Chapter 92

Chapter 92

“Stop laughing…”

I pouted at her, thoroughly miffed.

“Alright, I’m sooorryyy.”

But then, in an instant, she spat out a mouthful of water. Startled by the suddenness of it, I reached out to pat her on the back. But naturally, my hand passed straight through her body.

“Huh? Hey—what’s wrong? Are you okay?!”

With no other choice, I flailed my empty hands and shouted. Even as I did, she kept pouring out water. Then, at some point, the vomiting stopped, like a drain plugging shut.

“Oh, sorry.”

She wiped her mouth and answered.

“Guess I swallowed too much water when I died. If I don’t stay focused, it just keeps coming out nonstop. Takes a bit of effort to keep this body the way it was before I croaked.”

“Ah… I see. You really startled me…”

“Yeah, I could tell. Your face was hilarious, you know? Eyes, nostrils, mouth—everything went wide.”

“Ah…! Hey… don’t tease me…”

Even after forcing out all that water, she still seemed playful. When she went as far as mimicking my expression, I let out a crooked, sulky whine.

“Alright, alright. Don’t pout.”

Only then did she pretend to be demure, covering her mouth with one hand. But it was transparently clear she was still laughing—a brightness like a young girl’s.

‘So much laughter… and someone like this ended up taking her own life…’

I felt a sudden pang of pity for her. And I wondered—what if she had known that Luka was in love with her?

Of course, the love between Luka, a mere manservant, and a noblewoman’s daughter was hardly a clear picture. Still, it wasn’t unheard of, and a vague fantasy crept in that they might have woven happiness together.

But now, such assumptions were meaningless. In the end, she had married someone else. And then she had come to this—death.

“…Excuse me… Did the lady have no choice but to accept the marriage proposal?”

I hesitated for a moment, then spoke slowly. I wanted to hear more of her story — to catch at any thread that might help her ascension.

“Well… let’s just say it was a situation where I couldn’t intervene. My house had high rank and plenty of money, but no honor. In that situation, I was extremely valuable. So… there was no other choice.”

“…….”

“Oh, you. Why that face? Child, I’m fine. It’s all over now.”

No. It wasn’t over — she’d simply ended it by killing herself. And as a conclusion to love, it could hardly be called beautiful. Naturally, the thought sat poorly with me.

“Why didn’t you… run away with Luka…?”

The words slipped out, hesitant and wishful.

“A lovers’ escape, you mean? Romantic, yes — but that only works if the feeling’s mutual, doesn’t it?”

“……Are you so sure Luka didn’t love you?”

“Yes.”

“Why not…? It could have been love…”

“No. I know better.”

Her voice brooked no argument. I couldn’t push further, but unease stirred in me. How could she not see what lay in Luka’s eyes? I hesitated, then ventured a careful question.

“…What did Luka look like to you, my lady?”

“Luka, as I saw him?”

“Yes. I’m curious about the man you loved.”

“Hmm… Luka was…”

She tilted her head, sifting through memory. Then, like a mother recalling a bedtime tale, she spoke in a low, reflective tone.

“Luka was a child I picked up off the streets. At first, I thought he was just dirty and small. That was it, really—no spark, no feeling at all.”

I couldn’t help but recall Luka’s memory of that first meeting. Hungry and desperate, he’d looked up at a young girl whose face held nothing but indifference. Just as she said, no real emotion.

“…Luka was clever. Sharp with work, and when I taught him letters, he learned in a flash. So astonishing I kept him close as a helper. Bit by bit, my eyes kept drifting to him, and before I knew it, my heart followed.”

Now I saw her again, watching Luka from beyond a square doorway. Anyone could see the love in her eyes—a woman’s eyes, brimming with affection.

“I took him everywhere with me. We always saw eye to eye. That ordinary life—it was all good. Then one day, a marriage proposal came. A House beyond my wildest hopes. My family rejoiced. They said if I refused this match, such a rare offer would never come again. What choice did I have…? I accepted it. I had to marry.”

“…”

“And Luka… later, he fell for a maid working at House Bandark and married her. He said they’d live off her family’s farm. That’s how he left me. We each walked our separate paths, with nothing binding us anymore.”

“…That must have been hard.”

“Well, what’s to be done? I couldn’t force my unrequited love on him. And even if we’d loved each other, sustaining that bond would’ve been difficult. There was a wide gulf between us, and I wasn’t strong enough to cross it.”

“…”

“So now, I just hope he’s happy. I hope he’s living well with that maid. Truly, from my heart.”

* * *

It wasn’t quitting time yet, but I’d already finished all my work. At first, I thought my head would explode from learning the job, but over time, I’d gotten pretty good at it.

‘Nice. Me! I look like a capable assistant!’

In high spirits, I stacked the completed documents neatly into a pile. Then I leaned back in the plush chair and stretched wide. Through my view, the Duke still looked busy, hard at work. I just sat there, quietly starting to admire him.

‘So handsome…’

I’d always thought he was good-looking, but today felt fresh. Even more so because lately, there weren’t even dark circles under his eyes, making him look even more handsome. On top of that, he was gentle, had a good personality, and even excelled at his work. The only flaw I could find in His Excellency the Duke was that he was a bit timid.

‘Someone like that… who will he end up marrying?’

I blinked slowly, thinking. Suddenly, drowsiness was washing over me. It was because I’d been talking with Mrs. Bandark all through the early morning. During work, I’d been sharp and focused, so it was fine, but the moment the work ended, it seemed all the sleep I’d put off was hitting me at once.

In my hazy state, my eyes kept drooping shut. Even in the blur of my fading vision, the Duke’s figure felt strangely vivid.

‘Hmm… for my first daughter, I think the name Elena would be nice.’

And in that instant, I snapped wide awake.

‘Aaaah. What were you just thinking, you?!’

Startled, I slapped one hand against my own face. A sharp smack rang out, and the Duke looked up from scanning his documents to turn and stare at me.

“…What are you doing?”

“Just disciplining myself for getting ahead of myself in a disgraceful way.”

“What?”

“It’s… it’s a thing. But anyway, I’ve organized all those documents. I’ll bring them to you.”

There was no way I could tell him every thought I’d just had. It was far too embarrassing. So I just changed the subject, picked up the neatly stacked piles of papers from the desk, and quickly carried them over to him. The Duke silently fixed his gaze on me.

“…Why. Why are you… looking at me like that?”

“Just because.”

It was an extremely simple and curt answer. But it was enough for me to know he found me strange. I could almost feel him thinking, ‘What’s wrong with her now?’

“…By the way, you said you went to see Mrs. Bandark yesterday. Did you talk to her about Luka?”

He finally looked away from me, flipping through the documents I’d handed him as he asked. It seemed he’d decided to pretend my earlier bizarre behavior hadn’t happened.

“No, I couldn’t. I felt like if I started saying Luka was dead, I’d have to explain how he died too. The words just wouldn’t come out.”

“Is that so? You’re very considerate.”

He pushed the stack of documents to the edge of the desk as he replied. His words made me feel oddly self-conscious, so I scratched one cheek for no reason.

“No, it’s nothing… It’s not so much being considerate as just not being able to say it.”

“And that’s exactly why I say you’re considerate. Because you try to understand the lady’s feelings.”

“Hmm… It’s just that they were originally people, weren’t they? Thinking that they might feel the same emotions makes me a bit cautious, I suppose.”

It was true, actually. While ghosts’ time was frozen at the moment of their death, that didn’t mean they couldn’t feel present emotions. So I’d hoped she wouldn’t have to grieve upon hearing news of Luka, and that made me even more careful.

“What are you going to do now?”

The Duke asked. I knew the intent behind that question. It also meant, ‘Do you still plan to keep helping spirits ascend?’

If it had been when I first entered Cuvershaiden, I would have left the ghosts alone. But now, things were different. From some point on, I’d found myself hoping all the spirits here could ascend safely. Besides, Lady Bandark already knew about it, and it kept weighing on me uncomfortably.

“For now, I’m going to see how things play out. Unless I plan to lie to her forever, I think I’ll have to tell her about Luka someday. When that time comes, I’ll try to make sure she can let go of this world without regrets.”

“…Alright. Just don’t perform possession.”

“…”

His words left me momentarily speechless. That was because I had already performed possession once.

“Not going to answer?”

The Duke asked me as I just stood there with my mouth opening and closing silently.

“Oh my, possession? Of course not!”

I flinched and waved both hands frantically. In my head, I quickly resolved to keep the fact that I’d possessed someone a secret. But despite my determination, the Duke didn’t take his eyes off me, still wearing a skeptical expression.

Knock, knock.

That was when it happened. A knock came from outside the door.