Chapter – 23
“…Mariposa?”
“Yes. May I come in?”
Crofot hesitated for a moment.
Memories of the past surged over him like thick mud, leaving his mind in turmoil.
There was no way he could have a proper conversation in this state.
But he had been the one who called Marie, so in the end he crooked a finger and opened the door.
The wooden door creaked roughly as it moved.
Marie carefully looked inside before stepping in with an uneasy expression.
Though the headache still lingered, Crofot asked in the gentlest voice he could manage,
“How’s your sister?”
“She’s not crying anymore.”
Then Marie opened her mouth as if she had something to say.
But as if hesitant, she merely glanced at Crofot and clutched the hem of her dress.
“Mariposa, stop watching my mood.”
After what had happened earlier, it was obvious she was being cautious around him.
Marie hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Crofot… um… was the thing I fed to the doll… something important?”
Crofot straightened from the chair.
It was an unexpected question.
“Why ask that? I told you—it was just a bead.”
Marie said nothing.
Crofot pressed her.
“Mariposa.”
After hesitating for a long time, Marie finally confessed.
“I overheard at the door… Mr. Letus’s voice. He called it a magic stone.”
Crofot covered his face and let out a deep sigh.
His desk sat right across from the door—if someone spoke loudly, it would easily carry beyond it.
“How much did you hear?”
“From when you said you found the doll.”
So basically from the beginning.
Crofot clicked his tongue.
“Do you know what a magic stone is?”
“Yes. I saw it in a book.”
“It wasn’t anything expensive. Just an ordinary magic stone. I told them not to bother retrieving it because it went somewhere hard to get back.”
Marie still couldn’t feel reassured.
In the books she’d read, magic stones were all jewels—and all very expensive.
And besides…
“You said it was a listening magic stone. Listening means… hearing the sounds around it, right?”
Marie knew quite a lot.
Hearing a nine-year-old correctly identify such a term made Crofot chuckle dryly.
“And how do you know that?”
“I heard about it when I was little.”
Back when she lived alone with her mother Molly, they had wandered through countless alleys, living on the streets. She had picked up many bits of information along the way.
Before Crofot could ask more questions, Marie hurriedly asked,
“Shouldn’t we go find that doll?”
Crofot put his pipe in his mouth and avoided her gaze before answering through a puff of smoke.
“It’s fine.”
“But you said some duke took it…”
“Mariposa.”
Crofot’s face hardened frighteningly.
“Don’t worry about it. I have plenty of magic stones. There’s no reason to retrieve it.”
The truth was, Marie had searched so desperately for the doll not only because of the expensive magic stone.
There was another reason.
The baby doll had been the first gift Crofot ever gave her, and losing it hurt her deeply.
But Crofot’s attitude made it seem like he didn’t want the doll mentioned at all.
So Marie hesitated and closed her mouth.
Instead of throwing a tantrum, the child chose to apologize.
“I’m sorry, Crofot.”
At her gloomy voice, Crofot’s brow twitched.
“For what?”
“It happened because I fed the magic stone to the doll.”
“I’m the one who caused the mess by putting the doll into the foramen in the first place. Don’t apologize. Just be careful next time.”
Next time.
Marie raised her head.
How many more days would she be able to see Crofot leaning by the window with his pipe, blowing smoke?
Feeling her gaze, Crofot turned toward her.
“…Do you need a doll?”
“No. I’m okay.”
Marie shook her head quickly.
Only then did Crofot sigh deeply and lean back into his chair.
“Stop apologizing now. Got it?”
“…Yes.”
Crofot was firm.
A subdued Marie simply lowered her head.
Watching her face, he casually asked,
“You were startled earlier, weren’t you?”
“You mean when Shasha broke the magic tool?”
“Yeah. Since when have you had that symptom?”
“Not long. About a year ago… after my mom died.”
Her mother—Molly.
Marie’s face turned pale.
Crofot closed his mouth.
She was already struggling just from the mention of it. There was no way he could ask further.
Heavy silence fell across the room.
Just then, someone lightly knocked on the storage room door.
Both Crofot and Marie turned their heads.
“Is anyone in there?”
Crofot sighed and crooked a finger.
The old wooden door rattled open.
There stood Shasha, her cheeks red and eyes slightly bloodshot.
“Crofot… unnie…”
“Shasha? Why are you here? I told you to stay in the room.”
Shasha puffed her cheeks and shook her head.
She glanced nervously at Crofot before running behind Marie and peeking her head out.
“…What is it?”
Even though he had scolded her earlier, it was rare for Shasha to act so cautious.
That stubborn brat can’t possibly be trying to apologize.
Crofot narrowed his eyes.
“Crofoto.”
“What.”
“Since I used magic… do I have to leave now?”
Her blue eyes looked small and anxious.
Marie also stared at Crofot nervously.
Crofot let out a dry laugh and dropped the pipe he was holding.
“You’ve only just begun sensing magic. And you broke a magic tool, remember? You couldn’t control it at all. Four-year-old—you’re still far too inexperienced. You still have a mountain to learn.”
Shasha’s face crumpled. The words were too difficult for her.
But soon she picked out the answer she wanted.
“So… I can stay here longer?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“At least two more months.”
“Unnie, how long is two months?”
“Hmmm…”
Marie pretended to think before smiling kindly.
“It’s long enough to spend ten nights… six times.”
“Wow!”
Shasha clapped excitedly.
She counted on her fingers before suddenly turning back to Crofot with a gasp.
A moment ago she had been jumping around happily, but now she hid behind Marie again, scraping her foot on the floor.
Crofot silently waited.
Finally, Shasha spoke.
“Crofoto… I’m sowwy for calling you a dummy earlier.”
Crofot’s hand froze on his pipe.
Shasha bravely continued.
“I’m sowwy for not doing my lessons pwoperly. I just wanted to stay with you longer.”
“…I know.”
“But unnie said I shouldn’t do that…”
“That’s enough.”
Crofot waved his hand.
Children change quickly.
The stubborn troublemaker Shasha lowered her head and admitted her fault.
It made something in his chest feel heavy, like sitting on a bed of thorns.
“It’s fine. Just do better in the next lesson. Don’t waste time.”
“…Yes…”
Seeing her gloomy face, Crofot added,
“If you behave well… I’ll buy you a toy.”
“A toy?”
“Yes. Your doll’s gone anyway. This time I’ll get one with a tracking spell…”
“Wow!”
Shasha’s face brightened instantly as she jumped up.
“A new toy! Unnie, he’s getting me a toy!”
“That’s great, Shasha.”
“I said if you behave well.”
“I’m so happy!”
Crofot pressed a tired hand to his forehead.
She had been crying moments ago, but now she bounced around with bright red eyes.
Even Marie couldn’t stop the excited little whirlwind.
Marie ended up smiling faintly and watching her warmly.
“Four-year-old, stop jumping. You’re kicking up dust.”
Crofot scolded, but Shasha ignored him.
He let out a helpless chuckle.
Watching the children laugh, his mood softened too.
Resting his chin on his desk, Crofot watched Shasha hugging Marie, and Marie gently stroking her sister’s head.
For a brief moment, his pounding headache faded, and his worries disappeared.
Later That Night
After calming the exhausted children, feeding them dinner, and putting them to bed, it was nearly midnight.
Crofot sat alone in his study.
Tapping his empty desk with his pipe, he recalled what had happened earlier.
Marie was afraid of loud noises.
More precisely, she reacted to explosive sounds.
Was it just explosions?
No. Marie was sensitive to sounds in general.
Even when everyone else was asleep, she would jump up at the slightest voice, footsteps, or noise in the shop to check what it was.
Until now, Crofot hadn’t thought much of it.
She had said thieves once broke into her previous home, so he assumed it was natural.
But what if that’s not the reason?
Crofot spun the pipe in his hand.
Then he thought of Shasha.
The tiny child who barely reached his waist was lively—but timid.
At night especially, she never left Marie’s side, and she couldn’t sleep properly if Marie wasn’t there.
On their first day at the antique shop, she had even slept beside Marie while the older girl struggled with a fever.
Crofot had simply thought it was normal—Shasha relying on her only family, her dependable older sister.
Given their difficult lives, he thought it wasn’t unusual.
But…
The pipe slipped from Crofot’s hand and landed on the desk with a dull thud.
He folded his arms and leaned back deeply into the chair.
But what if that’s not it?
If only one child had issues, that would be one thing.
But both children showing abnormalities meant something was wrong.
There is something about Mariposa and Shasha.
And whatever it was—
It was certainly connected to their mother, Molly, who had died one year ago.
