I Raised Snow White!

“I cannot accept this!”

“I’m not asking for your understanding. I’ve told you several times this is a decision by the Ministry of the Palace.”

The loud voice of Marchioness of Lorenzo brought me back to my senses. I wanted to question Ainsel about the mind-numbing issue of the First Queen’s suicide…

But, for now, the matter before me took priority.

The Marchioness was still causing an uproar at Chancellor Bainshaw, unable to accept the assignment given to me. Well, knowing her personality, I expected she wouldn’t take it easily.

Ahem.

I put down the coffee cup in my hand on the table and drew the Marchioness’s attention. When I gave her the characteristic disdainful look Vivian often wore…

‘Ugh.’

The Marchioness, red-eyed and glaring at me like a wild beast, almost made me avert my gaze. Was that the expression of someone who valued etiquette?

“Marchioness Lorenzo, do you know why I volunteered to take on the Princess’s education?”

“…Did Her Majesty dislike me that much? Education is not as easy a task as Her Majesty might think…!”

It seemed my words no longer reached her. She was just throwing out anything she could to cover up the situation.

I rose from the sofa and approached the Marchioness, closing the distance to just a step away, where I could hear her angry, huffing breaths.

“Yes, just as you said, I don’t like you, Marchioness.”

“Ha..! So you took on the Princess’s education just because you dislike me? Just because you hate me?”

If it were only for that reason, I would have done something else.

Seeing her fuming as though she were a victim, I let out a small sigh. Just looking at her face reminded me of the “ending” I’d seen in the game, which annoyed me.

Honestly, I’d wondered a lot if I was truly doing the right thing here. This wasn’t a world that moved in script format like in a game; it was real life.

I thought, perhaps, the Marchioness might not be the same as in the game.

But…

I hadn’t been slacking off since I came here. I’d gathered rumors circulating in the royal palace from the maids I befriended and confirmed the whispers that the Marchioness seemed to be obsessed with the Princess.

“If you hadn’t seen the Princess as a replacement for the First Queen, I wouldn’t have stepped forward as her ‘educator.’”

“…What…?”

The Marchioness’s bloodshot eyes went wide, as though I’d hit the nail on the head. Even Bainshaw beside her widened his eyes in disbelief.

“When the First Queen married His Majesty, both the late King and the Dowager Queen praised you endlessly. They said you had raised a beautiful lady who perfectly matched His Majesty.”

The Marchioness’s shoulders shook greatly at my words.

I continued, looking her directly in the eyes.

“The rumor of your praise from the late King spread quickly through the social circles. Everyone praised you, likely even offering whatever money it took to have you educate their children.”

“…No.”

“And with the achievement of raising the First Queen recognized, you stayed at the palace, assisting her, even gaining the title of the First Queen’s ‘godmother.’”

“…No.”

“Wasn’t that the royal palace life every noble envied? Congratulations. At that time, you were truly a successful noble, envied by all.”

When I lightly tapped her shoulder, the Marchioness looked at me with eyes that seemed ready to tear me apart, but there was nothing she could do.

The real story was only beginning now.

“But what can we do?”

“Your Majesty…!”

Trying to interrupt what I was about to say, the Marchioness called out to me. But I smiled sweetly and continued, ignoring her distress.

“The First Queen, whom you raised, died.”

Crack—

At those words, the sound of her grinding teeth filled the room. I could see her tightly clenched fists trembling, barely containing her anger.

“…Since the First Queen’s death, your standing at the palace has become precarious. The title of the First Queen’s ‘godmother’ disappeared in an instant.”

“……”

“There are even rumors linking you to the First Queen’s death. Noble families have started nitpicking, questioning if there was a problem with your educational approach.”

I was shocked to hear of the First Queen’s suicide, but in the game, she was treated as someone who had already died. In the game, she hadn’t committed suicide but had died of illness.

At that time, I couldn’t understand why the Marchioness was so obsessed with the Princess, only speculating that something had happened with the First Queen.

But the moment I heard today that the First Queen had died, I understood why the Marchioness was fixated on the Princess.

After all, regardless of how the First Queen had died, the Marchioness couldn’t help but cling to the Princess.

All just to regain her lost honor.

“Did you plan to use the Princess to somehow restore your prestige?”

“No..! I truly care for the Princess..!”

“Did you honestly think grooming her to be like the First Queen was truly in her best interest? You were just trying to mold her exactly like the First Queen.”

“What’s so wrong with that? My educational method was already proven! I raised the First Queen with it, so what’s wrong with my method?”

“Because of that laughable educational method, the Princess…!!”

Would eventually take her own life.

The words nearly escaped my lips.

In the game, the Princess endured the Marchioness’s “education,” which was no different from “brainwashing.” She was forced to act like the First Queen in every aspect, from preferences to speech.

The Marchioness’s “education” erased the Princess’s individuality. Everything was for the First Queen, everything in the manner of the First Queen. That was her “education.”

The first time I saw that ending, I was so disgusted it gave me chills.

Hoping the Princess’s high stats would lead to a happy ending, I’d let her be taught by the Marchioness without suspicion. But this damn game punished that choice by suddenly—

and without any warning—

showing the Princess in an illustration, hanging lifelessly.

Before I could even process the shock, the game kindly explained in great detail why she’d taken her own life.

The Marchioness, who lost her honor with the First Queen’s death,

became obsessed with making the Princess into the exact image of the First Queen to restore her lost prestige.

And it was that obsession that eventually drove the Princess to end her life.

‘What a despicable woman.’

Looking at the Marchioness, who was arguing in front of me, I thought that. Unable to let go of her former glory, she was determined to mold her daughter into the same mold.

“In any case, I have no intention of understanding your teaching philosophy. Your reputation must have been so infamous that even the Ministry of the Palace chose me over you, despite the rumors that I’m a witch.”

“Ha…”

“Accept it and retire quietly. Bainshaw will see to it that you receive a generous pension.”

I took the crumpled “assignment notice” on the table and handed it to the Marchioness. She stared blankly at it for a moment before giving a bitter laugh.

“Didn’t you once tell me, Your Majesty? That the Princess’s opinion matters.”

“…I did.”

After hearing my response, the Marchioness quickly turned and stomped out of the room, leaving Bainshaw and me staring in silence.

I sighed softly, then turned to Bainshaw, who seemed just as bewildered as I was by her abrupt departure. Though the Marchioness might not see me as royalty…

Bainshaw sighed, looking at the wide-open door through which she had left.

“…You seem unusually merciful today, Your Majesty.”

“Isn’t the Marchioness about your age, Bainshaw? I keep myself from losing my temper because she always reminds me of you.”

“Haha!”

Bainshaw chuckled at my joke. Knowing Vivian’s temperament, she’d likely have already had the Marchioness executed for daring to stand against her. Vivian was merciless to those who defied her.

While joking with Bainshaw, the sound of pounding footsteps approached once more. Bainshaw sighed again, and I mirrored his sigh.

The footsteps could have just meant the Marchioness was returning, but…

Amid the loud steps echoing in the hallway, I heard a young girl’s voice as well.

“W-wait..! Ow..! It hurts..! Slowly..!”

Without hesitation, the Marchioness stormed back in, dragging the Princess by the arm. The sight of her roughly pulling the Princess nearly took my breath away.

Both Bainshaw and I were speechless, staring at the Marchioness, who’d brought the Princess into the room with a near-maniacal expression.

“Your Highness..! Her Majesty is trying to dismiss me, saying I’m no longer of use to you! Your Highness..! Just one word… Please say just one word. That I’m more helpful to you than Her Majesty!”

“Ah, uh..!”

In this absurd situation, I looked down at the Princess. The Marchioness had gripped her so roughly that bruises were visible on her arm and a bright red mark on her wrist.

It looked like the imprint of someone’s hand that had twisted her forcefully.

“Stop..! Lorenz—”

Seeing the Princess’s injury, Bainshaw turned pale and tried to stop the Marchioness, but my actions were faster than his voice.

I grabbed the Marchioness by the shoulder and pushed her back, away from the Princess, before raising my hand and slapping her across the face.

Slap—!

The sound of the slap filled the room, silencing everyone. The Marchioness held her cheek, looking up at me in disbelief, her hair disheveled.

Ignoring the sting in my palm, I glared at her fiercely.

“Have you truly gone mad, Marchioness?”

“This, this is…”

As I slapped her, Bainshaw quickly moved the Princess away from her, creating distance. I knelt down in front of the Marchioness sitting on the floor and met her gaze.

“Marchioness. Though I dislike you, I never had any particular thoughts of taking action against you.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“I endured it, thinking it was just the grumbling of an old woman. No matter how rude your ‘etiquette’ may have been toward me.”

I held out the crumpled “assignment notice” to her once again, but she reached out with trembling hands.

“But now, should I still have to endure it?”

I ripped the assignment notice in half, the sound of tearing paper matched by the Marchioness’s face paling as if foreseeing her fate.

You should have accepted your last chance.

I scattered the torn pieces of the assignment notice on the floor and got up, giving Bainshaw a quick order. He would handle this well.

“Bainshaw, I trust you’ll know how to take care of this without my needing to say anything.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Leaving Bainshaw bowing, I turned to the Princess, who looked unsure of what to do, and raised her wrist. Seeing the bright red marks on her hand made me feel guilty.

I softly stroked her hair, smiled gently, and spoke.

“From today onward, come to my room during the Marchioness’s class hours.”

“What…?”

“Because I am your new teacher.”