The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride – Episode 11

“I like the version you read to me better.”
[Why? You hated it at first.]
“That’s because I didn’t understand it then. Now I can see how much the witch loved the Emperor.”
What part made you feel that way?
“The witch is incredibly powerful, isn’t she? Yet she helped the Emperor because they were friends.”
[That’s right.]
“If I were the witch, I would’ve tried to become queen instead of Leon. The Emperor did work hard, but without the Red Dragon and the witch’s power, he never would’ve succeeded.”
[Hmm…….]
That perspective was rather refreshing. I’d only seen it as a story about a mountain boy overcoming adversity to become Emperor, but when Lucian shifted the protagonist from him to the witch, his point made sense.
The Red Dragon couldn’t be king since it wasn’t human, but the witch—being human with tremendous power—could’ve been more of an Emperor than the Emperor himself.
“Are there more fairy tales about the witch? I want to read more!”
It seemed Lucian had fallen utterly captivated by the witch, chirping about her like a chick over and over.
In the end, I had to bring out different versions of “The King, the Dragon, and the Witch” and read them to him all night long.
Tonight, Lucian’s eyes showed no sign of closing.

* * *

“Yaaawn…….”
[You went to bed so late. Are you sleepy?]
“……No, I’m not sleepy.”
Despite his words, his eyes kept drooping shut. Lucian desperately fought to keep them open, but he couldn’t overcome the waves of drowsiness washing over him.
Eventually I caught him as he started to keel forward, and fed him like one scatters seed to a baby bird, placing food directly in his mouth.
Only after he’d emptied an entire bowl did vitality return to Lucian’s eyes.
“Miss Lia.”
[What?]
“The witch is so cool.”
I blinked at his sudden comment.
“Isn’t she? She defeated all those wicked people at once and became the Emperor’s reliable lover!”
[Here we go again.]
“The Emperor should be grateful to the witch! He became Emperor because of her!”
The versions I’d read to him yesterday were adaptations—slightly different from the original text.
They were all created around Kingdom Era years 2–5, back when the Kingdom had only just been founded and people were still talking excitedly about the King, the Dragon, and the Witch.
That’s probably why people of that era inserted a love story between the two, claiming the witch was the Emperor’s one and only best friend.
Lucian had become completely absorbed in that aspect.
“I’m curious what the witch really looked like. They say she was so beautiful—I wonder what kind of person she was?”
[Who knows. I wouldn’t know.]
“You’ve never seen the witch or the First Emperor?”
[Do you think I would have?]
“Well, you’ve been alive for about the same time the Kingdom was founded.”
That’s true. I’ve lived here for over three hundred years.
“What was it like three hundred years ago? Were there really a lot of wicked people, and then the Emperor and the witch appeared and defeated them all……?”
Lucian grew excited, bouncing on his feet and snorting. He seemed curious about the era when the First Emperor lived, but I had no answer to give him. And for good reason—
[……Lucian, I have no memories of when I was alive.]
“What?”
[I must have had a time when I drew breath, but I have no memory of it.]
“How can that be?”
[I don’t know. I just woke up and found myself here in this Mansion.]
It’s nothing particularly remarkable.
One day I came to my senses and found my entire body transparent—the form of a spirit.
Back then, I didn’t know how to speak or think; I simply drifted and lived as I drifted.
Then humans began coming to the Mansion, and by observing them, I gradually learned what thinking truly was.

‘……If only I’d chosen differently, this wouldn’t be happening.’

Twinge—
A strange memory surfaced without warning. A man, it seemed, came to the Mansion every day.
The time was probably three hundred years ago.
Before I had a sense of self.
[So this sort of thing happened too.]
“What? What sort of thing?”
Lucian tilted his head at my murmuring. I stared at him for a moment. Because of that memory from just now, a strange afterimage seemed to overlay his face.
But the afterimage scattered before it could fully form.
[Nothing, never mind.]
For some reason, a chill ran down my spine.
“Then you don’t know how old you are?”
[No.]
“And you don’t know what kind of person you were?”
[That’s right.]
“S-still, you’ve been alive for three hundred years, so you must know what it’s like outside!”
I stared at Lucian without speaking. Now that I thought about it, he wouldn’t know.
[Want to go outside for a moment?]
Lucian was bewildered, but he followed me willingly.
I matched his pace as we headed toward the Fence that surrounded the Mansion.
I stopped just before crossing the entrance, but Lucian, walking similarly, stepped through and passed beyond the Fence.
“Miss?”
[I can’t go out there.]
I reached my hand toward the entrance—beyond the Fence. Then—
Crackle-snap—!
A fierce current erupted in the empty air, and my spirit shrieked with electric pain.
Though my body could feel no pain, my entire form trembled and my insides roiled.
“M-Miss!”
Lucian rushed toward me in alarm.
“What—what’s happening? Are you alright? Does it hurt terribly?”
[Ha…… ha…… see? I can never, ever leave beyond this Fence. I’ve tried all sorts of things because I was curious about the outside…….]
Each time, all that came back was pain so intense it felt like I was dissolving.
I’ve tried everything—hiding in the earth, in the sky, in people’s belongings, using magic—there’s nothing I haven’t attempted.
I think I spent about ten years trying to escape. Of course, after I realized that no method would let me leave this place, I stopped with such futile efforts.
[Ah, there it is again.]
A Chain appeared around my neck, where there had been nothing before. This appeared and disappeared whenever I tried to leave the Mansion.
Lucian trembled with shock, reaching his hands toward my neck.
“W-why did it just appear like that? Can’t you remove it?”
[I don’t know either. It just appears whenever I try to leave this place. Since it’s come to this, let me show you the limit of where I can go.]
The Fence that broadly encircles the Mansion is the baseline, and the very edge of the forest that connects to the Back Garden is the furthest range permitted to me. I cannot go beyond that.
If I try to advance even slightly further, a mysterious current erupts like before, and the Chain around my neck prevents me from going any further.
[Remember this well. If you go further than where I can reach, I won’t be able to find you. So try not to leave this Mansion, understood? You’re still too young and fragile to survive alone out there.]
“How can this be?”
Tears burst from Lucian’s eyes. I was momentarily stunned.
“This is just being trapped! Why did something like this happen to you? It’s awful! Whoever did this to you is a wicked person!”
Sob—
Soon after, Lucian began crying in earnest.
I, who was perfectly fine, found it strange that he was so angry and tearful on my behalf.
And at the same time, for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to say the usual platitude that everything was alright.
Honestly, I’m angry too at whoever did this to me.
Well, I don’t even know if it was a human or a demon, but I resented whoever had bound my spirit alone to this Mansion.
But three hundred years is a long time. Resentment with nowhere to go has diluted, I’ve given up on escape and hope, and I simply drift along, living reluctantly, as things flow naturally.
Though saying a spirit “lives” is a bit strange.
[Pfft…… I’ll end up with goldfish eyes. Stop crying now, little groom.]
“B-but…… you…… you……!”
[Where did such an adorable groom come from? Having my groom cry instead of me actually makes my heart feel lighter!]
At my laughter, Lucian stopped crying, sniffling. His eyes had turned quite red, and his nose ran with a long strand of snot.
I wiped his dirty face clean with my mana-imbued hand.
“……I’ll definitely free you later.”
The way he puffed up his eyes while hardening his resolve made me want to laugh. But his gaze was so sincere that I found myself answering before I knew it.
[Sure, I’m counting on it.]
In truth, there’s no way I’m counting on it. Even I, who can cast nearly all forms of magic, haven’t been able to find the reason I’m trapped here—how could this small child possibly free me?
And even if he did manage to free me, what difference would it make? I’m a spirit, after all.
“Once you’re free, we’ll definitely travel together!”
Lucian chattered on about wanting to see the sea, vast plains, deserts, and other places.
Listening to him, I saw overlaid upon him the memory of my past self, curious about the world beyond.
I found myself wanting, just a little, to believe in what he said.
“Oh! You said you don’t even know your own name, right?”
[After all, there’s no one to call me by a name, so it’s not really inconvenient.]
“But I do call you!”
That’s right—I have Lucian now.
“Can I give you a name?”
[You?]
I was a bit worried he might come up with something strange, but…….
[Well, if something suits me.]
“Hmm…… what would be good?”
I thought he had something in mind, but apparently he didn’t.
Lily, Haze, Camilla, Daisy.
Several names tumbled out, but none of them appealed to me.
[Where on earth did you learn all those names?]
There’s no way an eight-year-old boy came up with new names on his own.
“They’re the maids’ names.”
[……Are you seriously trying to give me a maid’s name?]
“N-no! It’s just that those are the only names I can think of……!”
Lucian flailed his hands in panic, but I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.
‘Huh? Maids?’
Does Lucian have any reason to meet maids? The whole thing felt suspicious, so I studied him. He was thinking hard, his brow furrowed.
[Ah, maybe that’s it.]
Just before Lucian arrived here, there were definitely traces of someone’s hand guiding him. Considering that among the humans who came to the Mansion there were some servants, it wouldn’t be strange if he’d encountered a few maids along the way.
I found that reasoning quite plausible and quickly lost interest.
“Oh! What about Aria?”
[That’s the witch’s name.]
“Exactly! The great witch Aria! Since she’s my favorite person, I’ll give you that name!”
The desire to call me Aria was written plainly across his face. I ignored his sparkling eyes and continued.
[What about Lia instead of Aria?]
“Lia?”
[Yes. If you call me Aria, I won’t know whether you’re calling the witch or me. Lia. It’s concise and nice.]
“Lia, Lia…… I like it! Lia is such a pretty name.”
[Of course it is—who chose it?]
At my flattery, Lucian’s mouth curled upward like it might touch the sky. With a loose, happy expression, he clung to my side and repeated Lia over and over.
“Lia! Miss Lia! Sister Lia!”
[Sure, sure.]
“Lia! Should I call you Lia from now on? Or Miss Lia? Or Sister Lia?”
[Call me whatever’s comfortable for you.]
“Then I’ll just say Lia! Lia, you can’t act upset later when I stop calling you Miss!”
I understand he’s excited, but this is excessive. At this rate, my ears will get calluses.
[Ugh, be quiet! Stop calling me already!]
At my sharp rebuke, Lucian paused for a moment, but then resumed chirping like a chick.
From that point on, I was plagued by Lucian all day long. Even after he fell asleep, his voice calling out Lia echoed in my ears like a phantom sound.

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