Chapter 111
Only after the sun had fully set and dinner time had long passed did the dollhouse finally take on a proper shape.
“Huff… huff… haven’t had such a tough opponent in a while.”
“Yeah, huff, huff, it’s the first time I’ve seen boss struggle like this. Huff, huff.”
Ravian lay sprawled flat on the floor, catching his breath. He lifted his head slightly and glared at the boy across from him.
“And what are you panting about?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? Do you have any idea how hard mopping is?!”
Kiss snapped sharply and shook the rag in his hand.
He must’ve scrubbed like his life depended on it—there wasn’t a speck of dust left on the brand-new rag.
“You could get hired as a cleaner and never starve.”
“Where do you get off telling a talent like me to be a cleaner…! And I’m not going anywhere without our baby—kyaa!”
“Idiot.”
Just as Kiss jumped up, he smashed his head on the ceiling. Ravian mocked him ruthlessly.
And at that moment—
“Mister?”
A small golden head peeked up from the attic entrance.
Kiss flinched in horror.
“No— wait— careful—! Huh?”
Nina stepped fully onto the attic floor and looked at Kiss in puzzlement.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“N-nothing. Just… jealous, that’s all, hahah…”
“Jealous because you’re a shorty?” Ravian teased nastily.
But Nina didn’t even react.
Because the moment she saw the dollhouse, her mind went completely blank.
“Wow…”
A strange silence fell as Nina cautiously approached, eyes wide.
“Did you really build all of this by yourself…?”
“Just assembled it.”
“Oh wow, since when do you answer honestly instead of bragging—”
Whack!
Ravian kicked Kiss with one leg as the boy was spouting off.
“Argh!”
Kiss’s scream echoed as he tumbled out of the attic opening.
A heavy thud followed. Then—peace.
Nina listened for a moment, then asked nervously:
“He’s not dead… right?”
“Probably fell asleep. He was tired from cleaning.”
“Oh… then you must be tired too.”
“Don’t lump me in with that idiot. Don’t belittle me.”
“I wasn’t belittling you.”
Nina hugged her knees and sat directly on the bare floor, staring between Ravian and the dollhouse.
“Hey, don’t sit on the cold floor… Stand up for a second.”
Before she could play in the “playroom,” he needed to install floor mats.
Ravian groaned, realizing his work was nowhere near done. He reached around to find his discarded shirt.
“Here, sit on this at least.”
“…That’s your shirt.”
“So what? It’s going to be washed anyway.”
Silence.
Nina obediently sat on the shirt, then murmured softly.
“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a present like this.”
‘Of course it is.’
Something in Ravian’s chest dipped. To hide it, he responded gruffly:
“Dite will dance if he hears that. He paid for it.”
“Mr. Dite…?”
“Yeah. And in exchange, he demands we join his family for dinner.”
“…”
“Want to go? It could be fun. Nobody there could ever imagine who the baby really is.”
It was a delightfully twisted idea. Nina answered in kind:
“Now that you say it, it DOES sound fun.”
“Right?”
“But even if Mr. Dite paid for it, YOU assembled it.”
Nina leaned forward and peered down at Ravian.
The necklace hanging from her neck swayed and caught the attic light.
“And you also gave me the bicycle.”
“Been practicing?”
“No… I just watched Messi and Katya ride it today.”
“What?! It was a gift for YOU—why were those brats riding it?”
“Um… they said they’d show me how to do it…”
“That’s not a demonstration, that’s them playing with your gift! Don’t fall for that nonsense!”
Nina blinked, startled at how genuinely angry he was.
Was it really something worth getting mad over?
“I’ll ride it myself from now on.”
Only after she said that did Ravian’s scowling face relax.
“Then can I play with the dollhouse together with them?”
“Do whatever you want.”
There was no logic. No pattern.
Nina tilted her head, confused—then abruptly changed the subject.
“Mister, why is your stomach all bumpy?”
“Because I’m a man.”
“If I walk the path of manhood, will my stomach get like that too?”
Her small palms poked and prodded Ravian’s abs.
Like a kitten kneading a blanket.
Ravian lifted his head and gave the tiny culprit a warning glare.
“That would be bad.”
“Why?”
“To get like this, you’d have to train until you’re dried up and half-dead.”
“But you’re fine. I want a stomach just like yours.”
“Stop.”
He caught her hand and pulled it up near his face, voice low and firm.
“It’s not good for you. Don’t do that to your body.”
His tone was soft, but serious.
Nina stared into his eyes.
“…Okay. I’ll stop.”
“What’s with the sudden obedience?”
“Umm… the new house is so pretty?”
“Hah. Glad I broke my back assembling it. Ugh, I’m dying.”
A minute ago he told her not to belittle him.
Now, with his eyes drooping and whining under his breath, Nina couldn’t help but smile.
She slid her hand from his stomach to his forehead.
“If you’re tired, you should rest.”
“I’m not tired.”
Despite the words, Ravian’s eyes were already closed.
Half a day of work had worn him out completely.
The feather-light patting on his forehead made his whole body relax.
“It’s okay, Mister. Even if you fall asleep—”
A sweet voice whispered near his ear.
Just before he drifted off completely, he mumbled:
“…stop… lying…”
“Huh?”
“…I know… you’re not… fine at all…”
Nina’s eyes widened.
But Ravian said nothing more—sleep swallowed him.
Was that just sleep talk?
Nina stared quietly at his sleeping face, then turned toward the dollhouse.
Large enough for several small children to play in at once.
Lavender roof, strawberry-milk-pink walls, a cute white door and windows.
Through the slightly open window, tiny furniture and a doll family could be seen.
Once, a long time ago—back when she was younger and still ignorant—
she desperately wished to have a house like this.
Not something as magnificent as Estella’s.
Not the expensive limited edition ones from Normandy she saw in magazines.
She just wanted a small house of her own.
A little home with a happy doll family.
“…Actually, Mister, I…”
Words rose up unbidden and lodged in her throat.
‘Saying this is my first gift was a lie…
No—maybe not a complete lie, since it was in a dream…?’
It wasn’t long after she returned to the palace.
Around the time Ravian fell into a coma.
For some reason, Leopard sent her a real present—
a Normandy limited-edition dollhouse that was wildly popular among the noble children.
‘And I…’
She had shattered it.
On purpose.
Smashed it to pieces.
…Hadn’t she?
‘No. No, that’s not right.’
Confusion flickered in her blue eyes.
‘Back then… I just left it in a corner of my room and never touched it until I died. That’s all.’
Then why—did she vividly imagine herself holding something and smashing a ceramic dollhouse to bits?
In her dreams, she was never bold.
Just a crybaby, a fool.
‘Why am I like this lately?’
Maybe her subconscious was twisting memories because of regrets—
memories always fade and warp over time.
To shake off the uncomfortable feeling, Nina looked back at Ravian’s sleeping face.
‘His eyelashes are so long.’
While she stared, his long lashes trembled.
His closed eyelids twitched.
The idle arm beside him jerked faintly, muscles rippling.
‘Is he having a bad dream?’
What should she do?
After a moment of thought, Nina placed her small hand on his chest and gently patted.
Then she hummed the only lullaby she knew—whatever words came to mind.
“Last night, I had a dream—
a dream that you held me tight.
But when I woke up, I knew it was just a dream.
So I buried my face and cried.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you…
Please don’t take my sunshine away…”
