Wait And See
[You have chosen, "Wait and See"]
[The maiden decided not to do anything risky, and decided to rest, waiting for something else to happen. It was quite a reasonable choice, as she needed time to heal anyways, and escaping wouldn't do her much good.]
Wait! You didn't pick escape? D-Did you doubt my judgment or something?
Maiden: W-What? I'm... I'm going to stay here?
Er... well, not forever! I'm sure you'll be able to get another opportunity later, don't worry so much about it!
Maiden: I-I suppose...
[And so, the maiden continued to wait, trying to get as comfortable as she could with an injured leg that was tied up. Though, that wasn't easy, since her condition was still quite bad from the reckless adventure into the forest.]
Maiden: Oh dear... I'm... really...
[Though the maiden had been cold, the fire next to her gave the warmth she needed to recover from that. Unfortunately, that did not mean the maiden had drank or eaten anything. While she did not know how long she had been sleeping, it was a fact that she was very hungry and thirsty.]
Maiden: ...These... are berries? Maybe... maybe...
Wait, is this ok? Are those berries alright to eat?
Maiden: I... don't know... but someone prepared them... for me... so it should be fine...
Er... does that make sense?
[While the maiden tried to relax, the only thing that did was make her even more aware of how hungry and thirsty she was. There was a part of her that was a little afraid of the berries, as she was told many times by those that raised her not to eat berries she did not recognize, due to how many poisonous ones there were.]
Maiden: ...
Uh, that doesn't sound good.
[She tried to avert her gaze from the berries, but for some reason, her gaze continued gravitating towards them, unable to look away. In fact, as she continued to look at the berries, her vision blurred slightly, then when it cleared up, the berries... looked more familiar.]
Maiden: Ah... these are just like the berries I eat all the time.
W-What? How does that make any sense?
[By the way, the maiden did not eat berries that often]
Eh? Wait, stop! You shouldn't eat those!
[The maiden gently picked up one of the berries in between the two of her fingers. It was bright red and quite alluring.]
Maiden: ...This is a berry from my hometown, everyone ate these all the time!
U-Um, are you sure?
[Her hometown did not have a habit of eating berries, as so many of them were poisonous near them.]
Wh-
Maiden: ...Yes, it's... perfectly safe to eat.
Stop! Seriously! I know you haven't really listened to me all this time, and my advice wasn't always the best, but you seriously can't eat that berry!
Maiden: Ah, strange voice, you're right.
...Oh, thank god you listened. Honestly, I thought you were gonna-
Maiden: I SHOULD eat this berry!
What the fu-
[The maiden's mind felt a little fuzzy. Her logic didn't really add up, but everything seemed to make so much in her mind. The bright red shine of the berry in her hand began to look extremely alluring, just like the berry she had always eaten in the village.]
[Despite the fact she rarely ate any berries in the first place]
Wait, wait, wait, this is messed up!
[With a small smile on her face, the maiden gently placed the berry in her mouth]
Spit it out! Spit it out!
Maiden: ...It's just like I remembered!
[Then chewed down on it]
...
Maiden: It tastes... so good!
[The berries were actually slightly bitter, and something that most wouldn't consider enjoyable. However, to the maiden who hadn't eaten in quite a while, it was a delight. Her parched throat felt quite a bit better after eating that berry.]
Huh... so it wasn't poisonous?
Maiden: Haha... poisonous? That's impossible! Berries aren't poisonous.
Er-
[They are poisonous]
Hey, you don't mean the one she just ate, right?
[Yes, I do]
...
Maiden: Why are the two of you panicking? It's completely fine!
[The maiden waved her hand dismissively, ignoring the slight pain in her stomach that was festering. Her gaze then shifted towards the rest of the berries, all resting in the bowl.]
Wait, it doesn't seem like one berry is too bad for you! If you stop now, then surely you will have a high chance of surviving.
[The maiden laughed a little strangely]
Maiden: What are you talking about? If I don't eat, then I'm obviously going to starve to death! I should eat them all.
No, no, no!
[The maiden ignored the pleas of the strange voice in her head and took a handful of the berries.]
Ok, ok, how about this? You only eat a little bit more. That way, you will be a little fed, and won't die from the poison in the berries.
Maiden: Mm.... will you stop yelling at me if I agree?
Yes, yes I will!
Maiden: Ok...
[The maiden proceeded to eat the entire handful of berries]
What the-
I thought I said only a little!
[The maiden chewed rather voraciously, basking in how fulfilling it felt. More than satisfying her hunger, she cared about how thirsty she had felt. Despite crashing right into a waterfall, she didn't really get to drink much water considering she had fainted upon landing. The pain in her stomach rapidly became quite extreme, but it seemed that the maiden somehow blocked that out of her senses.]
...S-Stop! If you're thirsty, you can surely get some water later!
Maiden: I thought you said you were gonna keep quiet!
I said I would if you only ate a little!
Maiden: But this is still a little!
[The maiden proceeded to take another large handful, gulping it down messily, causing some of the bright red juices to spill out and drip down her chin. And without another word, she used her other hand to do it again.]
This is clearly not a little! You've already eaten over half of it!
Maiden: ...
[No longer listening to the strange voice in her head, she continued to eat the berries as though possessed. Until eventually, nearly all of the berries were finished.]
I... I don't know what to say.
Maiden: ...
[Soon enough, there was only one left in the basket]
...
Maiden: Just... just a little.
[She looked towards the basket and picked up the last berry]
How the hell is it a little if you eat every single one!
Maiden: ...I'm not eating all of it.
...
[She then bit down on the berry, but left a little less than half. In her hand, before placing it back down in the basket.]
Y-You...
Maiden: ...
[Then, the maiden picked up the half of the berry and ate it as well]
...
Maiden: ...
I just want to check something. You do know that I've been warning you for YOUR sake, right?
Maiden: ...Well, there was no point in holding back at that point.
I-I just, do you really not care about listening to me at all? I am trying to help...
Maiden: I do care.
Then-
Maiden: At least, right now I do.
Huh?
Maiden: ...I'm really regretting... eating those berries...
[The maiden curled up and grabbed onto her head with a pained expression]
...Oh god.
Maiden: It... It hurts...
[At first, it was only her stomach, but it soon spread out to her entire body. The pain was gradually disappearing, but that was because her body was numbing significantly.]
A-Are you going to be ok?
Maiden: I... don't think so.
[The maiden could feel the consequences of her actions catching up to her. She was already aware that eating the berries had a high risk of being poisonous, but with it being placed right next to her, she just couldn't help but bet on that chance with how thirsty she was.]
I guess... that makes sense.
Maiden: Ha... haha...
[Despite the fact the maiden didn't exactly have experience in dying, she could tell that her life was soon coming to an end. It was a strange intuition because it was not pain that she felt, but numbness. She was slowly losing sensation of her entire body, left with only a strange tingling that also began to fade away.]
Maiden: Perhaps... this was always going to happen.
...What are you talking about?
Maiden: A person like me... was destined not to live a happy life... since the very moment I was born.
The heck? How could you even say that!
[The maiden then closed her eyes, never to open them again]
...Dammit! This wouldn't have happened if we tried to escape!
Reader! This is your fault for not choo-
[A couple of minutes after her death, someone opened the flaps of the tent to check up on the person inside. It looked like a rather timid figure, one that was afraid of disturbing someone's rest.]
Hey! I'm not finished talk-
[It was a demon underling. Upon looking at the maiden's body, it figured that the woman was still sleeping.]
Demon Underling: Huh, the human is still awake. Ugh... do ugly people just have a hard time waking up?
...Wait, ugly?
[A few moments later, a demon general placed his hand on his underling's shoulder]
Demon General: Haha, the human may look ugly to us, but I'm sure humans have a different standard of beauty.
Yeah, exactly!
Demon General: Though... I can't imagine even humans would enjoy an appearance like that much...
What the...
Demon Underling: Hm... it seems the human settled down. It isn't kicked about as much anymore.
Demon General: That is true. I suppose we can untie the human's leg in that case, it must be quite uncomfortable.
[The demon general went inside the tent, making sure not to make any loud steps. With its sharp claws, it gently began untying the rope, making sure not to scratch the maiden in the process.]
Hmm... even if they do want to capture her for a death game, I still feel like they are being a little too nice.
[Well, they are still technically her direct cause of death]
Huh? How does...
Oh right, they must've been the ones that set those poisonous berries next to her. Turns out they are really cruel people.
[The demon general finished untying the leg, and slowly set it down]
Demon Underling: Ugh... this color is so strange. I'll never get used to humans.
[The demon underling walked up closer and ended up stepping in the fire in the process. It looked down at the fire catching onto its leg, but did not panic.]
Demon Underling: Ah, oops. I stepped on the fire.
[As it was trying to shake off the flames, it accidentally brought it quite close to the maiden's honey-covered leg.]
Hm? But it's just honey, that should like, stifle the flame like water, right? They are both liquids...
[...]
[Then, the honey caught fire, rapidly spreading across the entirety of the maiden's leg, as that was the place that was covered in honey. After all, honey is flammable. Well, at least pure honey.]
Demon General: Wh- what the heck are you doing! You're burning the human!
Demon Underling: Oops! B-But, it's not like fire is a big deal, right?
[The demon general looked rather exasperated]
Demon General: Humans are allergic to fire! Are you so uneducated that you don't know that?
Demon Underling: W-What?! Oh crap!
[After the honey was burned through, the fire... started to char a bit of the maiden's leg. Both the demon general and demon underling desperately tried to bat away the flames, but were unable to do so fast enough to prevent damage.]
This... I-I'm not looking at this.
[Once the fire was put out, the demon general looked at his underling with a fierce expression]
Demon General: Look what you've done!
[The demon underling grabbed his head with distress]
Demon Underling: I... I didn't mean it!
[The demon general sighed with disappointment]
Demon General: We will report this to the lord, and share the responsibility between the two of us.
[The demon underling looked rather nervous]
Demon Underling: W-Wait! We don't have to report it right? We could just... pretend we never saw the human!
[The demon general gave his underling a glare]
Demon General: What is wrong with you? Are you trying to avoid punishment?
[The demon underling looked away, with an ashamed expression on his face]
Demon Underling: It's just... I've gotten you in so much trouble because of my mistakes...
[The demon general sighed]
Demon General: I've already told you, a leader is responsible for their subordinates. If I had trained you better, then maybe this wouldn't have happened.
Demon Underling: Leader...
What the heck is happening?
[And so, this marks the end of the Maiden's story]
[Acquired Ending: Poisoned Maiden]
Dammit! It's all because of that choice we made!
...Wait, honey is flammable?
.....That means.....if she tried to escape....
She would've burned to death?
[You are shuddering, aren't you?]
Wh- No!
[Out of the two options, death by going numb is far better than burning]
I... I guess.
Wait! How is that even fair? Both of the choices were death? Seriously!?!
[Yes]
...Tsk.
Now, can we try the story again? We are going to get the ending right this time!
[Not so fast, you still have to look at the epilogue]
Huh? What is even going to happen in that?
[Starting Epilogue: Poisoned Maiden]