Chapter 19: CH 18

Mikael, who was about to open the door, hesitated at the sound coming through the door. Caleb, who was next to him, widened his eyes and looked at the door and Mikael’s face alternately.

“Ah, what’s that sound… inside?”

“… Caleb, listen to me first…”

“What kind of person dares curse the Archduke… !”

Before Mikael could stop him, Caleb slammed the door open with a terrifying force. He drew the bayonet from his waist at the speed of light. The blue glinting blade looked exceptionally sharp.

“… Uh?”

But soon Caleb let out a vain remark.

Because the only thing he saw in front of him who came in to catch the cheeky bastard who insulted the Archduke was a naked cotton doll.

Confused, Caleb quickly looked around the room. But no one was in the room. The moment he opened the door, he wondered if that person had run away, so he checked all the windows and even the balcony door, but couldn’t find anything strange.

“Archduke, wasn’t there a sound coming from inside?”

“… Was it? I didn’t hear it.”

“But obviously…”

“Let’s stop talking about it.”

Mikael quickly stepped aside. He indeed heard a scream that went ‘Mikael you son of a bitchhhhh!’ but he decided to deal with it later one-on-one with Yul.

He knew why Yul was expectedly cursing like that so he had to deal with that first of all.

“Caleb, you have a younger sister right?”

“Yes? Yes… That’s right. Are you talking about Liena? If it’s Liena, doesn’t the Archduke know her?”

“Right. I do know her. That’s not what I’m curious about.”

“Then?”

“Then have you seen Liena play with dolls?”

“Yes, of course. I buy a new doll for her every birthday.”

“Great.”

Mikael was relieved by Caleb’s words, and Caleb was puzzled by Mikael’s words.

Caleb was training the knights of the Archduke.

After his physical training, he was going to perform a swordsmanship match with the deputy leader, but Mikael suddenly called for him in a hurry, so he left the deputy leader for a later schedule.

He thought it was urgent, so he asked him what was going on on the way, and his superior said he would tell him when he arrived, so he quietly followed. But when he got to the room, he asked about his sister Liena and dolls, he did not understand at all.

“Caleb. From now on, don’t misunderstand what I’m saying, and listen.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

To Mikael’s most serious expression, Caleb responded with a firm expression. He didn’t know what the story was, but it must have been something serious anyway.

“… What should I do if a doll is crushed?”

“… Yes?”

“So the doll… is dented. His face is crooked, and his limbs are uneven. Is there any way to fix it?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Caleb quietly covered his mouth with one hand. It seemed that his boss had gone crazy.

With trembling eyes, he looked again at the naked doll he had just seen.

Come to think of it, the last time he had seen the doll was wearing clothes and now it was not wearing a single thread. There was no way the doll would have taken off its clothes on its own. So…

“A- Archduke…”

“I know very well that I look very strange right now. But Caleb, it doesn’t matter what you think. I swear it’s definitely not like that.”

Mikael added urgently, but Caleb didn’t hear a single word from him.

Caleb approached the doll with a calm expression. It had a sweet yet fragrant smell. Last time, he put a ring on the doll, and now it seems that he even gave him a bath.

That’s why listen to me when I tell you to start dating… ! It was certain that he had reached a point of dissatisfaction and had lost his mind. Fortunately, at least there wasn’t any news about Mikael not being able to work properly.

As a subordinate, his personal hobbies were not a matter he could speak on. Caleb thought so and tried to appease his restless mind. But he was unable to do even that because of a sudden thought.

“Archduke.”

“Yes. Speak.”

“These days, you only eat in your room and avoid going out as much as possible… Could it be because of the doll?”

“Huh? That, that… Yes, but… Anyway, Caleb, that’s not it. It is absolutely not what you think it is.”

Caleb dropped the sword he was holding and wiped his face.

The head of the most noble family in the empire who could have anything he wanted really went crazy. While playing with dolls at that. Caleb shook his head at the unacceptable reality.

“Archduke! Isn’t this why I told you to do anything, like dating or meeting someone!”

“Caleb, that’s not it! I’m fine!”

“Are you saying that a normal person put a diamond ring on a doll and even gave it a bath? No, let’s just say it’s possible. The Archduke’s secret, yes, well, taste? Fine. I can admit and accept it as a matter of taste! But you’re eating in your room and confine yourself inside because of a doll! This is unacceptable!”

“I said that’s not it!”

“Then what is it?!”

The voices of the two men who could not take a single step back came and went.

Meanwhile, Yul was watching the two of them quarrelling with interest. Indeed, watching fights was the most fun thing.

At that moment, Mikael grabbed Yul with a determined expression and put him right in front of Caleb’s nose.

“Yuri, you tell him. It’s not like that.”

“Archduke… !”

At Mikael’s strange behaviour, Caleb desperately called his name. He thought he was crazy, but watching him act crazy in real time made him feel like breaking down.

“Yuri, why aren’t you saying anything? Speak quickly! It’s all a misunderstanding!”

“Stop it, Archduke!”

Mikael, who became impatient, urged Yul to answer. However, Yul deliberately said nothing to get revenge on Mikael, who squeezed him as hard as he could and twisted his face, and made his arms and legs uneven.

Try being in trouble for once, you jerk!

Caleb, who could have never even dreamt about the reality, took a long sigh with a determined expression as he struggled to calm his despair.

“Whew… No, Archduke. Surely there must be a way. I will not give up on the Archduke. Just as the Archduke extended his hand to me, I will also help the Archduke. So, never give up.”

“Caleb, that’s not it. Yuri, why don’t you say anything? You always chatter away, why are you suddenly quiet? Are you perhaps…”

As Caleb became more serious, Mikael became more desperate. No matter how much he tried to get Yul to say anything, he was quiet, he wondered if something had happened to him in the meantime.

However, Mikael’s face, who looked at Yul’s face in a hurry and anxiously, quickly turned cold.

The reason was simple. It was because Yul was giggling.

Mikael immediately took Yul and headed towards the fireplace.

At first, Yul, who didn’t know what was going on, soon realised that he was heading to the fireplace and struggled.

Oh gosh, this madman is trying to set me on fire!

“Yuri, I have no choice if you don’t say anything. It seems your soul is no longer here. So you won’t need your body any more.”

Mikael said sullenly. At his words, Yul’s blue eyes widened as if they were about to fall. Mikael, pretending not to see those eyes, grabbed Yul with tongs and brought him closer to the flames.

“Ahhhh, please spare me! I was wrong, Mikael! Spare me, don’t burn me!”

Yul, who was in danger of being burned alive, exclaimed urgently. His weeping voice rang out.

Then Mikael snorted, and Caleb stiffened in shock with his mouth open.

“Looks like you’re back. What a relief, Yuri.”

“It’s hot! Let me go, let me go, awahhhhh, you’ll burn me down!”

Mikael was being careful not to actually burn Yul, so Yul’s words were nothing but dramatic. Of course, it could be really hot because of the heat.

He deliberately pulled the tongs holding Yul out of the fireplace slowly.

“Huhahaha, I thought I was going to die.”

Yul, who nearly died several times today, swept away his pounding heart.

Realising that he could really be burned if he played a prank on that Mikael jerk twice, Yul thought he should never play such a prank in the future.

He should keep his limbs attached until the day he escapes from the crazy lunatic’s grasp.