Chapter 100

Chapter 100

“You know the soul trapped in the pond?”

I asked Shion as we headed for the room with the pond.

“Mm. That unnie’s nice, I like her. But she’s a bit noisy.”

“Hmm… She can be, can’t she?”

It struck me then—the first time I’d met the Madam. As Shion had said, the word ‘bustling’ suited her well. But I doubted I’d ever see her like that again. Lady Bandark must have witnessed Luka’s exorcism with her own eyes.

‘I hope she’s alright… but that’s probably wishful thinking.’

I stood there, hand on the doorknob, thinking. I didn’t expect her to be completely unharmed. I just hoped she wasn’t suffering too much.

“I’m going in first!”

And then it happened. Before I could stop her, Shion passed straight through the door and slipped inside.

“Huh? Shion?!”

I hurried after her. And there I found Lady Bandark, hunched over, sitting in a crouch. From the look of it, she seemed to be crying.

“Um…”

I stepped toward her carefully, my heart uneasy. As if sensing my presence, she slowly lifted her head and met my eyes. Her gaze, outwardly calm, was steeped in a heavy gloom.

“It’s you.”

She gave a small, strained smile. I had no idea what words of comfort to offer. All I could do was bite my lip. She slowly pulled her gaze away from me and buried her face between her knees again. Then, in a muffled voice, she went on.

“I… once heard about exorcism from Helena. Quite often, actually. So I recognized it right away. What I saw was an exorcism… wasn’t it?”

“I… I’m sorry. I never expected it would come to that.”

“Yeah. So Luka really was exorcised….”

“…….”

And in that moment, ripples began to stir across the pond where she sat. They swelled, growing into small waves.

“Was it my fault for appearing before him like that? I never thought it would end this way….”

Her voice hitched as she spoke, ringing hollow in my ears. I hurried to her side and knelt on the damp ground. I could feel the water, slowly overflowing, soaking cold against my skin.

“Don’t say that. I know this won’t help, but please don’t be so sad. Luka—Luka wouldn’t have wanted that either!”

“……Luka…?”

Madam Bandark lifted her head and looked at me. The rippling water seemed to recede, quieting. I clung to that small hope.

“Yes! Yes, I saw Luka’s memories. That day, his emotions came through more clearly than usual. It doesn’t always happen that way… but it did. And I realized: Luka truly loved you. So… that means he wouldn’t want you to grieve. Right? Please, calm down.”

I cried out urgently. I was terrified that if things went on like this, she too would turn into an evil spirit. I didn’t want to see another ghost here exorcised again.

“……That… doesn’t matter anymore.”

She answered. Tears were streaming down her face, droplets falling fast beneath her eyes. In response, the water in the pond rose swiftly.

“Wh-What are you saying?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore… Luka’s gone now.”

“But he—”

“What difference does it make what he wanted? He’s gone. And I have to go on grieving, even in death…!”

A massive wave rose up and crashed over me. The torrent of water made it impossible even to keep my eyes open. Still, I forced myself to wipe my face and lift my head—just in time to see Lady Bandark standing abruptly in the middle of the pond.

She was striding out of the pond, step by deliberate step. The room’s floor was already flooded, and she seemed to move with the current itself. But with every step she took, a heavy swell rippled out from under her feet.

I scrambled backward, still sitting, my movements jerky and uncertain. Even at a glance, I could tell she didn’t have much time left before she became an evil spirit.

“Unnie!”

Suddenly Shion ran toward the pond, cutting against the current. The child reached out and grabbed Lady Bandark. At that touch, the wild waves began to calm with startling speed. The pond water that had spilled across the floor dissolved into a hazy mist and vanished into the air.

Lady Bandark collapsed backward and plunged into the pond with a splash. I forced my trembling body upright and approached her. She lay still, sinking quietly beneath the surface.

“Shion. What did you do?”

I looked down at her and asked.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The lady… she almost became an evil spirit. But when you touched her, that energy just faded. How did you do it?”

It was unmistakable. And it was too exact to be coincidence. I had no choice but to attribute it to Shion’s action.

“I dunno?”

But the child only answered in a cheerful voice.

“You don’t know?”

“Uh-huh. I just hugged her, that’s all?”

“Is that so…?”

My mind churned with confusion. Shion was a truly strange child. There was some special ability in her—one so remarkable it made me wonder if it came from the Dragon’s blood.

“Hey, Shion…”

I opened my mouth to ask something else. But at that moment, Lady Bandark sat up in the pond. Thick streams of water fell from her body with a loud splash.

She turned her gaze to me and looked me over—studying my pitiful drenched-rat state with her eyes.

“…I’m sorry. You must have been so frightened…”

At her words, I hurriedly shook my head.

“No. I…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m so sorry…”

The lady’s expression turned gloomy once again. Seeing that, my tense heart eased a little. Soon, I began to feel pity for her instead.

Maybe the grudge she nursed had settled so deeply it could never be unraveled. That was because Luka was dead, and he’d been exorcised. If so, this soul was simply in a grace period before turning into an evil spirit.

“Excuse me. If Luka is really gone, does it all mean nothing? Or do you just need time?”

I watched her carefully, asking in a small voice. It troubled me that she might never ascend. Better she pass on somehow than stay here as an evil spirit, clinging to the land of the living. That way, she could grasp happiness in her next life.

“Child. This isn’t a matter of time.”

But Lady Bandark shook her head as she answered.

“What?”

“It has to be him. No one else.”

“Wh-why…?”

“……Looking back, that’s how it was. Before I met him, I was always melancholy. But after Luka came under my care, I could feel joy. So when he left, I suppose the loss hit me hard.”

“…….”

“That loss killed me. But death wasn’t the end. Even after I died, my feelings followed me. I think that’s why I couldn’t help clinging to him all this time. And now, even that means nothing.”

Her voice wavered with tears as she continued. Her tears no longer disturbed the pond’s surface. But I knew this wasn’t a shallow emotion.

“It’s a little surprising that he loved me too, but honestly, I resent it. Because even though we loved each other, we only drifted apart. If he hadn’t loved me, this wouldn’t feel so hollow… In the end, we only ever missed each other, and now we’ll never see one another again.”

She rose from the pond. Then she looked down at me, still.

“Could you just exorcise me too?”

“What?”

Startled by her words, I tried to grab her. But my hand only brushed through her arm.

“There’s no reason for me to stay here anymore.”

“Don’t say that. You could ascend and find happiness in your next life.”

“But Luka won’t be there, will he.”

“No. Don’t think like that. Once you reincarnate, you’ll have plenty of chances to be happy. Luka… well, Luka won’t be there, I know… but not all your happiness depends on him!”

At that, Lady Bandark gave me a faint smile.

“……You must be quite happy yourself. Happy enough to look forward to your next life… After living this one, I can’t be sure my next will be any better.”

“…….”

“Will you summon the priest who exorcised Luka?”

“…….”

I couldn’t answer. Hearing her, I realized I too couldn’t be certain her next life would bring happiness. But I still couldn’t let her be exorcised like this.

“……The priest said he only exorcises evil spirits. He said it… goes against his religious convictions.”

That was the excuse she’d barely managed to drag out. All she could do was hope it would be enough to make them give up on exorcising her.

“Is that so? Still, that doesn’t mean you can become an evil spirit. I can’t let you harm you all.”

She seemed to think it over for a moment, then strode out of the pond in a single step. Right behind her, water began streaming from her eyes, nose, and mouth.

“A-are you alright?! Get back in!”

I floundered, reaching out to push her back by the shoulders. But she only drifted further from the pond without a word. Then, all at once, the flow of water stopped. Her form began to blur, growing fainter by the second. It was clear her soul’s energy was waning. Maybe she meant to fade away like this.

“Shion. Do something.”

I turned to Shion, voice urgent.

“Huh? How?!”

“Keep her from disappearing.”

“I can’t do stuff like that!”

“Then hug her, like you did before!”

At my words, Shion spread both arms and scurried toward the woman.