The Obsessive Male Lead Is Jealous Of My Doll - Chapter 27

14 — 1

‘My hair hasn’t returned to its original color yet.’

Fortunately, her hair soon returned to its original silver color since Zion seemed to have released the power of the wish. Stella looked up at her with sparkling eyes.

“Wow! Is this also magic?”

“Yes, it’s a bit of special magic.”

Unlike Karentina, who was trying to casually brush it off, Gemma asked with a worried expression.

“It seems like you must have traveled a long way in disguise.”

She was astonished as she lowered her head, following Gemma’s gaze. It was because the hem of her robe was soaked and muddy from the snow, and her outing dress was a mess with dirty stains.

“A little.”

Karentina’s mouth went dry. She was worried, fearing Gemma might catch onto everything. However, despite her anxious heart, she didn’t show it on the outside.

“You should hurry and wash up. I’ll call a maid.”

It seemed like her worries were unfounded since Gemma didn’t inquire further.

“Thank you.”

Gemma, who had been wearing a faint smile, gently comforted Stella.

“Your Highness, would you like to stay in the room while Young Lady Karentina washes up?”

“Ung. You have to come back quickly.”

The sight of Stella, with her eyes sparkling and nodding her head, was so cute that Karentina had to suppress a smile.

“Yes. I’ll lend you Leah instead.”

Saying so, she handed Leah, the rabbit doll she had been holding, to the child. Stella smiled brightly as if she was in a good mood and walked out of the room with a satisfied expression.

As the door closed with a thud, Karentina let out a long breath.

“Haah.”

“Master, are you okay?”

Zion, who had been in the dressing room, came to her side.

“I guess I was a little tense.”

As she smiled faintly at Zion, her heart fluttered at the thought that the original story had changed. Now, Ignis’s narrative was beginning to sprout in earnest. She hoped it would take root deep into the ground like a sturdy, beautiful oak tree rather than a dry thornbush.

‘We’re not at the point where we can be relieved yet.’

Although she didn’t know what variables might arise, she wasn’t afraid since she had Zion, Leah, and the soul stones she would meet in the future. So, even if the penalties from the original story came, she had no intention of backing down.

Karentina’s eyes lit up as she embraced the changing future in her heart.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

After returning from the forest, there were many changes in the Duke’s castle.

As a large number of employees and knights returned from their vacation, the once quiet castle began to come back to life little by little. Karentina closely watched the returning employees with Zion in case any of Uncle Maurice’s people were among them.

Zion, who knew her mind better than anyone else, was perfectly suited for this task.

‘Evil is evil.’

Thanks to Zion, who has an incredible understanding of people’s dirty emotions, suspicious people were kicked out before they could even cross the castle’s threshold.

Perhaps realizing Karentina’s desire to keep the castle safe, he showed no mercy when it came to hiring employees.

「 This is what a butler should do. 」

Without being asked, he had the sense to manipulate the memories of those related to the butler without even hesitating.

“It feels refreshing outside.”

Feeling like her legs were getting stiff after just sitting at her desk, Karentina took a walk around the castle with Zion for the first time in a while. The sky was clear and bright. The castle walls and towers were still covered in untouched snow, like white cotton. Despite the cold air and the visible mist of breaths, she felt refreshed.

“What’s going on over there?”

She turned her eyes to Zion’s words as he tilted his head.

There was a commotion near the castle gate as Sasha and the maids were bustling about, seemingly unable to settle down. As Karentina was about to walk away while looking at that scene in confusion, Sasha hurriedly approached and bowed her head.

“Young Lady, there’s someone causing a disturbance at the castle gate right now.”

“Just drive them away.”

“But… it’s someone we know.”

Seeing her troubled expression, Karentina headed towards the direction of the castle gate. The maids quickly stepped back as they saw her approaching.

Clang, clang—

Along with the sound of the iron gate being kicked, a woman’s voice raised in protest.

“You arrogant fool! How dare you not recognize who I am! Open the door quickly!”

“It’s not possible. Without the master’s permission…!”

As the woman threw something again at the firmly closed iron gate and continued to curse, the faces of the maids were stained with fear as they watched the woman who was behaving as if she were possessed by evil.

“Who is it?”

“It’s, it’s Diane.”

‘…Who is Diane?’

For a moment, Karentina’s breath caught in her throat as a vivid memory resurfaced.

「 Diane, it’s, it’s cold. I’m so cold. 」

「 You’re being called crazy because you can’t endure this much, Young Lady. 」

Before having her magic taken away, Diane, the daughter of the steward, poured cold water over young Karentina’s head and left her outside for hours.

As she remembered Karentina shivered involuntarily at the chilling cold, the terrible pain gnawed at her mind, crawling up from her toes.

“It’s okay, open it.”

The knights took notice and opened the tightly closed iron gate.

Diane, with her disheveled hair swept behind her ears, glared at the knights with eyes full of anger. Then, with her thudding steps echoing, she strode into the castle and immediately kicked one of the knights in the leg.

‘Is she crazy?’

Karentina burst into a hollow laughter, utterly bewildered.

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