MLMAS 16

Chapter – 16

“No.”

Cecil answered sharply.

Mari staggered slightly.

“But you said my secret wouldn’t be exposed…”

“I only know that you have a secret. I told you—it’s not a mind-reading ability.”

To be precise, Cecil’s precognition was closer to seeing fate.

Fate was like many fragmented paths laid out before one’s eyes—different possible futures—and paths that Cecil could choose.

Cecil had predicted that he would meet Mari at the factory, and since he knew something interesting would unfold if he followed her, he decided to help.

Cecil smiled calmly.

“Ever since I saw you at the toy factory, I knew. You must have a secret you can’t tell others, right?”

“Uh…”

“I saw the future. The shop owner will send you home safely. So don’t worry too much. This is a fixed future.”

Fixed future.

Mari tilted her head. Something like a destiny already set in stone?

She wasn’t sure, but hearing those words felt like a heavy stone had been lifted from her chest.

“Oh… I see.”

“Yeah. But just in case, I told you to stay away from us later. Sometimes even a fixed future can change.”

“The future can change?”

“Yeah. The children of Laktea can interfere with fate.”

The silver eyes of Cecil and Caligo shimmered for a moment.

“That’s why people avoid us. It’s a frightening power.”

“They just don’t understand Cecil’s power.”

Mari stared blankly at Cecil and Caligo.

It was understandable that people would be afraid if someone could not only see the future but also interfere with fate.

Was Caligo’s constant grumbling also because of the wounds he had received?

What kind of gaze had these children endured all this time?

‘Cecil and Caligo still look so young.’

Mari shook off her gloomy mood and tried to change the atmosphere by asking the twins a question.

“How old are you, by the way?”

“Nine years old this year.”

“I’m the same age.”

Mari smiled gently while looking at the children.

“You must have had a hard time. But since you come to buy toys and even play pranks, you must have someone who cares about you, right?”

A ticklish sensation rose from the area where Mari’s gaze landed.

Cecil and Caligo hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Uh, yeah. Mom and Dad came with us. Our birthday is coming soon.”

“Father is usually busy, but he said he might be able to come…”

Various stories flowed from the twins’ mouths.

Mari nodded with a smile, feeling relieved.

“So that’s why Caligo was looking forward to it so much.”

“Well… yeah. Birthday only comes once a year.”

Caligo grumbled, but it didn’t feel as unpleasant as before. Mari giggled quietly and led the children.

“Then let’s find it quickly and go out. You need to get your birthday present.”

The gazes of Cecil and Caligo met in midair.

Perhaps the twins shared some kind of connection, because the two children nodded slightly and followed Mari as she moved.

Soon, they approached the rainbow zone where baby dolls were displayed.

“Wow…”

It was doomed.

Mari laughed helplessly.

“This is no joke, right? How many dolls are there?”

The children looked at the enormous structure in front of them with heavy hearts.

Baby dolls were stacked like a giant pyramid.

Yes, exactly the one with about 1,500 magic circles attached… 1,500 baby dolls…

Even Cecil seemed flustered, his body stiff as he looked around.

“Mariposa, is your doll like this too?”

“Yes… but it might look a little different if you look closely. I played with it for about a month.”

Mari sighed deeply as she answered. Silence fell for a moment.

“Oh, forget it!”

Caligo spoke first.

“Just search through it. You said you’d know it if you looked up close, right? Let’s climb up first.”

“What? You want to climb up there?”

The baby dolls were not placed inside boxes but wrapped in rustling transparent bags.

If they stepped on them carelessly, the items might get damaged.

Mari’s face turned pale as she rolled up her sleeves and tried to stop Caligo.

“No! The toys will break!”

“Hey, it’s fine. There’s probably magic on them anyway.”

Caligo crawled onto the display rack and kicked a baby doll at the bottom with his foot.

The firmly fixed baby doll didn’t even move.

Caligo raised one corner of his mouth and looked back at Mari.

“See? I told you it’s fine. You guys should climb up too.”

Hesitating beside Mari, Cecil walked past her first.

Like Caligo, he got onto the display rack, touched a baby doll a few times, then signaled Mari.

“Mariposa, it’s fine. It won’t break.”

“Hmm…”

Mari hesitated for a moment, then sighed and climbed onto the rack.

Just as the twins said, no matter how much they stepped on them, not even a single packaging bag was damaged.

That was a relief, but it didn’t seem likely she would find her doll among so many.

Should she find Letus right now? Her mind became complicated.

“An employee will come in two minutes, so hide over there. It’ll be fine until then. And Mariposa, stay close to us.”

“Uh, okay.”

But things had already started.

Following Cecil’s instructions, they began lifting and checking countless dolls’ faces and putting them back.

Since they had to find traces of usage among dolls that looked exactly the same, the task required great care. Caligo quickly grew bored and folded his arms.

“Hey, are we really going to find it today? There are probably hundreds of them. How long will it take to search all this?”

When Caligo looked up, he saw baby dolls reaching the very ceiling of the toy shop. Cecil also stared at the dolls with a subtle expression.

“Mariposa, do you dolls look like this too?”

“Yeah… but it’ll look slightly different if you look closer. I played with it for about a month.”

Mari answered, letting out a long sigh. A heavy silence settled again.

“Oh, fine!”

Caligo spoke again.

“If we keep digging, we’ll find it, right?”

“Wait, what? You want to go up there?”

Even the baby dolls were wrapped not in boxes but in crackling transparent bags.

If they stepped on them, the toys might get damaged.

Mari’s face turned pale as she rolled up her sleeves to stop Caligo.

“No! The toys will break!”

“Hey, it’s fine. There’s probably magic on them anyway.”

Caligo climbed onto the rack and lightly kicked a baby doll at the bottom.

The tightly fixed doll didn’t even budge.

Caligo smirked and looked back at Mari.

“See? I told you it’s fine. You guys should come up too.”

Hesitating beside Mari, Cecil walked past her first.

Like Caligo, he got onto the rack, touched a baby doll a few times, and signaled Mari.

“Mariposa, it’s okay. It won’t break.”

Mari hesitated, then climbed up after them.

Just as the twins said, even if they stepped on the dolls, the packaging didn’t break.

But finding her own doll among so many seemed impossible.

She was starting to think she should find Letus.

“Let’s go outside before the shop opens. I can search alone… You should leave before your parents look for you.”

“…What.”

Caligo pursed his lips with a sulky face.

“Cecil couldn’t find it either. Do you think you can find it alone?”

“If only I could see the exact location.”

Cecil muttered quietly.

Mari, not wanting to burden the children who were helping her despite being strangers, quickly waved her hands.

“No, it’s okay. If I can’t find it, I’ll just tell Mr. Letus. It’ll come back later…”

As long as someone doesn’t take it before then.

Mari sighed deeply. Why did it have to be put on display…

Caligo stared at Mari and suddenly seemed to have a good idea. He stomped his foot on the baby dolls.

“Caligo, what are you doing?!”

“Searching takes too long. Wouldn’t this be better?”

Caligo’s foot lifted again. The tightly fixed pyramid of dolls began to shake.

‘Are you crazy!’

Mari panicked and looked at Cecil. But Cecil was smiling faintly as if he had found something amusing.

“You promised not to cause trouble!”

“Huh? When did we?”

“Hurry up and find it and get your birthday present!”

“Even if we cause trouble, we still get birthday presents.”

Caligo laughed loudly.

At the child’s loud laughter, employees in the distance started turning their heads one by one.

“Mariposa, we’ll knock them all down, so you check. That’s enough, right?”

“Don’t mind the employees. We’ll draw their attention.”

Cecil said that and climbed onto where Caligo was standing. Mari stared at the twins from below, completely stunned.

“One, two, three!”

The two twins jumped together.

The magic stabilizing the display was released, and the baby dolls began crashing down in a shower.

Mari let out a short scream and crouched down as the dolls poured over her.

Fortunately, thanks to the packaging, the baby dolls didn’t break—but Mari wasn’t so lucky.

She was once again buried in the mountain of dolls, struggling.

“Hahaha, hey, Mariposa! You okay?”

“Caligo, don’t direct attention over there. Mariposa might get exposed.”

“Oops.”

Whether or not she would be exposed, this made it impossible to find the doll.

Mari barely stuck her face out and frantically checked the dolls in her hands.

“Why did you suddenly do this? You said you would help me!”

“This is helping, you idiot!”

Caligo kicked a doll down. Several fell onto Mari’s head.

Mari was startled and rubbed her aching crown, gritting her teeth.

Just as she was about to scold them, employees rushed in.

“Hey there! What are you doing?!”

“Oh my, the baby dolls!”

“Get down from there right now!”

As Cecil said, the employees did not see Mari.

Instead of Mari, who was barely poking her head out from the dolls, their attention was focused on Cecil and Caligo.

Cecil glanced toward Mari and put his index finger to his lips.

‘Shh. Stay quiet.’

The child’s silver eyes shone like stars.

“Caligo, jump to the right!”

“Ha!”

Following Cecil’s instructions, Caligo leapt brightly.

The baby dolls Caligo pushed struck several employees, making them stagger. Caligo burst into excited laughter.

“Catch us if you can!”

“You little—!”

More people gathered.

Mari was sweating as she struggled within the wave of dolls.

She searched and searched, but her doll was nowhere to be seen.

‘What should I do!’

Now she understood why Cecil followed her.

He must have seen this future!

He said he would help, but how could he cause such chaos? If she had known this would happen, she would have gone to see Letus!

‘I really can’t afford to be discovered…’

While biting her lip and searching through the dolls, someone shouted.

“Everyone, stop! Those kids are the Laktea’s troublemakers!”

Laktea’s troublemakers?

Mari stopped moving and raised her head.

Where the employee pointed were Cecil and Caligo, standing there with their eyes wide open and blinking.