The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 24

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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 24
***
Darkness settled thick and heavy over the Leblanc Mansion.
Blake stirred awake to the sound of snoring—a rhythmic, sonorous rumble echoing through the room.
Upon identifying the source of those snores, he exhaled in disbelief.
That blasted bear doll actually believed this was her own bed.
She’d gone on about how she’d expended so much magical energy today that she needed to hold his hand to cast her sleep spell, yet here she was.
Apparently, the spell had been cast on him instead.
‘Remarkable, how peacefully she sleeps.’
With that thought, Blake quietly slipped from the bed and made his way to the Garden.
Her magic hadn’t been entirely ineffective—he’d simply managed only fitful sleep.
The pre-dawn air was damp and cool, striking his face and finally clearing his mind.
‘I still don’t believe Blake truly did such a thing.’
‘But at the same time, I’m trying to understand your heart. The emptiness of losing your family and standing alone—anyone would want to resent someone for that.’
‘It’s strange, isn’t it? Even when the prophecy was followed, someone still died. So why does all the resentment fall on Blake? Each person made their own choice.’
Ever since hearing those unexpected words, my heart had been unsettled, sleep eluding me.
“Truly a peculiar bear doll.”
Until now, I’d paid no mind to what others whispered.
It was routine—people trembling at the mere sight of me, muttering that I was a cold-blooded fiend devoid of mercy.
The resentful accusations from the intruders I’d heard earlier today were equally familiar.
‘A human deserving of damnation.’
I recalled the woman who’d screamed those words with such venom, her eyes locked unflinchingly on mine, as I walked slowly through the Garden.
I’d known from the start that this woman harbored such intense hatred she’d infiltrated the Mansion under a false identity.
I wasn’t fool enough to miss such things, nor was I ignorant of what she sought.
The trade rights that her dead father and brother should have inherited.
I’d simply allowed her to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
Those rights had always belonged to them. Yet the world rarely operates with such fairness.
An Emperor burdened by the plague of demonic beasts.
He’d labored to appease both Saint Ophelia and the Leblanc Family, carefully gauging their favor.
When Ophelia’s prophecies proved true, he showered her with endless praise. When the Leblanc Family slew the beasts, he bestowed lavish rewards.
Even when they refused, he’d insist it was imperial decree, and they’d eventually relent.
This time was no different.
Though they’d fought alongside him, sacrificing their lives, they were forgotten while I became once again the blood-soaked general who’d saved the Empire.
They were rare souls. I still remembered how they’d declared they wouldn’t yield to fear.
Yet those who’d said they’d trust their own strength over prophecy never lived to return to the woman’s side.
Which outcome had been better?
Would it have been the superior choice to sacrifice the woman to stop the beast?
Regardless, the fact remained that I couldn’t save them all.
But with each slow step, Vivian’s words echoed once more in my ears.
‘It’s strange, isn’t it? Even when the prophecy was followed, someone still died. So why does all the resentment fall on Blake? Each person made their own choice.’
Vivian, wearing the face of her grandfather from the portrait, seemed utterly unwavering in her support for me.
“…You’re just spouting nonsense and giving me a headache. What could you possibly know about me?”
My heart fluttered uneasily, leaving me feeling queasy. An oddly exhilarating yet uncomfortable sensation.
It had been like this for some time. Even when I stepped forward to clear up the misunderstanding spreading among the servants, I deliberately pretended not to notice.
But why again…?
The scene I’d stumbled upon kept replaying in my mind, giving me a headache.
If not for Ronald’s words—that he thought he’d seen a yellow bear doll rushing into the Operation Room—I wouldn’t have gone there at all.
Since I’d deliberately timed things to let the intruders enter the Operation Room, I should have simply left it alone.
“Nothing but trouble.”
I told it not to leave, yet it couldn’t resist and escaped, and now it’s even impersonating my late grandfather.
‘It’s my fault for leaving that unpredictable bear doll in the bedroom.’
I let out a short sigh, thinking of the bear doll, oblivious to my feelings and snoring away in deep sleep.
“Sigh…”
The problem was that it kept crossing the line, when all I needed was a relationship that adhered strictly to what was written in the contract.
When I tried not to pay attention, it caused trouble; when I did pay attention, I found myself imagining what Vivian was doing all day, which was its own kind of torment.
‘I hate this! How can you be here every day? I have my own things to do.’
Having witnessed firsthand these past few days what happens when I refuse to let it leave despite its complaints, I couldn’t simply ignore this.
I slipped through the empty Garden and stepped into the desolate Forest, then looked up at the sky.
Blake snapped his fingers briefly, and as if they’d been waiting, three men with their noses and mouths covered by cloth emerged from nowhere.
“You called for us, sir?”
“There’s something to prepare.”
“Please give us your orders.”
Those bowing awaited the command that would soon come.
“Bring Nix. I have a task for that child.”
“Nix, you say…”
“Do you mean the Nix we know?”
Blake nodded slowly, observing their slight bewilderment.
“Yes, Nix. The sooner the better. It’s urgent.”
His subordinates quickly dropped to one knee, their voices firm with the tone that brooked no repetition.
“As you command.”
With a rustling sound, the subordinates vanished like the wind.
Returning to the Mansion, Blake’s handsome face bore a peculiar satisfaction.
***
By the time more than a week had passed since arriving at Duke Leblanc’s Mansion, I’d made a new friend.
A new companion had entered my life.
“This child is called Nix, Vivian.”
“Oh! Nix, hello?”
Ronald, who had arrived early in the morning, chuckled softly as he watched the girl offer a brief greeting with only a bow of her head.
“She’s a child who will assist you going forward, Vivian. You might say she’s a butler? Ha ha, yes. Something like a butler, if you will.”
Ronald gently patted Nix’s shoulder as he emphasized the word “butler.”
“She’s rather shy and doesn’t speak much, but she’ll be helpful in many ways. She’ll ensure your daily life is free from inconvenience—not by getting in the way, but by swiftly handling everything smoothly. Isn’t that right, Nix?”
A nod.
Nix’s dark eyes turned toward me once more, her head bobbing slightly.
Meeting those deep, inky black eyes that seemed to draw me in, I felt a fresh jolt of wonder.
A new person!
And such an adorable little girl at that….
She was an exotic-looking small girl with jet-black hair and eyes, her complexion a warm, dusky tone.
“…Wow.”
“Aha ha ha, it seems Nix has captured your heart, Vivian.”
As I firmly grasped Nix’s thin, scarred hand, the girl let out an awkward exclamation.
“Yes. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a small girl—except for Annie. Oh, Annie was a neighbor’s child where I used to live.”
“I see. In any case, I’m glad she’s to your liking. From now on, whenever you have personal matters to attend to, you may bring Nix along.”
Ronald hesitated for a moment before adding to his words.
“Well, and… since it seems you’ll be wandering about freely anyway, the Young Master has requested that you take Nix with you.”
I nodded, recalling the incident from a few days ago when I’d nearly caused a major disaster while mimicking the ancestors of the Leblanc Family.
“Oh! So I’m a free-roaming bear now?”
“A free-roaming bear…?”
Ronald, rendered speechless by the peculiar expression, managed a weak cough and regained his composure.
“Then I shall take my leave so you can converse comfortably.”
Ronald quietly left the room, and it was a moment later that Nix opened her mouth.
“Um….”
“Yes, hello.”
“Hello….”
Her voice was so soft I had to strain to hear it, but that was fine.
My round ears were quite sensitive, after all!
Beyond that, the child had a rather peculiar manner of speaking.
Moreover, her composed demeanor was impressive.
This must be her first time meeting a talking bear doll, yet she showed no surprise!
“If you have any orders, please command me at any time.”
“Orders?”
“Yes. I will obey anything.”
I tilted my head and gently released Nix’s hand that I’d been holding.
Immediately, she stood at attention, her gaze lowered to the floor.
I observed that reflexive action with keen interest, pausing to stroke my chin thoughtfully.
Whatever this small girl had misunderstood, it seemed our first meeting was decidedly unconventional.
One shouldn’t make such sweeping promises to just anyone.
Especially not during a first encounter—she clearly didn’t understand that caution was necessary.
“Well then… shall I give my first command?”
Watching Nix’s youthful face, where barely concealed tension flickered across her features, I smiled again with that sinister expression that had so often made Max recoil in horror.

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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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