Juno glanced at Peter. He was looking at the dolls he made over the past two years. I’m sure what he said yesterday was a lie. No, what he said two years ago was a lie.
Yesterday evening, they were working in the workshop as usual.
After they had dinner, Peter said, “I will die tomorrow.”
Unable to sleep properly because of his statement, she entered the workshop with a tired expression. She kept glancing at him to try and understand the meaning behind his words, but he was fine. It’s a lie.
If he was going to die today, he wouldn’t be doing research like that.
“Juno.”
She almost jumped from her seat. “Yes?”
“Come here.”
“All right.”
As Juno approached him, Peter showed her some doll parts. “Look at this.”
Juno stared at the object in his hands. “…It’s a brain, isn’t it?”
“Correct.”
“It’s quite big compared to a typical doll’s brain. Overall, I mean.”
The brain wasn’t the only doll part that was large. It was understandable that the doll’s head was big to accommodate the brain, but the body seemed to be 1.5 times larger than an ordinary human body.
“A bigger brain requires a bigger body.”
“Why?” Juno recalled the dolls that moved around the mansion.
“I have a keen eye for beauty.”
John and Hebe were evidence of that, but it was hard to say if Peter was pursuing a universal kind of beauty considering some of the other dolls.
“Yes, of course.” In any case, the brain in Peter’s hands was well-crafted. You mentioned you’ve been working on it before I arrived.
It wasn’t surprising that the quality was good. Staring at the doll parts, Juno shook her head. This wasn’t the time to be amazed by dolls.
“Teacher, you were lying about what you said yesterday, right?” She was irritated by Peter’s calmness. “You said you were going to die today!”
“I wasn’t lying.”
“But what you’re doing right now…”
Peter turned his head to look Juno in the eye. He put down the object in his hand. “You’re an alchemist now.”
“What?”
He handed her a ring.
“Take it. It’s a key only the family head, the alchemist, can have.”
It was a leather ring. What kind of key was this? Juno examined it in her hand. “What is it for?”
“John will tell you.” Peter turned around. “Now, get out of here.”
“Why?”
“I need some time alone. Go to your room. You’ve been working without a day off, so it’s fine to relax today.”
The door to the workshop opened, and John walked in.
He bowed before Peter. “Did you call for me?”
“Yes. John, escort her out.”
“Understood.”
“Wait, no, John!”
Peter didn’t look back as John dragged Juno out of the workshop.
“Let’s go, my lady.”
“Teacher!”
Juno was led to her room. “Is he really going to die today?”
“Master does not lie.”
“That’s not the point!” Peter said he was going to die, but how could he accept it so easily?
John pushed Juno into her room. “You should rest as Master said. I’ll tell Hebe to keep you company.”
“John!”
Bang! The door closed. Juno tried to turn the doorknob, but it didn’t budge. Am I trapped? Ridiculous. “What is happening?”
She laughed bitterly. Juno meant nothing to Peter. Why else would he…
“My lady!”
Juno stared at the open door. It was Hebe. After he ran into her room, the door closed. Juno tried to open it again, but the door was locked. “What is my teacher doing?”
“I don’t know. He’s with John.”
John was with Peter, and Hebe was with her. No matter how close she was to Hebe, Hebe probably wanted to be with Peter at this moment.
“…Can you stay with me?” Juno asked.
Hebe smiled and held her hand. “I prefer you over Master, so I’ll stay with you.”
She was grateful. It meant their time together wasn’t meaningless. “…Is he really going to die?”
“I guess so.”
Juno didn’t understand. It was impossible today was the deadline. Is he going to die in a day? Aside from a few hours after dinner, she spent most of her waking hours with him. She never felt he was sick. “Do you know why?”
“He’s getting old. Simple as that.”
Nereus came to mind, and he suddenly passed away one day. Now that I think about it, you’re the same age as him. An old man who could die at any time.
Hebe touched Juno’s cheek. “My lady, are you crying?”
She held his small hand and wept. “…I’m a fool.”
Juno knew Peter was going to die, and they had to part ways soon; however, she grew attached to him. “Why were you pretending to be aloof? I know you cared about me.” She appreciated Peter’s guidance over the past two years.
Hebe patted Juno’s back. “It’s sad.”
“…It is.”
What was sadder than his death was the weight of this feeling. “What’s worse is that I’m not the last person he wants to be with.”
Hebe furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn’t cry because he was a doll, but his expression showed his own sadness. “I’m sad too.”
“Hebe.”
“And if you keep crying, I’ll only get sadder.”
“Come here.” Juno hugged Hebe. He really felt like a human. The warmth in her arms was real.
“My lady.”
“Yes?”
“You’ll be with us for a long, long time, right?”
She swept some of Hebe’s hair to the side. “Of course.”
“That’s enough for me. All I need is my lady.”
By the time Juno and Hebe calmed down, John appeared. “My lady, Master has asked for you.”
Looking at the sunset, Juno said, “…All right.”
“You as well, Hebe.”
“Okay.”
They arrived at Peter’s room. John opened the door, and Juno slowly walked in. The room looked no different than hers. Peter had his back to her.
“This is the first time I’ve been here,” she said.
“Because there was no reason to be here.”
Juno approached him and followed his gaze. There was a large portrait on the wall. The man and young woman looked like John, the only differences being their eyes and hair color. That man was probably his mentor. But she never had seen the woman before.
“Me and my younger sister. With the end approaching, I couldn’t help but remember her.” Looking back at Juno, Peter continued, “You worked hard for two years.”
“Is this really goodbye?”
Peter clicked his tongue. “You idiot, I told you not to get too attached.”
Her eyes were swollen from crying. Juno smiled. “Is that for you to decide?” Hebe, whom she grew fond of since the beginning, and John, who she was awkward with at first, were people she could talk comfortably with. Even Peter, pretending to be ill-tempered, cared about her. It was hard not to get attached.
“Yes, since I was the one who said so.” That was true, but now he was talking to her. This really was the last time she would see him.
“Teacher, you’ve grown fond of me, right?” She grabbed his hand.
“Yes.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
“It’s going to be difficult. However, you’ll be fine,” Peter said.
“Thank you.”
With a firm gaze, he looked at Juno. “Don’t lose to anyone.”
“I know.”
“This mansion belongs to you now. I’ll give you everything I’ve obtained as an alchemist.”
Juno hesitated for a moment, but she wanted to hear the truth. “…Was this something that person asked you to do?”
Peter, for the first time, smiled gently. “No, it’s because I accept you as part of my family.”
“…Me too.” Tears welled up in her eyes again.
“Not as a wife, but as a family member.”
“Yes.” Although they met through marriage, the two were teacher and student. They were family.
“I enjoyed these last few years. Hebe.”
Hebe grabbed Peter’s other hand. “I’m here.”
“It’s all right. Everyone dies.”
“I understand.”
After Peter patted Hebe on the head, he tapped John on the shoulder. “John, it’s time. End it.”
“All right. Everyone else, please leave now.”
Juno kissed the old man on the cheek and exited the room.
That night, Peter Sergien died.
