Cinderella and Fiona agreed to a temporary truce. Cinderella is being pursued by Zantanel. Now she is sleeping in Fiona's room.
Cinderella: "Hahh…"
Fiona: "(It's surprising how innocent she looks while sleeping…)"
Meanwhile
Chloe: "I'm sorry… Melina…"
Melina: "Oh, it's alright… I understand, Chloe… I'm part of Lilly Moon now… I'm happy to help."
Chloe: "Hehe… you're not just cute, you're kind too…"
Melina: "Huh… um… (blushes)… mmm…"
Chloe: "Good… then good night…"
Melina: "Good night…"
Meanwhile
Mr Skull: "(Snoring)"
By the way, Mr Skull has been asleep for an hour already, so he missed the whole story about Cinderella.
Mr Skull: "(Snoring)… this skeleton can snore even though he's just bones…"
Hosenträger: "How can he sleep so peacefully?"
Sternlicht: "Let him… it was a hard day for all of us… for every one of us… I feel sorry for Chloe… she was very close to Page with Food…"
Hosenträger: "Mhm."
Meanwhile
Crane: "It makes me uneasy that Cinderella is here…"
Fiona: "Hahh… what else are we supposed to do… one way or another, she has to stay here for now…"
Crane: "Why are you helping her? Who cares what Zantanel does to her?"
Mr Herold: "My friend, apparently you didn't listen… or not properly… Zantanel doesn't just want to kill her. She wants her powers. That would be a catastrophe."
Fiona: "Hahh… I never thought I would do this… Cinderella, who cast so many curses and caused so much suffering… and now I have to help her…"
The blanket slipped down. Fiona sighed and placed it back over her.
Cinderella: "Hahhhh…"
Fiona: "How can someone sleep after causing so much suffering to others?… well… I've killed people too and I can sleep…"
Crane: "But you never killed innocents."
Fiona: "Murder is murder… killing is killing… stealing is stealing… abuse is abuse… harassment is harassment… bullying is bullying… tears are tears… suffering is suffering… it doesn't matter if someone is guilty or innocent…"
Crane: "Hahh… why are you so hard on yourself? Why do you insist on making sure people don't understand you?"
Fiona: "I don't want them to understand me… I don't care…"
Crane: "Fiona… I understand that your time in Dark Umbrella when you were a child made you cold… that you dislike showing emotion… but one day you won't be able to endure it anymore… You think you're fine… but the human mind never forgets its suffering… You weren't like this as a child. I can see it in your memories… you were a shy little girl who always held onto her doll Otto… you behaved so innocently… what happened?"
Fiona: "Crane… just be quiet… If you can see my memories… then you can also see why I'm no longer shy… and why I don't cling to that damn doll anymore…"
Crane: "Hahh… I know… I understand you had no choice… the adults back then who experimented on you are to blame… I know that… You're a detective now, cold, serious… But Fiona… if that's true… why do you care about these children? Hmm?"
Fiona: "Huh? What are you getting at?"
Crane: "If you truly don't care about helping people anymore… why did you help Cossette? Melina? Why did you take care of Nina's sister Hoodi back then?"
Fiona: "That's enough, Crane…"
Crane: "It's because you're afraid… afraid they'll be lost… You know what it feels like to have no one… no help, no warmth… and that's why you don't want Cossette and Melina to be alone… right?"
Fiona: "Crane… if you don't shut up… I'll make sure you shut up forever…"
Mr Herold: "I rarely interfere, Fiona… but I think Crane only wants you to stop pretending to be cold… You feel for others… that's why you want to help young people… help people in general… Don't just lock it away inside you… You helped others… let them help you… We are your contract spirits… we can feel your heartbeat… and we see that you are suffering… that's why we worry about you… It's okay to show weakness… it's okay to feel with others… why don't you smile?"
Fiona: "Because there's no reason… alright… I have more reasons to wish for death… but because of my curse I can't die normally… and if I take my own life, I'll become a cursed spirit… just be quiet… now is not the right time…"
Cinderella: "Hmm… how cute…"
Fiona: "Ugh…"
Cinderella looked at her… and at Mr Herold and Crane.
Cinderella: "Are those your contract spirits… or contract beasts? Hehehe… they're worried about you…"
Fiona: "Hmm… you're awake…"
Cinderella: "I was sleeping… but this conversation was too interesting to ignore… tell me, Fiona…"
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Cinderella: "Why don't you make a contract with me?"
Fiona: "What?"
Cinderella: "I'll give you the power… to take revenge… on Dark Umbrella… I will make sure everyone who made you cry… who made you lonely… suffers…"
Fiona: "Honestly… the revenge thing… I couldn't care less…"
Cinderella: "Hehehe… let's be honest, Fiona… even I can feel how much your spirit is suffering right now… one day… you won't endure it anymore… and you'll cry… scream… so loud…"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cinderella: "I may be dangerous… but because you're helping me… I'll help you a little… come here for a moment…"
Fiona: "Not necessary."
Cinderella: "Come here."
Crane: "Hmm?"
Fiona: "Hahh…"
She walked over. Cinderella sat up on the bed and held Fiona's cheeks.
Cinderella: "Good… like that…"
Fiona: "Hey… what are you doing?"
Cinderella: "Hehe… puh."
She blew gently at her. Fiona fell unconscious onto her shoulder.
Cinderella: "Oh dear… hehe… that was quick… Now Holle… let's see what she will see… hehe… Fiona will sleep deeply and peacefully… and she won't wake up… until she cries…"
Meanwhile inside her mind
Frau Holle: "Huh… what is this place?… I understand… I'm inside Fiona's spirit…"
A well filled with blackness.
Frau Holle: "Fiona… wake up…"
Little Fiona: "Hmm?"
Frau Holle: "Huh?"
It was Fiona… but as a child, holding her doll.
Frau Holle: "Little Fiona?"
Little Fiona: "Huh?… you're here, Holle…"
Frau Holle: "Damn it… Cinderella did this… she put Fiona into a deep sleep so I would see her spirit… She won't wake until I do what Cinderella wants… until I make Fiona cry…"
The well turned red.
Little Fiona: "That well… those are my pains…"
Frau Holle: "Ugh…"
Little Fiona: "I cried every day as a child… because of the pain… the loneliness… and because they took Otto away…"
She hugged the doll tightly.
Little Fiona: "Otto was very important to me… even now I miss him…"
Frau Holle: "Fiona…"
A black drop fell from above.
Little Fiona: "That's how my heart feels… like it's being scratched…"
Screams echoed.
Little Fiona: "Those are the screams of my spirit… no one hears them… it can't endure the pain anymore…"
Frau Holle: "I'm sorry… Fiona… truly…"
Little Fiona: "I was never allowed to be a child… never allowed to act like one… play outside… eat what I wanted… no dolls… no television… no warmth from a mother… no family… no care… no encouragement… tell me, Holle…"
Frau Holle: "Ugh…"
Black tears streamed from Fiona's eyes.
Little Fiona: "Why didn't you just let me die…?"
Frau Holle: "I… I was lonely… I wanted someone by my side… and there you were… dying…"
Little Fiona: "And now I suffer and you don't? Is that fair?"
Frau Holle: "No… I never wanted that… I love every human…"
Little Fiona: "And what about me?… If you truly loved me… you would have let me die… so the suffering would finally end…"
Little Fiona sat down.
Little Fiona: "I miss Otto… so much…"
The doll vanished.
Little Fiona: "But I'm not allowed to cry… or I'm weak…"
Frau Holle: "No… you are allowed to cry… don't listen to those idiots from Dark Umbrella… I'm a guardian and I've cried too… you're human… of course you can cry…"
Little Fiona: "Then they hit me…"
She showed her arm.
Little Fiona: "The more I cried… the more they burned my arm…"
Frau Holle: "Ugh…"
Little Fiona: "It hurts… I want it to stop… even though the device is gone… the wounds still hurt…"
Frau Holle held her hand.
Frau Holle: "For me… you are like my child… You are human… but you carry my darkness… you're half human, half banshee… You can hug me… cry against my chest… I'll always be there for you…"
The well turned blue. The screams stopped.
Frau Holle: "Come here, my little one… cry now… please…"
Little Fiona: "Ugh… (sob)… Wuaaaaaahhhhh!"
She clung to Holle and cried as loud as she could.
Meanwhile in the real world
Cinderella: "Hehe… look who's crying…"
Fiona lay unconscious on Cinderella's chest, crying. Cinderella gently stroked her head.
Cinderella: "Take it as thanks for helping me… thank you, Fiona… my powers are returning… you'll wake up… but I'll already be gone… whether we are friends or enemies… hehe… that remains to be seen… I'll stay until you stop crying…"
She continued stroking her hair.
Cinderella: "You didn't always have white hair, did you?… It looks like it used to be brown… or black… like Sternlicht's… maybe it turned white from shock… who knows…"
She lay back, Fiona's head resting between her neck and chest.
Cinderella: "This reminds me of my daughter… Rapunzel… Rudeus took her from me… just like he took Holle… I was asleep when it happened…"
Hours later
Fiona: "Mmm… huh?"
She opened her eyes.
Fiona: "Where is Cinderella?"
Only an earring lay on the bed.
Fiona: "She probably left now that her strength has returned…"
She stretched.
Fiona: "Huh? Did I just yawn?"
Crane: "Yes, you did."
Fiona: "Hey… I hope you weren't spying on me."
Crane: "Not while you were lying on Cinderella."
Fiona: "What?"
Mr Herold: "It's true. She took care of you… held you… stroked your hair…"
Fiona: "What? Why?"
Crane: "I don't have an explanation…"
Fiona touched her chest.
Fiona: "My heart… feels lighter…"
Mr Herold: "Crying is healthier than people think."
Fiona: "Wait… I cried?!"
Crane: "And how you cried. Hahaha."
Fiona turned bright red, steam almost rising from her head.
Mr Herold: "Hahaha."
Fiona: "Whoever laughs now is dead."
She grabbed the hat and reached inside.
Mr Herold: "Help!"
She entered the hat world, chased them with a cooking knife, pretending to cook them.
After terrorizing them for a moment, she burst out laughing loudly.
Crane: "She's laughing… our Fiona… is laughing…"
Mr Herold: "She has such a beautiful laugh…"
Fiona fell to the floor laughing.
Fiona: "That was just a joke… come here, you two…"
They hugged her.
Fiona: "I love you all…"
Mr Herold: "We love you too… please laugh more…"
Chika: "But I've only been here one day…"
Fiona: "That's okay…"
Meanwhile
At an exhibition
Civilian: "This painting of the Tower Guardian was made by the famous blind painter Ulita Huber…"
Woman in suit: "Ah, isn't she the one who can't walk either? Amazing… blind and unable to move her legs… yet so talented…"
Civilian: "They call her the Cursed Pearl… she's beautiful and has a lovely voice… but because she's blind and can't walk… no one wants to marry her… even though she's only 23…"
Woman in suit: "Well, she has talent… but taking care of her would be troublesome…"
In some regions, especially in parts of the Slavic Empire, Dehl, and Dukewood, blind, disabled, and mentally ill people are treated poorly and sometimes even called plague people.
Elsewhere
Ulita: "Oh dear… my scarf fell… hello? Monja?"
Monja: "Yes, Miss Huber."
Ulita: "Could you please give me my scarf… otherwise my legs will hurt…"
Monja: "Of course…"
Ulita had light blonde hair, gray eyes, pale skin, a small nose, and a beauty mark between her shoulder and neck. Her voice was gentle and soft.
Monja: "Miss Ulita… Mr Gustav will not come… he learned that you are blind… and he canceled the engagement…"
Ulita: "I see…"
She moved her wheelchair.
Ulita: "It seems I truly am a burden…"
Monja: "Please don't say that… one day you will find someone…"
Knock knock.
Maid: "Mr Hehn in Heim is here."
Hehn in Heim: "Good day, Madam Ulita."
Ulita: "Good day…"
Hehn in Heim: "How are you today?"
Ulita: "Not well… I feel tired…"
Hehn in Heim: "Do not worry… we take care of the cursed… We of Domus maledicti filii, the House of the Cursed Children, will take care of you… Zantanel wishes to help you… and we will help… as promised…"
Meanwhile
Zantanel: "Hehehe… time for us cursed ones… to move."