gave a light shrug, then lifted his glass. They remained that way as they waited, time seeming to slow to an agonizing crawl. Eventually, the door to the dining room swung open. Two pairs of footsteps drew near, as well as the sound of something being dragged. Kaito peered in the direction of the noise, and his eyes widened. "...Hina!" "There was no need for us to subdue it. It was just lying in the rubble." "It seems that Elisabeth judged it a hindrance and left it behind." "That girl, making sure it didn't fight to the point of breaking. Elisabeth did always have her gentle moments. It seems the doll won't be of much use if your plan was to tell it to take Elisabeth and flee from the Kaiser." Hearing the maids' reports, Vlad cast a sidelong glance at Kaito and laughed at him. Kaito frantically rose from his seat. The maids were propping Hina up by her shoulders. Her clothes had been shredded, as had her humanlike skin. It didn't seem like she would have trouble walking. Yet, she refused to let go of her halberd. "...Master...Kaito... Oh...Master Kaito, where...are...?" As she muttered the single-minded phrase, she looked up, her tangled silver hair swaying. As her vacant emerald eyes landed on Kaito, they widened, and a jovial light flashed within them. "...Master Kaito!" Hina shook off the maids, then dropped the halberd she'd been clutching. As she reached out her arms, she seemed to have forgotten her pain entirely. Kaito paused. His plan to entrust Hina with a message and save Elisabeth had gone off the rails, but he was still planning on betraying them. He had no right to be hugged by her. "Master Kaito! Oh, I'm so, so glad that you're unharmed." "This is good-bye, Hina. You have to head back to the castle without me." Hina had been about to rush toward him, but upon hearing his words, she stopped dead in her tracks. She looked like she'd been stabbed in the heart from behind. After a few seconds, she straightened herself out, then looked straight at Kaito. She softly pressed her hand against her chest, steadied her breathing, then spoke. "Master Kaito, do you find some aspect of me inadequate, perhaps?" "Hina, what are youâ€”?" "If there is, would you permit me to be rude enough to ask what it is? I will repair it. I am but a simple fool, unwitting as to my own failure, but if you give me a chance to fix my mistake, nothing could make me happier. I beg you for clemency." "No, no, that's not it. You haven't done anything wrong." Kaito hadn't expected Hina's reaction, and he hastily corrected her. She appeared perplexed. "If that is the case...then perhaps, have you come to hate me? Can you no longer bear the sight of my face? Do you no longer wish to have someone like me by your side? If that is what the problem is, then I will take my face and, with Lady Elisabeth's aid, reconstruct it so as to better meet yourâ€”" "You're wrong, Hina. There's nothing wrong with you, nothing at all. I just chose to follow this guy." "Master Kaito... You mean...Vlad?" Hina looked at the person Kaito was pointing to in bewilderment. Kaito nodded. "I can't say it's my first choice. But even if I have to stand on the side that hurts others, there's something I need to do. And he's the only one who can make it happen for me." Kaito tried to explain himself. Hina's expression made her seem like an abandoned puppy, and he had to turn away. There wasn't a single thing wrong with her. Although he was betraying her, he didn't want to be the reason she wore such a pained expression. But he didn't have the luxury of being able to keep her by his side. Right now, she was unfit for combat. If she would just give up on him, Vlad would probably let her go. After all, their relationship was the result of him accidentally starting her up. If she could just forget about him and find a new master, she should at least be able to spend her days happily and peacefully. If nothing else, that's what he wanted to believe. "Just forget about your configured lover, and after you get back, you can live your life freely. I'll have Elisabeth...or, rather, Vlad set it up so you can forget me and arrange a new configâ€”" "Please don't make light of me, Master Kaito." "Huh?" She interrupted Kaito, her voice cold and pointed. She'd never shown such anger toward him before. She took a short breath, exhaled, and straightened herself up in a dignified manner. "I may have the preconfigured heart of an automaton, but it is still mine and mine alone. The moment I chose you as my master, and you chose me, I decided to dedicate my life and my love to you and no one else. I live because I wish to live for your sake, and I break because I wish to be broken. I have no intention of serving another master. Even if my noble master was to order it, I cannot allow you to deny that fact." "...Hina..." "Why do you choose to serve a man such as him?" "Sorry. I'm gonna follow him. Even if I have to give Vlad everything I hold dear, I'm going to kill my father!" Before he realized it, Kaito was yelling. As if in response to his unstable thoughts, anger and bloodlust welled up within his heart, and the suffering he'd once felt returned to him. He clenched his teeth, panting like an animal. The harshness immediately faded from Hina's face and was replaced, in an instant, by understanding. She should have had no way of knowing his past, but she seemed to have sensed something, as she gently asked him a question. "Will that... Will that bring you happiness?" "Huh? ...Happiness?" "Will it?" "Uh, well, probably." Overwhelmed by Hina's earnest tone, Kaito nodded. But he had no idea if the act would bring him happiness. To the contrary, homicide was about as far removed as an act could be from something as idyllic as "happiness." But all he had to do was kill his father, and the torrent of muddy hatred flowing through his heart should vanish. Hearing his response, Hina beamed. "Thank goodness." "Huh?" Kaito was surprised, once again, by her response. For some reason, Hina was nodding in relief. She laid her hands on her chest with a satisfied expression, like a mother understanding her child's happiness. "Even back at the castle, you never once smiled from the heart, Master Kaito... I was so very worried for you. If this choice will grant you happiness, then there is nothing more for me to say. With a heart full of joy, I shall support you on your path." "Wait, Hina, you were worried about me all this time?" "Your happiness is my happiness, Master Kaito. A single, supreme happiness... I understand. As per your wishes, I will now suspend all functions." "Whâ€”?!" Her unexpected proclamation caused Kaito's eyes to widen. That wasn't what he wanted at all. Hell, the whole reason for this farewell was because he wanted Hina to live a long life. Kaito grabbed her shoulders. She calmly returned his gaze. "Hina, quit talking nonsense! Why would you have to shut down?!" "If you say you no longer have need of me, Master Kaito, then why should I keep on living? Lady Elisabeth does not wish to flee, and I am simply a burden. Please put your mind at ease. If you say this will bring you happiness, then I will gladly return my body to that of a mere doll." "Cut it outâ€”I'm begging you. Please. I don't want you to die. Can't you think this over?" "How kind you are... What a truly kind and compassionate man you are. Although I am unworthy of such sentiment, I will accept it nonetheless. But my life is by your side, and the moment you no longer needed me, it came to an end. You needn't feel guilt about this. My work is complete, so instead, please send me off with a smile." Hina smiled. Her voice rang with a resolute sense of pride, one that far surpassed Kaito's ability to comprehend. No matter what he said, he doubted that her resolve would waver. When he realized that, his hands loosened. Hina took a step back and clasped the hem of her maid uniform. Her silver hair gently swayed as it glittered in the candlelight. She lowered her injured leg and gave a lovely bow. "And with that, Master Kaito, I take my leave. Within the hour, unless you find yourself once more in need of me, I shall enter my eternal slumber. You have my sincerest thanks. Allowing me to be by your side...and graciously permitting me to be your lover made me happier than you could possibly imagine." When Hina expressed how happy she'd been in the short time they'd spent together, her voice contained no traces of falsehood, just fervent gratitude. She bowed deeply, then continued. "With a heart full of love and gratitude, I welcome death... Please excuse me." She finished her bow, picked up her halberd, and used it to prop up her body as she walked. The maids went to lend a hand, but she shook them off and left the dining room alone. Her resolute figure soon receded into the darkness. Standing frozen in place, Kaito watched her leave. As he did, he recalled Marianne and Elisabeth's exchange. "Once you've killed me, I imagine there will be no one left in this world who truly loves you." "Yes... I will have no one. Not a single person for the rest of eternity." He felt as though he had just lost something precious without having ever realized just how important it was. He remained motionless. But before he could process his profound sense of loss, Vlad called out from behind him. "I have to ask, just for the record. Did I witness a miracle a moment ago? A miracle such as your plaything's lofty words washing away your age-old grudge, leaving you with a cleansed spirit and ready to live happily ever after?" "...Don't worry about it. Just summon my fucking dad already." Kaito spat out his words. Vlad nodded, then snapped his fingers. The maids quickly rolled in a cart designed to carry food, as if they'd been waiting impatiently for this. The top of the cart was covered in a silver lid, which the maids promptly removed. Upon the cart lay a doll clad in gray clothes. It had no hair, eyes, or mouth. The ball-jointed doll's skin was pale, and its construction looked so plain that it was difficult to imagine it housing a soul. Vlad took a knife from the table, spun it by its hawk-insignia handle, and brought it to a sharp stop. He then forcefully plunged it more than halfway through his wrist. The cut severed an artery, and blood gushed forth across the tablecloth and dripped onto the floor. The blood coalesced, seeming almost alive, and began painting a complicated design on the floor, a different design than the teleportation circle Kaito was familiar with. While that was happening, Vlad gave a brief scowl. His arm, hidden in his sleeve until then, shone crimson with divine glyphs. The Church's shackles were burned into his skin. It seemed that when he used magic, they caused him even more pain. However, his expression quickly returned to neutral. "My words bear no lies. My words bear no falsehoods. My words bear no untruths. His soul ferries between worlds. On Earth he calls out, his body in tatters. In the ether he finds his form once more." Vlad muttered something in a low voice. In