<h4>Chapter 131: Viin Simtor, Ch 130</h4>


    Raiden Mai examined the small "essory" she had removed, shook her head in disapproval, and tossed it into the trash bin.


    On the LD model of puppet, such additions were utterly unnecessary.


    To Raiden Mai, all of Raiden Ei''s creations were based on her own perfect design, and adding anything extra was, in her view, a "desecration" of that perfection.


    What? Why does a puppet need such an ample "buffer zone" in the chest area?


    Well, obviously, it''s there to protect the puppet''s core with a cushion!


    "No wonder the core was so badly damaged," Raiden Mai murmured, frowning at Scaramouche''s rtively t chest. "Being the first model, it''s no surprise the protective measures were a bitcking. Fine, I''ll install a C-sized buffer... no, maybe a D-sized one."


    "Wait, the master did say to make her exactly like me..." Raiden Mai hesitated, then decided, "I suppose E-size it is."


    Raiden Mai, unlike Lucas, couldn''t craft an intricate puppet core. However, the repairs on other bodyponents were well within her capabilities as a puppet.


    Little did Scaramouche know, but that night would mark a major turning point in... well, her life.


    ---


    The Next Morning


    "Yawn..."


    Lucas stretched and sat up, rubbing his eyes. To his surprise, Raiden Mai was standing beside his bed. As he awoke, she inclined her head and announced, "Master, the operation was a sess."


    "Really?" Lucas was instantly alert, his fatigue forgotten. "Has Scaramouche regained consciousness?"


    "Not yet," she replied. "Estimated time to wake is approximately one hour."


    "Take me to see her," he said, grabbing Raiden Mai''s hand.


    The instant Lucas touched her, Raiden Mai seemed to freeze momentarily, as though her system briefly paused, but she quickly returned to herposed self. "Please, follow me."


    When they reached Scaramouche, Lucas''s smile froze in ce as he looked at her resting on the bed, her face peacefully flushed.


    "It''s definitely Scaramouche, but..." Lucas''s face reddened. "But... I don''t remember things being this... well, big."


    Neither in real life nor in the simtor had things looked like this.


    He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn''t seeing things and then stammered, "H-how did she end up... like this?"


    "Isn''t this what you instructed?" Raiden Mai replied calmly, expression unchanging. "You requested that I restore her to be just like me."


    Lucas suddenly realized his mistake.


    It was his iplete instruction that had caused the misunderstanding.


    Of course, he couldn''t entirely me Mai; she was, after all, a puppet and followed orders precisely.


    Besides, she had already mentioned that Scaramouche would wake within the hour, so he doubted they had time to make further adjustments.


    "It''s... fine, just like this," Lucas said with a sheepish smile. "You did well. Thank you."


    "It was my duty," Raiden Mai nodded. "Additionally, I took the liberty of programmingmands into her puppet core. She will now, like me, prioritize carrying out your instructions."


    Could she really do that?


    While it might be a bit excessive, Lucas figured he could just avoid using that function. After all, Mai had spent the entire night painstakingly working on Scaramouche''s repairs; it would be rude toin.


    Lucas decided not to let Scaramouche awaken inside the teapot domain, so he transported her back to the real world.


    ---


    A whileter, Scaramouche stirred from unconsciousness and opened her eyes groggily.


    "Am I... still alive?"


    The unfamiliar ceiling, the strange scents, and... an unusual sensation in her body?


    Scaramouche sat up abruptly, feeling an unexpected weight on her chest that wasn''t there before.


    She slowly looked down and found that she could no longer see her own feet.


    What... is this?


    Why does my body have these things now?


    A thought struck her, and she frantically reached downward.


    Nothing there!


    The plug had be a socket!


    Herst memory was of being shredded by Venti''s Stormeye. But now, there was no sign of damage on her body.


    Could it be that I was retrieved and then modified by the Doctor?


    Considering the Doctor''s twisted nature, she couldn''t put such an idea past him.


    "Damn..." she muttered, scanning her surroundings to get a sense of the situation. But then, she heard a faint sizzling sound from a nearby room.


    Her guard instantly went up, and she moved cautiously in that direction, where she spotted a man''s back, standing in what appeared to be a kitchen.


    Not the Doctor!


    The figure''s back seemed vaguely familiar, but she was certain she didn''t know this man.


    Friend or foe?


    For Scaramouche, it was a simple question—she didn''t have any friends.


    She crept silently toward Lucas, intending to subdue him from behind, but just as she raised her fist, her body froze mid-motion, her arm hanging in the air, refusing to follow hermand.


    Why can''t I hit him? Why won''t my body move?


    Scaramouche struggled, trying toprehend why she couldn''tnd the punch. It wasn''t an external force stopping her—it was her own mind, somehow refusing to let her strike.


    Lucas, sensing something amiss, turned around to find Scaramouche frozen mid-swing, caught in a strange, awkward position.


    Their eyes met, and Scaramouche''s gaze widened instantly.


    It was him—the "Doctor" from her dreams.


    Though he looked younger and dressed differently, his face and that unmistakable aura were exactly the same.


    "You''re... him?" Scaramouche stammered.


    "That''s right, it''s me," Lucas nodded with a calm smile. "I was the one who saved you."


    Scaramouche quicklyposed herself, mentally scolding herself for confusing her dream with reality. It was absurd to think that a figure from her dreams could show up here.


    "Why do I look like this?" Scaramouche demanded, frustration clear on her face. "What did you do to me?"


    Lucas had anticipated her reaction. After all, anyone who woke up to discover they''d been transformed would probably be just as shocked.


    He could tell that she had intended to ambush him—her nature was something he''d already learned well through the simtor.


    Scaramouche trusted no one.


    Even if he was her rescuer, her instinct was to eliminate any perceived threat first.


    As for why her attack suddenly stopped midway, it was likely because of the mand" Raiden Mai had inputted into her puppet core: amand that prevented her from attacking him.


    "This might take a while to exin," Lucas said as he poured the freshly cooked bacon onto a te. "How about we discuss it over breakfast?"


    After seeing his face, a flood of questions filled Scaramouche''s mind. She hesitated before nodding. "No pepper... on the bacon."


    "Of course. Double butter, no pepper. Already prepared just how you like it," Lucas replied smoothly.


    It was exactly how Scaramouche liked her food.


    Though she didn''t actually need to eat, she''d long kept up the habit as part of her effort to seem more human. Whether it was due to the energy demands of battle or the fact that as a puppet she wouldn''t gain weight, she had a particr weakness for high-calorie foods.


    But how did he know my preferences?


    It must just be a coincidence, she told herself.


    "So, I was out on ate-night walkst night," Lucas began his prepared exnation as they sat at the table, "and happened upon you, unconscious and severely injured."


    "Taking a stroll at four in the morning?" Scaramouche raised an eyebrow, still suspicious, as she bit into a slice of bacon.


    The degree of crispness, the bnce of butter—it was just like the meal prepared by the person in her dreams.


    "Everyone has their own habits," Lucas replied casually. "Anyway, I saw you lying there, badly hurt. The hospital wasn''t open that early, so I brought you back to treat your injuries myself."


    "And you uncovered my ''secret'' in the process?" Scaramouche''s eyes narrowed.


    "That''s right. Turns out you''re not quite human," Lucas replied with a smile, making no attempt to hide the truth. "Lucky for you, I happen to know a little alchemy, so I gave it a shot and patched you up."


    "You''re a reckless one," she scowled. "Do you realize that if you''d made even the slightest mistake, I might never have woken up?"


    "But you''re awake now, aren''t you?" Lucas shrugged. "If I hadn''t tried, you''d have died there anyway."


    "Fine, but let''s set that aside..." Scaramouche nced down at her chest, an edge of anger in her voice. "Would you care to exin why my body is... like this?"


    "Well, it''s like this," Lucas answered as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world. "Your core is the most crucial part, but itcked proper protection. So, I took the liberty of adding some armor."


    "Armor?" Scaramouche shot him a skeptical look. "This soft armor is supposed to protect me?"


    "It''s specifically designed to cushion impacts and absorb shocks," Lucas improvised. "If you''d had it before, maybe you wouldn''t have taken such severe damagest night."


    "And you don''t find my condition or my identity the least bit suspicious?" Scaramouche asked, her tone wary.


    "My grandfather is ny-two this year," Lucas replied offhandedly. "Still in perfect health."


    "What does that have to do with me?" she asked, baffled.


    "What do you have to do with me?" he countered. "Besides, my grandfather''s longevity is probably due to minding his own business."


    He had that same infuriating demeanor as the Doctor from her dreams!


    "Fine," Scaramouche muttered, grudgingly epting his nonchnce. Suddenly, she remembered something and stretched out her hand, looking away. "Give it... back."


    "Give back what?" Lucas tilted his head innocently. "I didn''t take anything from you."


    "You did!" Scaramouche''s face flushed as she insisted, "The... the thing you removed from me!"


    "Oh, that?" Lucas smirked as if recalling something trivial. "Why do you even want that thing?"


    "It''s something I made myself," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "It has sentimental value."


    "Well, it''s not exactly well-crafted," Lucas teased. "It''s already in the trash."


    "I... I''ve never seen the real thing!" Scaramouche''s tone grew indignant, feeling as though she''d been mocked. "If I had, I could have made it perfectly!"


    "Sure, sure," Lucas said with a softugh, his gaze warm.


    Time felt as if it had turned back to his days in the simtor, where Lucas, as the "Doctor," would often tease Scaramouche, and her flustered, exasperated reactions were always the same.


    "If you don''t believe me, show me yours!"


    Her irritation ring, Scaramouche lunged at Lucas, catching him off guard. In an instant, his face was buried against her newly-added "armor," leaving himpletely immobilized.


    For some reason, her actions felt oddly familiar. Before Lucas could react, his "reference" had already been... uncovered.


    For a moment, Scaramouche froze.


    Her gaze was drawn entirely to what she was seeing.


    Compared to her own handmade version, this one was clearly more... robust.


    Wait a second... why does it look so familiar?


    That''s it! The shape, even the scent—it was just like the one from her dreams.


    "Stop!" Lucasmanded, his voice steady but firm.


    At hismand, Scaramouche''s body froze once more, r


    eleasing her hold on him and obediently stepping back.


    It was only then that Lucas remembered: Raiden Mai had indeed imnted amand in her core,pelling her to obey his orders.


    ---