Chapter 307: Fairy Tale World - Clementine
[Welcome to the world of Clementine. Your current identity is a village girl from the same village as Clementine.]
[Mission 1: Stop your sister from harming Clementine.]
[Mission 2: Make the Prince fall in love with your sister, allowing her to successfully replace Clementine.]
Faye Yardley sat on a wooden plank bed in an unfamiliar thatched hut, stunned by the system’s notifications.
’Can I go back after finishing just one mission, or do I have to complete both?’
’Mission 1 is simple. I just have to force my sister to stay home.’
’But what the hell is this second mission?’
’How am I supposed to make a Prince of unknown appearance and age fall in love with my sister?’
’And who is this Clementine, anyway?’
Her head was starting to spin. She had never read this story before. This was going to be the death of her.
’Even being Snow White’s evil stepmother would be better than this.’
"Faye, what’s wrong? Is your head feeling any better?" A young woman with a face full of freckles and eyes brimming with worry appeared before Faye Yardley, holding a bowl of dark, murky medicine.
"Sister?"
"It seems you didn’t hurt your head too badly. You still remember me! Thank heavens, that’s wonderful. Quick, drink this medicine. You’ll be all better."
It was just a single, tentative word—"Sister"—but the young woman was overjoyed. Even her steps seemed to become lighter as she walked toward Faye Yardley.
Faye Yardley obediently took the bowl. She glanced at the murky medicine, then at the young woman’s expectant eyes. The corner of her mouth twitched. She raised the bowl to her lips, and the liquid flowed not down her throat, but into her inventory.
’Great. The inventory works. That’s excellent news.’
Seeing her obediently finish the "medicine," the young woman smiled happily. "Faye, I’m sure you’ll get better soon. Next time, don’t go playing with Clementine. She’s a bad influence. She’s the reason you hit your head."
"Sister, it wasn’t Clementine’s fault. I think it was Clementine who carried me back after I fainted, right?"
"It was. But if she hadn’t brought you back—if she’d just left you passed out in the wild—I would’ve ripped her to shreds!"
As she spoke, the young woman made a fierce face that held little actual threat.
Faye Yardley could only feign a pained "Ouch!" and clutch her head. "Sister, I think hitting my head made me forget a lot of things. For example, I can’t remember your name right now."
The young woman looked at her with great concern, walked over to sit beside her, and asked cautiously, "Does your head still hurt? It’s okay if you can’t remember. I can tell you. I’m your older sister, Faye."
"What about our mom and dad?"
Faye’s face filled with sadness. "Dad went hunting the year after you were born... he was mauled by a bear and didn’t make it back. Mom passed away from a serious illness when you were five. But don’t worry, your big sister can take care of you."
’No dad, no mom, and a younger sister who’s a burden... Isn’t this the standard setup for the female lead in a web novel?’
"I’m sorry, Sister. It must have been so hard on you all these years."
Faye’s face broke into a gratified smile. "It’s not hard at all. It seems one little knock on the head has made you suddenly grow up and become so sensible."
Faye Yardley could only return the smile, then she asked, "What about Clementine? What’s her family situation?"
"Her? Who knows what her situation is. One day, the year before last, she just walked out of the clementine grove on the other side of the mountain and came to our village. She’s been living here ever since."
Hmm??
’She just suddenly appears from a clementine grove, and her name is Clementine... Don’t tell me she’s actually a clementine?!’
’After all, this is a Fairy Tale World. Anything is possible, right?’
’If she was a clementine that turned into a person, how could Faye harm her?’
’Faye is just an ordinary girl, isn’t she?’
Her mind reeling with questions, Faye Yardley decided she would take a walk around the village later to gather more information.
’Besides, does a village girl really get to meet a Prince?’
’Oh, right. This isn’t a normal world. In fairy tales, the heroine always ends up with the Prince.’
’So the Prince must be living somewhere not too far from the village.’
’It would be great if he were The Frog Prince. I could just pick him up, have Faye give him a kiss, and he’d fall in love with her. Then they’d live happily ever after.’
’The Fairy Tale World’s rules never said there couldn’t be crossovers. What if this is a world where all fairy tales are mashed together?’
"Sister, are there any nice-looking little ponds or places like that in the nearby forest?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, come on, just tell me."
Faye was clearly not one to refuse her younger sister’s requests. She sighed in resignation. "Yes, yes, there are quite a few. The scenery is beautiful everywhere around here. If your head isn’t hurting tomorrow, I’ll take you into the mountains to pick mushrooms and show you the kind of little pond you’re looking for."
Just as Faye Yardley was about to coax her sister into going right away, a sudden sense of alarm rose within her. She immediately smiled and nodded instead. "Okay, okay! Whatever you say, Sister."
The moment she said it, the feeling of danger vanished instantly.
Seeing how happy Faye looked, Faye Yardley asked tentatively, "Sister, can I get up and walk around? It looks like we don’t have many things. Is there any food left in the house?"
"Are you hungry? It’s fine, we still have a few mushrooms left. I’ll go make you some mushroom soup."
’This is just pathetic,’ Faye Yardley thought. ’Only a few mushrooms left? What on earth have they been eating all this time to grow up looking so healthy?’
She couldn’t help but be curious. After all, besides some freckles, Faye looked every bit the vibrant, beautiful young woman, with a full head of lush, glossy hair. She didn’t look gaunt or malnourished in the slightest.
She looked down at her own hands. ’Okay, they’re still my original hands, unchanged.’ It didn’t seem possible that mushroom soup alone could keep two sisters so well-fed.
"Sister, I want to help you make the soup. I can tend the fire."
"Okay. Let’s go together, then."
When they got to the kitchen, Faye Yardley was shocked by the so-called "few mushrooms."
It was a huge basin filled with all sorts of plump mushrooms, and she couldn’t tell which were poisonous and which were safe to eat.
"Sister, are all of these mushrooms edible?"
Faye gave her a strange look, then shook her head. "It seems you really have forgotten a lot. I’m just glad you haven’t forgotten me."
She walked over and skillfully picked out a small plateful from the large basin, then said, "Remember this: you can only eat these specific kinds when they’re cooked together. If you eat them separately, you’ll get a stomachache."
[Ding~ The first rule has appeared. You cannot eat any food that has not been prepared by Faye.]
’This is a rule? Then if I ever leave Faye, won’t I starve to death?’
’Can I still eat the food in my inventory?’
Faye Yardley decided not to risk it for now. She carefully studied the six types of mushrooms, memorizing their appearance and characteristics, then nodded. "Okay, Sister, don’t worry. I’ll listen to you and won’t eat anything I’m not supposed to."
Her obedience and willingness to listen clearly put Faye in a much better mood.