The CEO's Seductive Doll-Chapter 155: The Maestra

Knock. Knock. Knock. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Freiheit knocked at the old wooden door to the Maestra’s hut, yet there was no response.

"Did we arrive at the right place?" Evan asked, his tone full of doubt and annoyance. "It seems like no one is around."

"It’s the right place," Eternity assured. "I—no, every Eternity Woman—remembers this place. After all, this was the place where we were created."

Even though Eternity’s voice was oozing with confidence, deep inside she felt jittery. She stared down at the damp ground as she tried to gather her bearings.

After all, in Eternity Women’s terms, it was like meeting God themselves.

"Maybe they went out?" Freiheit suggested.

Eternity shook her head.

"The Maestra might be as old as time itself. With her age, she can’t possibly walk too far ahead."

Freiheit scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Tell that to Evan."

"Hey!" Evan said annoyedly. "Don’t lump me with old people!"

"You might as well be one," his brother said dryly.

Evan was about to retort when the door slowly creaked open, suggesting that it was barely used and that the Maestra rarely had visitors coming her way.

"Good morning," a feminine voice greeted as a figure emerged from inside the hut. "How may I help you?"

All three of them couldn’t help but be awestruck by the person standing before them.

They all expected to see an old witch with torn clothes and a wooden cane that served as a means of support as she walked.

But that wasn’t the case.

She had long, white hair that reached past her hips. Her skin was smooth yet pale, like she barely went outside the comforts of her hut. She was wearing a comfortable, plain white dress matched with a pair of worn-out sandals, which was the only indication of her possible age.

For someone who was as old as time, the Maestra looked like she was only in her mid-twenties. Not just that, the Maestra, believe it or not, looked even more beautiful than her dolls.

"Is that one of my creations?" She said brightly, walking closer to Eternity before grabbing her hand and squeezing it softly. "My, you look almost human at this point!"

Evan cringed at her words.

Even though he was aware that Maestra’s goal was to literally suck the life force out of the doll’s master, it was demeaning for Maestra to confirm this indirectly.

"Where are my manners?" The Maestra opened the door wider, gesturing for them to enter the hut. "Come in!"

The trio did as they were told, entering the hut while the two males felt unease running down their spines.

***

The hut, unlike what one would expect a hut to look like, looked more like a factory.

To be precise, it looked like a grotesque, ultra-realistic mannequin factory.

Hanging on the walls, lying on tables, and, to put it simply, parts of yet-to-be-assembled Eternity Women were scattered all over the place. Due to Eternity Women’s realistic appearance, the room eerily looked like it was decorated with body parts of butchered women.

"Welcome," the Maestra said before glancing at Freiheit. "Or should I say, welcome back?"

Freiheit merely nodded.

"Undo the curse," he demanded from the get-to-go.

"My," the Maestra gasped in disbelief. "You didn’t even bother to introduce me to your companions, Mr. Royall!"

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"You know I didn’t hike this high of a mountain just so I could introduce Evan and one of your dolls to you."

Evan had a strong urge to reprimand Freiheit due to his rudeness. Usually, it was the other way around. But he couldn’t believe his eyes and ears to see Freiheit act like a former reflection of himself.

It was giving him a bitter taste inside his mouth.

"I’m Eternity," the doll interrupted. "Eternity Doll, that was the name given to me by my master, Evanescence Holz."

"’Eternity Doll,’ huh?" The Maestra repeated, with an unreadable expression on her face. She was probably judging Evan’s poor choice of naming sense. "I would give my comment about your name, but your master’s name is too interesting to ignore."

"Isn’t it ironic?" Evan said, though there wasn’t a hint of menace in his tone. "My name is synonymous with the words ’ephemeral’ and ’fleeting,’ which seemed like a reflection of my short life span."

"Don’t say that," Freiheit grunted. "The reason why we’re here is because we’re going to fix that. With the help of the Maestra, she’ll help us return the life force that Eternity took from you--"

"In exchange for her life!" Evan shouted. "I’m not going to let Eternity die to save me!"

"Hm," the Maestra hummed. "I see that Mr. Holz is completely under Eternity’s spell."

"That’s why I didn’t want him to come along," Freiheit sighed, rubbing his temple. "Though I guess the process can’t be done without him around."

The Maestra nodded. "Yes, that’s right. I need the Master along with the Doll so I can reverse the damage that has been done."

"And you’re just going to do it?" Evan asked in a tone of disbelief. "You’re willing to destroy Eternity, your creation, just to save me, someone you just met?"

The Maestra gave him a long look before turning her back to go to a workbench. It seemed like she was making another doll before they arrived at her doorstep.

"You know," she said nonchalantly as she took a head-shaped object from a mold. "When an Eternity Woman successfully drains the life out of their owner, their first instinct is to come back to me.

"When they do, they give me the life force that they took from their masters, hence my youthful appearance."

"Wait," Freiheit interrupted. "You mean, this is a trap?!"

The Maestra chuckled.

"No, young man. If I wanted to absorb the little remaining life force that Mr. Holz has, I would’ve made Eternity finish the job for me, and her instincts would do the rest."

Freiheit still gave her a look of suspicion but he looked like he understood the Maestra’s explanation.

"Hm," the Maestra hummed again, setting the head-like back to the crafting table. "If you’re not too much in a hurry, would you like me to tell you a story?"

"We actually are--" Freiheit tried to say.

"Is this about how you started making Eternity Women?" Evan interrupted with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

The Maestra nodded, smiling knowingly.

"Then we’re willing to listen."