I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 149
—————
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 149
My home, my sanctuary!
The carriage slowly came to a stop. I immediately prepared to jump out.
Harman grabbed my hand as if he absolutely wouldn’t let me escape this time, but I instead held onto his hand and hurriedly jumped out as soon as the door opened.
“Siena, why on earth are you…”
Harman, who had been flustered, became even more bewildered when he saw my estate and stopped speaking.
Well, of course he would.
Half of the estate had been blown away as if someone had torn it off completely!
‘Then what about the servants?’
I suddenly felt scared.
“Bella! Emily! Count Reymon!”
I ran while frantically calling their names.
Beside me, Bokdeungi ran along excitedly, probably thinking it was time for a long-awaited walk.
“Bell…”
“Miss?”
“Bella?”
From the opposite side of the collapsed estate, in the intact area, Bella poked her head out.
Why are you coming out from there?
Bella came out humming while bringing tea.
Where on earth were you drinking tea?
In my estate’s reception room.
I suppose it was fortunate that the kitchen and reception room were intact.
But just because they’re intact doesn’t mean it’s really… fortunate, does it?
I asked Harman for his understanding and quickly sat the servants down.
“So you’re saying the ghosts caused a ruckus and this happened?”
“Yes. They were shouting ‘Where did that woman go!’ while burning and destroying everything. It was really scary.”
Bella shuddered.
“Fortunately, Count Reymon calmly put out the fire and saved the remaining half of the estate. He said this had happened before.”
…As expected of Count Reymon.
This is why you hire experienced workers.
Though I have no idea what he could have done to have experienced this before.
‘It’s more amazing that the other half is intact even though half collapsed.’
I guess it’s sturdy because it’s a grand mansion that nobles used to live in.
Fine, let’s say the estate was destroyed because of the Aldimos spirits.
“And after it was destroyed, you’ve just been living here this whole time?”
“Yes! Half of it was blown away, but half is still fine, right? Fortunately, the spaces we need for living remained.”
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t close my mouth.
“You could have at least written me a letter. Then I would have urgently bought another estate or rented a decent hotel.”
“But this is the first house you bought with the money you worked so hard to save, Miss. How could we just abandon it and leave?”
“…”
This time my mouth clamped shut instead.
Until I left Baron Alderton House, I had nothing of my own.
This estate was practically the first thing Bella and I ever owned. It seemed to have been very meaningful to Bella.
I had scolded her out of worry, but I decided to stop now. I spoke in a much gentler tone.
“Actually, this worked out well. It’s a shame that half of the items I received from the previous Count and Countess Helkene were lost, but since it’s come to this, let’s just renovate everything from scratch.”
This is what they call remodeling.
“Let’s rent a hotel during construction. I’ve earned quite a bit of money so far, so it should be enough.”
“Hmm, but Miss, that might be a bit difficult.”
“Why? Even after construction, this is still our estate, isn’t it?”
Bella made a troubled expression.
Don’t tell me you’ve also grown attached to the estate?
When did you stop complaining about how nobles don’t even properly maintain their old estates, let alone remodel them?
“It’s not that. Your room collapsed, Miss.”
“So what?”
“The vault that was in there was also destroyed.”
“…Huh?”
The vault?
Suddenly my eyes started spinning.
That was worth so much money!
“B-but if we dig through the debris, we should be able to salvage some of it, right?”
“We already checked. The paper money turned to ash.”
“…”
“All of it.”
Yeah, you don’t need to emphasize it.
I already understood.
I gazed wistfully at the space that used to be my room but was now completely empty.
Well…
“Aaaahhh!”
“M-Miss, please calm down!”
I screamed while tearing at my hair.
Bella tried to hint that Harman was watching, but I couldn’t stop.
‘All the money I worked so hard to earn is completely gone?’
Now I’m not even a wealthy unemployed person, just unemployed!
Forget remodeling, I don’t even have money to rent a hotel. I was about to end up on the street.
“Then how about staying at my estate?”
“Waaahhh… What?”
What did he say?
I hurriedly grabbed hold of my mind that was about to leave home.
I think Harman just asked me to come to the ducal estate, just now?
“You don’t need to feel burdened. Since all of this happened because of me and my family, it’s only natural that I repay you.”
Now that I think about it, that’s right. I immediately agreed.
This is all because of Harman (?).
You take responsibility. I don’t care.
“My servants and Bokdeungi can come along too, right?”
“Of course. You can stay as long as you want, if you’d like.”
“…What if I wanted to stay forever?”
“That would be even better.”
I grinned. I rapidly regained my composure, just like when I used to check my full vault.
Though that vault had completely disappeared.
‘Once I have a place to live, I can learn trading from Rudian and earn money.’
Then I can remodel my estate too. As Bella said, it’s a meaningful place, so I couldn’t just leave it like this.
‘Though I’ll continue living at the Monteville Ducal Estate from now on.’
Since there’s some distance from the ducal estate, I’ll use this place as a villa.
I downed the tea I hadn’t even touched until now in one shot and placed my face on the saucer.
Just like Bella sometimes does to me, I sent sparkling eyes toward Harman.
“But, Duke, we have a lot to talk about, don’t we? Shall we go to the ducal estate first and talk there?”
“…Yes.”
His tone suggested that what had to come had come.
Unlike me, who had regained my energy, Harman quickly became gloomy.
Moving to the Monteville Ducal Estate was very simple.
Half of the manor had burned down and most of our belongings were lost, and since my room was completely burned, there was nothing to take.
Feeling embarrassed with nothing to carry, I entered the Monteville Ducal Estate holding just one small bag.
“Wow…”
Bella and Emily widened their eyes in admiration.
Come to think of it, this was Bella and Emily’s first time here.
Count Reymon has plenty of experience, so no matter how magnificent the Monteville Ducal Estate is, he wouldn’t be surprised-
“Wow, this is truly magnificent.”
He was surprised.
“There are many empty rooms in the servants’ quarters, so you can tell the servants to choose whichever room they want.”
“Thank you, Duke.”
“And Lady, you can use the room next to mine.”
“What?”
“Please don’t misunderstand. It just happens that’s the only room that’s been prepared. I had no other thoughts.”
You’re asking me to misunderstand.
Soon, what a coincidence!
I wonder if he’s going to say that since there’s construction work to be done on my room, we’ll have no choice but to share the same room.
After sending my servants to their quarters, Harman and I came to the room I would newly occupy.
As expected, since I brought almost nothing with me, unpacking didn’t take long.
Even if I had a lot of luggage, I wouldn’t have unpacked everything.
Because from now on, we need to have a very important conversation.
I took Harman’s hand and sat side by side on the bed. I stared intently at him.
“Now, Duke. It’s just the two of us.”
“…Yes, Lady.”
Harman’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
He must be nervous. Now he really can’t postpone it any longer.
No matter how much of an avoidance type you are, this time I absolutely won’t let it slide. Honey traps won’t work either.
Harman hesitated before speaking.
“I’ve felt this since before, but Lady, you’re really more aggressive than I thought.”
“What?!”
I jumped up.
Why is your face turning reddish?!
Oh, right. This is a bed.
‘This definitely had potential for misunderstanding, yes.’
Taking the embarrassed Harman who was thinking who knows what, I moved us to the sofa.
His lips jutted out in displeasure when I told him to sit across from me instead of side by side.
It’s time for us to get serious.
“Actually, I went into the Duke’s inner self and saw what happened in the past.”
“…”
“Now please tell me. The Aldimos spirits brainwashed you, didn’t they?”
“That’s correct.”
Fortunately, this time he didn’t seem to have any intention of avoiding it.
“I manifested my abilities when I became an adult. The spirits came to me and began whispering every day to destroy the Empire.”
“While telling you that Father and the Emperor had eliminated all of Aldimos’s bloodline?”
“Yes.”
That’s why Harman hated his father.
But in his past that I saw, his father wasn’t on the Emperor’s side.
He was someone who loved his wife and son so much that he even sacrificed his life for them.
Harman had lived his whole life firmly believing that his father didn’t love him and his mother.
For a full 10 years.
Would he be able to handle finding out now?
But…
‘He needs to know.’
Because only then can he move forward.
He can’t live his whole life thinking he never received his father’s love.
After a moment’s hesitation, I opened my mouth.
“Duke, but do you know something?”
When I began speaking in a calm voice, Harman stared at me intently. His blue eyes trembled slightly.
I expected him to ask what I was talking about, but what came from his mouth was a calm question as if he had already concluded something.
“By any chance, were the memories I saw fabricated?”
To some extent…
He already knew.
I slowly nodded my head.
“The Previous Duke Monteville loved his wife and son very much.”
And I told him exactly what I had witnessed there.
Everything I saw, which might be cruel and miserable.
Harman neither smiled nor cried until I finished speaking.
His gaze, which had dropped at some point, was fixed on the table.
The silence continued for quite a while.
I was about to wait until he sorted out his thoughts, but suddenly worried, I asked.
“Duke, are you alright?”
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
He raised his head with a faint smile.
“It’s been quite a while since I stopped disliking the color blue.”
It was a relieved smile.
…I see.
He had already escaped from there.
The 10-year nightmare was over.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————