The girl in the tower: Chester’s story (1)
* Chester’s perspective
My people, the mythical ‘half-human half-cats’, were blessed not only with ability to freely change shape between cat and human at will, but also the ability to float through the sky and turn completely invisible at will. [1] But even with these amazing abilities, Cheshire cats had no sense of adventure whatsoever.
Well, except for me, of course.
Ever since I was young, I wanted to escape from the black caves of my hometown in Sector 7 and go on an adventure. As soon as my 18th birthday passed, I left home without any plans.
Sector 8 at the northern end of Mirrorland was overrun with deadly monsters, so I decided to head south. [2] After passing through sectors 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2, I arrived at Sector 1, the capital of Mirrorland and the location of the White Queen’s castle. There, I was completely enchanted by the warm sunlight and lushly green trees.
‘This is paradise. There’s a lot more to eat and it’s so warm! I’ll never go back home to the seventh sector.’
Just was I was sneaking a perfectly ripe apple from the White Queen’s garden and eating it, humming with the confidence that nothing more lovely could exist, I heard a beautiful singing voice drifting over from somewhere nearby.
“Under the bright Milky Way in the blue sky ~ a small white boat ~”[3]
‘I can’t believe someone with such a pure, clear voice exists!’
It was a clear, beautiful, and transparent sound, like when dew falls to the ground in the early quiet of dawn when no one is awake. It was so pure that even the melodies of angels living in heaven would be overshadowed if compared to the voice I heard at that moment.
Captivated by the beautiful singing, I followed the song, and came to a tower so tall that I could barely see the top, even if I leaned all the way back and squinted my eyes. And in the window of the tower, with her face peeking out as she hummed a song, was a girl with blonde hair so beautiful that it was unlike anything I had ever seen.
When I saw the girl’s face, I felt a tickle begin in my heart, and my stomach felt like a swarm of butterflies were fluttering about within it. This pleasant tickling sensation soon spread through my spine to my entire body, playfully teasing and tormenting me in the best way. I was confused by feelings that I had never experienced before in my life, but one thing was certain…that is; I didn’t dislike what I was feeling.
In fact, I wanted to find out just what that feeling was.
‘For that to happen, I’d have to be able to approach her. How on earth did she get into that high tower without an entrance or exit?’
Just as I was thinking about how to enter the tower, my surroundings cooled, as if a cold wave of bitter winter was coming, and the White Queen appeared out of nowhere.
Although I’d never seen the White Queen in person, her silver hair and white gown unmistakably identified her as the White Queen, and I knew at once that she was none other than the White Queen I had only heard rumors about.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”
The White Queen, who appeared under the tower, called out to the girl inside the tower.
‘I see, so that girl’s name is Rapunzel! But, what’s her relationship to the White Queen?’
“Yes mother, just a moment!”
Mother?! What do you mean ‘mother’?! That girl with a smile as warm as sunshine is the daughter of the spine-chilling White Queen?!’
I couldn’t quite believe it.
‘Wait, that aside, did the White Queen have a daughter? I thought I’d heard that she went missing a long time ago…’
“Heave-ho!” [4]
At that moment, Rapunzel let her long blonde hair, so dazzling and shiny the White Queen’s silver hair couldn’t compare, cascade down from the tower. Then the White Queen began using Rapunzel’s long blond hair as her rope to climb the outer wall of her tower with great skill, as if it were a regular occurrence.
Having already lost my heart to Rapunzel’s long blond hair, sparkling so brilliantly like midsummer sunlight, I floated up to the window at the top of the tower as if led by fate and overheard their conversation. Ah, of course, while hiding without being noticed by the White Queen.
“Mother, I want to leave this tower. I want to see the world outside. I want to witness beautiful scenery, to go on thrilling adventures just like in the books, to find love…”
‘L-love? Did she say love?’
Looking at the embarrassed Rapunzel, whose face was as red as a bonfire in the middle of winter, even I felt warm.
“Oh, my darling child, what did this mother of yours say? [5] The world outside the tower is so dangerous! I can’t lose you again after you went against my wishes two years ago and left the tower, only to come back with no memories.”
The White Queen spoke kindly, but the firmness hidden behind her tender words reached me even from where I was hiding. Rapunzel must have been discouraged by it, as the corners of her mouth and shoulders, which had been raised with buoyant anticipation, sank like a deflated balloon.
“Yes, Mother.”
I felt sorry for Rapunzel, who longed to venture out into the world but was forced to stay trapped in the tower. Fate gave the Cheshire cats the ability to roam freely anywhere they pleased, but aside from me, they only stayed in the dark caves. Why did fate give this ability to them and not to Rapunzel? It was the first time in my life that I felt like fate was cruel.
At that moment, a new dream occurred to me. No longer would I wander aimlessly, as I’d done since I left home, but from then on, I would embark on an adventure to tell Rapunzel all that I had seen and heard.
Two years have already passed since the moment I first saw Rapunzel. From that day forward, I began to visit the tower where she was imprisoned every night to tell her about my exciting adventures of the day.
“Are you awake?”
Rapunzel, who I’d thought was sound asleep next to me, woke up, rubbing her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m a little thirsty.”
When Rapunzel said so, I quickly poured water from a glass jug and brought it to her. After taking taking a sip of the water I brought, Rapunzel spoke to me.
“Ha, I think my life is saved, now. Thank you, Chester.”
“Now that you’ve quenched your thirst, go back to bed quickly, princess. You have a tight schedule starting early in the morning tomorrow, right?” [6]
I spoke as if teasing her, and for her part, Rapunzel burst out laughing, playfully slapping me on the shoulder as if I’d been mean to her.
“What is that, Chester? What do you mean ‘Princess’! Hahaha! A princess is locked in a tower buried in classes and government work every day, isn’t it funny?”
“Hah, I understand. I’m sorry, Rapunzel. I was joking. But I really meant it when I told you to go to sleep quickly because you have to get up early tomorrow. Should I sing you a lullaby?”
“No, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep well today. I’d like to hear more stories of your adventure, but I feel like I’ll fall asleep listening to you!”
The sight of Rapunzel slowly blinking her eyes, sparkling more than usual, perhaps because of the candle on the bedside table, and making an earnest request to me was positively, absolutely lovely.
‘Hey, this is cheating! What am I supposed to do if you ask it of me with such an adorable face? It makes it so hard for me to refuse….’
Considering her tight schedule that began so early in the morning, I’d thought I had to get her to bed quickly, but this was a clear defeat for me.
“Okay, Rapunzel. Hmm, what story should I tell you? Oh, that’s right! I went to the village where the Jabberwock appeared not long ago.”
“You went to the village where the Jabberwock appeared? Then you must have also seen the Jubjub bird and the Bandersnatch. What did you think? Does it look exactly like the one in the Mirrorland Ecosystem Encyclopedia? No, that’s not important right now. People weren’t badly hurt, were they? Or maybe the whole village was devastated! How on earth did you get out of there? Are you hurt, Chester?”
In her curiosity about the back story, Rapunzel’s bright, sparkling eyes had grown so wide-eyed in wonder that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Phew, hah! Hahaha! Rapunzel, calm down. How am I going to tell you if suddenly ask me so many questions?”
“…… So what happened? Are you hurt?”
Rapunzel was obviously quite curious about what had happened, and wasn’t paying attention to my laughter, so I continued.
“The village was devastated, but fortunately, all the villagers from District 4 had left to celebrate Christmas in District 1, so there were no casualties. Ah! There was a father who stayed in the village to take care of his sick son, but not to worry. It was early. Since I was floating around the border of District 4 and 5 in the morning, I saw the Jubjub birds flying in, and I told them in advance to evacuate, so they escaped safely. Oh, and of course, whenever I feel my life is threatened, I just need to disappear, so I can escape the monsters’ eyes and get out safely.”
“You’re so brave!”
I was pleased at Rapunzel’s praise. But I shouldn’t have made it obvious.
The other day, without realizing it, I stayed up all night watching Rapunzel’s sleeping form and she almost caught me blushing! It was obvious that Rapunzel, who had asked me to be her friend with a pure heart when she first saw me two years ago, would be greatly disappointed if she found out about my selfish heart, so I tried every night to hide my true feelings for her.
I cleared my throat to hide the clownish look that seemed it would burst out of me at any moment due to Rapunzel’s praise.
“Ahem! You’ve read about the brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee in the book, right? The sick son was caught in a giant bigwig trap set by the twin brothers, and I came along, invisible again, and cut the net with a knife, and they ran away in shock, you know? [7] Can you imagine how surprised those rascals were?”
Was it because she was very sleepy? By the time I’d finished the story, still buzzing from Rapunzel’s praise, she’d had already fallen asleep on my arm.
“Hah……” I unknowingly let out a sigh, relieved that I’d managed to get through another day without Rapunzel finding out about how I truly felt. “Thank goodness, I was able to get through today safely.”
I muttered while stroking the hair of Rapunzel, who was sound asleep.
“Rapunzel, are you crazy? What will happen if the White Queen catches sight of me? The day we’re caught together, it will be the end for us both!” [9]
Rapunzel looked up at me from where she was lying down on the bed with a bewildered expression on her face.
Oops!
Rapunzel must have gotten flustered because it was the first time I’d raised my voice
Thud-ta-ta-ta-bang!
“Ah, ouch…”
It hurts. Well, I deserved what I got.
Rapunzel must have been so furious with me for pushing her onto the bed a little bit too aggressively that she used all the strength she had to –oof!—kick me in the stomach.
“Oh no, you’re not bleeding, are you?”
I lifted myself up, pressing my left palm to the wound on my forehead from hitting the floor after falling off of the bed.
“Are you okay, Chester? But you did something that deserved a thwap. You were the one who suddenly shouted and pushed me, you know?”
I guess neither of us can ever say sorry to each other.
“If the White Queen sees me because of this…”
“What, what?”
Rapunzel pretended to be angry, but she loved me (as a friend) too much to be truly angry with me, and she also knew all to well that I knew it too.
Rapunzel held out her hand to me who had fallen.
“Up we go!” [10]
Taking Rapunzel’s outstretched hand, I raised my body and wrapped my arms around her waist in a hug. Then I rose into the air, doing somersaults with Rapunzel in my arms as I scolded her to apologize.
“Go ahead and say you’re sorry! Quickly apologize for kicking this body of your only friend so hard!”
“Ahahahaha! Chester, can’t you put me down?”
Rapunzel soon burst into laughter, probably because it was amusing that I was holding her and doing somersaults in the air for the first time in a long time. And just like that, we were making up and having fun without a single apology.
“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down at your hair!”
A voice presumed to belong to the White Queen came from below the tower.
“What? I think my mom’s returned! Oh, I’m so sorry Chester. If she sees you…”
“No, Rapunzel. Don’t worry about me. All I have to do is disappear out of sight before the White Queen comes up the tower.”
I quickly set Rapunzel down on the floor and hid myself with a “poof!” After confirming that I had vanished, Rapunzel let her dazzlingly long golden hair fall down from the top of the tower as always.
I had to run away quickly, before the White Queen entered the tower. With a wizard as of the White Queen’s caliber, no matter how well I hide myself, it’s only a matter of time before I’m discovered!
“Oh, my dear Alice!”
As I slipped out of the window and away from the tower, I heard unexpected words.
What? Alice? Not Rapunzel?
Surprised, I turned around, and there, standing inside of the tower was not the White Queen as expected, but an unusually strange woman wearing a playing-card-patterned dress and a heart hat large enough to be seen from several meters away. And Rapunzel seeing that it was a strange woman instead of the White Queen, also looked flustered.
“Alice! Do you know how long your mother has been looking for you since you disappeared?”
From the strange woman’s mouth came words even more infinitely strange than her outfit.
T/N: Updates may be slow this month because NaNoWriMo. Now just some rambling–
- I always think Rapunzel must not have been very tender-headed at all to have someone climb her hair — imagine stray hairs and split ends getting caught in the bricks! Nightmare. I also wince at how much conditioner she must have needed but…fairy tale.
- Chester, there was no need to insult White Queen’s hair! Male leads in rofan novels, please learn to give compliments that don’t involve insults and comparisons to other women, please.
- I ~knew~ this was gonna be full of pining. Chester you poor sap, she was ready to jump your bones from second zero.
[1] Chester actually says”우리 반인반묘들은” and literally this should be something like, “We, the half-human half-cat people,” except 반인반묘is one word and splitting it into the four necessary in English I feel like loses its sense of completeness? Like it’s not half and half in the sense of like, ‘one parent was a human and one parent was a cat’. So…I thought about putting the phonetic banninbanmyo in there and explaining the half- bit.
[2] 거울 나라의 Mirror Kingdom, mirror country, land of mirrors…going with Mirrorland as parallel to Wonderland for now.
[3] She is singing ‘Half Moon’, a children’s song! Youtube cover if you’re interested
[4] She says ‘영차‘/yeongcha which doesn’t have a direct -en equivalent, but (per Googling) is like, the sort of thing you’d yell before a tug-of-war competition. Alley-oop might also work.
[5] 아가야 Explained last chapter, but literally translates to ‘baby’ and is an affectionate term for one’s child.
[6] Chester calls her 공주/gongju
[7] 아픈 아들 녀석이 그 쌍둥이 형제가 설치한 거대한 거물 함정에 걸렸는데 I feel like there is an Alice In Wonderland reference in the type of trap but not sure, sorry. I rely on MTL so some of the wonderland terms may slip past me…for example, nearly didn’t catch Jubjub bird. I’ll do my best, but it’s been a minute since I’ve read the books, and I also don’t know if the author is going to make up some of her own.
[9] …yes I translated this differently than last chapter and honestly I think it’s still wrong. “라푼젤, 너 미쳤어? 내 사진을 하얀 여왕에게 보여주면 어떡해? 우리 사이가 들키는 날에는 나는 물론 너까지도 끝장이라고!” there’s a referenced like ‘what if you show my picture to the White Queen’. Maybe from the encyclopedia? Dunno.
[10] 읏챠! Same spirit as ‘영차’ above. Something you say when lifting something heavy. My first thought was ‘oofta’ but that’s a very Midwest thing lol.
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