Chapter 43: CH 42

“… Why did you do that?”

Yul’s voice seemed to be crawling. Like a person who had committed a great sin, he was downcast.

Mikael silently stroked his soft rag hair. His tiny head fit snugly in his hand.

“Why did you do that!”

Yul raised his voice. Even so, his voice was not very loud because he had the body of a small doll. Rather, there was only an insignificant squeal. However, Yul didn’t seem to be aware of this fact, so he continued to squeal.

“Why did you do that, why! Why are you pointing your sword at Andrei! Andrei is Mikael’s only friend! You already have no friends!”

Yul, who kept repeating the same thing while being upset, quickly realized what he had said.

He was brutally honest saying that Mikael had no friends. Of course, it was true, but what he knew himself and what others would hear would be very different. He couldn’t take back what he already said. Yu bit his mouth tightly and shut up.

But that didn’t mean he was relieved. No, he wasn’t really angry. He was just upset. He was so upset, but he couldn’t help but get angry because he had no way to express his frustration.

“Are you angry?”

“I’m not angry!”

“Then?”

“Just, just… ! Oh, why did you do that anyway!”

Yul, who couldn’t say it outright because he was upset, turned around. Then a small laugh was heard. Yul looked at Mikael in surprise, and he was laughing like he didn’t know what was going on.

“Ah, are you laughing now?”

“Well I’m not crying now am I.”

“I’d rather you cry!”

“Why?”

“…”

Yul stubbornly shut his mouth at Mikael’s question. It was a completely opposite reaction from when they were bickering just now. Mikael pressed the question, probably sensing it as well.

“Why do you want me to cry?”

“Well… !”

“Well?”

“Mikael is in danger because of me!”

In the end, Yul burst out the lump that had been forming in his chest the whole time.

That’s right. There was one reason why Yul was upset. Mikael became in danger because of him.

That haughty man who didn’t know how to be afraid of heaven and earth might die because of him. Even if Andrei suddenly threw himself into the stove, Mikael had to stay still. Otherwise, he himself could be burned to death.

He also felt wronged, of course. One day, when he opened his eyes, he suddenly possessed a doll’s body. On top of that, it was a doll that appeared in the world of a novel.

This bizarre and absurd incident did not happen because of him. After all, Yul was also a victim. However, he was suddenly treated as a product of black magic. What’s even worse, if he got caught, he would be thrown into a wood fire. It was crazy to the point that he felt like jumping up and down.

It was an unfair and crazy situation, but Yul had no power to change this situation. It was virtually impossible to escape and hide away from people’s eyes while pretending to be a doll. He didn’t even know how to do that, but he couldn’t become human again.

But Mikael was different.

If he gave up on him, if he threw him away, everything would be solved. As Andrei said, there would be no problem for him if he threw out the black magic doll.

So when he thought rationally, it was right that he abandoned him. Even if he couldn’t do it himself, it would be a matter of letting his friend Andrei throw him into the stove.

But why wouldn’t he do that?

“Do you want to be burned to death?”

“…”

“Answer me, Yuri.”

Mikael’s words had irresistible power. Yul looked at him and opened his mouth helplessly.

“… No.”

“Then do you want to be drowned in water while being tied to a stone?”

“… No.”

“Would you like to be torn apart and dismembered limb from limb?”

“… No.”

“Then that’s fine.”

He couldn’t understand what was going on. Nevertheless, looking at Mikael’s face, which was not calm, but even confident, seemed to ease his anxious mind.

“Then will you protect me?”

“What did you hear me say so far?”

“I know everything, but I want to be confirmed. That’s what the human heart is like.”

“You are not human.”

“Ahh, in this atmosphere, are you going to nitpick on something like that? Fine. Then the doll’s heart is like that.”

Yul grumbled, but corrected his words.

Mikael looked at him and laughed softly. Yuri was indeed fun to tease.

He had always been a serious person, but when he was with him, he ended up becoming childish unlike his usual self. But he didn’t dislike that. It was really strange.

“Then keep your promise. You must protect me. Got it?”

Yul looked up at Mikael with round eyes. He didn’t forget to grab the hem of Mikael’s clothes with his small hands, as if looking at him with sad eyes wasn’t enough.

“Anyways, don’t you dare pretend you don’t know later. I won’t let you go, really.”

Yul, who made a threat that was not a threat at all, dug into Mikael’s chest and hugged him. Mikael asked as he casually stroked Yul’s large head in his arms.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll make Chucky cut you up, I guess.”

“Chucky?”

“There’s something like that. A horror movie with a very wicked, evil doll. The doll carries a knife and cuts everything.”

“Hmm, looking forward to it.”

Mikael replied carefreely. If Yul carried a knife and cut everything, it would be fortunate if he didn’t cut himself.

However, Yul, who had no way of knowing what Mikael was thinking, believed that his threat was effective.

***

“Ahh, huff! Huff! Huff! Ha! Hu, hu… Aiyo, I am dying.”

It was one morning when Yul’s breathless screams resonated throughout the room.

Yul, who was running around the room with a fishing rod, collapsed on the floor saying he couldn’t do it anymore.

“Wah, Mikael…”

“Lucky! Spit it out!”

Lucky swallowed the fallen Yul in one bite, probably waiting for Yul to fall out of exhaustion. Now, because the teeth had grown quite strong, Yul’s body was bitten by the hard dragon’s teeth.

Fortunately, Lucky didn’t bite Yul. Thanks to this, his body was not punctured or torn, but he was much more scared than before.

“Spit it out, Lucky. Hurry.”

[Biii.]

“Your dad is dying.”

[Bii! Bii!]

“Right.”

This had happened more than once, and Mikael was now adept at getting Yul out of Lucky’s mouth.

When he tickled Lucky’s belly gently with his hand, Lucky could not stand the tickle and opened his mouth. He didn’t miss the gap and took out Yuri who was soaked in saliva.

[Bii-]

“Hey, dude, Lucky you little prick… You bit a little harder today.”

Yul wiped his surprised chest and glared resentfully at Lucky.

Sure enough, Lucky’s tooth marks were stamped on Yul’s face.

As Mikael gently massaged Yul’s face with his gloved hand, the cotton filled the pressed area, gradually returning to its original round and puffy face.

""

At that moment when he was finally having such a peaceful time, a cautious knocking sound was heard. Yul hid himself behind Mikael’s legs out of habit.

“Archduke. It’s me, Levi.”

“Come in.”

Oh, Levi? I like Levi!

As soon as Yul realized that the other party was Levi, he ran towards the door with short legs with a ‘dadada’, intending to see him.

The reason Yul liked Levi was simple. Whenever he came, he would bring something delicious. Even if he came empty-handed, it was fun to talk to him about the movements of the nobles and various gossip.

Of course, his purpose was to let Mikael know that the political situation was going on, but from Yul’s point of view, who spent most of his life inside his room, the stories of the outside world couldn’t not sound interesting.

“Hello. Yuri. Looks like Lucky did something today.”

“As always, well. It’s okay. But I’m worried because Lucky’s teeth are getting sharper. I’m going to get a hole.”

“You have to be careful.”

“I am doing my best.”

While exchanging brief regards with Levi, Yul fixed his gaze on what was in his hand.

“I came because I have something to tell you.”

Feeling Yul’s gaze, Levi held out the thing he was holding in his hand to Mikael and said.