Chapter 44
*Use Both Arms and Furniture Sparingly*
I nudged the young master in the ribs.
“Estella. I’m in the middle of an important conversation. And I told you not to poke me.”
“You’re using a raven for my heart?”
Did he mean he was going to put the raven inside my body? I frantically rummaged through my pockets and found a few feathers I had plucked earlier to make quill pens for him. I held them up and asked anxiously,
“Young Master, Young Master. How about using these feathers? You’re not going to put the whole raven inside me, are you? You just need a few feathers, right?”
“Estella, shh.”
Instead of a proper answer, he ordered me to be quiet. I clutched the raven feathers like a talisman and looked at the raven, who was calmly eating, seemingly unconcerned about the possibility of being trapped inside a doll’s body.
“Baba, the stew is especially delicious today. Your goblin cook must have improved.”
“He died. So I replaced him.”
“Oh dear, even goblins can’t escape death.”
I was clearly the only one who didn’t understand the situation. Even Castor, whose face usually displayed a range of emotions, was busy eating and chatting with the goblins.
“A raven for my heart! A raven! Is it because my hair is black, so you’re trying to match the colors? A heart can be a normal red color!”
“Ahahahaha!”
The raven, now a man, chuckled, waving his fork with a piece of meat on it.
“Don’t think the heart I make will be black. My heart is red too. I like red. Rubies, garnets, red diamonds… The mage doesn’t want a heart made of raven feathers.”
“Indeed. Estella is currently functioning solely on my magic. She needs her own magic to have a heart.”
My own magic…? I imagined myself with magic. In my imagination, I had become a powerful and terrifying magical maid with superhuman strength. Was he planning to use me as a weapon?
“Estella currently has my signature on her back. It acts as a magic circle that allows her to receive my magic and reject all other magic. A heart is a flexible organ. It would be dangerous for Estella to rely solely on my magic.”
“Dangerous for me?”
“She would shut down as soon as I’m too far away or my magic is depleted. She would become just an ordinary doll. She needs access to other sources of magic.”
The young master and the raven continued their complex discussion. The conclusion was this: A raven’s magic had the ability to draw in various types of natural mana. With the raven’s magic, I would be able to function even if the young master’s magic was temporarily unavailable. The raven’s magic would act as a core, gathering and storing ambient mana!
“That sounds good.”
“I’ve already finished designing the heart. It won’t take long to imbue it with magic. I can work on it tonight. If there’s a workbench available.”
That was good news! I, the stiff doll Estella, would have a heart, in addition to nostrils and durable limbs (although one was currently detached)!
I was practically a human. Or at least, I wouldn’t fail a human identification test.
If I became human, I could become closer to the young master… assuming he wasn’t still pining for Anna.
“Miss Baba! Is there a place in the library where the young master can repair me?”
I asked, my eyes sparkling. Miss Baba, who had been sipping her wine with a bored expression, nodded.
“The top floor. There’s a human mage’s laboratory next to the forbidden bookshelves. It’s old, but it should be usable if you clean it up.”
“The top floor? This magic library looks very tall…”
I looked at the young master with a worried expression. To me, he looked as frail and delicate as a reed. Could he even climb that high? What if he ran out of breath and fainted midway?
“Young Master, if the top floor is too high, I’ll carry you! I’ll try to keep it steady, so just hop on my back!”
I tried to point at my back with my thumb, but I instinctively raised my broken arm. With a creaking sound, the reattached arm fell off.
“Oops.”
“Estella. It’s the other way around. I should be the one carrying you. You need to be more aware of your physical condition.”
Miss Baba, who had been stirring her stew, looked at the young master and said,
“It’s easy to get up there. If you use the door. But you need permission.”
“Permission? But this is your library, Miss Baba.”
She stood up, seemingly unable to focus on her meal.
“Miss? Are you feeling unwell? I can make you some tea.”
“Thank you. But I’m fine. Count, talk to Castor. The dragons manage that part.”
The raven also stood up as she rose, arms crossed. Thump! With a sound like a sack of potatoes falling to the ground, he transformed back into a raven.
“Let’s go!”
Miss Baba casually extended her arm. As if trained, the raven perched comfortably on her arm. They then walked towards the staircase at the end of the hall.
“I worked hard on the food…”
One of the goblins stared blankly in the direction Miss Baba had disappeared.
“The Master has a picky palate. It can’t be helped. Let’s try adding less three-eyed fish bile next time.”
“It’s because the soul deer hide wasn’t cooked enough!”
“You overcooked the red impatien!”
Listening to the goblins’ conversation, I discreetly pulled the young master’s plate towards me. He dabbed his lips with his napkin.
“I’ll borrow the kitchen and make you a late-night snack later.”
“Thanks.”
Castor, a hearty eater, finished his plate before looking at us.
“Aren’t you two going to eat?”
“I’m a doll, so I’m fine. I’m not going to add an eating function. I’m not interested in food. What use is food for a doll? It’s like a prop for playing house. Have you ever seen a doll eat its props?”
“Hmm. Estella, if you want an eating function…”
“Young Master, be quiet.”
Once the meal, which only Castor seemed to enjoy, was over, the goblins carried the entire table away and tossed it outside.
“Oh, we don’t have a table anymore.”
“We’ll have to make a new one tomorrow.”
“I’m tired of making new furniture.”
The goblins muttered to themselves as they left. Then another group of goblins appeared, carrying a sofa. One of them was holding a hammer, some had nails embedded in their hands or shoulders, and a few had singed, curled hair.
“Hey, guests. Please sit on this sofa for a long time. The others will throw it away as soon as you get up.”
“Right. Sit for a long time. Take it.”
“Damn it, who made the rule about using clean furniture for guests? It must have been some delicate and refined noble obsessed with hygiene and safety. Ugh, disgusting.”
As I sat down on the sofa the goblins had brought, I picked up my detached arm from the floor. The young master took the arm, paused for a moment, then sank onto the sofa.
“Do you throw away furniture after using it once? Just wipe it clean and reuse it. If cleanliness is so important.”
“Oh.”
“Oh.”
“Oh.”
Several goblins said in unison, as if struck by enlightenment. Then they muttered to themselves and left.
“She’s quite something, being the mage’s assistant.”
“What’s quite something?”
“She must be a genius.”
“What’s a genius?”
“She’s tricking us. Looking down on us because we’re goblins.”
“What’s looking down?”
“I’ll throw you away if you say one more word.”
“One…”
Ignoring the crashing sound, the young master reattached my arm haphazardly. He said he would fix it properly later, along with any other repairs.
“Castor. Do you really have the authority to access the top floor?”
The young master asked haughtily. Castor leaned back against the sofa and replied just as arrogantly,
“What if I do?”
“I’d like your permission.”
“Why would I give it to you?”
Castor acted like a spoiled child. I stood up and approached him.
“Have you no compassion? Look at my arm! I look like a pirate captain without a hook! I need a workbench to be repaired. And the workbench is on the top floor. Tell me how to get to the top floor! Or else…”
I clenched my fist and looked at the young master, hoping he would come up with a good threat. He wasn’t helpful. He just shrugged and looked away.
“Oh dear.”
“…”
“Anyway, a terrible disaster will occur. A terrible disaster! I’ll think of one tonight!”
“A disaster has already occurred.”
Castor said dejectedly.
“The raven and the Master went into a room together.”
“So?”
“Don’t you get it? They’re dating!”
“Oh my.”
Castor turned his back to us, sulking.
“I don’t want to do anything while he’s here.”
“That’s a problem. I need the raven’s help after I finish repairing Estella in the workshop.”
The young master frowned slightly. I rushed over and smoothed his brow.
“Stop frowning! You’ll get wrinkles! You have to start taking care of your appearance when you’re twenty-five! Don’t assume the looks your parents gave you will last forever!”
“I’m going to remove your nagging function during the repairs.”
I turned to Castor.
“You’re saying you can’t help us because you’re worried about the raven and the Master? We’ll solve that problem for you.”
Castor turned his head slightly. I declared confidently,
“We’ll make the raven fall for you instead of Miss Baba!”
The two men exchanged glances.
“Is she serious?”
“Unfortunately, she seems to be.”