Chapter 45
*Talk About a Wild Goose Chase*
The two men were not pleased with my perfect plan. Castor shook his head and paced back and forth restlessly.
“It’s pointless for the raven to like me!”
The young master, who was supposed to be on my side, remained silent, then tugged on my sleeve and pulled me closer.
“Estella. It would be better if you used your creativity for something more… practical. I’m not scolding you. Scolding you wouldn’t do any good…”
And then he exchanged glances with Castor! They were both too dense to understand my elaborate plan. I had no choice but to point dramatically towards the window with my detached arm, using it as a conductor’s baton.
“Mr. Raven came all the way from the western forest! He must have flown all this way because he’s deeply in love with Miss Baba, right?”
Castor’s face fell. I reassured him, urging him to hear me out.
“But what if the object of his affection changes to Castor?”
“…?”
“He’ll like Castor less because Castor isn’t as charming, so he won’t visit as often! Then, while the raven is away, Castor can seduce Miss Baba and…”
“Shut up.”
The young master snatched my wildly gesticulating arm. He reattached it and said to Castor,
“I’m not interested in your pathetic love life. I just need to use the workbench. Open the door. If you don’t want to, tell me what you want as compensation. I have more than enough jewels and magic stones. Dragons like those things, don’t they?”
“Oh my, he has something in common with ravens. A love for shiny things.”
Castor glared at me. I shrugged and leaned against the young master. My subtle attempt at physical contact was a success! He placed one arm around my shoulder and the other across my chest. It was a bit restrictive, but it was definitely a good sign for our romantic prospects.
“Stay still, Estella.”
“Yes!”
Castor sighed repeatedly, looking dejectedly in the direction Miss Baba had disappeared, like a deflated puppy.
“I don’t need shiny things. I just need the Master.”
This was problematic for me as well. If the young master couldn’t use the workbench, I would have to stay like this, with a broken arm, until we returned to the mansion.
I looked up at him, wondering if there was a solution. Since I was practically glued to his side, all I could see was his chin. He had a nice chin too.
“Are the witch and the raven really lovers?”
The young master finally asked, feigning curiosity. Castor started to nod, then hesitated.
“I think so.”
“You’re not certain.”
“But they’re always together! The Master waits for that raven every day. She stands by the window, staring at the western forest where he lives.”
Castor looked genuinely heartbroken, but I was starting to feel the same way.
Knowing Miss Baba, I suspected that staring wistfully out the window probably meant she was just spacing out.
We were getting sidetracked.
“We haven’t considered the most important issue! Even if Miss Baba is open-minded and Mr. Raven can talk and transform into a human!”
I placed my hands on my hips and said to Castor, as if scolding him,
“Humans and ravens can’t fall in love. Humans and dolls, however, can. Right, Young Master?”
“Sigh… Estella. The Western Raven isn’t a real bird. The man you saw earlier is his true form.”
The young master blinked slowly and pushed me away slightly. He then approached Castor and placed his arm on the sofa, striking a pose like a thug extorting money from a child in an alleyway.
“If we help you with your pathetic love life, will you let us use the workbench?”
“How are you going to help me?”
Castor asked sullenly. I clung to the young master’s shoulder and said,
“Let’s cover you in sparkles! Then Mr. Raven will fall for you!”
“Estella, be quiet for ten minutes. That’s an order.”
I couldn’t disobey him. Did he find me that annoying? My love operation seemed to have a bleak future. Disheartened, I started counting down the ten minutes. I would save up all my comments for later.
“First, we need to figure out the relationship between the witch and the raven. Jealousy comes after.”
“As if you know anything.”
Castor retorted. The young master looked at him with a strange expression, then averted his gaze and muttered,
“Because I’ve been there.”
“…”
We finally agreed to investigate the relationship between Miss Baba and the raven. Castor just wanted confirmation that they weren’t dating. I would have tried to win the raven’s heart completely, but Castor seemed to be a bit soft.
The most obvious way to find out about their relationship was, of course, to ask.
“The Master has never told me directly. She always avoids the question.”
“I figured as much. She would probably just smile and ask, ‘What do you think?’ and then tease you. We should ask the raven.”
The raven seemed more likely to reveal his feelings than Miss Baba. Wouldn’t he just answer our questions directly?
Contrary to my expectations, the young master shook his head.
“All ravens are merchants. They’re known to bring misfortune if they don’t receive their due. If you want to ask him something, you need to offer him something of value.”
Something of value… The three of us put our heads together and tried to come up with something the raven would like. Our pessimistic and melancholic young master started listing jewels that wouldn’t work.
“Decorative buttons, scratched watches, children’s glass beads, and quartz from the ground are useless. Ravens of the western forest are more discerning than ordinary ravens.”
“Then what kind of jewels does he like?”
“He’s practically a mage. He would like something imbued with magic. I don’t have anything like that right now.”
The young master shrugged helplessly. He was so annoying. Just as I was thinking about pinching him, I suddenly remembered what the raven had said.
‘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.’
A red heart and a jewel imbued with magic.
Then there was only one answer!
“Young Master! I think I know what to offer him as a bribe!”
“The word ‘bribe’ is a bit…”
I grabbed Castor by the collar, ignoring the young master’s crossed arms. They were both about to be amazed by my brilliant idea.
“Do you remember what the raven said during dinner?”
“No. I don’t intend to remember.”
“Do you even know how much he talks?”
“You idiots! The raven was talking about a red heart! Young Master, doesn’t that give you any ideas?”
I leaned closer to the young master, my eyes sparkling. He thought for a moment, then grabbed my hair and lifted it up.
“Should I make you a hair tie with red decorations? It would suit you.”
“Not doll play!”
I grabbed Castor by the collar and shouted,
“There’s only one kind of jewel that poor Castor and the young master, who keeps all his money in the bank, can offer! Or rather, something that can be made into a jewel! Something red and imbued with magic!”
It was a gamble, relying on the young master’s magical skills, but…
“Let’s process a zombie’s heart into a jewel!”
Even the usually critical young master was impressed by my brilliant idea. He frowned for a moment, then smiled reluctantly, unable to deny my ingenuity. The dimple that appeared on his cheek was both annoying and adorable.
“That’s the most sensible and helpful idea you’ve ever had.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Castor, the poor one, threw cold water on our moment of harmony.
“Was that a compliment?”
“Don’t get hung up on trivial matters, brat!”
“Let go of my collar if you’re done.”
Didn’t the young master already have plenty of zombie cores? There was no need to complicate things. I confidently extended my hand towards him. He gently took my hand. It was a nice gesture, but unnecessary. Our romance wasn’t the priority right now!
I pushed his hand away and asked, lifting my chin,
“You should be giving me zombie cores, not your hand. The prettiest one, to be made into a jewel.”
“There’s a problem with that, Estella.”
“Gasp, are they all squashed?”
“I can reshape them, but…”
He shook his head.
“I don’t have any spare cores right now. After setting aside one for the witch, I barely have enough for my research. It would be nice if we could find some nearby, but we’ve already eliminated all the zombies in the area.”
“Can’t we find one if we search the zombies we defeated earlier?”
“I incinerated them all, just in case.”
“…”
He looked pleased with himself, as if expecting praise. His perfectionism was a problem! He had eliminated the zombies so thoroughly that there were no materials left for us to use.
Then we had no choice but to make new ones.
“Castor! Do you know any places nearby where zombies frequently appear? Mark them on a map for me.”
“It’s useless… It’s a waste of time. Let’s think of a different jewel.”
The young master’s voice was slightly dejected. But I couldn’t give up. Zombie cores were perfect. Red, sparkling magic stones. The raven might even fall in love with the jewel instead of Miss Baba.
Besides, not all the zombies were gone. The raven had been attacked by zombie ducks earlier. It was proof that there were still zombies in the area.
Castor supported my idea. He said he would bring a map and asked if there was anything else I needed. He even promised to give us access to the workbench if we could really charm the raven with a jewel.
“Then mark one more thing.”
“What?”
“The nearest cemetery.”
The two men’s faces paled slightly. I pointed towards the library door with my thumb.
“Young Master, grab a shovel.”