My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 79

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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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“Ouch!”

At that moment, the maid cleaning the floor let out a small scream. Startled by her own noise, she covered her mouth and looked around nervously. She seemed anxious that she might get scolded for being disruptive and not properly fulfilling her duties while cleaning.

“Did you cut your hand?”

“Huh? No! I thought I was cut, but seeing there’s no wound, I think I just got pricked.”

The droplet forming on her fingertip must have been wine, not blood. When the maid wiped her hand on her clothes, her finger was clean, proving her words weren’t an excuse. I’m glad she wasn’t hurt.

“Sorry for making more mess to clean up.”

“No, no, Evangeline!”

When I apologized, the maid frantically waved her hands, not knowing what to do. I spoke to her hoping that seeing me treat even maids kindly would change people’s perception that Evangeline was better than the rumors suggested. Sorry for using you… My conscience hurts…

“You must be very shocked too, so it would be good to rest until Count Gabriel returns.”

I wasn’t shocked but felt guilty, yet Mrs. Toten seemed to think I was traumatized and supported me, leading me to a less crowded area. As I approached, even the few people there scattered. Just moments ago they were trying to strike up conversations with me, but now that it seems the Duke dislikes me, they immediately turn tail and pretend not to know me.

“I didn’t expect Duke Hosaquin to come at you so harshly. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

As I told Gabriel, I was just quietly keeping my place when the maid I had asked if she was okay earlier shyly approached and served us wine. She knows what she’s doing. Shocked hearts should be calmed with alcohol. Mrs. Toten and I received our wine and clinked glasses.

“This tastes different from what we had earlier…?”

Mrs. Toten took a sip of wine and muttered as if puzzled. Is it that strange? I tried a sip too, but maybe because my palate isn’t refined, I couldn’t feel much difference. It is richer than what we had before, but isn’t that just because it’s more aged?

By the time we finished our glasses, the Crown Prince’s banquet began in earnest. I’m already exhausted and want to go home… I newly respected the characters in romance novels. Being part of high society isn’t easy work either.

“The banquet is beginning in earnest.”

The Crown Prince and one of the twin imperial grandchildren came down from the platform hand in hand. The Crown Prince was overshadowed not only by his son, who was mentioned as the next emperor candidate, but also by his daughter, who had no such titles. The two soon stopped in the center of the banquet hall.

“The one who came out now is Jeremiah.”

“Mrs. Toten, can you tell the two apart?”

They had perfectly copy-pasted not only their blonde hair and blue eyes, but even their clothes and hairstyles – how can she distinguish them?

“The two look so perfectly alike that even His Highness the Crown Prince, their father, is said to be unable to tell them apart.”

Shouldn’t parents be able to recognize them? Then Mrs. Toten can recognize what even the parents can’t? How good is your eye for detail? Mrs. Toten smiled slightly and continued her explanation.

“Actually, once you know the answer, it becomes very easy. The two have different colored accessories.”

Different colored accessories?

“When the twin Highnesses were born, His Majesty gifted them necklaces that were identical except for the gem colors, so we distinguish them by that. The green emerald is Jeremiah, and the black onyx is Tenebray.”

Ah, that’s right. The one standing with the Crown Prince now was wearing a green emerald necklace, so it was Jeremiah. Since “E” and “Je” are similar, it wasn’t hard to remember.

Mrs. Toten added that both never remove their accessories from their bodies, even when bathing, so you can tell them apart just by looking at their necks. It really is easy to distinguish them once you know the answer.

“My beloved daughter, may I request a song to commemorate your father’s birthday?”

“Gladly.”

As the Crown Prince and Jeremiah took their positions, the orchestra began playing to match them. Dozens of instruments moving for just two people was truly magnificent.

Each time the Crown Prince and Jeremiah spun and made circles, the lights began turning off one by one as if choreographed, until all lights went out with their final rotation. In the meantime, even the windows must have been closed completely, as you couldn’t see an inch ahead. I don’t know what grand event they’re planning that requires turning off all the lights.

The people around also seemed panicked by the sudden darkness and began murmuring in confusion. Someone near me seemed to stumble with an “Ah!” sound, so I caught and helped them up. In doing so, wine spilled on me, soaking my clothes. Gabriel… your effort to sacrifice yourself to save me has gone to waste.

“Thank you, Evangeline.”

Before I could ask if they were okay, the person thanked me and disappeared. So, how long are we going to stay in this darkness? Since the music hasn’t stopped, it doesn’t seem to be an emergency but an intended event… It’s indoors so they can’t be doing fireworks, maybe something unique will appear? Whatever it is, seeing people this confused, it definitely seems like a failed event.

Contrary to expectations, the lights came back on quickly.

And what unfolded before my eyes was a scene beyond imagination. The Crown Prince, who had been dancing holding Jeremiah’s hand until just before the blackout, was hanging limply from the chandelier. A sword was stuck in his heart, and strangely, the sword handle looked familiar. The moment I realized the source of this déjà vu, I covered my mouth in horror.

That, that’s the dagger I brought, isn’t it? I wasn’t the only one who noticed this, as someone screamed out loud.

“Evangeline has assassinated His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Crazy, what? No, I didn’t!

***

The first waltz began with the orchestra’s performance. Since the Crown Princess’s seat was empty, the Crown Prince’s partner was one of his twin daughters. In fact, it would be more accurate to say it was fixed to one person. The Crown Prince always chose Jeremiah at official events, and this time was no exception as he led the hand of the daughter wearing the green gem.

While the girl with the black onyx necklace watched her father and sister’s dance with boredom, the father and daughter with their strikingly similar beautiful features and blue eyes continued their elegant dance. The dress puffed up in several layers spread out in a circle. Young unmarried noble sons gazed enchanted at the hem of the dress spinning and settling.

“Jeremiah is truly beautiful.”

“She looks exactly the same as Tenebray.”

“Oh come now, their insides are different, aren’t they? Even with the same face, there’s something gloomy about Tenebray.”

Though they looked identical as if cast from the same mold, the sisters had opposite personalities. Jeremiah was bright, cheerful, and lovely, but Tenebray was gloomy and always unable to hide her melancholy.

That’s probably why the Crown Prince discriminated between them. The story that twins are ominous should apply to both, yet it seemed like a story told specifically with Tenebray in mind. There were even rumors that when the Crown Prince foresaw the future and the ominous twins were born, he tried to kill Tenebray directly.

The performance entered a familiar flow. People who guessed that the first dance would soon end began preparing to dance the second song with their partners. Just as the performance was heading toward its climax, the brilliant chandelier lights began going out one by one.

“There’s no wind, so why are the lights going out?”

The lighting lingered last only in the very center where the Crown Prince was dancing, then even that faded away. The splendid banquet hall was shrouded in darkness. It was complete blackout. You couldn’t even distinguish objects right in front of you.

“What’s happening…?”

“Who is it! Damn it, don’t push!”

“Kyaa! Someone stepped on my foot!”

“I can’t see ahead…! I, I have to get out of here!”

With this level of chaos, the music should have stopped, but the orchestra, afraid of being blamed for arbitrarily stopping the performance at the Crown Prince’s banquet, continued the accompaniment that had reached its peak. This was because there was a precedent of a cello player being executed for accidentally breaking a string at the Emperor’s banquet.

The murmuring mixed with people’s budding fear and confusion blended with the sweet orchestra performance, creating an eerie harmony. It was rather ridiculous, like a scene from a well-orchestrated theatrical stage being recreated.

Fortunately, before greater commotion could arise, the stage lighting came back on quickly. The chandelier lights began shining again all at once as if they had never gone out, and people who had finally calmed down were busy frowning and adjusting their eyes to the light.

“What is this…”

Only after readjusting to the light and being able to take in the banquet hall’s splendid decorations did they begin covering their mouths in horror one by one.

What the crowd had last seen before darkness consumed their vision was the father and daughter standing in the center of the banquet hall. So naturally, when the surroundings brightened again, they looked for them first.

However, the father and daughter who had been sharing a waltz were nowhere to be found, and only the girl with the green necklace remained alone, blankly staring at the ceiling while being hit by falling red liquid. Following that gaze with puzzlement, they saw something unbelievable.

Someone screamed, someone lost their mind, someone collapsed to the floor, and someone retched. Perhaps it would have been better when their vision was dark and they couldn’t see anything.

The music dragged on.

The accompaniment that continued because the performers were too focused on playing to notice the murmuring began losing harmony one by one as the players started noticing something was wrong. Only the last remaining piano continued the majestic latter half alone until the piano strings, unable to withstand the intense performance, snapped with a death cry, ending all music.

All that remained was the regular beating sound. Blood droplets formed at fingertips fell regularly like a metronome following the heartbeat. The sound of droplets falling into small puddles on the floor was clear.

The Crown Prince, murdered with an antique dagger stuck in his heart, was hanging from the chandelier. As the chandelier tilted under the weight of the corpse and swayed with a creaking sound, the crystal glass pieces clinked against each other. It was a very small but eerie and chilling sound.

“Father!”

One of the Crown Prince’s twin daughters cried out. Since she was wearing a black necklace, it must be Tenebray. Someone else looked at the sword stuck in the heart and shouted.

“Th-that’s the sword Evangeline gifted!”

People’s gazes fell on the sword handle. Having received attention upon entrance, quite a few people had witnessed Evangeline Rohanson presenting the dagger to the Crown Prince. Realizing the sword handle was identical, all eyes turned in unison.

“Evangeline has assassinated His Highness the Crown Prince!”

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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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