The Witch and the Doll Swear

EP.3 Miss Puppet is unpredictable

"~~~"

"Little Tina, you seem to be in a good mood recently."

Hot dogs sizzle on the grill.

The girl's mood is also excited.

"Isn't Aunt Ivor in a good mood recently? There are wrinkles on her face."

"Hey, little Tina is still the same as before and can't talk at all—well, your hot dog," the middle-aged woman in an apron rolled her eyes angrily because of the girl's words, and said to the girl The specially ordered medium spicy hot dog has an extra layer of mustard on it.

"Okay—" The hot dog strung on a bamboo stick blew away the hot air that seemed to float from memory to her eyes, and the girl couldn't wait to bite it down.

--hot.

--Very delicious.

The smell of spices filled the nostrils, the fiery spicy taste and gravy bounced in the mouth, and sent warmth along the esophagus to the long-awaited stomach pouch.

——It is still the taste in memory, spicy and never tired of eating.

Very, very delicious--

"Presenting 15 copper coins."

"Ah, well, Aunt Ivor's hot dogs are still as good as they are."

When I was still young, sometimes because I had no pocket money, I was occasionally attracted by the smell on the streets of the slums, and waited pitifully by the booth, looking forward to the hot dogs left after a day of business.

At that time, I still called the person in front of me my sister.

At that time, this kind and gentle sister was not so fat, nor did she have so many deep wrinkles on her face.

"of course."

Without counting, she grabbed the copper coins in Ting Na's hand. Her hair was a little gray, and it was hard to imagine that she was actually a woman who was less than forty years old, proudly akimbo.

"If the hot dog I made is ranked second in Yansha City, how can anyone dare to overestimate their capabilities and say it is the first? The nobles in Dongcheng District have their noses upside down, or they will let their own servants come to me. Do you want to buy it? Now that you’re back, you don’t need to be bullied by those nobles over there, okay, next one! What flavor do you want?”

"Auntie, here's a super spicy one!"

"oh!"

In order not to block the people in line, Ting Na stepped aside and gnawed on the hot dog.

——Hmm, there's too much mustard.

Because it was so hot, tears flowed out.

——But, it’s really delicious.

In the crowd, the temporary houses, and the land scattered with many engineering tools, the girl reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

...I'm back.

Immersed in the morning mist and sunlight, Ting Na seemed to see a small figure.

The carefree, blond child who squatted in front of this small shop every day and handed the few copper coins in his hand to his gentle sister in exchange for half a delicious hot dog, now also has a job, With troubles, there are many troubles that I would never think about before.

It's like the traces of the hard life after leaving the slums left on Aunt Ivor, who can no longer be called her sister.

She has grown up.

And here, it is no longer the past.

This is a slum.

Or rather, the former ghetto.

She looked back again, and the sign of the small hot dog shop was still a funny dog lying by the fire, just like in her memory.

Recently, Tina often takes a long way to come here.

The first brand-new street has been built here, and it will never be as desolate as before.

Almost two weeks have passed, and the sea breeze began to have the dazzling brilliance of early summer, which still occupies a large area of magazines and newspapers in Salt Sand City.

Because the city hall has never given an official explanation, various speculations and rumors are flying in the sky.

Some say that it is the manifestation of the real god, and some say that it is not the real god but the patron saint of the city.

Some say that a magician cast powerful magic, and some say that a huge monster directly swallowed that area.

Occasionally, news of the [rat] leader of the slums, and the arrest of the bandit group that obstructed the demolition is buzzing.

Probably no one would have thought that this would be the handiwork of a witch lady.

Thinking of the stunned expressions of the examiners when I commissioned it to be submitted to the review department of the Adventurers Association, and the blue face of the finance minister when I passed the review and took the power of attorney to the finance department to submit, Tingna I couldn't help but want to laugh.

——There has never been such a precedent in the association. Municipal affairs should be managed by the city hall. As long as they don’t send a commission to the association, the matter will not be managed by the association. If the adventurer wants to pay, he will go to the city hall to ask for it !

Such a burly man clamoring to tell Tina to go, when Liliana came in a few minutes late because Alice was interested in the plants planted in the association, he suddenly softened.

——No, but we can’t let honorary adventurers do their jobs for nothing...

With a trembling voice, he directed the staff to take Tingna and Liliana to the underground vault of the association, and spent two hours counting out the amount including the allowance and the commission reward for this time.

Tina saw, for the first time, a mass of gold that lit up the room.

Liliana used a little magic to make the gold coin jump between her fingers and disappear into the space storage, replaced by...

The vaults became empty.

It is said that the finance minister fell ill the next day.

But Miss Witch doesn't care.

So is Tina.

"Okay, work hard today!"

After patting her face, Ting Na picked up the heavy information bag she was used to, and walked out of the city.

The familiar streets from childhood slowly returned.

It's like walking out of your most beautiful dream.

This is Liliana's kindness to herself.

You can only repay by working hard.

Walking out of the city gate and walking on the smooth road, the girl made up her mind.

Since the monsters appeared outside the city and were dealt with by Liliana, there were also city guards patrolling the roads outside the city gate.

Even so, they were far from the ancient castle on the hill.

Among them, this one will suddenly light up strangely (Alice is playing with the magic lamp of the castle); Very well-behaved children, Tina personally tested), and the castle that will become huge (a side effect of the deworming potion) must be a terrifying area like a demon king's city.

Probably, even if they were told that there lived a super cute little witch and an equally cute little doll, they wouldn't believe it, would they?

With a small sense of superiority in knowing the truth, Ting Na opened the iron gate, watched with great interest as the ivy with lavender in the center of the leaves closed the iron gate again, walked through the path in front of the gate where the pattern changed again, bent down and touched the iron gate. Touching the little heads of the sparrows, which are not afraid of people at all, and watching them jumping and jumping carefreely on the grass, this behavior has gradually become a habit.

——It’s not scary at all.

The blond girl completely forgot that half a month ago she also believed in the same horror legend and was embarrassed by it.

"excuse me--"

Opening the door with the inverted angel sculpture, I have been here every day for half a month, so I know no one will respond, but out of politeness, Tingna still greets her like this.

"Welcome back, Miss Tina—"

——However, there was a response.

"Wow!"

The crisp and sweet voice made Tingna, who was used to her own words echoing in the corridor for a long time until she disappeared, so frightened that she sat down on the ground.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Miss Tina. Alice, did I frighten you?"

"Eh? Uh, uh... Yes, I was a little scared...Miss Alice, that dress is..."

"Ah, this is a maid outfit."

Picking up the skirt with beautiful ruffles, in mid-air, the kitten-sized lady doll easily spun in a circle.

The soft golden hair and delicate and lovely face, it is precisely because this little doll is so cute, so Tingna immediately recognized that this is not some strange phenomenon in the castle, so she could not hold back any more A shrill cry.

——I'm still not used to it.

Smiling wryly, Tingna, who was still in shock, stood up, straightened the hem of the skirt of the suit and skirt, and showed an apologetic expression to Alice.

However, Alice didn't seem to care about the blond girl's screams a moment ago.

"cute?"

The little doll flew in front of the girl and twirled around, like a child who got new clothes to show off to his friends.

"Well, well, the new clothes are very beautiful." It's just...

Tina felt that there must be something wrong with her eyes or Alice's clothes.

When you think of Alice, you think of clean blue and clean white.

However, the clothes on Alice in front of her are mainly black and red.

The sleeveless black blouse is dotted with golden chains, the short skirt is wrapped with red ruffles and black lace around the small waist, and the fine net stockings perfectly set off the whiteness of the thighs.

——That skirt is really too short!

When Alice picked it up and turned it around, it should have been well covered by the hem of the skirt, and the fat times with the cross cutouts could be seen at a glance.

Not only the low cut, but the design that almost exposes the entire back, hey, this is not a maid outfit! Which house's maid would dress in such a way that it is not suitable for housework at all, except for the maid's crown on the top of the head, this outfit has nothing to do with the maid!

"N-very cute, Miss Alice... But, I don't think this is a maid outfit..."

"It's a maid~~ Hell Maid Alice said~~~~ Not only the clothes, but also the body is brand new?"

... I don't know if it's an illusion.

When Alice raised her finger to touch her lips, Tina seemed to see a pink and tender heart next to Miss Doll's face.

"Is there anything Alice can do to help? Ah, let me help with the materials."

"..."

Tingna rubbed her eyes. At this time, Alice had already lifted up the information bag on the ground. The bag was much bigger than Alice, but the little doll "Hey~~" gave it a little force.

Bring it up.

Although the flying height has dropped by more than half.

"Then, Miss Tina, come—"

"oh oh……"

As a result, until she came to the study room, even the materials were piled up on the desk, Ting Na still hadn't recalled it.

"Miss Tingna, please work hard. I will bring some refreshments after a while."

Saying so, Alice closed the study door.

"..."

The blond-haired girl patted herself on the cheek with a "smack, slap".

very strange.

Today's Miss Puppet gave Ting Na a big difference from what she felt in the past half month.

Although I can't tell exactly what the difference is...

"...Probably, it's just that I changed into new clothes and made fun of myself on a whim..."

After thinking about it, Ting Na found a more reliable explanation.

I have also had this kind of experience. After putting on new clothes, my mood and state of mind will change. Sometimes, things that I would not do well in the first place will be done in accordance with this momentum. Considering this, Alice’s today The strange behavior does not seem to be incomprehensible...

——Then, I shouldn't be too confused about the style.

"Okay, work hard, if Miss Alice comes again...just cooperate."

With the mentality of playing games with her lovely children, Tingna started today's work.

Ever since Liliana informed her in detail of the type of information she needed, Tingna never worked so late like the first day.

Now, she only needs to filter out the information on monsters in the northern volcanoes and mangroves outside the city, the criminal information in the city, and the natural environment and disaster information around the city from this big bag of information. It can all be sorted out.

Then, after sorting out the information and handing it over to Liliana, and having lunch with them, if Miss Witch has nothing else for her to do, Tingna can go home from get off work.

I only work half a day every day, and I have enough time to do my own things and be with my parents, and my monthly salary is higher than that of a receptionist. Is there any reason not to try my best in such a job?

"Huh—"

The wall clock on the wall ticked and pushed the short hand to the next number, and the angle between the floor-to-ceiling windows and the bright sunlight became narrower.

The blond girl leaned back on the chair that seemed to have cast the magic [No matter how long you sit, your waist won't hurt], and stretched a lot.

The amount of information today is relatively small, but the types are quite mixed, especially the crimes in the city. Because the slums were razed to the ground, all kinds of ghosts and monsters lost their hiding places. activity.

As a result, the amount of information in this part has surged, and the analysis is also labor-intensive.

——True, Benevolent.

There was a knock on the door of the study.

"Please come in."

At this time, Ting Na just had the idea of taking a break.

It's just right every time, sometimes it's Alice, sometimes Liliana, and sometimes it's the two of them together, knocking on the door of the study with snacks and a teapot exuding a pleasant aroma, so that I can have a good time. Break time.

As for why they always come at the right time... Probably, some kind of magic? Anyway, in all kinds of stories, whether it is a witch or a living doll, there will be some incredible power, and Ting Na has long since lost interest in pursuing it.

Today, it looks like Alice.

"Miss Tingna, it's time for morning tea."

A small doll flew in with a big plate on it.

There are two teacups, a teapot, and cookies on a petal-like plate with a little heat on the disc.

Every time she saw Alice flying over like this, Tina would find it very funny.

Such a small body, like a human baby or a cat, where does the strength come from to support this heavy tea set?

"I feel sorry for troubling you so much every day, I'm obviously the one who should help..."

After taking the heavy gold-encrusted porcelain plate from the doll and placing it on the small round table next to it, Tingna turned around and placed a small chair beside the round table from the place where the decorations were placed on the other side of the desk.

This is Alice's exclusive seat.

In the past, Alice would politely say thank you, and then happily sit on it like a child and pose a few cute poses, but today...

"Entertaining Ms. Tina well is also what we should do as castle masters, ah, we don't need that chair today—"

Alice smiled and floated to the side of the blond girl, and then.

"The location of Devil Maid Alice is—here~~~~~"

sat on Tina's left shoulder.

"...Eh? Eh?"

It's true that Alice usually sits on her shoulders... But, it's all on Liliana's shoulders?

Tina never thought that Alice would use such knowledge to sit on her body.

In the past half month, the distance between Alice and herself was the first time that she was so close.

"That, that, Miss Alice...?"

"Huh? Do you think Alice is heavy?"

"No, no, that, that..."

Tina was a little incoherent.

She wanted to say that was not the point, that Miss Alice was not heavy, like a cute kitten squatting on her shoulders, with a soft weight that made people smile.

She also wanted to say that Miss Alice was too close, the soft feeling that was almost indistinguishable from that of a human being was on her shoulders, the skin of the slender thighs and the skin of the shoulders were close together, a small and very sensual body Close to each other through a thin layer of fabric, people really don't know how to react...

But Tina couldn't say anything.

"Miss Tingna, during tea time, do you want Alice to serve you normally? Or do you want me to serve you in a special way?"

Alice bent slightly and exhaled a sweet breath towards the girl's ear, which made Tina's reason scream.

For a girl who has just grown up and spent five years in college as a nerd and only knows what love is in books, this stimulation is too great. It is so big that Ting Na is distracted by the softness and temperature all at once.

"P, ordinary ones are fine."

"Okay, then—"

A petite doll with a cute smile.

Liliana and Alice's tea and refreshments are delicious.

Probably, even those high-end tea shops with a few gold coins a cup are not too far behind, but Tingna has never tasted the latter, so she can't make a comparison.

"..."

But today, the girl couldn't remember at all.

Whether it is the curling fragrance of black tea.

Still the crunch and sweetness of that cookie.

Of course, it must have been eaten. In my mind, there is obviously the memory of Alice pouring tea for herself, holding a teacup that is a bit big for her figure and passing it in front of me, and there is also the sound of crushing cookies, but ——

Squeeze these memories overwhelmingly into an inconspicuous corner, occupying all consciousness.

——Sweet black tea fed from Alice's mouth.

——On Alice's feet, the net stockings and the skin feel.

—Alice's lips.

—Alice's kiss.

--kiss.

--kiss……

"Miss Tina, work, please work hard, if you are tired, no matter how many times Alice will relieve you."

Until the contented lady puppet packed up the tea set and left the study, the clock was ticking by her ears.

"Um... oh..."

The panting girl seemed to regain control of her body after a long time.

She involuntarily stretched out her hand and pressed it on her shoulder.

There, it seems that the body temperature and the touch of the skin still remain.

Fingers brushed his lips.

——The first kiss was taken away.

However, there is no real feeling at all, and it is impossible to say, disgust or other.

"...ordinary, is it that powerful..."

Rather, Tina still hasn't recovered from Alice's [ordinary] service, and now her mind is only echoing.

That scene was enough to burn out the brain circuits.

His face was burning badly.

Mind went blank.

But because of this, the next work was completed quickly.

the next day.

"That, excuse me..."

Squeak——

The door with the relief of an upside-down angel opened a small crack, and Tina carefully peeped through the crack.

There is no lady doll wearing a devil maid costume in the entrance.

"……call."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Yesterday's morning tea was really impactful.

So much so that she didn't dare to see Liliana—or Alice, who was definitely with Liliana, left a note in the study that she wasn't feeling well and went back.

Today...since I can't see Alice at the entrance, that means the prank is over...

Tina breathed a sigh of relief.

Go through the corridor to the study.

After she pushed open the door of the study with a sense of peace of mind.

"Good morning, Ms. Tingna, I have a lot of work today."

"Ah, good morning, love, Miss Alice..."

A lady doll with short brown hair and gray eyes was standing on the desk.

However, today she didn't wear the [Devil Maid Clothes] that probably wouldn't be found anywhere in the mainland. What was on the doll was a simple suit.

The combination of this dark blue sleeveless suit and black suit skirt, lined with a white short-sleeved shirt... Tingna lowered her head and looked at herself.

exactly the same.

But when worn on Alice, it's like a child pretending to be an adult, with a kind of chic and cuteness, and the rimless glasses add a bit of intellectual feeling to Alice.

In short, Alice is still so cute today.

"Miss Alice's clothes today are also very cute."

Can't help but give out admiration.

"Thank you for the compliment, but work is more important than this. As Miss Tingna's secretary, Alice, I will work hard."

Neither salty nor light, Alice responded.

"Eh, secretary...?"

Tina, I don't get it at all.

Today's Alice has a different temperament.

This feeling... yes.

Tina has seen it in several recognized strong women in the association.

Could it be that changing clothes can even change your temperament...

Ah, what I'm going to say now--

"Why, divide them into two piles..."

After Tina took out the information from the information bag and put it on the desk, Alice floated over and divided them into two equal piles.

"Compared to Miss Tingna reading it alone and analyzing everything, it will be more efficient for two people to share."

"Yeah, that's right, but..."

"Or, Miss Tina thinks that Alice is not competent enough?"

"Oh no……"

Sure enough, they were exactly the same.

Although she didn't know the reason for Miss Alice's whim today, but after seeing the awe and confidence in those gray eyes, Tingna found that she couldn't find a reason to refuse.

"One, let's work together."

"of course."

So today, Tingna has an extra little puppet secretary.

In a blink of an eye, it was tea time.

"Miss Tina, take a rest."

"Ah, yes."

Liliana seemed to be in the laboratory today. Not long ago, the screams of infusion failure echoed throughout the castle, so today it was still Alice who brought the snacks and tea.

After putting these on the round table, Tingna also placed Alice's chair on the round table, and then looked at Alice who returned to the desk after handing over the tray with some trepidation.

A few minutes passed.

Alice, who was buried in the information paper, did not look up at all.

"...So, Miss Alice?"

"Huh? Ah, Miss Tina, if you wait any longer, the tea will be cold."

"Miss Alice, do you want to continue?"

"Um?"

The little puppet pushed the eyes on the bridge of the nose in confusion.

She looked at Tina, and suddenly realized:

"Miss Tina doesn't have to wait for Alice. The doll won't be tired or hungry, so Miss Tina can just take a good rest, and Alice will continue to work."

"Eh? But..."

"Please don't worry, this is also Alice's job as a secretary."

Nodding towards Tina, holding a piece of information in each hand, Miss Doll once again immersed herself in her work.

"……ha……"

If things go on like this, how can you be lazy without caring at all.

Tingna sighed, drank a cup of tea hastily, and after eating two small cakes, she devoted herself to the documents again.

As a result, the work was done earlier than yesterday.

the third day.

"..."

At the lunch table, Tinna was too scared to look up.

"Lily, Alice wants that steak, hurry up."

"……OK, all right."

"Too slow! The steak will taste bad when it gets cold!"

--Snapped!

"……Feel sorry."

"Hmph, and that sashimi, Alice knows that this is the only food you can cook, Lily, so why can't you make it better? The cut is too thick, and the taste of mustard is not enough!"

--Snapped! Snapped!

"...Yes, I'm sorry."

"Hmph, but even if you are a waste of housework, the steak you cook is still delicious. As a reward, I will allow you to lick Alice's toes."

"..."

Wow! Whoa whoa whoa!

Lifting her head secretly, she saw Alice, who was sitting on Liliana's shoulders and wearing a black tights today, stretched her left foot in high heels to Miss Witch's lips, just like the proud queen in some stories. Foolish subjects are rewarded.

"……it's my honour."

Tina didn't even know how she couldn't hold back her screams.

After licking carefully, Liliana held Alice's little feet and caressed her face. This seemed to make Alice, who was extraordinarily willful today, very happy. She narrowed her red eyes and put away the Whip, a pleasant breath came out of the small nostrils.

"Alice is full and is going for a walk, so Lily doesn't have to follow her."

After Liliana put on the slender high heels for her again, Alice floated up and flew towards the garden.

The courtyard shrouded in sunlight was filled with silence.

Although, this is the atmosphere that Tina and the less talkative Liliana get along with most often.

"..."

But this is the first time, so embarrassing.

Tina stirred the creamy soup in front of her, and looked carefully at Liliana who was not wearing easily damaged clothes today because of the magic experiment.

Obviously there are many, many things I want to ask, but.

— Really, I don’t know how to speak.

Is this idea too obvious?

Liliana put down her knife and fork as she ate Alice's remaining steak on the plate in small bites.

"...just ask whatever you want."

"Ah, eh, yes, yes... that..."

Tina finally looked up.

She organized the language, and then.

"Miss Alice, it seems that something is different recently..."

"...because both the body and the costume change, which is also normal."

"……Eh?"

The answer to the first question left the blond girl confused.

"...Do you want to start explaining from there...Miss Tina."

Nodding, Liliana asked a question after combing her tousled platinum long hair.

"... How do you define the identity of a puppet?"

"……Eh?"

The second time, Tina was stunned.

Then, the girl bit her lip in confusion.

——How to define the identity of a puppet?

That is--

"...You can only rely on clothes and attire, can't you? Dolls are not like humans. They can determine their unique identity from multiple aspects. A noble is a noble, a commoner is a commoner, a businessman is a businessman, and Miss Tina is Miss Tina. It is determined by human society.”

Before the girl could answer, Liliana spoke flatly.

— But what about the puppets?

Dolls have no sociality, no money, reputation, title, credit, etc. Dolls born from the hands of craftsmen are all [body], just like a spotless white paper, defined by others.

Liliana's words were indifferent and calm.

It made Ting Na seem to feel the bone-chilling coolness.

"The so-called doll is such a thing."

——Put on a luxurious dress, precious jewelry and a crown to be a royal doll.

—— Put on metal armor, wear a scabbard and a long sword, and ride a horse to become a knight doll.

——It is a clown figure painted with funny makeup and stepping on the striped colored balls with a big nose.

——Wrapped in a coquettish costume, revealing the chest and thighs, wearing heavy makeup and posing in a provocative pose, it is a female doll.

Even if these dolls are actually the same doll in different costumes.

"...Alice is the same, although she has intelligence and consciousness, but in essence, Alice is a doll. Different clothes and different body parts will change her character and behavior, and she will instinctively become the identity of the costume Proportionality. This is hard to explain, if Miss Tina finds it hard to understand, it doesn’t matter if it’s a role-playing, because it’s like that in general.” “—But!”

Stand up abruptly.

Tina felt herself shaking.

Hey, Liliana, you, you before me!

—Do you know what a horrible thing you're talking about? ! !

So indifferent.

so peaceful.

It's like talking to someone who has nothing to do with it.

What do you think of Alice, the little puppet who always sits on her shoulder and smiles! !

A witch's toy?

On a whim, I asked her to change into other clothes and become someone else, and I thought it was very interesting to look down on her——

—Is it a toy? !

"Miss Alice, you have your own consciousness, don't you?! Like what Miss Liliana said, in the past half a month, the Alice before she put on these clothes is—"

speechless.

Suddenly Tina felt a shudder.

Liliana is a witch.

A witch who razed an entire city with ease.

As long as you want, you can let yourself die at any time, or even make your life worse than death...

"...Again, what is it..."

The voice fell powerlessly because of 【understanding the situation】.

With a suddenly limp body.

"...It seems that Miss Tingna had some misunderstanding."

The witch blinked her black eyes, and tilted her head cutely.

"...do you know the Argonaut Ship?"

"The boat for that philosophical question?"

Nod, nod.

Liliana showed an expression of "it's easy to explain if you know it".

"...The Argo is a ship sailing on a long voyage. Whenever an old part is damaged, the sailors will replace it with a new one. When the last old part is also replaced by a new one..."

"Is this ship still the Argonaut?"

A well-known speculative question.

Although I don't know why Liliana would ask this, but in the college, Tingna also took a philosophy course for a school year.

"It's still the Argo, because the [Argo] is a concept, it doesn't mean that the ship made up of the parts of the [Argo] is called the Argo, but the parts on the [Argo] are the [ Parts of the Argo], the replacement of these parts does not affect the overall concept, just like Miss Liliana’s castle, even if every brick and furniture is replaced by the Grand Theater of Salt Sands City, this place is still Miss Liliana’s Castle instead of the Salt Sands Theater."

So she answered right away—although it was just scripted.

"...That's right, Alice is the same."

"……ah."

"Alice is Alice."

Sipping the creamy soup in front of her, Liliana spoke calmly.

Not like an explanation, just telling the truth.

"... Even if you change the clothes and body parts, change the hair color and eye color to change the personality, she is still Alice. Just like no matter what clothes you put on the doll, the doll is still a doll The same. Changes in personality and behavior do not affect the concept and fact of [Alice], no matter what she becomes or what character she becomes, Alice is still the Alice who swore to me forever."

...Ah, speaking of it, it is true.

Alice, the devil maid from the day before yesterday.

Yesterday's secretary Alice.

And today, the wayward Queen Alice.

Regarding himself, the title of Liliana has not changed accordingly.

"Miss Tina."

"Lily."

If you look closely, there is no trace of a whip on Miss Liliana's face.

Not at all, obviously Alice didn't swing the whip to Liliana's face at all.

"I can't...understand..."

"... Even if you don't understand, it won't cause problems for Miss Tina's life, so it's okay not to understand. For Miss Tina, Alice is an unpredictable little guy, and this impression is enough gone."

Putting down the spoon, Miss Witch didn't show any expression on her face, and her words didn't change in the slightest because of Tingna's confusion.

"...However, if Miss Tina wants to understand—"

Those eyes, which seemed to contain endless starlight, looked towards the direction where the puppet left.

A large book inlaid with gold rims appeared in the witch's hand.

From there, Liliana pushed a roll of parchment in front of Tina.

"Just go and confirm it with your own eyes."

………………………………………………………………………………………

Tina soon spotted the little black figure.

Sitting on the edge of a black marble fountain, her long black hair hanging down to the cobblestone pavement.

"Alice...Miss."

Ting Na hesitated how to greet her, her voice was so small that she thought it was ridiculous.

- Wow.

At this time, there was a clatter in the fountain, and a small brown creature came out.

Because the hair all over her body was wet and stuck to her body, Tingna was stunned for a while before she realized that it was a young brown fox.

This is a kind of fox with big ears and tail. Its main food is mice and small insects. Occasionally, it also digs out the eggs of the gray finch that builds its nest in the grass. It is a common monster on the northern coastal hills of Yansha City.

Only these monsters would approach the castle where Liliana and Alice lived.

"Hey! Don't get the water on Alice, you stupid fox!"

The little fox that got out of the water looked innocently at the black creature that was slightly bigger than itself in front of it. It shook its head to show that it didn't understand, and then followed the instinct passed down from its ancestors, and began to shake the water——

"Ahhhhhhh, damn stupid fox! They say don't throw water on Alice's body!!"

The iridescent magic light flashed.

For a moment, she thought that today's extraordinarily willful Queen Alice was going to use magic to teach this fox who couldn't understand human language a lesson, and then Tina covered her mouth with the idea of cooking a roasted fox in her mind for some reason.

"?"

The little fox was also stunned. It seemed a little strange to shake it and shake it?

Don't have that feeling of heavy body becoming light? No, the feeling of wetness is also gone?

Shaking his body again, the little fox, who felt that his worldview had been greatly challenged, turned his head and looked into the fountain.

"——!"

It let out a high-pitched scream.

who!

Who is this furry mass in the water!

"Oh hehehehe - see, this is the punishment for daring to throw water on me, you can live in such a funny way for the rest of your life!"

Use a [Liliana post-bath drying technique] to wipe off all the moisture attached to the fur when the little fox is flicking, turning the little fox into a fluffy fur ball, taking off the high heels and kicking it comfortably Alice in the water smiled happily.

"Then, let Alice teach you how to behave when you get along with Alice, this stupid fox!"

Moreover, he also took off the leather whip from the waist of the tights and flicked it.

"Remember, when you see Alice in the future, you have to put your limbs on the ground, and you are not allowed to look up without Alice's permission!"

Snapped! Water splashes.

"When Alice comes to you, turn over on all fours and ask Alice to sit on your soft belly! This is your honor, a glory worthy of being sung from generation to generation!"

Snapped! Sparks splashed across the cobblestones.

"Did you hear that, if you do well, maybe Alice will give you the reward of becoming Alice's mount—hey, wait a minute, what do you stupid fox want to do!"

The little fox who turned into a ball of fur said that he couldn't understand what the black creature in front of him was muttering.

But even with its IQ, it realized that since only itself and the chattering black creature were present, such a situation could only be caused by this black creature.

So in order to change back to its original vigorous and sensitive image, the little fox attacked the black creature.

pounce.

Second rub.

Three licks.

The proud little queen was immediately thrown down by the little fox, and her long tongue stuck out, licking all over her body.

"Wow, you stupid fox, no, don't rub around, don't lick! Haha... It's itchy, it's itchy—"

"...Puff"

——I couldn't help laughing.

Is it okay to just leave it alone?

Because the interaction between the puppet lady and the little fox is so cute, Ting Na, who was secretly watching, thought a little wickedly.

However, the girl's laughter made the troubled lady doll discover her existence.

"Ting, Miss Tingna, quickly, quickly get rid of this stupid fox... Ah, the fluffy rubbing back and forth is so ticklish—"

"Okay ok... hey."

It would be unreasonable to stand by and watch now.

Tina came to the fountain, picked up the little fox that was rubbing against the doll, and helped it brush off its bristling fur.

The little fox that was lifted by Tingna's neck was still a little fussy at first, but when he saw that he had returned to his original vigorous appearance on the water, he nestled obediently in Tingna's arms.

After the blond girl sat by the fountain and smoothed its fur, it leaned against Alice again, curling up lazily.

"Stupid fox, don't come here!"

Alice, whose whole body was licked and sticky and wet, rolled her eyes angrily, and jumped into the fountain wearing a leather tights with a splash.

"Miss Alice, are you all right?"

"There's nothing wrong with it except my whole body is sticky! Really, there's a limit to familiarity..."

The splash of water on its body made the narrowed-eyed little fox move its big ears. It looked at the little black creature bathing in the fountain with its back turned, and stood up again.

"Wait, what are you doing, stupid fox!"

Pulling her up by the collar of her clothes.

Miss Doll was really angry now, she flicked the whip in the air.

It still didn't fall on the little fox curled up in a ball contentedly under the warm sunshine.

"The relationship is very good, Miss Alice, are you friends?"

Originally, Tina had been hesitating, not knowing how to face Alice, whose character and personality had completely changed.

After these words came out of her mouth easily, even she herself felt incredible.

"Friend? Ms. Tingna has some misunderstanding, right? Alice and this stupid fox are not friends. This stupid creature is not even qualified to be used as a floor mat, and will be infected with stupid!"

The puffy lady puppet lay in a big character on the black marble. After the water droplets on her body were dried by the sun, her scarlet eyes, like a pool of mellow red wine, looked at the parchment in Tingna's hand.

"Is it an order from a clothing store? Does that mean Alice's new clothes are ready?"

"Huh? Well, it looks like this..."

Tina unfolded the scroll of parchment.

Tina is attacked by the breath of money.

Tina is sunk!

"...Good, so expensive..."

In fact, no parchment is used. It is the main material used by various stores in the mainland to make orders. The one in Tingna's hand is printed at the beginning, which is the largest and most expensive luxury brand in Yansha City, [Golden Pearl] clothing orders.

a dress.

116 gold coins.

"..."

Ting Na, who was born as a commoner, had trembling hands.

More than 100 gold coins for a piece of clothing! Is that woven of gold thread? !

"More than 100 gold coins? Is this the average price of the clothes in Alice's closet? The cost of Alice's finger is higher than this."

Alice's answer caused the blond girl to petrify with a click.

"Since the clothes are ready, go and get them back. The one Alice is wearing now can't be made into a dress. I hope that fat old man can give Alice a surprise...Miss Tina?"

"Ah, oh, oh..."

In the end, Tingna had no memory of how she carried Alice to the shell-like building in Salt Sand City that seemed to contain golden pearls.

Then, after seeing what Alice said, "the fat old man", Tina's little head ushered in the second crash of the day.

Ingmar Alexander.

After showing the order for the parchment roll, the waitress at the front desk respectfully brought Tingna, who was holding Alice, to the room where the legendary craftsman of Salt Sand City was sitting.

This master craftsman who has created the body of a treasure-level powerhouse and even became a legend among bards, a master who even the king of this small country can't hire... unexpectedly took over the work of doll costumes ?

Miss Liliana, how divine are you!

This question kept rolling in Tina's mind.

"Huh? Is Miss Liliana free today?"

"Yes, yes yes, Master Ingmar, Miss Liliana seems to be very busy today, so she entrusted me to pick up the finished clothes—"

"Oh, it looks like she's a little girl who knows the old man and me. Liliana is not so polite."

The old man sitting on the chair and smoking a pipe looked at Tingna who was holding the doll, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"As for this little puppet..."

"That's all for the greetings, fat old man, where are Alice's new clothes?"

Floating from Tina's arms to the table, the black-haired and red-eyed Alice unceremoniously tapped the old man's pipe with a whip.

"Hey, today I have black hair and red eyes, and my body shape...hasn't changed."

"Hmph, change your figure casually, fat old man, you're going to complain again, Alice doesn't want to hear your endless complaints."

Sitting on the table with her legs crossed, Alice slapped the table and urged.

"Is it the arrogant and willful Queen Alice today? Oh, it's no wonder that little girl doesn't want to come over..."

Glancing at the corner of his mouth, the old man didn't say any more. He opened the drawer of the table and put a six-sided glass box on the table.

On the cross-shaped clothing display rack in the box, there is a deep and gorgeous dress.

Tina's gaze was immediately attracted by the dress.

Even she who is completely ignorant of fashion design and quality analysis can still feel the elegance and nobility revealed by this dress with a slender waist. It was coated with a layer of hazy and illusory soft light.

"The black swan, according to Her Majesty's request, is all woven with black swan velvet yarn. The style is the costume of a mainland court dancer before the Thirteenth Holy War 300 years ago. The pannier is removed, and the front skirt is cut short. The back skirt is also lengthened, and the lace edge of the skirt is made of silkworm silk from the Eastern Kingdom..."

"Let's stop here for self-selling and boasting. The one who decides whether this dress is good or not is Alice, not the material you use."

"Yes, then, please."

Unfazed by the interrupted introduction, Ingmar shrugged and opened the box.

Alice also took off the tight leather jacket without hesitation.

"...Wait a minute! Miss Alice, why did you take off your clothes all of a sudden——"

The girl wailed.

"...Huh? Miss Tina, you must take off your clothes before changing clothes. This is common sense."

"No, although this is common sense, but how can a girl take off her clothes in front of other people, and there are men-"

Tina was in a hurry, trying to find some fabric or something else to cover Alice's body.

"Alice is a doll."

"But she looks nothing like her body shape!"

"Yeah?"

"That's right!"

To be honest, apart from the petite one or two-year-old human baby, or the kitten, Alice, I really can't see any features of the doll.

There are no gaps where parts join together.

No puppet-specific joints.

Gloss without an inorganic substance.

More importantly, every detail of the body, every detail that a girl should have, is extremely delicate, and it looks no different from a cute girl's body that is scaled down in proportion.

So subconsciously, Tingna regarded Alice as an ordinary girl.

"Anyway, Master Ingmar, can you please turn your back on it?"

"Well……"

The old man touched his nose and looked away.

"Human ethics are really troublesome... Is the female body such an ugly thing for men? There is no man in the age of the magic empire who would make irresponsible remarks about it."

"No, it's better to say that something that is too beautiful will make people have bad desires, so this is for protection..."

"Excuse."

Alice shrugged.

"It's just because I have a reason to shirk my responsibility and bite back when I can't control my dirty desires. No matter how high-sounding the words are, it can't change this."

After speaking, the little puppet took down the dress named Black Swan from the display stand.

"..."

Elegant robes envelop a petite body.

Elbow-length black gloves and stockings cling to the tender skin, and the high-heeled shoes click lightly on the wooden table.

Wearing a swan feather-shaped hair accessory, Ruby's pupils narrowed in a daze.

— The atmosphere has changed.

No, the temperament has changed.

"...It's a very good workmanship, fat old man."

"Of course."

Ingmar looked back.

Seeing that delicate and slender figure, the old man's blue pupils couldn't help shrinking for a while.

No matter how many times you imagine it in your mind, it can't compare to the shock of seeing it with your own eyes.

"Hey, this is really... a masterpiece."

"You don't need to say that every time, do you? Fat old man, are you praising Alice? Or are you praising your handiwork?"

Tap, tap.

With one hand, he lifted the skirt of the short skirt in front of him, and slightly pressed down the longer skirt behind him. The black-haired doll gracefully bent the left leg under the skirt, and placed it around the knee of the right leg.

"You are a skilled craftsman, and Alice is the cutest doll."

The lace on the hem of the skirt fluttered, dazzling in the sun, with a hazy halo, and the round mahogany table seemed to become a dance floor for a night banquet.

Her majesty the wayward and proud queen just disappeared.

Dancers describe the light and graceful dance steps of dancers, and they will use swans as the highest praise.

At this moment, here is Alice dancing lightly.

Like an elegant, black swan...

"……Eh?"

The blond girl froze.

Did I read it wrong?

Alice's back, on the boldly exposed snow-white skin.

It seemed to spread out a bunch of black wings.

Tina rubbed her eyes.

still.

The dark wings danced with the puppet, dancing gracefully under the sunlight cast by the skylight, on this dark stage, under the only light.

Until Alice stopped dancing.

The darkness faded away with the retraction of the wings.

"Eh? Eh? Eh———????"

"...Sure enough, clothes designed and made by skilled craftsmen are more likely to have the quality of a dress body. Alice, I am very satisfied."

Stretching her body, Alice performed court etiquette to Ingmar with satisfaction.

Then, he turned his gaze to Ting Na who was standing at the side helplessly.

"Miss Tina is asking, is this dress?"

"Just, just now, what happened..."

Neither Alice nor Ingmar seemed intimidated.

Those black wings stretched from Alice's back and fell into the dark room as Alice danced, it was a state of affairs that Tina couldn't understand, it was just like, just like.

...the excess light is lost.

For the dancers dancing on the dark stage.

"Miss Tina knows that when Alice wears different clothes, she will change into a different personality."

Alice squatted down, picked up the Queen's clothes that she had taken off and scattered on the table, and put them into the empty glass box.

It's just a change of clothes, the tone of the doll lady, the voice of speaking, the eyes, and even the expression on the face have become completely different.

It's unimaginable.

Her Majesty the Queen with a sharp breath, like a thorny rose.

That enthusiastic and charming maid who is like a little devil.

That female secretary who fits glasses and has a shrewd and capable demeanor.

And what Tina is most familiar with is Alice with blond hair and blue eyes, just like the carefree princess in fairy tales.

——They are the same person.

Even the most skilled actors can't do it, even the legendary Shaya, who is known as the patron saint of actors and singers in the south of the mainland, can't do it.

From Alice at this moment, the shadows of those previous images could not be seen at all.

real.

Not at all. Can't see.

"It's not just the personality that will change, Alice's strength will also change accordingly. Miss Tina still remembers Alice's [Shadow Sun Dress] more than half a month ago."

"Uh-huh……"

Tina nodded blankly.

How could it be forgotten.

On that starry night, the figure of a witch and a doll who rescued himself from a desperate situation.

Indeed, at that time, Alice put on a strange dress with a sun-like headdress, and held a golden scepter that was taller than her whole body.

"[Ceremonial dress], this is Alice's power. Alice can embody different powers in different clothes. After wearing clothes with this power, Alice will have a special phenomenon... Just like just now, Sorry for scaring Miss Tina."

"I-I'm not scared at all, it's just..."

"fraud."

"Huh?!"

Alice said slightly doting words, and gently pinched the tip of Tina's nose.

"Are you scared?"

"...Well, suddenly the room turned dark, actually, I was frightened."

"Good boy."

Letting go, Alice turned around and walked up to the old man who was smoking a pipe, and put the glass box and the leather tights inside into the space storage ring on her finger.

After all this was done, Alice bowed to Ingmar again.

Then, it floated back into Tina's arms.

"Alice knows that Miss Tina has a lot to ask. On the way back, ask slowly."

For some reason, Tingna felt that she couldn't refuse such a spoiled and smiling Alice.

………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey, so Miss Tingna thought so much..."

On the beach between afternoon and dusk, the sun-dried salt fields on the sea reflect the dazzling light of white flowers, making it almost impossible to distinguish the dividing line between the silver-sand beach and the sea water.

——Since you have a lot to ask, let's take a walk along the way. Tina, who accepted Alice's proposal, left a long series of footprints on the beach.

The sunshine in early summer was not so harsh, and in the sea breeze, Ting Na mustered up the courage to ask a lot of questions.

Is the current Alice the same as the Alice of yesterday, the Alice of the day before yesterday, is it the same Alice as the Alice I first met, and so on.

Which Alice is the real Alice or something like that.

If I change back to the original clothes, eyes and hair color, will I also become the Alice I met in the first place, and so on.

Witnessing Alice in front of her, completely changed into another person because of the change of clothes, after recovering from the impact of the black swan's wings, Tingna found that the impact of this fact on her was far greater than she imagined. bigger among them.

Liliana used the Argonaut ship as an example to tell Tingna that no matter how she changes Alice, she is still Alice, but she has always lived among [ordinary people], and Ting also regards Alice and Liliana as a member of [Ordinary] Na, there is no way to just accept it.

——Who can bear the fact that someone they know is completely different just by changing clothes?

This is not acting.

"However, even if Miss Tina asks this question, it is not Alice's specialty to think about [who am I]. Alice is a puppet and cannot decide who Alice is."

Salad, salad.

On the deserted beach, there was another trace of footprints beside the girl's footprints.

"But, Miss Alice, you can move freely, have your own emotions, talk, and think..."

"If Lily doesn't give Alice magic power, Alice won't be able to move or speak. If she doesn't replenish enough magic power every day, her thinking will be slow and she will become an ordinary doll?"

"……Yeah."

Tina suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness surge up.

What the hell are you doing?

Use the narrow three views imposed on Alice who is not even human, and use the common sense immersed in daily life to understand the world that I don't know.

How many different looks did I see in Alice?

One, two, three, four, five... only five.

Where is Miss Liliana?

During the time spent with Alice, that witch lady, how many times did she encounter such things?

"...Hey, Miss Alice, in that case, wouldn't it be better if you don't change your clothes?"

"Miss Tina is saying that Alice, who wants to be a girl, will only wear one dress forever?"

Alice smiled slightly.

"That's right..."

Tina also realized that she had said something stupid.

Even if I don't like shopping and don't pay much attention to the brand of my clothes, I will buy one or two new clothes every year, let alone such a lovely Alice.

The topic is interrupted here.

What should I say next, if I keep silent like this, the atmosphere will be very bad.

Maybe, I won't be able to face Alice and Liliana with a normal mood in the future.

"Miss Tina asked Alice a lot of questions today..."

Just as Tingna was desperately turning her "quite clever" brain, which was evaluated by her friends, trying to find a topic, Alice, who was walking beside her, suddenly raised her head and looked into the girl's blue eyes.

"Alice also come to ask Miss Tina a question."

"Eh, um, ok, ok..."

One step, two steps, Alice nodded her cherry lips

"Hmm...Alice think about it...By the way, Miss Tina, although I only asked at this time...Why did Miss Tina become a liaison officer? Alice and Lily came to Salt Sand City last year, At that time, there was still no liaison officer in the association, Miss Tingna, was it specially recruited later?"

"Ah...that...it's actually not..."

In Tina's mind, two notices appeared.

She scratched her cheek embarrassingly.

"I was transferred to the position of liaison officer because the front desk receptionist did not do a good job..."

Tina still remembers what happened the day she was transferred.

At the front desk, I received a team of adventurers composed of several students from Yansha City Magic Academy. Based on the principle of safety first and life first, I dissuaded them from accepting the dangerous task of [crushing against the slime group in the water source in the north of the city], and I received a broadcast. .

After going to the minister's office, the kind middle-aged man told him that the entrustment he had taken over in the past two months since he went to work was less than double digits. If he didn't accept the transfer, he would be fired...

"Because I can't live without work, so..."

"Miss Tingna is working hard too..."

"Ah ha ha……"

The salt field gradually came to an end.

Walking further, people gradually appeared, so Tingna bent down and hugged Alice.

A girl holding a doll is always less conspicuous than a living doll that can walk by itself.

"Then, Miss Tina."

"Um?"

When being hugged, Alice suddenly smiled and spoke.

"Is there any difference between you now and you as the receptionist?"

The blond girl froze.

"...This is a sneaky change of concept, Miss Alice."