Answer Me, My Prince

#44.

When Prince Rainer lay on the lap of Princess Edwina and listened to the story, it was already a precious time not only for you two, but for me, and for the cannibals from Windsorton.

When I was so into talking, I could forget that we couldn't meet our family, and that we were starving in a faraway country, where we didn't know when we were going back.

Living in that reality, we wanted to hear a happy ending rather than a sad story, but I think Princess Edwina's heart was the same as ours.

She would always add a word or two to the magnificent and sad stories in the book and end it with a happy ending. I would have been the only one who knew the princess's ability to rewrite books while sharing a room with her and shared the book with her.

One of the stories that the princess changed is still memorable: the story of a lone driver and a paper dancer lady.

"A long time ago, a prince of a country got a doll with 50 articles carved into wood. But one of them doesn't have a single leg because of the lack of trees. Liner, are you listening?”

"Yes, I'm listening, Edwina. I like your voice."

"Why are you closing your eyes? I thought you were sleeping."

"If I open my eyes, my beauty would be in my eyes, and Edwin, I was afraid you would be in trouble. Are my blue eyes beautiful?”

I liked Prince Liner when he was shaking so much. And then, right away,

"Yes, you are beautiful."

If our princess pulls the soft cheek like that, her face turns red again, and she doesn't know what to do.

"It's Edwina, uh, so keep reading, huh? What happened to the driver?

"Why are you getting up? You scared me."

"I'm sorry. I'll keep talking."

"Yeah, the one-foot knight got up every night and walked around the ground with his limp. Then one day, I fell in love with a paper dancer who danced with one foot up. He saw me holding one of his legs and thought I was a one-legged man."

"Such a thing."

"The paper doll lady didn't say she was dancing. Then I thought the one-legged knight would be disappointed. You didn't want the one-legged knight to feel lonely that I was the only one. So every day, I would lift one leg higher and higher and dance beautifully.”

"You're a deep-seated girl."

"Yeah, so they held each other's hands and danced every night without one leg. Then one day, the one-legged knight confesses his love. 'I love you. And I hope you stop lying now. Stop hiding your legs for me. I love your legs.' The dancer's cheeks are red. Now the dancer on both legs kisses the knight's lips."

"That's a cute story. So, did they live happily ever after?"

"I wish it had ended like that. But this story is a little sad. The prince, the owner of the toys, comes and tore up the paper doll lady. Now the little jewel on the dancer's body is worn out, and she really loses one leg. Lady is discouraged. I thought that the knight who loved him with two legs would no longer love him."

"Do you have a jaw?"”

"Yes, the love of knights doesn't change that much. The knight cries and the paper doll lady tries to gather her torn legs and lean them. I'm holding on to my worn-out jewelry and trying to connect it somehow. But then a clown who always looked at them with a grudge pushes them into the fireplace."

"What a bad guy in the world! Come on, Edwina. Come on. What happened to the two of you?”

"They went to the fireplace and burned themselves. The knight, the wooden doll, and the lady, the paper doll, the dancer, were all ashes."

That's what Princess Edwina says and covers the storybook. Now, when I woke up from Mupak and listened to the story with my eyes shining brightly, I sobbed as if I were a child.

"Edwina, why are you telling me such a sad story?”

"He told me another good story.I'm only going to tell you sad stories because you might turn back time to listen again."

"Such...! You are bad, you are such a bad boy!"

That's what he said, and Prince Rainer sheds a lot of transparent tears. No matter how pitiful and cute it was, I quickly add words with a nervous heart.

"But, Princess, there's the next story, right? Two people survived, right? Every story book ends happily, right? What?"

If I poke her in the ribs and say so, she looks at me and nods reluctantly.

"Yes, Liner. The story is not over yet. So stop crying, you crybaby.”

"Next episode? You two are coming back to life! Try again."

In fact, there is no such thing as the next story. This story is just a tragedy of two dolls that have become so black ashes and burned down.

But as always, Princess Edwina is quick to carry on the story.

"Rainer, did I do that? There was a little jewel ornament on the doll's chest."

"Yes, yes, I did."

"By the way, the kendo of the woodcarver was actually made of tin. The two were burned down in the fire, but the gold jewelry decoration and the blackness of the tin knight remained. Then, they melted in the fire, and they merged into a small heart shape. Now, look at this. This is the heart left by a one-legged knight and a paper dancer.”

In saying so, Princess Edwina put out a cheap, heart-shaped tin necklace that Windsorton's ladies wear on their chests.

"That's what it is? How do you have this?”

"That's... 'cause the prince in this story was a Windsorton? Someone took a piece of tin from the stove and gave it back to the prince. And… Well…It's been treasure-like in Windsorton for generations...So it's no wonder I have this, Princess of Windsorton. Isn't that right, Josephine?

When our princess, who is smart but poor at lying, stammers and says such things, Prince Liner looks around us.

Not the fierce eyes of Edwin or Princess Edwin for dropping the potatoes, but the bright eyes of the time and space when we speak.

Lemi, who is tactless, is dazed and hurriedly tries to hide the heart-shaped necklace on my neck.

The gesture was clumsy, so you would have noticed more. I'm sure Prince Rainer saw it, but he smiled silently and turned to the princess.

"Then, Edwina, that's it.”

"This?"

"Yeah. The knight and the girl's heart. Do you want to give it to me?"

The princess glances sideways at me, who won today's princess. I nod my head quickly. If my necklace goes to him, I can feel a little bit of his small, timid yearning or unrequited love.

The princess took out the necklace and gave it to the prince only after my permission.

"Yes, you have a knight and a lady. So don't cry. I can't read any book. Liner Roitlingen. How can a nation's prince cry so much?”

"You and I were talking about that, right? I mean, ah..."

"Why, I feel like a paper doll with a severed leg? If you're going to pity me, bring me more potatoes."

As our princess pretends to kick and harshly criticizes her, Prince Liner shows her mature smile that she only shows once in a while.

"That can't be true, Edwina? You're the woodcutter? You're such a good kicker, you'll probably be a good knife. You are the one-footed woodcutter who came with 50 woodcutters."

"We have 51 people."

"Really? Sweetheart, Josephine, let's take you out, you play the clown."

"What? No, Mr. Hwang. Why am I a villain?"

When I try such a profane rebuttal out of disappointment, the prince laughs and talks.

"Yes, Josephine. You'll be gentle even if you play the villain, so leave it to yourself. Please don't push us into the fire. Hmm?"

I quickly go and pretend to push the princess and the prince at the same time. Princess Edwina hugs the prince in a nice way, as if she were a knight of the one leg. What's that? Prince Liner's face turns red again. With one hand, he cherishes a rusty heart made of tin he received in droves.

For a very long time after that day, Prince Liner always held on to one hand a long string of sariah necklaces that would disappear.

One day, Remy asked the prince like this.

"Hwangja, aren't you offended? The necklace, so it's....”

"Are you saying that you have it, that Renee, Maria, and Sophie have it? So what do you mean?”

"So, the princess...You lied to me. That's what's been going on in Windsorton for generations

"How nice, Remy. Edwina makes a story for me. Honey, Edwina even lied for me and gave me a heart. Then this story is real to me."

Prince Rainer said that and laughed as if he was truly satisfied.

Yes, Cordelia Flora Gray.

Your father was like that.

The one who sheds tears at sad stories with innocent eyes like a child,

The man who finds us in the story and grieves adultly,

Who is so happy that the princess's lie is for him,

The one who sat around with our women-in-law, peeling potatoes, and calling each and every one of our names.

Oh, do you guys know? When I think about the days I spent with him, I feel sad because the time I was soaked in happiness is when I can never come back.

* * *

Prince Arch,

Are you there?

If you have any, please answer quickly.

Your comb, Cordelia.

* * *

My friend Cordelia

Maybe you were just lying in bed, trying to read all of Lady Josephine's thick letters at once?

And on the third page, he rushed to his desk.

You were in such a hurry that you became a "B" instead of my friend.

The fifth night of the moon,

Your faithful friend...

...or maybe "Beat" is fine, Arch Albert William.

P.S. I thought you'd call me, so I sat in front of my desk and waited.

* * *

Shut up, Archie.

It's not the time to be doing something about the moon.

Were you surprised to hear that you knew I was going to cut it off in chapter three?

Lady Josephine called my name!

She said Cordelia Flora Gray!

As if I were Edwin or Princess' daughter, this letter was written not for you or Flynn but for me from the beginning!

Archie, please explain.

What happened to this?

Cordelia Olimp, who has no time to write down a date or something like that.

* * *

have a big exclamation point todayMy best friend, Coco!

Yes, I saw it, too.

I'm sitting here in front of my desk to calm you down.

By the way, Coco. If you're still holding Lady Josephine's letter, you know there's a lot left to talk about, right?

Let's read first. Let's read the rest of the letters and come back and talk to me. I have a lot of horses to ask you, too.

Archie Albert, who believes in your ability to read fast!

* * *

Mr. Albert William, the mean arch that sometimes disappears silently.

Okay.

I don't know what you're up to, but I'll take your word for it this time.

So you have to wait in front of your desk.

Your Coco will be very lonely without you when you're done.

Your hot-tempered friend, Cordelia Grey.

P.S. I'm attaching tens of thousands of exclamation points that I haven't taken yet.

a review of one's

Dear readers!

I don't even want an exclamation point. Please take a picture of a hotspot and cross over to the next one. I'll wait between the hot and hot spots that take pictures quietly.

P.S. The story of a one-legged knight and a paper doll dancer made some adaptations of Danish tales collected by Andersen. You can search for "Stiff One-legged Soldier" and check it out!