The Doll Has a Name – Chapter 5 – The Wild Doll

Author: Nikss

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People who are haughty yet surprisingly simple.

If one were to define those who frequently attend parties or balls in words, this would likely be the extent of it.

As such, the method to gain popularity among them is, when you think about it, quite straightforward.

In other words, all you need to do is meet the following conditions:

Have power.

Be decent-looking.

Be a celebrity.

Be eloquent.

In Kise’s case, she possessed not-bad power—after all, even if she lived like a ghost, she was still a marquess—along with an innocent beauty that caught the eye, an assortment of inexplicably acquired knowledge, and the dazzling rhetoric to embellish that knowledge.

With her neatly arranged black hair swept over one shoulder, she bloomed like a noble black orchid amidst a sea of colorful heads.

“My convalescence was rather long. I was a bit unwell, you see.”

Before anyone realized, a crowd had gathered around her. To the question of why she had been so rarely seen, she consistently responded as above.

Appropriate reactions, appropriate gestures, appropriate counter-questions, appropriate topics, appropriate smiles, and appropriate glances.

No matter how long one had been absent from high society, mastering just these could quickly elevate one’s low recognition and reputation.

Surveying the crowd now surrounding her, Kise assessed her own performance and deemed today’s mission to be of low difficulty.

Had it been a place buzzing with spine-chilling slander and brawls flying like arrows, it would have been fresher and more enjoyable—but still, low difficulty meant the task was easier.

By any measure, her external conditions were outstanding.

Where else could one find such a well-mannered, obedient young lady from such a prestigious family?

Well, it was practically a scam, but still.

Kise smiled even more brightly, hoping that the nobles around her would find this version of ‘Herciana’ charming.

Flattering words clung to her like gum.

“It’s about Count Coimans—they say he’s so stubborn that no one can sway him. The noblewomen at the salon even made bets, but none could capture his heart.”

“Oh my, is that so? I dare say the Count must see women as mere stones. Don’t take it too hard, madam. A stone doesn’t get hurt easily. It’s far too tough.”

“No, really, my friends say I resemble Dante, the lead actor at the Manus Theatre. Ugh, I detest that dandyish style. Why must they insult me like that?”

“Well, since that’s an insult to Dante, you needn’t feel bad at all.”

Kise listened carefully to each person, putting in great effort to respond with playful sincerity.

People flocked to her indiscriminately—gender didn’t matter. Everyone approached her, seeking advice.

“Fashion to attract the opposite gender…”

“What should I wear? What about hairstyle and perfume? I have a dinner with a lovely lady this weekend.”

“Ah, no, sir. You can’t achieve a groundbreaking transformation in looks within a week without a doctor’s help. Why not carry an adorable puppy instead? The lady will come running, squealing with delight.”

“Oh!”

“She’ll be desperate to pet it.”

“What a brilliant idea!”

That said, men were sometimes slightly easier to handle than women. But just because Kise skillfully navigated the room with a smile, deftly dodging verbal traps, didn’t mean she was fully enjoying her predicament.

She had her own struggles and was quite exhausted.

‘The first virtue of a popular court lady is endurance, the second is the resilience to ignore nonsense, and the third is the mental strength to sustain body and soul.’

Yet, she still kept her radar sharp, never forgetting her mission to find Herciana’s ideal groom.

Enduring the annoyance and building intimacy through those absurd conversations served only that purpose.

‘I’ll snatch one of them away.’

Somehow, it felt a bit like abduction, which made her slightly guilty. But she was confident it wouldn’t be a big deal even if the groom later realized at the wedding that she wasn’t the real Herciana.

By then, the marriage would already be official—documents signed, ink dry or not, rumors spread, everyone convinced, and contracts exchanged between families.

And above all, what mattered most to nobles was appearances. No one would stoop to digging up mistakes.

‘If I succeed, I’m free.’

She engraved that truth deep into her bones, pushing through the current hardships. The campaign to promote the virtuous Lady Herciana was progressing smoothly.

‘Should I make one more round?’

Just as she lifted her head with that thought—A scorching gaze, sharp enough to sting, struck her cheek.

‘What was that?’

Instinctively brushing her left cheek, Kise confirmed she was unharmed.

Someone was staring at her. Intensely. Too far to identify, but the prickling sensation was unmistakable.

‘This feels dangerous.’

The intuition flashed through her mind.

Current time: 5:25 PM. Soon, she’d have to head to the theater for the opera.

Using the excuse of repositioning, it’d be wise to slip away early. The moment she decided, Kise’s legs began to glide away as if swimming through the air. She planned to blend into the background like a prop and make her way up to the landing.

Since the entrance to the performance hall was on the second floor, she intended to disguise herself as a potted plant in front of it, then slip inside quickly once the door opened and take a seat in the darkness.

Just as Kise moved with assassin-like swiftness and grabbed the large vase beside the staircase—

“You seem quite popular.”

But the cold, sarcastic remark that prickled the back of her neck forced her to retract her outstretched foot.

Turning her head stiffly, she found a young lady who radiated immaturity glaring at her.

Oh, come on. Why are you like this? I need to go up. Let’s not do this.

Her face was caught between recognition and denial, so Kise did her best to act like she knew what was going on.

“You’re Lady Darein, right? I’m Cornelia Pantyn. Granddaughter of Marquis Pantyn, the Minister of Finance.”

She was about to respond with a vague Oh, is that so?, but the woman quickly cut her off, as if to say, I won’t give you a chance to speak.

“I saw you chatting by the fountain earlier. Your voice was very loud. So loud, in fact, that it was too noisy to enjoy the party—what with all the laughing and carrying on.”

Stopping a busy person just to pick a fight out of nowhere…? Didn’t your mother teach you that duel challenges require etiquette and proper procedure?

‘Guess you weren’t raised right.’

Provocations were fine.

Everyone did it. It was hard to fit in if you didn’t. But this level of rudeness was a bit much.

It wouldn’t have been hard to fire back, but Kise decided to calm herself. To escape noble society without complications, she had to stick to the principle of safety first.

“Too loud? That can’t be. Could you really hear my voice from all the way over here?”

Or perhaps, following the person who gains weight just by drinking water, another superhuman with hearing surpassing that of a bat was born?

“I can hear.”

Ah, right. You’re a superhuman.

The way she stiffens her gaze and stands rigid is like dealing with a sensitive library patron who says, “Please lower your breathing—it’s distracting.”

Kise, amused by how ridiculous this noblewoman sounded, responded crisply, “Why don’t you try focusing a little more? The human mind is so remarkable that when you concentrate on one thing, it has the extraordinary ability to make surrounding noise disappear. Carve out your life by focusing on every single moment. Go, Lady Cornelia, fighting!”

Try focusing, kid. Can you hear the sound now?

Kise playfully shook both her clenched fists. The woman seemed momentarily flustered by the unexpected cheer but quickly blocked Kise’s path again.

Ugh, seriously!

“But what sudden wind brought you here? How did the ghost of Darein even consider appearing in a place like this?”

“My lady, I am no ghost. I simply returned after a long period of recuperation due to poor health.”

And above all, staying here too long isn’t good. My instincts have been tingling for a while now. I need to leave soon…

“So, are you using that fragility to appeal to Sir Valend’s sympathies now?”

“Huh?!”

Wow, what a shock. What kind of nonsense is that now? What exactly am I appealing to?

Thinking, ‘Wow, the audacity,’ Kise first combed through her memories. So far, she’d met at least a hundred people in here, witnessed their pretentiousness, and listened to their drivel.

Now she had to pick out one—Sir Valend, Valend…

Like a sorcerer flipping through a deck of cards, a myriad of faces whizzed past. Then, at the end, with a click, it stopped on someone.

Ah! That guy who can’t even tell if he’s being praised or insulted?

Found him!

So this was why he was trying to pick a fight with me. Should’ve said so sooner. Having identified the cause, Kise felt an unprecedented surge of generosity.

“Using weakness as a weapon, how cheap… Sir only ever said ‘How amusing’ to me, but with the young lady, he kept the pleasantries going for ages…”

“Wait a second! Did Sir Valend really say ‘How amusing’ to the young lady?”

Her eyes widened dramatically as she fired off a high-pitched tone.

Oh my goodness, what a surprise! Eureka!

Kise covered her gaping mouth with her hand, overwhelmed with congratulations and emotion. Yet, she made sure to keep her fingers slightly apart so every word would still come through clearly.

“I’m certain he’s interested in the young lady! ‘How amusing’? That’s just a roundabout way of saying, ‘I’m starting to like you, you know? How cute!’ Ahh, if you add ‘How funny’ and ‘How intriguing’ to that, you’ve got the ultimate trifecta…! Did he say anything else?”
“Ah… He also said my story was… interesting…”

“Green light! Exactly! He’s definitely taken a liking to the young lady!”

Well, maybe not. Even if someone finds a story boring, saying ‘How interesting’ is just basic social etiquette. But when you’re love-struck, everything gets overanalyzed.

Alright, satisfied now?

Did my interpretation of your dream meet your expectations? Judging by your dazed expression, it seems so! Then I’ll take my leave!

With that, she cheerfully burst the rosy bubble of hope she’d created and began inching backward toward the staircase.

Whenever her eyes met the slightly dazed Young Lady Cornelia’s, she beamed encouragement—Green light confirmed!

Raise your hand and cross! Let Eros fill your heart!

Only about five steps to the staircase now. Confidently, Kise spun around, ready to make a clean break for it.

“…?”

But as if emerging from hiding, a shadow taller than her loomed over her in an instant.

“How amusing.”

“Huh? Wha—?”

“How intriguing.”

“Wha—?!”