Hiiro (1)
Even while in the office, I couldn’t help but be curious about the Combat Doll. Since moving around would be too much of a hassle, I had a sofa brought into the Combat Doll’s room. By reading the documents here, I can also check on him at any time, killing two birds with one stone. I don’t know when he will wake up again. He might sleep for a day or two.
Sometimes, he mutters something. Things like: ah, right there, or it hurts, and yep. He sleep-talks a lot.
“How did things turn out like this?”
Hitachimaru looked through the documents as he complained to himself.
“I didn’t say you had to keep me company. You can just go back to the office.”
“You want me to leave a prince alone with a Combat Doll that could wake up at any moment and move around? What am I to you?”
“A friend.”
Hitachimaru turned towards me with a foolish look on his face, which was quite amusing.
When I grinned at him, he sighed.
“You seem to be in a good mood lately.”
“Yeah.”
“Is it because of this?”
Hitachimaru looked at the Combat Doll with a displeased expression.
“Isn’t he cute?”
“No, not at all.”
“Is that so?”
He seemed to be in pain as he gasped, but it was strange to see him smiling faintly. Even though he mumbles about pain in his sleep, he seems to be sleeping happily.
When I fed him porridge when he woke up, he devoured it with a face that said it was incredibly delicious. Well, it was just porridge. It had a very light salty taste, and rice doesn’t have much flavor to begin with. Well, if you haven’t eaten for about a week, anything probably tastes good.
Come to think of it, he had a nasty injury to his side, was it a good idea to feed him? If his internal organs were damaged, it might come out right back…
I decided to bring my desk into this room and make it my office. It served as a lookout, killing two birds with one stone. Hitachimaru was working quietly next to me.
When he woke up, and I called out to him, he nodded. He can sit without my support now. He seems to enjoy the porridge. When I pet his head, he squints his eyes, looking content. What a cutie.
“What’s your name?”
When I unconsciously asked this, he closed his mouth. Oh, was he remaining silent? Pretending he can’t speak?
“How old are you?”
His right eye blinked. Well, he probably doesn’t know himself. He looks around fourteen or fifteen.
Hitachimaru came over to us.
“Pretending you can’t speak, huh? I know you can talk. You even said the water was delicious before. You talk in your sleep, too.”
Did he look down because he felt embarrassed by his sleep talking? So cute.
“Tell me when you feel like it. I’m Hiiro, 22 years old.”
“Hiiro.”
I heard a tiny voice. It seems he muttered unintentionally. Delighted, I was about to pat his head again, but Hitachimaru sat heavily on the sofa.
He was just sitting there, ignoring my various questions with an innocent expression. Hitachimaru probably doesn’t expect him to speak anytime soon. However, when Hitachimaru took out a candy from his pocket and stuffed it into the Combat Doll’s mouth, he easily accepted the enemy’s food. He could die if it was poisoned.
He had a surprised expression, rolling the candy in his mouth. He seemed unfamiliar with ways of eating it, and saliva was overflowing from his mouth. When Hitachimaru told him to swallow, he bobbed his head up and down.
No, not like that.
He’s so cute.
As if giving up, Hitachimaru wiped his face with a wet towel. He seemed reluctant and shook his head, trying to lick his mouth with his tongue, making it even stickier.
I chuckled as I watched, and I heard a quiet voice.
“Thirteen.”
Huh? I peered into her face, but he turned his face away with a puff. When I looked at Hitachimaru, he said,
“It’s probably his name.”
I was surprised that he had been lured with candy.