Chapter 16
Metal City was an exotic city filled with scientific inventions that made magicians shudder.
Its original name was Raguel City, ruled for generations by the Raguel family, who specialized in white magic. The current head of the family, a powerful white mage, had suddenly abandoned magic and dedicated herself to science.
“Edna Raguel. The person we need to deliver the zombie cores to, and the ruler of Metal City.”
“Is she pretty?”
“What does her appearance have to do with you?”
“It has everything to do with me! She might become the future Countess.”
“Just change your clothes.”
The magic lamp attached to the carriage ceiling swayed, casting flickering shadows on the young master’s face.
“A lady doesn’t change clothes in the presence of a gentleman. It’s common sense that only you don’t seem to know, Young Master.”
I hugged the new clothes tightly and said sullenly. The young master leaned back against the carriage wall and unfolded a newspaper.
“Fine. I’ll be a gentleman and not look. Happy now?”
“It’s not about looking or not looking. It’s a fundamental issue.”
“You’re a doll, not a lady.”
I snatched the newspaper from his hands. I tried to glare at him as fiercely as I could. The downside of being Estella was that she was (by Anna’s standards) too pretty. She didn’t look intimidating at all.
“Alright, I’m sorry.”
He apologized readily.
“We have to go see Edna Raguel immediately. Edna is eccentric, but she’s a member of the royal family. You can’t just meet her wearing anything.”
Come to think of it, the young master was dressed as formally as he had been for his audience with the Crown Prince. He was wearing the kind of clothes you couldn’t just lean against the window and fall asleep in.
My maid uniform was new, but it wasn’t for formal occasions. The formal uniform was a darker black, with a crisp, narrow skirt. The hem that reached my calves had white lace, and there was a ribbon at the waist.
The prettiest part was the voluminous lace that covered my neck. A pearl brooch in the center gave the servant’s uniform a touch of elegance.
The late Countess had designed it. For me.
—Anna, do you like pearls? I’m making you a new formal uniform, should I add pearls?
Why could I smell the late Countess’s perfume on the freshly laundered clothes? I hugged the uniform and buried my nose in it. All I could smell was the deodorizer used for servants’ clothes. The Countess’s floral scent was nowhere to be found.
The young master had finally given me nostrils, but the scent I wanted to smell most wasn’t anywhere near me.
“Fine. I’ll change. Don’t look!”
I reluctantly placed my stockings and shoes on the floor. Suddenly, the young master lowered his newspaper and said,
“But you’re a doll I made. Why can’t I look?”
“Because I said so! You didn’t make my feelings!”
I threw the ribbon at him. The young master, as if losing his mind, burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You put me in a good mood.”
“You’re a pervert. Close your eyes, turn around, and sit down!”
“In this cramped carriage?”
“I’m changing my clothes!”
“Fine, fine.”
As I changed, I kept glancing at him, making sure he wasn’t peeking. The young master, who had teased me about wanting to watch, had his eyes tightly shut.
Come to think of it, it was already night. He must have been tired.
Since becoming a doll, I hadn’t slept. Closing my eyes and staying still calmed my mind. I felt rested, but I didn’t experience the sensation of falling asleep.
It was as if my working hours had increased to twenty-four hours a day. For the same pay? That’s unfair. It was doll discrimination.
‘Not that I have anything to spend money on.’
The money I had saved as a human would still be in the bank. As I adjusted my clothes, wondering if I would ever need money, I faced a significant crisis.
I couldn’t zip up the back of my dress.
Even as a human, I had needed help from a colleague or had to contort myself to reach the zipper. Now, I was a doll. Flexibility wasn’t exactly my forte.
I tried reaching back, but it was no use. My joints, my joints wouldn’t bend!
I stretched as far as I could, but I couldn’t reach it. Instead, I only heard ominous creaking sounds coming from my arm.
I didn’t want to be a doll whose arm popped off while changing clothes. What should I do?
The fastest and most efficient solution was to have someone else zip it up for me.
The only person with me was the young master.
“Ahem.”
It was a bit embarrassing to call him after making such a fuss about him not looking.
“What?”
He replied with his eyes closed. He was so perceptive, even without me calling his name.
“Young Master Lupin, I believe there are always exceptions to every rule.”
“…Can’t reach the zipper on your back?”
“How did you know?”
Was he telepathic as well as perceptive? Well, he was the one who made me, so maybe it was possible.
Young Master, can you hear my thoughts? Pay raise, better benefits, respect for dolls!
“Because Anna always complained about it. That it was difficult to zip up her dress by herself.”
Did I really? I told him everything, so it was plausible.
“I never helped her.”
His added words sounded like an excuse. The flickering lamp was so dim that I couldn’t tell if the faint blush on his ears was real or just my imagination.
“Then this will be quick. Please help me. Just zip up the back of my dress.”
“Fine. Come here.”
I quickly moved closer as he gestured. I felt a bit shy as I gathered my hair forward and exposed my back.
I repeated to myself: I’m a doll. A doll. A doll with the creator’s name engraved on it…
Estella’s back was engraved with Young Master Lupin Zepetto’s signature. Below it was the message, “For Anna—”
He paused, as if noticing the inscription for the first time.
“Young Master?”
As soon as I broke the silence, he zipped up my dress. My body straightened as the dress tightened around my waist.
He gathered my hair, which I had pulled forward, and gently brushed it with his fingers. My smooth hair flowed through his fingertips without a single tangle. He skillfully braided it and pinned it up in a neat bun.
“Anna’s hair was very long until she was fourteen. Godora would often scold her for not keeping it tidy.”
He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. Being intelligent and perceptive, I retrieved the comb-shaped hair ornament from my pocket and handed it to him.
Correct answer. He took my hair and secured it with the ornament.
I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had acted appropriately this time.
“I remember often tying her hair so Godora wouldn’t scold her. Her hair was always messy whenever she visited the workshop…”
After neatly arranging my hair, he abruptly pulled his hand away.
“She was cute.”
Startled, I looked back at him. This time, I could see it clearly. His face was flushed.
“Young Master?”
“Change your shoes now that you’re done.”
His embarrassment was fleeting. He crossed his arms, his expression returning to its usual gruffness, and turned his head towards the window. His head, leaning against the window, looked relaxed, but his ears were still slightly red.
“Are you going to sleep?”
“I don’t know.”
“Young Master, what about me?”
I poked his stiff arm and asked,
“Is Estella cute too?”
“Why are you calling yourself by your name? That’s creepy.”
Honestly. It was unfair, but I couldn’t argue, so I returned to my seat.
As I bent down to button my formal Mary Janes, his voice, sounding slightly dejected, replied,
“Of course you’re cute. Who do you think made you?”
I replied nonchalantly,
“Your inflated ego is part of your charm, Young Master.”
The next morning, as soon as we arrived in Metal City, the carriage was denied entry. We took a car provided by Knight Commander Raguel and entered the city.
She lived in a tower in the middle of the square. The tower, shaped like a glass, glittered relentlessly in the sunlight. Apparently, it had been built on the site of a magical cultural relic, which she had simply demolished to build her new home.
Members of the Magic Society were protesting in front of the tower, demanding the return of the cultural relic. They were even giving speeches using amplification magic.
The young master waved casually at the Magic Society protesters. The bald magicians cheered wildly.
“It’s the genius doll maker, Lupin Zepetto!”
“To see him in person!”
“He’s so beautiful!”
I felt a little sad. As I followed behind him, I wondered,
‘Why are all the young master’s friends twice his age and have a tenth of his hair…?’
Inside the glass, I mean, the tower, there were many paladins. All of them belonged to the Raguel family.
Unlike the members of the Magic Society outside, they seemed wary of the young master.
No, to put it more bluntly, they seemed to be looking down on him.
“The idol of the Magic Society, Lupin Zepetto, is it? Aren’t you a little young to be dealing with zombies? I thought you would have refused this mission.”
The paladin who was guiding us spoke sarcastically.
How dare he be so rude to the young master, whose only flaw was being single.
I should just punch him. No one would know how strong a doll could be. I could knock him out in an instant and no one would notice.
Pretending to be well-behaved, I quickened my pace and followed closely behind the paladin. I raised my arm, ready to strike, but the young master grabbed me.
“Estella!”
“I’ll finish this quickly.”
“Finish what?!”
“His consciousness.”
As we were bickering, a few people approached us with measured steps.
I stared blankly at the man who stood before us, lowering my fist.
“Vice-Commander Lano Raguel. Greetings, Count Zepetto.”
I had never seen such a handsome man in my life…
He was a new kind of handsome. Jaw-droppingly so.