Hajins introduced Violet to the staff.
With a blank expression, Violet introduced herself.
"I am Violet Evergarden."
"From today on, you’ll be working as an apprentice Auto-Memories Doll. Learn everything you can about the job and whatever else you need to know."
"Yes~"
Cattleya raised her hand brightly.
"Violet. This is also that guy’s order, so you have to listen carefully, all right?"
"Understood."
The girl saluted Hajins as he left without expression.
The girl looked as though she felt nothing about anything at all. Like a doll, which was the occupation’s very name.
Cattleya, the most senior of them, took Violet to the writing room. This, too, was a senior’s duty.
"First... how much do you know about Auto-Memories Doll work?"
"I was told it is the work of ghostwriting letters according to the client’s wishes. I heard that from Lieutenant Colonel Hajins—no, from President Hajins."
"That’s right~"
"I cannot say I fully understand, but I believe I am capable of carrying out the task."
Clack!
"It’s not that simple, and what do you mean, ‘task’?!"
A woman with the dark tan skin and traditional accessories typical of the south. A woman with short hair.
Iris shouted in exasperation.
Violet turned to look at her, somewhat startled.
"Iris. It’s fine, so keep working."
"...Yes."
Cattleya sharply rebuked her. Iris sat back down.
Then, with a creak, a small woman wearing glasses came in. She, too, seemed like a doll.
Cattleya clapped her hands when she saw her.
"Ah! Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced the Dolls yet, have I? Right, ‘Doll’ is short for Auto-Memories Doll."
Violet listened quietly to Cattleya’s explanation.
Major had taught her not to interrupt other people when they were speaking.
"The girl who stood up earlier is Iris. She just finished the basic training course, so she’s a newcomer."
Iris waved awkwardly.
"And the girl who just came in is Erica. She and I have both been Dolls for a while, but since this company itself is still new, we’re all newcomers here!"
"...I don’t think that’s true at all."
As Erica passed behind Violet, she whispered so only Violet could hear.
Then Erica walked on by.
"Violet, can you use a typing machine?"
"I have never used one."
"Then let’s start with typing practice."
Cattleya prepared the typewriter.
"As if that’ll be easy."
Iris muttered under her breath.
A typing machine was a rare tool. It was expensive and had so few uses that ordinary people did not even know how to type.
It required a basic knowledge of writing and a certain level of skill.
At most, it was used by large companies, the military, and the government.
"Iris? Could you bring me the manual?"
"Yes."
"All right, then... hmm."
Violet stood there stiffly. Cattleya pointed to the chair.
"Could you sit here?"
"Understood."
Violet, who had been standing rigidly, saluted like a soldier and sat down.
Cattleya found Violet simply adorable.
It was common enough for a young girl to admire soldiers and imitate them. Did she have a soldier in her family?
Judging by the way she saluted, it seemed she knew she was only copying what she had seen.
"Ah, wouldn’t it be better to take off your gloves?"
"Yes."
Violet bit down on her glove and tugged. The glove came off.
"Ah..."
"...."
"...."
A short gasp escaped.
Iris and Erica, who had been looking at Violet with some suspicion, were taken aback.
Her hands were a mess. If you put your hands into a box full of blades and flames and then pulled them out, would they look like that?
On Violet’s arms, the scars occupied far more space than healthy skin did.
"A-are you all right?"
"There is no problem."
Looking closer, there were scars around her collarbone too, hidden by her collar.
...Just what had she gone through?
Had all those salutes until now not been mere play after all...?
Hajins had only said that Violet was a new Doll. He had not told them anything about her past.
"Th-then shall we begin?"
Cattleya got ready.
"Set the paper like this, turn the handle to adjust it, and then place your index fingers on F and J and try typing."
"Yes."
Violet pressed the typewriter.
Tap, tap-tap.
"Yes, that’s it! That’s how you do it. After that, remember which fingers go with which letters and try typing according to this manual."
After finishing the adjustments, Violet lifted her hands and began to type.
Tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap.
The speed increased.
The clear sound of the keys gradually grew noisy and became an unpleasant racket.
"Wait. Violet...?"
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
"Violet, stop!"
Cattleya shouted.
Violet stopped and looked at Cattleya.
"A little more... quietly. All right?"
Lunchtime.
Iris and Erica came into the break room carrying their food.
In the break room, Benedict and Roland were talking. Benedict spotted the Dolls coming in and greeted them cheerfully.
"I’m not bothered anymore. I’m a working woman now! Hey, girls, fried noodles—"
"No, thank you. And please don’t call us out like that."
The two of them turned down Benedict’s offer of fried noodles and took seats elsewhere.
"Haa.... Do I really have to spend all day writing addresses again? Even the two people with afternoon appointments only want Cattleya. Ugh!"
Iris nearly tripped over her own feet.
"Are you okay?"
"Mm, I’m fine."
They sat on the sofa and took out their lunch.
"After coming all the way up to Leiden to become Dolls, all we do every day is write addresses or letters for war missing persons. That’s all there is."
"Yeah."
"Oh, come to think of it, that new girl was a soldier too, right?"
They were talking about Violet. After the morning session ended, Hajins had briefly explained Violet’s circumstances.
"She still looked so young. Ah, so that’s why..."
Erica thought of Violet’s hands.
"She doesn’t really need to be a Doll... And she’s not sociable, and she has no sense for this kind of work. She’s definitely not suited for it, right?"
Iris asked as if seeking agreement. As Iris said, Violet did not seem suited to a Doll’s work, which involved dealing with people.
It was time to leave work.
"The address writing is all done..."
"Good work."
Iris said it with a tired face.
"I’ll take it over to the courier."
"Yes, please."
Iris went out.
Cattleya stood up and approached Violet.
"Let’s call it a day for you too, Violet. Let’s see, let’s see. Oh, you’ve improved a lot! That’s impressive."
"What’s impressive is this weapon."
Violet looked down at the typewriter.
Cattleya said,
"A weapon... yes, I suppose it is. A weapon for working women like us to fight with when we go out into society, right? Tomorrow I’ll let you watch and learn directly beside a real Doll. I have to go on a business trip from now on. When a client requests it, we go to their home or workplace and write for them."
"May I... carry it with me?"
"The typer? Where to?"
"To my room. For training. And..."
A dark, pitch-black night.
Violet returned to the attic room. Then she placed her hands on the typewriter, thinking of someone.
The next day, Violet went to see Hajins.
"An address for Ioannis?"
"Yes. I would like to report the current situation, stating that I have begun training after taking up ghostwriting work."
"...."
"The Major is still busy, so... I suppose it isn’t possible for me to visit him directly, is it?"
"Hmm... all right. I’ll send it for you. But how is the training going?"
"It is going smoothly."
Violet said it with a certain confidence.
Hajins was seized by a vague sense of unease.
The next day.
"As you know... it’s already hard enough just to make ends meet every day."
The client said.
Iris ghostwrote the client’s words.
"‘As you know, I am also in a position where even basic living expenses are lacking—’"
"There is a spelling mistake."
Violet, who had been watching from the side, said.
"Ugh..."
"And write that I will repay two crolls every month."
"‘Every month—’"
"At two crolls a month, it will take about 120 years to repay in full. Will you still be alive by then, sir?"
Violet said calmly.
Next, Violet watched Erica at work.
"He’s really a good child most of the time, but sometimes he gets angry..."
It was a middle-aged woman who looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
"‘I am sorry for hurting your precious child.’"
"Sniff, maybe I taught him wrong."
"‘It seems my guidance was lacking.’"
Suddenly, the middle-aged woman shouted.
"What! What was wrong with it...?! Sniff...!"
"Um...."
As Erica stood there at a loss before the sobbing client,
"Please stop crying immediately, as it is interfering with work."
"Huh...?"
Violet delivered her cold rebuke. The middle-aged woman stopped crying.
The incident happened a little while later.
Bang!
"What the hell is this letter?!"
A burly middle-aged man stormed in roughly.
The man with the fierce face sat down and glared at Erica.
"‘My selfish request?’ What part of this is selfish, huh?!"
Erica trembled all over.
"...I’m sorry."
"‘There’s no excuse for the delay?’ So you’re saying it’s all my fault?!"
Crush. The man crumpled the letter and threw it away.
Erica shrank back.
"Just who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Erica-sama is Erica-sama."
At that moment, Violet, who had been standing nearby, opened her mouth.
The man hesitated for a moment at Violet’s confident tone.
"I-I didn’t ask for your name! Anyway, I’m not paying!"
"...."
Erica lowered her head and shed tears. Her own position felt miserable.
The man turned to leave.
With a creak, Violet pushed back her chair and stood.
"Refusing to pay because you do not like the result is illegal."
Then she walked up in front of the man. Violet was a head shorter than him.
But Violet showed no sign of backing down. She was smaller than the Major she sparred with so often, too.
"Please specify exactly what you found unsatisfactory and in what way—"
"Move."
The man raised a hand toward Violet.
Grip!
Without the slightest hesitation, Violet seized his arm and twisted it.
Violet pinned the man down on the table.
"Please give specific, appropriate instructions."
"Ghk!"
A little later, Hajins called Erica and Violet over.
"Hmm... I’ve had a few complaints from clients..."
Violet spoke.
"Was there a problem?"
"No, hmm... are you all right?"
"There are no abnormalities in my health."
"That’s not what I meant... I mean the Doll work?"
"I am training hard."
Hajins scratched his cheek.
"I see..."
"President. We don’t have any more appointments today. I’ll diligently finish the Chamber of Commerce registry with her, so..."
Erica said to Hajins.
She was speaking obliquely, but what she meant was that the two of them would be alone, so please leave.
"Yes, all right."
Hajins left the writing room, and only Erica and Violet remained.
Erica said,
"Type the company name, address, and business type there."
"Understood."
"Um... why do you want to do this job?"
Violet looked at Erica.
"I—"
"Oh my, is no one here?"
At that moment, a client came in.
Erica smoothed her bangs and went out.
"Welcome. Would you like ghostwriting services?"
"What else would I be here for?"
"My apologies. If you wish, I can ghostwrite any sentence you want. Auto-Memories Doll service—"
"Where’s that Doll named Cattleya Baudelaire?"
The client ignored Erica and looked around.
"She’s just gone out on a business trip."
"Really? I came because I heard that Doll would do a good job without making mistakes. Well, whatever."
The client was a woman with a glamorous appearance.
She sat on the sofa and explained her request.
"I got a marriage proposal, you know. It’s from someone at an automobile company, and they say the age of cars is coming, right?"
"...Yes."
"But I’m not that easy a woman, and I don’t want to look like some frivolous girl."
"Um... say that again."
The woman twisted her hair nervously.
"Well~ he’s not exactly much to look at, and I don’t have any particular feelings for him, but if he really does love me and shows a little more sincerity... then please write something dignified and romantic."
"...Um."
Because of what had happened in the afternoon, Erica hesitated. Could she really write a letter that difficult?
Then Violet came over. The woman smiled at Violet.
"Oh my, are you the one who’s going to write it?"
"Understood."
The woman who had entrusted Violet with her request came back in a rage.
"He got angry and sent the letter back. Read it! Read what you wrote!"
"‘Thank you for your letter. However, at present I have no favor toward you. Much less do you have enough sincerity or affection. Since I am a complicated and heavy woman, I hope you will seek me again after procuring a luxury item, or funds.’"
In short, it was: I’m an expensive woman, so give me a lot of money.
After reading the letter, Violet tilted her head.
"I do not see where the problem lies."
"I’m sorry! It’s just... too honest, maybe..."
Cattleya apologized on Violet’s behalf.
"Sob, I wanted to meet him too. But if I accept too easily, I’ll look easy, won’t I? Wanting him to chase me more desperately—that’s what a woman wants, isn’t it!? I loved him too!"
The woman, overcome with emotion, burst into tears.
Cattleya took Violet to a teahouse.
"What would you like to drink?"
"...Water is sufficient for hydration."
"Two flower teas, please."
After the server left, Cattleya said,
"I gave you something too difficult too soon."
"I did not understand."
"Hm?"
"I composed the sentence to reflect the client’s intentions as much as possible."
"...Words have both a surface and an underside. What is spoken aloud is not everything. It’s a fragile part of people. They confirm their own existence by testing others."
"...The Major said the same thing."
"Did he? How contradictory."
Cattleya went to apologize to the man who had received Violet’s letter.
Violet wandered the city alone.
Cattleya’s words echoed in her mind.
Her head felt clouded, as though she could not breathe.
The Major had always been beside her.
He corrected her when she made mistakes and always gave her courage.
The Major showed her the path she was meant to follow.
-It’s all right to be wrong. Don’t give up. Let’s do it together.
-That was difficult, wasn’t it? Come here. I’ll fix it for you.
-If there’s anything you don’t know, always ask me, Violet.
She missed him so painfully it hurt.
Her heart felt empty.
Where should I go, Major?
Is this the right path?
Am I even moving forward?
Grip...
Violet grabbed the front of her own coat. It was the place where the obsidian brooch should have been.
"Major...?"
A man in a military uniform with black hair passed in front of Violet.
"Major...! Major Ioannis!!"
Violet cried out desperately.
"Hm?"
The man turned around.
He was not the Major.
Violet could not hide her disappointment.
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