Fortunately, my expectations turned out to be exactly right.
In the duchy's territory, there was a shop belonging to a plush-doll craftsman so skilled that even nobles came to visit.
The interior was decorated rather charmingly, likely for the sake of the children who visited, but from deeper within the shop wafted a faint, damp yet cozy scent of sun-dried cotton stuffing.
That smell mingled with the peculiar scent of stiffly starched new fabric, tickling the nose like the aroma of freshly baked bread, and Lyriette, standing beside me, sniffed at the air as well.
Kind of like a puppy.
Well, she's cute, so it's fine.
"Welcome. Is there something in particular you're looking for?"
"Yes. I'm looking for a plush doll to give as a gift to this child."
If I hadn't retained memories from my past life, I probably would have spoken down to him without a second thought.
But perhaps because of the memories of that old Confucian-influenced society lingering in me, seeing his graying hair made polite speech come out of me almost reflexively.
That said, it didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable in the least.
I've always believed that an elder who has devoted years of his life to a single craft deserves the respect and bearing that befits such dedication.
"Uncle, didn't you need a doll to buy for me, not one for you to give me?"
"...Oh, right."
The problem was that I'd overlooked Lyriette, who had been quietly listening to our conversation the whole time.
That's right.
That was the whole pretext for bringing Lyriette along.
The shopkeeper's manner had been so natural that my true thoughts had slipped out without my noticing.
"Ahem! R-right. Actually, I have a fondness for dolls that doesn't quite suit my age, so since it's a rare occasion, I came to get a recommendation from my niece. And while I was at it, I thought I'd buy a doll for this child too."
"Ha, I see. Well then, shall I show the dolls to the young lady here?"
"I'd appreciate that."
It seemed the old craftsman had accumulated enough experience in this line of work to read the room quickly.
He soon grasped my intention, stepped out from behind the counter, and guided Lyriette along.
Still glancing at me with a bewildered expression, Lyriette nonetheless trotted obediently after the old man.
"These are the children our shop's customers love the most. What does the young lady think?"
"T-they're cute."
"I'm grateful for such a kind assessment. Please, take your time looking around."
The old man knew exactly when to step back.
Worried that Lyriette might find it hard to choose with him watching over her shoulder, he simply gave his introduction and then withdrew, as if losing interest.
Hm, the quality really is impressive across the board.
Even someone as ignorant of dolls as I am could tell how much effort had gone into each one.
"Won't you pick one too, Uncle?"
"Today I came to get your recommendation, so I should leave it in your hands, dear niece."
"Uuungh…."
Perhaps feeling the weight of this responsibility from my words, Lyriette let out a low murmur of concentration as she stared at the display.
Her gaze was so sharp it looked like she might bore a hole straight through the shelf.
"Then, I think I'd like that one."
"That one—do you mean the white bear doll at the end?"
"Yes!"
A safe choice.
Exactly the kind of appearance one imagines first when picturing a plush doll.
But being so safe, it did seem like it would look rather nice in my room.
It was also fairly large in size—on days when my head wasn't working properly, I could use it as a punching bag… no, wait, that's not right.
Still, this was the one our Lyriette had chosen for me.
I ought to cherish it as much as I could.
"Then, following my niece's recommendation, I'll take that one."
"Are you sure it's really alright? Something I recommended, of all things…."
"Actually, I'd had my eye on that one myself all along. Seems our hearts were in sync."
When I smiled and nodded, Lyriette smiled shyly.
She probably hadn't expected me to actually buy the doll she'd suggested.
"Then I should return the favor and get you a gift too. Which one catches your eye?"
"I'm fine, really…."
"Oh dear, if my niece doesn't pick one, this friend here will have to leave the shop all alone. Wouldn't that be far too lonely?"
"T-that won't do!"
When I grabbed the doll's arm and pretended it was crying, Lyriette, startled, hurriedly glanced around the shop.
Then, as if she'd suddenly spotted something she liked, her eyes widened and she pointed toward somewhere.
"Then I'll take that one…."
"Hm?"
I blinked in surprise when I saw the rabbit doll Lyriette was pointing at.
Every item here was handmade, so the craftsmanship was never lacking.
But somehow, the color seemed a bit too dull for a little girl like her to choose.
Its fur was a faded, ashen gray, not unlike my own hair color, giving it a somewhat worn, grimy look.
She actually likes that one?
A bit unexpected.
"Do you really like that one?"
"Does it not look good to you, Uncle?"
"No, it's not that it doesn't look good. It's just that the color is a little dull, so I thought it might not suit your taste."
"N-no! It's a very pretty color."
I was surprised—this was the first time Lyriette had raised her voice like that.
There even seemed to be a note of urgency in it.
"I—I'm sorry. How rude of me to raise my voice in front of you, Uncle…."
When I stared at her, dumbfounded, Lyriette flinched and quickly bowed her head.
It wasn't as if I was upset about it, so it didn't matter.
If anything, I was rather delighted to see such a fresh side of her.
"No, it's my fault for saying something unnecessary. Anyway, shall we go with that one, then?"
"Yes."
For some reason, Lyriette began to squirm and fidget.
It seemed she had no intention of explaining exactly why she'd chosen it.
Well, I suppose liking something doesn't need a reason.
She simply liked it, and that was enough.
Once we finished paying, the old craftsman handed over the sizable doll and said,
"This one is a dear friend to this old man as well, so please treasure it well, little miss."
"Yes!"
Lyriette's spirited nod in response was almost unbearably adorable.
The slight air of an old soul that usually clung to her vanished entirely, replaced by the innocent, childlike brightness fitting for someone her age—it was a lovely sight.
"Ngh…."
Struggling under the weight of a rabbit doll nearly as tall as her own torso, Lyriette toddled forward.
The way she waddled from behind looked just like a baby penguin.
Pfft—I shouldn't laugh, but I couldn't help it.
"If you hand the doll to me, I'll keep it safe."
"It's alright. Your hands are already full, Uncle."
I offered readily, but I suppose Lyriette was, after all, still Lyriette.
Unwilling to trouble anyone else, she stubbornly insisted on carrying it herself, no matter what.
But there was one thing Lyriette hadn't quite considered.
That I was a mage.
And not just any mage—one of fewer than ten 7th Circle mages in the entire empire.
"Eh, eh…!?"
As the doll she'd been clutching tightly suddenly floated up into the air, Lyriette's eyes went round like a startled rabbit struck by an arrow.
Relishing the moment as though performing a magic trick, feeling every bit the clown for it.
I quickly tucked both her doll and mine away into my subspace pocket.
"Woooah…!"
Clap, clap!
An exclamation of delight burst from Lyriette's mouth, accompanied by an enthusiastic round of applause.
If every magician's audience were made up of people like this, how happy their performances would be.
There was always something about unfiltered reactions born of pure innocence that made a person feel proud of themselves.
"Well? Now there's no need to trouble me at all, is there?"
"Yes. You really are amazing, Uncle. But what was that just now? It looked like the doll just got sucked in all of a sudden."
Uncharacteristically, Lyriette fired off a flurry of questions.
Not unlike any curious child wondering about the secret behind a magic trick, Lyriette was no different in that regard.
"It's a sort of invisible storage space, you could say."
"Amazing. How much can it hold?"
"It depends on the mage's level. In my case… well, I suppose I could probably fit that whole doll shop we just visited."
"Really!? Wow…!"
Honestly, even that is rather unimpressive compared to what the title "7th Circle" would suggest.
After all, spatial magic isn't exactly my specialty.
My own master, for instance, could fit an entire modest manor inside his storage.
Back when he used to wander from place to place during his training, he'd shown off an absolutely insane level of mastery—stashing an entire cabin away and pulling it out whenever the need arose.
But I wasn't foolish enough to willingly tarnish my own standing as a respected uncle by revealing that fact.
As an uncle, surely I'm entitled to a bit of admiration from my niece.
It's not like I'm asking for much.
"Uncle, now that your errand is done, are we heading back?"
Lyriette asked, rocking on her heels, bouncing slightly in place.
Her words seemed to assume we'd be returning.
But her strangely flushed face betrayed her true feelings quite plainly.
She still wants to play a little longer, doesn't she.
Of course she would.
For a girl like Lyriette, who wasn't even permitted to go outside, a simple stroll through town wasn't something she could experience easily.
"I'm sorry, but there are still a few more places I need to check out. If you don't mind, would you keep me company a little longer?"
So, deliberately phrasing it as though I were the one asking for a favor, I extended my hand. Lyriette looked back and forth between my face and my hand with startled eyes, and then—
"...Yes!"
She quietly rested her hand on mine, smiling softly.
Whether she'd seen through my intentions or not, I couldn't be sure.
But in any case, the simple fact that Lyriette was smiling was enough to make me feel relieved.
***
Once our little outing was over, we returned to the mansion.
The whole way back, Lyriette's eyes sparkled as she eagerly recounted everything she'd seen that day.
"Uncle, how did that trick work earlier? Fire came shooting right out of that person's mouth. Was that magic too?"
"I don't think it was magic. In a way, it's an even more impressive skill than magic."
"Right! It really was amazing. Especially that person spinning five little sandbags at once—their hands moved so fast…!"
We'd happened to come across what looked like a circus performance in town, and stopped to watch.
It seemed to have been the right call.
Juggling, a fire-breathing show, acrobats folding themselves into tiny boxes.
And there had even been a shadow puppet play, the kind young children tend to love.
As if trying to imitate it, Lyriette crouched down even after we arrived at the mansion, fumbling and fiddling with her hands, straining with effort.
Oh, how adorable.
"If there's a chance later, I'll show you another performance. Look forward to it."
"Really? Thank you… Ah."
Her face flushed, about to bow her head, Lyriette suddenly froze with a look of realization.
Whatever excitement had been there just moments ago vanished instantly.
She quickly deflated and hugged the doll she'd bought earlier tightly to her chest.
"What's wrong?"
"N-no, it's nothing."
Nothing, my foot.
She was clearly thinking about that stepmother of hers.
Today, she'd been able to go out thanks to me.
But there was no guarantee such luck would come again next time—that much was obvious she was thinking.
Perhaps it wasn't even about some distant future—maybe she was worrying about what would happen the moment she stepped back into the mansion today.
"Are you worried your mother might scold you?"
"Wha—h-how did you…?"
"I can just tell. An uncle has a special way of seeing right through his niece, you know."
"Really!?"
How pure did one have to be to believe something like that.
And yet, it was almost funny how she wouldn't believe it when told she was pretty, of all things.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to speak well of you to your mother. There's no way you'd get scolded over such a short outing."
"My mother is quite strict, though… will it really be alright? Actually, even this doll…."
Clutching the doll tightly as though terrified of losing it, she looked so pitiful, so fragile, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.
To give Lyriette some reassurance.
And, in part, to plant a small safeguard for her.
I reached out and briefly took the doll from her arms.
"My dear niece, would you take a look at this for me?"
"Yes."
Hmmmm.
Then, right in front of her, I placed my hand on the doll's belly and let mana flow into it.
Watching this, Lyriette tilted her head as if wondering what on earth I was doing.
I smiled and handed the doll back to her, then patted its head instead of hers.
"There. This little one will watch over our dear niece in my place from now on."
"What? The doll?"
"That's right."
Perhaps the word "just" should have preceded "the doll" in her question.
That was how puzzled Lyriette looked as she turned the doll this way and that, examining it curiously.
For just the briefest moment, she'd probably thought, "Has my uncle finally lost his mind?"
But I was neither out of my mind, nor drunk out of my senses.
"So think of this doll as me, and treasure it well. Understand?"
"Yes! I'll cherish it more than my own life."
"No, that's really not necessary…."
Such overwhelming devotion left me at a loss for how to respond.
Still, it seemed Lyriette had truly taken a liking to the doll, so I decided to take that as a good thing.
"Well then, shall we head in…? Hm?"
Just as I took Lyriette's hand—now steadied with resolve—and was about to step into the mansion,
"Lyriette."
"...Mother."
We came face to face with a woman standing at the entrance, arms crossed, as though she'd been waiting all along.
Lyriette's stepmother, and my sister-in-law by my second brother's marriage—Cassdia Argent.
"There's something I need to discuss with you. Come with me for a moment, dear."
She swept her gaze over her own daughter with undisguised, blatant displeasure, and the way she moved to take her away—as though escorting some criminal—made my brow twitch involuntarily.
"Understood. Uncle, I'm sorry, but I need to go with my mother for a moment—"
But Lyriette offered not the slightest resistance, moving to follow along even though she clearly already knew what awaited her.
I reached out and caught her.
"What could possibly need discussing that can't be said in front of me? Is it something you can't say to my face?"
I caught hold of Lyriette's retreating right hand, stopping her, and turned to Cassdia with a mocking edge in my voice.