My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 189

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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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Saraka felt thirsty and swallowed her dry saliva.

Evangeline stared at Saraka fiercely, thinking she had some ulterior motive, but truly the only reason Saraka had joined this meeting was to deliver the message asking her to participate in the sacrifice ritual.

Having dangled her beloved beast as bait, Evangeline Rohanson would surely attend the sacrifice ritual.

There was nothing more she wanted from Evangeline beyond that. After all, wasn’t the executioner always busier than the condemned? All the stage preparations were Saraka’s responsibility.

Evangeline also seemed to have achieved her purpose of receiving the invitation, as she rose from her seat, leaving the sleeping Viscount behind. Her gaze looking down at Rohanson Viscount was filled with contempt.

“Father is…”

“The Viscount will be more comfortable staying at Viscount Hükel’s estate.”

Saraka answered kindly. Despite it being her own way of speaking, her voice sounded strangely unfamiliar to her ears. It was because she usually spoke and acted as Bishop Marik.

Contrary to Saraka’s wishes, Rohanson Viscount knew very little. However, he was a good card to serve as justification, so she couldn’t hand him over to Evangeline.

The reason she had deliberately brought up the topic, calling Rohanson Viscount’s words nonsense, was to subtly warn that ‘Bishop Marik’ knew how to use Rohanson Viscount.

However, Evangeline readily agreed to Saraka’s words. It was because she valued the ugly beast more than her family.

Evangeline left immediately without any lingering attachment to Rohanson Viscount. As Evangeline exited the room, the servants who had been waiting outside entered to clean up. They widened their eyes upon seeing the sleeping Rohanson Viscount.

“Why is Rohanson Viscount sleeping?”

Saraka had no obligation to answer. The servants didn’t bother to press Saraka, who chose to remain silent.

The servants cleaned up the drawing room and supported Rohanson Viscount to take him to his room.

No one assigned any work to Saraka, who had been brought by Muzeta. This was thanks to her accompanying Muzeta, an imperial knight, and Viscount Hükel having given prior notice.

“He won’t wake up even like this.”

“Could he have fainted? Did Evangeline make him faint!”

“But the Viscount is Evangeline’s father, isn’t he?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumors? She even set fire to her own house, so would she spare him just because he’s family?”

The Viscount didn’t wake up even as the servants supported him with his feet dragging on the floor. This was because Saraka, who had no interest in the Viscount’s wellbeing, had given him a large amount of sleeping medicine without measuring it properly. Saraka turned her gaze away from the servants gossiping about worthless rumors and the Viscount.

Saraka headed to the window and parted the curtains to peek outside. Evangeline’s carriage hadn’t left yet. No, it was just about to depart.

Evangeline’s coachman had just given the horse a hard lash with his whip. The horse cried out as the wheels laboriously took their first turn, then began rolling with a rattling sound. It felt like water filling her grasp would flow through her fingers and disappear.

Saraka persistently watched outside until the carriage was no longer visible, only letting go of the curtain after a long while.

Now that there was no more business at Viscount Hükel’s estate, Saraka too would have to return to the temple.

***

I gathered the invitation the Viscount had given me and left the room.

It bothered me to leave Rohanson Viscount behind with Saraka, but I couldn’t do anything about it. If I laid a hand on Rohanson Viscount out of fear of what he might testify, I might not be able to see Jelly.

Once I find Jelly, just wait and see. I won’t forget this grudge. I sent mental warning letters to both the Viscount and Bishop Marik.

Viscount Hükel’s servants were loitering in front of the door. When I informed them I would be leaving, they showed visible relief.

“…Won’t the Viscount be returning with you?”

One servant hesitated before asking. Looking closely, it was the servant who had offered to guide me when I first arrived, constantly spouting praise for Viscount Hükel.

He must have thought I would take back the Viscount who was staying as my dependent. Sorry, but that’s not up to me.

“I can’t just take someone who’s sleeping.”

“Sleeping?”

“Yes. He must have been very tired.”

The servant made a strange face and tilted his head. It would seem odd that he suddenly fell asleep. Not believing my words, the servant cautiously called for the Viscount from in front of the door.

“Rohanson Viscount?”

There would be no answer even if he knocked on the door and called. After saying again that the Viscount was sleeping so it was fine to go in, I turned to leave. The maid I had deliberately been difficult with earlier led the way to see me off.

The maid who guided me to the front of the manor fled back inside without looking back. She seemed to have run away in case I would abuse my power again.

Now I don’t even feel like doing that, but somehow I feel like I’ve become an irredeemably bad person.

The carriage I had arrived in was standing in front of the manor. The coachman wasn’t in his seat but was anxiously stamping his feet in front of the carriage. Upon spotting me, the coachman’s face visibly brightened.

“Evangeline!”

“What happened?”

“Well… some man suddenly went into the carriage! He won’t come out even when I tell him to!”

Emboldened by my arrival, the coachman kicked the carriage door and shouted for whoever it was to come out. As if in response, the door burst open.

“Eek…!”

Not having expected this, the coachman was startled and sat down on the spot. I wondered who it could be. What burst out of the carriage door was Pudding.

Pudding ran straight to me.

“You waited in the carriage as promised. Well done.”

I praised Pudding while petting him vigorously. Golden hair fluttered softly between my fingers. Pudding hugged me tightly and rubbed his head against my neck.

As I held and comforted Pudding for a while, the coachman watched me nervously. His eyes were shaking wildly, seeming to view the relationship between Pudding and me as unusual while letting his imagination run wild.

“Young Lady, that person is…”

“He’s my guard, so don’t worry.”

“A guard? I’ve never seen his face before…”

The coachman was suspicious, but I had nothing else to say. I couldn’t very well introduce a person as my pet.

“Should… should we return directly to Hosaquin Duke’s estate?”

“No.”

“Then where to…?”

To the coachman who cautiously asked about our destination, I mentioned Misha’s dress shop that I had heard about from Gabriel.

It seemed to be an unexpected destination as the coachman looked flustered, but I boarded the carriage with Pudding, leaving him behind.

Even after sitting down, Pudding wouldn’t leave my side. It was my fault for not listening to him and driving him away. It would be lighter if he returned to cat form, but Pudding remained in human form, leaning against me as if embracing me.

Since I had committed a wrong, I couldn’t scold him. Well, I can spare a shoulder for Pudding.

“Didn’t I tell you nothing would happen to me?”

Instead, I reassured Pudding that I had returned safely.

Pudding would have been watching over me, but he probably couldn’t eavesdrop on the conversation. After explaining to Pudding that Bishop Marik had proposed I play the role of sacrifice, I continued.

“It seems Bishop Marik has noticed that Azazel has changed.”

“Azazel?”

“Yes. Even while using Jelly as bait, he didn’t bring up Count Gabriel at all.”

Even though Gabriel is clearly my greatest weakness. Bishop Marik had Gabriel’s safety in his grasp yet didn’t say a word about it to me.

“Even if he doesn’t know I rescued Count Gabriel, he seemed to know that I had been informed Count Gabriel was in prison.”

It might just be speculation, but I thought it through. Suppose Bishop Marik had noticed that ‘Azazel’ was different from before.

Bishop Marik would have wanted to test whether ‘Azazel’ was really a spy I had planted. What if that test was Gabriel?

Tenebray guided ‘Azazel’ to the prison where Gabriel was held, following the Bishop’s instructions. Jeremiah, who knew well that Gabriel was important to me, immediately conveyed the news to me.

Bishop Marik was likely watching all of Jeremiah’s suspicious activities. He probably set up a trap worth falling into and waited quietly. Seeing him hastily send a letter, wouldn’t he have followed?

Jeremiah had asserted that Tenebray wouldn’t tell Bishop Marik about meeting Gabriel in prison, but it seemed Jeremiah had been fooled by his sister once again.

“Then Jeremiah would be in danger.”

Having lived together for a while, he seemed worried about Jeremiah. Fortunately, I could send word to Jeremiah through Rico.

According to what I heard from Rico, Jeremiah and Tenebray had visited the prison several more times. Tenebray would come and quietly watch Rico suffer before leaving, and she always came with Jeremiah. I could pass along the message when Jeremiah next stopped by the prison with Tenebray.

When I asked for a rat, saying I had something to tell Rico, Pudding pulled a rat from his pocket. Holding only the very tip of its tail as if handling something dirty, the rat dangled in the air.

“Evangeline has something to tell you, so listen carefully.”

I informed Rico that I had briefly met with Bishop Marik and asked him to tell Jeremiah to be careful the next time he saw him. As soon as the rat nodded and replied that he would keep it in mind, Pudding roughly stuffed the rat back in.

“I did well to bring it, didn’t I?”

“Indeed.”

Rico’s rat had been constantly staying by Mabuka’s side lately. Mabuka found it fascinating that she could converse with Mother through the rat, so she kept the rat by her side.

Hazel was horrified every time she saw the rat, and the other servants didn’t know what to do, but Mabuka’s stubbornness couldn’t be easily broken.

I also had no intention of taking the rat away from Mabuka until the day of the sacrifice ritual, but just before going out today, Pudding had snatched the rat from Mabuka and brought it along.

When I asked Pudding why he did that, he replied asking how I could leave a demon’s minion near a child. He had been secretly worried about Mabuka. What a commendable cat of ours.

Thanks to that, I was fortunately able to pass along the message early.

“When we return to the manor, make sure to give the rat back to Mabuka.”

As I was chatting pleasantly with Pudding, the coachman called for me.

“Um, Evangeline… We’ve arrived at the dress shop you mentioned.”

“Have we?”

I got out of the carriage with Pudding’s escort.

Misha’s dress shop had quite a luxurious exterior. When the chime bell rang, an employee sitting in the lobby, absorbed in sewing, spoke without even looking up.

“Reservations for sacrifice ritual dresses are completely full. We’re not taking orders anymore, so please leave.”

“I’d like to meet the owner.”

“Even if you meet Madam, nothing will change.”

“But if Misha isn’t away, would you call her for me?”

“Sigh… You should have placed your order earlier, not coming now.”

The employee pressed the bridge of her nose under her glasses as if she had encountered a difficult customer. Finally seeming ready to properly attend to me, she put down her needle and turned to look at me. When our eyes met, the employee’s eyes widened in surprise. Without looking away, she shouted loudly.

“Madam… Madam! Please come out here!”

“Be quiet! I’m busy right now!”

“Even if you’re busy, please come out! This isn’t something I can handle on my own!”

Fortunately, it seemed Misha wasn’t away. I could hear a sharp retort from inside. After only hearing Misha gush with all sorts of praise and flattery, hearing this irritated response felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Madam! Hurry!”

“I’m busy to death, why do you keep calling me? Did some strange customer come? I told you not to take any more orders for sacrifice ritual dresses, didn’t I? Just kick them out, why are you calling me!”

As the employee kept urging, Misha came out to the lobby grumbling.

“…Good heavens, Young Lady?”

Then, upon spotting me, she gasped in surprise and covered her mouth.

“Sorry for being a strange customer.”

“Don’t say such things! Young Lady is always welcome!”

Her claim of being busy wasn’t false, as the area under her eyes was darkly shadowed. Despite meeting an intruder during such a tired and busy time, Misha greeted me as if she was very pleased to see me.

“I’m relieved that Young Lady is safe. I was very worried since we hadn’t met since the birthday celebration.”

“With only frightening rumors circulating, you must have been quite shaken, Misha, being so sensitive to gossip.”

“Young Lady!”

I spoke playfully, recalling how she had bluntly asked if I made clothes from human skin when we first met. Misha puffed out her cheeks and glared at me, then soon began to well up with tears.

“Really, I was so very worried… Young Lady suddenly attempted to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince and went to prison, and just when I thought things were okay, the Rohanson Estate suddenly caught fire…”

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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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