The Doll Has a Name Chapter 10 - The Wild Doll

For a moment, even the subdued marquis and the screeching Herciana widened their eyes in unison, as if they had made a pact.

The noise abruptly died down.

 

Amid the silence, Kise alone wore a triumphant smile. It was exactly the scene she had envisioned, and that made it all the more satisfying.

 

Looking straight at the marquis, Kise smoothly laid out her words without hesitation, as effortlessly as pulling noodles from dough.

“It will be due to an individual’s arbitrary actions, completely unrelated to the family’s intentions, that the marriage falls through.”

 

“Arbitrary?”

 

“Yes. The family wished to comply with the royal request, but the individual refused and ran away. So now, we’re in a difficult position. With the bride gone, this marriage is impossible. Tough luck—maybe next time. That’s the stance you should take, step by step. Ah, of course, you’ll have to do this after I’ve thoroughly disappeared.”

 

“You?”

 

“You—?”

 

Shock, bewilderment, astonishment, horror, confusion.

 

Kise sat prettily, grinning cheerfully as she watched the flood of emotions spills from the marquis and Herciana’s gaping mouths.

 

Surprise, is it? Well, who else could it be? The wild doll retorted silently.

 

“I’m leaving.”

 

A baby doll, a wild puppet—Kise remained utterly untamed. She hadn’t created this crisis, but she was certainly the one exploiting it. 

 

Just as she had rehearsed, she delivered her lines flawlessly.

 

“If I disappear, everything will be resolved. Perez don’t know Hena’s real face, so if I vanish, they’ll believe our story that she ran away. Then Hena can stay here, live quietly, and when things calm down, find some manageable man to marry, hold a modest ceremony, and live happily ever after.”

 

With a bright smile, like a fairy waving a magic wand, she wrapped it all up neatly.

 

Running away.

 

Running away. Running away!

 

The doll’s independence had snapped.

 

🫧

 

Kise Ohara’s rational declaration of running away from home was born amidst such a whirlwind of shock.

The Marquis, faced with her coolly delivered ultimatum to leave, blinked his usually unshakable eyes dozens of times, while Herciana protested more fiercely and passionately than she had when the topic of her own marriage came up.

 

In particular, Herciana even threw herself on the ground, demanding to be stepped over—but at Kise’s curt retort, “Do you have a better idea?”—she drew her sword, swore to kill the prince, and stormed out, only to be caught by the knights and dragged back in front of the gates.

 

The only one who remained calm was Kise.

 

Amid the turbulent reactions of those around her, she meticulously planned and prepared everything necessary for the perfect escape.

The exact date, time, and location of her departure, her destination, means of transportation, the amount of spare money, various supplies, additional documents, potential contacts in case of emergencies, and even a Plan B in case she was tracked down.

 

After days of thorough preparation, she finally succeeded in securing the fastest available ship departing from here to the Rikent Republic.

This morning, she discreetly sent a servant to double-check the pre-booked ticket.

 

[Boarding Pass]

Destination – Obern, Kingdom of Haven → Mercà, Rikent Republic (No intermediate stops)
Date – 713.03.24
Departure Time – 5:30
Cabin No. – 16
Seat Class – 1A
Marée Société Shipping Co.

 

“Good. Current runaway success rate: 80%.”

Kise was quite satisfied with the progress.

Finally, D-Day had arrived. Exactly twelve hours remained. 

 

In twelve hours, she would leave this country. Her heart raced.

 

“But… can I even wake up in time?”

Worried about being followed, she had booked the earliest ship—which meant a dawn departure.

 

I had to leave the house before sunrise, but ever since I entered the marquis’s household, I had never once woken up this early. 

 

Life here had been nothing but a continuous stretch of laziness and idleness.

 

“Lily, could you—… Oh.”

 

Without thinking, Kise almost asked Lily to wake her up before catching herself—she was running away, after all. She quickly pulled her hand back.

 

Honestly, she had gotten too used to the convenient and luxurious life of a noble. She nearly made a mistake out of habit.

 

The fundamental rules of running away were: first, secrecy; second, secrecy; third, secrecy. The only ones who knew about Kise’s plan to run away were the marquis and Herciana. 

 

No one else in the mansion was aware of it.

 

Of course, the servants might have sensed something unusual—like the marquis, who was holed up even more than usual, or Herciana, who had locked herself in, crying buckets instead of doing her beloved physical training. 

 

But since those who served them kept their mouths shut, the servants didn’t say a word either.

 

That’s why I’m grateful. If they clung to me, I really wouldn’t be able to leave.

 

Kise was endlessly thankful for their consideration. 

 

As she had said many times before, the people in this house were unnecessarily kind and quick to cry over the smallest things.

 

If they all started bawling and clinging to her, she wouldn’t be able to take a single step forward.

 

From now on, she had to do everything herself.

 

Repeating those words in her mind, Kise took out the belongings she had hidden in the closet and did a final check. Her ID, tickets, emergency medical supplies, a short dagger and a revolver, a pouch of gold, three sets of clothes, including undergarments, writing tools, a travel guide—the most important item, marked with a star—a parasol, one expired Baby Doll contract, and one Baby Doll confidentiality agreement.

 

The luggage was minimal. Since I had entered with nothing, it only made sense to leave empty-handed. 

 

Too much baggage would only hinder movement.

 

Just in case, I tried on the blonde wig and floral dress I had prepared as a disguise, then picked up a travel book and leaned back against the headboard of the bed.

 

It was the very same book the wine merchant had gifted me. 

 

Even though I had already read it thoroughly several times, the excitement made me flip through it again.

 

“Setting out on a journey is often a starting point, but sometimes it can feel like the end of something. Traveling is like sweeping away the debris piled up in my heart.”

 

I found myself nodding at the author’s concise preface. Sweeping away the debris—tidying up.

 

Just as I was about to be sucked into the book—

 

Click—The doorknob turned weakly.

 

“Hena?”

 

Herciana, her eyes swollen from crying, appeared in the gap of the open door.

 

Worried whether she could even see properly with her eyes that puffy or if she might trip while walking, I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

 

“Should I get you some ice water?”

 

“…No.”

 

Judging by how she had already packed all her belongings, Herciana wasn’t just puffy-eyed—her lips were pouting too. 

 

Talk about thorough preparation. Her voice was weak as she spoke.

 

“Are you… really leaving?”

 

“What, is there such a thing as leaving deceptively?”

 

“Aren’t you scared at all? What if something terrible happens out there?”

 

“Well, something terrible has already happened here.”

 

“You—you! You could die in a foreign land!”

 

“Don’t worry. Even if I die far from home, the world will keep spinning just as tightly as it always has.”

 

“Hey, that’s not what I’m worried about!”

 

Kise’s rambling was cut short as she was grabbed by the collar. But she didn’t seem too shaken.

 

“That’s right, exactly this. This kind of shouting suits you much better, Hena. The way you were all deflated earlier didn’t suit you at all.”

 

So even if I disappear, promise me you’ll keep living just as carefree as this. 

 

As she made her request, Herciana gripped Kise’s collar, stifling the sobs rising in her throat.

 

“…Leaving home means nothing but suffering, you idiot.”

 

“I’m going to find the joy in life. Call it self-realization, if you want to put it nicely.”

 

Kise shrugged lightly. She wasn’t born into a good home, but she was chosen by one. Still, she never considered this place her final destination.

 

To her, this was merely a place assigned to fulfill a role.

 

“There’s nothing left for me to do here, Hena. My role here is truly over. My value in this place has vanished forever.”

 

Baby doll—that was the ruler that had dominated Kise’s past life.

 

Living within a set framework, moving as instructed, was easy and comfortable. But the externally imposed standards of life stole her freedom.

 

Now, finally free from those shackles, she faces an emptiness she’s never known before.

 

A life stripped of purpose and meaning overnight. The hollowed-out role left her drowning in desolation.

 

“Everything’s suddenly gone. Honestly, I don’t care anymore—let’s just go wild. That’s how I feel now. There’s nothing left to bind me, so I can live however I want. I can choose to leave this place or stay—it’s all up to me. It’s ridiculous, but that’s what freedom means to me now. Do you understand me a little better?”

 

Not knowing where to turn was undoubtedly frightening, but in the end, she was now a person who had outlived her usefulness.

 

“So, can you finally abandon order and go all out for me?” Kise said casually.

“I don’t care what happens from now on. Even if I end up somewhere even more unfamiliar than here, I’ll probably be fine.”

 

Herciana, who had been silently listening to Kise’s ramblings, finally spoke after a long pause.

“Now I finally feel alive?”

 

Kise chuckled lightly.

“That’s a good way to put it.”

 

“And you’re just going to throw it all away like this? How could you?”

“It’s not really about that.”

“Then what is it?”

 

“Once today passes, there’s no more today in tomorrow. And once this moment passes, there’s no more ‘now’ after that…”

“So?”

“It means it’s okay to live a little recklessly in the present.”

 

“You little brat with nothing but a sharp tongue!” Herciana shrieked in a shrill voice.

 

Still gripping Kise’s collar, she finally managed to shake off the ringing in her ears after enduring auditory torture.

 

From Kise’s lap—where she had been sitting in a wing chair, alternately pressing her ears—Herciana tossed a heavy leather pouch. 

 

“What’s this?” Kise asked.

“Father’s giving it to you.”

 

It was money. The distinct heaviness of metal coins was unmistakable.

“But I already have money…”

 

“He said he won’t take it back even if you try, so just consider it yours and keep it. And this is Father’s message: When you leave at dawn, don’t come to say goodbye. Just go quietly.”

 

Ah, wait. That’s a bit—no, way too—heartless, don’t you think?

 

Kise’s lips pressed tightly together as if she were holding back bitterness, her eyelashes fluttering faintly. Like a child scolded by her parents.

“But that’ll hurt my feelings.”

“You? What about the hurt you’ve caused?”

 

“Aren’t you being too cold?”

“No, Kise. That’s proof that Father is truly angry.”

“He didn’t object to me leaving.”

“That’s exactly why he’s angry. He couldn’t object.”

“…”

 

Herciana, who had approached and knelt before Kise, looked straight into her eyes.

“Kise, Father and I are proud of your decision and resolve, but still… please understand this. We never wanted to send you away like this.”

I know. I understand. Likewise, I not a beast, but a person—how could I not know?

“Yes, I know.”

“Don’t forget.”

“I won’t.”

 

“And this is from me.”

Herciana held out a large jewelry box. When the lid was lifted, it was filled with cosmetics and jewels.

“They’re incredibly expensive. Use them all.”

 

They were undoubtedly Herciana’s own possessions—things she had bought but never used. 

 

Or rather, things she had neglected.

“I thought hard about it last night. What do you need? What can I give you? Truly… it was pitiful how little I had to offer. I always thought I was strong enough to protect you. But now that I can’t anymore… I’ll give you this instead. I want to. You’re beautiful, so they’ll suit you far better than they ever did me.”

 

Alright, thank you for the gift. I’ll take it. Don’t cry.