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Chapter 32
Johannes spat and shouted,
“What do you mean ‘just that’?! The expenses have been reduced by a full third! On top of that, they even offered to handle transportation, which means a lot less work for us!”
Today’s contract could truly be called a stroke of luck.
“And yet you say ‘just that’!”
“Well, even if it were three times this amount, it wouldn’t be that much.”
Chris pointed to the numbers on the file, and Piani glanced at them.
[One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million… how many zeros are there?!]
It was a number so large it made her eyes spin. And yet he says three times this would still be ‘small’?
“Of course it might seem small to you, Chris.”
Johannes pouted.
At that moment, Piani wanted nothing more than to kneel before Chris and solemnly swear to live as his doll for life…
[No! Wait, no! Get a grip, Piani! Even if you’re poor, it’s far better to live as a human!]
Of course, the Riebe family wasn’t that poor either. Though compared to Chris’s wealth, it was nothing.
Then Chris started massaging Piani’s body while asking Johannes,
“So, where did you say the two of them should stay?”
“The Fourth Annex has been prepared.”
“The other knights will be jealous. A newcomer using a private residence like the commander, and even bringing family along.”
“Oh, do you think so? Still, they’re royalty of Ceres, so I guess it’s only natural to treat them this way.”
Johannes, not noticing Chris’s frown, continued,
“By the way, which squad should I assign Jojo to? The First Knights, I presume?”
“What? Since he joined late, he should naturally go to the Second Knights.”
“Excuse me? But he’s royalty… and if nothing goes wrong, he could even become the next king.”
[W-what?!] Piani, who had been enjoying the massage, jumped in surprise.
Even being royalty is impressive, but the next king?! This is even more incredible…
“What’s so great about the Ceres royal family anyway?”
[Huh… isn’t that impressive?]
Chris’s red eyes glowed even more intensely.
“And once he enters as a regular knight under a duke’s house, he’s just a knight who has to fight risking his life like any other.”
“Hm, still, maybe the First Knights…”
“Why are you so obsessed with the First Knights? The First and Second Knights aren’t divided by skill. It’s only based on the time of entry—you should know that, too.”
Chris frowned but his hands, which were still gently caressing Piani’s cheeks, remained calm and tender.
“But all the First Knights are nobles.”
“What does rank matter? Like I said before, my knights are equal under me.”
Chris said this confidently.
[Hmm! That mindset is pretty cool.]
Piani’s eyes sparkled.
“If that’s what you think, Chris…”
“Have we said everything we need to say?”
“Yes.”
“Then get out. I’m going to sleep.”
Johannes, startled, quickly checked the time. If the clock wasn’t wrong, the time was…
“It’s only nine o’clock.”
“After traveling all the way to the south, I’m tired.”
Johannes was dumbfounded. A person who could stay up all night for days on end and remain fine, and yet now he’s ‘tired’?
[He just wants to cuddle a doll and roll around. Meanwhile, I’ll probably only be able to rest my head at 3 a.m. today!]
Johannes was irritated. Still, he knew that despite Chris not seeming tired, he had worked hard.
“Understood. Just don’t put off your work.”
Johannes bowed and left the office, and Chris muttered quietly,
“What are you talking about? When have I ever put off work…”
Of course, there were piles of work on his desk, but work was like an endless spring for Chris. Whether he delayed it or not, the amount never changed.
“Come on, baby.”
Chris picked up Piani and headed to the bedroom.
[Here I am!]
Piani shouted as she entered, but the three dolls didn’t respond.
[What’s wrong? Have you all gone soft in the head? Are you looking down on me because I can’t move my body again, gosh!]
Even as Piani got annoyed, there was no reply—only the quiet sound of breathing.
[Cool…]
‘Ah, they’ve fallen asleep.’
It had been an exhausting day for the three dolls as well, having been subjected to a kind of torture by Piani since morning.
“Haah…”
Chris held Piani in both hands and lay down on the bed. Seeing Piani looking down at him in the dark, he chuckled.
“You’re so cute. How can you be this cute? If there were a world’s cutest doll contest, you’d win, hands down, baby.”
[Hmph, of course, you would say that.]
Chris gazed at Piani for a while, then spoke in a soft, tender voice,
“…I wish I could know what you’re thinking.”
Piani thought,
[He naturally treats me as a living being, doesn’t he?]
Of course, Piani was alive. Even the three dolls currently asleep were alive.
But the vast majority of dolls in the world were merely stuffed objects.
In the future, nothing like a normal doll suddenly waking up as a human would happen.
[But how does the Duke know we’re alive?]
Did Chris recognize her as a special doll? Or was he someone who simply believed all dolls were alive?
[That makes me really curious.]
At that moment, Chris pulled her closer.
Thanks to that, Piani’s soft body pressed tightly against Chris’s chest.
[This makes it the second day in a row I’ve fallen asleep against a stranger’s chest.]
Piani enjoyed this moment immensely but also wanted to return to being human.
[Mom, Dad… they must be worried about me.]
Thinking of her parents made Piani want to cry.
[I miss you both so much.]
But there was nothing she could do at the moment.
All she could do was hope her parents wouldn’t despair, that they would endure.
[I will definitely return. I promise… please, everyone stay healthy.]
Piani’s eyes slowly closed.
Countess Riebe wandered through the thick fog, searching endlessly for her daughter.
“Sweetheart, where are you?”
Her voice was hoarse from crying.
“Please, please…”
She wanted to find even the tips of her daughter’s hair. That would make it feel less suffocating.
“Ugh!”
Her legs gave way, and the countess collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Sniff… sob!”
At that moment, a warm light approached.
“…!”
With hope, she raised her head and couldn’t help but twist her face in astonishment.
Through the bright light pushing back the dark fog, Piani smiled at the countess.
“Mom!”
“Sweetheart…!”
Hoping this wasn’t an illusion, that it wouldn’t vanish, the countess spread her arms.
Piani, as if she had just been smiling, sobbed and ran into her mother’s arms.
“Mom…!”
Piani’s body was warm, enough to warm the countess, chilled from wandering in the fog.
Terrified she might lose her daughter again, the countess held her tightly.
Piani spoke while nestling in her mother’s embrace,
“Mom, it makes me so sad when you worry. So until I return, don’t worry too much, stay healthy with Dad and everyone, okay?”
The warmth slowly faded. Startled, the countess hugged Piani even tighter.
“Sweetheart, no! Please don’t go…!”
Despite her pleas, Piani eventually sparkled and vanished.
“Ah…!”
The countess despaired.
[How can I not worry! How can I stay healthy without her!]
How could a mother who lost her daughter live normally?
At that moment, the shattered light enveloped the countess, warm like Piani’s embrace.
“….”
The countess opened her eyes.
“Honey, are you awake?”
Seeing her husband’s gaunt face in the darkness, she blinked slowly.
“Yesterday, Delis said they got the Emperor’s approval to use the tracking magical tool. So…”
The count wanted to ease his wife’s worries, mumbling on.
He felt pathetic—unable to find his daughter and relying on others for help.
“Honey.”
The countess stood up. Startled, the count helped her.
“Don’t overexert yourself, just lie down.”
“Did you hold me?”
At her sudden question, the count shook his head.
“No, I just held your hand.”
The countess rubbed her arm; it was warmer than the air in the room.
[It wasn’t just a dream.]
Tears welling, she took a deep breath to calm herself.
“Honey. Piani is alive. And very healthy.”
The countess said firmly.
The count, whose eyes had grown wide, now twisted as if on the verge of tears.
“Of course…! That child has always been lucky. So many times it felt like someone invisible was watching over her.”
“Yes. So we have to stay healthy. So she won’t be heartbroken when she returns.”
The countess hugged her husband tightly, hoping the warmth of their remaining daughter would reach him.
