I Tamed the Monstrous Prince - Chapter 70
I showed him an illustration of a duck couple nesting their eggs. The image must have been quite striking, for Cesar stared at it for a long time. It was a very famous fairytale, known to adults and children alike. The story of the ugly duckling, ostracized and bullied, who eventually realizes he is a beautiful swan and takes flight. Somehow, the ugly duckling reminded me of Cesar. In fact, that was why I’d chosen the story. I had but one wish.
“Yes, Cesar, someday…” I murmured, pausing in my reading.
“Someday?” He echoed, his recent habit of latching onto my words. Yes, someday, Cesar, too, might transform into a beautiful swan, just like in the story. We needed that hope.
“Oh, it’s nothing.” I resumed reading. The story quickly shifted to the duckling’s trials, then into a small adventure. Cesar was completely absorbed, even clenching his fists when the duckling was bullied. He seemed to enjoy the story so much that I had to read it over and over again that day. We read and reread the fairytale until the dusk deepened outside the window, and the darkness of night finally enveloped us.
***
“That’s not my son!” Even the mother duck, the only one he’d trusted, abandoned him. “How repulsive!” The kind old woman, the hen, the cat—they all tormented the ugly duckling. “That dreadful creature!”
What had gone wrong? The ugly duckling lamented, gazing at his reflection in the river. What was the problem? Was it this hideous grey down? Or this dark beak? If there was a problem, then yes, everything was wrong. If he could, the ugly duckling would have plucked out every last feather. He was that miserable.
“Why was I born so ugly?”
Then, someone whispered to him, “No, Your Highness. You are the most beautiful in the world.” But the ugly duckling couldn’t hear those words.
“Will there ever be someone who loves me, even like this?” It was impossible. So, despairing, the ugly duckling plunged into the cold pond. Yes, who would love such an unsightly creature? Who indeed? Who would marry such a monster…?
“Who would marry such a monster!” My sinking body became entangled in the weeds. Dark, cold, and damp. Horrible, it feels like insects are crawling all over me. Married to such a monster… a wedding that should be the most blessed in the world.
Oh, I must be the most unfortunate bride in existence. So, I’ll die. They’ll all regret it when I’m dead. Only then will they pity me. Mother and Father can come to my funeral and weep.
There was a bottomless pond in the Imperial Palace. Yes, I’ll throw myself in there. But when I reached the pond, hesitation crept in. I was afraid of the black water that seemed ready to swallow me whole. Death was so terrifying. It was late at night, and the air was bitterly cold. I should have brought a shawl. I wasn’t even properly dressed. If she saw me, she’d think I was a reckless, naive girl again. It’s so cold now, how much colder must the water be? I hated the cold.
Suddenly, fear gripped me. What was I thinking? Death? How could I even entertain such a thought? Yes, I’ll go back. That was the moment. A tremendous pressure pushed me from behind. It was completely unexpected. I lost my balance and tumbled forward. Icy water seeped in. I desperately thrashed, trying to reach the surface, but a force kept pushing my head under.
Who is it? Who is torturing me like this? Please stop. I was exhausted. Terrified. No matter how much I struggled, the water flooding my airways became unbearably acrid. I almost wished it would all end quickly.
