My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 210
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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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However, Harut nodded very slightly, affirming my words. He was right. He looked very serious, showing no signs of joking around.
“If there’s someone in a veil next to me, everyone will think it’s the Bishop.”
“But the different clothing would make them suspicious.”
What I was wearing was a white dress. Didn’t they say everyone dresses in black mourning clothes like funeral attire during the sacrifice ritual?
“They’ll probably be too distracted by the veil to notice. Among the temple members, only Bishop Marik covers his face.”
Come to think of it, the temple people, even the knights, walked around with their faces completely exposed. I really had only seen Bishop Marik wearing a veil.
“It’s actually like a privilege. Bishop Marik’s veil is to hide burn scars, but normally if someone gets facial injuries, they’re healed immediately. Leaving scars as they are would only fuel all sorts of speculation about rejecting blessings or being cursed.”
Harut slightly furrowed his brow as he continued explaining.
“But the Bishop is different. The Bishop’s scars are proof that he survived the flames, and now they’ve become a symbol. So no one in the temple would dare think of copying Bishop Marik by wearing a veil.”
Having finished his explanation, Harut glanced at the knights densely positioned in front of the bell tower and muttered.
“Do you see that man with the hooked nose and long hair? That knight deeply respects Bishop Marik. Since he thinks now is an opportunity with Count Astaroth having fallen out of the Bishop’s favor, he’d roll over and welcome anyone if they were Bishop Marik.”
So he was telling me to put on the veil and impersonate Bishop Marik. Wasn’t this guy one of Bishop Marik’s people? I guess his offer to help wasn’t just empty words. He seems to have firmly resolved to help me thoroughly.
But why does he have Bishop Marik’s veil in the first place? And meeting me in front of the bell tower too – did he come to see me from the start? As I looked at him suspiciously, Harut actually urged me on.
“Please take it quickly.”
I took the veil while deliberately ignoring Rico, who was shaking his head vigorously telling me not to take it. After handing me the veil, Harut’s gaze turned to Pudding in my arms.
“And that cat. Can’t you leave it behind for a while?”
Rico was horrified.
“Or could you give it to me temporarily? Bishop Marik isn’t someone who holds cats in his arms.”
If we’re being that particular, the white dress could give me away from the start. I stroked Pudding, who was quietly breathing, then looked at Harut.
“Priest, could you entrust your heart to someone else’s hands?”
Harut looked puzzled as if he didn’t understand, but shook his head. See? He can’t do it himself either. I hugged Pudding tightly.
“The excuse that we caught another of Evangeline Rohanson’s pets should be sufficient.”
Seeing that I had no intention of leaving Pudding behind, Harut shrugged as if he didn’t know what to do.
Rico seemed quite displeased with Harut. I never knew rats could have such varied expressions.
Like I had suspected, Rico probably found Harut suspicious too. He was being cautious since Harut might be leading us into a trap.
But Rico, even if it is a trap, there’s a high probability Jelly is in the bell tower, so how could I refuse this proposal? As Harut had confidently stated, accepting his help was currently the most convenient and effective approach.
Since Pudding shouldn’t overexert himself, I’d need to use some force to shake off surveillance and climb the bell tower. That would quickly cause a commotion, and I’d end up having to subdue the people who came running.
If it continued like that, as Harut said, there wouldn’t be anyone left to ring the bell. If the bell doesn’t ring, Bishop Marik would surely notice something was wrong, so ultimately, to avoid being caught, I’d have to ring the bell myself.
Then I’d be tied to the bell tower and unable to go rescue Jelly. So whatever Harut’s ulterior motives might be, I had no choice but to take this chance.
I put on the veil Harut gave me. I had guessed from not being able to see Bishop Marik’s face when he wore the veil, but my vision became dim and I couldn’t properly make out what was ahead.
I should be grateful I could see even this much. How did Bishop Marik manage to wear such an uncomfortable veil every day?
“Do you need support?”
“Of course not.”
I curtly refused Harut’s polite inquiry.
“Then let’s go. I’ll do the talking, so you just need to stay quiet, Evangeline.”
Harut took the lead, and I followed behind him. Rico was chasing after us beside Harut’s feet, watching for cues.
As we approached, the knight with the most ornate uniform among them first recognized Harut.
“Priest Harut?”
“You’re working hard, Viscount Nakir.”
Harut bowed his head slightly with a smiling face. It was so obviously a perfunctory greeting that the knight called Nakir frowned slightly, unable to hide his displeasure.
“What brings you here so suddenly, Priest?”
“Ah, I’m not the one with business here.”
When Harut glanced back, Nakir’s eyes followed toward me. Seeing the veil, Nakir’s eyes widened and he hurriedly bowed his head.
“Bishop Marik? Oh my, you came together as well, Bishop.”
When Nakir made a fuss greeting me as the representative, the other knights bowed their heads together. When they raised their heads again, their faces were full of questions.
“But the sacrifice ritual is about to begin, so why would the Bishop…?”
Before I could react, Harut quickly answered.
“He needs the things locked up in the bell tower.”
“Ah, I see. But there was no need to come personally – you could have just given me a hint.”
Nakir nodded as if he roughly understood, then smiled foolishly while flattering me. Again, Harut intercepted the response.
“Since they’re valuable prisoners, it’s right for him to handle them personally.”
“As expected, the Bishop’s sense of calling is extraordinary.”
A strange conversation continued where Nakir would speak to me, but Harut would be the one to answer. Nakir looked at Harut with slightly furrowed brows as if something bothered him.
Still, he didn’t seem inclined to openly quarrel in front of Bishop Marik, so he didn’t scold Harut.
It would be troublesome if I were discovered not to be Bishop Marik, so it would be good if he’d gradually lose interest, but Nakir seemed determined to exchange words with Bishop Marik. While looking for something to talk about, his gaze fixed on Pudding in my arms.
“What’s that cat in the Bishop’s arms?”
Harut looked back at me with an ‘oh no’ expression. Nakir seemed pleased at first, as if he’d found a suitable topic for conversation, but when there was no immediate answer, he tilted his head and called me again, “Bishop?”
“It’s a being similar to those in the bell tower. I brought it to lock up together with them.”
Though Harut belatedly made an excuse, Nakir seemed to have already detected something suspicious. The temperature of his gaze toward me changed. It was definitely a wary look.
“Then we’ll be going inside now.”
Harut bowed slightly and spoke urgently. He tried to enter before trouble started, but Nakir blocked his path.
“Viscount Nakir? What are you doing?”
Harut asked, but Nakir’s gaze remained fixed on me. Without even blinking, Nakir stared at me and spoke.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange that Bishop Marik isn’t saying anything at all.”
The suspicion that had sprouted seemed to turn into certainty after seeing Harut’s urgent behavior.
“Bishop Marik isn’t a puppet, yet Priest Harut arrogantly intercepts every word like he’s some spokesperson, and on top of that, you’re wearing a white dress during a sacrifice ritual. The more I look, the more suspicious it becomes.”
Nakir strode toward me and stopped right in front. Looking down at me, Nakir asked.
“Excuse me, but may I check under the veil?”
His earlier flattery was nowhere to be found – his voice was quite menacing. Harut stepped between Nakir and me, glaring fiercely at Nakir.
“Viscount Nakir. What rudeness is this toward the Bishop?”
If the opponent were really Bishop Marik, lifting the veil would be an unparalleled act of rudeness. The fact that he brought up such a thing was proof that he was somewhat certain I wasn’t Bishop Marik.
“Rudeness? That word would be more fitting for Priest Harut, who’s selling out Bishop Marik.”
Nakir sneered. The situation had become complicated. A worshipper of Bishop Marik would be easily fooled by seeing the veil, but conversely, I hadn’t considered that they’d be much more sensitive about matters concerning Bishop Marik.
Should I just subdue Nakir like this? After pondering briefly, I called Rico in a very small voice. It was too quiet for Nakir and Harut to hear, but Rico would definitely hear it.
While I was conveying words to Rico, Nakir pushed aside Harut who was blocking my path and shouted angrily.
“Ha, come to think of it, the Bishop should be busy preparing for the sacrifice ritual right now, so there’s no way he’d be here! How dare you try to impersonate Bishop Marik? I need to see that insolent face of yours. Take off that veil right now! If you’re going to just stand there, I’ll do it myself.”
Nakir reached for the veil, but I didn’t brush away his hand. Nakir slightly lifted the veil and peered inside, then froze completely.
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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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