Tsundere Fairy Tales: The Strange Tale of the Match-Selling Girls
Story Setting and Character Profiles
The harsh winter of Denmark. On a street corner blanketed in snow, three girls stood to sell matches. Though they appeared to have no connection, tracing their lineage leads back to one legendary figure: Tsunderella de Bourbon, who married into the prestigious French House of Bourbon several generations ago.
Scattered by cross-European marriages and the subsequent turbulent eras, Tsunderella's descendants lived out their respective fates in the foreign land of 19th-century Denmark, carrying the 'tsun' and 'dere' inherited from their distant ancestor. Here, let us unravel the secret stories of how these three girls came to be match sellers.
1. The Pure-Blooded Tsundere: Claire Fitzgerald
Born into an Irish Noble Family
Claire Fitzgerald was born as a member of the Fitzgerald family, a prestigious Irish noble house. This lineage is said to have received the blood of Tsunderella de Bourbon several generations ago, and it holds a tradition of valuing family history and pride above all else. From a young age, she was required to learn strict etiquette and high culture, and Claire continued to study to meet those high expectations.
The Great Famine and the Fall of the House
However, in the mid-19th century, the Great Famine (1845–1852) struck Ireland. The Fitzgerald family was not spared, falling into a desperate situation where they had to sell their lands and relinquish their assets. The family went their separate ways to survive, and Claire ended up wandering through various parts of Europe alone. Once a noble daughter, she too was swallowed by the rough waves of a rapidly changing era.
A New Challenge in Denmark
While wandering through Europe, Claire arrived in Denmark. She was tormented by the foreign language, customs, and poverty. Even so, with the determination to 'restore the family name through her own actions,' Claire did not let the language barrier or the cold defeat her, and she began to make a living by selling matches on the street corner.
Because she was once a noble, the job of a match seller was a humiliation for her. However, there was a mysterious nobility in the way Claire stood, offering matches with a resolute air, never fawning over anyone. Standing under the cold sky with a burning desire to 'reclaim her pride someday,' she held a strong will within her cold gaze to build a Fitzgerald family worthy of the next generation.
2. The Masodere-Type Tsundere: Lily de Marseille
The Glory and Decline of a Port Town
The lineage of Lily de Marseille was a prestigious merchant family that had traded in the southern French port town of Marseille. They once expanded their business widely, from shipbuilding to the trade of silk and spices, building commercial networks across Europe. There was even a legend that the blood of Tsunderella de Bourbon flowed through them.
However, as the 19th century began, the chaos of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) and the subsequent waves of economic restructuring pushed Lily's family toward decline. Due to changes in trade routes and local political instability, they were forced to let go of their vast assets.
The Masodere Spirit That Supported Her Childhood
Lily grew up watching her family fall. However, rather than lamenting it, her characteristic was a positive outlook that viewed 'every hardship as a trial to make herself stronger.' As she volunteered to carry heavy loads and took on difficult tasks, she cultivated a 'masodere' temperament that would make her smile and ask for even tougher challenges.
A First Step in Denmark
Harboring the desire to 'restore the family honor,' Lily judged that it would be difficult to do so in Marseille, so she traveled to Denmark in search of a new start. However, what awaited her there were language barriers, prejudice, and the harsh winter cold. Standing under that cold sky, even as she made a living selling matches, she felt herself emboldened, thinking, 'This is just another trial.'
Her 'tsun' attitude, combined with the faint smile she wore, made the people of the town feel strange. Lily's refusal to complain, no matter how harsh the situation, gave off a strong will that made those around her wonder, 'Could she actually be enjoying this hardship?'
The Healing-Type Tsundere: Sophia Hague
A Family That Loves Peace and Knowledge
The lineage of Sophia Hague is said to be the bloodline of Tsunderella de Bourbon, who moved to the Netherlands several generations ago. With ancestors who were active as diplomats in The Hague, known as a site for international peace negotiations in the 17th century, Sophia was raised with a family education that valued 'scholarship and peace.' This environment became the foundation that shaped her calm, gentle personality and the strong will hidden within.
Library Work and New Trials
As an adult, Sophia worked as a librarian in a historic library, finding her purpose in the preservation and research of ancient documents. However, due to economic hardship and the tides of the era, the library fell into financial trouble and closed, leaving her unemployed. In Denmark, where she moved in search of a new life, she faced severe language barriers and difficulties in finding work, eventually spending her days standing on street corners as a match seller.
The Healing Tsundere Smiling on the Street Corner
Under the cold Danish sky, Sophia would offer matches with a gentle smile, saying to people, 'Please, take a little warmth.' Some were warmed by her kindness, while others were surprised by her calm and resolute attitude. To those who threw frivolous attitudes or heartless words her way, she would show a 'tsun' cold gaze for just a moment, but within it, she kept a firm belief and pride.
The Essence of Tsundere: Trust and Wishes
Sophia's 'tsun' and 'dere' were imbued with the wish to 'show my true self only to those I can trust.' At night, she would reread old books, not just to reminisce about her former life, but to continue believing that 'the day will come when I can be of use to people through learning again.' Behind her calm exterior, hope for the future and a quiet fighting spirit burned.
Dandere Gentleman: Leonardo van Montfort
The Lineage of Dandere de Bourbon
Born into the prestigious Montfort family, which settled in the Netherlands via Belgium to avoid the chaos of the French Revolution, Leonardo is a second son who inherited the bloodline of Dandere de Bourbon. From a young age, he was interested in philosophy and economics, particularly studying market mechanisms and human behavioral psychology. His personality, a fusion of 'dan' and 'dere,' combines a gentle demeanor with an unwavering will.
A Fateful Encounter with a Healing-Type Tsundere
Leonardo met three tsundere girls in Denmark and was particularly drawn to Sophia, the healing-type tsundere. He described her kindness and the subtle emotional expressions unique to a tsundere as 'heart-flutteringly cute,' and found more value in the matches she sold than their price. His talent for market trading was sparked by this one-krone match, leading him to generate massive profits by utilizing CFD trading.
Virtues as a Gentleman
Leonardo did not want to monopolize the profits, but rather thought to distribute them fairly with gratitude toward Sophia. His actions reflect a heart that respects others and the sincerity of sharing his own success. Furthermore, his soft smile and considerate way of speaking serve to draw out Sophia's tsundere reactions, playing a role in making the warmth within her shine.
Skill in Market Trading
Leonardo accurately identified the timing when match prices in Denmark would skyrocket, and by executing a large-scale 'dumping' strategy, he earned a profit of 100 million kroner in a short period. Behind this success lay his calm analytical ability and bold decisiveness, symbolizing his dandere temperament.
The Opening of a New Story
Having given half of the profits to Sophia and experienced a heartwarming exchange with her, Leonardo took a new step toward the New Year. His actions are depicted not merely as the story of a successful person, but as something that shows the importance of human connection and gratitude.
Rintaro Takechi