Chapter 53 : Doll Play (6)

“Seila, this is not something a young lady should say.”

I looked at Seila, who was making such a sound while looking outside with the villa door slightly open, and I carefully observed her.

I wanted to figure out if she was sincere in what she said or if she was just exaggerating on purpose.

“I don’t want to show my appearance as a young lady either.”

Hmm, it seems like both. She wants to genuinely express that she dislikes something, but explaining every single detail would make it seem less significant.

Instead, perhaps she was trying to show a brief and simple attitude to drive Ayla away.

I turned around.

There, Ayla was standing.

Surprisingly, Seila’s threatening gesture, which showed her exposed teeth, seemed to work decently on Ayla.

It wasn’t that Ayla was truly scared, but rather, she had a hesitant expression as if she was unsure whether to approach.

“…….

I’m a little angry.

Ayla never showed that kind of attitude toward me. Of course, I understand. She is just a child. Her sensitivity is sharp, her mother passed away a long time ago, and her father’s been gone for quite some time as well.

But still, if she can play so well on her own, it doesn’t seem like she has any major emotional issues, right?

My goodness. For a grown adult to think ‘I wish someone would pay attention to me.’

I’ll make sure to hide this emotion thoroughly. If it’s Ayla, she’d want to hear it directly from me the moment she sees any hint of this feeling.”

“Seila.”

I looked back at Seila.

“No.”

Seila shook her head.

“This is my territory.”

Technically, it was just a building made for the hunter’s survival. It ended up looking like an aristocratic villa because Daisy and her disciple had expanded it too much.

But I was the one who explained to Seila that “this whole place belongs to you.” Ayla would probably not want to force her way in.

“Seila.”

“Even if it’s Luna—”

“Would it be alright to see Seila’s dolls?”

“My dolls?”

Seila blinked at my words.

In the past few days, I hadn’t only spent time with Ayla. After our first doll play, I had continued to visit Seila alone to see how things were going.

Seila was growing up brightly and healthily. She could have acted much more wildly, but since she didn’t, it seemed that her personality was quite ideal for a child.

One thing Seila was particularly fond of was her dolls.

Some might say that as a child, she shows attachment to the dolls she plays with, but from what I’ve seen with other aristocrats, many adults also collect dolls as a hobby. Rather than dolls for play, some luxury dolls are traded or auctioned for high prices.

Whether Seila will grow up to be one of those adults, I’m not sure, but at least for now, she had that atmosphere.

So, the key to approaching her lies in those ‘dolls’.

“Yes. While talking with Ayla, I complimented those dolls several times. Jenna is a pretty girl.”

“Ah.”

Seila’s expression became a bit more complex, more than what a child would typically show.

She was proud but, at the same time, she could tell what I was thinking. So, even though she should have disliked it, there was an undeniable desire deep in her chest to show off to someone else.

When it comes to showing off, it doesn’t work much if you do it to the same person you’ve already shown it to. But if a stranger, especially someone she doesn’t really like, shows interest in her collection, she would likely want to flaunt it even more.

“Well, um.”

Seila hesitated, choosing her words. Then the door opened a little more. Daisy, who had been standing a bit farther back, was about to burst into laughter while watching us. I’ll have to call her later and remind her to focus more on her role as a maid.

“Ayla.”

“Yes.”

As I moved aside at the door and bowed, Ayla stepped forward.

Ayla, in her own way, couldn’t immediately change her attitude in front of Seila.

There were complex reasons for this.

First, she was inexperienced in dealing with people. She wasn’t always like this, but after becoming an aristocrat, she probably started isolating herself in secluded places, and that’s how it turned out. Especially when dealing with aristocrats, she would worry about what to say, regardless of age.

Also, changing one’s attitude completely after showing one before is considered an embarrassing thing. Most people would think so.

For instance, some people might continue to argue they are right even when they know they are wrong, or they might act angry even when they’ve calmed down.

Even after coming here, Ayla locked herself in her room. She minimized contact with other servants and spent time alone. She hid her emotions, maintaining only the minimal courtesy, waiting for the right moment. To others, this might have appeared ‘cold.’

If she suddenly changed her approach now, it would look suspicious to others, and she would be in an embarrassing situation.

“…………… Luna told me. You have such wonderful dolls.”

“…I won’t give them to the lady.”

Seila said, as if she were accusing Ayla of trying to take them away.

Ayla’s shoulder twitched slightly. It was clear she was hurt.

Yes, Ayla’s heart is soft. This must have slowly weakened over time. She probably thought it would be better to hurt others rather than be hurt herself. After all, it would reduce the chances of me getting hurt.

“Ayla.”

“I know. I know.”

When I urged her, Ayla replied, sounding irritated.

“I would like to have a doll as well.”

“Of course!”

“But, that doesn’t mean I plan to take the young lady’s doll. That would not be something a Countess would do.”

“…Something a Countess would do?”

“Yes. I inherited a large estate with so much wealth, so there’s no need for me to take something that’s been handled by someone else. I’ll simply have mine made with fresh money.”

“……”

“And, if I’m going to make one, I want to create the most beautiful doll in this estate. To do that, don’t you think I should first see a ‘magnificent’ doll?”

This is really childish.

Of course, that childishness was intentional. This was a conversation that Ayla and I had carefully thought out on our way here.

“Ugh.”

It’s childish, but at the same time, that’s why it sounds like something a wicked stepmother or villain would say in a fairy tale.

Well, I never really thought about what it would be like if someone in real life said something like this. Even if someone like that existed, they would probably just be a child, and in that case, they would choose to ‘hide it.’ After all, for a child, it would be a matter of pride.

But Seila, just like her love for dolls, loves fairy tales. …Even though the content of those fairy tales might be a little dark or twisted, if you exclude those episodes, the tales mostly maintain the structure of an ordinary fairy tale.

People who enjoy stories often want to become characters within those stories. It’s common for aristocratic eldest sons to read chivalric literature and want to become knights.

Seila likely sees Ayla, her stepmother, as a ‘villain’ because she believes she’s become the tragic heroine in that story.

“That… that’s.”

Seila hesitated for a moment, then finally opened the door.

“Come in.”

Ayla turned to look at me.

Various emotions crossed her face. She looked somewhat happy, which made my own emotions more complicated.

Good grief.

What’s the point of being jealous of a girl much younger than me?

It’s not like I’m going to be held like a baby in Ayla’s arms.

But my grumbling soon faded when I saw Ayla’s expression.

“It’s wonderful.”

Ayla said, smiling.

No matter her feelings, Seila had managed to get Ayla to want to have a conversation.

I had heard compliments a few times before, but this was the first time I’d received such genuine praise.

I responded with a polite expression, bowing even further.

“As expected, it’s a beautiful doll, just as I’ve heard.”

Ayla’s reaction seemed much more convincing than mine. Perhaps there was a hint of sincerity mixed in?

“Right? I was told it was made by a craftsman from a faraway country.”

“It gives off an exotic vibe.”

Is that so?

Unfortunately, I’m not well-versed in that area, so I didn’t know what else to say.

Seila kept looking up at Ayla’s face.

She looked like she was expecting something.

Ayla saw Seila’s expression and looked at me.

And then,

“Of course, the doll I will make will be more beautiful.”

It’s a lie.

I do plan to get a doll, but I have no intention of having it custom-made.

After all, in the original fairy tales, the stepmother is always the one who loses to the protagonist.

If we try to get too close too suddenly, Seila might become too wary, so we decided to approach her slowly, keeping some distance.

“Hmph.”

Seila scoffed.

“That won’t be easy.”

Seila said confidently, placing her hands on her hips.

“Because these dolls were passed down by my mother. No doll in the world can compare to them!”

“…Is that so?”

Ayla nodded.

“…Well, now that you’re here, I’ll treat you as a guest.”

Seila said, pointing to the table.

“Let’s have a cup of tea.”

Then, the conversation stopped.

Seila hesitated and looked up at me.

Could she not think of how to finish her sentence?

“…Would you like to talk about the happenings of the world?”

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly it! Let’s talk about the world!”

Ayla, who was out of Seila’s line of sight, gave me a slight smile.

That smile made me feel somewhat relieved.