The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 21
Several days passed in this manner.
The satisfaction of capturing the spy hiding in the Mansion—a lead I’d gleaned from Ronald’s words—was short-lived.
“You’re really going to do this?”
I’d thought Blake Leblanc had grown somewhat more compliant with my recent touches, but it seemed that was merely my delusion.
I planted my hands on my hips and protested loudly.
“There was nothing about a curfew in the contract!”
“No.”
“Why not?!”
“Rumors have already spread among the servants. They’re saying a shabby, hideous brown bear doll possessed by a phantom is wandering through this house.”
Blake Leblanc, impeccably dressed in a well-fitted uniform with sleeves neatly adjusted, delivered these words, and I found myself reeling from the shock.
Shabby and hideous?
What? Hideous?
The descriptor was far more devastating than the “phantom” comment I’d heard before. I staggered against the wall, exhaling heavily.
“There’s something you added in the middle.”
“No.”
His refusal alone was infuriating, but Blake Leblanc showed no willingness to negotiate, maintaining his resolute stance.
“Does something only count if it’s explicitly written in a contract? It’s already there in the agreement—you must not unnecessarily expose your identity.”
“Ugh, as long as my identity doesn’t get discovered, it’s fine!”
“Hardly.”
I glared at him, arms crossed, standing before the door with narrowed eyes, but my gaze had no effect whatsoever.
Blake Leblanc issued his warning in an uncompromising tone.
“In any case, don’t move an inch from here when I’m gone. If you cause unnecessary trouble and draw suspicion, it’s only you who’ll be in a difficult position.”
“I hate this! How am I supposed to stay here every day? I have my own things to do!”
“Like what?”
“Finding the portal!”
At that, he smirked, one corner of his mouth curling up in amusement.
“I recall you saying it would be difficult to find alone. You need my help anyway.”
My lips twitched as I tried to counter his infuriating expression, but no other words came to mind.
“Since you have nothing to say, I’ll take my leave.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he turned and grasped the door handle, sweeping out of the room.
“Hey! Wait a—”
Slam!
Left alone in the room with the door shut, I muttered to myself in disappointment.
“I said wait a moment…”
This is truly helpless.
I confirmed the faint magical energy still hovering subtly around my entire form, my words trailing off hopelessly.
Despite his occasional sharp demeanor, I’d tried to view him favorably because he was a supporting male character with a backstory, but this guy really…
“I’m going to get revenge. I won’t let this slide. Even if I’m supposedly a kind and innocent witch, this treatment is unfair!”
I collapsed onto the floor and ground my teeth, spilling out vows of vengeance.
“Blake, you wretched fool! Trip on your way somewhere! Fall flat and have your pants torn off for all to see!”
Of course, venting like this didn’t actually make me feel any better. After all, Blake would never hear these words.
And if his pants really did get torn off, it should happen right in front of me so I could laugh—not when I’m not around.
What good would it do for it to happen without me there to witness it?
My energy finally depleted, I sprawled flat on my back and stared blankly at the pitch-black ceiling.
But the moment his infuriating face drifted into my mind’s eye, I bolted upright.
“Just you wait. You’re making a huge mistake if you think you have me in the palm of your hand.”
It was always the case—the more someone told me not to go, the more I wanted to.
Of course, Blake was right that finding the portal properly in this state might be difficult.
But I had something else to do right now, and I had no intention of sitting idle in this room waiting.
“…Heh heh.”
As I strode purposefully toward the door, a sinister smile played across my lips—one that would have made Max’s hair stand on end.
Max had a name for this smile of mine.
He called it the ‘smile of an accident waiting to happen,’ if I recalled correctly.
“If you were so worried, you should have stayed in this room and kept watch without moving an inch.”
Perhaps because I’d been so well-behaved lately, the mustached butler wasn’t even in the room today.
“How dare he call this Vivian a shabby, ugly teddy bear.”
I needed to show him.
A woman—no, a teddy bear’s transformation is beyond reproach!
***
“Where could the bathhouse be?”
Since that last exhilarating outing, the Corridor of the Mansion stretched before me in all its vastness as I ventured through it alone for the first time.
Perhaps it was because my body had shrunk.
“It’s really huge….”
Having only traveled between Blake’s Bedroom, the Greenhouse, and parts of the Corridor until now, I was captivated by the ornate paintings that sprawled across both sides of the hallway.
“Oh, this piece—it’s a painting by that artist who was selling at rock-bottom prices back then. So they made it big?”
I even spotted some paintings I’d seen about two hundred years ago.
As I admired them, a fork in the path finally appeared.
A staircase to the left and one to the right.
Wondering which way would lead to the bathhouse, I stroked my chin in brief contemplation when I heard voices from behind me.
“This way. Today’s our chance.”
“Right. We should have finished this long ago.”
“We just haven’t had the opportunity until now. If we’re not careful, we could get caught and die.”
“…Understood.”
Huh? What’s this?
Are these the Female Servants?
My heart pounding at the thought of being discovered, I quickly slipped into the slightly ajar door beside the staircase and focused on their conversation again.
“We should hurry. Once we get there, we’ll finally have what we’ve been waiting for.”
“Once this is done, my whole body will feel refreshed. It’s like shedding old, accumulated grime.”
Refreshed. Accumulated grime.
‘Aha!’
I had discovered their destination.
It appeared they were heading to the bathhouse I had been searching for so desperately.
For someone who had spent considerable time hunting for the location of the bathing chambers, this was an opportunity sent by providence itself.
I crept silently after the two women as they ascended the left staircase without hesitation.
Following them past the stairs and all the way to the end of the Corridor, I arrived at what I thought was my destination—only to furrow my brow at the sight before me.
‘Hmm? Ladies, this isn’t the bathhouse, is it?’
What was this place?
The moment I stepped inside, my vision was overwhelmed by towering bookshelves that dominated the entire room.
The two women dressed as Female Servants navigated the space with practiced ease, moving forward without the slightest hesitation.
Their movements were so fluid—feline, almost panther-like—that I found myself unable to look away.
The pair glided swiftly through the labyrinth of bookshelves and came to a halt at an unexpected corner of the room.
“Here.”
By this point, it was clear.
Their destination was not the bathhouse.
But the questions multiplied.
The movements of these two women in servant’s garb were far too deliberate, and this place was clearly not somewhere ordinary Female Servants would dare to enter.
Then who were these people?
I had already hidden myself behind the bookshelves, holding my breath as I watched them intently.
One of them tapped the floor with the toe of her shoe—tap, tap—then nodded and bent down to open a concealed door.
With a creaking sound, the door swung open and both women threw themselves inside.
Thud.
Watching the door close behind them, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“…Oh.”
And I hesitated for a moment.
Should I pretend I saw nothing?
Would everything be fine if I simply acted as though I had never witnessed this?
“Sigh…”
I had followed them thinking they were going to the bathhouse, and now I was caught up in this mess!
If Blake found out, he would surely raise hell, accusing me of causing trouble again.
Should I call for someone right now?
But running through the Corridor in this state to summon help would draw far too much attention.
And if I went to find Ronald, I might lose track of these two.
I really shouldn’t have looked.
After wavering, I finally clenched my fists and dragged my heavy feet forward until I stood before the door where they had vanished.
There was no denying it—something was deeply suspicious about all of this.
If I left it alone, it might bring harm to the Leblanc Family.
‘…Oh, to hell with it.’
After steadying my breath, I moved to the opposite side, grasped the hidden door handle, and pulled with all my strength.
The considerable weight caught me off balance, and my body tumbled into the pitch-black space below as the door swung wide open.
Crack!
As I lifted my head from the loud landing accompanied by the sound of something breaking.
“Bookshelves and… a map?”
Between the softly glowing orange candlesticks scattered throughout, a vast space emerged, dark and ominous in atmosphere.
Large maps affixed to every wall, with pins inserted as if marking specific locations.
It was unmistakably the Operation Room. How could Female Servants have entered such a place so carelessly?
It was truly strange.
As I moved my footsteps carefully, unable to stop now, I discovered one advantage to living in this body.
‘…Oh, my footsteps make no sound.’
Thanks to my soft, plump paws, I could move about without making a sound, even though I wasn’t walking particularly quietly.
As I squeezed myself into various corners and searched for where those Female Servants had disappeared to.
“Where could it be, exactly?”
“I heard it was definitely placed here. If we can just find the Border Trade Route trade rights…”
“It’s not here. Could someone have already stolen it?”
“Impossible. Have I had time to pay attention to internal Empire affairs while I’ve been busy getting out? It’s definitely here.”
In the middle of the room with the map, I could see two Female Servants frantically rummaging through a large dresser.
‘Female Servants I’ve never seen before?’
The two people, unable to hide their anxiety and concentration, seemed unaware of my presence here.
‘Hmm, what should I do about this.’
There was a contract stating I shouldn’t reveal my identity unless absolutely necessary, so stepping forward was out of the question.
Then stepping back would do.
Fortunately, I spotted something useful.
My eyes lit up as I gazed at the portrait frame of an unknown figure placed behind them.
It was a grandfather’s portrait with a white beard and sharp violet eyes gleaming with intensity.
After glancing at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, I moved my mouth slightly.
‘I’m sorry. I’ll borrow your face for a moment.’
First, I offered an apology for the rudeness I was about to commit.
Then I went to a dark corner beside the portrait frame and snapped my fingers toward the painting.
I felt the mana that had been undulating with a deep hum burst outward.
And soon, the wrinkled face within the portrait twitched and moved.
‘So this is what projection magic is.’
Projection magic.
A special incantation that projected my appearance onto inanimate objects, allowing them to replicate my expressions and gestures exactly.
Clearing my throat once, I shouted in a deep, authoritative voice.
“You wretches!”

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