I descended with Cairo from the third floor to the second, our steps steady. Yet inside me, every step carried a hint of tension, as if it were drawing me closer to a confrontation whose outcome was far from certain.
Silence ruled between us. Neither of us tried to speak, as though each of us understood the weight of what we were about to say.
We reached the door to Lord Valis's chamber.
I paused for a moment before raising my hand and knocking three times.
Knock… knock… knock.
A few seconds passed—longer than they should have felt.
Then the door opened slowly, revealing Lord Valis behind it, standing with his usual imposing presence, his sharp gaze and meticulously kept attire impossible to miss.
He spoke in a firm tone without stepping aside.
"What's the matter? Why are you knocking?"
Cairo stepped forward slightly and answered calmly:
"There's something important… something we must tell you."
The noble raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting such an opening.
"And what might that be?"
I looked directly at him, trying to choose my words carefully. Yet despite my efforts to remain composed, a trace of unease slipped into my voice.
"I… I'm not sure how to explain this exactly… but do you remember buying a doll from an auction recently?"
His expression shifted slightly, as if his mind had traveled back to some distant moment. After a brief pause, he said:
"Ah… you mean the doll I bought for my
niece… Roshin, correct?"
I nodded.
"Yes. That very doll."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"But… how did you know I bought it from an auction?"
My heart immediately began to race.
I hadn't expected that question, nor had I prepared a convincing answer.
I swallowed nervously and replied:
"Your niece… Roshin… told me."
He stared at us silently for several seconds before finally speaking in a heavy tone.
"I see… well then. Why are you asking about it?"
I felt the moment of truth had arrived. There was no escaping it now.
"What I'm about to say may sound a little shocking… but that doll can move… and talk."
The room suddenly fell silent.
He showed no reaction—no shock, no disbelief, not even the slightest hint of mockery. He simply remained quiet, as if he had been expecting to hear something like this.
Finally he said coldly:
"So… you expect me to believe that?"
Before I could answer, he continued, his voice sharper now, touched with irritation.
"Did Roshin send you to tell me this ridiculous story so I would get rid of the doll?"
"No!" I immediately raised my voice slightly, driven by an instinct to defend the truth.
"That's not it! I'm not lying. The doll really moves and talks! I saw it with my own eyes last night—it moved and spoke right in front of me! And Cairo, the guard beside me, was there too. He saw everything!"
His gaze shifted to Cairo.
Cairo nodded in confirmation.
The noble then turned back to me and spoke slowly, as though assembling the pieces of a puzzle.
"You… Cairo… and Roshin… all claim that this doll moves and speaks."
He paused, confusion faintly appearing on his face.
"But I have never seen any sign that this doll can move or talk. Nothing of the sort since I brought it back from the auction."
He leaned lightly against the edge of the door and continued more calmly.
"In fact, I always find it exactly where I left it. Completely still… like any ordinary toy. No sound. No movement."
He lowered his head slightly as if contemplating something.
"I don't know why Roshin insists on getting rid of it… but she has been afraid of it since the very first day."
I stepped forward urgently.
"But everything I told you is true! We experienced it ourselves. That thing is not an ordinary toy!"
He slowly shook his head.
"Well… with the testimony of the three of you, I cannot simply ignore the matter."
A small smile of relief crept onto my face.
He believed us.
But before that feeling could fully settle, Lord Valis continued decisively:
"I think it would be best to sell the doll."
I froze.
Wait… what?!
…
He… wants to sell it?!
No. No, that's impossible.
I slowly raised my head toward him, unsure I had heard correctly.
"Um… why would you want to sell it?"
Lord Valis looked at me with mild surprise, as though the answer were obvious.
"Well… it is worth five hundred thousand dollars. It is a rare artifact. It would be foolish to simply throw it away."
F–f–five… h–hundred… th–thousand… dollars?!
A rare artifact?!
My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
That terrifying thing… that doll that nearly scared us to death… was worth a fortune?!
My entire body stiffened as calculations collapsed inside my mind.
Five hundred thousand dollars?! That amount alone would be enough for me to live comfortably without ever working again!
It felt as though the ground had tilted beneath my feet.
Darn it… darn it… darn it! We are in serious trouble!
The doll isn't even in the castle anymore.
It vanished completely after the warehouse incident, and we have no idea where it went.
It disappeared without a trace.
What will he do when he learns that? Will he get angry? Accuse us of negligence? Is this the end for me… even though I did nothing wrong?
I glanced desperately at Cairo, hoping to see even the faintest spark of an idea in his eyes.
But he was just as tense.
His face pale. His gaze unfocused.
Darn it!
My heart pounded violently in my chest as I tried to act normal.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and forced a laugh.
"Haha… it's really hot today. I don't know why I'm sweating this much!"
I looked toward Cairo, trying to pull him into the act.
He caught on quickly and laughed nervously.
"Haha… y-yes, you're right! It's… very hot!"
I gave a faint smile before turning back to Lord Valis.
"My lord… don't you think selling the doll might be dangerous?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Dangerous… to sell it?"
I stammered slightly. I hadn't thought of an answer yet—I was simply trying to buy time.
"Yes… because…"
(Because what?!)
My mind froze.
The words simply refused to come.
But Cairo's voice suddenly saved me.
"B–because it might harm people. I mean… it could ruin their lives. Isn't it the duty of nobles to protect people… rather than expose them to danger?"
The noble suddenly fell silent.
I stared at Cairo in shock.
What is he saying?!
Since when do nobles care about protecting people?!
I shot him a look that carried a thousand questions.
Are you serious? Where did that come from?!
Cairo looked back at me as if replying silently:
I don't know! I saw something like this in an anime! At least I tried to save you after you froze and left me to improvise!
Before I could respond, Lord Valis interrupted.
"…You're right."
Both Cairo and I froze.
What?!
Did he just say… he was right?
Lord Valis looked at us again and continued in a more serious tone.
"I had not considered it from that perspective. If the doll truly can cause harm… then selling it may indeed be risky."
I could hardly believe what I was hearing.
Did he actually accept that?
He then added"
"In that case… I suppose the best option is to dispose of it entirely."
Relief spread across my face—
But then he finished his sentence with something we were absolutely not prepared for.
"I will entrust the task of disposing of it to the two of you… since you are the only witnesses to what it can do."
My smile vanished.
…Wait.
What?!