My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 154
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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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Let me tell you the story of how I became a crazy arsonist who burned down my own house overnight.
Bishop Marik claimed that I had committed arson and demanded that the Hosaquin Duke hand me over to him. The Duke first informed me of how the Temple Authority had assessed the situation.
‘Evangeline Rohanson’ set fire to the Rohanson Estate. This was witnessed by several servants, including her close maid Hena. Bishop Marik captured the monster that Evangeline commanded while suppressing the flames, and the missing Holy Knight Azazel Astaroth, who had been imprisoned in the estate, was rescued.
The servants of the Rohanson Estate, who had received help from Bishop Marik, repented and confessed information about Evangeline that they had been overlooking. Combining their testimonies, Bishop Marik branded Evangeline Rohanson as an evil heretic.
The Temple speculated that I had committed arson to offer the estate’s people to demons. The people of the Rohanson Estate who had aided the heretic should rightfully be burned as offerings, but since they were nearly sacrificed themselves and had no choice in following Rohanson, there were mitigating circumstances that spared them from execution. I wonder if this should be considered fortunate or unfortunate.
Hena Greenwood is currently under Bishop Marik’s protection at the Temple as a witness and observer of the series of events…
While listening to the Duke’s explanation, I plucked flower petals one by one. I was using superstition to divine whether or not to attack the Rohanson Estate.
Go, don’t go. Go, don’t go.
This time it came out as ‘don’t go.’ Of course, I kept changing my conclusion, so this was the sixth flower.
But if I go, I’ll fall into a trap and end up with an execution ending, and if I don’t go, it’ll seem like I’m admitting my guilt while abandoning the estate’s people.
If it was going to be like this, should I have just played ladder game cleanly? But flower divination is much more befitting of a noble young lady than ladder game.
I threw the bald stem with only the bare scalp remaining after all the leaves were plucked to the floor. The office floor was a complete mess with the flower petals I had torn off.
“Miss…”
Kanna couldn’t bring herself to stop me and was fidgeting in the corner. As soon as she heard the news that Hena had stabbed me in the back and sided with Bishop Marik, Kanna kept acting submissive as if she had committed some crime. No matter how many times I told her I don’t follow guilt by association, she acts like this.
“Stop this madness.”
The Duke stopped me instead of Kanna.
Since the Duke told me to stop, I should definitely stop with this as the last one. As it happened, the rose in my hand was the seventh flower. Lucky number seven. As I continued plucking the leaves, the Duke sighed.
Normally the Duke would have been furious, but perhaps because my condition was really bad, he was lenient even with my unreasonable behavior. It’s fortunate that the Duke has flexibility even at times like this. Or maybe it’s because the conquest is going well. He just took my side, right?
“Why didn’t you hand me over to the Temple just now? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to turn me over to Bishop Marik, Grandfather?”
“Because your usefulness hasn’t run out yet. Besides, as long as Agera is involved, siding with Bishop Marik isn’t safe either.”
As expected, the tsundere name tag doesn’t go anywhere.
“If Bishop Marik had come leading knights, I would have hesitated, but didn’t he just send one green priest who doesn’t even know how to bow properly?”
The Duke wasn’t wrong – the inexperienced priest who came knowing my whereabouts obediently retreated when the Duke said he wouldn’t hand me over. That means he didn’t come to take me by force. If Holy Knights had swarmed here, the Duke would have weighed Agera against me and nicely packaged me as a bribe to Bishop Marik.
But what Bishop Marik sent was a priest who came alone to enemy territory just to make noise. So naturally the Duke, who still had uses for me, refused to hand me over. The Duke seemed to find this very puzzling.
“You want to play with me more.”
“Play?”
“Bishop Marik’s goal isn’t simply to capture me.”
What the Duke overlooked is that Bishop Marik doesn’t just see me as some ordinary heretic.
Bishop Marik, despite being the mastermind himself, was trying to use me as the final boss. The news that Evangeline burned down the Rohanson Estate was sensational, but with few casualties, it wasn’t an act befitting a wicked villain of the century. Right now, Bishop Marik’s impact from burning a whole family to death under the pretense of heretic slaughter was greater.
Besides, it was Rico who set fire to the estate. Just like how he pretended to be Hazel using illusions, this time he must have imitated me. So this incident wasn’t planned and committed by Bishop Marik. I know well that people like Bishop Marik become extremely hysterical when things don’t go according to their plans.
And above all, I still lack enough evil deeds to be treated as a final boss. If I get caught in this situation, there’s no differentiation.
Bishop Marik will cause an even bigger incident than trying to frame me for the Crown Prince’s assassination. Then he’ll point to me as the culprit. At that time, he’ll tie it together with setting fire to the estate so I can’t escape.
What exactly is he planning to do? What could be bigger in scale than assassinating the Crown Prince? Treason? Summoning the Demon King? Human extinction? I can’t even guess.
While speculating what trick Bishop Marik had prepared, all the petals fell. The remaining one was ‘go.’ It’s a bit scary, but… since it’s lucky number seven, I’ll trust it. I should go check the estate.
The stories I heard from the Duke were all just the Temple and Bishop Marik’s side of things, so I wanted to properly hear what happened overnight. Of course, I’m just going to take a quick look and come back.
I didn’t hear any story about capturing ‘Evangeline’ at the Rohanson Estate. And as long as Agera is at the Viscount’s Estate, that ‘Evangeline’ will definitely return, so I’ll have to come back to catch the rat too. I want to applaud that rat bastard who drove the situation to this point.
“Pudding, you said there are knights surrounding the estate.”
“Yes. There are quite a few.”
Whether Jeremiah’s interference with Pudding’s vision was lifted, Pudding’s clairvoyance-like ability recovered. Learning that Jeremiah had been up to tricks, Pudding gritted his teeth saying that the Princess ‘also’ betrayed us, showing no gratitude. Since Pudding specifically grouped Jeremiah and Hena together, it was natural that Kanna, reminded that Hena was a traitor, became even more dejected.
Of course, I was attacked with one stone killing two birds. If I was really backstabbed by Jeremiah too, I might die from the injustice. Getting my name stolen by my brother and being stabbed after protecting that foolish Jeremiah would be a bit pathetic. Especially after saving his dying life. But since it’s not certain yet, I believe in Jeremiah. I believe in the salvation narrative.
Kanna seemed to realize why I was asking about the military force at the estate. Kanna, who had been acting like a sinner, urgently tried to stop me.
“You can’t go! It’s definitely a trap. They’re trying to capture you! Please don’t take Miss away from me too…”
I know that well too. Especially the people of the Rohanson Estate were blatant hostages calling for me.
But my family members are still at the estate. They got involved because of me, so I couldn’t just stand by in good conscience. Besides, Daisy and Daisy’s siblings are still there too. …Daisy is still there, right?
“Do you think the knights would be dangerous to me?”
Kanna shook her head vigorously. Her curly hair bouncing was so cute that I couldn’t help but smile. Even with my house burned and being betrayed, cute things are still cute. Truly an eternal truth.
“They cannot restrain me.”
Of course, I was caught and imprisoned not long ago. But that was because I let them.
With Pudding attached to me, I’m not in danger. Yeah, probably. Though there is Azazel (in Jeremiah) who counters Pudding. It was still unclear whether Jeremiah had completely sided with Bishop Marik or was deceived and used, which bothered me a bit.
“Still worried?”
Kanna nodded. Looking closely, she was indeed worried about me, but the reason she was stopping me seemed a bit different.
“Are you afraid to check the estate?”
“…Yes.”
That was the right answer. There’s a difference between just hearing about it and seeing it with your own eyes. Kanna didn’t want to realize that Hena had truly turned her back on her.
Kanna chose me, not Hena. But still, blood relations are unavoidable.
“It’s okay. Kanna, if you wish it, I’ll overlook the sins Hena committed.”
Kanna’s eyes widened.
Hena was annoying, but I was someone with clear priorities, and I wanted to grant what I could for one of the few beings in this world I was attached to.
“Really? Even though sister… even though sister betrayed you?”
“Yes.”
Even with Daisy, I brought her back and reinstated her after she tried to report me to Gabriel.
“Even though sister almost got the estate people killed?”
Well… that might be a bit controversial, but it’s not my concern. That’s not my problem.
“Is it okay to go now?”
Perhaps somewhat convinced, Kanna, who had been shedding pearl-like tears, nodded vigorously. Her attitude was somehow very resolute.
Of course, I wasn’t planning to just go. Think about it – with knights surrounding the place, the three of us holding hands and making a surprise appearance. Instead of cheers and bouquets, blades would fly along with cries to kill the witch.
“Pudding. Could you deceive the knights’ eyes so they can’t see me?”
Pudding answered as if my words had some compulsive force, as if he would fulfill anything I wanted.
“Yes. Lady Evangeline. If you wish it, anything at all.”
I didn’t forget to tell the Duke to be careful since Rico might return while I was briefly away. I also asked Pudding to keep a close watch on the Duchy just in case. Since Jeremiah wasn’t at the Duchy, there shouldn’t be any interference.
When I gave the signal to depart, Pudding snapped his fingers.
***
I could see my house, burned and charred, before my eyes. I was instantly filled with rage.
“Since you’ve turned my estate to ash, I’ll have to show you hell.”
I won’t let that rat bastard get away with this.
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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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