The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 4

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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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Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride — Episode 4

‘By now he must be eating.’
I slipped into his room the moment I saw Lucian step into the Kitchen. This was the only space I hadn’t managed to clean properly since he’d arrived at the Mansion.
I opened the window and swept the dust away with Magic. Soon the entire room gleamed without a speck in sight. Once I’d finished cleaning the bathroom attached to the room as well, I felt like I’d had a painful tooth extracted.
Now the only filthy thing remaining in this immaculate space was the Laundry.
‘How revolting.’
Judging by how yellowed it had become, I could tell the state of things easily enough.
I was debating whether to take these clothes and wash them when I heard Lucian climbing the stairs. I quickly hid above the ceiling.
“Wow, that was so delicious!”
Lucian patted his rounded belly and broke into a grin, his mouth glistening with grease.
Seeing how thoroughly satisfied he looked, I felt pleased that I’d gotten up early to cook.
‘Wait—’
My satisfaction was short-lived. The child had wiped his greasy hands and mouth all over the clothes he was wearing.
‘Oh… ah… how could you…!’
“Oops, looks like I got it dirty.”
‘How are you only noticing now, you simpleton? You could have just rinsed your hands with water!’
“Well, I was going to do laundry anyway, so I might as well wash this too.”
At least he had the sense to change clothes. Then, grunting under the weight of a rather substantial Laundry Basket, he made his way downstairs.
Seeing him take the initiative, I should have felt proud—yet unease crept over me instead.
I followed Lucian. He headed toward the Stream, where the Garden met the forest.
I wondered if he had any experience washing clothes, but he suddenly upended the Laundry Basket, sending all the garments tumbling directly into the water.
“No, no! They’ll float downstream!”
As the lighter pieces of clothing drifted away, Lucian rushed about frantically retrieving them. A cramp already began forming in my chest.
What followed was complete chaos.
When the boy carelessly dunked the clothes in water and pulled them out, stones and sand tangled themselves into the fabric. Unaware that he needed to scrub, he simply soaked them, leaving the stained parts just as dirty as before.
It wasn’t laundry at all—just clothes sitting in muddy water.
“Huff… huff… this is hard…”
Still, he applied himself earnestly, his brow furrowed with sweat. By the time he’d managed roughly two-thirds of the wash, Lucian was utterly exhausted.
“Wait… let me… rest for a moment…”
His legs trembling like those of a newborn fawn, he stumbled back into the Mansion.
Once I confirmed he was completely gone, I quickly retrieved the ruined garments.
‘Sigh… if you don’t know how, you should just stay still.’
Should I still praise him for trying to do it himself?
Since things had come to this, I’d have to finish before the boy returned.
I lifted all the Laundry into the air, spacing each piece carefully so they wouldn’t overlap.
‘Clean!’
A brilliant white light bloomed outward, engulfing the garments. Within moments, the Laundry—filthy with algae, dirt, and water stains—gleamed spotless.
“Urrgh…”
Just then, I heard Lucian emerging from the Mansion in the distance.
I hurriedly folded the clothes hovering in the air and stuffed them into the Laundry Basket, then squeezed inside myself.
Lucian plopped down, then noticed the empty Stream and jumped to his feet in alarm.
“…Huh? It’s here?”
He belatedly noticed the Laundry Basket.
Looking at the spotless clothes at a glance, he grew confused. With a knot in my chest, I watched for his reaction.
“Could it be that the Benefactor was here?!”
‘Benefactor? What is he talking about now?’
Before I could even process his words, Lucian sprang to his feet and began darting about frantically.
It was as if he were searching for someone.
After ten minutes had passed, Lucian returned, his shoulders sagging.
“Guess they left already…”
Moisture began to glisten in the boy’s golden eyes.
“Oh, no! I shouldn’t cry!”
Fortunately, without any comfort from me, he quickly wiped his tears away. Then, with reddened eyes, he cried out loudly:
“Benefactor! Thank you! Breakfast was delicious! Dinner yesterday was too!”
His voice echoed through the forest like a call. I stood frozen, watching the scene unfold.
The way Lucian laughed with that bright, childish giggle made something in my chest stir.
“Alright then, let’s go.”
With that, he picked up the Laundry Basket I was hiding in and carried it into the Mansion. Thanks to this, I was able to observe the boy’s face up close for the first time.
Whether from days of hunger or from never being properly fed, his cheeks were gaunt, his hair coarse, and his eyes held a slight hollowness. Yet his irises shone with a brilliance like sunlight. Like a child holding onto hope.
It was a light impossible to conjure in such a hopeless situation, and without thinking, I found myself staring intently.
Once in his room, Lucian methodically sorted the clean clothes and then went into the bathroom to wash away the sweat caking his body.
Only after the sound of water reached my ears did I quietly slip out of the basket.
‘…This feeling is strange.’
Had I ever received words of gratitude before?
The humans I’d encountered thus far would stare in shock or recoil in terror, sputtering accusations and trying to drive me from the Mansion.
The only being that could be called kindly disposed toward me was the occasional lizard that wandered by.
I am fundamentally incompatible with people, so such situations have never been familiar to me—yet I had no idea how to respond in moments like these.
‘…Of course, it will be different once he learns the truth about me, won’t it?’
I know. The boy has mistaken me for a person.
It stung a little, but there was nothing to be done.
I simply hoped he would keep wearing that smile—the one he’d shown because of me.
Even if it meant deceiving him.
“B-b-brr! Why is it so cold again today?”
Hearing him cry out from beyond the door, I hurried toward the bathroom.
Only after I warmed the water with Mana did the boy’s expression brighten.

* * *

‘Pretty, my foot.’
Coming down to the Kitchen to prepare lunch, I immediately took back my earlier sentiment. My eye twitched at the sight of a clean, empty plate with only Broccoli left behind.
Yesterday he was nearly starving to death—and now he’s being picky about his food?
‘Hmm… well, looks like I’ll need to change the menu.’
I’d thought to prepare something delicious using the Meat I’d frozen with Ice Magic, but plans would have to be adjusted.
I brought out a small amount of Meat and a heap of remaining vegetables, laying them on the table.
‘There’s no way around it now!’
With a sinister laugh, I set about chopping the vegetables with enthusiasm.

* * *

“Mmm… it’s delicious, but…”
Lucian’s belly was satisfied by the tasty meal, but his mood remained unsettled.
It was because, ever since he’d left the Broccoli behind last time, not a single day had passed without it appearing again.
The more he picked it out, the more it seemed to multiply.
Moreover, the bowl itself bore a drawing of Broccoli, circled in red for emphasis. The sight chilled him to his core.
“Ugh… I really don’t want to eat it.”
He knew he wasn’t in a position to be picky about side dishes, but wanting and not wanting were two different things.
“Alright, fine!”
After a long deliberation, Lucian steeled himself and shoved a large handful of Broccoli into his mouth.
Grimacing as if choking down something inedible, he chewed and chewed, but gradually his expression eased as the sauce touched his tongue.
Munch, munch—
After chewing for a while, he finally managed to swallow.
Lucian stared blankly before taking a long drink of water.
“…That’s… actually not bad?”
The taste was enough to dispel that terrible first memory entirely. The texture still wasn’t his favorite, but it was far from inedible.
“Hehe, I’m grown up now!”
Broccoli no longer scared him!
Lucian felt so proud of himself for conquering this hurdle that his lips couldn’t help but curl into a smile.

* * *

Having watched Lucian eat his entire meal, I emerged from my hiding place in the cupboard and let out an incredulous laugh.
‘Goodness. Growing up over a single piece of Broccoli. Talk sense, you little scamp.’
Despite its absurdity, I found myself chuckling repeatedly. As I was about to finish cleaning the Kitchen, I noticed a piece of Paper lying on the table.
On it was drawn a strange new picture.
‘Pfft! Hahahaha! What on earth is this…!’
I burst into laughter. A crooked, childish drawing—whether meant to be a sun or a flower, I couldn’t tell.
I stared at it for a long while before taking it to my room and hiding it in a corner of my bookshelf.
It wasn’t anything particularly precious. I simply couldn’t bear to throw it away.
Offering myself this rationalization, my hips wiggled as I moved.
‘…But it does bother me that he can’t read.’
Judging by his apparent age—around seven—he should have picked up some letters by now. Yet the fact that he couldn’t read a single character weighed on my mind more than I’d like to admit.
‘And there’s no one around to teach him, either.’
Beyond just reading, the boy seemed undernourished in his education. Rather than lacking intelligence, it appeared he’d received no formal teaching suited to his age.
Part of me wanted to teach him myself…
‘But he doesn’t even know I exist, and he can’t see me anyway, so what good would it do?’
Still, even if things were fine now, the day would come when he’d have to leave the Mansion. Then he’d need at least basic knowledge to get along with other people.
‘Ah! Should I ask that one?’
I thought of the creature who visited the Mansion from time to time.
Checking my diary and calculating when that one last came, it seemed he’d be returning to the Mansion soon.
‘I’ll have to find a way to ask him about teaching the boy to read, no matter what.’
That one had such a strong independent streak—there was no guarantee he’d agree to help. But I had no better options at the moment.
Besides, there were a few things lying around the Mansion that he’d been coveting. If I offered him one of those, surely he’d be willing to teach the boy at least to read.
To win him over, I began plotting from that moment onward.

* * *

“Ugh… couldn’t find them again today.”
Lucian had begun to notice the changes occurring in the Mansion recently.
Most notably, three abundant meals appeared daily. Additionally, whenever he left his room briefly, it—along with the parlor, the laundry, everything—would be spotless.
Honest as it was to admit, he felt somewhat lonely having no one to speak with. Yet thanks to the Benefactor who came and went like the wind, he was never truly alone.
To try to converse with the Benefactor, he’d spent the past several days searching the entire Mansion, but he’d found neither person nor shadow.
“This calls for my ultimate strategy!”
Deducing from all that had happened, the Benefactor spent the longest time in the Kitchen.
It made sense—cooking required the Kitchen, and all three meals arrived fresh and hot, so they couldn’t be prepared elsewhere and brought in.
One way or another, today he would see the Benefactor’s face and speak with them.
Lucian removed his shoes and crept toward the Kitchen, his footfalls as silent as possible.
Fortunately, the Kitchen was empty. He searched for a place to hide and found a storage compartment beneath the counter.
Squeezing inside, he left the door cracked open just enough to see. The Kitchen lay perfectly in view.
“Alright, now I wait.”
Lucian kept his eyes wide open, peering through the narrow gap and watching for the Benefactor’s arrival.
Ten minutes passed. Twenty. Thirty. Forty. Around that point, Lucian’s eyelids began to droop.
He knew intellectually that he shouldn’t fall asleep, but his body simply wouldn’t obey.
Before long, Lucian’s eyes closed. So he didn’t see it—the vague, footless form drawing near the storage compartment where he hid.

* * *

Lucian jerked awake at the enticing aroma of cooking Meat.
Half-dazed, he rubbed his eyes and remembered why he was there, then held his breath and peered through the gap.
What he saw froze his blood.
“…Huh?”
In an otherwise empty Kitchen, a knife moved of its own accord, while the Cast Iron Skillet flipped a steak on its own.
It was an utterly unbelievable sight. This wasn’t a person at all, it was…
“A G-Ghost Bride…!”
His entire body erupted in goosebumps. Before he could stop himself, he let out a small shriek—but immediately realized his mistake and clapped his hand over his mouth.
It was already too late. The Ghost Bride had heard his voice.
The Cast Iron Skillet, which had been moving with merry rhythm, froze abruptly.
As Lucian heard only the thundering of his own heartbeat—
Creak—
The storage compartment door swung open with a bone-chilling sound.
Lucian didn’t realize his own foot had pushed it; he assumed it was the Ghost Bride’s doing and terror seized him.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
Screaming, he burst from the compartment and fled the Kitchen at full speed. He raced down the corridor and scrambled up the stairs.
As he bounded up, he glimpsed something in the Kitchen doorway.
For just a moment, it looked like a woman with an unbearably sad expression, but when he looked again, the Kitchen entrance was empty.
Thinking it all the work of the Ghost Bride, Lucian barricaded himself in his room and trembled.

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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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