Chapter 5: Tyrant´s mansion

The colours of youth, so bright yet so sorrowful! Young gentlemen are giving flowers to their ladies and have kisses in exchange for their cheeks and foreheads. The joyful laughs are spreading across the park, working in unison with the chirps of tiny sparrows. Sadly or luckily, I never had a chance to experience this poisonous honey. Indeed, my heart was tougher than stone, and my mind was free of lustful thoughts. Ah, if only I preferred having a quiet life at my home, sharpening my mastery in prideful silence…

Cordelia, why did I see you that day? Is fate making a fool of me, or do we actually have a chance to blossom together? If only I could hear an answer from your sinless lips, Cordelia, my beloved Cordelia… Nothing but love has haunted my head ever since I saw you. I learned how painful this feeling could be. Whenever I look at your golden eyes, my heart is in agony, as if a thousand stings are penetrating it! And the presence of another person by your side makes their sheer pressure even more painful. But what makes the matter worse is my dependence on you, never before my works were so precise! You are like a goddess of craftsmanship who brought me a benison for everlasting worship. Ah, Cordelia, was your childish desire a blessing from the sky or a curse from the dark pits of hell? Whatever it may be, your demands are absolute for me! Purple like an amethyst dress, yellow eyes, as if made of gold and snow-white hair, found only in fairy tales. You are a perfect model for my work, Cordelia, I will make sure to surpass even the greediest expectations of yours! Cordelia, my dear Cordelia, just wait for IT´s debut!

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Two kids with antique dolls in their hands ran off from the museum. Despite all the curious gazes directed at the pair, they were speed walking down the street without paying any attention to them. At one point, one of the masterful dolls in the black dress, platinum hair and jet black wings revealed her crimson eyes to the world. Suigintou glanced over the empty passthrough and began talking in half voice.

"Gramonts mansion surely sounds familiar, but I doubt anyone from the sisters was present there. Where did such rumours come from?"

Another doll in Odille's hands raised her eyelids and faced Suigintou.

"Maybe they were at that mansion just at the time when we were asleep, I suppose?"

"Can we discuss it later? People might overhear you, and ventriloquist excuses will not work in this situation."

It would surely surprise anyone if two ventriloquists of differing nationalities were speaking Japanese on the streets of France. The girls surrendered without fighting and stayed still throughout the whole way to Odille´s home.

Near the car, Leo was already waiting for the two. The man was leaning with both his elbows on the fencing above Soane river. Odille immediately noticed a thin white smoke fluttering in the wind and slightly increased her jogging speed. Upon coming closer, the girl narrowed her brows and blamefully exclaimed in French.

"Vous fumez encore!(You are smoking again!)"

The man's whole body twitched in surprise, but instead of facing the one who called for him, he leaned on the fence even further, practically falling off to the river. After a second of silence, he turned to angry Odille and said with a wry smile.

"Eh bien, maintenant je n'ai pas de cigarette.(Well, now I do not have a cigarette at hand)… huh, what are these, boy, lady Odille?"

Leo abruptly switched to English while pointing at the dolls, which caught Jun and Odille off guard. Their thoughts were enveloped in the mystery, surrounding Gramont and his nefarious plotting of the past. They totally forgot that upon arriving, Suigintou and Kanaria were not present. Odille opened her mouth, attempting to explain the situation, but Leo announced his guess earlier. The man sighed, scratching the back of his head and said with unexpected annoyance.

"Encore une fois vider les portefeuilles de vos parents? Ils ont l'air pas mal, mais au moins celui pour dame Cossette a aussi été pris-(Again emptying your parents´ wallets? They look quite pricey, but at least you took one for lady Cossette as well.)"

"-Ah, non…"

Odille quickly explained the situation to the now dumbfounded Leo, and with some sluggish movements of the dolls, the man was fully convinced of their origin. Despite being aware of Rozen Maiden's existence, he seemingly never witnessed them in flesh. Such speculation further developed in Jun's mind after Leo became quieter and was occasionally giving curious gazes at the miniature girls, sitting together on the central seat of a car.

Soon, the company arrived at the mansion, and upon coming closer to the entrance, sounds of suspicious fuss could be heard around the house. Odille opened the dark wooden door, catching the sight of Souseiseki, who stopped abruptly and looked back at her. Odille diverted her gaze from the lone doll to the boy and the other two dolls, but she could not find her servant Leo.

"Where did he go?"

"Huh, he is not here?"

The man in an elegant suit disappeared, but after a while, a sound of a car engine roared in the distance, indicating Leo´s presence there. In spite of having a reason to face him, Odille did not bother herself with running back to the car. They all passed the threshold and stopped in the hallway.

"Welcome back, lady Odille, master and… huh, so you were with master all this time."

"Hello, Souseiseki! You will not believe what we discovered, I suppose!"

"We will talk about it later, where is everyone?"

Shortly after their quick chat, all the Rozen Maidens, Jun, Odille and her little sister gathered in a spacious dining room around a huge table. The boy was still amazed by the Fosset´s wealth, he would never have guessed that they were this rich. Their modest house looks pale in comparison to this mansion. If Rozen Maidens were regularly having a medium in such conditions, Shinku´s spoiled attitude made even more sense now.

However, it was not the time for being impressed by the residence of a noble. Immediately after all the bustling decreased, Jun put a silver coin at the table and announced, with his brown eyes shining from excitement.

"It became clear much earlier than I expected, but it seems like we are moving in the right direction. We interrogated the owner of the Musée… de?"

"Musée d'Histoire de Lyon."

"Yeah, Musée d'Histoire, wait, you never mentioned de Lyon."

Odille only shrugged, but before Jun had a chance to continue, Suiseiseki interrupted him.

"No one cares about its name, desu! Tell us what you found!"

Even though the boy was displeased by her sassy comment, his lively mood was not shattered in the slightest.

"Khem, as I was saying, this coin might indeed be crucial evidence. From the words of the owner, the one engraved here is the crazy duke who researched the creation of the living dolls. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Rozen Maidens looked at each other in search of an explanation of Jun´s words. Only Suigintou and Kanaria reacted to his words calmly, due to beforehand knowledge. At last, only one doll was brave enough to destroy the hanging silence. Souseiseki gazed at the coin, which glittered in the lights of the chandelier and presented the general question in a semi whisper.

"What could it possibly mean? Was this person our father´s acquaintance?"

"So you want to say that you do not recognize him? What about you Hinaichigo, Suiseiseki? Maybe one of your mediums was a tenant in the mansion near the Seine river?"

"The river is located in the North of France, right? My mediums never lived there."

"Souseiseki and I are always together, desu. If she can't say for sure neither can I, desu."

Now it was clear, the cause for a mystery surrounding Duke Gramont and his experiments can't possibly be Rozen Maidens. But since this legend is supposed to have its roots, it is safe to assume that something at least similar to a living doll was present in Gramont´s possessions. If he was able to decode nature and make a life out of lifeless dolls, then it means the possibility of Rozen´s interference. The reasons are, of course, unknown, but they are not important either. Jun was thinking of explaining the details further, but a sudden word that parted from Suigintou´s lips left him confused.

"Tefuko."

"Tefu… who is that?"

Suigintou glanced over at the twins, whose eyes were wide open in astonishment. The boy could not comprehend their reaction, thus he asked in a slightly impatient manner.

"Who is that Tefuko? Is she a previous medium or…?"

"Master… we never mentioned it, but life from a lifeless object is possible even without Rosa Mystica."

"What do you-"

"-Have patience, chibi-human, and listen! Tefuko is our half-sister, desu, and despite her not having Rosa Mystica, she was alive with the reason being her mother´s wholehearted love, desu. Her lifespan was not too long, but it was still a miracle, desu. Maybe some human was able to revive a doll through the same method, which spread the rumours, desu?"

Such sudden news was unpleasant for Jun. As soon as he finally found a possible solution for the Rosa Mystica recipe, a new method of living doll creation was announced. The boy bit his lower lip and grumbled scathingly.

"And of course, I am the last one to know the crucial information! Whatever with that Tefuko, we still need to investigate Gramont´s mansion."

"Of course, I suppose! It is still only a hypothesis, confirmation of which we have to find on our own, I suppose."

"Look at your big talks, but I agree. There is no point in being sitting ducks. Even if Gramont´s case will be a pile of worthless legends, we, at least, will clearly see the dead-end to not ever bump into ever again."

This logic was straightforward and precise. Sometimes you need some stubbornness and boldly strive through the hard times to reach your goal. Jun understood it well, yet he remained irritated regarding the situation. The boy was tired of hitting the wall with his head and hoped for linearity at least once. But their adventure shall remain a gambling game with invisible cards, he would know whether they won or lost only after thoroughly searching the mysterious mansion.

At the same time, the sky was turning radiant, painting the whole city in orange tones, quite similar to Fossets´ house. Their departure has been decided for the next day, which was heartbreaking news for the majority present here. Surprisingly, no one even tried to oppose this idea, seemingly under the pressure of their main goal. It was a good sign for the boy because he was too tired to fight back the childish rebellions.

Odille brought Jun, Suiseiseki, Souseiseki and Kirakishou to the guest room, which appeared to be the same place, where the boy got up earlier that day. Hinaichigo and Kanaria stayed together with Cossette, and Suigintou, as a prideful and indomitable cat, decided to stay away from anyone in the attic. Odille stayed for a bit longer in the dining room, waiting for her parents to return.

After several hours of preparations for sleep, the mansion was quiet in peace, with only silent humming spreading through the halls. But what could possibly be the cause of that calming melody? Only the one who stayed up for a longer period than everyone else knows due to herself being a cause.

"This melody… Do I love it or hate it?"

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No matter how much effort I put into this work, I can't find myself surpassing even my own expectations, not even thinking of yours! These greedy bastards surely know that I am in a contest for your heart. They want to witness my creation to examine the enemy, but… I will never show her! Only you are allowed to fondle IT with your soft glare, Cordelia.

Am I too desperate? Are my goals too miraculous for a human being? I do not know. But I surely know that my mastery is no way near enough to steal your heart, Cordelia. If only I knew what I needed to reach beyond my limits… God, if you exist, please, send me a message! How can I embody Cordelia´s demands!? Is it even possible? Even if it's not, with your help, God, I will surely be able to please my beloved. SURELY! The message is the only thing I need, but before it reaches me… I will proceed with my work… Ah, Cordelia, a woman's heart truly lacks the boundaries!

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The next day was fast-paced but not too rushed. Before leaving Fosset´s care, the company had a great breakfast with french toasts, bacon, orange juice and still warm pastry. Despite the exquisite taste of their meal, the mood, floating in the dining room, was a bit nervous. Even precise preparations do not protect you from the sour taste of failure. They were scared to experience it, which is clear by looking at their gloomy faces.

After the meal, it was time for departure. The farewells were not as watery as in Japan, because it was decided that in the case of a mistake, the adventurers will return to Odille´s house for mental rest and further consideration. Jun was immensely grateful not only to Odille, but also Cossette, who cheered up younger girls; her parents for having a soft spot in their hearts for them; and even Leo! At last, all Rozen Maidens already dived into the glittering, antique mirror. The boy waved to Odille and followed the girls to the next destination, the ruins of Duke Gramont´s mansion.

Jun knew well that Gramonts belongings were burned down during the French revolution and even bombed during the 2nd World War. Only pebbles and, buried in the dirt, ash remained at the spot of the once-grand building, so what could they possibly investigate there? Those captured by reason and logic will never be able to understand the reason of Rozen Maidens´ confidence. Even Jun could not think of an effective way for thorough research, and whenever he brought that topic up, the girls only threw a rather strange answer, "We will see what we can make."

What does it even mean? Are they going to somehow re-enter the past century via N-field?... Or maybe something else - such was Jun´s thoughts which did not leave his lips. Meanwhile, Kirakishou hummed, indicating the near position of the place of interest.

In an uncertain manner, the girl announced, pointing at the bland mirror in the distance: "I think this one is close enough."

"This mirror is surely not as flashy as Odille´s."

"Shall I remind you what your unwound self´s mirror looks like?"

"Touché."

Jun´s disappointment was shortly cut off by Suigintou. Judging by her unfazed gaze, she made it involuntarily, which further annoyed the boy.

After squeezing through the surface of yet another mirror, they found themself in a small yard filled with old furniture with a fine look at the French village. Luckily, there were no people around, so Rozen Maidens did not have to take a roll of abandoned dolls.

Jun took out the map, which was given by Odille, from his pocket and began estimating their whereabouts. It was not too long before some of the girls decided to interfere. While Hinaichigo, Kirakishou and Suiseiseki were examining the views and observing the neglected belongings, Kanaria, Suigintou and Souseiseki decided to do a disservice to the boy´s reasoning.

"So if we are here, I suppose. We must move down the hill, pass the village and then we will reach the mansion, I suppose?"

"Wait, it clearly is located nearer to the river," cut Souseiseki, pointing at a black circle on a map, "See? We do not even know if it's the right village."

Suigintou sighed, spread her wings and said: "How bothersome, don't you think it would be better to observe the territory from the sky? Hey, human, let me take a closer look."

"Let ME take a look at it, get off the map!"

Jun shook off the girls from the spread paper as if they were annoying insects, sticking to the sweet aroma or the light at night. The boy rolled the map several times and placed it back on the grass carpet.

"It was upside down!... So, we are here, and by passing the bridge we can get exactly to the ruins of that mansion. As for the bridge…"

Jun began observing the territory, but suddenly an excited exclamation took everyone's attention.

"Look, there is a bridge, it looks so pretty! Let's go there!" It was Hinaichigo who pointed at the thicket with her tiny arm.

"Chibi-Ichigo, it is not the time to play around, be more serious!"

"Sister Suiseiseki is right, we should concentrate on-"

"-Oh, It really is! Good job, Hinaichigo!"

Jun ran closer to the 6th Rozen Maiden, while Suiseiseki and Kirakishou overlooked him in surprise. When everyone came closer to the downhill, where Hinaichigo was standing, they indeed witnessed a beautiful and old bridge, hidden under the forestry in the distance. They started moving awkwardly through the hill only Suigintou and Kanaria were fortunate enough to skip this dangerous bit by flying. But when the company stood face to face with the thicket, it was impossible to see the bridge and some doubts spread across the group.

"It was quite far away, won't we get lost in the forest, I suppose?"

"We just have to move straight, how hard can it get?"

"Forests are more complex than the N-field from my knowledge… it is better to play it safe."

These words from their guide were not reassuring at all. Even those who can soar from the skies will not be seen under the thick foliage. As soon as the company started to think of a safe way to pass the woods an arrogant cackle, reminiscent of the witch's one, spread out.

"Hi-hi-hi, desu!"

It was Suiseiseki, who appeared to be the closest one to the forest edge. Jun raised his eyebrow but did not say anything yet, because the girl continued with a sassy expression.

"Seems like it's my time to shine, desu. Follow my lead, kids, and try to not fall behind. If you get lost, it will not be my problem, desu."

"Wait, how can you be so sure about the-"

"-Huh, doubting my forestry knowledge, desu? Alright, how about that, if I will successfully lead you to the bridge, you will dance on it, desu!"

"I can-"

"-No, you can't, desu!"

As soon as Souseiseki tried to speak up to save her master from a humiliating scenario, Suiseiseki interrupted her and began going forward. Seems like she did not want her spotlight to be taken even more than seeing Jun´s punishment for doubts. The boy peeked at the 4th Rozen Maiden, who noticed this and winked with a soft smile. Despite Suiseiseki´s attitude, she will always remain an exceptional gardener. By just a sheer look at the tree crowns, she can easily manage its structure and therefore, a way through it.

After several minutes of jogging through the woods, they successfully reached the bustling river and, more importantly, an old bridge. The air at the place was humid due to an everlasting water flow, which resulted in a fragrant smell of freshness. The other side, to the contrast of forestry, was filled with tall grass, and only rare flowers here and there filled the place with colours.

As they passed the bridge and made their way deeper to the field, the remains of a huge construction were discovered in the form of cobble and an overgrown foundation. It was hard to imagine the magnificent look of the mansion by just pebbles and the base, but judging by its size only, the man in charge of its entirety was a world-class elitist. There were several foundations, and one can only speculate what the remains were used for. Stables? Servants house? Guesthouse? Orangery? Church? Not even the books know the answer, as if God himself erased the existence of these possessions from the pages of history. Only the rumours of Gramont´s ruthlessness were left, but it still was a pitiful sight to behold. The flames and roars of war have no emotions for aesthetics.

"Ugh, and where do we even start?"

Jun made his first step towards the ruins, but no one followed his lead. Rozen Maidens were standing on a small hill, observing the scenery with dull expressions as if elegant yet lifeless dolls were placed here as a memorial. The boy scratched his head and questioned them in a startled manner: "W-whats the matter? You kinda creep me out..."

"Master, there is no point in examining these remains."

Jun narrowed his brows and came closer to the girls, throwing up his hands.

"Well, then what should we do?"

"You are the one who boasted about the powers of our father, yet you never had a creative use for them. What a pathetic mindset you have, human."

"Wha-!? What use can they have here?"

The girls ignored his question and instead proceeded with examining the ruins. Suddenly, Kanaria spoke, revealing her incertitude.

"This thing is too massive, I suppose. Can we even fix something so old?"

"Fix?"

A realisation finally reached Jun´s head, which made his jaw drop in shock. They planned to fix the mansion as they performed with small objects like windows, vases or mirrors. Instant doubts and the voice of reason overtook the boy's mind, and he started complaining about the absurdity of this idea, but the boy was interrupted by his own dolls, Souseiseki and Kirakishou, who outstretched their arms, inviting him.

"Master… I understand your uncertainty, but we need your help."

"This is the only way to find the truth anyway, master. Please, take our hands."

After weak hesitation, Jun completed their demands. Now they all were looking at the historical cemetery, not dropping even an exhale. Jun began thinking about how Shinku was performing this trick. She always took out her pocket watches, but later on, he discovered that it was only necessary for the show; in actuality, a simple knowledge of the time of an object´s integrity is more than enough. Finally, all seven closed their eyes and simultaneously, like in an orchestra, said: "Remember. What did you look like?"

In the beginning, Jun did not feel anything aside from wind swaying through the field and two tiny palms in both his hands. Just imagining what he looked like from the side, his head began painting red and arms were ready to loosen, but… wind disappeared, and the cracks of stone could be heard in the distance, the smell of burned wood filled the surroundings, and the body became numb. The boy knew for sure that something was happening, yet he was not able to take a look at the miracle under his nose. The stones, ash and dust slowly soared in the skies around the foundation of the main building. The materials were mixing and uniting with terrifying sounds as if a war was spreading nearby. The smooth pebbles became bricks; ash turned into a dark wood, and dust took the form of furniture. This wild dance, which could be seen only in a dream, was lasting for quite long, terrorising Jun´s eardrums and nerves, but at last, the explosions faded, and the wind returned to the plains. Except for the exhaustion and pain around Jun´s entire body, everything went back to normal.

Shortly after opening his eyes, they were blinded by the sunlight. But after a while, Jun finally witnessed a massive mansion made of dark stone. Its gothic style was frightening but at the same time breathtaking, the true essence of elegance! A square like a corpus was surrounded and merged with several round towers. Their roofs made of black tiles were pointing at the skies as if the building was taunting the heavens. Like a dozen eyes, mansion windows were scattered around its walls to observe the unknown future where it was summoned. And the only visible entrance to the insides of a giant was hidden under the arch, presumably, to confuse the intruders.

The fatigue and shock finally overtook Jun´s body, making him fall to his knees. He sluggishly turned his face to visibly exhausted Rozen Maidens. The first one to notice her master´s sight was Souseiseki, in a low voice, the girl announced.

"Now we can examine Gramont´s mansion as much as we want."

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Recently, I had a dream. There I saw a mysterious being, a demon, to say the least… His whisper to this day is echoing in my head, giving me instructions, even though I do not need them anymore. In order to verify that glimpse of sanity I had left, I followed the demon´s demands and was able to create IT! She is indifferent, always quiet and rarely moves, but the fact of her existence is enough to make my eyes overflow with tears! Ah, my precious amethyst, you are gorgeous! The ideal gift for my beloved Cordelia!

Just you wait, my dear, until I take your breath and strike your heart. The trip to your place will take a while, but I still have plenty of time. I have been working for eight months straight and still have one whole month before the deadline. Indeed, Cordelia, I am finally coming.

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Jun´s excitement over the mansion's appearance was immeasurable. He tried to stand up, ignoring the pain in the whole body, but immediately after just one step, the boy fell on his knees. He was not the only one who suffered from energy loss Kanaria, Hinaichigo and Suiseiseki; those whose mediums are not Jun himself were breathing heavily and went numb.

"I… never been… so tired before… I suppose."

Souseiseki, Kirakishou and Suigintou were feeling fine, and thus the state of their sisters caught them off guard. They exchanged looks and came closer to help those who could not move.

Souseiseki pulled her twin by the shoulder and wondered: "Seems like rewinding the whole mansion was a desperate idea… Why are you able to stand, Suigintou?"

"I drained energy from the only human presence here. It might have been a mistake, I doubt my help was necessary here."

"No, no… as long as I can stand, it's fine, we did great work."

With struggles, Jun managed to stand on his shaking legs and even walk after some rest. The girls' condition, on the other hand, was not improving at all. He tried to lend to the fallen ones some of his energy, but it was all in vain. Later on, the boy suggested a rather bold decision.

"We really can't waste our time here, if locals notice this mansion they surely would not treat it as a common occurrence. How about the four of us get over with the research, and the rest will stay here?"

"H-how about I will stay with them, master? I do not think it is a good idea to leave them on their own."

Kirakishou´s observation made sense, but a slight tremble in her voice made the boy suspicious. For some reason, despite Jun standing right in front of her, she was not only making eye contact but also averted her gaze entirely. Jun took a peek behind, and upon noticing a miraculous yet ominous mansion at his back, he realised that the girl was probably scared of going in. That made him and, unexpectedly, Suigintou sigh, then he said, trying not to pay too much attention to her mood.

"Yeah, sure, it would be safer that way. Then the three of us will examine the building… I hope our efforts will not go to waste."

Previously silent and indifferent dolls returned their consciousness and sluggishly raised their heads. Now, only the youngest Rozen Maiden remained present on the small hill, even though she was facing the trio, her eyes were looking at the ground in disappointment. It made them prick up, but as soon as three silhouettes in the distance were caught entering the mansion, they became aware of the situation.

At the same time, Jun, along with the 4th and 1st Rozen Maidens, was moving through the grass field. Despite the mansion being rewinded, all the surroundings stayed the same, not even some kind of stone path was restored nearby. Suigintou was not bothered by this at all, thanks to her wings. Souseiseki, on the other hand, had to cut through the overgrown grass with her scissors. Not only was she moving relatively slow, but also the troubled expression on her usually calm face was an uneasy sight to behold.

"Huh!? M-master?"

Jun picked Souseiseki up and quickened his pace while saying: "Do not be afraid of asking for help."

Despite her sister´s mocking giggle nearby, Souseiseki was pleased by Jun´s kind consideration. Her scissors were swallowed by dazzling light and soon enough disappeared, thereafter the girl waited in her master's hands until they reached the front door of Gramont´s mansion.

"And there it is."

The brown, heavy door had an exquisite pattern around its corners; the door knockers in the form of lizards were made of bright grey metal. While Jun slowly put Souseiseki back to the ground, curiously observing the template reminiscent of a snake, Suigintou pushed it with dozens of her jet black feathers. Luckily, the door succumbed, and, with a sinister squeak, revealed its dark insides that could bring fear even into the toughest soul. Jun surely caught the vibes Kirakishou experienced previously.

"Damn, it's so dark inside… hm, aren't these lamps?"

The boy made his first step inside, and the menacingly calm atmosphere sent shivers down his spine. He outstretched his shaking hand towards the lantern, which was seen on the lonely cabinet in the lobby.

"Master, if you are scared-"

"N-no, it's fine… absolutely fine. Suigintou, can you fire it up, please?"

The 1st Rozen Maiden released a single feather from her wings which soared right into the lantern, igniting the wick with a blue flame. Doing that, Suigintou did not even look at Jun but remained concentrated on the dark surroundings of the mansion. She has been unusually quiet and cooperative, which made the boy gulp.

"Well, now it is time to go inside."

So they did, leaving the door open so that they had an escape route behind. From the lobby, they slowly approached the main hall with several paths to the right and left as well as a huge staircase to the second floor. Weak light from the lantern was not enough to thoroughly investigate all the corners but fairly enough to find your way further. Jun turned to the right and approached a seemingly empty bookshelf, but before he had a chance to observe it, Suigintou asked in a tedious manner, "What are you doing, human?"

The boy jumped in surprise and turned his annoyed face to the doll.

"Searching the house, isn't it obvious?"

Suigintou cackled and flew backwards towards the staircase, smiling at the boy.

"You poor scaredy-cat, try thinking for yourself where it would be better to have research, in the roundabout or a library?"

"But how do you know this place even has a library?"

"What a foolish question, you are truly worthy of being Shinku´s medium. The majority of nobility had their warehouses of books to absorb the knowledge. Especially those who were seeking the forbidden arts of alchemy."

Jun understood what the 1st Rozen Maiden meant; his face turned red from shame and anger. Instead of an agreement, the boy was ready to parry her statement with an absurd theory, but before he made a fool of himself, Souseiseki interrupted both of them by saying: "Master, Suigintou, this is not a time for quarrels. Our sisters must be worried about us so I would like to quicken our pace."

These words were enough to come to a silent stalemate. Jun nodded, accusingly peeking at Suigintou, who already turned her head towards the stairs and was ready to fly up.

The second floor started with a great passage. Through the windows at the centre, these members of the group who stayed outside could be seen. Jun waved to them, but they appeared to be occupied by an unknown discussion and did not notice him. Either way, he was relieved by their condition.

The lights from the windows of both hallways were enough to lighten the mansion so much that the glittering lantern in the boy´s hand was quite useless. All the fear was slowly vanishing from Jun´s mind, allowing him to think more straight. He was a bit envious of the ones who were moving in front of him, not Suigintou nor Souseiseki appeared to be scared as if they were used to such places. Jun snorted and thought to himself, Would all girls act so calm in such circumstances?...

"Huh?"

"What was that?"

Both Rozen Maidens suddenly turned their heads, facing Jun. He blinked in surprise and then explained in an uncertain tone.

"Do you mean the snort? It was me, nothing to be scared of."

Souseiseki shook her head, examining the dim passage behind the boy: "No, the sound was quieter, like-!"

This time a mysterious sound was heard by everyone. It was a terrifying groan, something in between a human's voice and a vicious beast´s. The boy jumped away and fell on his behind in fear, but the girls were brave enough to act. Souseiseki and Suigintou simultaneously called for their spirits, blue and purple lights. Lem Pica created a pair of garden scissors for the 4th Rozen Maiden, and Mei Mei flew into the corridor, illuminating the one hiding in the darkness.

"W-what is that!?"

It was an ashen silhouette that hardly resembled a human being. While slowly moving towards the company, it murmured to itself only 2 words: "Lord… Gramont…". Such an intruder was not expected by anyone, thus it was unclear how to act… but not for Suigintou, who extended her wings and launched several feathers towards the being. With a crunch, these dark blades penetrated through the monster, and the silhouette fell on the back, screeching in pain.

"We are not dealing with this, let's go!"

While running deeper into the corridor, Jun started questioning the nature of that being. Was it a human? Why was it burned down? Where did it come from? He could not say for sure, but Suigintou had her own theory regarding this topic.

"6 Rozen Maidens and the one possessing a great power could be enough to rewind even the living beings… they were forced back to pain from their eternal dream, quite a pitiful fate."

Moving towards the sharp turn, they all suddenly stopped, hearing audible heavy breathing. Yet another scorched person showed his mutilated body; even Rozen Maidens shivered under that painful sight. A strong sense of burned hair and flesh was spreading through the narrow passage, being´s remaining clothes and skin, which crackled from even the slightest movement, were faint black. Only its teeth, peeking from burned down lips, were contrasting with its blackened body. It did not charge at them, just moved sluggishly, repeating the same line: "Gramont… bastard..."

Souseiseki and Suigintou were preparing for an attack, but unexpectedly Jun made a brave step towards the being. He was still shaking in fear, but deep down his heart, a pity for an awakened martyr was flowing strong. Without facing the girls, Jun asked a question.

"So, we were the cause of their appearance, right?..."

"At least that's my suggestion."

"It's still dangerous, master!"

Despite Souseiseki´s cries of concern, the boy stood his ground. He outstretched an arm towards a physically crying being, and a dazzling light spread out from his palm. The being froze in place, it began shaking, and after a while, the yellowish light dissolved it into dust. Such a result confirmed its existence is possible only because of their impudent interference. They were the ones who resurrected the burned down habitats of the mansion, renewing their sufferings. Saddened, Jun sighed, and an apologetic whisper came out of his lips.

"Ashes to ashes and dust to dust… sorry."

"Jun…"

"Let's get moving, extending their pain will be too sadistic."

So they did in thoughtful silence. Several more scorched people were blocking their paths, but soon enough, all of them were turned to ash yet again. As assumed by Suigintou, the library was indeed located on the 2nd floor. Its heavy dark door was weirdly similar to the main entrance with the same snake-like patterns. Library´s insides greeted the intruders with pure darkness, only thanks to Suigintou, who lit the candles on a table, they could witness its true beauty. The place was not too spacious, yet it was brimming with books. Judging by the genres, its owner was obsessed with poetry and mysticism, and not only in French but in quite a few languages, including Arabic and even Chinese.

Jun could not even dream of reading something from this storehouse of knowledge, so the main role of the researcher fell onto dolls, whilst useless human could only pass the books with intriguing covers. Even though this strategy was too straightforward, the fruits bore much sooner than expected.

"Look at this, master."

"Seems like these texts are hidden in these books. I also found some."

What the girls presented to Jun was a bunch of notes which were written in French. The boy doubted this finding, naming them futile in his head, but his opinion changed upon hearing their contents.

"Milord fired yet another maid, despite her not doing anything! Poor girl, I heard her brother was in debt, thus she was working here."

"Chefs, I beg you to not linger with food, I think this time he broke my arm upon hitting me."

"I am amazed how considerate he is with the young lady, would not be surprised if that child is his own."

"Daniel hanged… I do not want to overtake his role down there…"

"I can't believe what I saw. One of the puppeteers made it move on its own… Did Milord find what he was searching for?"

Upon hearing these notes, it was clear how rotten the Gramonts figure was among his servants. Jun tried not to dive too deeply into his deeds but instead concentrated on the last note.

"A puppeteer that made IT move on its own… sounds quite suspicious."

They continued finding even more notes with more disturbing insights into Gramont´s mansion routine. They discovered more speculations about the magician that was able to create a living doll, and was now under arrest in the mansion. Finally, another note which stated: "I was cleaning his cabinet and accidentally discovered that secret passage… I am saying my last goodbye to you, condescension is certainly impossible."

"A secret passage in the cabinet of an evil nobility. Seems like cliches do not appear out of nowhere." Announced Suigintou, flying towards an exit. Jun and Souseiseki followed her lead because now they have a new point of interest, the tyrant's cabinet.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

I am a failure of a man. Blissful love fogged my sight, and I refused to believe it. I was certain that the present was a desire of a noble girl, but you were a woman Cordelia… Truly, I should have known that the gift was not meant for you. Despite that, I am thoroughly upset by your reaction, Cordelia; your scream upon seeing my perfect creation shattered my heart and burned down my soul. I am nothing but a shell of my previous delusional self, Cordelia! And now I am here, lying on the cold ground awaiting your father´s demands. Even though his eyes were glowing with greed after witnessing IT, I am certainly not happy about his astonishment. The duke of this place expressed his moronic wishes; even I could not help but smile upon hearing them! No matter how much harm you will drown me in, Gramont, I will never tell you the secret of the Devil. This was a promise in exchange for the fulfilment of your daughter's wish and not yours!

…What's the matter, my perfect creation? Such a look on your beautiful face is quite unusual. Are you scared? Me either, but I will never give up on you, my dear, because you are the only being, restraining me from giving up on this grim world… Since your true owner immediately abandoned you, I shall as well give you a name… Purple like an amethyst dress, yellow eyes as if made of gold and snow-white hair, found only in fairy tales… *************, how about this name?

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

The group that was left outside the mansion was finally glooming with energy. A small rest was enough to erase their fatigue, and now all Rozen Maidens began patrolling the surroundings of the resurrected building. Even though Suiseiseki, Kanaria and Hinaichigo were upset about being left behind, they made a sigh of relief after examining the dark atmosphere of the mansion. Going there could be a nightmarish experience for sure. On the other hand, they still were worried about their sisters and Jun.

"What if something happens to them? They will not be able to call for help, I suppose!", earnestly exclaimed Kanaria.

"Souseiseki and Suigintou are strong, desu, but Chibi-human…", Suiseiseki looked at the mansion anxiously but could not find the courage to rush inside.

Then Hinaichigo began talking, apologetically staring at the ground: "I promised that I will protect Shinku, but how is it possible if I can't even go to that scary mansion…"

Kirakishou did not say anything, just averted her gaze from sisters in shame. The gloomy atmosphere could have sustained until the arrival of the second group, but a sudden visitor provoked an uproar amongst the girls. A tiny curious snake crawled towards the dolls; at first, observing the house and then girls themself.

"Kyaa! Snake, desu! Snake, desu!"

"Regroup quickly, I suppose!"

"What should we do!?"

Their voiceful reaction only provoked the snake to take a defensive stance and hiss, making them scream in fear even more, which continued the cycle of distrust between the intruder and the dolls. The only one who did not pay attention to the sudden invasion was Kirakishou. Her interest was taken by the towers of the mansion. She was glaring at the roof without blinking, and after a while, a wondrous whisper parted her lip.

"Towers… were they always this blurry?"

The now known path should not have been eerie for the company; however, the view of an old dark hall sent the shiver of fear and excitement down Jun´s spine. He was scared of being injured by the possibility of snapping back to reality from this bizarre dream. Even his own brain could comprehend the ongoing and sends the signals of dizziness down his body… or could the source be an external phenomenon? Before the boy even had a chance to question his tiredness, the girls suddenly stopped at the place where the first charred undead fell under Suigintou´s blade-like feathers. Its body did not turn back to dust but instead remained in the world of the living. No words came out of its lipless mouth, just faint breathing like an elderly during their last seconds of struggle before giving up to Death.

Suigintou was silently observing the poor person; in fact, she was the sole reason the whole group´s tempo dropped. Jun could not see her face, but knowing her arrogant and a bit sadistic nature, he involuntarily clicked his tongue and outstretched his hand to end its misery. However…

"...Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, was it, human?"

A flock of dark feathers flew towards the body, and soon enough, it was entirely enveloped in blue flames. The cremation of the undead did not last too long, after mere seconds, only ash was awkwardly lying on the floor near the staircase.

"Your glare is quite irritating, I may be a monster but not completely heartless."

She proceeded to walk towards the stairs, leaving Jun and even Souseiseki amazed due to her actions.

After a while of wandering on the 1st floor, which surprisingly lacked the scorched bodies, they finally bumped into the final destination, the Gramonts cabinet. The search took quite a while because the room´s location was near the kitchen, which is an unusual place for arguably the most important room in the noble mansion. Strange unease did not leave Jun´s body; instead, it rapidly grew over time, even reaching the point of hallucinations. Several times the boy heard strange whispers around him, but whenever he acknowledged their presence the girls only raised their brows in incomprehension. To not further slow down the process, Jun decided to stay completely quiet about an issue, hoping for a quick resolution.

The door opened with a squeak, revealing its precious insides… at least they were hoping to see them immediately, but everything was hidden in the darkness. Suigintou snorted and flapped her wings, sending several feathers towards what looked like candles. The blue flames flared up, igniting them and there…

"My silver… your dirty hands will never touch my silver, peasants!"

A flash of light from the metal blinded Jun, and the next moment he heard a thin air cutting noise which was followed by a clash of metallic objects and Souseiseki´s scream.

"Master! Stay back!"

Acting on instincts, Jun jumped away from the person who hid in the room. Finally, he was able to observe the one whose look made Jun´s legs and arms numb. It was an ashen corpse of an elderly who wore charred clothes with some metal parts remaining and whose hand was occupied with a short sword. Just the thought about his blade practically succeeding in cutting an intruder´s head off made the boy incredibly sick.

"What… is going on?..."

The next moment a person began randomly swinging his sword as if fighting off those not the girls nor Jun were able to see. The man´s actions were followed by a scream: "Stay back! Stay back, peasants! One more step, and I, Gramont, will cut your worthless existence!"

Suigintou did not wait until one of the swings would accidentally hit her; several feathers flew off her wings, striking Gramont and discarding him towards the bookshelf in the cabinet. The man bumped into it, and several manuscripts fell on the floor.

"No, no, no! Do not get any closer!"

He took a book and threw it into the entrance, hitting Jun in the face. Striving through the previous fear, a fury overtook the boy´s body, and he ran towards the door, ignoring Souseiseki´s demands to go the opposite way. Again, a warm light began spreading from his hands to the room, enveloping an old fool Gramont. However, this time the light lacked any effect. The duke got up and shakily moved towards Jun, showing a vicious grin. Gramont opened his mouth to proceed with his delusional speech, but Souseiseki ended his mischief with one mighty swing.

Gramont´s head and later body fell on the ground with a thud, shaking up the bookshelf yet again. This time, only one book fell to the ground; its cover was showing a beautiful girl who followed the rabbit down its burrow. This provoked a click in a hidden mechanism, and the whole bookshelf moved to the right, revealing an entrance to the underground, Gramont´s own burrow.

"W-w-what was t-that…!?" whispered the boy, still shaking from fear. Fortunately, no blood came out of Gramont´s severed body, otherwise, it would surely make him throw up.

No one gave an answer to his question; instead, Souseiseki and Suigintou were both staring at the fallen one and the secret passage in astonishment. The duke Gramont was resurrected with their powers, picked up a fight and refused to fall under Jun´s light of remedy, quite a deviant behaviour out of every other occurrence in this forsaken place.

"We should go, I refuse to tolerate this heresy!"

"But Suigintou, it might be dangerous to continue…"

The 1st Rozen Maiden glanced over her younger sister, who soothed her medium that could not move on his own. Jun´s face was glowing with shock, and the whole body was trembling. Suigintou turned towards the dark underground passage and said: "Stay with him if this human can't comprehend with the seen. I will investigate it myself."

"No!... There is no need to worry… I am fine now."

"But master-"

"-It's alright, Souseiseki… Thank you for saving me."

Jun tried to hide his unease with a fake smile, but it was unsuccessful, though his resolve to continue further was not interrupted by Souseiseki. She was aware of the dangers inside, but it would be irresponsible to leave Suigintou alone. Even if something attacks down there, together, they will surely press it back to the depths. Thus they began descending towards the unknown.

Narrow stone stairs did not go as deep as expected, and soon they reached the lowest floor of Gramont´s possessions. A dim light illuminated something which looked like an experiment grounds with several cages scattered around and a shelf full of stones and vials of liquid in various shapes and colours. The place was eerie but pretty modest compared to the high ceilings of the mansion.

They reached towards one of the cages, which contained some letters written in red colours. Suigintou delicately pulled these papers with her feather so that Jun was able to reach for them with his hand.

"The smell in this place is quite disturbing."

"Do not you even say." Suigintou´s comment was not news for Jun; on the contrary, it violated his nose long before descending this strange, metallic odour… the boy tried not to think too much of its source and shushed the 1st Rozen Maiden as soon as she commented on it.

"Of course, it's in French. Souseiseki, can you read it, please?"

Jun held out the paper towards Souseiseki, who appeared to be at a loss. Her usual composure fell under the pressure of stone walls, but as soon as she heard the voice of her medium the girl tried her best to restore her coolness. Hesitatingly, she took the papers which contained crimson letters, surely written by shaky hands. At first, the girl read the first line in her mind in order to get used to terrible handwriting. Then her voice echoed through the secret underground.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Unfortunately, all my previous notes were forcefully taken away. This old fool expected me to hide the secret under my own pillow. I am able to see through your mischief, Gramont! You are not as smart as you think… Previously, this statement would leave me without food supply for at least a week, but right now it does not matter. Even here on this dead cold floor, I can smell burning wood. Seems like those you called peasants had enough of your stubbornness, my dear enemy. I wish you the best dreams under the rubbles of your now gone majesty! Let the fires of revolution spread through its grounds!...

As for the reader who will miraculously find my notes, I would like to tell the reason for my splendid calmness. At night, before the fire took place, a demon gave me another visit. His composure and sense of humour are at the brink of a calm mind and insanity. Even I, fallen under the pits of madness could not comprehend his train of thoughts. He was sincere enough to give me a helping hand for not breaking a promise even under the tortures of myself and my creation. My dear reader, even if you unravel the new name of Klaus, you will never find the trace of myself in this world ever again! Ah, Cordelia, despite all miserable occurrences my heart is still full of you, but now, only half of it… my precious creation stayed by my side for all this time, she held my hand when I cried myself to sleep, smiled when I was restoring her from all the injuries, and risked her own beauty to restrain my leg from hitting this birdcage in furry!... I finally realize, Rozenkristall was just too perfect for you, my beloved Cordelia, even you, are not worthy of her allure!…

Farewell, this cruel world and my greetings to yet another world full of sorrows! As my last goodbye to you, dear reader, I will leave the notes which made me dive deep into the depths of frenzy. Whether you will take them as delusions of a madman or a key to world secrets, I do not mind! Now behold! Bauxite, fluor-liddicoatite, crimson spinel and platinum; let them scorch in flames of hell and cool it down with the blood of the desperate one! Shall your love process a miracle, dear reader?