Chapter 67: Shattered Bonds in the Palace

That was true. Just as Lara nodded in agreement, a sharp crack resonated through the room.

Lara and Karlahee both startled, turning to look at the source. Exactly at the left cheek of the doll, Lady Elina I’s hand slowly slid downward. With a shocked expression, she alternated her gaze between the doll and her own hand.

Though the doll’s cheek—made of a somewhat rigid material—showed no sign of reddening, Lady Elina I was overcome with guilt. Her heart ached at the thought of having struck her beloved daughter.

“Ah… I… what have I done… Please, forgive this wretched mother…”

Without hesitation, Lady Elina I flung open the door and dashed out, with Lara trailing behind in despair. Lara could scarcely believe what had just occurred.

‘No, what am I supposed to do if I’m left to raise everything on my own?’

Lara dreaded looking back. It felt as if at any moment the supposedly haunted Princess doll might go berserk.

“…Schomord Youngae.”

“…Ah, Elina IV?”

“Wait, lend me your ear… I once read in a book a method to subdue that child.”

Though terror was etched on her face, Elina IV’s eyes glowed with determination—as if plotting her next move. As expected of the intellectual Female Lead. Elina IV briefly requested the Princess to divert attention. Knowing that it was best to let the Female Lead handle this crisis, Lara nodded silently.

Meanwhile, the Princess, despite being the daughter of a tyrant, had been raised with grace—but now lay in shock.

“Mama… Mama hit me…”

“Um, over there…”

Lara addressed the unnervingly floating Princess. Karlahee, alarmed, attempted to seize her, but before he could, Lara advanced a step and said:

“I… I think I might be able to determine who your real parents are.”

Since the Princess had been searching for her mother, such news was sure to pique her interest.

“Really?”

“May I come closer?”

The Princess nodded as a creaking sound of twisting plastic emanated. Tense, Lara moved nearer and then circled around to inspect the brand name stitched on a stray strip of fabric from the doll’s costume.

“Ah, so the owner of Mama Toys Factory is the one who gave you life…”

Before she could utter another word, Lara was hurled against the opposite wall.

“Lara!”

Karlahee rushed over, colliding with the sofa before reaching the fallen Lara. He grasped her cheek and urged her to open her eyes, yet she remained completely unresponsive—seemingly unconscious. At least her pulse was steady.

The Female Lead wouldn’t miss this scene, where even an extra’s sacrifice shone through.

“Thank you, Schomord Youngae.”

Nearby, Elina IV, who had been drawing a magic circle on the floor with white formula, rose to activate it.

Karlahee’s eyes widened. He’d heard of Elina IV’s prodigious magical talent, but witnessing her command magic firsthand was another matter entirely.

“Truly astounding…!”

Elina IV unleashed dozens of fireballs at a floating doll, a spectacle that left Karlahee in genuine awe. Then, calmly clutching Lara, he made his escape from the blazing room.

Late in the chaos, palace knights burst onto the scene. Karlahee passed Lara to one knight before trying to dash back into the room—if not for the Guard Captain blocking his way.

“Your Highness! This place is dangerous. Please leave it to us…!”

“No, I alone must rescue her. It has to be me.”

In a low, resolute tone he declared before plunging back into the smoke-choked room. With the cool demeanor of a true Male Lead, the knights soon followed. One after another, starting with Karlahee, they collapsed from asphyxiation.

“…Typical of a tyrant; he never listens.”

Covering his mouth with a damp handkerchief, the Guard Captain quietly shook his head at the sight of fallen knights sprawled in the burning room. Soon, he called for reinforcements to move the injured into the corridor and help douse the flames.

When the fire subsided and the gray smoke cleared, the devastation within was gruesome. One knight discovered Elina IV lying in a corner and immediately carried her out.

“The Princess is safe!”

“Then what remains is…”

While checking on the Emperor’s condition, the Guard Captain remarked in astonishment,

“I haven’t seen the Princess since earlier…”

He dashed back inside and soon found the Princess neatly arranged against a half-charred wall. Strangely, not a single strand of her golden hair had been scorched.

“Your Highness, it’s fortunate you’re unharmed.”

Kneeling before her, the Guard Captain reached out to lift the Princess, cradling her in his arms. But as her body tipped forward, she collapsed before he could secure her.

With a soft thud, the Princess’s plastic head separated from her neck.

“…Princess… Your Highness…?”

“…Why would the Captain…”

“No way… Could it be that the Captain is planning to assassinate the Princess and stage a coup…?”

Knights raised their swords and encircled the Guard Captain, eyes filled with shock and betrayal. Overwhelmed by the accusatory glares of those who had once trusted him, the Captain lowered himself, clutching the Princess’s body and detached head.

“Ah… hmm, I wonder if I can piece them back together… hmm.”

No matter how he pressed the neck against the head, they wouldn’t reattach. Damned. Thirty years of loyal service to the royal family flashed through his mind as cold sweat poured down his face, while his subordinates hurled words of bitter resentment.

“We trusted and followed you all this time…! Ugh!”

“Why did you do this? Why!!”

“If you won’t answer, I’ll settle this with my own hands…! Ugh!”

With a wheezing sound, one subordinate unsheathed his sword and lunged, aiming for the Captain’s life. His eyes were filled with sorrow. The Captain felt an inexplicable urge to end it cleanly—wondering whether he should die with style or pathetically attempt to glue the pieces back together at home.

Then, from the neatly broken section of the Princess’s neck, a swirling black magical aura burst forth. The magical energy that had filled her empty body circled the room before dissipating completely, leaving no trace.

“Hmph, what are you doing now… And Kyung, are you really challenging me? Ahem!”

At the Captain’s booming command, the knights immediately straightened up, ready to engage.

“Uh, eh? Oh! No, I wasn’t! Uh… but why did I draw my sword?”

“How should I know?!”

“Ah, I’m terribly sorry!”

After one knight bowed deeply in apology and retreated, the Guard Captain examined the broken-necked doll in his hand.

“So, what exactly is this doll?”

“It appears to be from the doll storage. I’m not sure why it caught fire, but luckily, the damage isn’t too severe.”

Feeling an inexplicable unease, the Captain casually tossed the headless doll aside. None paid it any heed amidst the charred debris—as if they’d completely forgotten the Princess from just three minutes ago, almost as if they’d been briefly possessed by a ghost.

It is said that no one ever saw the doll again.

Chapter 9: The Principle of Possession

Lara opened her eyes. Instead of the familiar ceiling and wallpaper she expected, she was met first by pale flesh. Staring at the rough calluses on smooth skin bathed in gentle sunlight, Lara slowly inhaled, catching a slightly rotten odor.

As she sat up, she finally recognized the owner of the feet propped on the bed. The man, legs stretched out on the bed and leaning on a chair, slept soundly without so much as stirring.

‘Supposedly he dozed off from all that nursing work, but he’s lounging way too comfortably…’

Lara almost smacked the man’s forehead—visible beneath his dark blue hair—but held back. Instead, she silently scrutinized his face, taking in every detail.

‘He’s handsome…’

It struck her that being good-looking trumped having a perfect character; even in anger, his looks seemed to soothe him.

Just then, Pea’s sharply drawn eyebrows twitched. Startled, Lara recoiled and covered her face with the blanket.

“…Lara? Glad you came to your senses…”

“Ah, yes. By the way, did you really sleep like this all night?”

“I must have dozed off without noticing.”

“No, just sleep comfortably.”

Not exactly an awakening pose. Karlahee awkwardly rose from his seat, carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge. The unexpected presence of the bowl caused Lara’s expression to twist in confusion.

“How long have you been out? And where are we?”

“We’re in a guest room inside the Imperial City. Looks like you’ve been unconscious for about seven hours.”

“Only that long…? Then why the bowl?”

“I was planning to have it as a midnight snack last night…”

While a Female Lead might worry if she fainted for a week, an extra like you wouldn’t attract such fuss, Lara reasoned.

“But why did I faint last night?”

“All we know is that there was a fire; the exact details remain unclear to me.”

“I see. I do recall a test of courage… But why did we have such a test?”

“Isn’t that the allure of summer? In most Japanese shojo manga, the leads go on summer camps and even take courage tests, don’t they?”

Eager to sweep the incident under the rug, the Divine hurriedly tried to cover it up. Lara recalled the night’s events and thought of Elina II, worrying whether she would be alright, as she remembered that Elina II had also fainted.

“What about Elina II?”

In a hurried tone as he moved to leave, Karlahee stopped and, glancing at Lara, quietly shook his head.

“I heard she still hasn’t woken up.”

“Ah…”