Queen's lips moved, but she couldn't speak.
But Rhine didn't need her answer.
As a Wish Magician, he could feel the surging power of wishes emanating from Queen's soul.
Illusory whispers of wishes echoed in Rhine's ears, then became even more ethereal.
"I wish King would forever be obsessed with me, I wish King and the Kingdom would forever be inseparable from me."
The wish had already been fulfilled.
After listening to Rhine, Queen nodded, seemingly understanding yet not fully.
She turned her head, watching birds singing on branches outside the window, watching the wind blow through the treetops, making the leaves tremble. Yet, due to the sound-blocking magic, she couldn't hear the crisp bird song or the free rustling of the wind.
This peculiar scene, with visuals but no sound, was like a pantomime, exuding an absurd sense of unreality.
It was as if everything that happened today was too sudden.
Waking up inexplicably from a crystal coffin; inexplicably attacked by an Eastern Witch, almost dying at her hands; inexplicably rescued by the Magician Rhine; and after returning to the Royal City, seeing too many strange things, being regarded as a great leader by everyone.
It was like a dream, completely unreal.
For this brief moment, Queen even suspected that perhaps she had never woken up.
Perhaps she had already encountered Death the moment she ate the poisoned apple, and everything she experienced today was merely the last, beautiful fantasy of her dying moments.
If this was a dream, then it was indeed a beautiful dream, she thought.
Rhine's voice came from behind, pulling Queen back from her jumbled thoughts:
"Your Majesty Queen, you don't have to worry. Besides me and my friend, no one in the world knows the truth, not even the magic mirror.
"You can accept all of this with a clear conscience, become the great Queen respected by everyone, enjoy the praises of the entire nation, and have your achievements recorded in history, to be sung and praised for thousands of years to come.
"Consider this experience a gift from me to you.
"Don't worry, my friend who was impersonating you did not have any intimate contact with King in the past two months."
Rhine then looked towards the magic mirror in the corner of the room, which hadn't heard their conversation:
"However, my friend and I will eventually leave White Kingdom. In the future, you will have to govern White Kingdom yourself.
"Don't worry, with the magic mirror, governing the country is not a difficult task.
"I will stay in White Kingdom for another week or two.
"During this time, I will work with you to ensure a smooth handover, so you can successfully implement the reforms in White Kingdom."
Queen nodded mechanically, her nose tingling slightly, and the world before her was covered in a thin mist.
From the scattered words, she vaguely guessed what had happened in the past two months.
"What is the name of your friend who was impersonating me? Please thank her properly on my behalf," Queen thought for a long time, then slowly said.
"Aurora," Rhine replied.
Queen was slightly embarrassed.
Because that was the person she had previously wanted to kill.
Perhaps Rhine and Aurora didn't know the apple was poisoned? After all, they were fine after eating it. Did they just protect me when they found me unconscious, and help White Kingdom along the way?
Queen could only hope for this.
"Thank you, great Magician, Sage of Rose Kingdom and White Kingdom, Sir Rhine!" Queen said sincerely.
She rose from the bed, left the sound-blocking barrier, and walked towards the magical magic mirror she hadn't seen in two months.
In the future, she would have to rely on herself and this magic mirror...
Watching Queen leave Rhine's side, walk across the spacious room towards the magic mirror, the bird that had just been singing on the branch suddenly flew into the room and landed on Rhine's shoulder.
This bird, transformed by Aurora and imbued with "speaking ability" by magic, said:
"It seems Queen has changed a lot indeed.
"She's not that bad, after all. At least much better than I had imagined."
The bird then hopped onto the silver-haired youth's leg and asked Rhine:
"Speaking of which, Teacher, your plan was quite thrilling! I was just worried that Queen wouldn't act well in front of the ministers and King, and would expose herself."
Rhine smiled and said, "It's fine, I did divination and prophecy."
"But didn't Teacher say that divination and prophecy aren't omnipotent, and shouldn't be fully trusted? It's impossible to foresee everything that happens today, right? Uh, I get it, the content of your divination, Teacher, must have been vague yes/no questions like 'will there be a good ending'?"
Rhine smiled and shrugged, "You guess."
Just then, Queen stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at her reflection in the mirror, recalling everything that had just happened.
She remembered her daughter's sweet smile when she called her Mama, and her own cruel self when she had once tried to kill Aurora.
Suddenly, Queen had a whim and asked the magic mirror the most familiar question:
"magic mirror, oh magic mirror, tell me, who is the fairest woman in White Kingdom?"
Aurora, who had turned into a bird, was startled:
"Oh no, why is Queen asking this question again!"
Aurora worried that after she and Teacher left White Kingdom, the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom would be Snow White.
At that time, Queen's attitude towards Snow White would be very awkward.
What she didn't expect was that the magic mirror actually answered this time:
"Your Majesty Queen, of course it's you! You are the most, most beautiful woman in the Kingdom, ah no, in the world!
"When I answered Aurora before, I was mistaken."
Ah?
Queen was stunned.
"magic mirror, you can be mistaken?" She was a little disbelieving.
"Aesthetics are completely subjective, you know," the magic mirror argued, "Your Majesty Queen, look, Aurora is only eleven years old, still in the cute category. She's completely incomparable to your mature, full-figured, and wise self. They shouldn't even be compared in the first place."
Queen scratched her head, looking bewildered:
"If there's no comparability, then why did you answer that way before?"
This magic mirror, something's not right today!
The magic mirror answered seriously:
"This is related to my personal preferences and aesthetics. I prefer children!
"I've already said that aesthetics are subjective, Your Majesty Queen. When you asked me before who was more beautiful, I naturally answered according to my own personal aesthetics."
Queen's mouth twitched, looking speechless:
"So, in the end, it's just that you prefer children!"
What kind of nonsense is this!
Hearing the magic mirror's unusually strange answer, Aurora, as a bird, was also very surprised, looking at Rhine with confusion in her eyes.
Rhine smiled.
"I knew Queen might ask the magic mirror this question again, so I found a night beforehand and chatted with the magic mirror.
"After our repeated debates on subjective aesthetics and the essence of beauty, the magic mirror finally acknowledged that its great, noble, beloved master is the most beautiful—at least in the magic mirror's heart.
"From now on, even if Queen asks who is the most beautiful person in the world, she will get the same answer."
Aurora tried to imagine Rhine passionately debating with the magic mirror in the night, finding it very amusing.
Knock knock knock.
A rhythmic knocking sound came from outside the door.
Queen, whose mood was at its peak after just receiving a compliment from the magic mirror, pulled open the door.
Standing at the door was none other than the young Snow White.
Her skin was as white as snow, so delicate it seemed it would break with a touch, and her ebony hair cascaded down. Though young, she was charming and lovely, evoking pity and affection.
Snow White's clear, gem-like eyes were wide as she looked at Queen:
"Mama, you've been busy behind closed doors for the past two months and haven't seen anyone. Papa said you've been working hard on important state affairs and told me not to disturb you.
"Today, I heard Papa say that you finally have time to leave your room for a walk. Are you done with your work, Mama? That's wonderful!
"Mama, please be careful not to overwork yourself."
After speaking, Snow White gave Queen a sweet smile.
Queen looked at her adorable daughter's innocent smile, her lips moving, wanting to say something but unable to.
After a brief inner struggle, Queen finally made up her mind.
She squatted down, picked up Snow White, and stroked her daughter's soft, dark hair. She looked at her daughter's fair, snow-like skin, and couldn't help but remember how she had almost harmed her daughter in the past.
"Mama is so gentle today," Snow White hugged Queen's neck tightly, "I love Mama the most."
Rhine and Aurora watched this scene calmly, neither of them speaking, but with many emotions in their hearts.
Having used the [Wrong Love] perfume, they knew that what Snow White said was the absolute truth.
Aurora, transformed into a bird, flapped her wings again and hopped onto Rhine's shoulder:
"Teacher, you've helped another Kingdom. You've fulfilled many people's wishes."
"It's not completely resolved yet; the Eastern Witch is still alive," Rhine said, "The Eastern Witch is still nearby, ready to strike at us and Queen at any time."
"Only by dealing with the threat from the Eastern Witch—whether by killing her or driving her away—can the matter of White Kingdom be considered concluded. Only then can we safely embark on our journey to Oz."
"Don't forget, Oz is the Eastern Witch's home ground. If possible, it's best if we deal with the Eastern Witch here beforehand, or at least severely weaken her."
Aurora, transformed into a bird, nodded:
"But at least the conflicts within White Kingdom have been resolved."
She paused, then said:
"Teacher, I've always had a question I wanted to ask you."
"Ask away," Rhine said.