Chapter 43
*Use Both Arms and Furniture Sparingly*
Castor was pacing around the magic library garden, biting his nails. The closer we got to the library, the more restless he became.
Just as I was about to wave to him, I remembered the young master’s disapproval of my interaction with Castor.
“Young Master, can I say hello to him?”
“…”
He adjusted his hold on me. The raven on my head bobbed up and down and said,
“You said you had relationship problems, is that lizard boy the one?”
“No!”
I tried to grab the raven, but it was too quick. It gripped my hair with its talons and hovered slightly above my head.
“Is it? Is it? I’ve teased many humans suffering from love. I might be able to help you. Let’s find a jewel in that lizard’s favorite color! Sparkly, sparkly!”
“No.”
The young master answered for me. The raven flapped its wings, puzzled. My head bobbed back and forth because of the raven.
“Mage, do you not know? Dragons love shiny things. They hoard jewels on a scale you can’t even imagine. They’re greedy and energetic. Perfect as companions! The young lady has high standards!”
“I said no!”
I raised my intact arm and grabbed the raven’s beak.
“It’s a misunderstanding! I don’t like Castor.”
“Then? What was that embarrassing thing you were doing in the library with him?”
The young master asked coldly. His grip on me, however, was gentle, so I felt like I might not be scolded this time.
“Young Master, you like it when I’m honest, right?”
“Whether I like it or not, you have to be honest because I have to clean up your messes. Do you think I’ll just stand by and watch my doll run off to a distant continent with a dragon?”
“I’ll be honest. Castor and I just agreed to help each other with our love lives. I’m trying to… well…”
He lowered his gaze and met my eyes. Looking at his flawless face, I felt like my eyes were melting like sticky dessert. I hid my face behind the raven.
“Caw! You’re going to break my wing!”
“…I’m trying to figure out how to marry the young master.”
“That’s all it was?”
“All it was?! It was a very important matter! Our future is at stake. Of course, it won’t be easy, since I’m not human yet. But I have to try!”
The raven grumbled and returned to its perch on my head. The young master didn’t reply, just pulled me closer.
I knew it wasn’t a positive response. Would it have been different if I were human? If I returned to my original form as Anna?
“Oh, the doll!”
Castor spotted me and waved. The young master brushed past him, saying coldly,
“Address my creation by her name. I don’t intend to be respectful towards dragon stragglers.”
“Ha, I don’t intend to be respectful towards a mage like you either.”
Castor followed us, his steps unsteady.
“What happened after I ran off?”
“The Master told us to prepare for guests.”
“Me and the young master?”
“No, an unpleasant guest is coming. Someone I really dislike…”
Castor said, chewing on his thumb.
The first floor hall was indeed more decorated than before, as if preparing for guests. A dining table had been set up, with five chairs. One extra chair for our party of four: me, the young master, Miss Baba, and Castor.
“A maid can’t just stand by! I have to help with the meal preparations!”
I struggled to free myself from the young master’s arms. He called out to me, startled, and the raven on my head flapped its wings.
“You scared me! Hey, doll! Don’t move so suddenly! I almost fell!”
“Eek!”
The large raven’s flapping startled Castor, who stumbled backward. The raven flew down from my head and landed on my arm.
“It’s been a while, Castor. I heard you really dislike me.”
“I thought Estella’s hair looked unusually puffy…”
Castor’s expression turned sullen. Did they know each other? The raven had said it was Miss Baba’s friend. I asked the raven, which was preening its feathers on my arm,
“Mr. Raven, are you well-acquainted with Miss Baba? I heard you’re friends.”
“We’re friends, yes. But our relationship is more complicated than that. It’s too complex for humans to understand. Even you, lizard boy, wouldn’t understand the relationship between Baba and me.”
The raven cooed and chuckled. Castor’s face changed colors like a chameleon as he fumed.
“Oh, here comes Baba! Baba! You won’t believe what happened to me on the way here!”
Miss Baba slowly descended the stairs at the end of the hall, her expression as indifferent as ever. She didn’t even seem to notice the raven.
“You’re back.”
Several goblins followed her down the stairs, each carrying a bag. I could hear a clinking sound coming from inside the bags. I saw a flicker of light through a small opening. They must have been filled with jewels.
As soon as the raven saw the bags, it flew towards Miss Baba. And what stopped in front of her wasn’t a large raven, but a young man. An exotic-looking man with long, neatly tied black hair and a stylish black cloak.
If it weren’t for his boisterous and playful tone, I would have thought a stranger had suddenly appeared out of thin air.
“This payment looks even more promising than usual. Are they processed?”
“Dwarven craftsmanship.”
“Ooh! Looks like a large quantity. I can’t wait to see them, my feathers are tingling.”
A sharp, sarcastic voice interrupted their conversation.
“Tingling? Do you have fleas?”
The raven, now a man, tilted his head slightly towards Castor. Even his profile looked elegant. He had just looked like an ordinary raven before, but he was actually a handsome raven.
“Lizard brat. If you keep provoking me, I’ll gobble you up.”
“Give it a try. You want to fight me? I’ll turn you into fried chicken.”
The raven laughed it off. He took a seat at the table as Miss Baba gestured. She then pointed to a seat for Castor. We were next.
“Estella is badly damaged. I want to repair her first.”
“Estella is my guest too. My guests follow my rules. Both of you, sit down.”
Miss Baba, who seemed to live her life carelessly, was surprisingly inflexible in certain areas. I was embarrassed! To serve a meal with a broken arm and grass stains all over my clothes… it felt like a punishment game.
“Mage. Make the doll sit, and you sit too. We’re here to discuss business. Ambiance is key. Everything goes well when the atmosphere is good.”
The raven, now a man, said with a grin. The young master, as if he had no choice, pulled out a chair and made me sit.
“Young Master! I can’t sit on a chair!”
I grabbed his sleeve and shook my head frantically.
“If I sit down…!”
“You don’t have to attend to me today.”
He said simply, then pulled out a chair for himself and sat down. I felt dizzy. I had made him pull out a chair for himself. As a maid, I was shocked by my own laziness.
“Young Master…”
I should have been more alert and prepared the seats beforehand! I wanted to scold myself. He must have seen my expression, as he leaned closer.
I suddenly remembered my words from a few hours ago, insisting that we start with holding hands and kisses. This was the perfect distance for a kiss… My inorganic lips would be cold, should I have warmed them up with fire beforehand?
He suddenly cupped my cheeks in his hands, turning my face this way and that. He asked in a concerned tone,
“What’s with that expression? Is there something wrong with your face? I don’t see any cracks.”
“What about my expression?”
“Your lips seem… unusually prominent.”
I swatted away his hands, genuinely concerned about my face, and lowered my head.
“My face is fine. Perfectly fine, and no one has kissed it, sadly.”
“I’ll check it out when I repair you later.”
The atmosphere around the large dining table was chaotic, with everyone talking at the same time. The meaningless chatter subsided momentarily when the goblins brought in the food.
Plates, cutlery, and wine glasses were placed in front of each of us. The goblins, being short, had to climb on each other’s shoulders precariously to pour the wine. I was itching to help, but the young master placed his hand on my thigh.
“If you don’t want to get injured again and bother me, please stay still.”
“Yes…”
The table was now laden with food. Even I, who couldn’t eat, had a plate in front of me. I pushed the delicious-looking meat dish closer to the young master.
“I wonder if I should add an eating function…”
He muttered, looking at the appetizing food.
Miss Baba, meanwhile, was resting her elbows on the table, a bored expression on her face. The raven, now a man, took over as host in place of the lazy Miss Baba.
“Thank you for inviting me to this transaction. I love transactions! I heard the mage wants to make a deal with me.”
The young master picked up my broken hand, then let it go, and replied,
“Raven, you’ll become the material for Estella’s heart.”
What…? Young Master, did you just say you’re going to make my heart out of a raven…?