Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 11 - 20

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 11

--+--

Chapter 11: Nicole, the Unlicensed Road Queen

--+--

Her voice stayed calm.

“This price is very fair… In fact, it's a little above market.”

Sandrone raised a brow.

She looked at Belle holding Nicole down, then at Nicole's face, which seemed caught between wanting to speak, aching like she'd been stabbed in the heart, and wishing she could go back in time to name a higher price.

It seemed Moonfall Silver was worth even more in this world than Sandrone had thought.

But so what?

She thought of the mechanical puppet that still hadn't been assembled, its parts still scattered across the Hollows.

Compared to Pulonia, what were a few pieces of Moonfall Silver?

“Good.”

Sandrone gave a satisfied nod.

“Efficiency comes first. Let's leave now.”

Belle kept one hand on Nicole and gave Wise a small signal.

Wise nodded.

“Give me a moment. Eous should be fully charged by now. I'll bring him down.”

Wise turned and walked up the stairs to the second floor.

Before long, he came back with a Bangboo in his arms.

It was the little one who had guided them through the Hollow yesterday. Right now, it hung from Belle's hands without a fuss, its orange scarf neat and tidy.

“Is this the Bangboo you used yesterday?” Sandrone asked.

“Yeah. This little guy is Eous.” Belle set the Bangboo down.

“Ehn-nah!”

Eous raised its short little arms and waved at the two new faces, letting out a bright electronic chirp.

Columbina let go of Sandrone's hand, crouched down, and reached out with a slender finger to poke its round belly.

“Cute,” she said.

Eous blinked its big eyes and gave a happy, “Ehn-nah~”

“S-since we're all heading to the Hollow…”

Nicole, who had at last recovered from the shock, slipped free from Belle's hands and sprang up.

“How are you two planning to get there? Take a cab?”

Sandrone looked at Nicole's eager face and understood at once.

“Could we trouble you to drive us there?” Sandrone said, following her lead. “We'll pay you.”

After all, taking the bus and walking couldn't compare with the speed of driving.

They had no car and no driver's license.

Forget a license. Sandrone had only skimmed a few of this world's traffic rules last night.

“No need, no need!”

Nicole waved both hands and put on a bright smile, so warm that no one would guess she had looked like she was having chest pains a moment ago.

“We happen to have business on Fourteenth Street anyway, so it's on the way! We'll waive the fee! We're all friends here~”

Sandrone fell silent for a second.

“Then thank you.”

Not far from the entrance, a white five-door hatchback had already come to a stop.

The window was half open, and Billy's red head stuck out of it as he scrolled through his phone out of boredom. Anby sat quietly in the back seat with headphones on, her head bobbing to the music.

“Oh! There you are!” Billy's sharp eyes spotted the group coming out of the shop, and he shoved his phone into his pocket. Full of energy, he waved. “Miss Sandrone! Miss Columbina! Good morning!”

“Good morning.” Sandrone gave a faint nod and led Columbina into the back seat.

Nicole slowed on purpose and leaned close to Belle and Wise. Lowering her voice, she rubbed her fingers together like mad.

“So? Phaethon! I wasn't lying, was I? This is a huge job! About all those tabs of mine…”

Belle sighed, then smiled in defeat. “Fine, fine. Thank you for the referral, Boss Nicole. Out of the kindness of our hearts, we'll wipe out those old debts of yours.”

“Yes!!”

“But let's be clear, Nicole,” Wise reminded her at the right time. “When we get the Moonfall Silver, you're responsible for helping us exchange it for Dennies.”

“Leave it to me!” Nicole gave them a thumbs-up and winked hard.

“Then we're off! See you later!”

She slipped into the driver's seat, fastened her seat belt, started the engine, and shifted gears in one smooth motion.

“Let's go, let's go!”

The engine gave a low roar.

The white car slid out of Sixth Street with a clean drift and merged onto the main road.

Three seconds later, the speedometer needle had already crossed the speed limit.

The street outside the window flew backward so fast it turned hard to see.

Sandrone leaned back in her seat. Her gaze swept over the speedometer needle as it climbed at a steady pace with no sign of stopping, and she fell silent for several seconds.

“Nicole,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“If I wanted to get a driver's license, do you have a driving school you recommend?”

Nicole glanced at her through the rearview mirror, a little surprised. “Driving school? Sandrone, you don't have a license yet?”

She paused, then her face shifted into an “I get it” look.

That made sense. Young ladies like them must have grown up with private drivers. Why would they need to get licenses themselves?

“I'll send you my instructor's Knock Knock number later,” Nicole said with ease. “Don't worry. It's a real driving school. They'll teach you until you pass, and the price is fair!”

Sandrone nodded.

Ten seconds passed.

“…Did we just run a red light?” she asked. “Doesn't that take points off your license?”

If her memory was right, that color of signal meant “stop.”

At this rate, even a license with a hundred points wouldn't be enough.

Come to think of it, Nicole had driven like this yesterday when they went to Sixth Street too.

“Oh, that.”

Nicole's tone stayed light. She didn't care at all.

“It's fine. I took the license plate off ahead of time!”

Billy added at just the right moment, “And Boss Nicole hasn't even gotten her license yet, so even if they take points, they can't take them from her! So smart! Boss Nicole!”

“…”

Sandrone said nothing.

She just reached for the seat belt in silence, without drawing attention, and pressed the metal tongue into the buckle with perfect aim.

Click.

Then she turned to the side and pulled over Columbina's seat belt. The girl was focused on the street rushing past outside and showed no sign of doing it herself, so Sandrone buckled it for her.

The same click rang out.

Columbina looked down at the seat belt across her chest, puzzled. “Sandrone?”

“Sit still.” Sandrone shook her head with a blank face. “Hold the handle. Don't talk.”

--+--

Screech!

With the sharp sound of tires grinding against the road, the car made a beautiful drift and came to a steady stop.

“Whew! All right, we're at Cretan Hollow!”

Nicole's exhaustion from staying up all night had vanished. Bright-eyed and refreshed, she waved. “Well? I told you my driving's pretty good! Even without a license, I'm road queen level!”

Sandrone opened the door and stepped onto the ground.

Columbina followed her out, still holding the round little Eous in her arms.

“We'll head off first! Good luck with the treasure hunt!”

Nicole leaned on the car window and waved goodbye.

“Bye-bye, ladies!” Billy stuck his head out from the passenger seat and waved with full warmth.

“See you.” Anby gave a small nod, her headphones still hanging around her neck.

Sandrone watched the white car vanish in a cloud of dust, then let out a long breath. She had never missed Morax so much, or the feeling of standing on solid rock.

The weight of stone brought peace.

Columbina looked down at the Bangboo, then at the Hollow entrance not far away, where the air warped in a faint, visible way that was clearly wrong.

“All right, Columbina.” Sandrone held out a hand. “Put Eous down. It's time to go.”

“Mm.”

Columbina set the Bangboo down with care.

“Ehn-nah!” Eous landed on its feet. Its big eyes blinked, then lit up with a deep blue glow.

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 12

--+--

Chapter 12: The First Part

--+--

“Can you hear me? Sandrone? Columbina?”

Belle’s voice came through from Eous, carrying a faint echo from the adjusted equipment.

“We can hear you. Loud and clear,” Sandrone answered.

“Then let’s move out!”

Eous took off on its short little legs and plunged headfirst into the Hollow entrance, through the twisted curtain of light that shimmered with a riot of black.

Sandrone took Columbina’s hand and followed close behind.

The familiar smell of rust hit them at once.

Once Sandrone found her footing, she swept her gaze over the area. “Five targets in total. We focus on one at a time. Lock onto one, recover it, then move to the next. No switching targets halfway.”

“Got it,” Belle answered at once. “That should make us more efficient.”

Sandrone took Aha’s ticket from inside her coat and handed it to the girl beside her. Columbina accepted the ticket, pressed it against her palm, lowered her eyes, and closed them.

For a moment, even the wind seemed to stop.

Through Eous’s eyes, Belle watched the scene and held back the urge to scratch her head.

—That’s it? She’s sensing it with her eyes closed?

Belle had expected some kind of precise detector, a blinking screen, or at least a small device that could scan the area. But the result was... just standing there with her eyes closed? While holding a piece of paper?

Columbina stood still, the ticket in her hand, lashes lowered and face calm, as if she were taking a light afternoon nap.

Sandrone crossed her arms and watched her.

Hm? Ticket?

She froze.

That bastard Aeon of Elation had given them something else before, hadn’t he?

Sandrone frowned as she thought it over...

Ah!

She snapped back to herself and struck a fist into her palm.

A shameful memory came rushing back—the so-called safety rope!

When they first arrived in this new world, there had been too many things to remember. She’d somehow forgotten about it. But... when she went out to buy breakfast that morning, she went alone.

Why hadn’t the safety rope triggered then?

Sandrone couldn’t figure it out for a moment.

Could it be... the safety rope had already stopped working?

Sandrone thought it over in silence.

“This way.”

Columbina opened her eyes. Her pink pupils glowed with faint light as she raised a hand and pointed northwest.

“Received.” Belle shifted the HDD’s scan focus in that direction at once. “I’ll look for a route...”

Seeing the two of them move, Sandrone chose to put the matter aside.

Forget it. She’d deal with it later.

--+--

The route that followed went far more smoothly than Belle had expected.

The direction Columbina gave stayed steady from start to finish, like an unseen anchor that fixed them to the right path.

But Hollows never offered straight roads.

Blocked passages, sudden Hollow fissures, and packs of Ethereals forced them to adjust their direction every so often.

Wise kept his eyes on the terrain data mapped by the HDD, his fingers moving fast across the keyboard as he helped his sister find the route.

“Go straight ahead. There’s a Hollow fissure up front. Once you pass through it, you’ll be...”

Belle’s voice stopped.

Below the Hollow fissure ahead, the energy signals of several Ethereals were packed together.

Sandrone noticed the brief pause and stopped walking. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a Hollow fissure up ahead. Going through there would save us a lot of time...” Belle slowed her words a little.

“But a group of Ethereals is blocking the entrance. If we go around them, we’ll have to backtrack to the last fissure and take another path. The detour would add... about thirty minutes.”

Sandrone didn’t answer. She turned her head toward Columbina. The girl’s gaze passed over the restless Ethereals and landed on some unseen point farther away.

“No need to go around.”

Her voice was soft, yet carried a steady certainty that put people at ease.

“What?”

Before Belle could react, Columbina pulled Sandrone over to a ruined wall and bent down. Her slim palm rested on a concrete block as tall as a person.

The movement was light and casual, as if she were only brushing dust off it.

The next second—

“Whoosh!”

The concrete block turned into a gray-black blur. It tore through the air and slammed right into the middle of the Ethereal pack dozens of meters away.

“Boom!!!”

Fragments burst apart. Dust rolled outward. Seven or eight Ethereals vanished into the ripples of the shockwave, leaving not even scraps behind.

“Wha—”

Belle lost her voice for a moment, her eyes wide and round.

“...Ehn-nah?” After coming back to her senses, she couldn’t help making a Bangboo sound.

Belle opened her mouth in shock.

She looked at the screen, where the energy signals had been wiped into dead silence in an instant, then looked at that slender hand, the same hand that had just tossed a several-hundred-pound object like it was nothing and was now brushing dust from its palm as if nothing had happened.

“...”

She decided to leave the question of “does this make any sense?” to her future self.

“...For the next Ethereal groups,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “do we still need to take detours?”

She felt like she’d just asked a stupid question.

“From now on,” Sandrone said, her voice as calm as ever, “just plan the shortest route.”

“...Okay.”

As expected, anyone Nicole introduced had to have some serious tricks up their sleeve...

Belle silently deleted each long route she’d planned to avoid fights.

--+--

They found the first part before long.

Columbina stopped in front of a tilted pillar.

“It’s here.”

She pointed at the tilted pillar. Behind it stood a wall that was still mostly intact.

Belle looked and looked in the direction Columbina was pointing, but saw nothing.

Then Sandrone and Columbina pushed something out from the shadow between the pillar and the wall—

A box?

Belle’s thoughts jammed for half a second.

The box reached almost to Sandrone’s chest. Its red-and-white paint was so bright it hurt to look at, and a ridiculous clown mask grinned from one side, its smile stretched almost to its ears.

A huge, flashy thing like that had been sitting right there in the shadow at the base of the wall, plain as day.

And yet Belle had stared at the spot for a full thirty seconds and somehow hadn’t noticed it.

“This...” Belle’s voice drifted a little. “How did I not see that at all just now?”

Sandrone didn’t explain.

She reached out and peeled the ticket off the lid.

Pop.

With a small sound, the clown mask sagged like it had lost all its air. At the same time, the box’s glaring, almost provocative appearance seemed to pull itself back.

It was still eye-catching, still flashy, but the strange visual paradox of “how did I not see it?” had vanished.

Belle didn’t ask further.

She had already seen more than enough impossible things today. One more didn’t matter.

“We found the box. Let’s leave the Hollow and rest for a bit.”

Belle glanced at the data on the HDD. “You’ve already been active for several rounds past the recommended safe activity time in the Hollow. Even if your Ether aptitude is high, you should still take a break.”

Sandrone crossed her arms and gave a small nod.

“Fine.” She paused. “It’s time for lunch anyway.”

“Columbina.” Sandrone turned to the girl beside her. “The box.”

Columbina stepped forward and placed her slender fingers on the edge of the box. She gave it a light press—and the huge box rose from the ground like a balloon, floating in the air beside her.

“...” Belle shook her head and chose to stop thinking.

“I’ll have my brother drive over to pick you up,” she said, her voice light again.

“Thank you.” Sandrone nodded once more. “You’ve worked hard, Belle. Get some rest too.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s what I should do.” Belle patted the Bangboo’s round head. “Let’s go. Time to pull out.”

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 13

--+--

Chapter 13: Eating Noodles

--+--

Noon on Sixth Street.

Steam curled through General Chop’s noodle shop.

Sandrone picked up a small bundle of noodles with her chopsticks, blew on them, and put them in her mouth. Beside her, Columbina had already buried her head in her second bowl.

“Im here!”

Belle jogged over, her short hair brushing her ears as it swayed with each step.

Wise pushed a bowl of noodles toward her. “Slow down. It just came out of the pot. Is Eous charging?”

“Yeah, he’s charging.” Belle sat down, picked up her chopsticks, blew off the steam first, then lifted a small bite and put it in her mouth. She chewed a few times, swallowed, and glanced at Columbina’s side.

“That big box.” Belle rested her chopsticks on the rim of her bowl and stirred the noodles. “Did you two move it back?”

Sandrone finished chewing, swallowed, and nodded. “Mm. We already moved it back to our—”

Her voice stopped, as if something had caught in her throat.

“Our… home?” Her pitch changed as she forced out the last word.

Belle blinked. “What?”

“Nothing.” Sandrone lowered her eyes, shook her head, and picked up another bundle of noodles. “Yes. We put it in the living room at our… home.”

She said the word “home” so softly it was as if she wanted to swallow it back down.

Belle didn’t think much of it. She lifted her bowl and took a sip of broth. “That box really was huge. When Columbina carried it, it looked like she was holding a balloon—”

She made a small gesture, then seemed to remember something and paused.

“What was inside it?”

The second the words left her mouth, Belle felt like the question had come out way too blunt.

Who asked someone they’d just met what was inside their box?

She waved her hands at once. “You don’t have to say! I shouldn’t have asked anyway. It’s private, so don’t mind me!”

Sandrone stopped moving her chopsticks. She didn’t speak right away. Her lashes lowered, and the tips of her chopsticks tapped the edge of the bowl.

Belle grew a little tense and thought, Great, I messed up.

“…I suppose,” Sandrone said in a soft voice, “you could call them my family.”

Belle let out a breath. “Oh~ Family—”

Pfft—

“Cough, cough. F-Family?!”

A mouthful of water went down the wrong pipe, and Belle’s face, red from the steam a moment ago, turned a few shades paler.

“Sandrone, you’re teasing people again~”

Columbina lifted her head from her bowl. She hadn’t even swallowed the noodles in her mouth, yet her tone carried a hint of laughter.

“Teasing?” Belle clutched her chest. “Whew. I thought…”

Sandrone tilted her head, her face blank. “…Thought I’d chopped someone up and packed them in a box?”

Belle froze.

She scratched the back of her head and gave two dry laughs. “Well…”

“Belle, did you stay up late watching horror movies again last night?” Wise’s voice came from the side, tinged with helplessness.

“I didn’t!” Belle turned her head at once and protested. “I went to bed super early last night!”

Wise didn’t answer. He only looked at her, and that look said, Sure, whatever you say.

Belle kept muttering, “…I really did sleep early.”

She puffed out her cheeks, lowered her head, and kept eating.

Sandrone set down her chopsticks and watched the siblings go back and forth.

“You two… have a good relationship,” she said.

Belle lifted her head, noodles still hanging from her mouth, and mumbled, “Well, we’re family!”

Sandrone didn’t answer.

She lowered her eyes, rubbing the tips of her chopsticks against the bowl as she slowly chewed on those two words.

Family…

Something stirred in her heart, and her gaze drifted to the left before she knew it.

Columbina was focused on finishing the last bite of noodles in her bowl.

Her table manners weren’t ugly, but they had nothing to do with elegance either. Her cheeks were puffed out, and her chopsticks were still searching the bottom of the bowl.

Like a hamster guarding its food.

The corner of Sandrone’s mouth twitched.

As if Columbina sensed something, she turned her head.

“…What’s wrong, Sandrone?” Her voice came out muffled.

“Nothing.” Sandrone turned her face away. “Just eat!”

She lowered her head, picked up noodles, and put them in her mouth. As she chewed, the tips of her ears began to feel a little warm.

—Why did I end up looking at her? What’s there to look at? Honestly.

Sandrone grumbled to herself.

“Ch-chopped up and packed in a box…”

Belle was still muttering under her breath, and her voice drifted over.

Sandrone set down her chopsticks, pushed her finished bowl forward, and her voice returned to its usual calm. “Strictly speaking, that’s not wrong either.”

“What? What’s not wrong?” Belle didn’t react for a moment.

Sandrone looked into Belle’s eyes.

“Uh…” Belle’s gaze darted away, and she shrank her neck back. “I really… didn’t watch a horror movie last night…”

For once, the corners of Sandrone’s mouth curved a little, as if she were smiling. “Belle, you really should watch fewer horror movies.”

She paused.

“They’re Intelligent Constructs.”

She had only learned that term last night.

Pulonia and Sandrone herself weren’t exactly the same as this world’s “Intelligent Constructs.” Their core structures ran on a different system. But from the outside, with the way they looked and moved, there didn’t seem to be much difference.

Belle froze for two seconds, then blinked.

“Oh, Intelligent Constructs!” She let out a long breath, and even her shoulders sagged. “Then that’s not weird. Not weird at all…”

She murmured to herself, then seemed to remember something else and glanced at the huge, slowly turning clockwork key behind Sandrone.

“Come to think of it, Sandrone, are you an Intelligent Construct too?”

Sandrone hesitated for a moment, rubbing her finger along the edge of the table.

“…Yes.”

She took out the citizen ID Aha had given her and looked at it. In the photo, her face looked cold and still. At the bottom, the category field was printed in clear words: Intelligent Construct.

Sandrone put the ID back into her pocket and repeated it, this time in a much steadier voice. “I’m an Intelligent Construct.”

“What about Columbina?” Belle turned her head and looked at the girl who was sneaking a third bowl of noodles toward herself. “She’s not a smart machine, right?”

“Of course she isn’t.”

Sandrone followed Belle’s gaze—

Beside Columbina’s bowl, two empty bowls were already lined up.

“Columbina!”

Sandrone’s voice rose at once.

Columbina’s chopsticks froze in midair. She turned her head with care, her pink eyes blinking with pure innocence.

“Stop eating!”

Sandrone grabbed the edge of the bowl she was still trying to bring to her mouth. “How many bowls have you had already? You’re going to get fat as a pig!”

Columbina said nothing. She only tugged the bowl back toward herself. The tips of her chopsticks poked at the noodles, and she looked at Sandrone with pitiful eyes.

Sandrone took a deep breath.

“…Just this one bowl.” She pushed the bowl back to her, her tone stiff. “After you finish it, no more.”

Columbina’s eyes curved with a smile, and she lowered her head to keep eating.

Belle leaned closer to Wise and lowered her voice. “Brother, I keep feeling like there’s something special between them. From the moment we saw them until now, they’ve been together nonstop, and they’re always holding hands. Don’t you think they…”

Wise picked up his bowl and drank the last mouthful of broth. “Don’t gossip about people behind their backs.”

Belle pouted. “Brother, you’re like an NPC.”

Wise set the bowl back on the table and pushed it forward.

“Human-computer interaction is also a deep field of study,” he said. “All right, eat. We’ll go back and get some rest after this. We still have to enter a Hollow this afternoon.”

Belle gave a quiet “tsk” and said nothing else. She stabbed her chopsticks into the bowl and started dealing with the rest of her noodles.

Sandrone didn’t catch what the siblings were whispering about.

She turned her head. Outside the window, people came and went along Sixth Street, full of life and noise.

Then she looked beside her again.

Columbina had her head down, eating with focus. Her bangs had fallen forward, covering half her face.

Sandrone lowered her eyes.

Family, huh…

Forget it.

They had plenty of time from now on.

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 14

--+--

Chapter 14: Just Stick Together!

--+--

The afternoon on Sixth Street felt lazy and warm.

Belle and Wise walked into their own Random Play.

Sandrone stood in front of the ramen shop and watched the siblings vanish behind the door.

“Let’s go.”

She took Columbina’s hand and led her toward the corner at the far end of the street.

Sandrone didn’t know what she was thinking about. The noodles, the box, Belle’s line about “because we’re family,” and her own halting words: “our home.” It had only been something she’d said offhand. So why had it been so hard to say?

“Sandrone.”

Columbina spoke all of a sudden.

“Hm?”

“We’re home.”

Sandrone looked up.

“Oh.”

She took out the key, slid it into the lock, and turned it twice.

The door opened.

Afternoon light slanted in through the doorway and cut a bright line across the wooden floor. The huge red-and-white box stood in the corner, quiet and still.

Columbina sat down on the sofa as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She rested both hands on her knees and tilted her head at Sandrone.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”

Sandrone didn’t answer.

She stood in front of the box for a long while.

...She was a little nervous.

The feeling came out of nowhere.

She could guess what was inside. With that size, it most likely wasn’t a torso. If it wasn’t a leg, then it was an arm. But when her fingers touched the edge of the lid, she still paused.

Pop.

The sound of the seal tearing was soft.

The moment she lifted the lid, Sandrone froze.

The packaging was far more... refined than she’d expected.

Dark gray velvet lined the bottom. Shockproof foam wrapped the item inside with a perfect fit. Every corner had been pressed neat and flat, and even the folds in the velvet looked as if someone had smoothed them by hand.

Sandrone reached out and eased the foam aside.

It was an arm.

From the shoulder joint to the fingertips, the smooth metal parts gave off a cool white matte sheen.

She lifted the arm with both hands and turned it over. Her fingertips traced the edge of the connector. The connector was whole. Every latch was smooth and clean, with no sign of any forceful dismantling.

Sandrone lowered her eyes and let out a soft breath.

“Good...”

“What’s good?” Columbina had somehow come over and rested her chin on Sandrone’s shoulder, looking down at the thing in her hands.

“Nothing.” Sandrone put the arm back into the box, much more gently than before.

She closed the lid, and for some reason, felt a little lighter. She had only recovered one-fifth of it, but compared to the unknown she’d started with, this was much better.

That faint sense of control put her at ease.

“All right, stop putting your head on my shoulder. Your chin’s digging into me.”

Sandrone pushed the uninvited head off her shoulder, stood up, and patted down her skirt.

“We should head upstairs and rest too. This afternoon, we still have...”

Then she seemed to remember something, and her voice stalled.

“No.”

She turned around, crossed her arms, and stared straight into Columbina’s eyes.

“What’s wrong, Sandrone?” Columbina stopped on her way to the stairs.

“Don’t you have something to explain?”

“What?” Columbina looked a little puzzled.

Sandrone pointed at the sofa. “Go. Sit properly!”

Columbina went back without complaint, sat on the sofa with her knees together, and looked perfectly well-behaved. “I’m sitting.”

“...Columbina.”

“I’m here.”

“This morning.” Sandrone paused. “When I went out to buy breakfast.”

Columbina tilted her head and waited for her to continue.

“You were awake, weren’t you?” Sandrone’s voice was certain.

Columbina blinked and said nothing.

“The distance between us back then,” Sandrone said, stressing each word, “had already gone past five meters!”

Columbina still didn’t speak.

Sandrone stared at her.

“Why didn’t the safety rope trigger?”

Silence.

Sandrone took two steps forward and pressed her. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Columbina suddenly let out a soft laugh.

“Sandrone,” she said, her voice gentle, “if you want to hug me, just say so.”

“W-What?!”

“I won’t mind.” Columbina’s eyes curved with a smile. “You don’t need to make up an excuse like that.”

“What excuse am I making?!” Sandrone’s voice shot up. “I’m asking a serious question! Don’t change the subject!”

“Then...”

Columbina stood from the sofa and walked barefoot across the floor, step by step, toward the door.

“Want to test it?”

She stopped in the entryway, turned around, and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Let’s see if that safety rope’s still there.”

Her tone was so calm it was as if she truly hadn’t done anything.

Could the safety rope really have stopped working? Sandrone couldn’t help doubting herself.

...Should she try?

If it really was gone, that would be best.

She’d have freedom of movement. She wouldn’t have to keep thinking about that five-meter limit, and she wouldn’t be forced to stick to someone else all the time.

She looked at Columbina. Columbina was waiting for her answer with her head tilted, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“...”

Sandrone took a deep breath.

“Fine. Let’s test it.”

She kept her eyes on Columbina and started backing toward the other side of the living room.

Three meters, four meters, five...!

“Whoa—!”

A familiar force yanked hard around her waist and stomach, pulling her toward the entryway with no effort at all.

Her vision spun.

“Mm!”

Her face hit something soft.

A moment later, another person’s weight pressed down on her, along with a faint sweet scent. Columbina sat on Sandrone’s lower stomach, her hands braced against the floor on either side of Sandrone’s ears.

Her hair fell down and brushed Sandrone’s forehead, making it tickle.

“Looks like it’s still there.”

She spoke one word at a time, her voice light.

Sandrone’s eyes went wide.

“Columbina! You did that on purpose, didn’t you? You knew all along!”

Columbina only looked at her with smiling eyes.

“Wait—”

Something buzzed and exploded in Sandrone’s mind.

“This morning... don’t tell me you followed me the whole time! And then came back and pretended to be asleep?! You—!”

Columbina blinked.

“I don’t know.”

Her lips curved in an innocent smile.

Those three words, “I don’t know,” rose at the end, without even a hint of guilt.

Sandrone turned red from the base of her ears down to her neck.

“CO-LUM-BI-NA!”

She raised a hand to push her away, but when her palm pressed against Columbina’s shoulder, she couldn’t put any strength into it.

Or rather, she had no strength to use.

That pulling force was still there. She remembered now. It lasted for thirty seconds! As long as Columbina didn’t get up, they’d be stuck in this position. And clearly, Columbina had no plans to get up.

Sandrone opened her mouth.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“Why were you following me?” she finally forced out.

“Because you went out alone,” Columbina answered at last. “And you didn’t take me with you.”

As she spoke, her long, slender fingers drew small circles over Sandrone’s chest.

Sandrone took a deep breath.

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was asleep,” Columbina said as if it were obvious. “How was I supposed to tell you?”

“What?” Sandrone choked.

What kind of nonsense answer was that?

“Then you...” She tried to gather her words. “Fine, you followed me. But why didn’t you tell me?”

Columbina tilted her head, as if thinking over some deep question. Then she said, “Because I wanted to see what Sandrone would do when I wasn’t there.”

Sandrone: “...”

“But in the end, you only bought breakfast and came back.” Columbina’s tone seemed to carry a little regret.

Sandrone’s temple twitched, and she pushed again with more force.

“Columbina—are you getting up or not?!”

“Thirty seconds aren’t over yet.”

“They are.”

“They’re not.”

“They are!”

“Nope~”

“...”

Sandrone gave up.

She simply stopped moving and lay weakly on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Only the sound of soft breathing remained in the air.

“...Next time.”

Her voice was quiet, as if she had to squeeze it out of her throat.

“I’ll... call you myself.”

Sandrone broke the silence first.

Columbina didn’t speak.

Sandrone turned her head and met those pink eyes, deep as a starry sky.

Columbina’s brows and eyes curved with joy.

“Okay.”

Then she pushed herself up, and the weight pressing down on Sandrone moved away with her.

Sandrone was finally free. She sat up and straightened her rumpled clothes.

Columbina had already gone to the foot of the stairs. As if nothing had happened, she held out a hand and waited for Sandrone to go to bed with her.

“...Jerk.”

Sandrone cursed under her breath, walked over, and slipped her fingers into that open palm.

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 15

--+--

Chapter 15: Recovery in Progress

--+--

The afternoon sun had softened from its noon glare, slanting across the signs of Sixth Street.

Sandrone stood at the entrance of the video store. She looked down at her phone, then up at the closed door.

“...Didn’t we say two o’clock?”

The words had just left her mouth when the shop door slid open with a whoosh.

Belle poked half her head out. Her hair stuck up even more than it had at noon, and her eyes were still heavy with sleep. One look was enough to tell she’d just woken up and had only dragged a hand through her hair.

“Here, here! Sorry, sorry. My alarm messed up. It didn’t go off!”

Wise came out behind her, holding Eous in his arms, his face full of helplessness.

“I called you eight times. You were the one who wouldn’t get out of bed...”

“Bro! Leave me some dignity!” Belle’s face went red at once.

“Sorry about that,” Wise said to Sandrone. “Let’s go.”

He turned back and reminded her, “Wake yourself up, Belle. I’ll drive them to the Hollow.”

“I know, Bro.” Belle rubbed her face hard. “See you in a bit, then.”

Sandrone watched Belle for a moment, then glanced at Columbina in silence. She took Columbina’s hand and followed Wise.

--+--

For Belle, the next half day was likely the most dreamlike and unreal Hollow exploration of her whole career.

Back when she guided clients, if it wasn’t a pure combat commission, entering a Hollow felt like guerrilla warfare. If they could go around, they went around. If they could hide, they hid. If they had no choice, they fought through with gritted teeth, then pulled out fast, afraid more Ethereals would gather.

Now?

“Whoosh—BOOM!”

Smoke and dust scattered. The energy signatures of seven or eight Ethereals blinked out on the screen all at once, neat and clean, not a single one left.

Belle sat in her chair and gave a lazy stretch.

So this was the world of the strong? She’d never had such a wonderful exploration before. They were mowing straight through everything! Of course, it might also be because this was a Companion Hollow, and there weren’t many high-ranking Ethereals inside.

(T/N: This is technically the Fourteenth Street Hollow, but since it technically doesn’t have an official name, you can also consider it the Cretan Hollow, since the Fourteenth Street Hollow is a Companion Hollow to the Cretan Hollow)

Still, this kind of experience was rare.

“Let’s go! Keep moving!” Eous waved its little hand up ahead. Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve thought it was a tour-guide Bangboo.

The next few hours went much the same.

Columbina walked in front. If there was a wall, she climbed over it. If there were monsters, she cleared them out. She hummed some nameless tune, and her movements were so light and casual that she looked like she was strolling through her own backyard.

Belle watched the contrast between that slender figure and the hundreds of pounds of heavy objects for the whole afternoon, but she still couldn’t fully get used to it.

Sandrone stayed beside Columbina the whole time, hand in hand with her, always alert to their surroundings.

--+--

They found the second part in the basement of an abandoned storefront.

It was another red-and-white box with the exact same colors, and another clown mask that looked exactly the same.

This kind of visual paradox, where something was right in the open yet no one noticed it, felt wrong no matter how many times you saw it.

Only this box was even bigger than the last one.

“Let’s go. We’ll send the box back first.” Looking at the large box floating beside Columbina, Belle had already stopped being surprised.

“At this rate, Bro’s driving skills are gonna improve by leaps and bounds over the next few days!” Belle joked over the comms.

“Um...” Wise’s worried voice came through the channel. “I should remind you that our little van’s trunk might not fit a box that big...”

“...Can we put it on the roof?” Sandrone asked with a slight frown.

“We don’t have any rope in the car to secure it...”

“It’s fine. Leave it to Columbina.” Sandrone nodded.

--+--

Over the next two days...

The third.

The fourth.

Every time they found one, Wise had to serve as porter once more, driving back and forth between the Hollow and Sixth Street.

As the scattered boxes were found one by one, Sandrone relaxed in a way they could see with the naked eye.

The spikes she had raised at first after coming to this strange world were worn down bit by bit through smooth teamwork and simple boxed meals.

Their relationship also grew closer during the exploration.

--+--

On the way to the fifth part, they passed through a fairly open corridor.

There were few traces of Ethereal activity nearby. Only their footsteps echoed through the empty passage.

Belle walked at the front of the group, checked the marked coordinates on the screen, then looked back.

Sandrone and Columbina were still holding hands. That invisible safety rope seemed to have become real, tying the two of them together.

“Um...” Belle cleared her throat and broke the silence. “Sandrone, I know it’s a bit rude to ask this now...”

“Hm?” Sandrone lifted her eyes.

“Well...” Belle chose her words. “Would it be okay to ask if you two plan to stay here long-term?”

Sandrone’s steps paused. She didn’t answer at once. Instead, she turned her head, her gaze falling on Columbina’s profile.

Columbina was focused on the road ahead, as if she hadn’t heard their conversation.

“...Probably,” Sandrone said in a low voice, looking away.

“That’s great!” Belle smiled, her voice warm and sincere. “Sixth Street isn’t big, but it’s a nice place to live. My brother and I have been here for a while now, and the neighbors are all friendly—”

She stopped, turned around, and took two steps backward as she faced them. “Also, would you be interested in long-term cooperation?”

“Cooperation?” Sandrone thought over the information she’d gathered over the past few days. “You mean as Hollow exploration agents?”

“Bingo!” Belle snapped her fingers. “Agents as strong as you are rare. And... how do I put it? Working with you feels easy. If we run into troublesome commissions in the future, can we come to you first? The pay will be fair, I promise!”

Sandrone didn’t agree right away.

In this strange world, a promise often meant risk.

By habit, she looked at Columbina again.

This time, Columbina turned her head. Behind that thin veil, her eyes seemed to curve faintly, and she gave a small nod. After all, the Tsaritsa’s mission couldn’t move forward here. Having nothing to do in this world would be its own kind of torture.

And these siblings were, to her surprise, not unpleasant. As Proxies, they were quite reliable too.

“Fine,” Sandrone said, turning back with a clear answer.

“Can I visit the video store often, then?” Columbina suddenly asked in a soft voice.

Belle froze for a moment, then understood. “Of course! You’re very welcome! Do you want to watch movies?”

“Movies...” Columbina tasted the word.

Was that this world’s version of “shadow plays”?

The corners of her mouth rose a little, and she nodded. “I like watching movies.”

“No problem! Looks like I’ll have to recommend a few classic film lists to you.” Belle switched into store-manager mode in an instant.

“Of course, it’d be even better if you got a membership while you’re at it! New members get half off for the first month!”

“A membership, huh...” Sandrone looked at the smile on Columbina’s lips and nodded in thought.

“Then after we find the last box, we’ll go to your store to settle the commission fee and sign up for a card while we’re there.”

“Great! Thank you both for your business!” Belle’s eyes curved with her smile, as if she could already hear the Dennies coming in.

“Oh, right.” Sandrone seemed to remember something and slowed her steps. “Speaking of payment... we don’t have much cash on hand right now. When we settle the commission fee, can we give you one extra piece of Moonfall Silver and have you exchange it for Dennies?”

“Moonfall Silver?” Belle paused.

“Yes,” Sandrone added. “We can pay a handling fee.”

Belle scratched her head. “Well... Nicole’s the one who handled exchanging Moonfall Silver for Dennies.”

“Nicole?” Sandrone looked confused. “There aren’t any other channels?”

Sandrone wanted to use this chance to learn more ways to cash things out. Columbina had collected all kinds of strange odds and ends, and it didn’t feel right to keep going to Nicole every time.

“Uh, maybe you could list it on the Inter-Knot?” Belle spread her hands. “Nicole has some contacts with the Investigation Association. She exchanged it through someone inside the association. I don’t know the details.”

Seeing that Sandrone was still hesitating, Belle clapped her hands together. “How about this? After we finish the recovery, I’ll call her over to the store too, and we can talk about the Moonfall Silver together?”

Sandrone paused.

“Fine.” She nodded.

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 16

--+--

Chapter 16: Recovery Complete!

--+--

The fifth part was hidden deep inside the factory, in a half-collapsed room.

The box was, by far, the largest one they had found so far.

Sandrone stepped forward and checked it as usual. She found the familiar receipt and the seal, still intact.

She straightened up, let out a long breath, and dusted off her hands.

“That’s all of them.”

“All of them?” Belle glanced at the screen. “All five?”

“Yeah.”

Sandrone nodded, and a spark of hope rose in her chest. Once Pulonia was assembled, she could dump all kinds of chores on him.

Just like before!

The only shame was that, because of that damn safety rope, she had to keep Columbina by her side…

Though Columbina had already been this annoying back in Snezhnaya—she was even more annoying now…

Columbina drifted forward and lifted one pale hand, giving the huge metal box a light pat. The massive box seemed to lose its weight. It rose in the air, calm and obedient, then hovered behind her.

“Let’s go.” She turned back to Sandrone. “Let’s go home.”

--+--

On the way out of the Hollow, the mood in the group seemed much lighter.

Belle walked at the front of the party. She held back again and again, but still turned her head to glance between the two figures at least ten times.

In the end, her soul as a gossip won out over her work ethic.

She slowed down, moved closer to Sandrone, and lowered her voice. “Um… Sandrone, can I ask you something a little personal?”

Sandrone kept her eyes forward. “Ask.”

“Well…” Belle stole a look at Columbina, who was walking beside them hand in hand with Sandrone. “What exactly are you two to each other?”

Sandrone’s steps paused for the smallest beat.

“Colleagues,” she said.

Belle blinked. She clearly didn’t buy it. “Colleagues?”

What kind of colleagues held hands while strolling through a Hollow? And they’d been holding hands ninety percent of the time. Were these supposed to be normal colleagues?

“Former colleagues.” Sandrone pressed her lips together and added the correction with care.

“Oh—former colleagues.” Belle nodded as if deep in thought, though her gaze fell meaningfully on their linked hands.

“Looks like your old workplace had a very… warm office culture.”

Sandrone felt her cheeks heat up and said nothing. She pressed her lips together, glanced aside, then looked back.

Was there anything wrong with that?

No, there wasn’t!

Columbina had already resigned from the Tsaritsa’s service, so what was wrong with calling her a former colleague?

Belle was about to say something else when Columbina, beside them, turned her head and leaned in close to Sandrone.

“Sandrone,” she said, blinking with a pure, innocent look, “aren’t we… family?”

Sandrone stumbled.

“Wh-what?!”

“Family.” Columbina tilted her head and began counting on her fingers. “Look. We live together. We eat together. We sleep together. Now we’re even going into Hollows together to help you find your family—”

She paused, then leaned closer to Sandrone. Her warm breath brushed Sandrone’s ear.

“…If that’s not family, then what is it?”

Sandrone opened her mouth. Something seemed stuck in her throat. She wanted to argue, but for a moment, she couldn’t find the words.

What Columbina said seemed… true.

“Th-that’s—”

The tips of her ears began to burn.

Columbina only watched Sandrone in silence. The light in her eyes dimmed a little, and her long lashes lowered, casting a small shadow over her cheeks.

The curve at the corner of her lips faded too, flattening into a faint, almost invisible line.

She didn’t say a word.

Sandrone’s temple twitched.

She took a deep breath.

“You…” She opened her mouth.

Columbina still said nothing.

She only turned her face away and kept walking. Her steps were still light, but the hand holding Sandrone’s seemed to loosen a little.

Sandrone tightened her grip on instinct, unwilling to let go.

She looked at the profile of the person beside her, and her mind fell into a mess.

‘Is she… really hurt?’

‘No, she has to be acting.’

‘But she’s acting way too well.’

‘What if she isn’t acting?’

Belle took in the whole scene from the side. She almost failed to hold back a laugh.

This Columbina—she was good.

She clearly hadn’t said anything, but that face, that look, that angle of her lowered head—every little detail made her seem so pitiful, as if you’d truly done something wrong.

Belle silently gave her a thumbs-up in her heart.

Sandrone didn’t stay silent for long. She drew in a deep breath.

“…Anyway,” she forced out through gritted teeth, “let’s start as friends.”

Columbina’s steps paused. She didn’t turn back. Only her fingers moved a little.

“Really?” Her voice was very soft, with no clear emotion in it.

“…Yeah.”

Columbina turned back. Her eyes lit up again, as if the dimness from before had never been there at all.

“Okay.”

She gave a soft reply, then turned forward and kept walking. Only the hand holding Sandrone’s tightened a little, their fingers now laced together.

Sandrone felt the tip of her heart tremble.

Belle followed beside them and watched the whole show, a scene that was called “negotiation” but was clearly “flirting.” She couldn’t help covering her cheek. Then she cut off the connection with Eous and started a private chat with Wise.

“Wise,” she whispered, “how is this any different from dating? This is way too obvious!”

“What?” Wise, who had been waiting in the car with nothing to do, sounded lost. But he soon caught on.

“Don’t talk about people behind their backs.”

“I’ve heard you say that at least three times in the past two days.”

“Then hear it a few more times and remember it.”

Belle curled her lip and muttered “NPC” under her breath, but she still couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.

--+--

When they walked out of the Hollow, evening had almost settled, though the last glow of sunset had not yet faded.

By the time Wise drove Sandrone and the others back to Sixth Street, night had fallen. The warm yellow lights of Sixth Street spread softly through the dark.

“Welcome back! Commission complete!” Belle cheered with full energy when she saw them get out of the car.

“Yeah, the commission’s over.” Wise stepped out, stretched, and yawned. “I feel like I’ve driven enough for a lifetime.”

“You two worked hard.” Sandrone stood off to the side, holding Columbina’s hand. “We’ll put the things away first. After dinner, we can talk about the commission fee and the Moonfall Silver.”

“Let’s have dinner together, then. I already booked four seats with General Chop, and…” Belle clasped her hands behind her back and smiled with a sly look. “Columbina wants to eat too, right?”

Columbina’s eyes lit up, and she nodded fast.

“Also,” Belle added, “I’ve already told Nicole. She’ll be here soon.”

Sandrone looked speechless. “Fine. We’ll be there soon. See you in a bit.”

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 17

--+--

Chapter 17: That Damn Crook!!!

--+--

Hot steam rushed up at them, thick with the scent of bone broth.

Master Chop's ramen came in huge portions, and the black bowl red pepper chicken noodle soup was no joke. By the time Columbina finished eating, a fine sheen of sweat had formed on the tip of her nose, and her mood had improved for all to see.

With the commission done and the weight off their shoulders, the group finished dinner in good spirits.

After paying the bill, the four of them returned to the video store. The clock had just passed eight. Belle pushed open the glass door and felt along the wall in the dark until she found the switch.

With a click, the lights came on. Warm light spilled across rows of neat videotape cases.

"Nicole still isn't here?" Belle yawned, dropped herself onto the sofa, and tapped at her phone a few times. "I'll rush her."

Wise went to the back to make tea.

Sandrone and Columbina sat side by side on the sofa. Sandrone sat straight, while Columbina leaned against her shoulder with her eyes half shut, like a sleepy dove.

"Let's wait a bit longer. She should be here soon." Wise came out with a kettle, set a cup of water in front of each of them, and placed one more cup by the empty seat.

The words had barely left his mouth when the sharp sound of brakes came from outside.

A second later, the door flew open in a rush.

"I'm here, I'm here!"

The pink-haired girl burst in with her signature suitcase in hand. A thin layer of sweat covered her forehead, and she was still a little out of breath.

"Sorry, sorry! Traffic got kind of bad on the way—was that Bangboo sleepwalking in the middle of the road or what? Seriously!" Nicole grabbed the cup Wise had poured in advance and drained more than half of it in one go.

"Phew. I'm alive again." She leaned against the back of the sofa and fanned herself.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, she swept her gaze around the room. It finally landed on Sandrone, and a bright smile spread across her face at once.

"Yo, Sandrone, Columbina. Long time no see!"

Nicole pulled over a chair with the ease of someone who owned the place and crossed one leg over the other. "Looks like the commission went great! I knew I had a good eye for people!"

"All right, Nicole, let's get to the point." Belle put down her phone and cut off Nicole's small talk. "I texted you earlier about exchanging Moonfall Silver for dennies, and you said something 'went wrong.' What happened?"

The smile on Nicole's face froze for a second.

"Don't even get me started." Her expression turned ugly at once, and she set the cup down on the table. "That frie—ptui, that damn crook! She scammed me!"

Sandrone frowned a little. "Moonfall Silver can't be exchanged for dennies anymore?"

"No, that's not it." Nicole waved her hand. "It can still be exchanged."

Belle leaned forward, tense. "Did the exchange amount go down?"

"Mm, not that either..."

"Nicole!" Belle crossed her arms and leaned back against the sofa. "Say it all at once!"

"I was going to, but I kept getting..." Nicole muttered under her breath, poking her fingers together.

"Ahem. Fine, fine. It's not that serious! It's just—before, she kept saying stuff like 'this is a nuke for academia,' and 'we could publish hundreds of papers with this,' and 'this could make someone a tenured professor.' I got... I got soft-hearted for a second. I felt bad for her, so I sold it to her at a low price."

Nicole slapped her own thigh, her face full of outrage.

"And what did she do? She turned right around and sold it to her boss at a high price! She sold it for one million dennies!!!"

"Boss?" Belle paused, then looked at Wise.

"She probably means her teacher or adviser?" Wise wasn't too sure either, but he could more or less guess that Nicole had sold the Moonfall Silver to someone like a researcher from the HIA.

Sandrone's brow shifted.

"So one piece of Moonfall Silver is worth one million dennies?"

"Yes—uh!" Nicole froze on the spot.

Had she just let that slip by accident?

One million dennies.

Before, she had helped bring Sandrone and Columbina out of the Hollow, then driven them to Sixth Street. All things considered, it had only taken one trip.

At this price, that one piece she had taken… Nicole lowered her head. Her eyes darted around, then she stole a glance at Sandrone.

Sandrone's face showed nothing.

Nicole glanced again.

Still no reaction.

So... she wasn't going to make a fuss about it?

Nicole let out a quiet breath of relief.

Her dennies were probably safe.

On the other side, Wise leaned closer to Belle and lowered his voice.

"Belle, I think we really struck it rich this time!"

Belle's expression turned a little complicated as she whispered back, "Bro, aren't we being a bit too ruthless... Isn't this kind of wrong?"

"Well..." Wise hesitated too, then turned to look at Nicole. After all, in the end, they still needed Nicole to exchange the Moonfall Silver for dennies.

How would she react?

For a moment, the mood in the room sank into a strange silence.

Columbina leaned against Sandrone's shoulder and looked from side to side, not quite understanding why everyone had gone quiet all of a sudden.

"You all..."

The moment Sandrone opened her mouth, Belle and Nicole both jolted.

"Just say the word!" Nicole sat up straight at once, her tone as sincere as it could be. "As long as the Cunning Hares can do it, we'll go through fire and water for you!"

Then she added in a much smaller voice, "As long as you don't ask for the dennies back..."

"..."

Sandrone looked at them, a little speechless.

"What are you all so nervous about? I didn't say I was going to do anything."

She untied the heavy little cloth bag and poured five gems onto the table, each one glowing with a cold silver light. The five pieces of Moonfall Silver rested there in silence, as if moonlight had been frozen into solid form. Under the warm yellow light of the room, they gave off a strange chill.

Nicole's eyes went straight.

She had seen them before, but this thing's beauty—or rather, the beauty of the "dennies" it represented—could still stir the heart no matter how many times she looked at it.

"Two pieces are the final payment for Phaethon." Sandrone pressed her long fingers against two of them and pushed them toward Belle.

Then she placed her fingers on the other three and slid them toward Nicole.

"For these three, please exchange them for dennies for me."

After spending the past few days learning about this world, Sandrone had gained some grasp of its prices. She had also become interested in certain technologies unique to this world and planned to study them.

For research, this amount of money was still only a drop in the bucket, but for more surface-level fields, it should be enough to last a while.

"No problem! Leave it to me!"

Nicole whipped out a storage case so fast it was almost a blur. Her movements were smooth and practiced, as if she feared Sandrone might change her mind.

She placed the three pieces of Moonfall Silver inside with great care, then snapped the lid shut.

Nicole patted the storage case. Then, as if remembering something, she rubbed her hands together, and her tone became warm enough to melt butter.

"So, uh... Sandrone."

Sandrone lifted her eyes.

"That croo—cough, I mean, my friend," Nicole said, choosing her words with care, "they're doing research, you know? They need a lot of material. She told me she'd take as much Moonfall Silver as she could get. So I was wondering..."

She didn't outright say, "Sell me everything you've got," but the longing in her eyes was about to spill over.

Sandrone lowered her gaze and rubbed her fingers together.

Columbina did still have more, but Sandrone didn't plan to bring it all out.

Moonfall Silver wasn't from this world, after all. If they sold too much, it might draw trouble they didn't need.

She hated trouble.

Especially trouble outside of research.

"There's no more." Sandrone looked up, her voice calm. "This is all I have on hand."

A flicker of disappointment passed through Nicole's eyes, but it was soon covered by the joy of knowing she had still made a profit.

"Fine, fine. Small streams make a long river!" She patted the storage case. "Don't worry. Once it passes through the hands of Nicole, boss of the Cunning Hares, I guarantee every denny you get will be 'clean.'"

Sandrone glanced at her.

"Clean?"

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 18

--+--

Chapter 18: Belle and Nicole's Little Scheme

--+--

“Uh…” Nicole crossed her arms and lifted her chin a little. “What I mean is, it’s guaranteed legit! No one’s gonna trace it back to you! Every step goes through Cunning Hares’ very own… ahem, VIP hidden channel.”

She paused, then rubbed her thumb and forefinger together with practiced ease. “Of course, since it’s VIP service, charging a small handling fee is only fair, right?”

Sandrone didn’t answer.

To her, as long as it saved her from trouble later, a handling fee was a fair and needed expense.

“Also,” Nicole said, moving fast as she packed the storage box away, then turned to Belle. Her face switched from money-hungry mode back to serious mode in a blink. “Belle, there’s one more thing.”

Belle raised a brow and caught on at once. “That missing safe? You found a lead?”

“That’s right! We’ve already figured out where the safe went!”

Nicole nodded with pride, then looked toward Wise, who had been sitting in front of the HDD the whole time. “How’s the thing I asked you to handle?”

“You mean the data drive?” Wise took out the tooth-shaped accessory Nicole had given him. “We’ve already repaired the data drive. Just like you guessed, it really did have the safe’s digital passcode inside. Once we get the box, we can open it anytime.”

“All right, everyone! Thanks to your help, all the prep work is done.” Nicole clapped her hands with excitement and stood up. “It’s time for the next step! First thing tomorrow morning, we’re heading into the Hollow and taking that safe back from the Dullahan!”

“Tomorrow?”

Belle’s face froze. She put on a look of pure suffering and covered her face with both hands. Her voice squeezed out through her fingers.

“Nicole, have mercy on us… We’ve been going into the Hollows hard for three days straight. Even production-team Bangboos don’t get worked this bad…”

As she spoke, Belle lowered her hands and looked at Nicole with faint dark circles under her eyes, pitiful as could be. “Can we go the day after tomorrow? I’d even settle for sleeping in once.”

“Rest?!” Nicole’s eyes went wide, like she’d heard something beyond reason. “One more day of rest means one more chance for things to go wrong! What if that Dullahan runs off with the box? Or what if some other Hollow raiders get there first?”

Wise chuckled from the side. “Didn’t expect that, Nicole. Even with a big deal like Moonfall Silver on the table, you still care about this little ‘mosquito leg’ commission?”

“Hmph, of course I do! You can never have too many Dennies. That’s a matter of principle.” Nicole crossed her arms, looking like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“And besides, the commission for this job may not compare to the value of Moonfall Silver, but it’s nowhere near ‘mosquito leg’ money!”

“But, Nicole.” Belle sighed and spread both hands, her tone turning serious. “There’s some bad news I have to tell you.”

“Huh? What is it?” Nicole froze for a moment. At a time like this, the words “bad news” were the last thing she wanted to hear.

“We’ve been searching that companion Hollow for Sandrone’s five boxes these past few days, right? Along the way, we wiped out quite a few Ethereals.”

Belle stood and pointed at the data on the HDD. “Normally, after clearing out that many Ethereals, the Hollow’s Ether activity should drop, and its scale should shrink too.”

Nicole frowned. “But I heard that Hollow’s Ether activity hasn’t changed much?”

“Exactly. That’s the problem.” Belle tapped a red dot at the edge of the map. “While guiding Sandrone, I noticed that deep inside that Hollow… it seems a high-risk entity has been born.”

“A high-risk entity?!” Nicole’s voice jumped an octave. Even her pink twin tails shook with it.

Sandrone, who had been sitting off to the side and watching the drama in silence, also looked up at Belle in some surprise.

Belle noticed Sandrone’s confusion and explained, “The direction Columbina pointed us in just happened to miss the high-risk entity’s location, so we never ran into it. That’s why I didn’t go out of my way to mention it. No need to make more trouble.”

Belle turned back to Nicole, her voice heavy. “But the safe’s location, if we’re unlucky, may be close to that thing’s territory.”

Nicole’s expression twisted at once.

“T-Then… what do we do?!” Nicole clutched her chest in pain. “If we run into a monster of that level, then Billy, that spendthrift… plus Anby’s weapon costs… after that fight, how much commission money would I even have left?! I might end up paying out of pocket!”

“Uh, Nicole, don’t forget you also have Moonfall Silver…” Wise had drifted over at some point and gave her a reminder.

“That’s a separate matter!” Nicole looked heartbroken.

“So,” Belle said, her eyes turning as she leaned in and wrapped an arm around Nicole’s shoulders.

She lowered her voice and secretly pointed toward Sandrone and Columbina. “Look. Don’t we have ready-made heavy-hitting backup right here?”

Nicole looked over with suspicion. “Them?”

Sandrone was drinking tea. Columbina was staring at a tea stem floating in her cup, lost in thought. Neither of them looked dangerous at all.

“Don’t underestimate them! I’ve seen it with my own eyes these past few days!” Belle gave a thumbs-up. “Who do you think wiped out all those Ethereals I mentioned? My brother and I only handled the route. We didn’t hire any extra Agents.”

Belle pointed at Columbina. “Columbina may look soft and fragile, but she cuts through Ethereals like she’s chopping vegetables. I’ve never seen an Ethereal last one round against her! And—”

Belle brought out her trump card. “She doesn’t use up any ammo or weapons!”

Nicole’s ears twitched. “You mean…”

“Commission them to come along.” Belle coaxed her along like a salesperson. “Let them help deal with that high-risk Ethereal and handle fire suppression. That’ll save a huge amount of money.”

“Plus, with them there, my brother and I only need to do basic navigation, so Eous won’t have to carry as much weight either. Heading out tomorrow won’t be impossible!”

“Commission?” Nicole leaned back and guarded the Moonfall Silver she had just gotten, all alert. “I don’t have money! I haven’t even received the commission payment yet! My pockets are cleaner than my face!”

“Who said you had to pay cash?” Belle patted her shoulder with the look of someone disappointed in a hopeless student. “Isn’t Sandrone asking you to exchange it for Dennies? That ‘handling fee’… just give her a discount. Wouldn’t that count as the hiring fee?”

Nicole froze.

That made sense!

And judging by the way they acted, they probably didn’t care much about such small change anyway…

Nicole narrowed her eyes at Belle, then leaned closer and grabbed Belle’s hand. “Belle, something’s off with you.”

“Huh?”

“You’re really being this kind and helping me save money?” Nicole looked her up and down with suspicion. “You’re giving me ideas this eagerly all of a sudden… Come on, what do you want?”

“Oh, come on, we’re just helping each other out.” Belle smiled without a crack in her face, her eyes so sincere they could fool anyone. “You know my brother and I. We’re the type to rush in when justice calls.”

She would never admit she only wanted to slack off.

If Sandrone and Columbina came along, she could even sit in front of the HDD, drink cola, and control Eous at the same time.

How could she pass up a chance to win while lying down?

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 19

--+--

Chapter 19: The Banned Demon Queen and the Hardworking Little Wife~

--+--

Nicole stared at Belle for three seconds.

Her gut told her something was fishy here, but the words “save money” had far too much pull. So much pull, in fact, that they crushed every scrap of doubt.

The conflict on her face vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual sharp, calculating smile.

“Hmph. Fine, you’ve got a point.”

Nicole flicked her hair with style, then turned toward Sandrone, who sat on the sofa with a cup of water in her hands.

“Ahem.” Nicole cleared her throat, planted her hands on her hips, and put on the air of someone about to strike a major business deal.

“Sandrone, and Columbina too. Given the change in the situation, the Cunning Hares will be heading into the core area of the Hollow tomorrow to recover a safe. There’s a chance we’ll run into a tricky mutated Dullahan along the way…”

Before she could finish building up the mood of “hardship and danger,” Sandrone set down her cup.

“Do you need help?”

Her voice was flat. It even sounded a little… eager?

Nicole froze. The long speech she had prepared got stuck in her throat.

‘She’s this willing?’

She blinked, then fixed her expression at once.

“That’s right!” Nicole gave a firm nod. “On behalf of the Cunning Hares, I hereby formally invite you both to join this special operation as ‘special consultants’! Your main duty will be… uh, fire suppression and cleanup against high-risk targets. How does that sound?”

“Of course!” Nicole took a deep breath, as if she’d made some great sacrifice. “In return, the exchange fee for these pieces of Moonfall Silver…”

“Sure.”

Sandrone nodded without the slightest pause. She turned her head and looked at the girl beside her, who was playing with the ends of her hair out of boredom.

“Columbina, you don’t mind either, do you?”

Columbina lifted her head. Her eyes blinked behind the thin veil, and she shook her head like a sweet, obedient child. “I don’t mind.”

“…will be half off…?”

The second half of Nicole’s sentence finally drifted out, carrying a trace of blank confusion.

She tilted her head and looked at the two of them, who had already settled the matter. It felt like she’d punched cotton.

Just like that… the deal was done?

She had prepared several rounds of bargaining, too. Sixty percent, fifty-five percent, all ready to go! How had she not used a single one?

Sandrone watched Nicole’s stunned face, lifted her cup, and took a sip to hide the faint curve at the corner of her mouth.

A tiny service fee didn’t matter at all.

The real point was—

She glanced at Columbina beside her. The girl sat there quiet enough, but her fingers kept picking at random things.

These past few days, with all their trips back and forth into the Hollows, Columbina had come home each night and fallen asleep right away. Sandrone had enjoyed a rare stretch of peaceful days.

If this woman got cooped up at home for too long and had too much energy left over, then the one most likely to suffer would be… herself.

Going to the Hollow was great!

Not only could they make money, it was also a free place to “walk the bird.” Perfect!

“Fine.” Sandrone stood and looked at Nicole, settling it with one final word. “Half off. Deal.”

--+--

After everyone exchanged what information they had, they agreed to meet at nine the next morning in the parking lot behind the video store, then went their separate ways.

Nicole hummed a tune so off-key it barely counted as music, carrying her signature briefcase as she vanished into the night, pleased as could be.

Wise and Belle yawned and closed the video store for the night.

Sandrone held Columbina’s hand and walked through the quiet streets of Sixth Street.

Then they went home.

Once inside, Sandrone pushed the door open and flicked on the light. In the living room, five huge red-and-white crates stood side by side along the wall.

Those were all the parts of Pulonia.

Finally!

She wouldn’t have to carry heavy things by herself anymore.

She wouldn’t have to clear a path and fight mobs by herself anymore.

She wouldn’t have to hide behind Columbina for every little thing anymore—

Uh. Actually, she probably still had to hide for a while on that last one.

But at least! She wouldn’t have to do everything herself!

Sandrone rolled up her sleeves and pulled the five slips of paper from her pocket, the ones that had been stuck to the crates.

She gathered the scraps into a stack, ready to crumple them up and toss them into the trash.

Then, all of a sudden—

“Toot—!!!”

An absurd, over-the-top horn blast, like the opening note of a circus show, exploded through the quiet living room.

The five wrinkled slips tore free from Sandrone’s fingers and fluttered into the air like five startled pigeons.

“Wow.”

Columbina had been about to get pudding from the fridge, but the noise drew her over. She padded up barefoot, her pink eyes full of the joy of watching trouble unfold.

“What’s this?”

“What else could it be?” Sandrone stared at the air without expression. “Some bastard’s idea of fun.”

The moment she finished speaking, the five slips slammed into each other in midair.

“Bang!”

With the sharp crack of a party popper, countless colorful streamers and glitter burst out of nowhere, drifting down until both of them were covered.

Several pieces of bright pink confetti stuck to Sandrone’s face, blocking the murderous look in her eyes.

Columbina didn’t mind at all. She even reached out, caught a handful of falling glitter, and lifted it close to her eyes for a better look.

“So pretty.”

“…”

Amid the cheap special effects filling the air, a glittering gold card spun down.

At last, it landed with perfect aim in Sandrone’s palm.

On the card, Aha’s signature clown-mask symbol grinned wide, as if laughing at her without a sound.

Lines of cheerful, wavy text appeared on the back of the card:

--+--

[🎭 Joyous Troupe Performance: The Banned Demon Queen and the Hardworking Little Wife~ 🎭]

[Dear Sandrone~ Congrats on getting back your beloved big toy! But—]

[If “Miss Demon Queen” simply crushes the enemies with one finger, then this play would be far too boring, wouldn’t it? The audience would ask for refunds!]

[Mission Objective: Help the Cunning Hares defeat the mutated Dullahan.]

[Special Restriction: Princess, Please Watch the Show]

[During this mission, Columbina is forbidden from making any form of attack!]

[That’s right! She can’t even throw a single feather! Her only jobs are to look beautiful, eat popcorn, or cheer you on~]

[All the dirty work and hard labor shall be left to “Little Wife” Sandrone and her tin-can friend!]

--+--

Sandrone’s fingers tightened around the edge of the card.

Little wife?

Her?

--+--

[Mission Reward: The Taste of Freedom]

[The “safety leash” mechanism that someone “hates most” will gain a daily exemption!]

[You’ll receive 2 hours of unrestricted free movement every day!]

[Failure Penalty: Closer Than Ever, Super Deluxe Edition]

[If the mission fails, or if Columbina can’t hold back and makes a move… hehehe~]

[1. The safety leash range will be reduced to 2 meters forever!]

[2. You’ll gain the negative status “Superglue”: At random times, a “specific body part” from each of you will be forcibly stuck together! Guaranteed thrills! Duration: ten minutes~]

[Kind Reminder: If this triggers in public, you may attract quite a crowd~]

[PS: For those precious 2 hours of single life, work hard, girl! Elation is watching you! 🤡]

--+--

The words on the card flashed twice, as if Aha were winking at her.

Sandrone’s fingers began to tremble around the card.

“What do you mean, ‘little wife’?!!!”

She yanked hard, trying to tear the card apart.

The card didn’t budge.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Instead, the card glowed faintly and let out a burst of “heeheehee” laughter, as if mocking her helpless rage.

“Pfft…”

A laugh slipped out from behind her.

--+--

Marionette’s Cuddling Life - 20

--+--

Chapter 20: Pulonia

--+--

Columbina tilted her head and let out a soft laugh.

She couldn't help leaning in a little closer. Her eyes fell on the bold title printed on the card, and clear delight colored her voice.

“Little wife?”

She savored the words, letting the end of them rise.

“That name… kind of suits you, doesn't it, little wife Sandrone~”

“Shut up.”

Sandrone forced the two words out through clenched teeth, her cheeks flushed red.

It was pure anger.

What “little wife”… Who wanted to be something like that?

Damn you, Aha!

The shame made Sandrone want to blow up that card, this world, and everything in between.

But Aha seemed to have seen that coming. The new card wasn't frail like the earlier tickets. No matter how Sandrone tore at it, it stayed tough as ever, and even let out a few mocking little “hee hee” sounds.

“And,” Columbina said, lifting one finger and lightly poking Sandrone's puffed-up cheek, “since you'll be doing all the dirty work and I can't make a move… doesn't that mean you're in charge of protecting me, the ‘Demon Queen,’ my—”

“I said shut up! Don't say those two words!”

Sandrone slapped her hand away and shoved the damned card into her pocket. Then she turned and glared at the five huge boxes with murder in her eyes. Two flames called “revenge” burned there.

“Watch yourself tomorrow! I'm not protecting you!”

Sandrone ground her teeth and grabbed the electric wrench from the toolbox. The way she held it, she looked less like she was about to fix a machine and more like she was going to kill someone.

“For those two hours of freedom…”

She took a deep breath and pushed up her goggles. A cold gleam flashed across the lenses.

“Columbina, go pour me coffee! Extra strong! A whole pot!”

“Of course, my Sandrone~”

Columbina answered with a bright smile, then turned and headed for the kitchen with light steps.

When she reached the kitchen door, she looked back again.

“Little wife~”

“CO—LUM—BI—NA—!!!”

--+--

That night, the lights on Sixth Street went out one by one.

Sandrone didn't sleep.

So what if she had to pull an all-nighter? For her, staying up late to run experiments or modify machines was just part of life.

One night of assembly work didn't even count as a warm-up.

Columbina lay over the armrest of the sofa and watched her for a while, head tilted. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until at last her head dipped to the side and she fell asleep.

Her breathing turned long and even. Her bangs slipped down and covered half her face, and her lips stuck out a little, making her look like a child with no guard up.

Sandrone was tightening a screw when her hands paused.

She glanced back, frowned, set down the wrench, and got up. She pulled the thin blanket from the sofa and covered Columbina with it. Her movements were a bit rough, but the blanket landed gently.

“Troublemaker.”

She muttered the word, then turned back to work.

Outside the window, the night shifted from deep black to dark blue, then from dark blue to pale gray.

When the first ray of morning light slipped through the gap in the curtains, Sandrone stood up and let out a long breath.

All five parts had been assembled.

A tall figure stood in silence at the center of the living room.

His whole design carried the Victorian style Sandrone loved. A tall top hat decorated with gears and sharp ornaments sat on his head. A heavy coat trimmed in gold covered his frame, paired with fine white ruffles.

Dark gray, gold, and deep red formed his main colors, mixing the cold texture of machinery with noble splendor. His presence felt solemn and deeply imposing.

He stood there in silence, like a quiet guard.

Sandrone yawned and raised a hand to rub her eyes.

It was just an all-nighter. To her, it was nothing.

She turned and went to the bathroom, twisted the faucet open, and splashed cold water onto her face. In an instant, she felt awake.

When she came back out, Columbina was still asleep.

Her position had changed. She had gone from lying over the armrest to lying on her side. The blanket had slid halfway down, showing part of her calf and a pale, jade-like foot.

Sandrone walked over, pulled the blanket back up, and gave Columbina's shoulder a few impatient pats.

“Get up.”

No response.

She patted her again.

Still nothing.

Sandrone took a deep breath. Her gaze moved over Columbina, then stopped at a certain spot.

Should she pat her… there?

The instant that thought appeared, Columbina opened her eyes as if she'd seen it coming.

Those pink eyes still held the haze of sleep.

She slowly sat up. Her hair was a mess, with a few strands sticking up on top of her head.

“Tch.” Sandrone pulled her hand back, looking a little disappointed.

Columbina rubbed her eyes and looked around in a daze. Then her gaze settled on the tall figure in the middle of the living room.

“Pulonia…”

She walked forward barefoot and brushed her fingers over the robot's cold arm. The corners of her mouth lifted.

“Welcome back.”

--+--

At exactly nine in the morning, the sunlight had already grown a bit glaring. Behind the video store, in the parking lot, several people stood beside the gray-orange car.

Belle yawned and leaned against the car door. Her hair stuck up even more than yesterday, making it clear she'd only dragged a hand through it twice before leaving home.

Wise stood beside her, holding Eous in his arms. His face was calm, and he looked to be in pretty good shape.

Nicole crouched beside the hood, tapping away at her phone and muttering under her breath.

Anby stood behind her with a rolled-up map in her hands, her posture straight and her face blank.

Billy leaned against the car door on the other side, staring at his phone screen. From time to time, he let out a lovesick little laugh and mumbled, “Big Sis Monica~”

“Why aren't they here yet…” Belle muttered, then yawned again.

As soon as she said it, heavy footsteps came from the corner of the street.

Dull, steady, one after another, like some kind of huge machine drawing near.

Everyone turned their heads at the same time.

Then they all froze.

A massive robot came around the corner. He wore a tall top hat decorated with gears and a heavy gold-trimmed coat. Each step landed on the ground with a low thud.

And Sandrone—she was sitting in the robot's palm like a delicate doll.

One hand held her, steady as a moving sofa. Her legs were together, and her posture was neat, as if she were riding in some private carriage.

Columbina sat on his other hand, gently swinging her bare feet. She held a half-finished bag of milk in one hand and looked to be in a good mood.

“Bro… am I seeing things?” Belle rubbed her eyes.

“No.” Wise's voice stayed calm, but his eyes had grown a whole size wider than usual.

Nicole's mouth formed an O.

Anby's brows moved a little. For her, that was the largest change in expression she could make.

Billy shoved his phone straight back into his pocket, his eyes going wide.

“Whoa—” He dragged the word out. “That is way, way too cool!!!”

Pulonia walked up to them and stopped.

Sandrone patted the hand beneath her.

Pulonia slowly crouched and lowered his palm until it touched the ground.

Columbina hopped down with ease. Sandrone landed with grace as well, then stood firm and patted away dust that didn't exist from her clothes.

“Good morning,” she said.

Columbina walked to her side and took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Once the two of them had stepped down, Pulonia straightened again and towered over them.

He only stood there in silence, but the pressure he gave off was like a walking fortress. The private cars parked nearby seemed to turn into toys at once.

The others were still stunned.

Columbina waved at the dazed group. “Good morning, everyone.”

Belle finally came back to herself. She pointed at the robot standing silently behind Sandrone, then pointed at herself. Her mouth opened, and it took her a moment to find her voice.

“Th-this is…?”

Sandrone glanced back.

“Pulonia,” she said. “My… assistant.”

“Assistant?” Nicole's voice shot up an octave. “You call this thing an assistant?”

“Part-time butler,” Sandrone added.

Belle suddenly remembered something, and her eyes grew wider.

“Wait—he couldn't be… from those boxes we were looking for before, right?”

Sandrone nodded.

Belle fell silent for two seconds, then gave yesterday's self a thumbs-up in her heart. Thank goodness she'd dragged them in. This wasn't backup. This was a cheat code.

“So cool, so cool!!!” Billy had already circled Pulonia several times, his eyes shining. “Those lines! That texture! This is a man's romance!”

Nicole cleared her throat.

“All right, all right!” She clapped her hands and pulled everyone's attention back. “Since everyone's here, let's get started!”

--+--