Chapter 23 - Snow White's Son
Translator's Note:
Hello, I hope you've all been doing well. I have just started working on some new works of this author, a few other BL fairytales: Sleeping King, King Cinderella: Two Hearts Entwined in Sin, Prince Red Riding Hood. You can go check them out if you're interested.
Here you go, and I wish you a good read.
And as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.
It had been nearly a week since Crow arrived at the castle of Green Valley.
Crown Prince Kyle, now free of the secrets that once shrouded him as the Beast, had revealed everything to Crow, including the grim truth of his curse. He understood well that without such honesty, Crow's life would be at risk.
Their father, King Priss of Green Valley, was mentally unstable, driven to madness by the decay of his wife's body. Should he discover that Crow had left the tower to live at the castle, his whims might see Crow condemned to death.
For Crow to live freely and safely, Kyle would need to dethrone their father and ascend to the throne. Until then, Crow could not show his face in public. He was confined to Kyle's chambers, spending his days in quiet recovery under the watchful care of Kyle's trusted retainers and physicians.
"The wound on your eyelids has healed, but your sight has not returned, and your fever still lingers," Kyle sighed with concern after the physicians had completed their examination.
Crow lay upon the canopy bed, swathed in silken sheets, his hand clasped tightly around his brother's. Their fingers intertwined, and even though Crow could no longer see, his gaze was fixed on Kyle.
"I'm sorry... I can't seem to recover."
"There is nothing for you to apologize for. You've suffered because of me," Kyle replied, his voice tinged with guilt.
"No, Brother, that's not true. The fault lies with me. But if my apologies only cause you more pain, perhaps it's better if I stop."
"Yes, please do. I'd rather you be angry with me than apologize. At least then you'd seem more spirited," Kyle teased gently.
"Brother..."
"My dear Snow White, please get well soon. I fear my heart might burst with worry."
Kyle pressed his lips softly to Crow's cheek, and Crow's heart thundered in response. If anyone's chest was about to burst, it was his. How cruel it was, to be kissed so tenderly, whispered to so sweetly, by the very person he could not help but love.
Kyle, ever gentle, had taken to spending as much time as possible by Crow's side, his touch frequent and lingering, as though making up for the time when he had been the distant Beast. He touched Crow constantly—on the shoulder, the back, the hands—always seeking some point of contact. His lips would often brush Crow's forehead or cheek in kisses that felt more like those shared between lovers than siblings.
He never wore gloves, preferring the feel of Crow's bare hand in his own, pulling it to his face, as if to reassure both of them of his presence.
Renowned as the most handsome man in the kingdom, Kyle exuded a confidence that Crow could not help but admire. Even when speaking with the physicians, Kyle's steady gaze met theirs directly, showing no sign of insecurity.
From the conversations Crow overheard with the retainers who visited, it was clear that Kyle was deeply loved. Those loyal to him were unwavering in their devotion, regarding him as their future king with near reverence.
"Midnight will come soon. If you need anything during the night, do not hesitate to ring the bell. I've stationed a physician in the room next door," Kyle said, his voice soft.
"Thank you, Brother. I'm very grateful," Crow replied, sensing the heaviness in Kyle's voice as it faded into the darkness.
For Kyle shone brightest as a prince only until the clock struck midnight.
The agony he endured, transforming into a beast each night, was a secret known only to Crow. Neither the retainers nor the physicians had any knowledge of the terrible curse that had plagued Kyle since birth.
Queen Snow White had been a delicate beauty, forever youthful in her appearance. But after executing her wicked stepmother—the Mirror Witch—through cruel and violent means, she had been cursed with a spell that could never be undone.
Yet it was not Snow White herself who bore the curse, but the child within her womb—Crown Prince Kyle.
Since childhood, Kyle had transformed into a dark beast at the stroke of midnight, ravaging small animals and birds in his frenzy. As he grew older, his hunger had grown more savage, driving him to hunt larger prey—deer and livestock—earning him the dreadful title of "the Herald of Hell" from those who glimpsed his monstrous form.
The rumors of this fearsome creature had spread far and wide, and now, there was not a soul in the kingdom who did not know of the monstrous beast haunting the night.
Fearing for her son's life, the Queen, in her wisdom, spun a rumor: "If the Herald of Hell is slain, all within the kingdom shall descend into Hell." She decreed that none should dare harm this creature, and thus safeguarded her son from the swords of men.
Only a few knew the dreadful truth—that the Herald of Hell was none other than Prince Kyle. These included the King, the late Queen, the seven elves, Kyle himself, and now Crow, who had been entrusted with this secret.
"Oh, my dear brother, how much you must suffer..."
At fifteen minutes to midnight, the warning bell would toll, signaling to Kyle that it was time to slip through the secret passage from his chamber into the forest beyond. His mother had arranged this, modifying the clock so that he would never forget to leave before the change overtook him.
Kyle would shed his clothes in an abandoned mountain cabin, and as the final bell rang at midnight, his mind would fade away. By dawn, he would wake as the beast, gradually recalling his whereabouts and his cursed existence. The memories of the savage hunts, the taste of blood, would sicken him until he retched what he had consumed.
Thus, every night, he was condemned to this cruel cycle of needless slaughter, a prince who once loved reading, singing, and dancing, now shackled by the Witch's curse. As a man of kindness and grace, Kyle's suffering under the curse was unimaginable.
When Kyle spoke of his curse, he did so with a strange detachment, as though it were another's burden. But Crow knew it was because his brother could not bear to accept the creature he became each night. Through his own trials with the Beast, Crow had come to understand the shame and inferiority that weighed on Kyle's heart.
Crow had once offered to help using the enchanted bracelet given by the elves. But Kyle refused, insisting that he could not risk staying in the castle at midnight, nor let Crow meet the beast. Thus, he continued to follow the routine that bound him to the curse.
"Tell me, all of you… is there truly no way to lift my brother's curse? If there is any way at all… I would give my very heart. How can it be that only my brother is suffering, though we were born of the same parents? It isn't fair…"
Crow whispered to the bracelet, speaking to the seven elves. Though he was still blind, he could see the faint glimmer of the seven stones, and the vague shapes around him. As he touched the bracelet, he imagined Kyle's hand, which would normally grasp his own. But now, his ten fingers were left cold and lonely, waiting for the morning when they would again be held and kissed by his brother.
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