I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living by Exorcising Them! - Chapter 98
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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 098
“Let me correct that. It was all possible because the Duke kindly invited me to come.”
Then Harman hesitated for a moment before gripping his fork with determination.
He scooped up a piece of the cream-covered cake. Then he placed the strawberry from the center of the cake on top.
Even though I’m not particularly interested in desserts, I know that much.
That’s definitely the fork technique of a well-educated person.
‘By the way, that strawberry looks really delicious.’
If it’s too big it’s hard to eat, but it looks like the perfect size to fit in one bite, and the color is just the right shade of red, making it look appetizing.
Since it’s a famous dessert shop, it looks really delicious… why does it seem to be getting closer?
“Please eat this, Lady.”
“Huh? What?!”
So this wasn’t my imagination?
Harman was offering me the fork with the piece of cake on it!
‘Duke, people are all watching, you know?’
I was definitely going to say that.
However, before I knew it, I found myself bringing my mouth closer as if enchanted.
The cake touched the tip of my tongue.
The moment the fluffy cream and strawberry smoothly entered my mouth, my eyes widened.
“…Gasp. It’s so delicious!”
It’s even more delicious than I thought?
I take back what I said about not being interested in desserts.
It was because I’d never been to good restaurants!
“I’m glad you like it.”
Harman smiled with satisfaction.
But as I chewed enthusiastically, I realized something was strange. I gradually moved my mouth more slowly.
The interior, which had been bustling just seconds ago, had suddenly become quiet.
I glanced to the side and saw that everyone was holding their breath while watching us.
‘Hmm, this is bad.’
Right, who feeds someone cake with their own fork?
With that action just now, Harman had essentially declared that he had feelings for me.
And he did it deliberately in a crowded place.
As if he wanted everyone to see.
‘Honestly, I like it.’
I mean, I really like it…
‘But I’m worried that me being an exorcist might harm you.’
That was the problem.
Ever since applicants ran away saying they couldn’t work at an exorcist’s mansion, I realized that the perception of exorcists might not be as good as I thought.
But Harman himself was acting like someone desperate to show everyone that we had a very intimate relationship.
Why was someone who had been hiding away in the mansion suddenly acting like this?
‘What on earth is he thinking?’
I pretended to eat the cake enthusiastically while observing Harman.
However, I couldn’t read anything from his face as he still smiled and looked at me except for his excited mood.
When the attention had somewhat dispersed, I confirmed no one was around and whispered quietly.
“Duke, I’m asking because I’m suddenly worried about something.”
“Yes, please tell me, Lady.”
“Have you ever been scared because I’m an exorcist? Of course, I don’t actually perform real exorcisms.”
“…I’m sorry, but what do you mean by that?”
I asked too incoherently this time.
Seeing Harman immediately become not just troubled but flustered made me feel flustered too.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I asked out of pure curiosity.”
I quickly added more words. Thanks to that, I rambled a bit.
“I called people for interviews to hire servants, but they said they were scared because I’m an exorcist. Something about how bad things might happen at the mansion.”
“…Did that happen?”
“Yes, so that’s when I first realized it. That my very existence might be scary or unpleasant to other people.”
Harman quietly looked down as if lost in thought for a moment.
Now that I’d said it out loud, it seemed natural to me.
Harman already clearly knew that there are no ghosts and that I’m not a real exorcist.
‘There’s no way he’d be scared.’
Before long, a calm voice reached me.
“I’m not scared or unpleasant at all.”
It was the answer I expected, as I thought.
Even though I knew it would be like that, relief washed over me. I unconsciously took in the breath I’d been holding.
“Lady.”
“Yes?”
But Harman seemed to have more to say.
His mouth, which had been staring at me intently, moved slowly.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I don’t care how strangers unrelated to me think of me.”
…But I really didn’t expect him to say this.
I was a little surprised.
He immediately understood what I was worried about.
Harman briefly turned his gaze to the interior.
The sound of people holding their breath could be heard from here and there.
I was curious about exactly where those sounds were coming from, but I couldn’t easily take my eyes off Harman’s profile.
His gaze, which was quite different from when he looked at me—cool to the point of seeming annoyed by everything—felt unfamiliar.
His gaze was quickly withdrawn. And it turned back to me.
It wasn’t my imagination. For a moment, his clear blue eyes were definitely full of affection.
“I don’t have enough time to be good only to my people. I have no interest in anything else.”
“…”
Ridiculously, all the things I’d worried about countless times became meaningless. It was a moment when my confused mind was organized in an instant.
‘There are always only things to be grateful for with Harman.’
…How could I not like him after this?
I was about to unconsciously lower my head when I blinked in surprise at the suddenly bright light behind Harman.
The sunset had just begun to set.
“Lady, you don’t need to feel unnecessary guilt either.”
…They said it was a scenic spot, and it really is.
The slowly setting sun spread like orange paint dissolving.
The blowing wind lightly touched Harman’s hair.
The scene before my eyes was so brilliant that I felt like I might burst into tears.
“Those people have absolutely no way to exorcise ghosts without Lady.”
…
“…What?”
I was just about to have tears well up in my eyes.
I blinked my suddenly dry eyes.
I didn’t mishear that, did I?
“I’m talking about the mansion repairs. The clients think the ghosts have been exorcised, don’t they?”
“Ah… yes…”
As expected, Harman has absolutely no talent for jokes or comedy.
Thank goodness.
I almost burst into tears and confessed for a moment, but thanks to that I held back.
Harman himself seemed to think he had spoken wittily. Since he was wearing a very proud smile, I laughed it off pretending to find it funny.
‘He’s kind of like a department manager.’
Honestly, his face is amusing. Very amusing.
Since this was already a prime sunset spot, watching Harman’s face together with the sunset was like looking at a painting.
Just then, Harman lowered his head slightly to do something, so I freely admired him.
But then….
“Ah!”
Once again, a fork loaded with cake approached right in front of my nose!
“At this rate, you’ll go back without finishing even one cake. Please, open up.”
What does ‘please, open up’ even mean?
But I opened my mouth without resistance this time too.
After that, Harman diligently offered me cake and even recommended tea, asking if my throat wasn’t getting dry.
Perhaps because I had heard his story about having no interest in others, I too had stopped caring about our surroundings entirely.
It was no different from a peaceful, intimate date.
It was around the time we had nearly finished the additional desserts we ordered.
“Lady, how has your exorcism work been going lately?”
“Exorcism?”
At the sudden question, I put down the teacup I had been sipping from.
Recent exorcism work.
My brow furrowed as soon as I thought about it.
“Something’s been strange. A young lady I met at a tea party said there was a foul smell and she saw ghosts in her mansion vault, so I went there, but all that was in the vault was rotten fruit.”
“Rotten fruit… you say.”
“Yes! I have no idea why someone would leave fruit in a vault!”
Harman became rapidly serious.
Seeing how deeply lost in thought he was, it seemed like he was trying his best to empathize with me again this time.
I shrugged my shoulders and quietly continued speaking.
“There was an even stranger incident. I mentioned that I keep a dog named Bokdeungi, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“When I was about to leave after finishing the job, Bokdeungi appeared with that rotten fruit he found in the vault in his mouth!”
Harman suddenly drew in a breath.
It’s too early to be surprised here!
“Before this, Bokdeungi once sorted letters, picking out exactly the exorcism requests. Sir Zeros said maybe Bokdeungi can see ghosts….”
Wait a minute, though.
‘Didn’t Harman tell me not to believe in the existence of ghosts?’
That thought occurred to me after I had already said all this.
Only then did I stop talking and watch Harman’s reaction.
Harman remained lost in thought for a long while without even looking at me. Then he quietly spoke.
“Lady.”
“Yes, Duke.”
“Was it really rotten fruit?”
“…Pardon?”
“I’m curious if it was definitely in the shape of fruit.”
His voice as he looked directly at me was disturbingly low.
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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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