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V9 Story III – Part 02

I entered the elevator with the doll. It was bouncing around so much that I had to press the button. I led the doll and passed through the automatic doors. After leaving the hospital, we crossed the parking lot.

The doll ran straight until it reached a corner under an outdoor light, where someone was sitting on the rooftop tiles that encircled a flowerbed.

Lush white hair gleamed in the darkness, resembling a bridal veil. However, the overall impression was significantly different from the image in my memory.

I recognized her but took a moment to realize who she truly was.

Karakuri Maihime, holding her hair, was staring into empty space. A slightly dirty suit was draped over her hospital gown. Her appearance was a far cry from her usual confident self. The proud, bride-like image had faded.

Her eyes seemed somewhat drowsy as she gazed at the night sky. Only her expression and hair looked the same as before.

Somewhat hunched over, she seemed delicate and fragile. As I stared at her, I was left speechless.

Pale legs extended from the bottom of her gown, looking like freshly sprouted plant stems with no visible scars. Her skin was smooth and flawless.

Seeing me staring, Maihime offered an uncharacteristically tired smile.

“It seems wishes can indeed be granted. I find it very intriguing.”

Her words made me realize the nature of the anomaly.

Memories of the Little Mermaid incident resurfaced. A girl had wished for new legs after hers were crushed. Unable to fulfill the required price, however, she turned into bubble.

Her outstretched hand had burst before my eyes, and her whole body transformed into bubbles, resulting in her death.

This situation was similar. Maihime’s legs were most likely granted by the fox.

During the Little Mermaid incident, the fox had demanded something in return from the girl. This time, it wasn’t clear what he had sought, and there was a possibility that he hadn’t asked for anything at all. In the past, the fox set up games related to wishes for me and Mayuzumi. His main goal was to torment us.

But in his earlier statement, he hadn’t explicitly mentioned using his abilities. Asato’s words replayed in my mind.

“My actions should prevent any further incidents.”

“I don’t want to do anything. Unfortunately, it’s pretty noisy around here.”

He didn’t seem to want new trouble, but miracles like this, even without a price, were unnatural.

I couldn’t allow it. I was about to dash away when a sharp voice stopped me.

“Please wait. Mayuzumi Asato didn’t intend for this to happen!”

I stopped, turned around, and held my breath. Maihime was standing there.

Her milky legs trembled slightly. The doll hopped at her feet, as if trying to tell her something. She bent down and stroked its little head.

“It seems Kugutsu hasn’t made contact with you yet. In that case, I will tell you everything.”

Maihime let the doll go from her hands and sat down on the garden enclosure.

She took a deep breath, closed and opened her eyes, and then revealed the grim truth.

“Miss Mayuzumi Azaka has been abducted. I am terribly sorry.”

“Kugutsu came to see me for the last time,” Maihime recounted.

She occasionally stroked her shoulder within her slightly dirty suit jacket, which must have belonged to Kugutsu. Even without snowfall, the winter night felt cold.

“He said I would never see him again. That he couldn’t face me after failing to protect his master. Right after we parted ways, Mayuzumi Asato visited the hospital.”

Even when cold, she didn’t move. She continued speaking quietly. The doll was sleeping at her feet, and she occasionally reached out to stroke its white hair with her fingers.

“I wasn’t there at the time. I was in the ICU. Apparently he threatened Mayuzumi Asato. Leaving his guards backfired. He forced Asato to grant his wish, and as a result, my legs suddenly returned. The pain is gone, and my blood is back to normal. It’s as if everything returned to the way it was before.”

She caressed her legs, her fingers gliding across her smooth skin.

I was reminded of the Little Mermaid’s tale, and a sense of foreboding washed over me, accompanied by nausea. The fox had not demanded any price, which meant the miracle should have ended with the wish granted. But something was amiss. I felt like I was overlooking a crucial fact.

My chest tightened, and my stomach churned, emitting sharp pain.

Papa?

I thought she might come out, but Uka stayed still. The baby’s condition was more stable than I had feared, and I was profoundly relieved that my wounds hadn’t reopened.

I continued listening to Maihime’s account.

“As I sat there bewildered, Kugutsu brought a bunch of flowers. He bought them as a parting gift but realized he couldn’t bring them inside, so he left them in the car. He said to me, ‘The fox granted my wish, and you’re back to normal. But I’m going to kill Saga Yusuke for revenge.”

Maihime’s eyes closed and opened as she continued to speak in a detached tone. Her words mourned the situation, but her voice lacked warmth. She methodically laid out the facts.

“For that purpose, he attacked the driver and unnecessary medical staff, tying them up in a room. Afterward, he abducted Miss Mayuzumi Azaka to use as a bargaining chip in negotiations with you.”

The whereabouts of the missing people were now clear. Maihime had just reconfirmed the worst-case scenario. At the same time, I had questions. Did Kugutsu assume I was alive?

Maihime saw me squeezing the red cellphone in my hand and nodded. “He seemed certain you were still alive. If you had died, all he needed to do was look for Mr. Yusuke’s corpse. He left that in case you were still alive.” She pointed at the cell phone.

The bad feeling I had in my gut when I saw it was right on the mark.

Maihime smiled faintly. “He didn’t listen to what I said. He won’t return to me anymore. I’m deeply saddened. The fact fills me with profound sorrow.” She looked up at the moon, her half-lidded eyes gleaming. “The day has come when my Kugutsu no longer listens to me.”

This situation was a great shock to Maihime. Kugutsu had been her loyal servant for a long time. He followed all her commands and felt delighted when she petted him. But now, he had declared he wouldn’t return to her anymore.

The twisted master-servant relationship had collapsed. To me, this was an expected outcome. People aren’t dogs, and repressed emotions will eventually reach their limits.

If Maihime had not been hurt, Kugutsu probably wouldn’t have left. However, his days as a dog must have afflicted his mind.

He had loved Maihime as a human. The glare he directed at Hishigami was filled with intense jealousy. It made me wonder what might have happened if Maihime had married someone else without him ever expressing his feelings. He harbored hatred toward Hishigami. He wouldn’t have been able to bear it.

“He believes that a dog who can’t protect their master does not deserve to live,” I said/

“I see. My Kugutsu intends to die, then. Why is he rushing to die? He once said he didn’t want to die. I know that as well.”

“Kugutsu has long considered himself a dog. He believes that dogs that hurt their master should die. But in reality, he’s a human being. He hasn’t even realized his true desire.” I looked Maihime in the eye. “It’s all so tragic.”

Her overbearing treatment of Kugutsu flashed through my mind. He claimed she was a good master, but I didn’t think so.

I remembered the Tale of the Dog. Kugutsu had praised the girl who treated a person like a dog, and as a result, he was still crawling on the ground. He had fallen in love with a human. But the girl who had picked him up had not turned him back into a human. How could that be anything but tragic?

“Yes, that’s right. I feel very sad about that too,” Maihime said, half-closing her eyes.

Rage burned within me. What the master said at this point did not matter. It was too late.

“That’s why I have never called him a dog,” she added.

I was hit by an emotional blow. She regarded me with a smile. Her intentions, as always, were impossible to discern. She hadn’t changed at all.

Maihime was the same as ever. She had no reason or motive to lie.

Confused, I searched my memory. And I came to a realization.

“Huh?”

Maihime bossed Kugutsu around. She consistently uttered venomous words and flashed loving smiles. But she had never, not even once…

My Kugutsu. He. My precious.

“But you…”

Maihime gazed up at me. As I delved into my memories, something else came to mind.