My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 1

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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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[Method to Summon □□]

[□ Woman Standing on □

Defile the earth with the □□ of □□□

Draw a circle with your □ □ hands

Bow down and look up to □

Make grapes ripen on thornbushes

And cause figs to bear fruit on thistles

□□ and □□

Turn the earth and welcome the □□ of □□ who will descend to the world]

Meow.

***

Evangeline Rohanson, the only daughter of the Rohanson Viscount’s household, had died.

Officially, it was announced as death by illness, but the servants working at the Rohanson Viscount’s household could never forget those pale feet that had dangled from the luxuriously blooming cherry blossom branches, swaying in the wind.

The cherry blossoms had bloomed so red and beautiful that day, it seemed their lush fragrance still lingered at the tip of one’s nose.

Or perhaps it was because of the cherry blossoms that filled the coffin instead of white lilies.

Due to the cause of death that would be unsavory if it spread outside, the funeral was held at the manor.

After finishing the ceremony at the annex, instead of placing her in the temple, they planned to erect a tombstone in one corner of the rear garden. The temple wouldn’t accept those who had committed suicide, so there was no other choice, but people who didn’t know the circumstances simply praised the viscount’s love for his child while expressing their condolences.

The funeral was modest.

Typically, a noble’s funeral would be splendid and grand even in their final journey, but Evangeline’s ceremony somehow looked shabby for the funeral of a noble family’s young lady.

Using the excuse that the illness might be contagious, they had refused condolence visits from nobles, so the only ones filling the seats were servants working at the manor and a few knights.

Whether it was because there weren’t many guests, or because even at a funeral, no one was crying for the deceased, an eerie feeling pervaded the funeral hall.

At least the prayers recited by the priest dispelled some of the gloominess.

The one presiding over the funeral was a priest of no particular renown. Though his recitation of prayers and pristine white uniform looked devout, if he truly knew honor, he wouldn’t have joined this occasion for the sake of gold coins.

Once the priest’s prayer ended, the ceremony would be nearly finished. Now they just needed to close the coffin and place the body in the pre-dug hole.

It was when a few servants who had been instructed in advance to move the coffin were preparing.

Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed particularly loudly in the funeral hall filled only with silence.

The priest, who was terribly protective of his authority, cleared his throat and warned them to be careful, trying to continue his prayer, but the commotion only grew worse.

The sound of grass rustling, something ungreased bumping bones as it moved, wood creaking. Small noises gathered in one place, and just as people began to murmur, the priest who could bear it no longer stopped his prayer and opened his eyes.

And the priest came face to face with the cause of people’s disturbance.

Snow-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall. The soft-looking hair seemed less like silk thread and more like spider webs gathered and stretched out long.

Her eyelashes trembled, then bright red pupils were revealed behind her opened eyelids. Rather than ruby-like jewels, it was a color reminiscent of a living creature’s heart.

Except for those red eyes like condensed blood, she was purely white. Wearing a white dress alone among the black mourning clothes, she seemed like an otherworldly being brought from another realm. She was quiet, cold, and pale.

The priest realized why the small noise he had first heard seemed particularly loud. Being closest to the coffin, it was inevitable. The priest cried out to God in his heart and recited prayers.

Unfortunately, it had no effect.

The revived corpse now began to move her body. Starting with bending her hands, she tried making fists, blinking her eyes, and turning her head. It was exactly like something inhuman handling an unfamiliar body.

She looked at the chandelier swaying from the ceiling, then swept her gaze over the people in the funeral hall. Those who met that gaze flinched, covered their mouths, and held their breath.

When that gaze finally reached the priest, he fully understood why people had reacted that way. It was like encountering a famous painting with human eyes inserted. Moreover, weren’t those painted eyes moving to look at him?

Being caught in the eyes of something ominous that shouldn’t exist or arise, it would be better to bite his tongue or strangle himself to escape.

It would be more natural if a famous painting had walked out of its canvas, or if a sculpture carved delicately with ground souls was pretending to be human. Compared to that thing, even puppet dolls tied to a puppet maker’s strings were closer to being alive.

“…What is my name?”

Finally, that thing even uttered human words from its mouth.

The thing that had taken over Evangeline Rohanson’s body finished adapting to its new body and smiled as if extremely satisfied.

***

I think I’ve been possessed.

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a magnificent chandelier. By the way, it looked very expensive. While estimating the chandelier’s price, I carefully recalled how I had died.

Since I was originally healthy, it wasn’t death by illness. I hadn’t even gotten a job yet, so it wasn’t death from overwork, and I hadn’t been hit by a car while saving an animal or child. I’d never met a god or a suspicious fortune teller. No matter how I thought about it, I seemed to have just been possessed while sleeping.

Even though possession is all the rage these days, is it okay to choose someone to possess this carelessly? Well, it’s done now, so it’s not important.

Since I’ve already been possessed, there’s no point dwelling on my past life. What’s important is this body I’ve been possessed into.

Is it because the possession was half-hearted? I couldn’t recall any memories of the original body’s owner. Looking at my hands, I don’t seem to be very young… Couldn’t they have put me in a younger body while they were at it? Since I know nothing about the body’s owner, I’ll probably have to go with amnesia.

Looking at the white hair and delicate hands, she’s definitely a noble, but I can’t think of any particular character. Isn’t the standard usually to enter a book you were reading or your favorite work?

I don’t have a favorite work, and what I’d been enjoying reading lately was a martial arts novel about a heavenly demon’s return. It was the most recent read so my memory was clearest, but just looking at the chandelier, this wasn’t martial arts. If I’d been possessed into martial arts, I would have died horribly, so this is rather fortunate…

This won’t do.

I don’t think I’ll find answers by myself. At times like this, I need help from those around me. I should ask that man sitting blankly beside me something. His clothes and the thick scripture he’s holding make him look exactly like a priest. If I’ve been possessed into a sickly character, it wouldn’t be strange to have a priest nearby. That would make it easier to pull the amnesia trick too.

Come to think of it, where is this? I quickly scanned my surroundings.

I was startled for a moment. Why are there so many people? I wondered where I was sensing people, and everyone in the room was looking at me. They were all dressed in black clothes, quietly holding their breath. How did I only notice this now? I must not be in my right mind either.

I was so distracted by the unfamiliar ceiling that I didn’t realize this wasn’t even a bedroom. The floor was soft so I thought it was a bed. Looking now, it’s covered with flowers. Cherry blossoms? Or plum blossoms? No wonder there was a fragrant smell somewhere.

…Wait. The place I’m lying in has a familiar shape…

Don’t tell me this is a coffin? Was I lying in a coffin? Then could this be a funeral in progress? Is that why everyone is wearing black clothes?

My head was spinning.

Being possessed into a dead person’s body isn’t uncommon. If you possess a body that was living well, readers feel sorry for the original owner, so it’s often cleaner to possess someone destined to die or already dead. But still, what am I supposed to do if I’m possessed during a funeral?

No wonder people were looking at me like I was a ghost!

They should have possessed me right after death! This level of carelessness was at least consistent.

The priest beside me looked like he was about to pass out.

From the priest’s perspective, wouldn’t this be a corpse coming back to life?

I think I need to handle this situation somehow. What should I say? Surprise, you thought I was dead? It was a hidden camera? I don’t know. I’ll just have to say something random. Oh right, before saying anything else, I must say this first.

“What is my name?”

By the way, since I’m definitely possessed into a noble, I skipped the honorifics.

***

The name of the body I’ve possessed is Evangeline Rohanson.

Yeah. I still don’t know who that is.

It’s already been two days since I was possessed. On the first day, I was tormented by the priest and doctor, and on the second day I focused on gathering information about Evangeline and this world.

Based on my deduction, this is a villainess possession story.

The servants bow their heads whenever they see me, tremble when I speak to them, and I even saw someone faint upon seeing me during a walk. A young maid begged me to spare her life before being dragged away with her mouth covered. How wicked must the original body owner have been for the child to act like that? I should live more kindly.

Moreover, Evangeline had red eyes.

In romance fantasy worldviews, only people with rather unsavory tendencies can have red eyes. They’re generally considered an ominous color, so they’re abused and shunned until the male protagonist in the original novel throws out some meaningless comfort like ‘I think they’re pretty,’ and then they fall head over heels at the level of instant attraction.

And Evangeline is the only daughter of the Rohanson Viscount’s household. Her mother passed away when she was young, so the family consists of just father and daughter. Their relationship doesn’t seem good since it’s been over two days since I was possessed and I haven’t seen his face. Even in a situation where his daughter died and came back to life, he doesn’t come to see her. Villainess fathers are either trash or extremely doting, split between extremes, and unfortunately this was the former.

I don’t know anything else.

There’s no fiancé, and since romance fantasies usually have the crown prince as the male lead, I checked that first, but this world’s crown prince is already middle-aged with two children. There’s no northern grand duke, no saint or holy knight either.

Actually, even this was just what I picked up from asking a maid.

I searched the room wondering if there might be a diary, but there was nothing. Even if I’d found one, I wouldn’t have been able to read it. I’ve become illiterate.

Not being able to read – what kind of half-hearted possession is this? Does it make sense to have no trouble speaking but not know letters? Since I can’t read, I couldn’t even go to the library for information gathering.

So I ended up having to study a second foreign language, which I’d never done even before being possessed.

When I told the maid I couldn’t read, she was so flustered. I never expected to see an earthquake in someone’s pupils here. But since I had the good excuse of amnesia, she said she’d bring alphabet books.

The books will come tomorrow, so today is house exploration day!

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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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