Chapter 201: The Doll of Red Castle


    That day, the girl went to the department store holding her mother''s hand. For a girl who always seemed to be cooped up and encountered scary-looking men, going downtown was an immensely joyful asion.


    Dressed in a polka-dot dress her father bought her for her birthdayst year and white shoes, the girl, looking like a doll with her tinum blonde hair, wandered around the department store with excitement. She wasn''t interested in the cosmetics corner on the first floor, but while her mother was buying something necessary, a loud noise caught the girl''s ear.


    Startled, the girl turned her head to see a ck Cadic Escde crashing through the ss front door of the department store.


    The ss shattered, and the men around her mother drew guns from their coats. The men surrounding her mother fell helplessly as they were hit by a hail of bullets from the machine gun pouring out of the car''s open window.


    The remaining men, shocked, dragged her fallen mother behind the wall of the cosmetics corner to take cover. Countless innocent shoppers fell, bleeding from the bullets raining down from the car.


    After a moment, as the car continued to spit out bullets, the gunfire stopped. Men with menacing looks stepped over the broken ss window and entered.


    The men trying to protect the mother to the end fired their handguns, but they were outnumbered. Approaching while firing their machine guns, the men managed to shoot one of the protectors in the forehead even as he tried to shield the mother, spilling blood.


    The terrified mother, after locking eyes with the daughter hiding in another section, stopped screaming. The mother, seeing her daughter, gave a sad smile just before a bullet fired from the scary man''s gun burst in mes towards her.


    The men coldlyughed as they looked down on the mother bleeding out without even closing her eyes. Even in death, the mother did not take her eyes off her daughter, just smiling at her as if to be remembered with a smiling face in herst moment.The girl left alone was engulfed in the deep darkness of the abyss. She looked around with a frightened expression, but the space filled with darkness offered no helping hand.


    Scared, the girl ran forward mindlessly. She fell to the ground, tearing her pretty dress and wounding her legs, but she couldn''t stop running. She felt as if the scary men who killed her mother would kill her the moment she looked back.


    The girl''s face was covered in sweat as she ran through the endless dark space. Her fine tinum blonde bangs stuck to her forehead, and herrge tear-stained eyes looked pitiful.


    In the distance, a light appeared in the girl''srge eyes. Seeing the light, the girl poured all her strength into running even faster towards it.


    As the light got closer and its shape became clearer, the girl''s eyes widened.


    The light was shining from behind a man. Only the silhouette of the man was visible due to the light. He was tall, though shorter than fathers or uncles, but still a considerablyrge man. The girl felt that she must go to him to live.


    Her legs trembled, but she ran as hard as she could until the man''s face appeared in front of her.


    A beautiful man with a pale face, jet-ck hair, deep eyes, thick eyebrows, and lips that seemed about to bleed looked at her with a soft smile and reached out his hand. The girl leapt and grabbed the man''s hand.


    With a start, Kiska woke up from her bed as if sprung from it. She gasped for breath as if she couldn''t believe it was just a dream and clutched her left chest with her hand, worriedly looked upon by her governess.


    "Miss Kiska. Did you have a nightmare again?"


    Kiska, propping herself up in bed, gasped for air. The governess, looking at her with pity, approached and touched Kiska''s shoulder.


    "Ah, my poordy. How do you live having such nightmares every day?"


    The governess said as she peeled the sweaty hair from her forehead.


    "It''s just a dream, miss. It''s all over now. So, don''t worry."


    The governess, still patting the unsettled Kiska''s back, teared up.


    "Poor child. It''s been four years of having nightmares every morning."


    Knock, knock.


    Hearing a knock from outside, the governess went to the door and opened it. A short blond, burly man peeked inside the door.


    "Is the youngdy awake?"


    After ncing at Kiska, the governess nodded slightly, and the man said,


    "The boss is calling for her. Bring her to the study when she''s ready."


    After the governess nodded and closed the door, she turned to Kiska and said,


    "Your father is looking for you. Please wash up and change your clothes."


    Kiska sighed heavily and got out of bed. The girl, still in her cute pajamas, looked indifferently at the governess while fiddling with her pajama top.


    "Ah, must be ufortable with all the sweat, right? I''ll bring you fresh clothes, so please go shower first."


    The governess watched as the girl looked down at her pajamas for a moment before heading into the shower room, then shook her head.


    "It would''ve been less pitiful if she had cried after such a terrifying dream... What to do about such sorrow..."


    ---


    "Her name is Kiska, right? She''s ten years old?"


    "Yes, that''s right. A daughter we had in ourter years, so she''s very precious to us."


    Geon was having tea with Gregory, inquiring about Kiska.


    "She cried after watching amercial? Was there ever such a reaction before?"


    Gregory exhaled smoke from his cigar, shaking his head.


    "Nothing of the sort. She''s still young and hasn''t been exposed to much media. Even when she watched emotional movies before, she just sat there like a expressionless doll. I was quite surprised to see her tears after watching your video. Just in case, I showed it to her again the next day, and she was glued to it once more. Didn''t cry, but still."


    "Hmm, I see."


    "It''s curious, and I''m d to see a change in her emotions, so I left the tablet PC ying the video with only the music audible. She''s always acted as if she hears nothing, regardless of the music. That''s why I asked Daniel for help."


    "Yes, I''ve heard a bit about that from Mr. Daniel. Did her mother ever expose her to music before she passed? If you remember anything that could be a hint, please let me know anytime."


    Gregory closed his eyes as if trying to recall but soon shook his head.


    "My wife loved painting in her lifetime. The paintings and sculptures disyed on the first floor were all collected by her. I''m not much into that kind of stuff. I wouldn''t know about guns, but music wasn''t her thing, not the type to seek it out and listen. Even the grand piano in the annex was bought more for its looks."


    Knock, knock.


    Hearing a knock from outside, Gregory quickly snuffed out his cigar in the ashtray, waved his hand to clear the smoke, and then spoke in a dignified voice,


    "Come in."


    A short blond-haired man opened the door slightly, not looking inside as he spoke,


    "Boss, I''ve brought the youngdy."


    "Come in."


    As the door opened further, a beautiful doll-like girl with tinum blonde hair down to her waist appeared. Withrge eyes and pale skin, she looked like a doll that could not be found anywhere else in the world.


    Gregory, with a full smile, approached the girl and opened his arms to hug her.


    "Our Kiska, did you sleep well?"


    Though Gregory hugged her warmly, the girl''s expression remained unchanged. Gregory, familiar with Kiska''sck of response, simply smiled and held his daughter''s hand as he approached Geon.


    Geon had been waiting on the couch and stood up as Gregory approached with Kiska. Seeing the incredibly cute girl, Geon smiled warmly.


    Kiska knew her father was hugging her since morning, a routine event, so she showed no reaction.


    Her father led her by the hand to the couch as usual. That''s when she noticed someone rising from the couch. Slightly wary of the new man, her gaze met his.


    A pale face.


    Jet-ck hair.


    Bright red lips.


    Thick eyebrows and a prominent nose.


    A shining smile.


    It was the man who appeared at the end of her dreams every night, extending his hand to her in the light. Kiska forcefully shook off her father''s hand. Gregory looked down at her, surprised by her reaction. The girl clenched her small fists and ran into Geon''s arms.


    "What?"


    Geon looked confused, peering down at the girl who had clung to his leg and hugged him. Surprised, Gregory looked at Geon, unable to close his mouth in shock.


    Geon looked back at the girl and then sought Gregory''s permission with his eyes. Gregory,ing to his senses, nodded, and Geon picked up the girl by her armpits and hugged her.


    The girl clung to Geon''s neck, not letting go. Watching the girl hug Geon as if she had found a long-lost owner, Gregory met Geon''s eyes and chuckled.


    "This has a bigger effect than I thought. Even my own daughter doesn''t hug me like this."


    Geon patted the girl''s back and said,


    "She seems like a very affectionate child. Is she sick?"


    "Ha, you''d think. I''m also baffled. Sit down, it must be tiring standing."


    Geon sat on the couch with Kiska in his arms, and Gregory, fascinated by the unfamiliar sight of his daughter, stood there watching his daughter''s back for a while before speaking.


    "Daniel mentioned you haven''t found a ce to live yet, right? Would you consider staying at my ce until you find one?"


    Geon looked around, a bit surprised by the offer.


    "Here? You mean, to live?"


    Gregory slightly shook his head and exined,


    "More precisely, in my guesthouse. This ce might be a bit ufortable for you. I heard you''ve been looking for a secure home since there''s been a dy due to the search for a ce with proper security."


    "Yes, that''s right. Ever since that stalking incident, I''ve been a bit more concerned about security."


    Gregory pointed to the windows barricaded with iron bars and bulletproof ss,ughing.


    "Is there another house in America with security as tight as mine?"


    Geon looked outside at the sight Gregory was pointing at: men in ck suits carrying machine guns and patrolling the perimeter. Geon chuckled.


    "Ha... Well, that''s true..."


    Gregory, holding onto Geon''s shoulder with a firm grip, said,


    "I ask you. I won''t hold you here after you find a ce. But until then, could you stay at my ce?"


    Geon, observing the surroundings once again, smiled and nodded,


    "It seems like a good offer. Thank you, I appreciate it."


    >


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