Chapter 51
*Even Magicians Can’t Escape “You Take After Your Father”*
“I was so worried about you.”
As we left the workshop, Castor, with a worried expression, was waiting for us. The young master, still in his work clothes, nodded at Castor and then stood by the workshop door, as if he was about to change. Come to think of it, his work clothes were quite dirty.
“Young Master, I’ll help you!”
I tried to follow him to his room, but he stopped me with his hand and then said the most shocking words I had ever heard.
“I want to be alone for a while.”
He then abruptly entered Castor’s workshop and locked the door behind him. Castor and I looked at each other.
“Did you do something wrong, Estella?”
“Well, where do I even begin?”
“Forget it. Let’s go downstairs and meet the Master.”
Castor suddenly grabbed my wrist and led me to a mirror.
“You’re going downstairs, but why are we stopping at a mirror? To check your appearance?”
Castor shrugged and then walked straight into the mirror. Since he was holding my wrist, I was pulled along with him. You might be durable, but I’m a freshly repaired doll!
“Hey, you idiot!”
I squeezed my eyes shut, praying that the mirror wouldn’t break.
But there was no sound of shattering glass. I cautiously opened my eyes, and we were standing in the middle of a staircase.
“There are quite a few stairs since it’s the top floor.”
Castor said nonchalantly.
I looked back, and the mirror was gone, replaced by a large painting. It was so big that I had to tilt my head back to see the top of the frame.
The painting depicted a man who looked just like Castor, with a mustache and an antique-looking uniform. Beside him were a beautiful woman and their family. Their three children all had bored expressions, as if they were forced to pose.
It was clearly a portrait of Castor’s family.
“So that’s what you meant when you said only you could access the workshop? It’s a secret passage only your family can use.”
I stared at the painting in amazement. Castor fidgeted, touching his chin.
“Yes, that’s right. This was my father’s workshop. I heard only our family can open the door.”
“Which one is you in the painting?”
I pointed at each of the children in the painting. They all resembled Castor, but there were subtle differences. Was it because it was a painting?
He didn’t answer, so I turned to him, and his face was contorted as if he was about to cry.
“I’ve never met my father.”
“Oh…”
I shouldn’t have asked.
“W-well, everyone in the painting looks happy!”
“They’re all dead.”
“…”
There were times when it was best to keep your mouth shut. I looked around awkwardly. It was just the two of us. I had nothing to say.
“I see…”
Castor spoke, breaking the awkward silence.
“My homeland, Dragon’s Waist, is currently at war. It shows no signs of ending. My parents left me in this magic library when I was very young to escape the war. They were supposed to come back when the war ended. But I’m still…”
As if realizing the gloomy atmosphere, he suddenly shrugged, trying to sound cheerful.
“But I like it here. Because I like the Master.”
“Being near someone you like is very important.”
I agreed. Just then, the raven flew towards us. The same raven that was Miss Baba’s guest.
“Are you two having a nice chat? Mind if I join? I know a lot of old stories. What do you want to hear? War stories? Love stories?”
The raven landed in front of us and transformed into a human. I had seen him during that bizarre dinner, but he was indeed handsome. His playful smile was completely different from the young master’s. His hair and eyes were both jet black, and the skin around his eyes was slightly red.
He casually placed his hand on Castor’s shoulder and took my hand, kissing the back of it. It was a normal human lip, not a hard beak.
“Where’s the Count? He said he needed my help, but he hasn’t come to find me. He needs my magic to make the young lady’s heart, right?”
“Oh, that’s right! Excuse me, but can you give your magic to our young master somehow?”
I wasn’t sure how the heart-making process worked, but it seemed like it would be good to store the magic somewhere. I rummaged through my pockets and looked around, but there was nothing that could be used as a container.
“Where do you store the magic? I don’t have anything to put it in… I’ll go to the kitchen.”
I was excited about getting a heart. Was there anything I could use to store the magic right now? My palm would be fine too.
The raven suddenly tapped Castor’s shoulder. Castor looked annoyed, but the raven ignored him.
“You can’t store magic in ordinary containers. Only mystical beings can do that. Ravens like me are special, but not mystical. Even I admit that. So you either have to transfer the magic directly or get help from someone else. That’s why I came looking for the Count.”
“So the problem is that we don’t have a special container…”
“Then we have no choice but to transfer it directly, right?”
The raven, who had been speaking playfully, suddenly grabbed both my hands. I was caught off guard, and his face was suddenly very close.
“H-have you ever kissed anyone?”
“I know a lot about it theoretically. I’ve read tons of romance novels. Want some recommendations?”
“I’ve read many novels, and I’ve done it many times in real life. But never with a doll.”
“Well, congratulations.”
“It’ll be a good experience for both of us.”
He closed his eyes and leaned in. Wait, was this how he was planning to transfer his magic?
I couldn’t kiss anyone other than the young master! Of course, I was curious about what a kiss felt like. But satisfying my curiosity like this would be a betrayal of Anna and Estella, who had been in love with the young master for so long!
But they were both me!
“No!”
“Really?”
Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing a prank. He didn’t seem like he was actually going to kiss me.
“Then you have to do me a favor, Count.”
The raven turned his head. The young master, who had emerged from the workshop, was frowning. He instinctively beckoned for me, then walked over himself.
“Tell me what you want. I know you’re going to ask for something in return.”
“That’s no fun.”
The young master hid me behind him. Perhaps he wasn’t playing a prank on me, but on the young master? I could understand. I had a cherished teddy bear when I was Anna, and I would be annoyed if a stranger tried to kiss it.
“I belong to the young master.”
I said it to reassure him. He looked at me with a slightly disgruntled expression and muttered,
“Liar.”
I wanted to ask him what he meant, but the raven interrupted us. He placed his hands on the young master and Castor’s shoulders and said cheerfully,
“I’ve already received my payment from Baba. I can share my magic with the doll, gladly. My magic is of particularly high quality. Do you know why? Are you curious? Doll, aren’t you curious?”
He seemed to want me to ask, so I played along.
“I’m curious!”
“I grant people’s wishes and deliver messages. And I take their life force or magic as payment. I pay some taxes to the Goddess, or Demon as you call her, and the rest is mine.”
The raven’s black eyes gleamed. I gently removed his hand from the young master’s shoulder.
“I possess everything from the Emperor’s soul to a beggar’s hope. My magic is diverse and wide-ranging. It can mix with any type of magic in the world. That’s why my magic can animate you. So, what do you think, doll? Do you like it?”
“Hmm… I need to consult with my team.”
I tugged on the young master’s wrist. He looked back at me. I stood on tiptoe and whispered in his ear, so the raven couldn’t hear,
“Do I really have to receive magic from him? He seems strange. I really don’t want to.”
“Young lady, I can hear you.”
The raven seemed unconcerned. I was the one who should be concerned. I was about to receive a heart as a gift, instead of a necklace, bracelet, or earrings, and the merchant was this guy. I should probably look for a different shop or ask for a different gift. What was the big deal about not having a heart? I was a doll anyway.
I decided to persuade the young master. The raven looked like he was planning to rip us off.
“Just tell me what you want. I know you’re going to ask for something in return.”
The young master said coldly. Our young master was so smart!
The raven chuckled and circled around the young master. It was strange how much he resembled a bird. Even in human form, his sharp eyes and restless movements reminded me of a raven.
“I don’t like getting straight to the point. I like circling around and then arriving unexpectedly. I enjoy pretending. Count Lupin Zepetto, you’re very much like your father. How do you like using his workshop? Did you find many traces of him? He used to share it with Castor’s father.”
“What?”
Castor grabbed the raven, surprised. The raven calmly pushed him away. It reminded me of how the young master pushed me away…
“Take this boy and leave for Dragon’s Waist tomorrow. I’ll give you my magic before you go. But you’ll need help to properly utilize it. A dragon’s help.”
The raven pushed Castor towards the young master. They both frowned in annoyance.
“Now, incompetent dragon and capable human. Get along. Your families were close.”
The young master was silent for a moment, then pointed at the workshop and asked,
“What exactly did my father do here?!”
The raven’s answer was cryptic.
“The same thing you’re doing.”