The Doll and The Prince - v2 Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21 (Patreon)

Naruhito (13)
Bang!!
A tremendous noise rang out, and the door was kicked open.
With a fever and a hazy head, I couldn't quite grasp the situation. Since I was lying face down, I couldn't move my head much either.

Ikumatsu, who had been carefully wiping my sweat, flinched and then stood up in front of the bed. Five military-clad individuals entered, handling their guns noisily and still wearing their shoes.

"So, that's the Combat Doll."

The man who entered after the five spoke in a commanding tone. His military uniform had various decorations.

"Move."

Ikumatsu quickly dropped to both knees, adopting a kneeling position, placing his right hand on top of his left fist and raising his head.

"Kujou Ikumatsu reporting. This child here is bedridden due to an injury, which has led to the current fever. Please pardon his discourtesy of being unable to rise.”

"Move."

The man uttered just one word, and Ikumatsu did not budge.

"Master Hiiro is absent today. I ask that you wait until his return."

"This is the last warning. Move."

They're probably going to shoot now. I lifted my weary body. The five gun barrels moved in sync with my motion.

"Ikumatsu."
"Naruhito, you have a high fever. Please stay in bed."

Staggering to my feet, I stepped in front of Ikumatsu. My footing was unsteady.

"You're quite damaged."

The man sneered, looking me up and down before spitting out the words.

"Well, whatever. Kujou, take his clothes."

"Prince Sekitora, he has a fever and is injured. Please, please, have mercy."

I desperately regulated my rough breath and started taking off my clothes with my right hand. I won't let Ikumatsu be killed. I dropped the long-sleeved T-shirt for sleeping and the comfortable long pants from my body. I also took off my underwear without hesitation. I struggled to stand my swaying body.

"How boring. Does the Research Club really want something like this?"

Prince Sekitora said so and waved his hand. The men with guns approached fearfully. They wound me around with the rope they had and lifted me up.

"Let's go."

As Ikumatsu was about to say something, Otoha rushed in.
She was aimed at with a gun, and just like Ikumatsu earlier, she kneeled on both knees, raised her right hand on top of her left fist, and bowed her head.

"I, Senmonin Otoha, reports. Please wait for the return of Master Hiiro, Prince Sekitora. At the moment, the master is absent, so I will take care of things in his absence."

"Silence, Otoha. I have no ears to hear the words of the Senmonin. If it's Hiiro, I summoned him to the castle. There's no reason to wait for his return."

"Why are you taking Naruhito with you?”

"Hiiro has been ignoring the order to hand over the Combat Doll. He's surrounded by the strongest old and youngest soldiers, a Combat Doll, a precious licensed doctor, and even people from the Empire. What is he plotting?"

I was carried away down the corridor. I’m glad Otoha and Ikumatsu didn't try to force things.
In my swaying field of vision, I could see Gramps and Hitachimaru being pointed at by the military uniformed man. One person each was following them. It's impossible to restrain those two with just that, so they must be observing the situation.
Seeing that they were safe, I closed my eyes in relief.

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Hiiro (13)
I was careless. Although I couldn't refuse the summons from the royal family, I should have thought a bit more.
I've been too complacent in times of peace.

"Good work.”

I greeted Otoha, who was wiping the corridor expressionlessly with a mop. She twitched, and her body shook. She must have been completely lost in thought.
I know the defense mechanism of this childhood friend well.
As light filled her eyes, tears welled up rapidly.

"Welcome back, Master Hiiro. I couldn't protect the house... truly, I apologize..."

Her lowered head touched the floor, and her throat made a slight sound.

"Anyone got injured?"

"... No."

"Well done."

"No... No it’s nothing. Naru, Naru is.”

"Otoha."

Calling her name deliberately slowly, I noticed her struggle to swallow her words.
I proceeded to Naruhito’s room. I could see the kicked-in door. Ikumatsu was wiping the floor.
He stood up and bowed, and I gestured for him to stop.

"Thank goodness you're safe."

"I'm worried because his fever is high."

"Understood, I'll hurry."

"Yes."

I returned to my room, took off the black military uniform I wore to go to the castle, and changed into the red military uniform for the Royal family. I strapped guns to both sides of the belt around my waist and hung two grenades. Two knives. I’m just bringing back Naruhito. Is this preparation enough?

While preparing, my head started to cool a bit. I took a deep breath. Opening the door, Hitachimaru and Toshitane were waiting. They were dressed in military uniforms and equipped similarly.

"Where is it?"

"Naruhito couldn't wear it because he was stripped naked, so attached it to Master Sekitora. They are currently within the castle grounds."

"Understood."

It was already past three o'clock. I don't want Naruhio to skip the meal for too long. It would make it uncomfortable to hold him again.

"We will be back by dinner."

Otoha bowed deeply as she watched us leave.

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Naruhito (14)
My throat is dry.
My back hurts.
I was lying on my back, so I lifted myself a bit and turned to the side...
My right hand and both legs, lifted up with a clatter, made a sound.

"Don't move."

A gun barrel was pressed against my head.
It seems I'm restrained on a hard table, connected to chains, and still naked.
Since my left hand couldn't be restrained for the time being, I managed to turn to the side.

"Do you not understand words? Or do you think I won't shoot? You've got guts."

"Master Sekitora, please don't shoot. This is the last living Combat Doll we've finally acquired. There are no more. It’s the last one.”

No more...
And I'm no longer a Combat Doll either.
A man in a white coat, who had shouted desperately, approached and examined my back.

"There are severe bruise marks. This might be painful."

While saying this, he injected something into both of my thighs. My legs quickly became heavy, and I couldn't muster any strength. I wanted water, but I gave up and closed my eyes. My body feels hot. When I sighed, the gun barrel pressed against my head tightened. It hurts.

"This is irritating."

"Shinobu Masaharu speaking. Please, for the sake of the weapon research, spare the life of this Combat Doll for a little longer.”

Opening my eyes, I saw Shinobu Masaharu kneeling with both knees, placing his right hand on his left fist, raising it, and bowing.

"Only for the time it takes to tease Hiiro. I've been kept waiting since morning. Let's have lunch together and make him even more irritated."

As usual, with two soldiers holding guns nearby, Sekitora left. Shinobu Masaharu, still bowing, watched him leave and then stood up, relieved. He peered into my face, lifting the eyelid of my left eye. Another man in a white coat approached.

"Doctor, it's dangerous. He seems to be conscious."

"I injected him with medicine, so his legs won't move. It's fine. Hm. The left eye seems to be completely non-functional."

"The scars all over the body seem to be healing. The bruise on the back is recent. It may be the cause of the fever."

"With such a high fever, there's a danger of sudden shutdown. However, I want to proceed with the investigation before Master Sekitora changes his mind. Shall I insert antipyretics?”

“Let’s have lunch in the meantime?... Does this need to eat something, too?"

Don't call me “this”. I have a respectable name—Naruhito. I won't say it, though.
A foreign feeling in my buttocks made me tense my body. Disgusting.

"It's hard to insert antipyretics, so relax... There are quite a few marks from being used, isn't there? What a naive reaction."

"Oh, a severe use indeed. I wonder how the two we dissected before were. I don't remember much about the outside; I was mostly focused on the organs and brain. The preservation state wasn't good, either."

The medicine was forcibly pushed into my anus, and unpleasant memories threatened to surface.
This kind of table is nostalgic. The smell of chemicals, people in white coats.
Various things shoved into my anus.
I vomited stomach acid onto the table. Well, it doesn't matter anymore...
When I closed my eyes, my right hand came into view. A sparkling ring. A promise with Hiiro. I must not die. I must not give up on living.
I remember, I remember...

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