Chapter 140

Chapter 140

After guiding my sisters to the guest room, I helped them unpack. Lucia shrugged off her outer coat, beelined for the bed, and flopped onto it. Burying her face in the duvet, she spoke in wonder.

“Unnie, this place is amazing. I haven’t smelled a bed this nice in forever.”

“Yeah, get some rest. No, wait—change first! You just came in from outside.”

At my words, Lucia sat up groggily and started picking out clothes from her luggage. Roti scurried over too and pulled out the old jewelry box. Mother’s keepsake, the one my sister always carried. I’d wondered if she’d bring it—and sure enough, she hadn’t forgotten today.

To think she’d haul something containing a precious jewel around so carelessly…

Of course, Roti had no idea how valuable the gem called the Eye of the Sun was. Still, I’d strictly told her to keep it hidden away—this was way too careless. Thankfully, it seemed she hadn’t lost it and brought it safely. She lifted the jewelry box and placed it neatly atop the display shelf.

‘Wait, now that I think of it—that Eye of the Sun once knocked a ghost out of the house, didn’t it?’

Watching Roti, a memory surfaced—the time I’d visited the house where my sisters lived. Back then, a terrifying ghost had followed me right inside. And just as it approached Roti, the Eye of the Sun inside the jewelry box had shoved the ghost out of the house. The one I kept in my necklace only pushed away possessing spirits, but that thing had outright blasted the ghost away.

“Could I use that to drive the old man out too?”

The thought struck me and stuck. I’d heard the Eye of the Sun inside that scepter was nearly fist-sized. Maybe—just maybe—it could blast that white-haired ghost away as well. I had no certainty, but even the hope felt like a new crack of light for Madam’s ascension. My pulse quickened.

“Noona!”

The door slammed open. Ren burst in, face flushed crimson from sprinting down the ducal corridors without a shred of manners.

“Hey—you don’t just barge into a girl’s room like that! No knock?!”

I snapped at him, irritation thick in my voice. He rapped the door twice—*tok tok*—but his body was already inside, making it a hollow gesture. That ill-mannered little wretch strode straight up to me.

“This mansion feels cold. I can sense ghost energy. Definitely.”

“…What are you on about?”

“It’s pretty chilly in here. Where do the ghosts usually appear, and where do they roam?”

I’d expected him to harp on ghosts the moment he arrived, but I hadn’t thought he’d pick a fight *this* fast. Clearly, he hadn’t been beaten enough while we were apart. Either way, I couldn’t answer straight. A little white lie was necessary to dodge a tedious lecture.

“None. They’ve all ascended.”

I waved both hands, eyes narrowed. Shion and the white-haired ghost were tucked away somewhere in the mansion anyway. He could search this sprawling place all day and still come up empty.

“I saw a priest on the way here. Asked a maid—he’s staying at Cuvershaiden temporarily. That’s because of ghosts, isn’t it? There’s no other reason for a temple person to be here.”

But Ren wasn’t fooled. That sharp-eyed little brat… Well, I wasn’t backing down either. I doubled down on my lie, shameless as ever.

“He came to say prayers for us. The gods are with us in every moment of our lives. Amen.”

“Noona. You don’t even have a religion.”

“Oh my, what blasphemy! How could you believe in ghosts and not the gods?! The reincarnation of souls is guided by divine hands.”

“…So where *do* the ghosts appear?”

The pointless back-and-forth dragged on. I deflected every time, refusing to talk about ghosts. Just as our circular argument was going nowhere, Lucia furrowed her brow and stepped between us.

“Why are you two at it again? And even if there are ghosts here, isn’t it fine as long as there’s a priest? It means the Duke cares enough about Noona to let temple people into this place. Besides, a man of his rank wouldn’t just hire some two-bit priest.”

“Still, since we’re already here, I want to check for myself. That’s the only way I’ll feel at ease… Besides, I have divine power, so I can suppress the energy if needed.”

“If there’s a priest here, why would you need to suppress anything…”

But watching Ren insist like that was starting to put me in a bind. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand his worry—but showing him the ghosts felt risky. The two spirits still lingering in the manor had incredibly strong energy. If they turned into evil spirits, he might think it was dangerous.

I mulled over what to do, then bit my lip. Hiding it from Ren forever was an option, but that would feel a little unfair to him. If our positions were reversed, wouldn’t I grab him by the arm and beg him to show me the ghosts?

“Oppa, I’m changing clothes, so get out.”

Lucia, having picked out a dress she liked, spoke up again. She started unbuttoning her shirt right then and there, and Ren cursed under his breath as he hurried out of the room. Once he vanished behind the door, Lucia slipped into the new clothes and turned to face me.

“What’s wrong? Noona, is there really some dangerous ghost here or something?”

Tch. While I was agonizing over how to handle things, I’d just gained another worried sibling. I’ll have to figure out a solution fast, I thought, and told Lucia, “I’ll explain later.”

* * *

At dinnertime, I led my siblings down to the dining hall. The table was laden with food that looked absolutely mouthwatering—a feast lavish enough to make your head spin.

“This is incredible. The chef’s skill is truly remarkable. I suppose the ducal house is in a league of its own.”

Lucia made a comment to lighten the mood. I stared at her with grateful eyes. Sending her to the Academy had apparently honed her social skills too. Every time I saw the value of the money we’d poured into raising her, it made me proud as her older sister.

“Since you’re Laura’s siblings, I couldn’t offer you anything ordinary. I told the chef to put in extra effort. I’m glad it tastes good.”

The Duke replied. Lucia thanked him and continued eating. Meanwhile, I cut up pieces of meat for Ryan into small bits. A maid was trying to help the child eat, but from what I could see, she wasn’t very good at it. She looked like she’d never taken care of a young child before.

Across from me, Roti was sawing at her food with all the grace of a butcher’s apprentice. I hurried to press a fork into the youngest’s hand, already thinking I’d have to help her next once Ryan was fed. But then the Duke reached over and took Roti’s plate. He cut the meat into perfect little pieces and slid it back to her.

“Thank you.”

The girl said, taking the plate.

“Your Grace, is there a cat here? I heard a meow earlier.”

She stabbed a piece of meat with her fork and added:

“There is. Do you like cats?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll let you play with one after you finish eating. Chew every bite well.”

Good heavens, would you look at that tender man!

Watching him be so kind to my siblings made me feel like falling for him all over again. I’d only ever thought about my only daughter, but a big family seemed better after all. Maybe one boy and two girls under me?

I felt my lips curling into a stupid smile as I gazed at the Duke. Then, suddenly, a stare prickled at me from the side. I turned my head—Ren was looking at me with a face that said I was disgusting. The irritation of witnessing a blood relative’s love life firsthand.

What, you brat. Lower your eyes.

Anyway, every child except Ren, who was shooting daggers, seemed to love this place. Their image of the Duke had shot up too. That made me incredibly happy, and I felt rather grateful to him for looking after my siblings.

That night, after dinner, the children played in the garden and then went to their rooms to sleep. Once Roti was tucked in, I crept out with Mother’s heirloom and stood before the door of Ren’s room. Before long, the door cracked open cautiously, and Ren appeared.

“Hey, second brother!”

“Ahh—N-Noona?!”

Startled by my unexpected appearance, Ren yelped.

“Hey. Quiet down. Everyone’s asleep.”

“W-What? So suddenly.”

“I figured you’d crawl out and go hunting for ghosts on your own.”

I tilted my head with a shrug. A little ambush like this was child’s play for me—I’d lived with my second brother longer than anyone.

“……So you came to stop me?”

He hesitated and stepped back. But I hadn’t come to stop him.

“No. Let’s go see the ghosts. I’ll show you.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. It’s not dangerous. You listened to me and didn’t even step out of the room today. And now I have this too.”

I lifted the jewelry box I’d snuck out with. I also held up the bracelet on my left arm to show him. It meant he could rest easy because I was full of divine power now. But Ren just craned his neck suspiciously, unconvinced.

“What the hell? I thought you were never going to show me…”

“If I never showed you, you’d end up trusting the Duke more than me. Can’t have that. Besides, I don’t want to make my brothers worry, so I’ll show you. Oh, but I have to bring the Duke.”

“Huh?”

“We agreed I’d mostly stay in my room at night, but if I ever come out, I’ll only do so with the Duke. He has a faint trace of divine power, so he can help prevent my possession. Well… you have divine power too, but that’s how the promise stands.”

“…Fine.”

At my words, my second brother nodded reluctantly. I strode past him and headed straight for the Duke’s study. After a crisp knock, I stepped inside—the Duke came into view, quietly reading a book.