"I never asked it to do that!"
Faced with the question from the devastatingly handsome young man, Selena's cheeks puffed out slightly as she spoke:
"It acted on its own. If anything, I was against it doing so."
"Although..."
Snow White tapped her cheek with a slender, pale finger, pacing back and forth:
"To say I bear no responsibility at all would be too saintly of me. Though this Frost Walker's duty was to execute me, in the end it didn't do so. It killed your horse, and the reason for that, when you get down to it, was to shield me."
"So in that sense, I suppose I do bear some responsibility."
"Execute?"
Faust blinked, then immediately recalled what this was about.
So this was the node he'd stumbled into: the plot where the "Huntsman" defied orders and spared Snow White.
So this "Huntsman" was actually a self-governing construct. A bit unexpected, and yet, in a way, perfectly reasonable.
Damn it, wasn't the deal supposed to be that a beast's heart would do the trick? What did my horse ever do to deserve this? That horse had never spent a single day out to pasture. A pure, pedigreed royal steed.
Well, if it had been sacrificed for the sake of the Witch's Feast, then there was nothing to be done about it. Rest easy, then, noble steed: it was a white horse's fate to never return.
Faust immediately shook off his grief over the dead horse. Honestly, thinking about it, he hadn't felt that deeply for a mount he'd only ridden for a few days anyway.
"Never mind, never mind. It wasn't the two of you who killed it, but this chaotic age that did."
Faust waved a hand and sighed:
"Or perhaps I simply failed to keep proper watch over it. On a journey like this, a mount always runs the risk of meeting with misfortune. Even if the two of you bear ninety-nine percent of the blame, could it really be that I bear none of it at all?"
So reasonable, all of a sudden?
Faust's mood had shifted with startling speed. A moment ago he'd been consumed with fury over the horse's death, and now he was sinking into deep reflection on his own faults.
Such a dramatic shift left Snow White momentarily stunned. She recovered with a faint smile and offered Faust a courtly curtsy:
"How amusing... Allow me to introduce myself. I am the princess of the Kingdom of Wintertide, Selena Wintertide."
"Had we met in the castle at the capital, I would have been delighted to invite you to dine with me. Unfortunately, at the moment I can scarcely look after myself."
Faust feigned only just realizing the girl's identity, and said, sounding surprised:
"The Princess of Wintertide? So then... Snow White? Why would you say that? What's happened to the Kingdom of Wintertide?"
Selena did not answer Faust's question. Instead, a faint, knowing smile played at her lips as she studied him:
"The proper channels for entering the country don't run through here. Judging by your appearance, it seems you're attempting to smuggle yourself into Wintertide. That's not exactly common."
Faust admitted, "I suppose I am smuggling myself in, yes."
Snow White arched a delicate brow. "You look like a man of some standing. Why would you do something like this?"
Faust clenched his fist and raised it, looking as though he wanted to say something and then thought better of it, before finally lowering his hand and pressing it to his chest instead:
"I forgot to introduce myself. I am Faust, Prince of the Kingdom of Aurum. I've come to Wintertide this time to seek an explanation from your royal court. My proposal of marriage was rejected far too carelessly."
The moment he finished speaking, Selena's clear, silver eyes lit up unmistakably.
She produced the crumpled proposal letter, held it up to cover her mouth and nose, and said:
"Faust... is this the proposal you're speaking of?"
Oh no, you're carrying it on you!
Faust felt a flash of embarrassment. Though he had indeed written that letter himself, he honestly hadn't expected Snow White to see its actual contents.
He would have counted it a small mercy if that absurd, ridiculous proposal letter hadn't been torn to shreds in front of the entire Wintertide court.
Noticing the embarrassment surfacing on the handsome prince's face, Snow White's smile only grew more brilliant.
"What a coincidence this is..."
Selena had, in fact, already been planning to seek out this proposing prince, to see for herself whether he was worthy of her regard. And now, before she'd even set out, the man himself had come straight to her.
But that fleeting glimpse just now had gone far beyond mere favorable impression. That jolt, like an electric current, was a sensation Snow White had never experienced in her life.
Even now, her heart was still beating with delight.
She hadn't met many young men of proper standing her own age, it was true, but carrying the inherited memories of generations of "Snow Whites" before her, Selena held herself to an exceptionally high standard. She wasn't the type to be swayed by just any pretty face.
It had to be someone truly, exceptionally good-looking.
Selena lifted her lovely face, fingertip lightly tracing the envelope, and said:
"Faust... Prince of Aurum, do you really like me that much? Not only did you write a proposal letter specifically for me, you smuggled yourself across thousands of miles into Wintertide, just to see me in person?"
The Prince of Aurum gazed quietly at Selena. The black-haired girl's face bloomed like a peach blossom, her exquisite beauty, beneath that faint trace of bashfulness and pride, was enough to leave a man breathless, half out of his mind.
By the natural course of things, Faust should have gone along with it here, admitting to his admiration for Snow White without further ado.
Being a simp in a fairy tale world was nothing to be ashamed of. As long the two of you genuinely had eyes for each other, simping your way to the end could get you just about everything you wanted.
Of course, that didn't count the shameless, clingy sort who latched on regardless. In these stories, that type only ever served as the buffoon meant to set off the female lead's beauty and charm, and got kicked to the curb without a second thought.
But Faust hesitated. His mind raced through the pros and cons.
This Snow White... didn't feel like a good woman. Not as well-behaved as Viviana.
[A witch was never going to be anything like a "good woman" to begin with. The only reason you think so fondly of Viviana is that your childhood nostalgia goggles are on way too thick.]
Mephisto's jab struck Faust as more than a little fair. Although he needed to make use of the [Witch] fate destiny, that didn't mean he'd do just anything for a bit of goodwill. At the very least, in terms of the relationship itself, he needed to hold a subtle edge, occupy the dominant position.
It wasn't some display of male chauvinism. He simply had no other choice.
If he truly became the princess's devoted white knight, then wouldn't it mean that whatever his beloved said, he'd have to do, obeying her every word without question?
Forget building an empire: at that rate, he'd probably struggle even to exploit the [Witch] fate destiny to game the bugs in the Wheel of Fate. Not that he needed to command these daughters of heaven outright, but at the very least, he needed them willing to grant his requests.
Viviana was more or less already tuned to where he wanted her. The kight maiden was the prince's pure, devoted admirer, one who regarded him as the sole meaning of her existence. As long as Faust didn't break the promise he'd made her, [Cinderella] would remain the ally he could count on most.
But this unfamiliar [Snow White] in front of him didn't seem nearly so pure and simple.
One look at her eyes told him everything he needed to know. We... are the same kind of person.
"Princess Selena, my apologies."
Faust paused for a moment in thought, then raised his head and bowed to the Princess of Wintertide:
"There's something I need to explain to you clearly. My proposal wasn't born purely out of admiration and affection. It was, in part, tangled up with certain political considerations as well."