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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Chapter 2 Mysterious Deaths (2)
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"Are you really going to be alright?"
"Yes. I'm sorry."
Glomi bowed deeply, her gratitude evident in her posture, as Kallro, Kanto's father, looked at her with concern.
"No, it's fine. Just don't overdo it."
"Understood."
Kallro gently patted Glomi's shoulder, his gaze filled with even greater worry.
'I can't figure out why.'
When Glomi first came to his merchant guild, introduced by his son Kanto, Kallro hadn't trusted her much.
He didn't know what had happened between her and his son, but he wasn't keen on having an unverified individual work directly in his office.
However, it didn't take long for him to realize that Glomi possessed exceptional intelligence and remarkable insight, among other talents essential for business.
After they began living together, Kallro learned that she was an orphan and a very lonely girl. Though gruff, he grew fond of her and cherished her like a daughter.
'What is she so afraid of...?'
Yet, her expression, which had once been bright as she diligently worked and enjoyed her life there, had begun to darken at some point.
Then, she started screaming often at night, and sometimes, even in the office, she would startle violently and rush to him in a panic.
'She won't answer...'
But strangely, even when he and others asked what was wrong, she gave no answer.
Even when pressed, she would seem about to say something, only to sigh in resignation and repeatedly claim it was nothing.
"If you're struggling, go straight back inside."
"Yes."
Her face was visibly worn, and he had told her to rest at home for a while, but seeing her come to the office anyway, he let out a quiet sigh inwardly.
Click!
Thump!
"Hmm?"
Kallro, leaving those words of caution and heading out of the office door for some business, suddenly felt something hit his foot and looked down.
"What is it?"
Rolling on the floor, kicked by his foot, was an exquisitely crafted doll. It was a wooden doll, the kind noble girls often played with, used for dressing up, styling hair, or in pretend games.
"Why is something like this lying here?"
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Kallro stop at the office entrance, Glomi approached him with a puzzled look and spoke.
"Something like this fell down."
Kallro picked up the doll that was rolling on the floor and showed it to Glomi.
"…!"
At that moment, upon seeing the doll, Glomi's already pale face turned even whiter.
"I... I burned it..."
"Glomi?"
*No way! I definitely burned it!*
Despite Kallro's call, Glomi only stared at the doll, her eyes trembling.
"…! Glomi!"
And the next moment, Glomi collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.
***
"Ugh... Mmm..."
It was a long time later that Glomi, who had collapsed, regained consciousness. It seemed to be late, with darkness already settled, as Glomi first noticed the room was dim upon opening her eyes.
"...What happened?"
Glomi's memory of the moment she collapsed was hazy, but the wet towel on her forehead told her that Kallro, Kanto's father, had been nursing her.
As she expected, Kallro had returned to his own room just a moment ago, after confirming that Glomi had fallen into a deep sleep while unconscious.
"Haa."
Only then did Glomi realize that she had fainted after seeing the doll Kallro picked up. She let out a long sigh and fell into thought for a moment.
'That doll...'
And then, she shivered, her eyes filling with fear.
'It wasn't a delusion!'
She had first seen the doll not long after arriving here.
Just like Kallro today, that day, as she left the office, Glomi found the doll kicked by her foot. Its beautiful appearance had captivated her, so she took it to her room and placed it on the windowsill.
She recalled her childhood, when she had merely gazed with envy at other wealthy children playing with such dolls.
'I shouldn't have brought it.'
But from that day on, strange things began to happen. She started seeing the doll she had brought moving on its own.
'I thought it was my imagination...'
At first, she simply believed her memory was playing tricks on her.
The doll she had left on the windowsill would be on her bed when she returned to her room, or sometimes even by the door.
She initially thought little of it, assuming someone else had moved it.
'But...'
However, a few days later, Glomi suddenly awoke to a strange presence while sleeping, and immediately lost consciousness.
She had met the gaze of the doll, which was standing by her bedside, staring intently at her.
And the next day, when she woke up, the doll was back on the windowsill.
'That wasn't all.'
She tried hard to dismiss her feelings, thinking it might have been a dream. She tried to soothe herself, wondering how a doll could possibly move on its own.
Yet, the same thing happened frequently afterwards. The doll she had left in her room even appeared on her desk in the office before she did.
But she couldn't tell anyone about it.
'Even I can't believe myself.'
Because she felt that no one would believe her if she told them. She was sure she would only be pointed at as a crazy woman, so she couldn't confide in anyone about what she was experiencing. Several times, she had tried to tell Kallro, Kanto's father, but the words wouldn't come out.
Who would believe her if she said a doll was following her and moving on its own?
'I threw it away so many times...'
To solve it herself, she had even thrown the doll far away.
But the next day, the doll would invariably be found near her, causing Glomi's mind and body to steadily weaken.
And yesterday, as a last resort, she had even built a fire, placed the doll directly in it, and burned it to ashes.
'Even then!'
Despite that, the doll she had burned reappeared before her. That was why Glomi couldn't help but lose consciousness.
"..."
A moment later, Glomi cautiously began to scan the darkened room with trembling eyes.
She could feel her heart pounding wildly. She also felt as if all the blood was draining from her body due to fear.
Creak...
"…!"
At that moment, at the faint, unfamiliar sound coming from a corner of the room, she very slowly turned her head towards it.
"Ah... Ah..."
And Glomi, confirming the sight of the doll slowly approaching her, quietly closed her eyes, a sharp pain piercing her rapidly beating heart.
***
Bang! Bang!
"Father! I'm here!"
Creak!
"...What is it, so early in the morning?"
"I got your letter and rode all night."
"Come in first."
Sei-an and his companions, who had departed from the Academy after receiving Kallro's letter, finally arrived at his house two days later, in the early morning.
"She actually lost consciousness and collapsed again yesterday."
"What on earth happened?"
"I don't know either. She lost consciousness and didn't wake up, so I thought she'd just fallen asleep and left the room. Looks like she's still sleeping."
Kallro briefly answered Kanto's question, then looked at Sei-an and Lark standing beside him.
"Who are they?"
"They're my friends. They know Glomi too."
"Alright, follow me for now."
After hearing Kanto's explanation, Kallro led them towards Glomi's room.
Knock, knock!
"Glomi, are you still sleeping?"
Kallro carefully knocked on the door, waiting for a sign of her presence.
"Hmm?"
But she seemed to be in a deep sleep, as she gave no answer to his call.
Knock, knock!
"…! I'm coming in."
Kallro, who had knocked again and called her name, felt something was wrong and immediately opened the door and stepped inside.
"Glomi?"
He then carefully called Glomi, who was lying in bed. But again, she showed no reaction.
"Sei-an?"
Just then, someone swiftly moved past Kallro and approached her: it was Sei-an. Sei-an, who had come close to Glomi lying in bed, placed a hand near her nose.
And then, with a slightly hardened expression, he took a step back from her.
"What's wrong? Is she very sick?"
At Sei-an's appearance, Kanto cautiously spoke. He had a strange feeling from Sei-an's grim expression.
"Her heart has already stopped."
"...What?"
"She's dead."
"…!"
And at Sei-an's subsequent words, everyone in the room was struck speechless.
