Rapunzel Is Raised by Her Stepmother

Chapter 15:  Everything Except What Can't Be Found (3)  

"...Daughter? Can I ask you a favor?"  

"Alright! Since it's Mom's request, I'll ask the Mirror Fairy on your behalf!"  

Hah... It's so hard to hear her call me daughter even once.  

Rubbing my tingling backside, I let out a deep sigh and looked up at Dorothea. Dorothea, who had just called me her daughter once, now sighed as if the whole world was collapsing.  

"Geez."  

Seeing that, I couldn't help but sigh as well.  

'Why is she so stubborn?'  

Does she really hate calling me her daughter that much? With this kind of appearance, wouldn’t it be normal for her to turn into a doting parent, even if we weren’t related by blood? Even I think Rapunzel’s appearance is cute.  

Even though she was scrawny, she had plump baby cheeks and large, round eyes. The only drawback was probably the creepy hair that would grow back down to her feet within a day no matter how much it was cut.  

I kneaded my own cheeks like they were soft rice cakes, enjoying the feel of my baby fat. If she touched these baby cheeks even once, she’d get addicted... I really wanted to make her touch them at least once by force.  

On top of that, if a child with this kind of appearance acted cute toward their parent, shouldn’t it be at least a little heartwarming? If it were me, I would’ve melted. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to give up my liver and gallbladder, but at the very least, I would’ve showered her with affection.  

Just as I let out another deep sigh, the mirror in my hand spoke to me.  

-Um, I have a question...  

"Hm? What is it?"  

-Why are you so obsessed with being called daughter? I don’t know everything, but it seems like that person doesn’t like you... It feels like you're pushing too hard.  

The reason I was obsessed with being called daughter?  

Of course, it was so I could live like a person in this place.  

Because from the very beginning, I only had two choices to survive.  

Either live trapped here or escape from the mansion.  

Of course, neither was a good option. If I lived locked up in the tower, I’d either starve to death like in the game’s ending or be forced to stay inside for the rest of my life. Just like the Rapunzel in the game.  

I could try escaping from the mansion like before, but even if I did, what could I possibly do? If I went outside without knowing anything about this world and without any preparation, what would happen?  

A scrawny little girl wandering alone in a world that wasn’t even properly modernized. On top of that, her cut hair turned into gold. If I got caught, it wouldn’t end well for me.  

In that case, staying here was the better option.  

Even if there was a possibility of starving to death like in the game's ending, it was still better than suffering and dying outside. Besides, in this place, I could at least try to avoid starving.  

Whether it was by chance or part of the setting, I wasn't sure, but the opportunity to get closer to Dorothea had appeared through "foster sponsorship." If I kept approaching her like this, then one day, even if she didn’t see me as her daughter, she would at least see me as a "person."  

Not just as a burden she was forced to take on, but as someone by her side.  

Until that day came, all I had to do was keep trying.  

‘Well, there’s also that, but...’  

I glanced sideways at Dorothea. She raised an eyebrow as if asking what I was looking at, making me sigh once again.  

‘...Because I saw that.’  

The problem started when I couldn't contain my curiosity and peeked into Dorothea’s room when the head of the household came to visit. I had wondered what kind of person he was to make Sophia and the other servants tremble in fear, but...  

What I saw back then...  

It weighed on my mind so much that it was driving me crazy.  

As soon as the head of the household arrived, Dorothea had fidgeted anxiously, forcing an awkward smile. It was the kind of desperate expression a child might have when seeking attention from a parent.  

She had stolen glances at him, carefully watching his reaction. She had even gone so far as to openly show off her injured leg wrapped in a splint, yet the head of the household didn’t spare it a single glance. Instead, he simply shoved a pile of trash at her.  

Not even a single word asking how she got hurt.  

At that, Dorothea’s face immediately darkened like a disappointed child. She quickly hid her injured leg as if ashamed. And that look on her face...  

She just looked so lonely.  

Dorothea’s family situation wasn’t any of my business, and I didn’t know much about their relationship since I had never heard anything about it, but... there were things that were obvious just from watching.  

"...Did you bring back more of the Remnant of a Witch?"  

"Yes. Take good care of it."  

"...Understood. Is there any other business—"  

The head of the household’s voice had been as cold as ice. Dorothea, who couldn’t even meet his eyes, had desperately held onto her forced smile. The way she struggled to continue the conversation, despite how obviously unwanted it was.  

And then, after that so-called father of hers left without even saying goodbye, Dorothea had been left alone in her room, swallowing back her tears.  

She had looked so lonely that I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.  

That’s why I was doing this.  

Even if she hated it, I would keep clinging to her. Even if she was disgusted, I would keep acting cute. Even if she pushed me away, I would keep approaching her. If I could get even a little closer to Dorothea like this...  

...If we became closer, maybe she would feel a little less lonely.  

If a noisy kid like me stuck around, she might get annoyed, but at least she wouldn’t feel as lonely. And with someone like me in the mansion, wouldn’t it become livelier and more fun?  

Oh? Imagine playing tag inside the mansion, running around, taking walks in the garden—just how much livelier would this dreary, garbage-filled garden feel with an adorable little puppy like me around?  

If I just made a bit more noise, smiled brighter than anyone else, and kept her so entertained that her furrowed brow would never crease again—  

‘...So.’  

I hoped she would open her heart to me, even just a little.  

That way, I wouldn’t have to starve to death alone like in the game’s ending!  

A real game-like ending where I was locked in the tower and left to starve to death? No, thank you.  

So, I decided to do my best to get closer to Dorothea.  

So that I wouldn’t die lonely and starving. So that Dorothea would feel less alone with me by her side. So that she would think it was a relief to have taken me in. So that she would cry a little less and smile a little more.  

That was the reason I kept pushing her.  

Smiling softly, I answered the fairy reflected in the mirror.  

"...Because that way, both Mom and I can be happy?"  

- Huh?  

"Mirror, stop asking weird questions and help Mom find the person she’s looking for."  

- No, wait, you need to tell me their name or at least some identifying features first...  

"I was just about to do that! You kept asking weird things first."  

I quickly turned my head and held the mirror out to Dorothea, who was sitting there sullenly. As if I were holding out a microphone, I brought the mirror right up to her lips and smiled brightly.  

"Mom, who are you looking for? The mirror said it can find anyone as long as you describe them!"  

- H-Hey! Not just anyone! Only the people I can find...!  

As soon as the mirror touched her lips, Dorothea irritably swatted it away and let out a deep sigh. Her lips hesitated slightly before she finally spoke with difficulty.  

"...I can't say for sure. I’ve never actually seen 'that woman' myself."  

"…?"  

"I’ve only seen pictures. But I can’t be sure. After all, it’s been twenty years since she disappeared. So... I don’t know if my description will be accurate."  

Dorothea let out a hollow laugh as she spoke, and for some reason, she looked sad.  

Like she found it ridiculous that this was all she knew about that person.  

"Still, isn’t it better to try? The mirror might know something."  

"...You think so? But still, twenty years is—"  

"Mom."  

"....."  

"...If you don’t say anything, we’ll never know."  

Just who was ‘that woman’ for her to be acting this way? From what I could see, it seemed like Dorothea both desperately wanted to find her and didn’t want to at the same time.  

"That woman is..."  

Dorothea, who had briefly begun to speak, furrowed her brows and fell into deep thought. A minute passed, then three, then five. Finally, after making up her mind, she let out a long sigh and slowly opened her mouth.  

"...She has deep navy-blue hair and purple eyes. I’d say she’s probably in her late 30s or early 40s by now. And..."  

- Late 30s to early 40s... Deep navy-blue hair and purple eyes...? Could it be that the person you’re looking for is...  

Hearing the oddly familiar description, the mirror lifted its gaze slightly and looked at Dorothea. Navy-blue hair, purple eyes, and a middle-aged woman who could be around Dorothea’s mother’s age.  

With this much information, it wasn’t hard to guess who Dorothea was looking for. I closed my mouth and quietly waited for her to finish speaking.  

"...And I’ve heard she introduces herself as the ‘Witch of the Thorn Vines.’ She was last seen twenty years ago, when she escaped from this mansion, and no one has heard from her since..."  

- Witch of the Thorn Vines...  

"That woman’s name is..."  

Dorothea frowned as if even saying the name was difficult for her. After another deep sigh, she finally forced the words out.  

"...Dorothy. She’s my mother."  

***  

To get straight to the point...  

We succeeded in finding Dorothea’s mother, ‘Dorothy.’  

The mirror said it already knew her and calmly explained who ‘Dorothy’ was. She was the ‘Witch of the Thorn Vines’ and a real witch who belonged to the gathering of thirteen witches known as ‘Coven.’  

"...That woman is an actual witch? A gathering of witches called the Coven? This sounds like something out of a novel, not real life..."  

Dorothea let out a hollow laugh, as if she couldn’t believe it. Honestly, if it were me, I wouldn’t believe it either. If I suddenly heard that my biological mother, who disappeared twenty years ago, was actually a witch...  

- ...Anyway, since she’s a real ‘witch,’ there’s only so much I can say. But I can tell you her location.  

"The mirror says it can’t say much, but it can tell us where she is."  

"...Really?"  

Dorothea’s face lit up with relief at the mirror’s words. Now all that was left was for it to reveal Dorothy’s location. However, for some reason, the mirror hesitated, unable to continue speaking.  

"Mirror? Hey, Mr. Mirror? Siri?"  

- Ah, um... Do you have to find her? I do know where she is, but... honestly, I wouldn’t recommend going after her.  

"...? Why not?"  

- That’s...  

The Mirror Fairy tightly shut its eyes, let out a deep sigh, and then suddenly shouted at me.  

- Anyway! I really don’t want to say! But if you insist on hearing it, I will tell you. Just remember that I did try to stop you!  

"Mom, the mirror doesn’t want to say, but if you really want to know, it will tell you. It just wants you to remember that it tried to stop you."  

"What?"  

Dorothea tilted her head in confusion at the strange response. But I think I had an idea. Something must have happened to ‘Dorothy.’ If the mirror didn’t even want to tell her own daughter...  

‘...Did she remarry or something?’  

It wasn’t an impossible guess.  

Dorothy had abandoned Dorothea and the head of the household twenty years ago and fled. If she had managed to stay hidden for all those years without a trace, maybe she had started a new life with someone else.  

Dorothea must have thought the same thing, because she let out a hollow laugh and muttered, ‘Did she start a new family?’ under her breath. Then, as if she didn’t care, she waved her hand dismissively and spoke.  

"It doesn’t matter. Just tell me."  

- ...I did try to stop you.  

Only then did the mirror finally reveal Dorothy’s current location.  

Once she had the exact address, Dorothea let out a small scoff, lifted the corners of her lips, and stood up. Without hesitation, she strode toward the door.  

"I’m going to see the head of the household. In the meantime, you stay quietly in the tower."  

"You’re not locking me in again, are you?"  

"...I’ll give orders to keep the door open. So just wait patiently."