Chapter 15

Chapter 15

‘What?’

When I turned my head unconsciously, screams broke out from all over the place again.

Noah and those around him turned pale as if they had seen a ghost.

“Your Majesty, what’s going on?”

“You…”

Declan approached me at a quick pace with a perplexed expression on his face.

“Thank God.”

A cold sweat was running down his face as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s go back to the room first.” He said, quickly picked me and headed towards his room in a hurry.

“Your Majesty, everyone’s a little strange?”

“I’ll tell you when I get to my room.”

Declan, who whispered to me, accelerated his steps further. Eventually, he stopped walking as he stood in front of the delicately carved lion-shaped door.

“Noah, don’t let anyone in until I give you my permission.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Noah, who was still dazed, answered one beat late.

Declan went into the room before hearing his answer and immediately closed the door.

“You’re very surprised, aren’t you?”

Putting me on the table, Declan took a long breath after swiping his face once. The green eyes that still had a hint of anxiety were trembling slightly.

“What happened?”

“I don’t even know. I just felt dizzy and was about to throw up, but then I went back into the doll…”

Speaking of which, it was frightening.

‘What if I can’t go out like this…?’

At the moments of silence, Declan gazed at me with a complicated face.

“…But, I’m glad we can talk.”

It was only after hearing his words that I felt a little relieved.

“And, I think we can do something else.”

“Something else? What is it?”

“You haven’t realized it yet? Move your arms.”

I tilted my head at his sudden request and then concentrated all my attention on my arm.

…No, I was about to do so—

“Oh?”

My arms moved so much easier than I thought.

“Why is this?”

I slurred my words out, unexpected, as Declan grinned lightly.

“Your Majesty, am I moving now? I’m not mistaken, am I?”

As if to answer my question, he nodded his head slightly before opening his mouth.

“Back then, you were good at turning your head, too.”

“Did, did the others see it as well?”

Suddenly, after calling Declan, I remembered the strange reaction around me.

Even though I tried to evade the curse by keeping Declan alive, I might have just proved myself to be a cursed doll…

“What do we do now? They will throw me into the fires of hell as a cursed doll!”

Meanwhile, as I wept and cried, Declan’s lips twitched a little. “Fires of hell? Where did you hear something strange like that?”

“No. In the book…! After all, there really is such a thing!”

In the end, he couldn’t resist anymore and laughed softly.

“I’m thinking about life and death right now, but why is Your Majesty laughing?”

Saying so, I lowered my hand in frustration, though the doll’s arm moved and tapped the table as well.

“…Oh, my.”

I froze in amazement at my actions.

Declan, who was watching this, finally burst out laughing.

It was the first time I had seen him smile, so I looked at him. His sharp eyes curled in a round shape and his stiff lips softened. The green eyes that contained ice contained freshness like deep green.

I gazed at him as if possessed and unconsciously raised my arm.

“Why?”

It was only then that I realized what I was going to do in response to his question, and I struggled to change the subject.

“No. Just…”

“Just?”

“It’s nice to see Your Majesty smiling.”

With my abrupt answer, he blinked his eyes silently. Then, Declan raised his hand and touched his lips.

He seemed to have realized that he was smiling now.

“Smile often. It looks good.”

As I smiled broadly, his green eyes fixed on me.

“…It’s been a long time. I never smiled like this.”

Knowing why he couldn’t smile, I felt sad. As the atmosphere seemed to subside, I decided to swiftly change the subject.

“I can walk.”

As I waddled closer, he burst out laughing again.

“It’s like seeing Chloe as a child.” He said, smiled softly, and patted my head.

“Keep walking.”

“No. You’re trying to make fun of me, aren’t you?”

I pouted my mouth.

“What would I make fun of you for? …It’s cute. It reminds me of the past.”

As he finished his words saying that he remembered the old days, my heart weakened yet again.

‘Well, I’m just embarrassed, not dying…’

Thinking it was to heal his wounds, I turned around and walked to the other side, before walking back to Declan.

“I hope to show you more often in the future.”

He gently stroked my head with a smile on his face.

“Look at what your Majesty is doing.”

“Are you telling me to look good? At me, the Emperor?” After hearing my remarks, he laughed languidly.

‘Was he the kind of person who smiles like this?’

It was a little embarrassing, but I didn’t want to stop it.

“Sure, this is a tough job. Your Majesty asked for it, so I’m specifically doing it for you.”

Declan laughed and gulped as I raised my face and spoke sullenly. It seemed as if a light was shining from his relaxed face.

“Oh, right.”

As I clapped my hands, Declan, startled, grabbed my hands and looked at them carefully.

“Tsk, you’re not careful.”

He let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my hand.

“Well, other people saw me moving.”

“Are you worried about that? You have me.”

Strangely, at that one word, my anxious heart subsided in an instant.

“What if I really am a cursed doll…?”

“Didn’t you jump up and down, saying you weren’t an evil spirit?”

Declan chuckled, recalling me yelling about it.

“Your Majesty, why are you not suspicious?”

“Hm, because…”

For a moment, silence enveloped the room as he chose his next words.

“Because you are the soul of a doll that Chloe loved.”

A large hand gently stroked my hair. “If the doll is gone, I can’t breathe.”

It was bittersweet and reassuring to know that I could protect his wounds, but at the same time, hurt him.

“Even if the people who witnessed what happened today spread rumors, they will hear that they’re resembling the mad Emperor.”

“…The chief attendant must have seen it, too, shouldn’t we be telling the truth?”

Declan pondered for a moment and muttered a little.

“He is full of passion for me.”

Noah was very loyal to Declan, so I could be in danger if he thought of the doll as something to be wary of.

“He will not harm you. I assure you.”

Even with the resolute words of conviction, my anxiety did not go away easily.

“By the way, the question is whether you can get out of the doll again.”

With those words, the problem that I had forgotten came to mind, and I made a gloomy face. “What if I can’t go out like this? I want to go around.”

“Walk around the room. I won’t let anyone else in.”

Of course, he somehow seemed to enjoy the fact that I wasn’t allowed to travel far.

“Do you enjoy me being trapped in a doll?”

“No way. I feel sorry, too.”

When Declan said that with a smile on his face, I didn’t trust him at all.

“You don’t look sorry at all.”

I tried to cross my arms to show my displeasure, but it didn’t work well with the doll’s arms. When I finally gave up after several attempts, Declan covered his mouth as his shoulder shook lightly.

“Are you going to keep making fun of me?”

“Isn’t it unreasonable to not laugh while you’re acting cute?”

“I didn’t know that your Majesty was such a person.”

As I sniffled my nose and turned my head, Declan smirked and began to laugh. “Don’t get me wrong. I really didn’t mean to make fun of you or ridicule you.”

Turning my head and shutting my mouth, he rolled his eyes with a puzzled look.

‘The tyrant Declan is noticing!’

This was a special feeling.

It was unfamiliar as he usually arrogantly gave orders, but it felt rather good that he noticed my countenance. The corners of my lips twitched.

“Hey, you have to be generous and understand my heart with a broad mind. Since you’re going to ruin everything, I’m taking special care of you.”

“Is this special care again?”

Nodding to his words, his expression darkened then turned into satisfaction like a full-fledged beast.

“I like that.” With a smile, he patted my hair again.

Declan kept stroking my hair, so it was awkward, as if I had become a child. Still, I felt loved, so I did not complain.

“I’d like to explain to Noah, would it be okay?”

“I’m nervous. It’s a situation where it doesn’t make sense.”

“Trust me.”

It seems that I was relying on Declan a lot, seeing that one word gives me peace of mind.

Moments later, Declan pulled the rope and Noah came right in.

“Noah, why are you surprised?”

Noah’s eyes fluttered slightly as he raised his head at the question. “…Even Your Majesty saw it, too.”

“What?”

“Really, haven’t you seen it?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

Noah was hesitant about what to say before wiping his face.

“If I had only seen it myself, I would have thought it was an illusion, but there are other people who have seen it other than me, so it couldn’t be called an illusion. But, it’s too absurd to be true…”

Declan clicked his tongue as he started talking gibberish.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I am so confused.”

“Tell me exactly what you saw.”

“…I saw the Crown Princess waving her arms.”

Uttering those words, Noah sneaked a peek to see if Declan didn’t believe him.

‘What an eyesight.’

In a situation where I couldn’t take it out or beat it, I just sighed.

“I know this is nonsense, but really! Very clearly! I definitely saw it. There are several others besides me as well.”

“Yes. Yes, I saw it right.”

“I’m really sane, aren’t I?”

Noah, who was about to make an excuse, made a bewildered expression.

“It’s true that the doll moved. You’re not mistaken, you’re not crazy.”

At Declan’s words, he frowned.

“Did Your Majesty see you, too?”

“Yes”

“It-it is an honor to be on the same path as you, but I would be able to take care of Your Majesty only if I was normal. What craziness is this!”

As Noah continued to speak, Declan’s eyes thinned in annoyance.

“Noah.”

“Ah, the servants outside are going crazy. Even if the knights don’t show it, they seem embarrassed. Are you glad you’re not alone?”

“One more word, and I will hang you upside down on the wall.”

“Hiikk, how can you say such a scary thing!”

Still, even as he said that there was no fear visible on Noah’s face.

“From now on, listen carefully to what I have to say. Understand?”

When Declan put on a straight face, Noah’s expression quickly grew serious.