah, I trust you. To me, you’re kinda like… well…”
I chuckled and added.
“You remind me of a puppy princess who gets super excited about the things she loves.”
Rapunzel was speechless. She just stared at me silently. Yikes, did my line sound that bad?
“Pfft! What is THAT supposed to mean!”
Rapunzel burst out laughing and lightly punched my shoulder. Seeing her laugh relieved me—my line wasn’t THAT terrible after all. As long as Rapunzel laughed, that’s all that mattered.
“Did you use that pick-up line on other girls?”
“No, never! You’re the first! And I haven’t had a girlfriend before coming here!”
“Joking~”
Rapunzel giggled softly and snapped her fingers. Suddenly, the towering rides disappeared, replaced by a cozy café. Two iced Americanos sat on our table.
“How’s this? I changed it because the café from your memories seemed nice.”
“Yeah, it’s good. But can you drink this?”
Rapunzel tilted her head, looking at the beverage I pointed at.
“People drank this where you lived, right? Isn’t it a tasty drink?”
I tried to suppress a mischievous grin.
“Well, this coffee might be a bit strong for kids. From what I remember, only adults usually drank it. So it might be tough for you.”
With that, I took a sip of the iced Americano. Wow, they even recreated the bitter taste of coffee. Yet Rapunzel, who created this place based on my memories, doesn’t seem to know what coffee tastes like?
Rapunzel pouted cutely.
“Hmph, are you calling me a kid? If you can drink it, why can’t I?”
Confidently, Rapunzel gulped down the coffee and immediately gagged.
“Yuck! Phewphewphew! What IS this taste?! Why do people drink this stuff?”
“Hahaha! That’s why I warned you. It might be tough for you. Honestly, I don’t even like it that much.”
“Ew, if it tastes like this, I’ll stick to kid-friendly drinks.”
Rapunzel stuck out her tongue in disgust. I got up and headed toward the counter.
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“This is my mom’s café, actually. It just opened recently, but I helped her out before. Let me treat you to something better than this coffee.”
At the counter, I found some usable ingredients in the fridge. Guess creating this place based on my memories meant everything was stocked exactly as it was back then.
Humming happily, I prepared my favorite drink and served it to her.
“Here you go, Your Highness.”
“Kyaa! Alright! Let me try the drink made by our Siyoo! Remember, if it’s bad, I’ll lock you up!”
Gulping it down, Rapunzel’s eyes widened. She kept drinking enthusiastically, then let out a satisfied sigh.
“Wow! This is refreshing! So sweet and delicious! What is this? Siyoo, you’re amazing!”
Rapunzel, cheerful like a child, made me proud. Peach flatteino is universally loved by most people. Sharing my favorite drink with someone who also likes it made me feel accomplished.
“Hehe, does it taste good?”
“Yeah! It’s really good! Now I understand why you like it! Hehe!”
“Don’t drink too fast or you’ll get a headache. Take it slow.”
Rapunzel smiled shyly and sipped the drink slowly through the straw. Adorably, halfway through, she seemed to realize we were dating and blushed again.
After finishing most of the drink, Rapunzel fidgeted with her fingers, then reached out and grabbed my hand. I flinched slightly but accepted it. My heart went wild, thumping loudly in excitement.
“Thank you, Siyoo. Since you gave me such a wonderful experience, I’ll tell you my story.”
Rapunzel glanced down at the table, seemingly struggling to recall the past.
“I really did curse the kingdom on purpose. Those golden monsters roaming outside? I created them. And yes, I killed someone. Godel, the magician you’ve heard about. Know why he’s not here?”
Huh? This isn’t right. Her words diverged from the story I expected, leaving me somewhat startled. I looked down at our intertwined hands, noticing they were trembling.
When Rapunzel gestured, the café floor trembled, and something burst through.
My racing heart suddenly calmed, replaced by a chill running down my spine.
A skeleton shredded to pieces. Its bones riddled with countless tiny holes presented a horrifying sight. I immediately recognized him—Godel, the magician who imprisoned Rapunzel, was already dead.
Rapunzel glanced at Godel briefly, then looked straight at me.
“Say hello. This is Godel. The foolish man who tried to imprison and control me, but ended up being killed by me.”
“Ra, Rapunzel. Why are you showing me this…”
“STOP ASKING QUESTIONS!!”
Rapunzel screamed so loudly it nearly burst my eardrums.
“I’m explaining everything as you wanted! This is me! This is who I am! I killed a person and cursed this d*mn kingdom! Yeah, I desire the destruction of this kingdom! If I could leave the tower, I would’ve slaughtered everyone!”
Rapunzel vented years of pent-up anger in rapid-fire speech.
“It drives me insane being locked up in this hellhole of a tower. Do you know what it feels like? Everything becomes hateful. Even hearing the smallest laughter from people outside makes me want to go mad! That’s why I wished for the kingdom’s downfall! Then, surprisingly, my cursed hair managed to break through the tower’s barrier! Using that power, I took over the kingdom!”
She waved her hand in the air joyfully, summoning a giant mirror made of her hair, revealing the outside world.
Outside, Ariel and Elise were fighting golden monsters, but strangely, they were retreating. Bleeding. Even from the villagers.
“W-WHAT IS THIS!?”
“Do you know how you got here? I told you, I took over the kingdom. I planted strands of my hair inside people and controlled them! The entire kingdom! Your arrival here, your conversations with Bogart and the king—all of it was according to my will! Bogart didn’t bring you here—it was ME! So…”
Rapunzel yanked my hand, pulling me close to her chest.
“k*ll me and break the curse, O Dark Reaper.”
