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V8 Story II – Part 06

“Good sir, I have one favor to ask,” Kugutsu said. “Please allow me to go ahead.”

Startled, I turned to face him. The puppets were definitely lying in wait inside the mansion. If he went first, he would be targeted.

“What are you saying? I’m not using you as bait.”

“That’s right, sir. I’m volunteering to be the bait. With all due respect, I’m faster than you. There’s no need for both of us to be chased by the puppets. We don’t know where the flowers are, but one thing is for certain—they are not in the parlor. I’ll lure them there while you search the other rooms. A lowly dog getting injured is no problem. Find the flowers, and grant the Princess’s and Lady Mayuzumi’s wish.”

I grabbed him by the collar. Kugutsu’s hands flailed in protest, but I ignored them. This time, I couldn’t let his words slide. Emotions close to anger filled my heart.

I had asked him a similar question before.

“Kugutsu. Do you see me as the kind of person who would be okay with you getting hurt?” A low voice came out of my throat.

Staring at my face, Kugutsu swallowed hard. He shook his head. “No. I apologize, sir. I didn’t mean—”

“Of course not! Maihime also told you not to get hurt. I don’t want you to get hurt either! You care about us… well, at least Maihime, right?”

Kugutsu’s face tightened. “I do,” he said firmly. “Princess is my most cherished master in the world. I also owe you a great deal, and I think you are a most kind person.”

“I couldn’t do anything for you. Still, we don’t want you to get hurt. People worry about you. You should acknowledge your worth.” I pushed him away, keeping my eyes locked on his. “You are human. Are you demanding that I treat you like a dog, despite me thinking of you as human?”

Kugutsu’s eyes widened. He gaped at me. Suddenly, a smile spread across his lips. A most natural smile.

“Very well, sir. I understand. In that case, allow me to correct myself.” Kugutsu straightened himself and took a deep breath. “It will be difficult for the two of us to run around inside the mansion. Do you trust me, sir?”

Kugutsu smoothly bent at the waist in a remarkably graceful bow.

“I will help you. I will grant the Princess’s wish. The most efficient way to do that is for one of us to lure the puppets away. What do you think?”

“The parlor is too small to deal with two of them. You can’t run around for too long. And we don’t even know if there are flowers in there.”

“How about this, then? If things get too dangerous, I will escape outside, and you will come to my rescue. I’m counting on you.”

I thought he was lying. He would never ask for help no matter how dangerous the situation became. I couldn’t agree to it. However, as soon as I opened my mouth to refuse, Kugutsu spoke again.

“I believe you will come to my rescue immediately. So, please don’t discount my determination.”

Kugutsu was serious. There was something different in his expression. He probably wasn’t aware of the change, but now, he was facing me as a human, not as a dog.

“All right, I got it,” I said. “I’ll go to the parlor immediately. You can count on it.”

I held out my hand. Kugutsu hesitated for a moment, then eventually grasped my palm. My fingers creaked in pain, but it was a trivial issue. Kugutsu let go as if he was just burned.

He stared at his own palm. Did he know? I hadn’t given him any orders.

Dogs don’t shake hands of their own will.

We turned back to face the door once more. Kugutsu took a deep breath and opened it.

“Here I go,” he said. “Please wait for some time before entering.”

He smiled at me and took off. His footsteps quickly faded away.

Agonizing seconds ticked by. Moments later, I put my hand on the handle.

And then, I swung the door open.

The hallway was devoid of puppets, only statues of a girl.

It was quiet, but in the distance, I heard the sound of something breaking. I opened the nearest door, revealing a bedroom. There was no sign of the simple bed being used. Sparsely furnished, it seemed more like a hospital room. A corner was covered with cloth, offering glimpses of a dressing table and a wardrobe.

Passing through the small room, I entered the next one, and my breath caught. It was like entering a completely different world. The room was bright and adorned with country-style furniture in pastel colors. Delicate animal figurines were displayed everywhere—cats on the shelves and mice in the corners—appearing as though they would move at any moment. They were most likely Hishigami’s creations.

Newspapers were strewn carelessly on a luxurious carpet, and art supplies were scattered about, including tubes of oil paint, a bottle of turpentine, and dried-up brushes.

When I saw the canvas in the center, I froze. The painting had been completely covered in black. Layers of colors had been overlaid, transforming it into a deep, absorbing darkness. In the bright room, it looked like a window sucking everything in.

Then it hit me. This was the private room of Hikari, who had taken her own life. It remained unchanged since her death. I looked around, thinking there might be flowers offered to the deceased, but there was nothing. Hikari probably never liked decorating with flowers.

The adjacent room seemed to have been used by Hishigami Akira, who had grown concerned about Hikari’s behavior. With her gone, looking at the black painting gave me a sense of emptiness and sorrow.

There was no time to indulge in meaningless sentimentality. Shaking off those emotions, I exited the room. The door blocked the painting from view, and eventually it was out of sight.

I headed to the next room, opening one door after another. A study filled with bookshelves and a music room with a piano, but no flowers in sight. The parlor should be close now. I hurriedly opened the door to the kitchen, revealing a monochromatic space with a futuristic design, the walls and floor bearing checkered patterns. I approached a chair where a puppet had been sitting the other day. A hunch came to me.

It seemed Hishigami Akira had left the household chores to the puppets. This was a space used solely by the puppets. It wouldn’t have been strange for him to add some color to this inorganic space.

My gaze fell on a spot I hadn’t looked at before—the windowsill. My eyes widened. Under the fixed fitting was a display case, where a black vase sat. A crimson rose was in full bloom inside the delicate glass. The tips of the petals were slightly withered, but it wasn’t a significant issue. I pulled out the rose.

I was about to run off, when I stopped. The dining room should be somewhere else. Hishigami Akira must have had many occasions to dine with others. He would likely have preferred classic settings. Such a luxurious mansion should have it.

I searched the kitchen cupboard and found what I was looking for. With the item in hand, I rushed towards the parlor. As I approached, I could hear commotion from inside.

I jumped at the door and opened it. “Are you all right, Kugutsu?!”

The same scene as before was playing out before my eyes. A smashed table lay against the wall. A puppet wrestled to remove an axe lodged in the mantelpiece. Kugutsu was cornered to the wall, blood trickling down his cheek.

The other puppet raised its blade with an emotionless expression. Crimson blood scattered on the floor.

My vision burned red. I let go of the rose and rushed to Kugutsu, grabbing the puppet’s shoulder to restrain it. The puppet struggled to break free from my grasp. Kugutsu delivered a swift kick to its side, and the puppet fell to the floor.

“Thank you, sir! You really came for me.”

“We’ll talk later. Run!”

Before she could stand up, we dashed towards the door. I picked up the rose and cradled it in my arm, being careful not to damage it. Once we made it past the door, I used the candlestick I grabbed from the kitchen to fix the knob in place, cramming it between the holders, so it couldn’t be turned. After making sure that the door wouldn’t open, we continued running. The door was thick; it would take time to break it with an axe.

“Sorry for being late,” I said. “Is your face all right?”

“I’m fine. The cut is not as deep as it looks.”

I took out a handkerchief and handed it to Kugutsu. He ran while pressing the wound.

The puppet was still standing in front of the workshop’s door. She didn’t look back at us.

I went around her and offered the red rose. It looked as if I were giving a flower to a lover. A heavy silence filled the air.

She didn’t move. I thought my gesture was futile, but then she extended her slender hand to take the rose and held it against her chest.

She then reached for the touch panel and entered the passcode. The door creaked open. She proceeded into the workshop.

Exchanging glances, we followed her.