Lady Tremaine’s Castle – Chester’s story (6)

* Chester’s perspective

“Of course it matters, Harris! Fiona is our friend, just as much as Chester is. And yet he wants to carry this heavy burden alone? What does that make me—some cold-hearted jerk who tosses friendship aside like it’s nothing?”

That was Rapunzel’s sharp, sulky tone—the one she always used when she was upset. After two years of watching her, I knew if I didn’t apologize right away, things would get ugly.

“Rapunzel, I’m sorry. I only thought you were eager to get to the Mad Tea Party as soon as possible.”

“Chester, after we reunited at Doctor Quack’s place, you promised we’d never be separated again! So if you’re going, then we’re going too! Isn’t that right, Harris?”

“Well, as always, if Rapunzel wishes for it, then I’ll follow…”

Poor Harris. I did feel a little bad for him, but if Rapunzel insisted on coming along, there was no helping it. He would just have to wait a little longer before returning to his original body.

“Then it’s settled. Let’s head out right away!”

“Right away? Charming, my boy, the reason I brought these friends here was to thank them for helping me earlier today with a proper banquet. If you leave now, their visit will have been for nothing!”

“It’s fine, Baron Lion! We’d rather help Sir Charming as quickly as we can and get back on the road sooner.”

“Well, if Miss Thumbelina insists…”

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And so, we returned once more to the castle where Gus and the mice lived. Perhaps because the knights of the Lion family came by riding horses, we were able to arrive in Sector Two just a few short  hours after setting off.

Walking here took us several days, but riding’s really fast huh?

“Who dares come to Lady Tremaine’s castle in the dead of night and cause a commotion?”

A soldier guarding the castle called down to us as we approached with Charming.

“Hello, I am Charming, eldest son of the Baron Lion family who hosted the recent forest ball. The reason I’m here is because at that ball, I met a certain beautiful lady and was smitten at the first glance. Yet, as soon as the clock struck twelve, she vanished without even telling me her name, and so I’ve been wandering everywhere in search of news about her for the past few days. Today, by chance, I happened to meet a young lady and I heard from her that the lady I fell for resides here at Lady Tremaine’s castle. So, despite the late hour, I have come.”

“S-Si-Sir Charming! Forgive me for not recognizing you! I’ll inform Lady Tremaine of your arrival at once!”

At the mention of Charming’s name, the surprised guard quickly lowered his head and apologized politely to him.

Hmm…it looks like the Lion family really does have considerable authority around here.

There was no way a half-cat like me from the dark caves of Sector 7 would be familiar with the politics and noble families of the Mirrorlands.

“Open the gates!”

“Yes, sir!”

Creeeeaaak!

The massive doors swung open, and a woman with a voice as cold and forbidding as the White Queen’s stepped out to greet us.

“Welcome, Sir Charming. My soldier has informed me of the reason for your visit. From what I’ve heard, you’re looking for one of my daughters who attended the forest ball and whom you met a few nights past. Please, come in.”

“Thank you, Lady Tremaine. If it’s not too much to ask, might my companions who have come with me enter as well?”

“Of course. If they’re the friends of my future son-in-law, they’re more than welcome.”

‘Future son-in-law?’ Isn’t this woman getting way ahead of herself? More than that, it’s odd… she seems to be letting us in way too easily, compared to what I expected.

Since Gus had said the young lady with the glass slipper lived with her stepmother, I’d naturally expected Lady Tremaine to turn us away at the door. Her welcoming us so warmly contrary to my expectations somehow struck me as suspicious.

“Chester, what’s wrong? Isn’t this good? Things are working out more quickly than expected—at this rate, we’ll be able to bring Rapunzel and Harris to the Mad Tea Party in no time.”

Fiona popped up beside me, smiling brightly, as if she’d read my thoughts.

“What—how did you know? I’m sure I didn’t frown or anything. Can you read minds now? Was I muttering to myself and you overhead?”

“Haha, Chester, don’t be silly. I don’t need to be a mind-reader. I just ended up being able to notice even small changes in your expression, since I’m always looking your way. Whenever something’s weighing on your mind, you always have this habit with your lower lip—you chew it or keep touching it with your hand”

M..me? She… she’s been watching me all this time?

Her unexpected words startled me.

How do I appear in Fiona’s eyes?

“…Chester? Are you even listening to me? Chester!”

“Ah, y-yes! Yes, of course I’m listening!”

“Then tell me—what’s bothering you?”

“Oh, well, the truth is…”

I leaned close so Lady Tremaine couldn’t overhear and whispered to Fiona what I had heard from Gus.

“W-what? You mean Lady Tremaine is that stepmother who ripped apart up the glass slipper girl’s gown to stop her from going to the ball? Then shouldn’t we tell Sir Charming about this too? If what you’ve told me is true, Lady Tremaine surely has bad intentions.”

“You’re right, but I don’t think it’ll be easy with Lady Tremaine sticking so close to Sir Charming.”

Fiona quietly followed behind Lady Tremaine, worry etched on her face. She said nothing, but the way she gnawed her nails told me she was already plotting a way to somehow expose Lady Tremaine’s true nature to Charming.

“Aha! So Fiona chews her nails whenever she’s thinking.”

“Oh my—so you’ve started observing too, Chester? Then tell me, Detective—what else have you learned about me? Tell me quickly!”

Fiona’s face had returned to its usual playful expression, and she leaned in towards me as if asking me to take a closer look.

Ah! AH! That’s too close! Your face is too close!

Surprised by her sudden proximity, I looked down slightly to avoid her eyes, and…there were her lips. Soft, plump, and as freshly red as midsummer roses.

What… what is this tickling feeling in my heart?

I was sure I’d felt something similar to this once before, but with Fiona’s lips hovering so close, I couldn’t think straight.

Then—

Squeak, squeak!

Screeech, squeak!

What, that’s it! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Gus! Why don’t we just ask Gus for help?

“Fiona, I’ve got a great idea!”

“Oh? And what is it? Please tell me!”

“Well, it’s like this…”

Glancing at Lady Tremaine, I bent down to whisper in Fiona’s ear.

“Got it, Chester! Then see you in a bit.”

Fiona winked knowingly, then hurried her steps to catch up and rejoin the rest of our group with Lady Tremaine and Charming.

“Lady Tremaine! Sir Charming is absolutely desperate to meet the daughter he fell in love with at first sight. He can hardly bear the wait! Oh, how beautiful she must be, for a dashing, handsome man like him to fall for her at first sight! Please, won’t you bring him to your daughters right away?”

Dashing? Handsome?

Why did hearing Fiona use those words to describe Charming somehow annoy me?

No, this isn’t the time for that. I’ve got to find Guis and tell him about this quickly!

I shook my head to clear it of distracting thoughts and hurried on my way.

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“Chester, you’ve returned! Squeak!”

“Gus! I never imagined we’d meet again like this.”

“Indeed! I wasn’t sure a while ago because you had the appearance of a human, but now that you’re back as a cat—yes, this is the Chester I know! But more importantly, Chester! Please help! It’s terrible—sniffle!”

Huh? You want me to help? I came here to ask for your help with Tremain and Sir Charming, not the other way around.

“Gus, calm down and explain it slowly—what happened?”

“Well, when Lady Tremaine heard you and your friends had come to the castle, she locked Miss Cinderella in the attic! She means to trick Sir Charming into marrying one of her daughters, Drizella or Anastasia, by passing her off as Miss Cinderella!”

So the glass slipper girl’s name is Cinderella…!

“Then we must rescue Cinderella and take her to Sir Charming right away!”

“Y-Yes, but… sob, sob! The attic is where Lady Cinderella is, it’s guarded by Lucifer, that mean, nasty cat! Even if it’s for her sake, us mice facing off against our natural enemy, a cat, is impossible, just impossible!”

C’mon, really? Do you not see me standing right here in front of you?

“Ahem. Gus, look at me.”

I blatantly arched my back, bristled up my fur, and gave him a full ‘about-to-eat-you-alive’ glare, just like those mean, nasty cats Gus was talking about

“AAAH! What are you doing, Chester? It’s scary! W-why are you looking at me like a mean, nasty cat would…? Chester, you’re my friend, right?”

Looking at him now…this mouse fellow was seriously lacking in sense. 

“My point exactly. See, Gus… I’m a cat too, remember? The same as that mean, nasty Lucifer.”

If he still didn’t get it even after that, then he really was hopeless.

“Ah!” Having finally caught on, Gus beamed at me.

“Get it? That cat Lucifer or whatever–just leave him to me.”

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Translator notes:

• 개나 줘버리다 → translated as “tosses [friendship] aside like it’s nothing?” but it literally translates to “just give it to a dog”, an idiomatic expression in Korean for treating something like it’s garbage
• 다름이 아니라 → I feel like this phrase deserves a note but I’m struggling what to write lol. Translated as ‘The reason I’m here’ just to be straightforward but could also be, like, ‘I mention this because / and you see / it’s just that’ or something else. It’s one of those phrases that just doesn’t have a single direct translation, but I would say it’s generally used as a kind of a polite verbal filler before you get to your main point? So it could be ‘By the way-’ before asking a question or ‘for no other reason than’ in answering a question. There’s a slight element of hesitancy to it but one that comes from manners rather than nerves. Or something. IDK y’all I don’t really know what I’m doing loool
• 방방곡곡 → literally “everywhere, far and wide.” (describing how/where Charming searched)
• 사위 되실 분 → literally “future son-in-law” Gotta admire Lady Tremaine’s guts?
• 아무래도 혼자 너무 멀리 나가는 거 아니야? → translated as “isn’t she getting ahead of herself” but lit. is “Isn’t she going a bit too far on her own?”
• ‘피오나가 보는 나는 어떻게 생겼을까?’ → translated as “How do I appear in Fiona’s eyes?” but literally is “I wonder what the me that Fiona sees looks like” – but it carries the connotation of like, “What kind of person does Fiona see when she looks at me? / Who am I in her eyes”
• 허, 참 → translated as “C’mon, really?” According to my phrase book this is an interjection expressing mild surprise, disbelief, or sometimes exasperation, similar to English phrases like “Oh my!”, “Huh?”, or “Goodness gracious” but let me tell you how my brain automatically substituted ‘Dude, are you s*tting me right now?’ (this translation persists in my heart)
• 이 생쥐새끼 → literally “this mouse brat.” Could have translated as “Can’t this little mouse brat even see me standing right here?”Chester is so exasperated with Gus by the end of this chapter – he also calls him ‘이 거스라는 생쥐 놈’ lit. “this mouse called Gus” but like, “This guy.” and 눈치 없다 which translates to being oblivious to social cues, clueless, tactless, or unaware of the surrounding atmosphere and other people’s feelings. It describes someone who isn’t able to “read the room” or “take a hint,” making them appear socially awkward or unaware of appropriate behavior in a given situation.
• 노답 = modern slang, literally “no answer,” meaning “hopeless / beyond saving.”
• 나쁜 속셈 – translated as ‘bad intentions’ but literally means “bad inner calculation.” This is a fixed expression meaning “evil scheme” or “malicious intent.”

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