I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 41
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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 041
“Drop me off here.”
Harman jumped down from the cargo carriage and recalled Siena’s face from when they had parted just moments ago.
“Duke. Since things turned out this way, would you perhaps like to have dinner…?”
“Ah, I have a schedule today so it would be difficult. I’m sorry, Lady.”
“I suppose that would be the case, wouldn’t it?”
Her expression that couldn’t hide even a bit of disappointment and her reddish cheeks.
‘…’
He adjusted his hat so that his hair was completely hidden and entered the alley.
This was only to prevent any possible tailing, as there wasn’t a single guard knight who had followed him.
In the first place, there were no servants who knew that Harman had left the estate.
Because there was a hidden teleportation in his office that connected to various districts of the capital.
Moreover, that teleportation was something the Emperor had personally bestowed upon him on the day.
When Harman had visited the Emperor saying he wanted to develop his abilities.
‘An ability for the Empire.’
It would be an ability to destroy the Empire.
He smiled bitterly and put his hand in his pocket, taking out white orbs smaller than his fingernails.
Then he dropped them one by one near the estates he encountered.
Behind the path Harman had walked.
An ominous energy began to slowly rise from the white orbs dropped on the ground.
【Kkeek-】
What initially appeared to be smoke transformed into long black hands and climbed up the estate walls.
【Kkeek? Kkeek-】
That thing that had been knocking on the wall several times hesitated for a moment when it discovered a window.
【Found, you.】
After giggling briefly, it was instantly sucked through the narrow gap of the window.
The white orbs that had been carelessly dropped outside the estate had already completely disappeared.
Dozens of black smoke rose up.
【Kkeek, kkeek-】
A strange sound like something breaking could be heard.
* * *
2 years ago.
Those Things that appeared at the Monteville Ducal Estate brought back Harman’s memories that had been erased long ago.
【Poor our Harman. We’ll help you remember the memories you forgot.】
The blonde hair of the woman lying motionless was soaked with red liquid.
The man stared down at this blankly, then plunged his sword into his own heart.
Blue eyes that couldn’t even sense it in time gazed at Harman before losing focus.
【The Duke killed your mother and took his own life. Right before your eyes.】
【Your mother, who was essentially a hostage from the start, how do you think she ended up marrying a pro-Emperor Duke?】
【That’s because the Emperor…】
“…”
But when Siena, that woman, was about to be struck by Baron Alderton.
I don’t know why that terrible past I never wanted to remember again came flooding back.
My body moved instinctively.
Even though it wasn’t something that could even be compared.
‘Why is that woman… acting like nothing happened.’
Even though she spoke jokingly, in the end she said she wouldn’t kill Baron Alderton.
Why? If Father were in front of me right now, I would immediately-
The blue eyes that had been shaking anxiously back and forth suddenly stopped.
Harman, who had been crouching while clutching his head, lifted it up.
Behind him was silence. As if nothing had happened.
“…Mother.”
Other things have been desperately trying to cling to me since that day.
Why don’t you appear?
* * *
‘Hasty judgment is premature.’
I’ve been holed up in my room thinking ever since I came back yesterday.
So I’ve been agonizing over this for a whole half day.
I’d never thought this seriously about anything since my possession.
This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime dilemma.
The subject of my contemplation was none other than.
‘What was the reason Harman turned his head away as if embarrassed in front of me?’
When I think about it carefully, Harman didn’t have varied expressions.
He usually smiled politely or maintained no expression at all.
It means he only acts as he was taught.
Sometimes he gets flustered, but he quickly returns to an expressionless face.
‘Being embarrassed and shy might be the same.’
He doesn’t really know what expression he should make either.
So it’s not that he likes me…
‘He might have just been embarrassed, that’s all.’
Well then, time to dismiss these fluttering feelings!
I stretched and got up from the sofa.
Despite all my lengthy deliberation, the conclusion came out cleanly.
It was just my own wild speculation.
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang at perfect timing.
I headed straight to the main gate.
Having experienced Baron Alderton’s incident before, I had become more cautious.
First, let me check through the window and the lens on the main gate…
‘A cloth bundle?’
Some woman wearing what looked like a cloth bundle, no, a black hood was looking around nervously.
She was even wearing dark sunglasses that made me wonder if she could see anything.
She seemed to want to completely hide her identity.
…But I think that would attract more attention, don’t you think, Grace?
“Miss Siena? Are you there?”
Since there were no other estates or anything around and she was whispering quietly, I opened the door wide.
“Grace, you came.”
“Oh, hello, Miss Siena!”
Grace hurriedly came inside and only caught her breath after the door closed.
“The, the necklace… what about it?”
“I think you need to see it for yourself.”
I hurriedly led Grace to my room.
By the time I was rummaging through the jewelry box, Grace was already bracing herself against the wall as if prepared.
Even so, when she confirmed the necklace, she staggered backward and eventually sat down.
“Th, this is really… my ne, necklace became like this?”
“Yes.”
Good thing I cleaned it thoroughly. The jewel seemed to shine even brighter than before, which made me pleased.
Grace’s rabbit-like pink eyes sparkled in exactly the same color as the pink diamond.
‘In the original story, there were frequent descriptions of the marquis becoming wistful when he saw Grace’s eyes.’
Grace’s eye color was inherited from her mother.
The reason the marquis gave her the pink diamond necklace was also because it resembled her eyes.
‘Ugh, he should have treated her well when he had the chance.’
The person who could forgive him has already left, so what’s the point of regretting it now.
Grace’s gaze continued to follow the necklace. But she couldn’t bring herself to approach it.
“So, the pi, pink diamond necklace that Ma, Marquis Fainen was looking for…”
At this rate, we’ll be up all night.
I crouched down next to Grace.
“Yes, Grace. This is that very necklace. It means you’re Marquis Fainen’s daughter.”
Wow, I finally got to say those words.
To think I’m in a situation where I’m revealing the Female Lead’s birth secret.
I felt somewhat proud. I think I’ve done everything I need to do as an extra.
“…”
Grace slowly turned her head.
With an expression on the verge of tears.
Was she moved?
Just as I was thinking that, she suddenly crawled over quickly and thrust her face close to mine.
Why, why are you doing this?
I felt some inexplicable déjà vu.
“But…! We already signed a contract! We sold it to Duke Monteville of all people, so we can’t back out…!”
Ah.
I gently pushed away Grace’s shoulder as she had gotten uncomfortably close.
“I told you to bring the contract, didn’t I?”
“Yes? Yes.”
She still didn’t seem to fully understand the situation.
When I pushed her lightly, Grace tumbled back in a daze and fumbled with her old bag.
I quickly skimmed through the contract in the gold-leafed case and pointed to one section.
“Look at this part. The contract can be voided before payment is received.”
“Oh, that’s right?”
Grace’s complexion brightened after she had been biting her nails for a moment.
Then she looked at me with puzzled eyes.
‘If you had stayed quiet, you could have negotiated for tremendous compensation from Marquis Fainen, so why?’
…I could feel that thought directly.
‘Then you would have resented me.’
They say when the Female Lead starts resenting someone, the whole world resents them.
Rather than that, it’s much better to build up intimacy.
I thought this was the perfect time to put on a fake smile.
It was time to show off the acting skills I’d developed through exorcising various places.
I smiled brightly at Grace.
I lowered the corners of my eyes belatedly to look slightly wistful.
“This necklace was never really mine to begin with. Marquis Fainen is waiting for you, Grace.”
“But Duke Monteville gave it to you as a gift, Siena…”
Grace’s voice trembled slightly.
Now’s the time.
When I gently took her hand, I could feel her startle.
“Even though it’s disappointing, if the contract is canceled, it’s like it never happened, so it’s fine. There’s no loss for the Duke at all, right?”
“Siena…”
‘Look at that expression and voice.’
It seems like she’s already put me in the close friend category, right?
This is totally killing two birds with one stone and then some!
The road to get here was really rough though…
‘Good job, me!’
That’s when it happened.
The cheerful sound of carriage wheels came from outside the window.
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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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