I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 109
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living Through Exorcism! Episode 109
One by one, they seemed embarrassed and turned their heads away while fanning themselves.
‘Do you know how many times I ran simulations in my head for today?’
I had already imagined this scene countless times and even had nightmares about it several times.
Since I had assumed the worst of the worst, when the actual situation came, I wasn’t particularly nervous.
Honestly, I didn’t know everyone would be so lacking in persistence.
I had even practiced staring contests with Bella, but most people averted their gaze within 5 seconds.
After some time passed, the gazes scattered and the commotion died down. It was all because everyone got up to avoid their seats.
Now I was feeling triumphant.
Then I heard a “pfft” sound of laughter from beside me.
‘…?’
A large hand wearing black gloves was covering his mouth. Even so, unable to stop laughing, Harman’s body trembled faintly.
Even the hand I was holding was shaking along with him.
‘Yes, laugh to your heart’s content.’
I was too busy to stop him.
There were still people sending glances my way, and I was gladly engaging in staring contests.
Meanwhile, Harman wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes. He finally looked somewhat composed.
“Lady. But didn’t you say you were worried that other people might think badly of you?”
You’re asking that quite early.
That doesn’t seem like something to say after laughing.
I narrowed my eyes and then shook my head back and forth.
“Duke, you told me not to worry about other people’s gazes and such. So I’m trying to do that too.”
“…”
“Now I’m in big trouble. When I go back, everyone will gossip about me, so if problems arise, Duke, you take responsibility.”
Honestly, it was half serious and half joking.
It was like a mischievous prank I threw out with a sly smile.
Harman looked at me intently, then with an ambiguous expression that was neither smiling nor expressionless, he dropped his head with a thud.
“Of course.”
“You don’t need to think about it so seriously… What?”
I was hurriedly trying to smooth things over when I belatedly understood his words and became flustered.
Wasn’t that supposed to be a refusal or asking for time?
Then, this right now.
‘Isn’t this a confession?’
I blinked while my hand was still mid-wave. I froze stiff at the sudden situation.
Harman continued speaking gloomily as if he couldn’t see me like this.
“But I’m not sure if the Lady would actually want that.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
Even while frozen, I was so dumbfounded that I immediately responded.
You were a confident and self-assured person.
‘Why are you suddenly talking like a low self-esteem male lead?’
Here I am, not caring about the gazes around me thanks to Harman encouraging me.
But the person in question is saying things with low self-esteem.
When I stared at him intently, craving an answer, Harman slowly raised his head.
He opened and closed his mouth.
“If the Lady finds out what I’ve done, you’ll never be able to look at me the same way as now.”
Tooooot-!
“Count Helkene is entering!”
This is crazy.
Harman’s voice was completely drowned out by the resounding trumpet sound.
“Duke, I’m sorry, but could you say that again?”
“No. It was nothing.”
Harman had returned to his original self as if he had never been gloomy.
…Ugh.
‘Rudian. If you’re going to come, come a bit earlier, why do you have to come and interfere at a time like this?’
I clenched my free hand tightly into a fist.
I felt like saying something to Rudian.
But the entrance area of the banquet hall was extremely noisy. Much more so than when we had entered.
“Siena!”
Looking for me as soon as she enters, how impressive, how impressive.
I immediately turned my head to look at Rudian.
‘Sir Zeros must have attended as her partner, right?’
That’s why she headed to Count Helkene’s estate early in the morning.
I was about to smile contentedly seeing Rudian walking with Sir Zeros as expected, but I hesitated.
‘Who is that?’
Sir Zeros was on Rudian’s right side, but on her left was a completely unfamiliar face.
Since he wasn’t wearing a sword, he wasn’t a guard knight either.
‘In the first place, his uniform’s quality is similar to Rudian’s… No. Why did Rudian come wearing a uniform?’
Anyway, coming with Rudian meant he was a noble she knew.
But he definitely wasn’t someone I knew.
Jet-black hair and red eyes that kept seeming like someone I should remember.
As if the gazes focused on him were unpleasant, he scowled fiercely.
Not only did he have his hands in his uniform pants pockets, but he even walked with a slouch.
In other words.
‘He’s exactly like Rudian!’
…Huh?
By the time I realized it, the three people had arrived in front of me.
‘When did they get here?’
While I was flustered and rolling my eyes, Rudian and Harman exchanged greetings.
Why did I only realize it now.
I should have noticed as soon as I saw the black hair and red eyes.
‘Looking closely, he looks exactly like Rudian.’
But that shouldn’t be possible. Why is there another person who looks exactly like Rudian?
I wanted to strongly deny it, but it was already something that had actually happened before my eyes.
Then there was no other reason except that the two were blood relatives.
‘Could it be, Rudian’s brother?’
The brother who had spectacularly failed at trading and was pushed out by Rudian in the successor competition.
But does that make sense?
‘Their relationship wouldn’t be good, so how did they come together?’
I remember the former Countess saying that her son was angry and didn’t visit often.
At least the brother’s side dislikes Rudian, so how did this happen?
“Hey.”
“Y-yes?”
“What are you looking at?”
Ah, I was staring too intently without realizing it.
I had ended up irritating the brother.
I hurriedly looked for an excuse.
“Um, well. You look exactly like the Count?”
Looking back, it was like adding fuel to the fire.
The already fierce-looking man’s expression hardened in real time.
He ground his teeth and growled as he scratched his neck.
“You, right now. Just because you’re next to the Duke—”
“Elder Brother, I told you to stay still.”
“I didn’t do anything, Rudian. Really.”
He had been raising his voice as if ready to scold at any moment, but at Rudian’s single word, he rapidly calmed down. He even bowed his head and shrank back.
…What is this?
In the meantime, Sir Zeros had stepped in front of me, and Harman pulled the hand that had been escorting me even closer.
With a bit of exaggeration, it was to the level of pulling me into his embrace.
“Lady, are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I really was fine.
Far from getting hurt, he hadn’t even touched me.
Meanwhile, Rudian’s brother made a very awkward smile and spoke as if reading from a textbook.
“Rudian, would it be alright if I went to get some dessert?”
“Yes. But if you cause trouble, you know what happens, right?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He headed toward the dessert table.
Rudian gave Sir Zeros a slight look as if telling him to follow, then watched his retreating figure sharply.
“Elder Brother, you need to walk properly.”
“Mmhm.”
The man had been walking crookedly, but at Rudian’s advice, he moved stiffly like a broken doll.
‘What is this really.’
When I sent her a questioning look, Rudian sighed.
“He’s my elder brother. My parents said they’d give him the viscountcy they hold, but the first condition was ‘returning home safely without any incidents at today’s banquet.’ That’s why he’s acting like that.”
“Ah….”
“Before this, he really lived like a waste of space. Well, now that he says he wants to live like a human being, I suppose I should believe him.”
Rudian shifted her gaze to look at us. Then at our clasped hands.
Then she spoke in a voice quite different from when she talked to me—businesslike yet sharp.
“Duke. Is this how escorts are done these days?”
“Just now, Lady Siena was in a dangerous situation, so it couldn’t be helped.”
Harman pulled me even closer instead. When I was drawn along without resistance, Rudian’s brow furrowed.
“It seems like it was Sir Zeros who actually protected Siena, not the Duke.”
“It’s also something that wouldn’t have happened if the person the Count brought hadn’t been threatening.”
What are you two doing right now.
Why are you having a war of nerves like male leads 1 and 2 would in a banquet hall. Why on earth.
Rudian, why are you clenching your fists as if you’re angry.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————