Volume 3 Chapter 90: Peaceful Moments II

Elshan Falceid’s mornings always began early.

“Mm… Good morning, Noil.”

Before the sun had risen, she awoke in her bed and placed a gentle kiss on the forehead of the life-sized Noil doll lying beside her. In response, the doll, wearing an unnaturally cheerful smile that sharply contrasted with the real Noil, extended its arms in a somewhat awkward motion to embrace her.

This life-sized Noil doll, with meticulously crafted joints, of course, lacked a will of its own. Its movements were solely the result of spirits acting according to Elshan’s requests.

“Oh, Noil, I don’t want to leave you either. But I need to start getting ready. After all, today I’ll be meeting the real Noil.”

Reluctantly, Elshan hugged the doll tightly once more. She rubbed her face against its chest before finally pulling away. The Noil doll, still smiling brightly, reached out towards her with jerky movements. Elshan lovingly stroked its head before stepping out of bed.

Still dressed in her thin, lace-trimmed nightgown, she moved about the room, which was filled to the brim with Noil dolls. One by one, she kissed each doll gently on the forehead, whispering “Good morning” to each.

This ritual took considerable time due to the sheer number of dolls, but it was an essential part of her daily routine.

Whenever she stayed at the mansion, this morning ritual of greeting the Noil dolls was never skipped. It was one of the reasons Elshan’s mornings began so early.

After completing her affectionate greetings to every doll, she made her way to the en-suite bathroom, her face glowing with satisfaction. She took a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and stepped out of the bathroom. Waiting for her in the dressing area was another life-sized Noil doll, holding a towel in its hand, smiling as always.

“Thank you, Noil.”

What could easily be mistaken for a horror scene was, to Elshan, an ordinary morning. She received the towel with a delighted smile and began drying her wet, flawless body.

As she did so, the doll awkwardly moved to embrace her from behind.

“No, Noil… That’s enough. Didn’t we share our love last night? Of course, I’d love to stay like this, but today is an important day. Please wait patiently.”

With a gentle stroke of the doll’s cheek, Elshan coaxed it. The doll, maintaining its unchanging cheerful smile, nodded slightly and shuffled out of the dressing area.

Watching it leave with a fond smile, Elshan finished drying herself. Still unclothed, she returned to her room.

As she walked, pieces of floating underwear and clothing approached her one by one. She donned each piece methodically, and by the time she reached the ornate round table in her room, she was mostly dressed.

Seated at the table, she slipped on long socks and boots to complete her outfit. As she settled into her chair, a mirror and a set of cosmetics floated over, applying themselves to her face with meticulous precision. The result was a natural makeup look that further enhanced her beauty.

Once her makeup was done, another cheerful Noil doll appeared behind her, holding a comb.

“Thank you, Noil.”

Elshan let down her hair, allowing the doll to comb it. Despite its earlier awkward movements, the doll now displayed astonishingly delicate and precise motions as it combed her hair. A gentle breeze, conjured by the spirits, dried the damp strands.

This particular action had been painstakingly perfected. Envious of Milis Albama, who had her hair combed by the real Noil, Elshan had begged the spirits to faithfully replicate his movements. Although spirits struggled to grasp human subtleties, the promise of receiving a large amount of Elshan’s mana every morning motivated them to improve. By now, their replication had surpassed the original—it was practically professional-level work.

The doll continued its task, its cheerful smile never faltering as it flawlessly smoothed Elshan’s silky hair.

“Noil, thank you. That’s enough.”

Satisfied after a long session of hair combing and makeup checks, Elshan gestured to the chair across from her. On days when she met the real Noil, Elshan spent an extraordinary amount of time preparing, even if he was still asleep.

The room, which had been dim when she woke, was now filled with the warm light of morning.

Following her command, the doll carefully stored the comb and awkwardly seated itself across from her.

“Kon kon kon, kon kon kon.”

Right on cue, a calm voice echoed from outside the room.

“Master, your breakfast is ready.”

“Thank you, Sophie. Please come in.”

“Pardon my intrusion.”

At Elshan’s invitation, Sophie entered the room, pushing a wooden serving cart and bowing deeply at the doorway.

“Good morning, Master. Good morning, Sir.”

“Good morning, Sophie.”

Elshan greeted her with a gentle smile, and the Noil doll raised one hand in a jerky wave, its cheerful expression unchanging.

Sophie expertly maneuvered the cart to the round table and began setting out breakfast. Soup, salad, an omelet, and bread—though nothing extravagant, the table was vibrant and colorful.

“Thank you, Sophie. Come, let’s eat together.”

“Yes, Master.”

With those words, Sophie happily settled herself—not into an empty chair, but onto Elshan’s lap. Elshan accepted her presence as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Eating with family always makes meals taste better.”

“Yes, Master.”

As Elshan shared her thoughts, Sophie nodded, and the Noil doll, incapable of eating yet seated before a meal, also nodded with its ever-present cheerful smile.

It was a peaceful, heartwarming morning—a cherished daily scene in Elshan’s life.

“That’s Just Ridiculous”

An expected interruption broke through the surreal atmosphere.

Standing at the room’s entrance, her hand pressed to her forehead as though nursing a headache, was Mina Carat. She had arrived unnoticed amidst the bizarre scene and, naturally, couldn’t resist making a comment.

“Good morning, Mina,” Elshan greeted her, smiling warmly.

“Good morning, Mina-sama,” Sophie followed, bowing politely.

“Good morning… No, wait, stop! What is wrong with you two? How can you just greet me so casually in this situation?!”

Mina sighed, shaking her head as she briskly strode to the round table. After sparing the life-sized Noil doll a brief, disdainful glare, she seated herself in an empty chair. She exhaled deeply and fixed her gaze on Elshan, who was smiling serenely.

“El, I’ve told you this so many times, but this—this is just wrong.”

“What is wrong?”

“Your head. Your head is what’s wrong.”

“That’s such a cruel thing to say.”

As the two exchanged their usual banter, Sophie quietly slid off Elshan’s lap. She moved to set a plate of breakfast in front of Mina, her movements smooth and practiced.

“Thank you, Sophie.”

“It’s nothing.”

This peculiar morning ritual had become a daily occurrence in the Spirit Wind manor ever since the secret of Elshan’s room had been discovered. Breakfast was always prepared for Mina as well, despite her frequent protests.

Elshan’s odd behavior always prompted Mina’s critiques, Sophie carried on as if everything were normal, and the perpetually smiling Noil doll said nothing, of course. Yet, despite everything, the three of them sat together with the doll each morning to share their meal.

Though Mina never failed to point out the absurdity of the situation, her words fell on deaf ears. Elshan simply couldn’t understand what was so strange about it. After all, for her, having breakfast with family was the most natural thing in the world.

As she gently stroked Sophie’s head, who had returned to her lap, Elshan glanced over at the cheerful Noil doll and let out a soft chuckle.

“Oh, Noil, you’ve got something on your mouth.”

“No, no, he doesn’t… Wait. He does?!”

Despite Mina’s incredulous protest, there was indeed a smudge of ketchup at the corner of the doll’s mouth. Naturally, a doll couldn’t possibly get food on its mouth, but the sight left her even more bewildered. She sighed deeply, shaking her head.

A floating handkerchief gently wiped the doll’s mouth.

“There, all clean now,” Elshan said cheerfully.

“Why do these spirits have to be so detailed…?”

Mina muttered her complaint with a mixture of exasperation and resignation. She had long since run out of energy to argue. Instead, she quietly gave up and began eating her breakfast.

“Are You Visiting Him Again Today?”

“Are you going to visit him again today?” Mina asked, her tone laced with resignation.

“I’ll go whenever I can. Sophie would like to see him too, wouldn’t you?” Elshan replied with a serene smile.

“Yes, I like Master very much,” Sophie chimed in, her tone sincere and affectionate.

“Then… I guess I have no choice but to go too…” Mina muttered begrudgingly, glancing at Elshan and Sophie as they exchanged smiles. She carried on eating, spooning some soup into her mouth.

“There’s no need for you to come, Mina. Sophie and I can handle it ourselves,” Elshan said, tilting her head slightly.

“You two alone would definitely cause some sort of trouble…” Mina retorted, sighing.

“It’s sad that you don’t trust us, Mina.”

“Or perhaps, Mina-sama just wants to see Master?” Sophie interjected innocently.

At that, Mina choked on her soup, sputtering and coughing. Elshan calmly encased the flying droplets in a gentle breeze, preventing them from splattering everywhere. She narrowed her eyes at Mina, watching her reaction.

Mina was her closest friend, her confidant. However, if Mina harbored feelings for Noil—feelings of a romantic nature—it was something Elshan couldn’t tolerate. She would have to put an end to it quickly and discreetly, without hurting their friendship.

“Mina, if you’re—”

“Of course I’m not!” Mina shouted, cutting her off before she could finish.

“But what about that time in the room—” Elshan started to say, her voice calm but probing.

“That was different! I already told you! I wasn’t thinking clearly!” Mina exclaimed, her face flushing red. She slammed the table and stood up abruptly.

“But, Mina…” Elshan began, her voice teasing yet measured.

“W-What now…” Mina stammered, still flustered.

Elshan trusted Mina—she truly did. If her friend was denying it so vehemently, then there probably weren’t any romantic feelings involved. Still, her over-the-top reaction left room for suspicion.

However, even if Mina herself had no intentions, that didn’t mean Elshan could let her guard down.

“You know, Noil’s room now has tatami mats. Care to explain why?” Elshan asked, her tone casual, yet there was a sharpness in her gaze.

“How should I know? Maybe he just liked them…” Mina replied dismissively, her shoulders slumping as if she couldn’t care less.

“Liked them because of you, perhaps?” Elshan pressed further, her words deliberate.

“Because of the tatami, not me!” Mina snapped back, glaring at her friend.

That made sense, of course. It wasn’t in Noil’s nature to be unfaithful. But that didn’t mean Elshan had to like it. The idea of her husband, even as a friend, being influenced by another woman’s tastes didn’t sit well with her. If possible, she wanted this to be the first and last time.

With a slightly pained expression, she decided to tease her friend further.

“I’m joking. But if something like this happens again—”

“It won’t! You can rest easy!” Mina interrupted, raising her voice in exasperation.

“Promise?” Elshan asked, tilting her head innocently.

“I swear,” Mina replied, placing a hand on her forehead and sitting back down, visibly drained. Elshan nodded, satisfied. She’d secured a promise, and knowing Mina’s personality, she wouldn’t go back on her word.

Perhaps it was a little mean-spirited, but Elshan felt it was a necessary precaution for Noil’s sake.

Despite how others saw her as the embodiment of purity and perfection, Elshan was no saint. Like any normal person, she had her moments of selfishness and pettiness. She didn’t go out of her way to maintain a facade, but people tended to idealize her on their own.

For the sake of the one she loved, she didn’t mind resorting to underhanded tactics. She wasn’t nearly as noble as people believed.

“El, you know…” Mina began, staring at her friend with an exhausted expression.

“Hmm? What is it?” Elshan asked, tilting her head.

“You’re actually… pretty underhanded, aren’t you?”

“Hmm… Perhaps,” Elshan replied, letting out a soft chuckle. She couldn’t help but laugh, even as Mina sighed in disbelief. Despite knowing her true nature, Mina remained her friend, and Elshan appreciated that deeply.

“Well… if we’re going to the White Road, let’s make sure we don’t attract too much attention,” Mina suggested, finally relenting.

“Yes, you’re right,” Elshan agreed with a nod.

In the capital city of Elist, the Spirit Wind’s name carried weight. A few visits to the White Road wouldn’t be a problem, but frequent visits would undoubtedly draw unnecessary attention and possibly trouble for Noil. However, not visiting Noil wasn’t an option.

“In that case, why don’t we stagger our visits, going one at a time?” Sophie proposed.

“Yes, Sophie, that’s a good idea,” Elshan said, patting Sophie’s head affectionately. Sophie’s eyes narrowed happily at the gesture.

That reminded Elshan—she’d already finished getting ready, but she could wear the clothes Noil had given her. He had chosen something plain and unassuming so they wouldn’t stand out, specifically to spend more time with her.

Of course, she had interpreted everything beyond “plain and unassuming” to suit her own convenience.

“…You’re going to wear that outfit?” Mina asked, narrowing her eyes as she read Elshan’s expression. The mere thought of the outfit made her cringe. It was hideous—objectively so.

Anyone with a shred of fashion sense could see its poor design, but perhaps love truly made one blind.

“Oh, it’s a great idea, isn’t it?” Elshan said, beaming with enthusiasm.

Mina could only groan, her face falling further into exasperation as Elshan continued to smile brightly, blissfully unaware of just how ridiculous her plan seemed.