(F/n) waited for Edgar at a table in the back of the restaurant, so she wouldn't be able to see the balcony. She didn't want to be reminded of the grim event, while she was trying to eat some food. At the moment, though, she just drank some ice water to calm her down. Still, it would help if Edgar could hurry along with his explanation to the investigators that arrived.

She had already talked them and told them what happened. (F/n) told how Frederic had seemingly lost his mind at the end of the night and decided to jump off the building for a grand way to end his life after retirement. As for the bruise, forming on left cheek, she described how Frederic had punched her when she attempted to stop him. When it was Edgar's turn to talk, he told her to wait for him at one of the tables in the back, so she could ease her slightly distressed mind. Personally, she didn't consider herself in sorrow, and she found shocked to be a better term.

So, now she waited and watched from afar. She couldn't hear what Edgar was telling them, but she had seen the investigators become surprised at learning that Frederic had a brother. Granted, Edgar was on record with regards to his birth certificate and such, but the general public didn't have access to such files. Besides, Frederic had created a veil that repelled any curiosity from forming about him having another sibling.

It was still somewhat surprising that the now deceased male had managed to form such a web. (F/n) would've thought that Frederic's father's business partners would have shed some light on both siblings. So, when she voiced such a question to Mr. Helmsgrove, after he had spoke with the investigators and before he left for the evening, he merely answered that Edgar wanted to be kept a secret from the general public. Edgar had apparently even told his father the same thing when the company first started.

Regardless, when she saw Edgar heading back over to her and the investigators leaving as well, she sat up a little in the black cushioned booth seat. He took a seat across from her, in one of the wooden chairs at the table and made himself comfortable. "So, what did you exactly tell the investigators?" she asked, as she rested her hands on her lap.

"Well, after I explained that I liked little attention, hence the reason few know about me being Frederic's brother, I told them that Frederic loved attention. To add to this, I described that Frederic, over the past few months, had been exhibiting an even greater obsession with the spotlight. Granted, I added that his retirement came as a surprise, since he loved attention so much. Lastly, I narrated that he decided to commit suicide because it would garner attention at a heightened level. In the end his obsession drove him to madness. Mr. Helmsgrove also spoke of my brother's gluttony for the spotlight, and how it was consuming him. Besides, there really shouldn't be any worry, since none of us did kill him."

"What about your calm nature? Most wouldn't act in such a way after their sibling committed suicide."

"I explained that I was fighting back my grief. It wasn't the best of excuses, but it seemed to work enough. I did act a little shocked and disheartened during my explanation, though."

"And the waiters, the police didn't seem to question them too much."

"Well, if you remember, they weren't in the dining area at the time. I guess that you were so focused on the doll during the auction that you didn't notice them taking away the dessert plates and forks. We were their last guests, so they have been waiting probably in the break room. Likewise, all the other staff was absent from this area as well.

"It's one of the reasons why I like this restaurant. All of the workers keep themselves out of their guests' business. Even right now, they're waiting for me to call a waiter/waitress out. I had a feeling that Frederic would go berserk, so I thought it best to hold the auction in a place where gossip wouldn't spread among the working staff."

"What about your secrecy, Edgar? Those investigators now know about you and your presence here, but the other guests still don't."

"If word gets out, there is nothing I can do about it. By now or by the time we leave, the workers will know about me. Still, they don't know that I'm the owner. They only know that I'm Frederic's brother. Regardless, I trust the investigators and the workers here to be respectful of my wish to remain in the shadows. If they aren't, then I'll deal with whatever media that comes to me."

Merely nodding in response, a small smile came to her lips. "You're answering my questions more than usual. I thought that you liked to mess with me a little, but I appreciate the change."

"Hmm, things will go back to normal tomorrow, though, Frederic's funeral will be held soon. Other than that, things will settle down in a few months," he answered before calling out a waitress to take their orders. (F/n) hadn't really looked over the menu, so she just told Edgar to order for her.

Once the waitress left, she looked down to her lap, as her mind trailed back to the winter holiday doll. A small frown formed on her lips before she voiced her concern. "Edgar, ... why did the winter holiday doll look like that? It's not that I didn't find it to be gorgeous, but ..."

"How beautiful did you find the doll to be, (f/n)?"

"Well, like I said gorgeous. It was stunning, and I could see all the effort you put into making it. Clarice's daughter will be incredibly happy with it, but I just thought that it would bear some similarity to me. It's not that I mean to sound conceited, but why use me as inspiration, then? Do you want me to look like that doll?"

It wasn't hard to see the sadness fill his muse's (e/c) eyes. Doubt was filling her gaze as well. He knew that he should feel slightly regretful for the winter holiday doll's appearance, but he didn't. It was part of his greater scheme, and its success was at hundred percent. His muse was acting like he predicted, but he kept his grin inside his mind. Outwardly, he wore a neutral countenance, as he got out of his seat and went over to her.

Taking a seat by her on the booth, he extended out his left hand and rested his fingers underneath her chin. He turned her face towards him and softened his gaze. "Isn't it obvious, (f/n)? The doll looked the way it did because I wanted you to see how stunning you are. You're more beautiful than that doll, and I didn't have it in my heart to give that splendor to anyone else."

Analyzing his visible eye and words, she found something odd about his answer. He clearly wasn't saying everything. There was a hidden message in those words. Sure, he had just given her a huge compliment, but there was something more to it. He had mentioned that he couldn't give her 'splendor' to another, so he gave the winter holiday doll to another instead; he was comparing her looks to that of the doll. Why did that seem strange? The answer was in front of her, and she found herself pulling away from Edgar.

He was saying that he couldn't give her away. The word giving meant handing someone a possession or the implication that a possession was involved. Edgar was applying that term to her. Was he purposefully doing that or had his word choice just been poor? No, Edgar was always careful with his words, so he had to have used that word intentionally. Adding in the fact that he was comparing her to the winter holiday doll, she froze at the meaning.

Her eyes widened, and her fingers clutched at the fabric of her dress. Ever since he had brought her into his home, he had been crafting the winter holiday doll. The one at the auction wasn't the real one. It had all started by becoming his assistant. Next was the fact that she had given up nearly all of her previous possessions. Sure, Edgar had practically forced her to on both of those points, but she had the will to leave at anytime, yet she made the decision to stay and deal with him.

As she became accustomed to her new home, she worked besides him in the workshop. Eventually, she had wanted some freedom to go into town on her own, so Edgar gave her that one night. While she had been out in the town alone, she had wanted to return back to the house and to Edgar's side. So, her wish to have some more time alone outside of the house vanished.

Next in line was her wardrobe. She had agreed to wearing new clothes and shoes for him under the guise of inspiring the winter holiday doll. Her whole look had changed, and as the time after Halloween went by, she wished to go into Edgar's workshop to be with him; she desired for more of his presence. So, when Frederic made his backstabbing proposal to her, she ran to Edgar and told him about it.

Afterwards, she had accepted the scars on his face, and she had agreed to take Frederic down. She had agreed to ruin his brother, so she could keep Edgar safe. Before arriving at the auction, she had confessed her feelings to Edgar once more without even receiving a confirmation back. (F/n) had become jealous of the winter holiday when she saw its appearance and thought of how much time the doll had spent with Edgar.

Topping the track of events, she had wished for Edgar's presence the entire night, she defended Edgar when Frederic went to punch him and she hadn't cared as much as she should about Frederic's death because all that mattered was that Edgar was safe. All of the pieces fell into place, and she nearly fell out of her seat. "This entire time ... y-you we-were grooming me t-to b-be the win-winter hol-holiday d-d-d-doll," she spoke out shakily.

Examining her silently, Edgar drew his hand back and rested the left side of his face in the palm of his left hand, while his left elbow sat on the tabletop. A grin pulled at the corners of his lip, while his bangs fell to the side a bit and revealed the scars on his face. Both his emerald green eyes gleamed. "Why, my dear (f/n), you're almost right. You're not the winter holiday doll, though. No, you're better than that; you're my personal assistant, my personal doll. You're a doll that is breathing, a doll that returns my feelings and affections. You're the ideal doll; you're my most perfect creation. So, I couldn't create a doll just like you because I couldn't give any part of you away. You're much too precious for that."

Shaking her head, she tried to deny the truth that she had discovered and that was staring her right in the face. "No, no, I'm not an object. I'm a person. I'm not a mindless item that follows your every whim."

"(F/n), if you realized my plan on your own, then you know that those words hold no meaning. Still, I know that you're not mindless. If you were, I wouldn't have fallen for you. Your love and respect drew my interest to you, and so, I decided to make you the perfect doll, my perfect doll. Besides, I understand that you make all of your choices, not me. That's the beauty of it, though. Of your own volition, you chose to become my ideal creation.

"At any point in time, you could've chosen a different path, but you chose to be my assistant regardless of my method. You chose to get rid of your possessions in the end; you could've quit and walked away at any point. You could've thrown my requests or commands to the wind and returned to your old life. The key point here is that you didn't. You permitted me to shape you into what you are now. That, my dear (f/n), is why you're the ideal. That is why I care for you so much. It's because you accepted my plan and me with open arms."

"I didn't know that was your intention, though. I didn't..."

Cutting her off, he questioned, "Do you love me? Do you want to stay by my side for eternity?"

"Well, I ..." she paused, but she knew that she wanted to. Anymore, she couldn't imagine a life without him, yet being called a doll by him was making her want to argue, to fight. At the same time, though, she couldn't push away her feelings for him; she couldn't push against her desires to forever be by his side and work with him, for him. She was fighting a battle that she couldn't win; she was in far too deep to return to how she used to be. "I ... do, but I ..."

"Then, what does it matter. You've admired me ever since your childhood; you've always loved my creations. So, now I sculpted you into the perfect one. You're one of my creations; you've become what you truly love. You've become the most important thing to the man that you admire and care for."

At first she couldn't answer, she just looked away, as her mind formed various debates. Their food was served during the pause, but neither of them paid any attention to it. The waitress walked off, Edgar's bangs hiding the left side of his face from her view, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Accept it, (f/n)," he voiced, as he changed his position. He now leaned forward and wrapped his right hand around her waist, while he placed his left hand on her right cheek. Pulling her closer to him, he held her gingerly. "You've been ensnared by me, yet you have also captured me. So, all you have to do is accept me, and your creator will be all yours like you are all mine. Accept me, my most beloved doll."

Staring into his emerald green orbs, she bit her bottom lip in hesitation. She couldn't push him away; she knew that she needed him. He was her home now, and she didn't want to go back to her old life. No, she desired to stay forever with her new life, with Edgar. (F/n) supposed that if he were happy and that if she could see him every day, then it wouldn't matter. Like he said, she had made the decision to go down this path on her own.

With no more reluctance, she pressed her lips to his and gently placed her hands on his chest. This was her fate now, and she chose it. He had managed to capture her attention and her feelings without any force; it had all been of her own volition. So, if Edgar forever stayed with her, forever cared for her, forever loved her, then she would be his doll. She would be his captured creation.