Episode 39

The passage beyond the gap led downwards, revealing a staircase.

‘I can’t see the end…’

Moreover, the steps were incredibly high.

‘Can I even make it down with this body?’

I sighed deeply, looking at my short, stubby legs.

“Let’s go.”

Suddenly, the Duke squeezed through the narrow gap.

Watching his back as he confidently descended the stairs, I steeled myself.

‘Alright. Let’s do this!’

Cautiously, I placed my hands on the wall and slowly lowered one foot.

But then, after descending a few more steps, the Duke abruptly turned around.

“Ah.”

Seeing me awkwardly clinging to the wall, he let out a short sigh and extended his hand.

His large hand, rough and calloused in places, made me widen my eyes.

‘…Is he asking me to take his hand?’

It seemed he intended to escort me.

‘As expected, our kind and handsome Duke.’

I extended my tiny hand, which was less than a quarter the size of his.

But just before I could grasp it, the Duke suddenly pulled his hand back.

“No, Belze.”

“Uh…?”

“In situations like this, you should ask to be carried.”

He spoke in a gentle, instructive tone.

“How do you expect to get down all these steps with those tiny legs?”

Feeling foolish, I blinked at him, my face flushing with embarrassment at his last words.

‘He’s right, but…!’

Honestly, I wasn’t confident I could make it down all those steps either.

‘But to ask to be carried… by the Duke himself?!’

The Duke, noticing my hesitation, urged me again.

“Come on. Do you plan to stand there all night?”

“N-no! It’s just…”

I had no choice.

I finally closed my eyes tightly and forced myself to speak.

“C-could you lend me your arms…?”

“Of course, my lady.”

With an overly formal response, the Duke extended his hand and lifted me up.

“Wah.”

Just like yesterday, he easily supported me with one arm and began descending the stairs swiftly. He showed no signs of difficulty.

However, the undeniable baby treatment was overwhelmingly embarrassing.

‘…So embarrassing.’

With our proximity much closer now, I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye, so I bowed my head deeply. That’s when I noticed something strange.

It was the Duke’s lips, curved into a pronounced smile.

‘…He’s smiling again.’

I was a bit stunned to see his smile once more. Earlier, I thought I had imagined it out of surprise.

But this time, it was real.

‘So, he can smile like this.’

It felt odd.

To me, the Duke had always been stern and intimidating—a distant grand noble with blue blood running through his veins.

Just then, the Duke’s murmuring pulled me from my thoughts.

“We’ve arrived.”

I looked around, but the pitch-black darkness swallowed everything. I couldn’t see an inch ahead of me.

A sudden fear gripped me. Bad memories began to surface.

Unconsciously, I clung tightly to the Duke’s neck.

“Y-your Grace.”

“Hmm?”

“This… it’s not… a prison, is it?”

Logically, he wouldn’t bring a prisoner here in such a gentle manner.

Nevertheless, my body trembled uncontrollably. It wasn’t something I could control.

Dark, enclosed spaces naturally brought back memories of the repentance room or the imperial prison.

“Hmph. A prison inside the office… quite creative.”

The Duke replied calmly.

Then, with a click, something shifted.

Suddenly, the space filled with light.

Click, click, click!

It seemed like some mechanism activated, as a series of soft blue lights illuminated the area.

I gaped at the sight that was revealed.

“This… this place is…”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a prison.

Instead, it was a room the size of the office, filled with neatly arranged glass cases.

And all the strange items contained within.

In a word, the small exhibition-like appearance was enough to bewilder me.

“Y-your Grace… where are we?”

“This is a secret room that only the head of the Kallios family can enter.”

“Secret room…?”

The Duke’s casual answer made my mind reel.

‘Why would he bring me… to such a place…?’

I had never seen such a place in my past life, nor in the original story.

From bizarre stuffed animals to unfamiliar weapons, maps, and parchments inscribed with spells…

The space, filled with obviously extraordinary items, looked like a small museum.

As I was looking around in a daze, the Duke suddenly asked,

“You know that Kallios participated in the religious war that took place several hundred years ago, right?”

“Yes!”

I nodded confidently.

It wasn’t just a simple participation.

Kallios was the leading force that suppressed heretics, unified the continent, and established Elea as a single religious state.

“These are the spoils obtained during that time. While there are holy relics, there are quite a few items belonging to the heretics as well.”

Even after descending the stairs, the Duke did not put me down.

Because he continued walking, I missed my chance to speak.

Held in the Duke’s tall embrace, I was able to observe the displayed items more closely.

‘Wow. These are really things you’d only see in sacred texts.’

Among the strange items, I saw objects that radiated a strong holy power, confirming the truth of his words.

“That’s… Arukkia’s Arrow?!”

“It seems you’ve studied the scriptures quite diligently. It is said that the first Saintess used that to defeat the demons summoned by the witches.”

Whenever I recognized a holy relic, the Duke kindly added an explanation.

‘Is it really okay for him to show me these things?’

As the Duke moved further inside, my heart pounded harder.

I was a bit scared.

‘No way. He wouldn’t kill me because I found out about the secret space, right?!’

As I anxiously gazed at the holy relics and the heretical items…

The Duke, who had walked deep inside, finally stopped in front of a glass case.

Inside it was none other than…

“A teddy bear…?”

It was a dirty, worn-out, cute, and insignificant-looking teddy bear.

‘Did heretics use such things too…?’

As I tilted my head in confusion.

Click.

Suddenly, the Duke opened the glass case.

He took out the teddy bear with one hand and handed it to me.

“Say hello, Belze. From now on, this will be your guardian.”

“G-Guardian?!”

“Yes.”

I stared at the bear with a baffled expression.

The teddy bear, which was about the size of my torso, looked extremely ordinary.

I carefully reached out and touched it here and there, but there didn’t seem to be any special devices.

‘It’s fluffy and cute, but…’

How could such a shabby bundle of cotton serve as a guardian?

I tilted my head while squishing its particularly soft belly.

Fortunately, the Duke explained.

“This was made by a minority group who believe that spirits dwell within dolls.”

“Spirits?”

“Yes. Place your hand on the doll’s chest.”

I did as he instructed and placed my hand on the bear’s chest.

Despite feeling scared and doubtful, I was curious about how a bundle of cotton could act as a guardian.

The soft fur tickled between my fingers.

“Can you infuse this doll with holy power like you do when healing Josh?”

The Duke suddenly asked.

“Yes!”

Since it was an easy task, I quickly gathered holy power in one hand.

With a flash―!

As a small ball of light formed in my palm, I pressed that hand against the bear’s chest again.

Srrrk.

Amazingly, the doll absorbed the holy power as if it were a living organism.

Thump!

At that moment, the teddy bear’s body pulsed as if it were breathing.

The Duke, with a serious face, confirmed my suspicion.

“Try to maintain the current level of holy power.”

Since it wasn’t difficult, I nodded vigorously.

“Yes! Belze can do it!”

“Then repeat after me.”

“Maintain the current level of holy powe…!”

“No, I meant repeat after what I’m about to say.”

The Duke looked at me incredulously.

‘Oops! I got too ahead of myself!’

I had been so tense that I didn’t even give the Duke a chance to speak.

Seeing my face flush red, the Duke chuckled.

“Now, repeat after me. From today onwards, I am your master, Belze.”

“…From today onwards, I am your master, Belze!”

“I command you to protect me from all evil enemies.”

“I command you to protect me from all evil enemies!”

Whoosh―!

At that moment.

A strong light burst forth from where the bear and my palm touched.

“The contract is complete.”

The Duke smiled with satisfaction.

“Now, give this doll a name.”

“A name…”

I pondered for a moment after hearing his words.

However, no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t come up with a suitable name.

I was clearly not good at naming things.

“Ummm… naaaame…!”

“Anything will do. Just something easy and comfortable for you to call.”

Seeing me frown in thought, the Duke added.

“At this rate, you’ll be pouring holy power into it all night.”

“I’ve got it!”

I hurriedly responded.

“Your name is…”

“…”

“Teddy… Teddy bear!”

Whoosh―!

As soon as I shouted the cheesy name, the light from the bear stopped.

There was a brief moment of silence.

In that instant, I had the illusion that the black eyes of the bear glowed.

Whoosh―!

Suddenly, the teddy bear, which had been in the Duke’s hand, sprang into the air.

Tap, tap! Tap-tap!

Unbelievably, the bear stepped on the walls and pillars, sweeping across the ceiling like an assassin.

Then, after somersaulting through the air, it landed on the floor with a thud!

“Hello, friends! My name is Teddy… Teddy bear! Belze’s assassin!”

It greeted us cheerfully.

Tl/N: So guys the thing is she named the teddy **”Gomgomdori”**

**”Gomgomdori”** is also a playful name with a less silly but still endearing tone Here’s a breakdown of the name:

– **”Gom” (곰)**: Means “bear” in Korean.
– **”Dori” (도리)**: This is a common suffix used in Korean names for animals or mascots, adding a cute and friendly touch.

So, “Gomgomdori” essentially translates to “Bear Bear Dori” or “Bear Dori,” where “Dori” gives it a cute and familiar ring. The repetition of “Gom” (bear) emphasizes the bear-like nature of the toy, making it sound affectionate and charming, fitting for a beloved stuffed animal.
TL/N: I skipped Dori cuz it would look weird. I named him Teddy- teddy bear. I hope you guys will understand it.