Snow White with the Red Hair (赤髪の白雪姫)

Yes!

Spellamiso. A perennial plant from the Aoshidare family.

If you steam the roots and dry them, it can lower fevers and alleviate pain.

Oh, no. It's time to open the shop...!

This is...

...my own path...

...my own story.

If I had my wish,

I would keep writing my own path like this...

"Episode 1: Encounter... Changing the Color of Fate"

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest girl in the land?

Prince Raj.

What is it, Sakaki?

This is not a mirror.

He is an informant from town.

Ahem.

He's telling me everything as he sees it, so he might as well be a mirror!

Well, please do not joke around too much.

You too! Don't just stand there! Tell me your information!

Y-Yes, Highness!

You want to know who the most beautiful girl in the kingdom of Tanbarun is, right?

In that case, what about that girl...?

That girl?

Yes, a girl born with exceptionally rare red hair, as red as an apple.

Her name is Shirayuki, Highness.

Thanks, Miss!

Don't forget to take your medicine!

See ya, Shirayuki.

Yoshi, feel better!

Thanks for waiting!

Next is the medicine for you, Kino, right?

Don't worry about it.

I just came to let my eyes rest on your beautiful hair.

Thank you. But since you're here, I'll prepare some more medicine for you.

I got a hold of some good medicinal herbs, so please take some with you.

You are a fine herbalist.

I wish your dead grandparents could see you...

Um... Kino--

I just remembered! I left the stove on!

Huh?!

Oh dear, oh dear.

I guess I can just bring it to her later.

Did you forget someth--

Prince Raj's... concubine?

Yes, in other words, a mistress.

That's absurd.

I can't believe he'd want a town girl like me because of the color of my hair.

I'll be an embarrassment to the prince.

That Prince Raj has taken a liking to you.

Anyway, you must formally present yourself to the castle tomorrow morning.

Dress yourself up tonight while you can.

For Kino, something to relieve the pain in her back and stop the inflammation of her respiratory tract.

At Yuri's place, the father and baby were coming down with a cold.

Okay, all that's left is...

That'll take care of everything.

It's not your fault, though.

Good-bye, Tanbarun.

Excuse me!

Excuse me! Is anyone home?

I can't just go in without permission...

And it's getting dark...

And I'm starting to get hungry...

Mitsuhide, Kiki! I'm going on ahead!

Jeez, you're going from a place like that again?

Ow...

Are you all right, Zen?

Are you injured? Did you hit your head?

What's one plus one?

Two.

Huh? Who're you again?

It's me, Mitsuhide!

Oh, was that your name?

Kiki! You, too?!

Well?

Who are you, really?

What are you doing, so deep in the woods?

O-Oh, I just followed a road without many people in the middle of running away, and...

You have strange hair.

Yeah, people often tell me that.

Your right arm... It's hurt!

What about it?

I'm an herbalist. I have a poultice you can use if you'd like.

I don't want it.

Huh?

It could be poison or something. How can I use it if someone gives it to me all of a sudden?

It's not like I'm a dwarf or something. I'm not going to trust someone so easily.

In other words, I've no business with you.

Right...

If you understand, then get going.

Well, what he said was true.

I guess there are arrogant people everywhere.

Hm? Wha--?

Wh-What are you...?

Unfortunately, I don't make it a habit to carry poison around.

She got you, Zen.

Sorry about that. My name's Zen.

I'm Shirayuki.

Nice to meet you, Shirayuki.

It was half your fault that I missed my landing in the first place.

Huh?

This is an unoccupied house, but we hang out here.

And the one losing at chess over there is Mitsuhide,

and the one winning easily is Kiki.

Zen, how can you say for sure that I'm losing without even looking?

I can just tell.

You are losing.

Okay, that should do it.

Wow, you're good at this, Shirayuki.

I'm used to it.

I told you that I'm an herbalist, right?

Oh yeah, you did.

Well, why did an herbalist like you run away from home?

That's not important.

I'm going for a walk.

Well, why did you come with me?

It'd be dishonorable as a gentleman to allow an injured girl to go into the woods alone.

Weirdo.

I got used to the mountains and forests while studying to be an herbalist.

The time and air flow differently from the town here, and it feels so good.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Those were your honest feelings just now, huh?

Ow!

Ow...

Oh, it's caught.

You have a strand that's longer than the others.

Huh?

Oh, I must've missed it.

Sorry, Zen. Will you cut it off for me?

Huh?

It doesn't have to be straight.

No, no. I can't cut a woman's hair!

Does cutting off your long hair have something to do with why you ran away from home?

If you tell me the reason, I can help you.

You're a terrible person.

Hm?

You were told to become his concubine?!

By a famous rich boy who learned to speak in the red-light district and ate silver coins.

He thought red hair was unusual and wanted to keep it by him.

If I did as he said, it'd be like he was buying an apple at the fruit seller's.

--Shirayuki-- --That's why I thought I'd have him tire of it little by little

and left my hair behind.

That was a great decision!

Huh?

Good job getting away from that lowlife.

I mean, it's your precious red.

My precious red?

Yeah.

Red is supposed to be the color of fate, right?

Even if it's annoying now,

it might connect to something good when you least expect it.

Y-You have an amazing way of thinking!

What? Is that respect?

She doesn't seem suspicious after all, huh?

Not only that, but Zen seems to really like her.

What?

That's the ribbon I tied my hair in!

Huh?

So you were from Tanbarun, huh?

The person who sent this came all the way to the border to get you, you know.

He seems to be a very spiteful gentleman.

Right?

This is no laughing matter!

Was this matter so serious that you had to run across the border?

It's because of who he is...

It was the first prince of Tanbarun...

Raj!