My Mother's Shocked Discovery of the Black Box and the Giant Pajama Full of My Lost Baby Teeth
Click.
My hand, still gripping the doorknob, trembled uncontrollably.
I swallowed hard, carefully glancing back at the woman standing behind me, watching my every move.
Blanc's mother, the other divine beast.
Her icy gaze pierced straight through my body, as if it could tear me apart.
‘… Oh goddess, why must you test me like this…’
“What are you hesitating for? I’ll leave once I’ve seen what you’ve been hiding.”
“Y-yes…”
There was no one I could stall. I had no choice but to nod obediently.
I didn’t want to open this room at all…
Creak.
With a heavy groan of friction, the door I had locked so tightly finally swung open.
The moment it opened, Blanc’s mother’s eyes widened in shock as she scanned the room.
She froze in place, staring blankly around the space.
“T-this… Did you make all of this?”
A trembling voice slipped from her lips, disbelief clear in every syllable.
The room was overflowing with dolls of every size, each and every one of them an exact replica of Blanc.
They filled the display cases and the bed in every corner.
Like a woman in a trance, she slowly stepped inside, gently lifting the nearest doll and holding it to her chest.
“This fur… feels exactly like my child’s.”
Her brows furrowed as she glared at Lina.
“All of these are my son’s fur…”
“Y-yes…”
Lina answered in a voice barely louder than a whisper, unable to lift her face as if she had committed a crime.
Lina’s cheeks burned bright red with shame and embarrassment.
“Blanc-nim… every time he brushes his hair, the strands that fall out, and every tuft that comes out when he sheds… I simply couldn’t bear to throw any of them away.”
Lina fidgeted with her hands, head bowed low, her eyes fixed on the tips of her own shoes.
“… I see. Enough to shock me. Keep your mouth shut.”
Blanc’s mother let out a soft laugh at the familiar weight she felt in the doll she held.
“And what is this weight?”
She squeezed the belly of the doll, clearly disbelieving.
“… You even matched the weight perfectly.”
“Y-yes…”
She pressed her forehead, letting out a deep sigh.
Part of me wanted to kill this ridiculous woman right now, but sadly, she was the one who had captured my child’s attention.
I couldn’t kill her. And I couldn’t let her stay.
“Hah…”
Her eyes, sharp with killing intent, lingered on Lina.
Complex emotions swirled in her gaze.
“Very well. If my child is that adorable, then of course you would do something like this.”
Maintaining her fragile sanity, she slowly nodded.
“I’ll overlook the dolls… out of love for my child.”
Her eyes drifted to the giant wooden box sitting alone in the center of the room, surrounded by countless dolls.
A massive chest secured with heavy steel locks.
Her voice grew even colder.
“The dolls… I’ll forgive. However…”
Her slender fingers pointed straight at the box in the middle of the room.
“Whether the thing inside is… will determine whether you live or die.”
“Y-yes…”
“Open it now.”
At her firm command, the blood drained from Lina’s face. She gritted her teeth.
“I-I can’t… that thing is…”
“Open it.”
“That—”
Before Lina could finish her excuse, she marched straight to the box, sniffing the air like a wolf.
“… This smell is definitely…”
Her brows creased deeply.
A scent far thicker and more intense than any doll could produce leaked from the box.
‘What on earth is inside this box…?’
Just as my father had kept it secret, my curiosity burned even hotter.
She reached out without mercy and tore the lock away with her bare hands.
Crack!
A metallic screech echoed as the lock crumpled and clattered to the floor.
Krreeeek.
Without a trace of hesitation, she wrenched the lid of the box open.
The moment she saw what lay inside, she froze in shock.
“W-what is this…?”
Her hands trembled as she carefully lifted the massive garment folded inside.
It was a full-body pajama designed for an adult woman, shaped exactly like a tiny Blanc.
The thick scent of Blanc’s fur, woven into the fabric, mixed with the unpleasant scent of Lina that clung between the strands.
“You truly have no regard for your own life, do you?”
The instant she noticed the little cap, her teeth ground together with a click.
“Now… you stuffed my child’s baby teeth into this…?”
Inside the pajama’s mouth area, the tiny, delicate baby teeth that Blanc had lost during shedding were embedded with perfect precision, just like real teeth.
“T-that was… I thought it was too precious and cute to discard, and I couldn’t bear to be away from Blanc-nim for even a moment, so I stopped…”
Lina felt her head spin as she confessed the truth to Blanc’s mother.
“… You aren’t even worth your life. What kind of thinking created something like this?”
I knew all too well why my father had said nothing and told me not to dig deeper.
If my child ever saw this… she might be devastated.
Perhaps her fragile little heart would break.
… To think the Saintess was so lacking in talent.
Lina crumpled to the floor, unable to breathe under the crushing pressure of the divine beast’s overwhelming killing intent.
She barely suppressed the rage rising inside her and hurled the pajama onto the nearby bed.
“Hm?”
She noticed something else still inside the now-empty box.
She picked it up with a dazed expression.
A long tail patterned exactly like Blanc’s fur.
The moment she saw the metal at the tip, her sanity snapped completely.
‘An actual human tail…?’
Thud!
Blanc’s mother could hold back no longer. She punched Lina straight in the stomach.
“Kyaaaah!”
Lina’s face twisted in agony from the blow, but the crushing weight of shame silenced her entirely.
“Kyaaang.”
Whoa, I missed it.
I tumbled across the wide desk in Kailian’s office, gnawing on my toys with my baby teeth.
The toys Rosalia made held up surprisingly well against my sharp little fangs.
“Having fun?”
Kailian, buried in paperwork, reached down and ruffled my head, laughing.
At first I was curious why anyone would make something like this, but… honestly, it’s pretty fun.
As I whined and played, Kailian reached for the toy, trying to grab it.
Where do you think you’re going?
I bit down on her finger in the split second she was distracted.
“Eek, that tickles, Blanc.”
Kailian’s finger twitched when my sharp tooth brushed it, and she laughed in delight.
She set the pen down on the desk, scooped me up with both hands, and pulled me tight against her chest.
“Our Blanc, you were bored playing alone? I’ll finish my work quickly and play with you.”
“Kyuu.”
Yeah, hurry up and finish already.
I was already bored playing by myself anyway.
Lumia was still napping, so I couldn’t wake her up to play.
I pulled my cheek away from Kailian’s finger, nuzzled my face against her cheek, and wiggled happily.
Kang!
“… Kyuu?”
What was that noise just now?
From somewhere in the building came a dull thud, as if the entire structure was shaking.
‘Is there construction going on?’
I tilted my head curiously and stared in the direction the sound had come from.
“What’s that noise?”
Kailian frowned and stood up slowly.
Bam!
At that moment, the door to the princess’s palace burst open and Mother rushed into the room.
“Aga…”
“Kyuu?”
Mom, why do you look like that?
I peeked my head out from Kailian’s arms and looked up at Mother.
Mother’s expression was off.
The gentle warmth she always had when holding me was gone. Her eyes were wide and shaking.
Just like someone who had seen something terrifying, Mother’s face had drained of color.
She snatched me from Kailian’s arms and held me tight against her chest.
“Kyuuu!”
I was suffocated, pressing my paws against Mother’s chest to breathe.
“Kyuuung!”
Mom, why are you doing this?!
“Aga, remember what Mother says.”
Mother’s voice came out heavier and more serious than I had ever heard.
“From now on… do not be alone with Saintess Lina for even one second. Do you understand?”
“Kyuu…?”
Mom, did you fight with Lina? Why are you like this?
I tilted my head, not understanding, but Mother only stared back at me.
‘What’s going on… what happened?’