VI

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Arc VI Chapter 3

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26th Ignis Solar 753 AAC

“...” Little Aurora crossed her tiny armsies, pouting in patent and open protest.

Aurora merely smiled, her fingers tickling her cute doll, poking her cheeks in the hope she might elicit a reaction. “Come on~. Tickle~. Tickle~. Tickle~. No need to be so shy, Dolly. I know that you are there~. I know that you are listening.”

Little Aurora remained stubborn, though, obstinate, and uncooperative, rejecting her advances with resolute determination. “Hmpf ...” A sole ‘hmpf’ was her answer.

Aurora sighed in exasperation. It was of no use, but her arsenal was not yet exhausted. It was time to deploy her ultimate weapon, her puppy eyes. “Dolly, what's the mwatter? Why are you ignoring mwe~? That's not fwair~. Aren't we best fwiends?” Her large, amethyst eyes sparkled with the docility of a sad kitten. Little Aurora never stood a chance. Her resistance was melting. She knew her. She knew her soft heart.

“...” Little Aurora averted her eyes.

“...” Her kitten eyes intensified.

“...” Little Aurora tried her best, but it was all in vain. A sigh escaped her lips. “You know why. Hmpf.” The girl crossed her armsies. It was apparent that she was still somewhat upset.

Aurora smiled innocently. “Why? Elaborate.”

Little Aurora turned her head. “Why do you ask? I am merely doing what you told me to do!” The girl stamped her footsie, huffing “There you have it! Stop moving, you said! Behave like a doll, you said! That's what I am doing! I don't move. I don't speak. I behave as a true doll would. That's what you wanted from me! Hmpf!”

“Ah, I see.” Aurora chuckled, a smile on her lips and her voice lowered. Her anger ... was understandable. At least, partially. “Well, my apologies, Your Ladyship, I understand your discontent. I understand that it is hardly pleasant having to remain stationary. I understand that it is hardly a pleasant task to pretend to be a doll. Nevertheless, it was necessary to remind you of your duties, considering that we were nearly found out. You almost got us caught through negligence on your part, and it took some effort to dispel Iris' suspicions. After all, I would have quite a lot to explain if it turned out that I have a living, talking, magic doll with the soul of a noble girl right in my arms. You see, I would strongly prefer that not to be the case.”

“... ... ... Well, ... I guess, you have a point ...” Little Aurora conceded with a mighty frownsie on her face. “Still, not moving at all ... Staying quiet all the time ... It's straining! It's terrible! I feel as if I am going insane!”

Aurora nodded, signalling her understanding. “I know, I know, I know. You don't need to tell me. I am keenly aware of your situation, but we have no other choice. We need to maintain our façade, at least for the time being.”

“...” Little Aurora grumbled, but she yielded in front of her rationale with a heavy sigh. “I understand ...”

Aurora smiled, greatly satisfied with the outcome of their negotiations. “I am glad to hear that. Just promise to give me your best, and everything will be fine. You can always move a little bit here, a little there when nobody is watching. Trust me, we will get through it. Somehow.”

“...” Little Aurora stared at her with a certain degree of doubt, but her decision stood. “I will try to.”

“Good girl~.” Aurora petted her doll, gently caressing her hair. “That's all I wanted to hear, and more.”

“...” Little Aurora seemed less than happy, returning to her previous doll like state, which should hardly surprise her, considering that her loyal companion was indeed a doll.

“Ah, yes!” Aurora raised her index finger. “Now, before I forget to mention it ... There is something important! Something immensely important! You know, we can talk freely. ”

Little Aurora furrowed an eyebrow, her confusion tangible. “What?”

Aurora folded her hands. “You see, as a matter of fact, nobody can hear you. Except for me. I can hear you, and you can hear me. Anyone else, however, can only hear me, but not you. ”

“...” Little Aurora blinked.

“So considering that nobody can hear you, that means we don't need to worry about eavesdropping, which means that we don't need to worry about being found out, which means that you don't need to play the silent doll, which ergo means that you can talk to me as much as you would like~.”

“...” Little Aurora was still blinking, still confused. “I do not wish to disagree, but are you really sure?”

Aurora nodded. “Quite so. In fact, if you wish, we can easily put my theory to test. I will hold you up, and then you will shout at the top of your lungs. If nobody reacts, we know that I am right. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?”

“...” Little Aurora was less than impressed by her proposal. “I would rather not ...”

“Oh, come on~.” Aurora tickled her doll. “There is no need to be shy. You can trust me about this. I assure you, nobody will hear you. To the world, we will just be a normal doll and a little girl of questionable sanity with the uncanny habit of talking way too often to her cute doll. Not that they think otherwise already. Anyway, how does that sound to you?”

“...” Little Aurora chose to ignore the latter half of her comment. “Still, how are you so certain?”

“How not? Considering that you have no vocal cords, you cannot produce audible sounds. You are merely a doll. So, it is obvious that your voice can't travel by physical means, which means that your voice must be incorporeal. As it happens, our souls are closely connected, and it is far from uncommon for familiars to communicate through telepathy. This would explain a lot.”

Little Aurora pondered, tapped her lips with her tiny porcelain fingers.“Well, that is certainly a possibility. But can familiars not typically speak with other people as well?”

“Yes. But these familiars are usually far older, far wiser, far stronger, and not a freshly awakened doll with a fragile consciousness, a faint presence, and an unstable mana core that I had to feed just this morning with some of my mana to keep you from falling back into a state of dormancy”, Aurora pointed out.

“I guess, ... you might have a point there ...” little Aurora grudgingly conceded.

Aurora scoffed. “Yes, quite possibly.”

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