Chapter 30: Alice in Trouble
There was a boy named Aubrey Grimalkin, who was born wealthy, extremely intelligent, and handsome. Born having everything, he found life quite tedious.
And so he developed a small hobby. He was skilled in this field, so he became famous for it. And the day he turned 18, the boy visited the city of the lawless, Wonderland.
A well-respected lawyer was Aubrey Grimalkin—a murderer who never left any evidence, Hyde, and Wonderland’s Cheshire. They were all descriptions of the same person.
In Outhouse, he was the most expensive lawyer in the biggest office in the biggest building. There he stared at a photograph and smiled. In the photo was a blond-haired, smiling girl. He had just gained information about her.
“Alice Liddell.”
His gray, knife-edged eyes sparkled.
***
“Alice Liddell.”
Somebody called her name. Alice woke up. Like a ghost sweeping across her neck, a chill ran up her back. I must have had a nightmare. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Saddened by her parents’ sudden death was a girl at the bottom of a lake. At her calling, her eyes fluttered slightly awake, yet she was not yet aware of what was to come.
***
SoYoon had spent a lot of time at Heart’s office in Wonderland. She was there today as well.
SoYoon remembered what she’d heard from Dee as she sat on Heart’s sofa, wasting her time. Heart was playing with her hair as she turned to him and asked, “I heard there’s a rumor about our relationship.”
“Rumor? That you’re my assistant?”
Because SoYoon spent so much time at Heart’s house, it was no wonder that there were rumors about them. Heart’s dog, that was how the majority of the people in Wonderland thought about her. She shook her head and copied how Dee had explained it by raising her pinkie.
“That I’m your this.”
Heart blinked several times upon seeing a gesture that he thought he would never see SoYoon do, then burst out laughing. Her revealed face showed not an ounce of emotion as she flicked her pinkie to and fro. The contrast made him smile.
When Heart started laughing, she returned her pinkie to normal. Heart could sense her annoyance by her slight pouting, and he continued to laugh.
“It’s possible that such a rumor could have circulated. The things that people around here talk about are pretty much the same. It isn’t something to get worked up over.”
Heart and SoYoon: the two contrasting images—one a pheromone-inducing heartthrob, the other a gender-neutral stick. Most people would have thought the two of them together ridiculous.
“Who said that?”
Gestures and rumors aside, the fact that there was even an ant’s antenna’s worth of gossip revolving around their relationship worried her. SoYoon leaned back on the sofa.
“Twins.”
“That’s why you’re concerned about a rumor?”
SoYoon worried about the rumor because she was afraid that Alice would hear it and stray from Heart. Heart didn’t like the fact that she was so obsessed with Alice that she was unable to tell him the truth.
SoYoon shook her head. Heart hugged her and sat her on his lap.
He put his lips to her ears and whispered, “My Whitey seems to be having more and more secrets these days.”
His vetiver scent, his warmth, his strong arms, his voice that tickled her ear every time his lips swept across it—his deep voice shook her. SoYoon pushed Heart away, but he clutched her head underneath her hair and pulled her closer.
Her chin rested on Heart’s shoulder, and she mumbled, “I never meant to create secrets.” Now that she said it out loud, it sounded like an excuse.
“…Of course you didn’t.”
Heart released his grip, causing SoYoon to sway and hit the floor. Losing his warmth, she felt cold. She removed the pin from her hair and put on her mask.
“I’ll be going now.”
Heart nodded.
***
After SoYoon left Heart’s house, she got a request to kill someone. When she completed the task, she headed over to Mad Hatter’s. He had asked her to treat the fingers he kept hurting.
Even though it was the middle of spring, Wonderland remained a flowerless dessert. As she walked those streets, she heard a familiar voice calling her in a most unfamiliar way.
“Undertaker? It’s you, isn’t it?”
The man that had only recently stayed with her shook her hand. Seeing the beige jacket and the sophisticated scarf falling from his neckline, she knew who it was.
As the man walked, the ends of his hair reflected the sunlight into lights of silver. He smiled. She had not seen that expression once on Dee’s face for the week that she lived with him.
“You’re not mistaking me for Dee now, are you? I’m Tweedle Dum.”
Dum introduced himself and held out his hand. It was a strange gesture in Wonderland, but he held SoYoon’s rough hands gently in his.
“Thank you for saving Dee. It was all your doing that he is alive.”
“I was only doing my job.”
“Still, thank you. I’ll never forget this.”
Dum smiled like a bouquet of pink flowers. The only time Dee laughed was a sarcastic sneer mixed with cursing. Dum was completely different.
If he could fool her, then it was no wonder he could fool the rest of Wonderland.
She pulled her hand away, but Dum tightened his grip to make sure she couldn’t get away.
“Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? I want to hear how you’ve been getting along with Dee…And also as a thank you.”
“I was paid enough already.”
“It’s a gesture of gratitude. Are you busy now?”
She wasn’t in any special hurry, but she did have to fulfill Mad Hatter’s request. When she nodded, Dum looked disappointed and let go of her hand.
“Then, next time. Promise.”
SoYoon turned and walked away. She felt his heated gaze on her back.
***
SoYoon saw the burnt corpses near the window at Mad Hatter’s house. They must have tried to enter without his permission.
She knew that with his personality, there was no way he would have let that pass. She kicked and rolled the corpses far enough from the house that they didn’t get in her way and stepped in front of the door. A few seconds later, Mad Hatter granted her entry.
Even though he spent most of his time in his laboratory on the second floor, every time SoYoon visited, he would be standing at the foot of the stairs or outside his lab’s door. She looked in that direction out of habit but turned her head as she felt a presence elsewhere.
“You’re late.”
Today, he was wearing a white turban, which masked his hair. He remained cold, and he couldn’t mask his sense of discomfort.
“What are you doing? Sit.”
He pointed to the sofa and went into the kitchen. She sat down and opened the first-aid kit. Soon, Mad Hatter returned, holding a tray. Every step he took toward her wafted a sweet smell across the room. He placed the refreshments on the table.
He brought in a teapot, two teacups, vodka, a plate filled with capsules, and a scone. A scone—that was the reason for the discomfort. She’d never smelled food in his house.
Mad Hatter put the vodka and medicine in front of him. He placed the scone before her and poured the tea. The black tea absorbed the sunlight to reflect a golden light brown, and steam rose from it in swirls.
She placed the teacup on the table. Mad Hatter stared at her. Did he want her to drink it? Based on the light scent floating in the room, it didn’t look as if he’d done anything to it.
SoYoon took off her mask and drank from the cup. As the color was light, so was the taste, but it was not bad. He observed her closely, then pushed the scone closer to her.
“Eat this too.”
The small, round scone looked warm. SoYoon split it and put a piece in her mouth. The outside was crisp and the inside soft and slightly dry. She chewed the fluffy pastry thoughtfully.
“How is it?”
“It’s good.”
“…I see. Don’t misunderstand. It’s like an experiment. The process of experimenting with cooking is dependent on a subject to test it. I hope you will continue to help me with it.”
He explained this to her, then drank his vodka. SoYoon’s attention went to the object he was eating like a snack. Noticing this, he raised the orange capsule to show her.
“It’s a vitamin capsule. Four are the same as one meal. Would you like to try it?”
“No.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
Mad Hatter nodded at her split-second refusal. He had already known about her hatred of medicine. His reason for eating the capsules instead of food was for the same reason.
“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”
“What is?”
Mad Hatter pointed at her forehead. She grabbed her long bangs.
The original story described White Rabbit: white hair, red eyes, pale skin, black mask, small and thin stature, a giant sword on his back. Other than the color of her eyes, the rest was still accurate.
That’s why she covered her eyes. She thought that would guarantee that the story would persist in the same way. But as Mad Hatter pointed out, it was uncomfortable at times. Especially when she was eating, it got in the way.
SoYoon pushed her bangs out of the way. Her hair, however, slid back into place, covering her sight. This time, she pulled it back and placed it behind her ear. The moment she took her hand off, it returned to its original position. Let’s leave it.
Mad Hatter came forward after her surrender. He held a pin in his injured hand. She kept her back straight as he pinned her hair to the side.
“Thanks!”
“No problem.”
Black tea and scones, vodka and a vitamin capsule—this strange tea party continued.