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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Worry Dolls
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That night.
After eating dinner and washing up, the children naturally gathered in Lellia's room.
“……”
Lellia, dressed in her pajamas, headed to the room right next to her own bedroom.
Seeing the five beds lined up in a row, she couldn't help but sigh.
It was Romeo who had claimed two of the beds.
He had a habit of rolling around in his sleep, so he’d taken two and warned the other children he wouldn't let it slide if they encroached on his space.
And at the head of each bed sat a rabbit doll, a sight that she found rather pleasing.
‘They’re so cute!’
Right, no matter how much you all act like you're all grown up, you're still just ten-year-old kids.
‘Even though I’m only seven…’
Anyway, Lellia approached Oscar, who was hugging a small white rabbit doll.
“Oscar, are you all ready for bed?”
“Yeah…”
Lellia recalled Oscar's flustered expression from earlier when she’d handed him the doll, and she gently stroked his hair.
A little while ago, Oscar had looked surprised when his friends returned with dolls after going out without him.
But when Lellia offered him the white rabbit doll, he had accepted it hesitantly.
Lellia gave Oscar the explanation she hadn't been able to give when she first handed him the doll.
“Oscar, this is called a worry doll. I bought it especially for you. This is what I went out to buy.”
“A w-worry doll… Wh-what’s that?”
At Lellia’s words, the other children also fixed their gazes on her.
“Uh, well… hmm. You all have at least one thing you’re scared of, right? Sometimes it might even show up in your dreams. But if you sleep while hugging this doll? It eats up all the bad dreams. In other words, it’s a doll that worries for you.”
“…The boss sure is good at spewing nonsense.”
Romeo sneered.
“Hey, it’s true!”
As Lellia flared up, the other children snickered.
“So childish… Are you really the same age as us? Sometimes I really have my doubts.”
“……”
Lellia trembled with indignation at Griffith's words. To be honest, it hit a little too close to home.
After all, unlike these guys, she was only seven.
But with the memories of her past life, she could think like an adult. She thought she was incomparably more mature than these brats… and now she had to hear this!
Lellia let out a deep sigh, then tucked Oscar in as he lay down in bed. Just like an older sister.
“Good night, Oscar.”
“Aren’t you going to say good night to us?”
“Is the boss allowed to play favorites?”
“It’s not like this is the first time.”
Lellia tossed a perfunctory “good night” to the grumbling boys and left the room.
She went into her own room next door and climbed into bed.
A smile spread across her face when she saw the white rabbit doll.
Even though they whined about it being childish, the fact that they all kept the dolls by their bedsides proved that kids will be kids.
And with that, Lellia hugged her doll tightly and fell asleep in an instant.
