"That lying cheat is here?"
The Red Queen rushed onto the balcony in excitement and shouted, "You liar! How dare you show your face here?"
"Sister, you... how did you turn into a bug?"
The White Queen had been about to say, "You really did turn into a bug," but Andrew nudged her. She caught on and changed her wording.
Only then did the Red Queen remember that she still looked like a bug. Humiliated and furious, she threw caution to the wind and shouted, "It's all because of you! You liar! If it weren't for you, how would I have ended up like this?"
The Red Queen's words made the White Queen feel even guiltier. She wanted to apologize, but couldn't find the courage. Just then, Andrew took her hand and gently lowered it. "It's time you freed yourself."
Andrew's gesture gave the White Queen immense courage. She shouted, "Yes, it was because of me! Back then, I was the one who stole and ate that pastry. I was afraid Mom would scold me, and I hated you for eating my pastries, so I framed you. That was what led to you accidentally hitting your head.
"Sister, I'm sorry. It was all my fault. Otherwise, you wouldn't have ended up like this. I owe you an apology."
She wasn't finished. The White Queen turned to the others and said, "I owe all of you an apology, too. If it weren't for me, you might not have suffered so many disasters."
The Red Queen had never expected the White Queen to apologize to her. She froze, not even knowing how to react.
The others exchanged looks. Blame the White Queen? Of course not. After all, it really had been a trivial incident. Besides, the Red Queen had only herself to