Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life? (Patreon)

Chapter 26: Whispers of a Dream

The train ride into the city was filled with Tamamo’s nonstop chatter, her tails swishing so much that I had to keep apologizing to the other passengers. By the time we stepped through the gates of the amusement park, her eyes were practically glowing brighter than the neon signs.

“This is it, Sieg-kun! The land of romance, fried food, and thrilling death traps disguised as fun rides!” she declared, grabbing my arm with both hands.

“Death traps?” I asked with a raised brow.

“Roller coasters, duh.” She puffed out her cheeks, then grinned like a mischievous fox. “You’re not afraid of them, are you~?”

I snorted. “Please. I am literally a dragon. I think I can handle a steel contraption that loops upside down.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes narrowed, then sparkled with dangerous glee. “Challenge accepted! First stop: the biggest roller coaster they’ve got!”

Before I could protest, Tamamo dragged me straight into line. The machine roared above us, a tangle of tracks that twisted like a serpent. The screams of riders thundered down, followed by laughter. Tamamo looked delighted. I began to wonder if maybe… just maybe… she had planned this all along.

By the time we got strapped in, she was practically bouncing in her seat, ears twitching in excitement. As the coaster climbed, she reached over and squeezed my hand tightly.

“You’re not scared, right, Sieg-kun~?”

“Not at all,” I said confidently, right before we plummeted down the first drop. Tamamo’s scream pierced the sky, equal parts terror and joy. Halfway through the loop, she was laughing like crazy, her tails flying everywhere while she clung to me like I was her lifeline.

When we stumbled off the ride, Tamamo was breathless, her cheeks red and her grin unstoppable. “Again. We’re doing that again. A hundred times.”

I shook my head, chuckling as I unconsciously reached out and smoothed out a stray strand of hair. “Maybe after cotton candy.”

“Cotton candy! Yes!” She twirled in place, tail wagging furiously and blushing happily at my gesture. “Feed me, Sieg-kun~! The fluffier the better!”

We ended up walking hand in hand, her excitement so infectious that even I couldn’t stop smiling. For a moment, it was easy to forget about wars, responsibilities, or dangerous futures. There was just me, a fox-eared girl with sugar on her lips, and the warmth of the sun above us.

=====

Several Hours Later

After hours of having fun and laughing more than I had ever laughed in both my lives, we finally made our way home hand in hand while eating ice cream.

“Today was perfect~” Tamamo purred with a giggle before standing on her tiptoes and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

“It really was, wasn’t it?” I muttered softly, still smiling as I thought about our date.

I had never been on one before, with the closest thing being that time I hung out with Jeanne and Astolfo in Rome. In fact, I had never really had the time to just go out and have fun like this, so this had been a first for me in many ways.

‘And it was all possible thanks to this wonderful girl glued to my arm right now.’ I thought, looking down at Tamamo with a fond expression, my heart beating loudly in my chest.

“Hmm.” Noticing my look, Tamamo blushed and shyly looked away. “If you keep staring so intensely at me like that, Sieg-kun, I’ll really blush~”

Blinking, I realized I had been staring too long and quickly looked away with a small flush as I scratched my cheek. “Sorry about that. It’s just… I realized this is the first time I’ve been on a real date, and it happens to be with one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen.”

The sudden squeal from Tamamo startled me, and when I turned to her, her face was flushed red. Her ears and tails wagged wildly as she wrapped them around me possessively. “Hihihi~ Sieg-kun, you dummy! Stop saying things like that or you might make my heart explode from happiness~”

“S-Sorry—oof!” My words were cut off as something collided with my leg, bringing me to a stop. Tamamo halted beside me as well.

Looking down, I blinked in surprise, then widened my eyes slightly. A pale blue-gray-haired child with red eyes had been knocked to the ground. Bandages covered her arms and legs, and she wore a dirty tan dress.

I immediately knelt, gently helping her off the ground. My frown deepened when I noticed how violently she flinched at my touch.

“Are you alright, little one?” I asked softly so as not to startle her, keeping a gentle smile on my face. I brushed the dust from her shoulders, though again she flinched and trembled, staring at me with wide, startled eyes. “I didn’t hurt you anywhere, did I?”

Up close, the details set off red flags. The dirty clothes, bare feet, the smell of old and fresh blood under her bandages, and most of all the small horn protruding from the right side of her forehead.

“Sieg-kun, this girl…” Tamamo murmured through our Master and Servant bond.

“I know.” I said simply, already sensing a blood-soaked presence approaching.

“Now, now… you can’t go around causing trouble for others.”

The male voice drew my eyes to a man emerging from the alley. Black hair, golden eyes. A plague doctor mask covering his face. His appearance screamed “villain,” but worse was the casual killing intent rolling off him.

Most telling, though, was the way the girl froze in abject terror, instinctively pressing closer to me despite her fear of my touch just seconds earlier.

I stood slowly, blank-faced, while Tamamo slid up beside me with a too-sweet smile, her ice cream already gone.

“I’m sorry about my daughter,” the man said with a fake smile. “She likes to play around and keeps getting hurt.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” I replied evenly, stepping slightly in front of the trembling child. His eyes narrowed at the motion. “I was just making sure she wasn’t hurt.”

“Well, as you can see, she’s fine. Now let’s go, Eri.”

Before I could answer, my next actions were decided for me.

“D… Don’t go…” The girl whispered against my leg, her small voice raw with fear and pleading.

The burning feeling in my gut roared into a raging inferno.

While I had no plan initially to get involved in this world’s affairs since we were supposed to be on vacation, I just couldn’t for the life of me ignore this small girl all but screaming at me to help her.

“Tamamo, we’re taking this girl with us.” My tone left no room for debate, adrenaline already flooding my system.

“Count on me, Sieg-kun~ Your Tamamo always has your back.”

Everything happened in an instant.

I scooped the girl, Eri, into my arms, shielding her against my chest. At the same time, Tamamo unleashed Frigid Heaven, engulfing the man in ice and leaving only his head and one hand exposed before leaping back to my side.

“You’re safe now, Eri,” I whispered to the child clutching my shirt tightly, eyes squeezed shut.

At my voice, she peeked up with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“Tsk. Heroes, huh?” the masked man sneered.

His one free hand pressed against the ice, shattering it instantly. His body was charred, skin blackened with burns from the frozen ice, only for him to undo it as he pressed his free hand to it, unmaking and reassembling himself into perfect condition.

I mentally took note of how he was able to both free and heal himself, noticing that his power seemed to be focused on his hands.

“No, that was too brutal for your regular heroes,” he muttered. “If it had been anyone else, they’d already be dead. You’re something else.”

“Tsk. Looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

“Eri, haven’t you caused enough trouble?” His voice turned menacing, directed at the girl in my arms. “You know how this always ends.”

Eri trembled, her body shaking in terror. “I-I don’t want anyone else hurt because of me,” she whispered, trying faintly to wriggle free.

I tightened my hold gently, not letting her go. “There’s no need to worry, Eri. I’m strong, you know?” I gave her my widest smile.

Tamamo hurled more curses, forcing the man to shield himself, and we seized the moment to escape. I leapt up the side of a twenty-story building, surprising onlookers who’d already begun recording.

Moments later, explosions courtesy of Tamamo rocked the streets before she rejoined me, tails flicking. Together we bounded across rooftops, ignoring the shouts from below to stop as the heroes rushed in to the scene, late as always.

I held Eri closer. This wasn’t how our day was supposed to end. But fate had put her in my arms, so I wasn’t about to let her go.

‘I just hope she has someone to go back to else Sakura will be pissed when she finds out in the future.’ I thought slightly nervously.

=====

Back in Demiplane

 Upon our return home we were met with blank looks from Kiara and Artoria; their gazes settled on the small form of a sleeping Eri, who had fallen asleep on our way here from exhaustion. Even asleep, she clung tight to my shirt and didn’t seem ready to let go.

Lancelot was nowhere to be seen, so he was probably training somewhere on the island.

“…Sieg, Caster. Did you two kidnap a small child?” Artoria asked with a deadpan look while her right eyebrow twitched violently.

“Fufufu, for some reason I don’t find this scene surprising.” Kiara giggled, covering her mouth, then gave me a gentle look. “Sieg-kun is surprisingly natural with kids, if his interactions with the others are any indication.”

“It’s not what you think, Artoria.” I said, my face set into a small frown; Kiara and Artoria immediately noticed my expression and focused on the child in my arms.

“That’s right. It was only expected for my Sieg-kun to have excellent big-brother and father instincts~” Tamamo said with a puffed chest beside me.

“Anyway, we can discuss how I found this girl later,” I moved the conversation along, suddenly a little flustered at Tamamo’s comment as my gaze turned to Kiara. “Kiara, would you please take a look at her? I have a feeling she desperately needs it.”

Kiara blinked, then studied Eri’s dirty clothes and bandages; a worried look took over her face and she nodded. “Of course. Please set her down in the sitting room.”

Artoria noticed the shift in atmosphere, schooled her expression, and also frowned at Eri’s condition.

“T-That might be a bit difficult,” I said nervously as we walked toward the sitting room. “She has a tight grip on my shirt and doesn’t seem interested on letting go even while unconscious. Given what she might have gone through, I’m not keen on waking her yet.”

Kiara’s frown deepened. “I see. Then sit down with her and I’ll heal her that way.”

We soon reached the sitting room. I took a seat and a golden barrier swiftly formed around us. Tamamo and Artoria quickly found seats and watched quietly.

“…What happened, Sieg?” Artoria broke the silence.

I sighed closing my eyes, pushing away my remaining anger, then began as I opened them again. “As we were coming home from our date…”

Over the next couple of minutes, I recounted my encounter with Eri and everything that led to it.

When I finished, both Artoria and Kiara wore scowls. Artoria even stood up and paced like an angry lioness.

“To harm their own child…” Artoria muttered, the angriest I’d seen her. “How can one stoop so low!?”

I wisely didn’t say anything about how those words sounded coming from her.

“I don’t think they’re actually related,” I said, looking down with a small slime growing as I saw Eri sleep more contently in my arms with her injuries soothed. “They didn’t smell even remotely similar.” With my enhanced senses I could pick up familial scents now which was great for situations like these.

“I see. Then we’ll have to get the rest from Eri-chan.” Kiara’s therapist instincts kicked in. “I can’t imagine what was done to her if that man’s power is as you described. She’ll need many sessions with me after this.” She rested her hand on Eri’s head and rubbed it gently.

“The problem is mine and Tamamo’s faces are now known to both heroes and villains,” I said. “And that bastard will be looking for us to get her back.” I shook my head.

“While I don’t regret it, due to my own actions, our vacation in this world will now have more complications.” I muttered with a sad smile as I bowed my heat at everyone. “Sorry girls.”

Kiara stepped forward, shaking her head fiercely. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Sieg-kun. I would have done the same in your situation. If our lives are a little complicated because you saved a child, it was worth it.”

Artoria followed, stepping close and giving me a proud look. “You handled it well, Sieg. As a knight, I would never fault you for saving a child from a monster in human skin.”

Tamamo cuddled beside me, smiling a dangerous grin. “You already know my opinion, Sieg-kun~” she purred. “Besides, doesn’t this problem have an easy solution?”

“And that is?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, though I had a good idea, as it had passed through my mind as well.

“We either kill these wastes of human space, or get rid of them with that Stamp of yours, right?” Tamamo’s grin widened and her eyes narrowed into something truly dangerous.

There it was.

It said a lot about the current situation that Artoria didn’t immediately reject the idea, instead a thoughtful look crossed her face.

‘Is this the effect of the Stamp?’ I wondered, having noticed small things like this over time, things I never thought I’d hear from the girls. ‘Well, she was a king once, and no doubt forced to make harsh decisions during her rule.’

“There is that,” I said with a solemn nod, since it was also the first thing that had come to my mind. “It could even give Eri-chan some closure once she learns her tormentors are gone, that they’ll never be able to hurt her again.”

“You’re right,” Kiara agreed, hand resting thoughtfully on her chin as she gave her perspective as a psychiatrist. “Though I do wonder if she has any surviving relatives.”

“We’ll have to ask Eri-chan that ourselves,” I sighed, glancing down at her small form. My hand gently brushed her hair, and the room went quiet as no one could say how that conversation would go.

At that moment, Eri stirred in my arms. I froze, watching as she slowly blinked awake, looking utterly adorable in her drowsiness.

But a heartbeat later she stiffened, her eyes flying wide as fear returned and she darted glances around the unfamiliar room. When her gaze finally landed on me, she let out a small, fragile gasp.

“…So it wasn’t a dream,” she whispered, her voice so faint I barely caught it.

‘Yeah. We’re getting rid of those pieces of trash,’ I thought, the decision already made, unaware that the others had silently reached the same conclusion.