"I heard rumors about how you torment players in this castle. You let them wander around the corridors for a long time and will lead them towards this hall. You will give them one hour, so they could open the door again, but opening the door came at a price." He paused and looked at the kneeling woman again. "Every stage of your play always left behind a trail of blood."
"...N-no...p-p-please...I..." Zezolla tried to plead, but the thing grasping her neck tightens more, robbing her off her breath more quickly. "...p-please..."
However, Qantas didn't care for her sufferings, after glancing at her this time again, he never looked at her again. He turned his eyes towards that vague figure beyond the huge door.
"It's alright." He continued. The tone of his voice changed, and it became soft and gentle. But Zezolla isn't comforted, she became more frightened instead. "I knew many of Envy's NPC. They are all notoriously known for being sadistic, at the same time... masochistic."
"I have known from Envy that you are acquainted with the girl from 'Goose Girl' next door." Recalling that time, Qantas frowned. "She dared to covet my little sun's beautiful hair. Do you know where she is right now?"
Curling his lips in a satisfied arc, Qantas said, "after shaving her head clean, I seize her domain, and since she likes gold so much, I send her off to be a goose that lays golden eggs to the three brothers' at the neighborhood."
Shivering from fright, Zezolla didn't try to struggle anymore. She really knew that girl. She was a princess, as well. Why her domain looks so much like 'Goose Girl', it was because she was once robbed of her identity before she came here. She was switched from birth, if not for her golden hair, the royal family won't be able to recognize her. That girl loved her golden hair so much, before she reclaimed her title as a princess, she was hailed as the most beautiful girl in her town. She was loved and envied by everyone. She had a really good life, before she became a princess.
Golden hair is very rare in that Kingdom, and mostly only the royal family have that hair color. Which is why they were once hailed as the children of gods. When the kingdom found out that there was a girl with golden hair residing at a certain remote town near their borders, that girl was almost executed for a crime of impersonating the royal family. Coincidentally, the night before her death sentence, the true imposter, the current beloved princess, was exposed. Her hair was brown, and she was only using a dye to color her hair gold.
Although that girl managed to get her identity back, she didn't have a good life. When Zezolla heard why she suffered even though she was a princess, she couldn't help but laugh.
Again, it was because of her hair.
"Why is it always the hair?" Zezolla's curiosity asked. Zezolla also has blond hair. In her country, almost everyone is blond. However, she once heard rumors about a certain country from the north, that really made the eye color very significant. When she heard those rumors, she also roared with laughter. People said, that country hated black eyes, but how could you measure up black eyes? There's no black eyes in this world. It's dark brown people!
Zezolla really wanted to know what these people were thinking. She wasn't a religious person, so she doesn't know why they are acting like a lunatic over some kind of belief. So, when she heard the girl's story, she felt pity for her.
When she became a princess and lived in the castle, she didn't enjoy the feeling of having a princess title, because her vitality is slowly fading away. It begins with her hair, her vibrant golden hair, faded away, until it became white. Before she died, she was subjected to much bullying and abused, because of her fading hair. She was bed ridden, and carried the name of a 'cursed princess' after she died.
That girl loves her hair more than she loves her life. Zezolla was also almost shaved bald when they first met. That girl is also the most accepting, kindest person under Envy. When she became an NPC, she accepted it without complaint. Her instance also became the easiest one out of many instances, because they only have to pluck one strand of her hair. If a player fails to complete the mission in the set time, they're blood will become the nutrients for her hair. That's it.
That's why, when Zezolla heard this great god's mighty deed, Zezolla had an urge to cry without tears. Shaving her head bald, for her that was already a deadly punishment.
"You should know what my words mean, Zezolla." Qantas voice rang once again, waking Zezolla's stupor. She felt her neck free, and she is able to.breathe freely again. She choked and coughed hard. Her chest and shoulders heave heavily. Zezolla was drenched with cold sweat. She knew what this great god meant, he was warning her. But why? She didn't do anything. It is still not time for the players to come here.
Just as Zezolla was thinking hard, she remembered something. This great god spoke something about the presence of another. And aside from her, and this great god, there's only her mice and that one player at the hall. Is he talking about that man outside?
Recalling how she played with him, Zezolla felt cold on her body again. It's been three days. That man was lost inside her corridors for three days. Is he going to kill me because of that? No way, just what is the identity of that man? Zezolla was sure he was just a player. But how could he get in?
In Zezolla's instance, Cinderella's Wonderland– every player will get teleported randomly in her castle corridors. The game will start after they all manage to reach this hall. However, the point is, Cinderella's Wonderland is a group instance, where hundreds of players participate in. More so, Zezolla's instance is still close. It is still close, ah! Just how did he get in?!!
...
Observing Zyair's avatar from where he stood. Qantas felt it was quite novel. More so, he could see that RiverSun is not moving. He wonders what his little sun is doing right now. He is also worried.
When he came to visit Envy earlier, he also came to ask about what kind of instance Cinderella's Wonderland is. After all, he disappeared for a long time, many things changed in just a short while in this place. Qantas isn't familiar with that instance, since he was already in Envy's place, he asked about it.
He panicked and felt nervous, when he heard the details about the instance. Though, there's a huge time difference between the game and the real world, it will still eat away time. Qantas was worried Zyair couldn't take it, and got impatient. So, he came to visit Zezolla, the well known Cinderella.
"Zezolla, you're not Cinderella. Or do you want me to cut some of your toe, so the glass slipper will fit in your foot?"
Zezolla shivered badly from his threat.
"Just do what I say you'll do, and you'll be free."
Click. Qantas flicked a coin. Zezolla panicked when something shiny came to her, and instinctively went to catch it.
When she saw what it was, she couldn't stop her mouth from falling off.
"T-t-t-this. T-this is. T-this is the token of Envy!"
"That's right." Qantas never looked at her again, his eyes were still focused on the figure that remained unmoving till now. He was feeling really impatient, he wanted to end this conversation and fly directly towards his little sun's side. He guesses that Zyair ain't going back anytime now. So, he wanted to seize this opportunity even if it's just for a short time.
"Do your job well and you'll be able to go out of this castle again."