Chapter 6
“Hey! You seem in a good mood?”
“Didn’t I tell you not to act familiar with me?”
As I was being carried out of the room in the girl’s hands, to the point where I felt like my cotton stuffing would come out from motion sickness, I heard a boy’s voice.
The conversation sounded far from friendly. While upside down in her grip, I slowly opened my eyes.
I had been squeezing them shut because of severe nausea.
“…What? Vivi, what kind of attitude is that toward your brother!!”
“You’re only my brother in name.”
A heavy, storm-like silence followed, then an angry shout erupted again.
The girl holding me—Vivi—made a disgusted gagging motion at the boy’s words and adjusted her grip on the doll in her arms.
“Just go your own way. Why are you acting like you know me anyway?”
Vivi spoke irritably, clearly annoyed. Then she muttered loud enough for him to hear.
“We’re twins anyway, so what’s with the fake big-brother act?”
Wait. If Vivi is his twin…
A thought flashed through my mind.
The freckled face, orange hair, and identical features to Vivi—
…then.
“Is that Henry?!”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. My hand almost shot up, but I managed to restrain myself in time.
Henry Button—the root cause of Calion’s suffering, the one who drives him toward becoming a “hidden villain.”
Anger surged instantly.
Why bully someone who’s just minding their own business?!
I had to resist the urge to kick his annoyingly staring face.
Unaware of my murderous thoughts, Henry spoke again after looking me over.
“What’s this? That ugly doll?”
As expected of siblings, their rudeness matched perfectly. I glanced at them through my button-like eyes. Of course, nothing showed on the outside.
“Oh, this?”
“Yeah. It’s not even your style.”
“I’m giving it to someone.”
Vivi casually shook me.
What?
Who would you even give an old doll like this to…?
I had expected to be tormented by Vivi, but this unexpected variable made me swallow nervously.
Meanwhile, Henry laughed mockingly.
“It suits him perfectly. That ugly doll.”
“…Alright. Move.”
Vivi walked past Henry, who looked like he was already planning something unpleasant.
Vivi’s Room
Her room was incomparable to the one I had stayed in—vast, luxurious, and filled with expensive-looking furniture.
I hadn’t seen them in person often, but I had heard about them in passing or seen them in magazines.
That rug… handmade by a master craftsman.
My eyes darted around.
That desk was booked a year in advance.
There were artifacts, 100% wood furniture, even paper and pens—all clearly expensive.
Everything I had only seen in drawings was now real.
And then a thought struck me.
They’re giving me away in a place like this?
Even if it felt inappropriate to say it myself…
Objectively speaking, wasn’t it strange?
A neglected, ugly doll lying in a room like this.
A horror movie scene about possessed dolls suddenly came to mind, and I shuddered internally.
“Someone in a room like this wouldn’t lack money for gifts…”
I muttered suspiciously at Vivi, but she just hummed happily.
She sat properly on a goose-down cushion chair, then pulled out cheap wrapping paper and a box.
Then I was lifted into the air.
“Time to wrap it.”
With Vivi’s giggling echoing, I was placed inside the box.
The tight space immediately made me dizzy.
Ugh… I feel sick already.
The box was turned and shaken repeatedly.
By the time I felt like my eyes would roll back—
“Done!”
Vivi’s cheerful voice rang out.
I waited carefully.
Then—
Click.
The lights went off.
I focused all my senses.
Rustling slippers. Sheets shifting. The bed creaking. Then steady breathing.
She’s asleep.
I didn’t move immediately.
Too many near-caught incidents recently.
I had to be extremely careful.
After a while, an owl’s hoot signaled midnight.
Now.
I braced myself.
“I’ll try kicking it…!”
With a solemn breath, I kicked the box with all my cotton-filled strength.
Thump—
The sound alone felt ominous.
I should’ve escaped earlier instead of hesitating…
Still, I kept kicking.
And after a long time—
The night passed…
Despite kicking all night, I could not escape.
The Next Morning
“Vivi, hurry and get ready. We have guests.”
The door opened, revealing a refined middle-aged woman’s voice.
The twins’ mother—the Duchess.
Soon after, people entered the room in groups. I perked up my senses, hoping to gather information.
But strangely… they were too quiet.
Instead, I heard Vivi’s annoyed stomping.
“I won’t wear this! I don’t even have anything to wear!”
“Why is this all there is?!”
“If you want to wear a dress, you should skip breakfast, as the lady instructed.”
“I have to go?!”
“Vivi. Don’t throw a tantrum.”
Henry’s voice followed, pretending to be the older brother.
Why is everything they say so useless?!
Then—
“I’ve planned something very interesting.”
Henry’s voice turned unpleasant.
A chilling feeling spread through me.
“He hasn’t been dealt with in a while.”
At that, the twins stopped arguing and began scheming.
A name surfaced in my mind that I desperately tried to ignore.
“…Even if someone like Calion disappeared today, it wouldn’t matter, right?”
So my guess was right.
The world felt like it tilted.
Calion.
They were talking about Calion.
His childhood was full of abuse.
That single line from the novel suddenly felt painfully real.
To him, it must have been like walking through an endless swamp with no way out.
No matter how much he struggled… he couldn’t escape.
That explained his empty gray eyes.
He had tried to escape—but failed.
And so he became the “villain.”
A blood-soaked future, a demon duke.
A simple line in the novel had turned into a suffocating reality.
I clenched my nonexistent fists.
Then—
Click.
The door closed.
Silence returned.
Vivi, now calmer, sat at her dressing table.
Soon, a man spoke.
“It’s time to move, young lady.”
Vivi stood up—and I was lifted too.
Still inside the box.
My nausea worsened as I was carried somewhere.
Where… is this place?
I forced my eyes open despite dizziness.
Voices echoed around me.
“Such a noble thing you’re doing.”
“Taking in a commoner child is rare.”
“A banquet like this…”
Everything felt hollow, like superficial chatter.
Then another voice cut through.
“Spending so much for appearances?”
“…Reo, don’t cause trouble today.”
“Duke Button, you shouldn’t have invited me then.”
This voice… it was sharp.
Then—
“The Tower Master’s position isn’t something you can ignore.”
The Tower Master…
In this world, only selected children with strong magical talent could study at the Magic Tower.
A powerful credential.
Even a duke couldn’t ignore it.
The conversation continued, then faded as the box shook violently.
We’re moving.
I gave up trying to understand where I was.
Eventually, the movement stopped.
The box opened.
Bright sunlight poured in.
And then—
“Calion, happy birthday!”
A cheerful voice.
I froze.
Calion… birthday?
Today was his birthday.
The day of the original story’s beginning—
Calion Nacht’s 15th birthday party.
And I—
I’m his birthday present?!
Before I could process anything further—
Warm hands lifted me.
“…Thank you.”
Calion’s low voice reached me.
And for the first time, I saw him clearly.
Golden hair. Ash-gray eyes.
Far more beautiful than anything I had imagined.
A face that didn’t belong to a child at all.
My thoughts broke.
“…He’s unbelievably handsome…”
I muttered blankly.
I didn’t even realize I was speaking.
“Seriously… this is unreal. If this face hurts your eyes, why go to a hospital? Just look at him. It’s like my vision is clearing on its own. What is the Empire even doing? This face should be classified as a national treasure—!”
Calion’s faintly trembling gray eyes watched silently.
