I Was Adopted by the Villain Grand Duke Who Killed My Favorite Character - Chapter 43

This is amazing!

Finally, something incredible has happened in my life. I swallowed hard and examined the doll in front of me.

A plump pink belly and pointy cat ears.

Though it looked like an ordinary doll on the outside, it couldn’t fool my eyes—I was a magician in my past life. This doll was definitely a magical tool designed to trap spirits.

‘To think something this precious was just lying around!’

A magical tool containing a spirit was an ultra-rare item with only a few existing across the continent. Blinded by this rare treasure, I dismissed any suspicion about why such a magical tool would be lying in a place like this.

“Sen, can I keep the doll you’re holding?”

“This cat doll? But it seems like an abandoned doll, which makes me feel uneasy.”

“I really need that doll.”

If I could gain the cooperation of the spirit residing in the magical tool, I could use magic without having to store magical power in my body.

If that happened, I could use my abilities as a grand magician and escape from the Grand Duke’s residence. I looked up at Sen with desperate eyes.

“Sen, I’ve always wanted a friend of my heart, and it feels like I’ve just found one.”

“You want to make this cat doll your friend?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“There are many other dolls, so there’s no need to make this particular one your friend…”

“I felt it at first sight. This doll is my destiny.”

When I made a crying gesture with a desperate expression, Sen’s eye twitched. She snorted and rubbed the dirty soles of the doll’s feet with her handkerchief.

Maybe it was my imagination, but the doll seemed to flinch as its feet were forcibly cleaned in Sen’s hands.

“By all means, make it your friend!”

“Thank you.”

I hugged the doll and smiled brightly.

When I was a grand magician, I tried to create objects inhabited by spirits but failed. Due to their characteristic of not wanting to stay in one place, spirits didn’t easily reside in magical tools.

‘My wish has finally come true, albeit belatedly.’

If I had obtained this earlier, could I have prevented losing Juno? I hugged the doll tightly and whispered softly.

“Let’s stay together forever, Mr. Doll.”

The spirit showed no reaction, probably wanting to pretend it was an ordinary doll. Well, it would be unreasonable to expect it to open up to me when we just met.

‘There’s still plenty of time.’

If I gradually became friends with the spirit and could use magic, there was a place I wanted to go.

‘The iron cage where Juno and I were.’

Juno had told me in her last words that she had hidden a letter for me in the iron cage where we were imprisoned together. But after Juno died, I lost all motivation and couldn’t find it.

The maids wiped away tears as they watched me lost in my thoughts.

“The Grand Princess must have been very lonely all this time.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen her smile so prettily.”

“And we didn’t even realize the Grand Princess needed a friend.”

The maids put their heads together and discussed for a while before approaching me. Their expressions showed they had firmly decided on something.

Sen bent down to meet my eyes and asked in a gentle voice.

“May we know the name of the Grand Princess’s new friend?”

“A name.”

I couldn’t think of anything in particular.

I didn’t want to casually give it any random name in case it might offend the spirit. Suddenly, my first thought when discovering the spirit popped up.

“Daebak?”

“So it’s Mr. Daebak. Then shall we hold a party to celebrate your friendship with Mr. Daebak?”

“I’d like that. Daebak would like it too.”

“We’ll do our best to ensure the Grand Princess isn’t lonely.”

They didn’t need to go that far.

They probably intended to hold a doll tea party like the ones occasionally held in the garden. I nodded vaguely and examined the doll closely.

‘How should I become friends with it?’

For now, it seemed best to go along with the spirit’s attempt to hide its identity. Once we became closer, I could subtly bring up the topic.

‘I have a new goal now.’

At that time, I didn’t know that the maids’ report about the welcome party would reach the Grand Duke. The combination of the maids’ overflowing enthusiasm and the Grand Duke’s financial sensibilities would lead to something I never expected.

***

A few days later.

Having obtained a precious magical tool considered a sacred object in the country, I was spending busy days.

I had to take walks with the spirit, eat meals with it, and go to bed with it. Today, while looking for a brush to groom the doll, I tilted my head at Sen’s expression, which seemed more excited than usual.

‘Did something good happen?’

Sen was grinning at the empty air, but when our eyes met, she hurriedly covered her mouth.

“G-Grand Princess, when did you come beside me?”

“I’ve been here for a while. Sen, can you give me a brush for the doll?”

“Ah. I’ll bring it right away.”

With the brush Sen gave me in hand, I looked around the room, which somehow felt quieter.

Come to think of it, since this morning, I hadn’t seen any other maids besides Sen. Usually, no matter how busy they were, at least three maids remained in the room.

“Sen, where is everyone?”

“Today is the mansion’s deep cleaning day! Everyone went to help with the cleaning.”

“Was there such a schedule?”

“It was suddenly decided. We needed a deep cleaning.”

It seemed like important guests who needed urgent hospitality had arrived at the mansion. I put aside my sudden question and decided to focus on my task.

‘Well, they’ll return later.’

I had the important task of brushing the doll’s fur. Looking closely, the doll’s body, which appeared to be made of fabric, had very short fur.

I continued brushing while checking if the doll was moving.

“How’s the brushing, Mr. Daebak?”

“……”

“I’ll give you a massage too.”

I went ahead and kneaded the doll’s pink body.

Sen, who had been watching me please the doll with satisfaction, left the room at the sound of a knock. When she returned a moment later, she was holding an outdoor shawl.

“Grand Princess, would you like to go to the garden together?”

“Why there?”

“The weather is nice, so I thought we could have snacks in the garden today.”

It’s snack time already

I held the spirit in my arms and followed Sen to the garden. But Sen deviated from the usual path and walked in a different direction.

‘Are we changing the walking route?’

Usually, the place to eat snacks in the garden was set under a large tree. While looking suspiciously at Sen, I listened to a sound coming from afar.

“Sen, don’t you hear something?”

“Not at all? Maybe it’s the sound of people passing by?”

“There’s no way people would be passing through the Grand Duke’s garden making noise.”

What bothered me was that the sound seemed to be coming from the direction we were walking. Sensing potential danger, I sent Sen behind me and took the lead.

And the source of the noise I encountered was truly shocking.

‘What on earth is this!’

In the middle of the garden, a splendid outdoor banquet hall reminiscent of a wedding venue had been set up. Sen cheerfully pointed to the banquet hall and said.

“Everyone has come to attend the celebration party for Mr. Daebak, your first friend.”

This isn’t the scale of a doll party!

The crowded banquet hall had well over a hundred people gathered with no room to step.

From the main vassals of the Grand Duke’s household whom I had met at a recent meeting.

“Did everyone bring a doll friend, which is the core of today’s party?”

“This is a rabbit doll my wife made herself. It’s certainly qualified to be the Grand Princess’s friend!”

“I wanted to bring my children, but they said it wasn’t allowed because the Grand Princess hasn’t had her debutante yet.”

The knights of Gerard’s order were also sitting in one corner of the banquet hall. I rubbed my eyes at their strange attire.

The proud Black Lion Order of the Grand Duke’s household had collectively become cute pink rabbits.

“Will the Grand Princess come near us rough fellows?”

“That’s why we all wore our trump card rabbit outfits, right? There’s a possibility.”

“To think we would become rabbit dolls ourselves. What a brilliant idea!”

“Ahem. I do hope she likes it.”

A few buttons near the chest of the knight who was speaking popped off into the air. Whose idea was it to wear fur clothes in this weather?

‘I didn’t see anything.’

Captivated by the scene of madness, I tried to flee the scene immediately. However, a voice blocked my desperate attempt.

“Comrade. There you are.”

Along with Lucas’s voice calling me, there was the sound of something dragging on the floor. Lucas’s distinctive husky voice shook my brain.

“I’m sorry. I was late compared to others because I was preparing clothes that match the dress code.”

What in the world is that?

I can say with certainty that nothing I’ve seen so far was as shocking as Lucas’s current appearance. Above the huge body of a muscular bear doll, Lucas’s small face popped out.

Due to the plump bear body filled with cotton, Lucas’s height had increased to nearly 2 meters. How does he move that enormous bear’s body?

Lucas, who had become a muscular bear, grinned.

“Where did you get that incredible bear costume…?”

“I thought a body full of muscles was the model of a knight, so I had it custom-made.”

“You actually paid money for that.”

“Ignoring a comrade who is lonely without friends would go against chivalry. Since it’s a doll party, I brought a doll too.”

Lucas, who shyly scratched his cheek, held out a large bear doll as big as himself.

Lucas’s matching bear doll also boasted an incredibly muscular body. A bear doll with a small head and a large body. It was amazing how such a physique could be created with cotton.

Lucas, not recognizing my disgusted expression, smiled splendidly.

“By the way, why didn’t you tell me you were lonely?”

“I wasn’t.”

“I heard you had no friends before meeting me. If I had known you were so lonely while I was under disciplinary action…”

I don’t even know anymore.

Seeing the bear ear headband on his bright silver hair, I gave up trying to understand. Lucas extended his thick bear paw full of cotton to me.

“Then let me escort you.”

Thinking ‘whatever happens, happens,’ I took his hand, but shortly after, Lucas fell backward. He seemed unable to withstand the weight of the bear costume he was wearing.

Lucas flailed his thick arms and legs in the air, asking for help.

“Help me up. I can’t get up.”

Just then, I heard a very small voice in my ear.

“…Ha. F*ck.”

The spirit, which had stubbornly pretended to be a doll no matter what, finally spoke. I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead while agreeing with the spirit.

I couldn’t understand the mentality of the Grand Duke who approved such an insane party.

‘My impression is ruined.’

I hope the spirit wouldn’t consider me the same as them. Tears welled up as I felt that all my efforts to build rapport with the doll had been ruined.