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Hope realized that she was thinking aloud, but she couldn’t make up the way to correct this unfortunate oversight so fast.

Eventually, the girl hit everyone with the words she didn’t expect to hear herself.

– I don’t believe that people are born evil, – she claimed. – And you don’t look like an evil person. After all, if the fairy-tales were true, I would be in a dungeon now. And where are all the beautiful and clever fairytale princesses, that were languishing in bonds? – she looked inquisitively into Koschei's eyes, trying to comprehend his behavior. – There you go! Something just isn't sitting right… – the girl thoughtfully tapped the floor with a small slipper, whipping up a layer of dust, and then sneezed. The broom and the scoop, joined by the mops and basins of water, rushed at once to clear the floor of dirt and dust, pushing the girl to the mirror. – What did you do with those beauties? – Hope demanded.

– I did nothing! – Koschei resented and everyone was surprised to see how his hair shortened and darkened magically, forming a full head of beautiful, thick chestnut curls. – They were bored with their betrothed princes, which sometimes turned out to be not only Ivans, but also fool. So they came to me for advice. And when their knights in armor showed up, we played out the kidnapping. This way they were relieved by their princes. And that’s when Gorynych and I, – Koschei smiled bitterly, – had to fight these ardent gallants back. Indeed, I couldn’t tell them that the ladies were against such attention! I mean, it might wreck somebody's life – and the wounded soul never heals easily.

For some reason, the way he said this restored Hope's image of the beauty on one of Koschei’s canvases. Who was she to him? Was she one of those princesses who were in flight from the betrothed? And where did all these fussy ladies disappear then?

– Wow… – everybody whispered admiringly. Hope was surprised with such a turn of the story. And others were surprised to notice that as soon as Koshei revealed the truth that he never told anybody, his eyelashes turned darker to match his new hair.  

Hope kept wondering why it had happened. If Koschei’s immortal, than it wasn’t time that dyed his hair and eyelashes? What then? ..

– Could you tell me, – Hope said thoughtfully, – those rooms that I haven’t seen… The princesses lived there?

– Well, they hardly ever lived here, – Koschei answered simply.