🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 19
A bear, a cat, a rabbit… No one could tell which of the three dolls had become a “core” first. But it was certain that the bear was the first to turn into a doll.
‘For over ten years as a doll, I couldn’t even move my head!’
Yet now, Pianie was rotating her shoulders with a faint smile.
[It’s still a doll body, but moving again after so long makes me stiff.]
[What are you?!]
the bear doll asked in a trembling voice.
[My name is Pianie Ribe…]
Pianie lowered her naturally cute voice dramatically.
[I lived eighteen whole years as the adorable only daughter of the Eastern Count Ribe… Not nineteen, not seventeen—exactly eighteen years!]
[You’re saying it like that again?! Who talks about age like that?!]
The rabbit doll, feeling oddly insulted, couldn’t hold back and snapped. Pianie slowly turned her head toward the rabbit.
[Yes… all three of you were annoying, but you were the most annoying.]
When Pianie clenched her tiny adorable fists, the stuffing gathered toward the tips, making them heavier.
[D-Don’t come any closer!]
The rabbit doll pleaded as Pianie approached slowly. But Pianie did not stop.
[Taste my stuffed fists!]
Pianie jumped high and delivered a doll punch to the rabbit. Pof! Pof! With every impact, a cute sound rang out.
[Kyaaah!]
It looked harmless, but the rabbit let out a juicy scream.
[S-Stop! I was wrong!]
[It hurts, huh?!]
[Honestly it doesn’t hurt—it tickles!]
[What?!]
[It tickles—tickle, tickly! Hehehe!]
The rabbit burst into a bizarre laugh. Startled, Pianie lowered her fists. She intended to hurt him, but it only tickled?
‘Ugh! Humiliating!’
Pianie glared at the rabbit doll, who gasped dramatically as if he had barely survived.
He didn’t look hurt, but he did look exhausted.
[Fine. I’ll have to discipline you this way, then!]
[W-What now?!]
Pianie began patting—no, hitting—the rabbit doll again.
The rabbit shrieked.
[Eeek! F-Forgiff meee…! P-Please sthahp! Eeeh!]
[I can’t understand a word you’re saying~]
Of course she could understand him despite the slurred speech. But Pianie pretended not to hear, wearing a wicked grin as she hit—no, tickled—the rabbit.
[Ohh… this is hell…!]
The bear and cat dolls could do nothing but shed tears at the rabbit’s shrill screams.
[Gya… gyaooo…!]
[Pitiful guy. But don’t feel too lonely. We’ll be following you soon enough.]
The cat doll looked confused at the bear’s solemn muttering.
[Gyao?]
Meaning: “What are you talking about? Let him suffer. We’ll just beg for mercy.”
But the bear replied with emotion.
[Yes. You want to share your comrade’s pain. Such loyalty…]
The cat was dumbfounded.
‘He always twists everything! Annoying…’
The intense tickling eventually robbed the rabbit of the ability to scream. Pianie wiped her chubby, sweatless chin.
[Don’t act up again!]
[Hee… hihihi…]
The dazed rabbit answered weirdly. Pianie then approached the bear and cat dolls with a fearsome glint.
[Yes, come!]
the bear declared resolutely. The cat doll was speechless.
‘He’s lost it too.’
Pianie tilted her head.
[Huh? You want me to hit you? I wasn’t planning to hit you two.]
[Gyao!]
the cat answered in relief. But the bear said:
[Don’t be ridiculous. A magician does not abandon comrades!]
At that nonsense, the cat barked sharply:
[Kyao! Kyao!!]
[Heh. He says the same. So don’t hesitate—come at us!]
[Kyaoooh!!]
Pianie was speechless. It’s not like they’d revive the rabbit she had just knocked out.
‘Ugh… disciplining them is more tiring than I expected.’
Even a doll doing the hitting—no, tickling loses stamina. But she also felt it would be rude to ignore such passionate eagerness.
[Fine! I’ll do it! I’m generous, after all!]
Just as Pianie lifted her plush fist—
the bedroom door opened.
[Huh?!]
Startled, Pianie immediately collapsed onto the bed.
‘Jeez!’
Her tiny heart pounded.
“I’m back.”
As expected, it was Chris who entered. Judging from his calm voice, he fortunately hadn’t seen Pianie move.
Chris, having dried himself carefully so moisture wouldn’t wet his precious doll, frowned when he saw Pianie sprawled oddly on the bed.
“What happened here?”
He had clearly laid her down neatly before. And the dolls that had been placed on the headboard were now scattered on the bed. Even if they had fallen, they shouldn’t be lying face-up like that.
‘Which bastard touched them?’
Annoyance flared within him as he picked up Pianie. Thankfully, his beloved doll had no damage—but he was still irritated.
‘That expression is scary!’
Holding the frightened Pianie carefully, Chris put the other three dolls back into place.
[The Grand Duke saved us again!]
[Gyao gyao!]
[Uwehh… t-tickly…]
In the silent world, Chris spoke to Pianie, who wore a strange smile in his arms.
“What on earth happened while I was washing?”
Relieved by his worried brows and gentle voice, Pianie replied:
[Nothing much, I just smacked around some brats who acted up.]
Chris gave a faint, bitter smile.
“If only I could hear your voice.”
[Sigh, you’re saying exactly what I’m thinking.]
“Isn’t there some way I could hear it?”
At that moment, sunlight shone over Chris’s face. His radiant expression was more beautiful than any artwork.
‘Whoa… is this heaven?’
Noticing the sparkle in Pianie’s eyes, Chris chuckled softly.
“Anyway, don’t worry.”
*[I’m not worried. Seeing that face wiped out all my anger.]]
“Whoever dared enter my bedroom and lay their hands on you and your friends… I’ll kill them.”
Chris spoke gently, but with chilling menace, his eyes glittering like sunlight on water.
Pianie quickly snapped out of it.
[No, no one did anything.]
“I don’t know which bastard touched my baby, but I’ll make them regret being alive…”
His eyes turned cold. Pianie swallowed dryly.
[No, really—nobody!]
“Alright. Then I’ll go hunt them down.”
Chris said brightly, as if suggesting a nice walk. Pianie let out a horrified scream from his arms.
[I said there’s no such person!!]
Right now, Johannes and Dion had entered Chris’s office with a holy mission: to protect the innocent staff of the ducal house from the monster—no, from Chris—who seemed ready to explode and obliterate everything.
“Lord Chris, I’m sorry, but at that time I was conducting the morning roll call. All staff were gathered at the entrance.”
“So what? Are you saying I’m spewing nonsense right now?”
Dion immediately denied it.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what? Are you telling me some third party not only sneaked into the ducal estate but also into my bedroom?”
Seeing Chris exude quiet, icy rage, Johannes let out a deep sigh.
“Lord Chris. That’s not what we mean. We’re saying no such person existed at all. Think about it. Someone breaking into your bedroom? Does that make any sense? The sky falling would be more believable.”
“And why are you so sure? Maybe the guards slacked off and let this mess happen.”
Chris looked ready to breathe fire. Johannes scratched his nose.
“It wasn’t even the exterior. If there were an intruder inside the house, there’s no way you wouldn’t notice. You’d get annoyed even if a single ant came in.”
“I’m not that sensitive.”
Chris frowned. Johannes shrugged.
“No, maybe not that much—but if it were a person, you’d definitely notice.”
“…”
“And seriously, what lunatic would enter your bedroom? Anyone who values their life wouldn’t dare!”
Johannes became more heated as he spoke.
“Even if someone were insane enough to throw their life away—why would they waste that life just to scatter some dolls around?! Does that make sense?! I don’t think so!”
From Chris’s arms, Pianie thought:
‘This man has completely lost his mind!’
