Chapter 114

Chapter 114

A somewhat embarrassing stratagem. Besides, just shoving the ring at him felt like too much. I’d honestly hoped for a ring, but thinking it through, it came off too much like a proposal. And the Duke hadn’t said a word about ‘solidifying our relationship’ since he’d brought it up. That alone proved he was a thoroughly conservative man.

Frustrating, yes. But if that’s how it is, I’ll just have to match his pace.

‘A bracelet would be better than a ring, then.’

Besides, giving a bracelet carries the implicit message, ‘I want to bind you to me’ — not a terrible choice for where we stand right now.

‘And honestly, even setting aside the bracelet’s meaning, I want to give him something decent this time. He’s given me so much… I just hope I can find something fine.’

She stretched out her left hand and looked at the bracelet dangling from her wrist. Rough-hewn jewel stones hung in a cluster. Come to think of it, this bracelet, too, was a gift from the Duke just before she was driven out of Cuvershaiden. Her original possessions had all shattered when Lady Bandark possessed her.

Suddenly, like a chain of events, memories of the smoke ghost surfaced. The black smoke ghost. The Duke’s guardian spirit, possibly the late Lady’s soul — when Lady Bandark’s soul had begun to scatter, it had broken away from the Duke and lingered by her side. Unless some other variable had intervened, that soul should still be with Lady Bandark even now.

‘Maybe I should go see the smoke ghost now…?’

Half of her was sure, but she still felt she needed to confirm whether that was really the Lady. Her gaze drifted toward the room with the pond. But then she remembered the Duke telling her not to run into ghosts and shook her head.

‘No point. I won’t go looking for it.’

She quickened her pace down the hallway. Once in the room, she set down the small bundle she’d packed and perched on the edge of the bed. Either way, she had to tell the Duke about the smoke ghost. True, she’d lost the chance to speak after being kicked out of Cuvershaiden before, but now that she was back, this deserved priority.

‘Would it hurt him to think of his dead mother? Honestly, I can’t even rule out that the smoke isn’t the Lady… But still.’

Still, if it were her, she’d want to know. Because she herself wouldn’t want to never know that the guardian spirit by her side might be her mother.

* * *

The moment she stepped into the dining hall, the lady-in-waiting friends who spotted her rushed over in a flurry.

“Laura! You’re here?!”

“Laura! Are you okay now?”

They led me to a seat and then bustled about, setting food in front of me.

“Did you get a good rest? Feeling better now?”

“Not sick anymore?”

“You okay? Were you unwell before, or something?”

My friends peered at my face from every angle, each chiming in with a question. They must’ve thought I’d been home convalescing. Well, I had collapsed once—even if it was really because of the possession—so it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption.

“I’m fine. Were you all that worried?”

“Of course I was! But anyway, glad you’re back.”

“Thanks……”

I hadn’t meant to, but I’d made them worry too much. A faint embarrassment prickled through me.

“Well then. Since Laura’s back, let’s gather tonight. Whose room should we use?”

Right then, Sonia clapped her hands and turned to look at everyone gathered around the table. She seemed to be thinking of throwing a little party to mark my return to Cuvershaiden.

“Hmm……. Come to my room today.”

I shoved a mouthful of the food in front of me before replying.

“Great! Then I’ll ask the kitchen maid to bring some snacks!”

“I’ll bring tea from my hometown!”

My friends chattered away as if a festival had come to town. A small laugh escaped me. Their high spirits lifted my own heart, too. Spending time with my siblings was pleasant, but I realized I’d missed this kind of noise and bustle as well.

After a few more rounds of conversation, the lively meal finally ended. I gathered the plates and fork-knife, then rose from my seat. Exchanging quick goodbyes with my friends, I left the dining room and headed straight for the Duke’s study.

The study, moved to a somewhat secluded spot because of the headless ghost, was tucked away in the manor. It took more steps than usual to reach it. I knocked on the door of the new study, then pushed it open. The Duke was already there, working.

“Good afternoon, Your Excellency.”

“Yes.”

Stepping inside and offering the greeting, I heard the Duke reply in a low voice. I let the words tumble out—’This place is quite nice. The lighting in particular seems excellent.’—as I turned and soon found myself facing the massive desk and its absurdly ornate chair.

‘Ah. Even after moving the study, I still have to use that throne-like chair……?’

A twinge of dismay hit me, but I pretended nothing was wrong and sat down in my place. I didn’t want to ignore the hard work of those who had moved that heavy desk. Then, calmly, I looked over the documents piled atop it. Through the tall stacks, the Duke’s profile came into view.

Suddenly, I found myself tangled in the question of how best to tell him about the madam. It was a difficult story—and daunting for that very reason.

‘He’s busy. Should I wait? Or rush through it, since it’s important?’

No clear answer surfaced. The truth was, unless I was the duke himself, I’d never know the right move. So I sat there, stuck between doing and not doing, fidgeting with my fingertips.

“What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”

That was when, as I wrestled with myself, the duke suddenly spoke up.

“Ah. No, it’s… well…”

I answered slowly, hesitating. But then I made up my mind, lifted my eyes, and met his gaze head-on.

“Yes. Actually, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Your Grace. What I’m about to say might make you uncomfortable. But I have to say it.”

“……”

“It’s about your guardian spirit. I think—I think it’s the madam. I mean… your mother, Your Grace.”

“……”

Was it the suddenness of it? The duke gave no answer. He simply rose quietly and walked over to the window. I watched him, heart tight, stealing glances at his expression. Beneath that calm face, something complicated seemed to stir.

“Laura. Could you come here for a moment?”

He turned to me slowly and spoke again. I rose from my seat and walked to his side.

“See these marks? The lines?”

When I stopped beside him, the duke pointed at the wall. I followed the line of his finger. Several crooked horizontal grooves climbed the wall, each about two finger-joints long, drawn at different thicknesses as if by different pens.

The sight was achingly familiar. Our old house had been covered in marks just like these—and our new one was gaining them, too. I recognized them at once. They were growth charts, the kind you trace for a child as they grow.

“The one down there—that’s me when I was about four. I was a little shrimp back then.”

His voice carried a wry smile. I looked down at the lowest line. He was right: for a four-year-old, it was terribly short.

“But now you’ve grown so much. It’s hard to believe you were ever that small.”

I softened my voice, as if to comfort him—though for some reason, he looked more melancholy than anything. He shrugged once. “Yeah. I’ve shot up since then.” Then he swept his palm across the wall, brushing over the marks. He stood there for a moment, measuring something in silence, his gaze fixed on the surface. Finally, he spoke again. The words came slow, low, as if pulled from somewhere deep.

“Actually, this used to be my playroom when I was little. After I grew a bit, I had it converted into a study. From then on, these things stayed hidden behind the bookcases. But when I recently redecorated it as my office, these forgotten traces of the past ended up surfacing like this.”

“…….”

“Listening to your story reminded me of something my mother once said. Just like these traces I’d completely forgotten. Yes. When I was about this height……”

He pointed this time to a mark drawn a little higher up. I looked down at it and quietly listened to his tale.

“Around that time, my father died. Even at such a young age, I became aware of death. As it happened, I’d already survived a close brush with death myself, so I came to believe I’d die soon too. I even said something like a will to my mother. I asked her to bury my toys with me when I died…… Such a childish thing to say. Thinking back now, it was truly foolish.”

“…….”

“Mother said it was only right for her to go first. That a child shouldn’t precede their parents. But selfishly, I hated that idea too. So I threw a tantrum, begging her not to leave before me…… That day, I think I saw her cry for the first time. She gripped my hand tightly and sobbed, telling me not to worry, that she’d always stay by my side. She even said she’d remain in this house as a soul and watch over me.”

“Then……”

At those words, I snapped my head up to look at the Duke. He, on the other hand, let his gaze fall toward me.

“I think Mother might be right after all. I don’t know why she ended up attached to me instead of this house, but……”