My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 75

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Gritting her teeth and showing reluctance while pretending to be close seemed to show that the warning to act like a loving father and daughter while eating had worked well. This should quiet down the rumors about having a bad relationship with the Count to some extent. Of course, there would still be criticism about putting on airs for public appearances.

The Count had goosebumps on his arms, finding his own actions cringeworthy and nauseating.

“Why are you so late?”

“Didn’t Father leave too early?”

To interpret: the Count was scolding me with ‘Come quickly and make an impression on the Duke, what have you been doing!’ and I was retorting with ‘If you were going to blame me, you should have brought me along.’

“Don’t tell me Grandfather has already left?”

“No. He’s still holding his position. From where you’re looking, he’s at 10 o’clock. You should be able to recognize him since he resembles your face.”

Looking past the Count, I could indeed see a grandfather who resembled Evangeline so much that their blood relation was obvious at first glance. Evangeline’s maternal grandfather, Hosaquin Duke, was an elderly man with neatly slicked-back white hair and a sharp, intimidating atmosphere, but contrary to the Count saying he seemed near death, he looked quite vigorous. See, I told you the rumors about his poor health were just gossip. The Count lowered his voice and got to the point.

“Today is your chance, so make a proper impression.”

“I know that well without you having to remind me. That’s our deal, right? So Father should also prepare well to return to the estate.”

“I’ve already informed the estate.”

That was all we had to discuss, so after we each said what we needed to say, there were no more topics for conversation. Really bleak beyond compare. The Count now turned his attention to Gabriel.

“So you’re that Count Gabriel?”

“Yes. I’ve visited the Rohanson estate several times, but this is the first time actually meeting you. I’m Gabriel.”

“I’m Coleus Rohanson. To think you’ve caught this one’s interest, you must be quite unfortunate too.”

The Count patted Gabriel’s shoulder as if deliberately asserting his authority. Considering how even the Marquis’s son was groveling to Gabriel, the position of Knight Captain shouldn’t be so lowly that a Count could look down on it, but perhaps he was getting carried away thinking Gabriel might be his prospective son-in-law and giving him a taste of living under his wife’s family.

Gabriel gently took the Count’s hand and lowered it while retorting.

“Rather, if the young lady were to show interest in me, that would truly be an honor.”

“Ha, they say a pure knight becomes a fool when he falls in love, and that seems to be true.”

The Count sneered disapprovingly. No, why are you picking fights with someone who’s already troubled? That fool-making love of the century was rejected by me not too long ago…

I was worried the Count might continue picking fights, so I should send him away. This much should be enough to show that our father-daughter relationship isn’t entirely bad.

“If we suddenly stick together like flipping a palm, other people will find it even more suspicious, so shall we part ways now? If Father doesn’t plan to stay with me continuously, it would be better to go socialize with other people.”

I urged the Count to return to the group he was mingling with before I arrived. Though the Count seemed reluctant to be dismissed by me, he had no more justification to stay together, so he said a word about making a good impression on the Duke and quietly left. Watching the Count’s retreating figure, Gabriel spoke up.

“It seems you don’t have a bad relationship with the Count.”

“Our interests align.”

No matter how you look at it, we only have a bad relationship, right? The Count doesn’t even know I’ve possessed this body and just thinks she’s suffering from memory loss, yet he acts this way, so he probably wasn’t a loving father to the original Evangeline either.

Looking at the storage room filled with paintings of the Countess, Evangeline seemed to have loved her mother very much, so she couldn’t have liked the father who tormented her mother. Even I got angry at the Count and vented my frustration on him just from reading the diary.

“Then does your talk of returning to the estate also involve those aligned interests?”

“It’s purely for my own business.”

“Then will you continue… will you continue to stay at the estate from now on?”

Gabriel asked hesitantly and carefully. Why is he acting so full of stories and melancholy today… Could it be that he thinks I’ll leave the capital and stay at the estate forever, making it difficult to see me in the future? Really heartbreaking… This time even I felt a bit tingly.

“It’s just a brief visit. I’ll stay for a few days and then return here where you are.”

Since I pushed him away last time, today it’s my turn to pull him closer. If I’m going to pull, I should do it properly. Giving him sweet words seemed to make Gabriel secretly happy without showing it. To avoid dying, I have to keep playing with Gabriel and maintain this state… My conscience hurts. How am I different from the Count who deceived Evangeline’s mother into a fraudulent marriage for money?

Meanwhile, Toten Madam, who had briefly separated to make her entrance, came looking for me again.

“Evangeline.”

Toten Madam seemed to have lightly greeted some acquaintances she hadn’t seen in a while and immediately returned to me. Having found stability through conversations with people, her previously anxious appearance had disappeared and she had regained her usual composure.

“Shall we go greet His Highness the Crown Prince now?”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

Following Toten Madam, I headed straight to the head table with Gabriel. Upon ascending the platform of the banquet hall, I saw a handsome man with sparkling blonde hair. What? He’s handsome? Wasn’t the Crown Prince supposed to be a middle-aged man?

“Oratorio is an Imperial Prince.”

Gabriel explained in a whisper. Ah. That outstanding grandson the Emperor wants to skip a generation and pass the throne to… Since he was called a grandson, I naturally thought he’d be a child, but he was older and more impressive than I expected. So his excellence was in looks.

The Imperial Prince had platinum blonde hair and was a classic handsome man. Blonde hair? Right. It’s about time for another sub-male lead to appear. Blonde hair and future Emperor – perfect.

“The person beside him is Crown Prince Laudese.”

Looking to the side, I saw a man with an extremely weak presence sitting there. I, I didn’t even notice he was there. I nearly jumped out of my skin thinking a ghost had suddenly appeared.

The Crown Prince had such little presence that it was hard to believe father and son could be so different. Is this why they want to skip a generation in passing down the throne? Even I, an outsider, could understand. Oratorio had blonde hair while the Crown Prince had black hair, making the contrast even more stark. The Crown Prince was also handsome, but why did he have no presence? What made them so different? While examining them, I felt a sense of déjà vu from the Crown Prince’s face.

Black hair, blue eyes, and a slightly cold impression… Wait, Gabriel?

I rolled my eyes to compare Gabriel and the Crown Prince alternately. They look alike? Could this be a secret birth story? To call it speculation, the Crown Prince and Gabriel resembled each other too much. Moreover, in romance novels, overlapping hair colors usually meant high probability of being family.

Right. The male lead being a Knight Captain was a bit weak! Gabriel was royalty! Is the Crown Prince Gabriel’s biological father? They don’t seem to have a big age gap, so maybe they’re brothers… Given the titles, he’s most likely a prince.

“And beside them are Jeremiah and Tenebray.”

Does Gabriel know he’s royalty? From how calmly he’s introducing them, it seems he doesn’t know.

To the right of the Crown Prince sat two women who looked exactly alike, sitting like a painting.

Gabriel explained that the two were twins and Oratorio’s younger siblings, Jeremiah and Tenebray. They could be your siblings too… or maybe nieces. I remember hearing about these two. True to romance novel fashion, twins were considered ominous, and there was even some prophecy saying one of them should be killed when they were born. The Emperor caused a ruckus saying that was nonsense and he’d raise both of them.

In cases like this, usually only one receives discriminatory treatment… Oops, did I stare too obviously? I almost made eye contact. Which of the two, Jeremiah or Tenebray, did I almost make eye contact with?

I hurriedly memorized their names and offered my greetings.

“Your Highness Prince Laudese, congratulations on this glorious day.”

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“You may rise now. Thank you, Baroness Toten. Knight Captain Gabriel.”

The Crown Prince responded to our greetings with a good-natured chuckle. Though I thought he lacked presence, perhaps backed by power, there was subtle authority in his brief manner of speaking.

“And the young lady beside you seems to be someone I haven’t met before – could you introduce her?”

Fortunately, there were no incidents like continuously making me greet people to torment me as in novels.

I held my dress and bent my knees. Every fingertip was at the perfect angle. Teacher Dolline, I did it! I maintained my posture firmly and stood back up.

When I smiled with sparkling eyes, I heard someone gasp ‘Oh!’ from somewhere. It wouldn’t be a romance novel without such reactions. Honestly, I had performed such a shockingly perfect greeting that the audience’s admiration was warranted. I dedicate this glory once again to Teacher Dolline.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I am Evangeline Rohanson.”

“Rohanson?”

Oratorio, who was beside him, repeated my name thoughtfully.

“If it’s Rohanson, then the rumored…”

How widely spread must the talk about Evangeline be for even royalty to know? Really, rumors spread too fast in romance novel high society.

Oratorio was about to add something when the Crown Prince cut him off.

“Yes. I heard you haven’t been well. Yet you attended my banquet – what an honor.”

The greeting ended with me giving the Crown Prince a birthday present.

“A sword?”

The Crown Prince unwrapped my gift and muttered briefly, then without much interest, placed it with the pile of other gifts behind him. What, that’s it for his reaction? He didn’t even try to draw it once?

“Thank you, Evangeline. It’ll be perfect for the upcoming hunting season.”

The Crown Prince offered polite thanks. No, what will you use a bladeless sword for? That’s just an artifact, you know? The condition was so good that he probably thought it was a genuinely practical sword.

Using it for hunting season – you’d be the one getting hunted if you brought that. I wanted to tell him to draw it and check, but I endured, remembering I had decided to behave properly. Whatever. He’ll figure it out later on his own.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————