I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living Through Exorcism! Episode 013

When I looked up, I saw Harman with a puzzled expression, as if he had heard something unfamiliar.

‘Harman doesn’t seem to know much about it either.’

It must be a flower that the butler brought in on his own. Then it makes sense that he wouldn’t know.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I pointed downward.

“Yes, this flower vine that’s currently grabbing my ankle.”

“Ah.”

For a moment, his eyes glanced at my ankle before returning to their original position.

“It’s a flower brought from a distant kingdom.”

“I thought so. I was a bit surprised because it looked so unique.”

“….”

“It keeps poking my ankle, so it seems like a rather ill-tempered flower. Haha.”

Ah, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

But really, even though it doesn’t actually have thorns, my ankle feels like it’s being pricked.

Instead of answering, Harman covered his mouth.

Just before it was covered, his raised lips seemed to twitch slightly.

‘Yes, I’m not very good at making jokes either.’

Still, that reaction is a bit disappointing.

I at least forced myself to smile.

…Even in the midst of this, my ankle kept stinging.

Ugh, why is it so annoying!

Crack! I reflexively crushed the vine tickling my ankle with my high heel.

Then I realized my mistake.

Ah… this place.

‘This wasn’t our house garden, was it?’

If only I had realized that a little sooner.

It would have been nice if I had realized it even just 1 second earlier.

But it was already too late.

The mercilessly crushed flower vine lay drooping next to my high heel.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“….”

If it was brought from a distant kingdom, it must naturally be a plant that was difficult to import, right? It would obviously be expensive.

‘I must be crazy, really.’

What should I do if they ask me to pay for it? Should I offer to examine the manor for free once?

My mind raced frantically.

After much deliberation, when I cautiously raised my head, Harman was looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“Duke?”

“Lady.”

Suddenly, a white hand was extended toward me. It was a bare hand without gloves.

“I’m sorry. I was so flustered that I was late to help.”

“Pardon?”

Help with what?

“I just stood there even though I saw something trying to harm you.”

“Oh… it’s fine.”

I wanted to say how could a mere flower vine harm a person, but I held back.

Is this what high nobility etiquette is like?

‘He even completely crushed the vine.’

I was slightly dazed by the excessive apology.

It was when I took Harman’s hand like that.

Knock knock-

“D-Duke, may I prepare tea time?”

A voice came from beyond the door.

Such a small voice that it would have been completely drowned out if the interior hadn’t been quiet.

“Come in.”

Harman answered briefly.

Creak. A maid entered pulling a tea tray with a completely stiff expression.

‘Why is she so nervous?’

Even her skillful hands setting down the teacups were subtly stiff.

The moment I was looking at her curiously.

“I’ll pour the tea… Kyaaah!”

The maid suddenly dropped the teapot from her hands.

The boiling hot tea water soaked the entire table. I jumped up while gripping the hem of my dress.

Oh my goodness.

I said she looked very nervous.

To make a mistake right in front of Harman of all times.

Harman’s eyes slightly furrowed. This isn’t good.

“S-save me! Please!”

The maid, her face pale white, gripped the tablecloth tightly and screamed.

…Suddenly? Why, why?

Could she be afraid that Harman would kill a maid over something like this?

I know there are such rotten noble bastards, but Harman is that type of noble?

I looked back and forth between Harman and the maid with bewildered eyes.

Hmm, his expression is rather menacing.

“M-my ankle! Around my ankle!”

Ankle?

Now the maid was struggling with her body. As if being dragged by something.

‘Ah, the flower vine.’

The flower vine wrapped around the maid’s ankle was taut as if someone was pulling it.

This.

‘I knew it was moving!’

When my ankle was grabbed, I thought it might have been my imagination, but the vine really was moving.

Just moments ago, there was nothing near the table!

My goodness, so there really are moving plants.

‘I guess it’s because this is the Duke’s estate. I’m seeing all sorts of things here.’

I quickly grabbed the frightened maid’s hand.

The maid’s eyes widened in surprise.

In just a short time, the whites of her eyes had become bloodshot red, and her face was completely pale as if all the blood had drained from it.

Looking closely, she had a youthful face that looked barely seventeen.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a flower vine.”

Perhaps feeling sorry for her, comforting words came out first.

The ominous rumors about the greenhouse garden that Harman had mentioned as a joke seemed to be famous among the servants as well.

Seeing how she was startled to the point of nearly fainting just because a flower vine wrapped around her ankle.

The maid clutched my hand as if it were a lifeline.

Unable to bring herself to look back, she hunched her body and squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s, it’s not a flower vine.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a ghost. A ghost is grabbing and pulling me!”

The maid screamed with her eyes closed.

What is she talking about.

I’m looking right at your feet tangled up in flower vines.

“It’s not a ghost, it’s a flower vine-”

“No, it’s a ghost holding onto me!”

“Alright, I see.”

Then let’s say it’s a ghost.

I’ve experienced this pattern before. They absolutely won’t believe what I say, just like Bella.

‘Persuasion seems impossible.’

The maid looked like she couldn’t see anything right now.

Even though she was in front of Harman, she couldn’t maintain any proper etiquette.

Not only did she have no intention of removing those flower vines herself, she had no will to do so either.

But I can’t just give up.

“Hold on tight.”

“What? If you leave like that!”

I gently moved the maid’s hand to the table she had been holding onto earlier.

Thinking I had given up, the maid let out a pitiful scream.

Actually, it was the complete opposite.

I crouched down near her ankles, ignoring the fact that the hem of my dress was touching the ground.

In just a short time, the flower vines had completely covered the maid’s feet and were now climbing up to her knees.

“Duke.”

“Yes, Lady Siena.”

An immediate response came back even though I hadn’t even looked at Harman.

But would this man really act so indifferently even when it concerned his own maid?

The question crossed my mind briefly, but since he was a duke, well, I figured that’s just how it was.

‘Dukes are naturally arrogant anyway. Even if they pretend to be polite, that’s their true nature.’

Has anyone ever seen a duke care about some random extra maid?

I certainly haven’t.

This was the law of romance fantasy novels.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel my favorability toward him drop.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to remove this.”

“…What?”

I’ll take that as permission.

I took a deep breath and rolled up my sleeves.

If I delayed any longer, it seemed like it would become too much for me to handle.

First, I stretched out both hands and firmly grasped the flower vine wrapped around the maid’s feet.

After taking a deep breath, I applied force.

‘Hup!’

I thought it might take some time since it was so tangled, but fortunately a gap appeared quickly.

The maid’s ankle began to show little by little.

Squelch-

A grotesque sound that shouldn’t come from flower vines reached my ears, but I wasn’t shaken at all.

If I hesitated at a time like this, my strength would surely drain rapidly!

‘Ugh.’

To think they’d put something like this in the greenhouse garden.

I’ll never plant this in my garden.

Far from being fragrant, it didn’t even smell good. Somehow I was starting to smell something fishy.

But I didn’t neglect what I was doing. I continued to apply force diligently until the end.

Just when I was starting to groan from the strain.

Snap! The vine tore in half with a ripping sound.

“Ah!”

And unable to resist the recoil, I ended up falling flat on my bottom.

“Ow…”

My bottom, which had unexpectedly hit the ground, ached. But the pain quickly disappeared.

The moment I saw the broken flower vine in two pieces in my hands, my face lit up!

“Done! Now there’s no problem at…”

I stopped mid-sentence and hesitated.

A limp body, pale face, and tightly closed eyes.

The maid had fainted while standing.

“…”

‘It wasn’t a ghost, just a flower.’

Just try telling the other servants that there was a ghost in the greenhouse garden.

I looked back and forth between the fainted maid and my hands with a calm expression.

The drooping maid, just like the drooping flower vine.

They looked like a matching pair.

The flower vine seemed to wither immediately when its roots were pulled out, as the red flower petals had become completely shriveled.

My bottom still hurt. My dress was dirty up to the knees.

This was all I got for going out of my way to help.

‘This feels a bit unfair.’

If I touched the floor with my dirty hands, the area would become a mess, and I couldn’t dust off my bottom and stand up either…

“My lady.”

A large shadow fell in front of me.

I was staring at my hands in despair when I blankly looked up. Harman was looking down at me.

Since the ceiling was transparent glass, the beating sunlight was hot.

Because of the halo effect, I couldn’t see Harman’s face at all.

I squinted my eyes to examine his expression.

However, before I could even confirm his face, he knelt down on one knee in front of me first.

“Duke?”

“Your hands have gotten quite dirty.”

“…!”

Harman took out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket and grasped my hand with his other hand.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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