Chapter 3

I spent the entire night drawing up plans in my room. Then, on the fourth day, I went out carrying a thick volume of hand-copied scriptures. I even put it in a fine wooden box and wrapped it up with a piece of red cloth.

I went to a shrine and had the two maids who followed me out bury it in front of Isabelle's tombstone. When they were busy doing that, I retrieved the items I had ordered two days earlier and secretly hid them away.

When I got home, Vivian came up to greet me, holding the doll in her arms.

She took my hand and said gently, "You're our precious darling, Beth. Come on, I'll take you to see your room."

The curtains were wide open now, and the floor-to-ceiling windows made the whole room look bright and spacious. Yet somehow, the sunlight still couldn't quite reach inside.

On the dark brown willow bed meant solely for the doll were expensive silk beddings. The bed wasn't small. In fact, it could fit an adult.

At the center of the room hung a dazzling crystal chandelier. Two new bedside lamps had been added as well. They were covered with bud-shaped lamp shades, and at the foot of the bed stood two round floor lamps pressed against the wall.

If one ignored the carpets, murals, and various decorative dolls and vases, and looked only at the lights, their abstract arrangement seemed to form the shape of a seated person. My bed and the doll's bed were positioned in the middle. Its bed was placed horizontally, facing the head of my bed.

In my previous life, I had been dazzled by these luxurious and beautiful things. How could I have noticed such unusual details?

Now, there was a trace of wariness in my eyes.

Vivian said, "These lights are all quite dim. Don't worry about wasting electricity. Just leave them on every night when you sleep. Belle said girls like cute and cozy rooms like this. She went on and on about ambient lighting.

"I don't really understand these things. Take a look and see if there's anything else you'd like to add."

I replied, "Thank you, Mom. This is already perfect. There's no need to add anything else."

The bedside cabinet was filled with expensive aromatherapy oils. The bottles glowed faintly with a soft orange hue.

Vivian took out one bottle and held it in front of me. "I know you haven't been sleeping well lately, so I specially bought you a fragrance that induces sleep."

She took a whiff and smiled. "There's a slight lilac scent. Light one every night. Once you use these, you'll be able to sleep well for a long time."

I forced down the wave of nausea rising in my stomach.

I put on a look of surprise and delight as I exclaimed, "You're so thoughtful, Mom!"

Vivian stroked the doll's smooth hair, placed it on the bed, and even tucked it in under the blanket.

She said, "She'll keep you company from tonight onward. Tomorrow, I'll bring new clothes and accessories for her to change her outfit."

I responded in confusion, "Mom, does the doll need to change every day? Maybe we can do it less often, so it's not too much trouble for you."

Her tone turned indifferent, and it carried a hint of an enigmatic emotion. "It has to be changed. It also needs to be washed every two days. After all, you'll be holding her every day. If she gets dirty, that wouldn't be nice."

I sneered inwardly. So, she thought I was dirty.

After she left, I locked the door from the inside and sat on the bed.

Then, I let out a sigh and muttered, "But this doll is really ugly. I feel so annoyed looking at it."

The very next second, I saw those black pupils shift ever so slightly from the corner of my eye.

My lips curled into a faint smirk.