Jayden truly understood the saying about blood rushing backward in that moment.

As Larien grew increasingly pale, his eye whites turned bloodshot watching her. His teeth, strong enough to crush walnuts in one bite, dug into his lips.

He felt murderous intent for the first time. If he had been as large as a human, he would have thrown those villains out of the store immediately.

But he was just a nutcracker doll who couldn’t even move freely.

Hoping the fairy stardust he had gathered would be useful, he twisted his body with all his might.

After several attempts, his body, which had been barely perched on the edge of the shelf, fell to the floor with a thud. Fortunately, he managed to maintain his balance and avoid falling ungracefully.

When everyone’s attention, including Larien’s, turned to him, Jayden smiled, thinking it was fortunate he could save her rather than fearing the trials to come.

Though he had tumbled quite miserably, he protected her without breaking anything.

And that night, Larien came to find him herself.

She bent down towards him at such a close distance that her fragrance, as pure as her clear face, invaded his nostrils.

Seeing her up close, he barely held onto his pounding heart and responded like a fool, a beat late each time.

Actually, he couldn’t remember any of the words that had come out of his mouth. Had his stiffened tongue even moved?

Judging by Larien’s expression, he hadn’t made any particular mistakes, but he lamented all night for not being able to return even one elegant phrase.

He carefully tucked away the handkerchief she had tied to his arm like a lifelong treasure.

After that, in his still colorless daily life, only Larien moved with life. Even recently, when an Eastern doll named Lien confessed to him, his head had snapped up because of the similar name.

It was a reflexive response because the name was similar to Larien’s. Naturally, since she was a completely different woman from her, his interest faded, and miraculously, Larien appeared afterward, picking up his book.

Additionally, an even greater miracle came in the rumor Chris brought.

That on the festival day, a toy repairman would fix his leg.

Though he couldn’t indulge in the desire to win her heart, Jayden approached Larien’s group with a flushed face, excited by the fact that he could at least stand proudly before her. He wanted to know if she had heard that rumor, and if she had, what her reaction would be.

‘What does it matter what happens to Jayden.’

Though he was hurt by Larien’s words, Jayden returned to his place without showing his disappointment. And he responded as indifferently as before to the attention and confessions showered on him.

After seeing Larien’s indifferent reaction, he wondered what would change even if his leg was fixed. All his inflated motivation deflated.

Just as he was hoping for the festival to pass quietly, on the day of the festival, Larien’s scream reached him.

Jayden, who had been sitting on the music box Larien frequently used, jumped to the floor in an instant. Though he felt pain from his unstable leg, he ran towards the source of the sound without time to consider it.

Running while catching his breath, Jayden incredibly found Larien with her upper body stuck in a wall gap.

Unable to be certain it was her just from the round bottom and slender legs visible before his eyes, he called her name, and her response came from beyond the wall.

Seeing Larien’s lower half completely exposed, Jayden felt both bewilderment and a feeling like he might go crazy simultaneously.

Sh*t…

Chewing on a rough curse, Jayden looked around quickly. His hand automatically went to the scabbard he had worn at his waist for years without use.

If anyone else had seen this sight, he would have mercilessly gouged out their eyes. It was fortunate Larien couldn’t see his eyes filled with killing intent from beyond the wall.

He barely calmed his boiling insides after confirming that no one else was in the store except for Larien and himself.

Ignoring his rising front, he asked how he could help without looking in Larien’s direction.

Though it was quite thick, it was plywood that could be broken with a kick or punch, but he had to be extremely careful since there was a possibility Larien could get hurt in the process.

However, among the various methods he considered, removing Larien’s skirt as she wanted wasn’t one of them.

Hearing her outrageous plan, Jayden immediately shook his head.

‘Me removing Larien’s skirt?’

That’s impossible.

He tried to leave, saying he would go find a friend instead.

If only Larien hadn’t whimpered.

In the end, he remained and ended up removing the stiff skirt called a tutu or whatever it was.

Though he wanted to tear it apart and escape this situation, the skirt made of whalebone was tough and firm like steel wire. And since the strings securing it passed through Larien’s delicate lower area, he couldn’t ruthlessly cut them with his teeth.

Jayden hooked his fingers into the white tights as instructed by Larien, more tense than when he had fought the Mouse King.

Ha…

His fingertips felt like they were burning, as if all the heat from his body had concentrated in them.

As the tights came down, revealing red strings and strange pink clothing attached above and below, it looked more erotic than if she were wearing nothing. His face burned hot.

The white skin bulging between the red strings wrapped like a net around her body was tempting enough to make him want to put his mouth on it.

Jayden turned his gaze away as much as possible and slowly lowered the tights, trying to avoid touching Larien’s skin while shaking off impure thoughts.

He was barely holding back, gritting his teeth so hard it could make a sound, when Larien, unaware of his feelings, shook her bottom and urged him on.

“What are you doing? A little faster…”

As her smooth b*ttocks brushed against his hesitating hands several times with her movements, Jayden’s reason snapped and his vision spun.

Unconsciously, strength entered his hands. His long fingers dug into the soft flesh as if finding their natural place.

Heat rushed to his lower body at the incredibly soft feeling that filled both hands.

A primitive desire rose to fully push himself into the hole briefly visible through the clothes rolled between her legs.

“Ahh!”

If Larien’s aroused moan hadn’t come from beyond the wall, who knows what he would have done.

He apologized belatedly and quickly removed his hands.

He took off his jacket and wrapped it around and around under the skirt.

“Larien, I can’t do this anymore. It would be better to find an axe and break the wall. Or call someone else to help you.”

He pulled up his shirt sleeves to his forearms while wiping away cold sweat from his nape with his palm as he suppressed his instincts.

“W-what are you saying, Jayden. It’s just removing it. It’s not difficult.”

Though a seemingly flustered voice was heard, Jayden turned away firmly, thinking he shouldn’t do any more impure acts to his princess.

There should be an axe somewhere on the shelf where miscellaneous tools were kept. He planned to tear off that entire side. It would be easier to pull her out after that.

Just as his footsteps were about to move away after finishing various calculations, along with a small sniffle, unbelievable words were heard.

“Wait a moment, Jayden. Actually, I… got stuck here on purpose.”

* * *

Though Larien tried to hide it until the end, when she couldn’t think of any other way to stop him, she stamped her feet and blurted out the truth.

She couldn’t just watch him helplessly bring people or break the wall.

Though her face felt like it would burst from heat, she had at least succeeded in stopping his footsteps, as the sound of his departure ceased.

“What did you say? Say that again. I think I just heard something strange.”

His deep voice, starting from where he had stopped abruptly, resonated against the wall.

“I did it on purpose…”

She replied quietly, resenting Jayden for making her say such things.

“Why… did you do this? You could have gotten hurt.”

At his tone filled with worry instead of mockery, Larien decided to reveal all her inner thoughts. She had already shown everything embarrassing anyway, and since her face was hidden by the wall, she felt rather brave.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she revealed her plan’s intention while putting strength into her trembling lips.

“I wanted to have you. I did this hoping you would see me as a woman, even a little.”