There wasn't a single fake one.
"...Is that so~"
Aozaki Mom nodded slightly, rewrapped the gift box, then picked it up and headed toward her bedroom.
For now... she had to hide this thing somewhere. Otherwise, just looking at it would make her upset.
"..."
"..."
The atmosphere in the room fell silent for a moment.
Meanwhile, Aozaki Father seemed to have recovered and returned to sit in the living room.
"...Sister, what's my present?"
At that moment, Aozaki Aoko asked in a small voice. As Lady Touko's favorite younger sister, her gift was surely going to be even more incredible.
"Didn't I tell you? It's a doll."
Aozaki Touko smiled, took a wooden box from her bag, and handed it to Aozaki Aoko.
"...Is that so."
Aozaki Aoko felt a little disappointed, but she still opened the wooden box.
Inside was a girl doll dressed in a black kimono. She looked incredibly adorable. If not for her tiny size, one might have suspected she was human.
"This child is called Yaya... I made her very carefully."
Aozaki Touko's voice was gentle, carrying a hint of pride.
Hearing those words, Aozaki Aoko looked toward her sister. Touko was resting her delicate hand against her chin, her long orange hair sliding down her shoulder. Her gaze was gentle and intelligent, as though she were the most understanding elder sister in the world.
Suddenly, Aoko's cheeks flushed slightly.
"I really like her. Thank you, Touko."
"That's really..."
Before Aozaki Touko could finish speaking, her expression suddenly turned cold and stern. She turned toward the person who had abruptly appeared in the house—and that person was none other than Aozaki Touko's grandfather.
"Long time no see, Touko!"
Grandfather said coldly and without emotion, "Come with me. There's something I want to discuss with you. Of course, if you'd rather talk here, that's fine too."
"...You really picked the worst possible time."
Aozaki Touko sighed softly, raised her hand, and rubbed Aoko's head. Then she turned and walked out of the room. Seeing this, Grandfather understood Aozaki Touko's choice and vanished from the room by some unknown means.
The warm home suddenly turned cold.
The house must have sprung a leak somewhere.
Aoko.jpg
Chapter 31: Yaya's Area of Expertise
The night grew deeper.
(...Grandfather really had no sense of atmosphere at all.)
Lying on her bed, Aozaki Aoko stared at the ceiling and let out a somewhat dejected sigh.
Although Grandfather was also a member of the family, it was only natural for him to return home, and she had no objections to that whatsoever.
However, calling Touko away without considering anyone else's feelings was rather inappropriate.
Even so, despite complaining inwardly, she knew nothing could be done. There was no one in this family who could oppose Grandfather's will.
The only person in the household who could truly speak with Grandfather was Touko, the heir to the Magic User lineage.
But even that only meant she had the qualifications.
"...What a temperamental old man."
Muttering softly, she turned to look at the exquisite wooden box beside the bed. Inside was the doll named Yaya, personally made by her sister.
This was the most precious gift.
Not even diamonds or a luxury car could compare.
She was absolutely certain of that.
The doll inside the wooden box was practically indistinguishable from a human. If not for her overly tiny body, one would have wondered whether she had been made from a real person.
After all, she was so exquisitely crafted that even the finest details of her pupils had been recreated.
"...Does Yaya look good? You've been staring at me for so long."
Suddenly, the doll in the wooden box blinked and revealed a mischievous smile. She propped herself up, trying to strike a frightening pose.
Then—
—Clack.
Aozaki Aoko instinctively shut the wooden box and locked it, completing the entire motion in an instant—so quickly that no one could react.
"—That hurt!"
Before Yaya could even stand, the lid of the wooden box slammed into her face, knocking her over with the sudden force. Her vision immediately plunged into darkness.
"Hey, hey, don't lock me up! I haven't finished talking yet! And it's so dark and scary in here!"
Knocking sounds came from inside the exquisite wooden box as the girl complained pitifully.
Ignoring the box's cries, Aozaki Aoko wore an inquisitive, thoughtful expression. Soon, she had completely figured out what was going on.
This doll was a gift her sister had specially given her. As a magician who wielded the mysterious, making a doll that could talk was—
completely reasonable.
"...You're the doll Sister made?"
"That's right."
"Did Touko tell you to do anything?"
Aozaki Aoko opened the box and looked at Yaya, who was rubbing her slightly reddened cheek, curiosity showing on her face. What exactly had Touko intended by giving her this doll?
After all, she was the younger daughter who had no connection to magecraft. What kind of thoughts had Touko harbored by sending a creation of magecraft to stay by her side? Did she want to lead her into the world of magic, or did she intend to use the doll to protect her?
Either answer would be cause for delight.
"...Ahem."
Yaya lowered the hand rubbing her little face, leaped out of the wooden box, and then slowly grew larger until she took on the form of an ordinary girl.
"Lady Touko sent me to serve you and protect your safety!"
She sat beside the bed in a demure kneeling position, her fair, delicate hand pressed against her chest. Her exquisite face wore a devout, sacred expression, like a nun who worshipped a deity.
"...Serve me? Yaya, what skills do you have?"
Aozaki Aoko looked at the girl close at hand and asked expectantly.
Could this doll girl really be as perfect as the ones shown on television, handling every matter neatly and flawlessly?
"Well, Yaya's serving skills are incredibly comprehensive."
The doll girl proudly patted her flat chest. Her red eyes radiated absolute confidence. Before leaving the factory, she had been loaded with a vast amount of knowledge. When it came to serving, her skills were basically maxed out.
"Really?"
Hearing that, Aozaki Aoko's eyes sparkled as she began imagining her future life. From now on, she would probably be able to experience the life of a young lady.
"Hmm... Aoko, would you like to test Yaya's skills now?"
Seeing how happy her target was, Yaya revealed a bright smile. She could hardly wait to show off her abilities and let this little master understand how impressive she was.
"Now? ...What do you want to do?"
Aozaki Aoko was slightly stunned. She did not quite understand what Yaya could serve her with at that moment.
"Now is the time for Yaya to show off her abilities!"
Yaya bit her red lips lightly. Then she lifted the hem of her skirt with one hand, while the other began unfastening her top. Her startlingly fair skin slowly began to show, and the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew ambiguous.
"—Stop!"
Before her clothes came off, Aozaki Aoko stopped Yaya's movements. Her cheeks had already flushed red. She hurriedly pulled Yaya's clothes back into place, then fixed her with an intimidating stare.
"Is this what you mean by serving?"
"That's right!"
"Shouldn't you be doing things like cooking and cleaning?"
"Yaya can't do any of that!"
Yaya declared righteously, "All of Yaya's serving skills were put into bed-related matters. As for all other unrelated skills, Yaya can't do any of them."
"...It looks like life is going to be very exciting from now on~"
Hearing that answer, the light in Aozaki Aoko's eyes seemed to vanish. She had now personally experienced how unreliable this doll was, and she could already imagine how much of a headache the future would bring.
"Aoko, do you still want to be served?"
"No need. Let's go to sleep..."
Chapter 32: A Magician's Logic
Let's turn back the clock a little.
In the deep, silent forest, the trees towered into the sky. The air was crisp and cold. Aozaki Touko walked across the snow, leaving a line of footprints behind her as moonlight dappled her through the gaps between the leaves.
She had walked this road countless times before, including many occasions when she had traveled it late at night.
Back then, because she wanted to balance her research into magic with spending time with Aoko, she would sometimes complete her research at night, then brave the darkness to return to the Aozaki Household and accompany Aoko.
So walking this road was second nature to her.
Before long,
she arrived outside Grandfather's Magic Workshop.
It was a cavern recessed into the mountainside. Lamps burned inside, and one could vaguely make out many bookshelves filled with books written in numerous languages.
It was practically like a library carved out inside a cave.
"...Still as gloomy as ever."
Murmuring softly, she stepped into the Magic User's workshop and walked over to the desk where she had once read grimoires. Grandfather was standing there waiting for her, as though they shared the same tacit understanding.
It was just like when Grandfather had once been about to teach her.
The Magic User's workshop was utterly silent.
"..."
Aozaki Touko did not take the initiative to speak. Instead, she picked up the grimoire on the table, sat down, and began reading patiently, just as she had once practiced here.
The grimoire in her hands was the one she had left behind when she departed.
It was as though time had been frozen within it. Not a single page had been turned before her return, and it remained exactly as she had left it.
It was as if a severed timeline had become connected once more.
"..."
Grandfather paid no attention to Aozaki Touko's discourtesy.
His gaze held not the slightest trace of emotion. He stared coldly at Aozaki Touko as though he had stepped outside the bounds of humanity, as though he were observing a lifeless object and judging something from the purest perspective of benefit.
After quite some time, Grandfather finally spoke.
"Aozaki Touko, do you want to inherit the Fifth Magic?"
His words became more solemn, carrying the faintest hint of emotion.
He had also changed how he addressed her, from "Touko" to her full name, "Aozaki Touko."
This was one of the rare occasions when he revealed that he possessed emotions.
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