My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 194
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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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A carriage arrived at the Hosaquin Duke’s mansion the day before the sacrifice ritual.
It was sent from Misha’s Atelier, and several of Misha’s employees and the duchy’s servants gathered to move the luggage. I expected Misha to come along, but she was nowhere to be seen, so I grabbed one of the employees to ask.
“I don’t see Misha anywhere.”
“Ah, Madam worked through the night and collapsed as soon as she finished the dress.”
Fortunately, there was nothing wrong with her health – she had just fallen into a deep sleep after overworking herself for a while. Since there was no sign of her waking up, the employees had discussed among themselves and decided to visit the mansion before it got too late.
“She would have wanted to come along, but she would have hated it more if Lady Evangeline’s affairs were delayed.”
“That’s right. When she wakes up, she might even cry saying she really wanted to see Lady Evangeline wearing the dress.”
“You know Madam left all the other garments to us and focused solely on Lady Evangeline’s dress, right?”
She had indeed overworked herself. The employees grumbled as they each added their comments. At first glance, it seemed like they were blaming Misha for overworking, but looking closer, they were full of pride.
Bringing up Misha’s story to me also seemed intended to emphasize that Misha had done her best for me.
“It’s Madam’s masterpiece. You’ll definitely love it.”
Misha’s words came to mind. Even though she couldn’t be present herself, she had said she would be by my side.
Kanna was excited about the word “masterpiece,” insisting we had to try it on right away. Since Misha couldn’t come personally, she clenched her fists and vowed to fill the empty spot. Of course, with Misha’s employees there, there was nothing for Kanna to do.
“It suits you so perfectly! No wonder she collapsed making something like this!”
Having known before how much Misha had struggled, Kanna expressed amazement at Misha’s hard work in meeting this rushed schedule as well.
It wasn’t an exaggeration – despite the tight deadline, you could tell an incredible amount of care had gone into it. Even the smallest decoration had breath blown into it, making it extremely delicate. When the dress hem fluttered with movement, it felt alive and was even beautiful.
It was a masterpiece completed with soul, so Misha’s words about being with me were indeed not empty promises.
“Miss Misha has a romantic side to her.”
Kanna was moved as she looked at the dress. I roughly understood what she meant. The dress was white, the color I usually preferred to wear. It was more like a priest’s garment than a sacrificial offering.
The dress Misha had painstakingly tailored seemed to remind me of the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration. Remembering that the ending wasn’t good back then, Misha must have wanted to get revenge for that time.
“How is it?”
“…I like it.”
When I answered a beat late due to having many thoughts, sighs of relief came from here and there.
Fortunately, my measurements hadn’t changed, so no alterations were needed. Misha’s employees each expressed admiration as they watched me come out wearing the dress.
Even though this wasn’t in front of Misha, so flattery wasn’t necessary. Thanks to that, Misha’s absence wasn’t felt.
Then, after praising for a while, the employees began exchanging glances among themselves. Eventually, one stepped forward as a representative. It was an employee I had seen before in the atelier’s lobby.
“Lady Evangeline Rohanson. Toten Madam says… the carriage has safely left the capital.”
If I hadn’t been standing straight for the dress fitting, my legs would have given out from relief.
The carriage naturally referred to the one carrying the people from Rohanson Estate. I had worried a lot about whether they could escape safely, but if they had left the capital, I could breathe a sigh of relief. Bishop Marik’s influence shone brightest in the capital, after all.
‘As expected, I did well to ask Melek.’
I had asked Toten Madam to lend me Rider – that is, Melek – along with the Plauros Knights for a while. Originally, I had planned to send Pudding to escort the people.
However, perhaps because he had been driven away by me once, Pudding absolutely refused to leave my side, so I ended up seeking out Melek. Kind Melek readily stepped forward since it was work that would help people.
Since Melek was helping out, I decided to set one more trap. It was to increase the probability of a safe escape. Since Melek wasn’t among my known associates that Bishop Marik knew about, Bishop Marik would only be wary of Pudding.
When the escape was in full swing, I ostentatiously attended banquets with Pudding. Fortunately, with many nobles having come up to the capital for the sacrifice ritual, there were plenty of small-scale banquets to choose from.
The nobles seemed to welcome my participation thanks to the outstanding reputation of the name ‘Evangeline Rohanson,’ even if it came with bad rumors.
Once I became confident that Bishop Marik wouldn’t lay a hand on me before the sacrifice ritual, there was no reason to be cautious or hold back. I became the bait to draw attention, and in the meantime, the estate’s people escaped. Of course, Kanna was disappointed that my rare outing had such a dangerous purpose.
I’m truly relieved they safely left the capital. I let out a sigh of relief internally as something I had been continuously worrying about worked out well.
I smiled, trying to appear as kind as possible to Misha’s employee.
“Thank you for letting me know.”
The dress could have simply been sent with someone to deliver it. The employees came to see me not just because of Misha’s request, but also to deliver a message. To let me know that the Rohanson Estate people had escaped safely. To reassure me.
“…It’s nothing.”
A bashful response came back, as if receiving thanks was awkward.
“Lady Evangeline Rohanson, please accept this as well.”
The employee held out a small box. Inside the box was a necklace made by crafting emeralds. It was Jeremiah’s necklace that I had requested from Misha.
Despite the sudden request to replicate the Princess’s necklace being troublesome, she had managed to meet this deadline as well.
“By the way, the kid who made that necklace is also lying next to Madam, sleeping soundly.”
Thinking of someone whose face I didn’t even know sleeping peacefully next to Misha with their heads together made me laugh without realizing it.
I closed the lid of the box containing the emerald necklace and stored it carefully. Through Rico, word had come that Jeremiah would likely attend the sacrifice ritual as Tenebrae’s escort.
I had warned that Bishop Marik and Tenebrae surely had ulterior motives, so he must not let his guard down and be careful.
I planned to give the necklace to Jeremiah as a gift after everything was finished well. Actually, I had thought of this a long time ago, but hadn’t had a chance to order it, so the preparation was late.
Would Jeremiah like it? I liked it, so I hoped Jeremiah would like it when he saw it too.
“Please tell Misha and that child that I received it well and thank them.”
It would be nice if I could tell them directly, but it didn’t seem like Misha, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep, would wake up by the time tomorrow’s sacrifice ritual was held. When I said that, the employee shook her head.
“Please give your thanks to Madam directly next time.”
She spoke boldly and confidently, then watched my reaction. It seemed she was worried I might be displeased by her presumptuous words.
Such worry… I roughly understood what she meant by those words. It was telling me not to die to Bishop Marik but to return alive.
“Yes. When I see Misha next time, I’ll tell her with my own mouth.”
A smile spread across my face without realizing it, and my words promising the future were full of laughter. It was troubling that at some point, the goodwill directed toward me had become welcome rather than unpleasant.
***
Misha’s employees finished with the dress and didn’t leave the duchy until midnight. Right until they left, they were busy telling Kanna about precautions when wearing the dress. Kanna was also earnest, listening attentively with a notepad and taking notes.
After the employees left, Pudding also went out saying he would replenish his strength in preparation for tomorrow. With so many people gone at once, it felt unusually quiet.
“Now that even the dress has arrived, I can really feel that the sacrifice ritual is right around the corner.”
Kanna, who had come back after organizing the dress, muttered in a noticeably gloomy tone while fumbling with the back of her neck. Looking closely, she was touching the wound on her neck.
Kanna suddenly came to her senses and hid her hands behind her back. Soon, Kanna clapped her hands and spoke as if trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.
“Oh, right. Come to think of it, there was one more box!”
As she said, while I had only requested a dress and necklace, there was one more thing Misha had prepared for me.
She hadn’t given the employees any hint about what was inside, and seemed to have told them not to open it, as they just handed it to me.
“Madam said it was something to give you, and she said she didn’t know what was in it either, but what could be in the box? Judging by the size… it’s probably clothes, right? Miss, shall we open it?”
When I nodded, Kanna hurriedly brought the box.
Kanna made a fuss and acted energetically as if trying to fill the empty space left by several people alone. Watching Kanna fill the silence by herself, I realized why I had felt the surroundings were particularly quiet.
It wasn’t simply because Misha’s employees had left.
During my debut dance at the last birthday celebration, Hena and Daisy had been with me. But now Daisy had evacuated with the estate people, and no news had come from Hena since she left with Bishop Marik. I couldn’t find any trace of Jelly either.
If it was like this for me, the empty spaces must be even bigger for Kanna. Above all, Hena was Kanna’s sister.
Yet Kanna didn’t talk to me about Hena separately. Since returning from Rohanson Estate, she hadn’t even shown signs of missing Hena. Even though Kanna didn’t need to bear the burden of Hena’s crimes.
“Then I’ll open it!”
I looked away from Kanna and gazed into the box.
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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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