I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 28

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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 028

‘This can’t be happening.’

I opened my mouth without even thinking to hide my expression.

I could hear Bella gasping behind me.

I had never heard rumors that Father was looking for me.

I had given up my status too.

…So I had been living at ease.

“You have no idea how much trouble I went through to find you! You’d be shocked if you knew!”

Father’s voice was filled with elation. However, his expression was somewhat ambiguous for someone who should be happy to see me.

One corner of his mouth was raised, and yes. It didn’t feel like he had found his daughter.

His eyes were gleaming as if he had found some lost precious item.

“How did you find me.”

Despite this being an unexpected situation, I was quite calm.

Naturally, there was no tremor in my voice, and it even turned coldly subdued.

Then Father, who had been stretching out both arms as if to hug me immediately, quietly lowered his hands.

I now realized that behind him, a butler and guard knights were trailing along in a line.

The butler was hurriedly flipping through an enormous bundle of documents, and when our eyes met, he flinched and trembled.

Father tapped the butler’s arm without even looking at him.

Then he nervously stepped forward.

“The, the Baron searched desperately for you, Miss! It really took such a long time.”

The butler glanced to the side.

At Father, who was standing there with his arms crossed, looking pleased.

“Just the fact that he came to find you personally shows his love, doesn’t it? How could you leave the manor when you have such a father!”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at Father.

More precisely, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to control my anger, so I looked at the butler as I spoke.

“I didn’t expect Father to look for me. You told me to leave the family house.”

Father opened and closed his mouth. Then he kept poking the butler’s arm.

The butler, who had jumped up in surprise, opened his mouth again.

“He, he was just speaking harshly, but he was actually worried about you, Miss. What father in the world would want his daughter to leave the family?”

“Ahem, ahem!”

This is like having a parrot or something.

Can’t he just speak directly?

And if he really had been looking for me, there would have been rumors.

It seems like he only recently started urgently searching for me. I wonder why.

“How did you find this place anyway.”

“Ah! We heard that you’ve been frequenting the Information Guild recently, so we had someone follow…”

“How could you say that!”

“Ah. I’m, I’m sorry! Baron!”

I see.

You’ve been following me.

If you haven’t been looking for me all along but only started tailing me recently, then you must have a real purpose.

Father continued scolding the butler loudly, then belatedly seemed to realize his mistake and smiled awkwardly.

Absurdly, he seemed to have momentarily forgotten that I was standing right in front of him.

“What does that matter? We’re able to meet like this, so that’s fortunate enough! So how much did you pay for this manor? How much money do you have left?”

My expression naturally hardened.

But Father didn’t care at all. Instead, he looked me up and down.

“Let me see, did you dress up so neatly knowing something good would happen today? Count Baldmon, who will marry you, would find you very pretty if he saw you!”

He looked ready to grab my wrist and drag me away at any moment.

I swatted away Father’s approaching hand.

“…!”

Even though I didn’t hit him hard, Father’s eyes widened as he clutched his wrist.

A hollow laugh escaped me.

‘Look at him, after I left without any lingering attachment.’

He still believes I would never disobey his orders.

“I’m sorry, but this is my home. I’m no longer an Alderton either.”

“Wh-what do you mean? If you’re not an Alderton, then what are you!”

“I renounced my status. I’ve completely settled everything, so now you and I are strangers, Baron.”

Just in case, what if.

I had thought about how I should act if I ever met Father again.

I worried that I might fumble my words or not be able to have a proper conversation.

‘I was even more detached than I expected myself to be.’

From Father, and from the Alderton name.

When a child renounced their status, the news was delivered to their parents as well.

It wasn’t a confirmation process, just a simple notification.

Seeing how completely oblivious he seemed, he must not have cared at all.

But the atmosphere was too strange.

“I’m being nice about this, but you can’t seem to understand.”

Father pushed me aside and entered the manor.

“Ah, Miss!”

Bella rushed over and supported me. She looked back and forth between Father and me, not knowing what to do.

‘…You haven’t changed at all, have you.’

The butler and guard knight were no different.

They only glanced at me once as I clutched my throbbing arm, then followed Father.

Without a single word of apology for their rudeness to me.

‘This is trespassing.’

My breathing became rough.

What’s more, none of the three seemed to recognize Bella’s face.

If they had even the slightest interest in me, they couldn’t have failed to recognize Bella, my only maid.

“Miss…”

Bella gulped nervously. Her words and actions contained so much meaning compressed within them.

Bella trembled, unable to even properly look at Father’s back.

Her hands were already clasped together demurely.

I grabbed my arm and ran toward Father, who was scowling deeply in the distance.

“I didn’t give you permission to enter my manor. Please leave immediately before I report you for trespassing.”

A mocking, scoffing sigh immediately came from Father’s mouth.

“Did everyone just hear that?”

“Yes, Baron.”

The laughter multiplied to three.

Father, emboldened by the two men’s response, wore a vile smile on his lips.

“You’re my property, so naturally this manor is mine too.”

…Just moments ago he was pretending to be a father who missed his daughter.

As expected, he’s showing his true colors.

In less than 10 minutes, he’d returned to his original self.

I felt my blood boiling in reverse.

Whether I reacted or not, Father gave some instruction to the butler.

The butler unfolded the thick document bundle he’d been holding and began reciting from it.

“We’ve compiled the expenses incurred since Lady Siena was born. Starting with the most recent expenditures…”

How ridiculous.

“Neglecting trade management, allowing counterfeit goods to be imported.”

“What? I tried to persuade you not to buy those, but Father directly—”

Swoosh, a wrinkled hand blocked my path.

Father’s gaze was so menacing that I hesitated for a moment.

“The damage to House Alderton from this amounts to at least 100 million francs. And the losses from refusing marriage to Count Baldmon…”

“But Baron, you were the one trying to force Miss into that marriage!”

Bella, unable to listen anymore, shouted while trembling beside me, but the butler paid no attention.

I let out a sigh.

It had already been well over a month since I left the family house. It was already settled on paper. We were strangers now.

‘And now he comes looking for money?’

Maybe his plan was to force through the marriage with Count Baldmon to extort compensation money.

The butler continued reciting absurd claims.

Father even casually looked around and opened the reception room door.

“Hmm, there were rumors this manor was haunted. As expected, the capital nobles’ fuss is something to behold.”

He had illegally occupied someone else’s manor without feeling an ounce of guilt.

“This manor will work perfectly as a villa to use whenever I come to the capital.”

“What do you—”

“Now then, let’s go home, Siena Alderton.”

“…!”

Father suddenly grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me.

I couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Hey, old man! If you can’t age gracefully, at least get your hands off me right now!”

“…What?”

Baron Alderton, who had been striding forward, stopped in his tracks.

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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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