The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 13

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 13
“What?”
“I don’t want to help.”
“Why… why won’t you help me!”
Blake watched Vivian’s eyes widen in shock at the unexpected refusal, and he fell into contemplation for a moment.
His refusal had been instinctive, but the reasoning behind it was quite sound.
In fact, it might be the perfect opportunity.
‘The one and only being who can put me to sleep.’
That single fact alone made her worth holding onto immediately.
Now that I’d tasted what ‘deep sleep’ felt like, I couldn’t go back to how things were before.
So before I figured out how she did it, I had no intention of letting her go.
He spoke in a cold voice, like a sharp winter wind.
“Let’s say everything you claim is true. But how can I trust you enough to open a portal? And who knows what might happen if I do? Besides, I have no problem sleeping even if you remain in that teddy bear form.”
“You… I didn’t think you were like that!”
“No, I’m exactly that kind of person. And you found the portal I helped you locate, yet you might disappear without even showing gratitude? The only reason I’m keeping you alive right now is one thing: you can temporarily alleviate this curse.”
“But I’m telling you I’ll search for a way to break the curse too!”
“I see. I’m not foolish enough to take someone’s word at face value.”
Vivian’s face quickly turned aggrieved as she grabbed her head and swayed.
“Blake… repaid kindness with cruelty…”
He watched her with an expressionless face before offering a proposal.
“Then how about this: if you’re truly not lying, make a contract with me.”
“A… contract?”
He nodded.
Then he opened a drawer beside the table, pulled out paper and a fountain pen, and quickly wrote something before handing it over.
The paper he offered contained quite detailed contract terms for something written so hastily.
[CONTRACT]
-Party A: Blake Leblanc
-Party B: Vivian Halloway
Article 1. ‘Party A’ shall cooperate to enable ‘Party B’ to continuously replenish mana, and ‘Party B’ shall do their best to help ‘Party A’ sleep whenever desired.
Article 2. ‘Party B’ shall not reveal to others that they are a witch unless circumstances make it unavoidable.
Article 3. ‘Party A’ shall search for a portal to enable ‘Party B’ to return to their original world, and ‘Party B’ shall search for a method to break the curse of the Leblanc Family for ‘Party A’.
Article 4. This contract shall terminate once ‘Party A’s curse is completely broken, and any changes to the contract terms require the other party’s consent.
Vivian read the final section, written particularly boldly, once more with meticulous care.
“The contract ends when the curse is broken…”
“If you keep the conditions, I’ll do my best to help you return.”
Vivian found Blake’s thorough approach irritating, but she didn’t stop reading the contract.
Finding the portal was a critical matter she absolutely had to accomplish to return to Halloway Castle in the future.
And in her current state, she was painfully aware that searching for the portal alone and finding a way back was beyond her capabilities.
Even if she replenished her mana, without finding the portal, she would be trapped in the Human World forever.
‘That absolutely cannot happen!’
No matter how curious I was about the protagonists in novels, or how rare it was to see the Human World after centuries, this place was not my home.
A grand and beautiful castle in the Western Territory.
A life awaited me where I would return to Max, who was surely worried, laugh away the time we’d spent apart, and break out the wine I’d been saving.
“Fine. Let’s do it that way.”
Vivian gripped the fountain pen tightly with both hands.
Having finished signing with the pen that was nearly half her body length, she pushed the contract toward him with a pouty expression.
Blake asked calmly.
“What is the penalty if the other party breaks the contract?”
“There isn’t one. A witch’s contract must always be honored. Otherwise, you lose your magic forever.”
“Then I’ll keep the contract. Once I say something, I always follow through.”
His words, spoken without hesitation, carried no emotion whatsoever. It was nothing but a cold, rational judgment based purely on practicality.
Feeling an unexpected pang of disappointment, Vivian pressed her lips together firmly, then turned her head sharply and spoke.
“Now that we’ve made a contract, I’m telling you—cooperate actively! I can’t stay cooped up in a room forever.”
….
I knew what Blake was worried about.
A moving teddy bear in the Human World would be a strange sight. From his perspective, if discovered, it would be difficult to explain.
But I couldn’t simply abandon all effort and hope things would somehow work out on their own.
‘Even if I’m the most optimistic witch there is!’
I had to insist that freedom of movement was essential, even if Blake objected.
“I’ll tell you when I go out to search for a portal. Or next time something like this happens, how about I stick close to you like before and move around together?”
“Don’t say such pointless things. Just don’t say anything at all.”
“But if we move around together, no one will suspect anything. I’d be your comfort item, so to speak.”
Comfort item.
At those words, his brow furrowed slightly before his eyes squeezed shut.
“Damn it….”
Was he recalling the confused looks in the servants’ eyes from earlier?
Thinking he was quite a handful, I rose up on my tiptoes and stretched out my stubby hand to pat his shoulder with all my might.
Blake then turned his head slightly to look at me.
His gaze asked what I was doing.
“It’s fine. Everyone will focus more on the fact that you’re carrying around a teddy bear than on the fact that I’m moving about.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting—”
“A military commander carrying around a teddy bear? That’s quite the reversal of charm.”
“Just be quiet, will you? Can’t you keep your mouth shut for even a moment?”
“Right, I hear that a lot. Thanks.”
“That’s not a compliment.”
He pulled his shoulder back to avoid my touch, but as my persistent hand followed, he seemed to give up and relax.
Then he flopped down onto the bed.
As he lay back comfortably, the corners of his mouth were surprisingly soft and relaxed.
It was strange.
Just moments ago, my head was throbbing from bickering with the teddy bear over this and that.
For some reason, whenever I felt this touch, my heart grew calm.
Was this too the magic of this bear doll?
“You look good when you smile.”
“…Nonsense. I haven’t smiled.”
He coolly denied it, hastily composing his expression before turning his body away to lie down.
Vivian, now accustomed to interpreting his dishonest words, gazed at him quietly and asked.
“Shall we take an afternoon nap together?”
“….”
Receiving no response, Vivian simply rested her heavy head against his shoulder.
Though it was hardly a burden for his broad shoulders, I felt them tremble slightly.
Sensing that subtle tremor, Vivian tilted her head curiously.
‘He’s strange, I tell you. Just moments ago, he was being so sensitive.’
The Blake Leblanc I’d seen in the 〈Human World Special Report〉 before seemed somewhat intimidating.
While it was true he possessed a certain indifference and coldness, looking more carefully revealed quite a spectrum of emotions beneath the surface.
‘If the heroine Lea were to discover this side of him, it would be wonderful.’
She might very well fall for Blake Leblanc’s charm.
I understood that his anger just moments ago stemmed from concern that something might go wrong with me.
What I’ve learned through all these years of living is this: my eye for people. It’s quite accurate, you know?
‘His true feelings don’t match his words—he simply can’t be honest.’
Of course, it was somewhat disappointing that he refused to help unless I signed a contract.
Yes, it wouldn’t be fun if he trusted me too easily.
‘Just you wait and see. I’ll give you the most blissful sleep ever!’
With such scattered thoughts, Vivian hummed a soft tune.
My mana was gradually accumulating.
Savoring that subtle and pleasant sensation, she closed her eyes gently and murmured.
“Meeting you was my good fortune. I never thought I’d encounter a human who worries about me.”
Though she cast no sleep spell, the two of them remained with their eyes closed for quite some time, sharing an awkward yet drowsy moment.
A peaceful midday rest.
I wondered if life might continue peacefully like this.
…Yet the next day, strange rumors were spreading throughout the Duke’s estate.
***
“Have you heard? The First Young Master carries around a teddy bear? He apparently hasn’t put it down for even a moment.”
“Isn’t that just a rumor? A teddy bear doesn’t make any sense.”
“But there are eyewitnesses who saw it directly. A brown teddy bear! He found it and picked it up saying, ‘Found you, my teddy bear.’ And he said it in such a magnificent tone!”
“…Now that I think about it, someone who went into the Study Room said the Young Master was sitting the teddy bear down and continuously talking to it.”
“What? The First Young Master hasn’t been sleeping well, so could it be….”
“Hey, watch your tongue!”
“No, I heard it too. There are rumors about a doll possessed by a ghost, right? More than one person has seen it move. They say a curse is placed on that doll, so you shouldn’t even make eye contact with it!”
“My goodness, how terrifying!”
Much to Blake Leblanc’s misfortune, rumors of the possessed(?) teddy bear were snowballing like an avalanche.
Just then, the elderly butler Ronald, heading toward Blake Leblanc’s Study Room with an important letter from the Eastern Cartel, could only stop in his tracks upon hearing the servants’ whispers.
‘What on earth did I just hear?’
The Young Master embracing a brown teddy bear and calling it ‘my teddy bear’?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————