My Possession Became a Ghost Story - Chapter 95
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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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The sound of pleading for life pierced through his heart. Being unable to do anything for a dying person felt like returning to his powerless childhood.
When Gabriel was very young, before he had properly realized that holy water didn’t work on him, he had almost been hit by an oncoming carriage.
“You don’t heal well from injuries, so you mustn’t get hurt.”
However, a child two years older who usually took good care of him pushed Gabriel away and was hit by the carriage instead. Gabriel carried the child on his back and pleaded with adults for help to save him, but no one willingly extended a helping hand. Only Priest Jabaniya, who had been doing volunteer work in the back alleys at the time, belatedly held a funeral for the child.
Jeremiah’s appearance, quietly crying out for help in a hoarse voice, resembled Gabriel from the past. Even though there was nothing Gabriel could do, his desire to hold Jeremiah’s hand might have been because of that.
And perhaps… Jeremiah might be able to live.
“Do you want to survive?”
“Yes…!”
Jeremiah forcibly nodded his immobile head at Gabriel’s question and desperately shouted in a hoarse voice. He desperately wanted to survive. He was so resentful and bitter about being betrayed by the family he trusted, by God, that he couldn’t close his eyes like this.
“…Even if it means taking a demon’s hand?”
“A demon…? Rather, that would be welcome…”
If a demon extended a hand, he should rather welcome it. He had been wounded by Bishop Marik, who was said to be the manifestation of the sun god, and her knight, so there was no need to continue believing in the god Rahel that they believed in and followed. Whether it was punishment for betraying God, Jeremiah’s eyes gradually closed.
Gabriel heard Jeremiah’s will and called out to Jelly, who was yawning without emotion even in front of a dying person.
“Mr. Jelly. Your being here means… Evangeline is also with you, right?”
“Of course. Why would I have come if not for my master?”
Gabriel had seen Rider at the Toten Estate. Though Toten Madam was reluctant to speak and tried to hide it, seeing that Rider had recovered enough to ride horses despite having a constitution that holy water didn’t work on, he had clearly recovered thanks to Evangeline’s grace. After all, wasn’t Evangeline Rohanson herself living by reviving a body that holy water didn’t work on?
Then Evangeline might know a way to save Jeremiah.
“…Evangeline.”
Gabriel called the name of the pure white demon who had extended a hand to his young self in dreams.
“Yes, Count. Did you call for me?”
Then, as if by magic, Evangeline answered. Her voice was dreamlike, as if she hadn’t yet awakened from sleep.
How long had she been by his side? Gabriel couldn’t believe the quick response, as if she had been waiting for him to call, and had no choice but to call that name again.
“Evangeline.”
“Yes. Count Gabriel.”
Evangeline responded to his call again without seeming bothered. Somehow his heart swelled. He pushed aside for a moment the question of how someone who should be in prison had appeared before Gabriel’s eyes, evading surveillance and watchful eyes. Evangeline had surely come to extend a hand to him.
“Are you surprised even though you called for me first?”
Evangeline laughed as if looking at something cute. Her benevolent smile seemed like it would fulfill everything Gabriel desired. Evangeline, who once made him feel alienated just by looking at her and clearly showed her contempt for humans, now imitated kindness quite well.
“Please… save the Princess.”
In the settled darkness, Evangeline Rohanson sparkled alone. Her pure white dress, white hair fluttering in the wind. He recalled what Evangeline’s maid Kanna had once said to him. She had asked if he thought of Evangeline as an angel. As if that were possible.
“If that’s what you wish, Count.”
Gabriel’s demon smiled benevolently.
***
Pudding had found Tenebray with his clairvoyance and impatiently went ahead alone.
“Master. He went by himself.”
I know… Jelly and I stared helplessly at the spot where Pudding had disappeared.
No, if you found her, shouldn’t we at least go together? How can you go alone when it might be dangerous! Maybe because Pudding was young, he didn’t seem to know how dangerous the world was.
Right, kids usually volunteer to do errands by themselves. I should have noticed when he was struggling earlier, insisting he’d find Tenebray with his own power…
“Let’s follow him.”
Still, it was fortunate that at least Jelly was with me. When Jelly snapped his fingers, we teleported to where Pudding was. Just me and Jelly.
“What about Count Ante?”
“Someone needs to guard the prison too.”
That’s true. Since my dress is left in the prison, I trust that Count Ante is cleverly wearing the dress and pretending to be a lady-in-waiting. Romance novels always have episodes like this. I nodded and looked around.
“…A forest?”
The place we had moved to was a dense forest. Pudding should have moved here to find Tenebray, but Tenebray was nowhere to be seen, as if she had run away again.
But a forest… Tenebray must have escaped the Imperial Palace in that short time.
Such excellent escape ability should have been used as a runaway heroine rather than for killing her own father, I thought regretfully, when I saw the familiar top of a castle in the corner of my vision.
She hadn’t escaped the Imperial Palace, it was just the forest in the backyard. I take back what I said about her being a runaway heroine. To think she only ran away to the backyard. She’ll be caught by the Male Lead within a day.
So Tenebray was nowhere to be seen, and Pudding… had Pudding also chased after Tenebray? I had Jelly lead the way as we followed Pudding’s trail. The forest was quite large so I thought it would be hard to find him, but fortunately we were able to find Pudding before long.
“Pudding.”
“Don’t come any closer.”
I was approaching to ask if he had found Tenebray when Pudding firmly cut me off. Just now he disappeared by himself, and now he’s telling us not to come closer? Our cat must be going through puberty! I didn’t even give birth to Pudding, yet tears welled up from feeling hurt.
There’s no use in lovingly raising a companion beast. Hurt, I kept my mouth tightly shut and stayed quiet, when I heard footsteps approaching through the thicket, suggesting Pudding wasn’t alone.
I thought it might be Tenebray, but what appeared through the thicket was some tall man. From his clothes similar to Gabriel’s, he seemed to be a Holy Knight.
“I wondered where that cute bell sound was coming from, and it was you after all. You found where I was quite skillfully, didn’t you?”
The man smiled brightly at Pudding. When he was still, he looked like a church oppa, but as soon as he smiled, sharp teeth and a forked tongue were revealed in his mouth, completely changing his impression. His neat, handsome appearance changed dramatically.
“It would be stupid not to notice with that fishy smell vibrating everywhere.”
Pudding also bared his teeth in wariness. I wondered if he had said something unnecessary, as the fishy smell reached me too with the man’s appearance. Blood was dripping from the sword the man held, so it was definitely coming from there. Hic, where did he go to cut someone?
“You smell like a beast too. And you smell rotten from whatever you’ve been eating.”
I was instantly offended by the man’s words. Rotten smell, what nonsense is this bastard talking about! Our kids are washed and combed with soul by the Rohanson Estate servants, so they’re only fragrant! Pudding and Jelly are living solid perfume! I was busy refuting in my mind because I was scared of the sword the man held, but Pudding, still young and fearless, continued to sneer.
“Shut your mouth. Rotten smell is better than fishy smell anyway.”
“Is this uncharacteristic bickering and tongue-wagging because of your master?”
From his mentions of beast smells and bell sounds, he clearly knew that Pudding and Jelly were beastmen, suggesting he was one of their kind, but their relationship seemed quite hostile.
Why is he here in the first place? Being in the forest now, he seems to be either chasing Tenebray or helping her… I was trying to gauge which side when the man’s gaze suddenly turned to me. Gasp, what a shock. I thought my liver would drop. The man smiled slyly and pretended to greet me politely.
“This is the first time meeting you directly. I’m Azazel Astaroth.”
Maybe because I heard him speaking arrogantly to Pudding, his politeness felt rather slimy. He had a similar way of speaking to Gabriel, but I don’t know why it felt so different. Thinking about it, Gabriel has a plain taste thanks to his Male Lead buff. Azazel didn’t stop there and approached me with big steps. With each step, blood drops fell to the ground, leaving a trail.
“I was quite shocked even when passing by, but seeing you up close, you’re even more stimulating to things like us. I can see why Plauros tucks his tail and submits.”
Pla, Plau… what? I don’t know what nonsense he’s talking about. And what’s with this sudden failed flirting? And that’s not how you use informal speech!
Azazel reached out his hand as if to caress my hair.
“How dare you reach your hand toward…!”
Pudding rushed forward angrily and Jelly also reached out as if to stop him.
“Stop.”
At my voice, not only Azazel but also Pudding and Jelly’s movements toward me stopped. Their concern for me is touching, but I can handle this much myself – both are overreacting. I can do some self-defense too.
When I firmly grabbed Azazel’s wrist as he tried to touch my hair, he whined that it hurt.
“Ugh, what strength…”
As if it hurts. Do all beastmen exaggerate pain, or do they have a low pain threshold? I applied even more force to my grip. I was annoyed that he tried to touch someone else’s body carelessly, so I should say something.
“You’re the same kind as Pudding, right?”
“…You could say that.”
His vague response means he’s not the same cat. Since his tongue is forked, is he a snake?
“Then why are you acting so arrogantly toward me?”
I’m Pudding and Jelly’s guardian. Acting arrogantly and flirting with your friend’s guardian, you bastard. Should I just pickle you in alcohol?
We were staring at each other like in a staring contest when Azazel’s pupils shook wildly, perhaps flustered by the direct hit. You think it’s a bit wrong too, don’t you? When I let go of his hand thinking he might understand now, Azazel staggered backward, covered his face with his hands, and started giggling. Did he go crazy from too much shock?
“Haha, hahaha… You’re really amazing.”
Azazel laughed for a while before stopping and becoming serious again. I felt a sense of déjà vu – it was similar to the method I used when performing my villainess act against Donau. Was this how Donau felt then? Experiencing it myself, it’s quite scary…
“I can see why these guys roll over and submit to you. But I’d feel wronged being treated the same as those toothless guys. When someone’s above my head, I want to drag them down.”
Now I understand. If Pudding is going through puberty, then Azazel has eighth-grader syndrome. Actually, I could believe he was an imugi about to evolve into a black flame dragon rather than a snake beastman.
“I’m the type who plays with people, not the type to be dominated. So right now I want to devour you immediately… If I use my full power, wouldn’t that pretty vessel at least crack?”
Azazel said this while pointing his sword at me. Just moments ago Azazel was creepy, but now instead of being scary, I felt a little embarrassed. Friend, have you heard of secondhand embarrassment? I think mine just hit rock bottom. I wish someone would unfold these curled up hands and feet.
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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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