Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As my thoughts reached that point, I remembered the illusion that Chloe earnestly asked the doll to protect Declan.

‘Is it because of that? She asked the doll, and all of this is happening now?’

Numerous things that I couldn’t comprehend have been happening since the time of my rebirth.

‘Well. It can’t happen since I’m in possession of a doll.’

Regardless, if Declan could get hurt like last time, I couldn’t just simply ignore it. Of course, according to the original story, he’s going to die because of Mason in five years, so he won’t die now.

…But what if the contents of the original work changed because I got possessed into the doll?

‘Is Declan going to die faster? Then, what about me? What’s going to happen to me?’

At that moment, my heart was convinced.

To survive, I must follow the clues given.

However, the question is, how can I, as a doll, protect him? I couldn’t do anything with just a little movement of my hand.

‘First, let’s see if there will be any dangerous situation tomorrow.’

***

The next day, from the moment the sun rises, I watched the area around Declan, scrutinizing. Fortunately, he was in the conference room throughout the morning, so nothing happened. There weren’t any signs until he got back to the room after the meeting.

‘Did the incident last time happen by chance?’

When nothing happened, I started to wonder if I was being too sensitive for no reason.

“Your Majesty, I will prepare a meal.”

As Noah approached and asked carefully, Declan nodded lightly. After a while, he pulled in the trolley where the food was placed.

‘…That?’

As I observed the foods that were laid down one after another, my nerves became sharp in an instant.

…Isn’t that the same black smoke that I saw in the jar last time?

I knew intuitively.

Eating that could put Declan in danger.

When he opened the lid that was covering the bowl, I could see the soup with black smoke circling it.

‘What do I do? I have to tell him not to eat that…’ The distance from Declan was so far that I couldn’t move my hand to let him know.

Noah and the servants quietly left the room when he was ready to eat.

“Chloe, I’ll cut the roast.”

While Declan was cutting food with a knife and fork, I looked through the soup.

After serving the cut meat, he slowly lifted the spoon. ‘Please don’t eat that!’ I yelled anxiously, but he held the spoon close to his mouth.

‘No!’

I shouted desperately with all my might.

“You can’t eat that!”

Declan’s hand, which was about to put the spoon of soup to his mouth, paused. As I peered at his gaze, his eyes grew bigger and bigger.

“No, you can’t eat that!”

Impatient, I walked forward and grabbed the spoon he was holding.

“…!”

As I looked at my hand passing through the spoon, I stood blankly for a while. Slowly coming to my senses, I was frightened and withdrew my outstretched hand.

“…What?” As my hand moved at will, I was so amazed that a surprised noise escaped my mouth.

The white and slender hands were large enough to be called a doll’s hand. Aside from its size, it was too translucent to be a human’s hand.

“…You, you.”

His trembling voice quickly made me lift my head, and I met Declan’s gaze in the air.

“Chloe…?”

Seeing him appeared significantly confused, I tilted my head.

“You can see me?”

At the moment, I hardened at the voice flowing out of my mouth.

“…The voice comes out?” Hoping desperately that I was mistaken, I spoke carefully again. Undoubtedly, a voice could be heard, and a silent exclamation burst out.

Then, suddenly, I remembered what Declan had said while staring at me.

‘Wait, you’re Chloe?’

His gaze was moving between the table and me. Curious as to why he was doing so, I followed his gaze and saw a doll sitting quietly on the table.

“Huh? Why is that over there? Then… what about me?”

It was only when I lowered my head and looked at my body up and down, I realized what the discomfort I felt was when I glanced down at my hands.

“No way…”

It was already absurd to be outside the doll, but my whole body is translucent. My head was blinded by the unexpected situation I encountered.

“Is… Is it really Chloe?”

In the meantime, Declan got up from his seat and slowly approached me. As I stepped back reflexively, I stopped, confused. At that moment, I thought that something was strange, and decided to ask carefully.

“Ca-can you see me?”

Declan quietly nodded.

I look like a ghost, yet you can see me?

“Then, my voice, too?”

Even though I was somewhat certain that he could hear my voice, as he had been answering my question, I still wanted to check properly.

“…Yes.” A tightly locked voice flowed out of him.

“What the hell is going on?”

I swept my hair up and frowned.

“What is this now?” The hair on the finger was not black, but a shiny gold color. It was the same color as the doll.

Standing panicked, Declan asked again in a trembling voice.

“Chloe, are you really here? But why do you look like the doll?”

Declan must have been hoping that the doll might have been inhabited by Chloe from the time it moved its hand. In such a situation, although I am translucent, a person who looks exactly like a doll appeared, so it was worth it to expect something.

Because people would try to believe whatever they want to believe.

I decided to persuade him once.

“I am not Her Highness.”

His eyes shook greatly at the firm answer.

“Really?”

He looked desperate, as if he was asking to please tell him that I am Chloe.

“Yes, you should know just by looking at my appearance.”

Declan gazed at me for a long time.

“…I see. Only the hair color is the same, but your eyes are different.” A deep regret struck his face as he muttered helplessly.

Even though nothing was wrong, I felt sorry for some reason.

Declan stared at me with a faint glance as if he was trying to see Chloe through me. After such a long time, he slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.

“Since the doll moved, I thought it wasn’t normal… Am I really crazy?”

He laughed in vain.

“I don’t think so.”

It can’t be an illusion where I remembered my previous life and was able to think and talk like this.

When he heard my answer, Declan peered at me strangely.

“Then, how should I describe this situation?”

“It’s up to Your Majesty and me to find out in the future.”

Declan narrowed his eyes as if to gauge if I was telling the truth.

“You don’t even know why?”

“Yes, I just shouted out to make sure Your Majesty doesn’t eat the soup…”

While I was trying to explain the situation, I remembered the facts I had forgotten. “Ah, that’s right! Don’t eat that soup.”

There was still a black smoke in the soup I pointed to.

“Why?” He asked with a puzzled face.

“There will be something in there that will hurt Your Majesty. If you don’t believe me, you check it out yourself.”

Listening to my words, he stared back at the soup.

“My food is thoroughly checked by Noah in the first place, and all the tableware is silver. But you’re saying that there is poison in it?”

“It may or may not be poison, but… it certainly contains something that could harm Your Majesty.”

My heart became frustrated by his suspicious eyes.

“There is nothing to lose if you check it.”

Declan, who alternated between the soup and me, walked to the table and picked up the soup bowl. Subsequently, he poured a little soup into the pot that had been placed by the window.

After a while, the plant in the pot could be seen perishing, and Declan’s face hardened.

‘If I didn’t pop out of the doll…’ I swept my surprised heart anxiously.

“How did you know there was poison in soup? Don’t tell me you did it?”

‘He doesn’t even know how to be grateful for someone who saved his life.’ In a word, he was being absurd.

“Why would I have informed Your Majesty the facts if I had done it?”

Silently, he frowned as there was nothing to refute.

“Explain how you knew it, then.”

“I can see it, the things that could harm Your Majesty.”

“Hah, do you want me to believe you?”

He wiped his head with a confused face. “…You don’t even know what the hell it is.”

“Still, Your Majesty, it’s better to start looking into that soup first.”

After pondering for a moment, Declan, who was grazing his chin, pulled the fluttering rope. Seconds later, Noah’s footsteps could be heard as he entered the room.

“Did you call me, Your Majesty?”

“Investigate this soup. I think it’s poisonous.”

“Yes…? No way!”

Noah rushed to the table with a surprised face.

“It turned like that when I poured it into a flower pot.” When Declan pointed to the flowerpot at the window, Noah went to study it closely and contemplated.

“Obviously, nothing appeared when I checked it earlier.”

“Did you check it with silver?”

“Yes.”

He gazed at the soup and the pot with an embarrassing yet keen glance.

“There was no reaction to the tableware, and there was no smell…”

“Do you mean that it is a poison that could not be detected even using silver?”

Noah’s face became increasingly serious.