The Abandoned Prince’s Ghost Bride - Chapter 47

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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 Forsaken Prince’s Ghost Bride — Episode 47

“Damn it… I didn’t think you’d actually come.”
“Your Highness can be so heartless at times.”
Everyone shuffled along behind Leopold like livestock being herded to slaughter.
They had all changed into servant’s clothes and attendant’s garb, slipping out of the Imperial Palace in secret, and now wandered through the forest.
It was an escapade no ordinary noble could ever imagine. But who was Leopold? He was a man whose curiosity knew no equal.
He had already sneaked out of the Imperial Palace and gone down to the Capital more than once.
Of course, there had been a few occasions when he’d been caught and apprehended in the process.
“Ah! Here’s the path! This must be it!”
It was fortunate they hadn’t lost the way, but the thought that this path led to hell made her want to fall back.
Yet no one could voice displeasure to the Crown Prince, so they followed without complaint.
‘He really hasn’t changed one bit…!’
Lilis, falling behind the group, gasped for breath.
Since it had been so long since seeing him, she’d thought he’d become somewhat more impressive and mature, but it had all been a mistake.
Memories of harsh pranks Leopold had played on her in childhood began to creep back in.
In moments like this, being of lower rank than him felt terribly unfair.
Thump.
As she was internally grinding her teeth and swallowing all manner of curses, something struck her forehead.
“What?! Why are you stopping—”
“Shh. We’re almost there.”
Seeing Amanda’s expression, terror-stricken, Lilis closed her mouth.
Lilis barely pushed through the children and spotted the Mansion far ahead in the distance.
A Mansion sitting solitary on the Mountain Slope.
Whether it was because dark materials had been used from the start or if it had changed over time, the entire Mansion was dark.
As if it had risen up from hell itself.
“…Do we really have to go in there?”
After a stretch of silence, Amanda spoke. Everyone turned to look at Leopold.
“When a man draws his sword, he must cut through to the end, even if just at a target.”
Despair settled over everyone’s faces all at once. They slowly held their breath and approached the fence that surrounded the Mansion.
Once they came face-to-face with it, they lacked the courage to actually enter. Finally, Leopold turned to Schulan and Harry.
“You two go first.”
“Eek!”
“I refuse.”
Schulan cried out in shock, and Harry refused outright.
“Your Highness asked us to come! Of course Your Highness should go first!”
“How could I be called a lord if I sent my servants to their deaths?”
As their stern attitudes were matched by the sharp gazes from Amanda and Lilis, Leopold pulled the two of them close and whispered.
“If you go in first, I’ll grant you one wish.”
Schulan flinched, and Harry’s eyes narrowed.
“A wish, you say…?”
“Anything within my power!”
“Never mind, then. Completely worthless.”
Harry already knew that approach wouldn’t work. The target had never been him anyway—it was Schulan.
“…A few days hence, my family is hosting a gathering. Would you be able to attend?”
“Hmm? A gathering?”
“Yes! It’s nothing grand, just a social occasion where young nobles of our age gather to strengthen bonds. We’re planning on some simple diversions as well—Horseback Riding, Hunting, that sort of thing.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed at the transparent ploy. This was likely the work of Schulan’s father, Count Neopin, rather than Schulan himself.
Schulan still moved according to Count Neopin’s words rather than acting of his own volition.
Leopold seemed to share Harry’s sentiment to some degree, and after a moment’s thought, nodded.
“Fine. Send me an invitation later.”
“Really?!”
“Yes. Do you think I’d go back on my word? If you go into the Mansion first and scout it out, I promise I’ll come.”
“…It’s a bit frightening, but if it’s Your Highness’s request!”
Schulan and Leopold sealed their contract, clasping hands firmly. Only Harry shook his head in disapproval.
“…Here I go!”
“You’ve got this, Schulan!”
“Schulan, you’re the best!”
Schulan’s shoulders rose slightly at his friends’ encouragement.
Everyone held their breath, watching Schulan. Soon he reached the Mansion, lingered there for a time, and then grasped the front door’s handle.
Creak—
The door swung open with a desolate sound. From their distance, the space beyond looked only darker and more shadowed.
“S-should we have gone with him?”
“What if something happens to Schulan?”
“It’ll be fine. I told Schulan not to close the door…”
Before Leopold could finish speaking, Schulan had already entered the Mansion. At the same moment, the front door slammed shut with a bang.
For a moment, heavy silence fell over the children.
“…What just happened?”
“Could the wind have closed the door?”
“Y-yes, that must be it. Otherwise, how could the door—”
A piercing scream tore through the air from the Mansion.
Everyone froze, their hearts pounding as they stared intently at the Mansion.
Bang!
Less than a minute later, Schulan came stumbling out of the Mansion, his face drained of all color.
“Sch-Schulan!”
Amanda rushed toward him frantically and grabbed him.
His body was trembling violently, and his face utterly devoid of blood—something was very wrong.
“A g-ghost! There’s a real ghost in there!”
Everyone swallowed hard and turned their gaze back to the Mansion. As Schulan had bolted out, the door that opened swung shut again with a creaking sound.
Unlike the loud bang from before, this time it closed smoothly, as if someone were pulling it shut.
“No! Absolutely not! Never again! I’ve done my part!”
Schulan was seized with genuine terror. Sending him back into the Mansion was out of the question.
“…We’ve confirmed it much as we need to. It’s a Haunted Mansion.”
“Y-yes. I don’t wish to remain here any longer.”
When Lilis and Amanda also stepped forward refusing to go, Leopold let out a sound of frustration.
“Your Highness, let’s leave. If you’re truly curious, couldn’t you return later with knights?”
“……”
Looking at Schulan, panicked, and his friends bereft of will, it made sense to table this for later…
‘Why won’t my feet move?’
If he simply returned to the Imperial Palace now, he felt certain he would come to deeply regret it.
He didn’t know why. It was simply what his instinct was telling him.
“…I’ll go in and come right back.”
“What? Your Highness!”
“No! Please don’t go!”
Though his friends called after him from behind, Leopold strode toward the Mansion.
Now at the front entrance, he swallowed hard and, with grim resolve, grasped the door’s handle.
“…It’ll be all right.”
Steeling himself by telling himself it would be fine, he opened the door.
Creak—
What unfolded before his eyes was surprisingly elegant and antiquated.
Though it felt old and worn, the whole interior was clean and carried an atmosphere all its own. Like a noble’s Mansion…
Swoosh—!
Before his thoughts could fully take shape, his vision suddenly spun wildly.
Seized by some mysterious force, he was dragged into the Mansion by the collar and thrown across the floor. The door immediately slammed shut with a bang.
“What little rodents sneak into my house like that?!”
“…Huh?”
Leopold, who had reflexively squeezed his eyes shut, opened them wide at the hauntingly familiar voice.
“…Me?”
Someone who looked exactly like him was staring down at him, eyes wide, pinning him to the ground.

* * *

“Lucian is something else. If you want to reconcile, you should just say it straightforwardly.”
Ever since Lucian had suddenly lost his temper the other day, he’d been watching her expression anxiously, hovering around her.
[He can’t be honest. It’s all so obvious that he’s sorry.]
At times, seeing Lucian irritable made her feel wronged and angry, but not long after, when she caught him stealing glances at her, the pent-up feelings would melt away like snow.
Though admittedly, there had been scarcely any occasions when he’d properly apologized to her.
[Should I be the magnanimous one and offer my hand first this time?]
Lia hummed to herself as she walked through the kitchen, thinking she should put in more effort this evening.
A sudden jolt.
As she was moving about the kitchen, something registered in her senses.
Lia’s eyes widened, and she moved toward the window.
[…Humans?]
Beyond the fence, she could see five humans lingering about. They huddled together, whispering toward this place.
[There it is. I was wondering when it would get quiet.]
Since Lucian had arrived, such incidents hadn’t occurred, but before he came, they happened fairly often.
[If they want to see a spirit so badly, I should oblige them.]
There was no need to hear their reasons—what they wanted was obvious.
They’d either come to test their courage, or they were some show-offs trying to prove there’s no such thing as ghosts, now coming to verify whether a spirit truly existed in this Mansion.
As she was contemplating how to greet these uninvited guests in a fit of rare irritation, something suddenly occurred to her.
[…Wait. Humans shouldn’t be coming here at all.]
Why had no one visited in the years since Lucian arrived? The Imperial Palace must have used every excuse to keep people away from this place.
[They can’t let Lucian be discovered by anyone…]
Though there were rare occasions when scouts would come by, never before had so many arrived at once.
[They either came in secret to avoid people’s eyes, or they’re people in a position where they don’t care about such orders…]
She needed to confirm what their purpose was.
Since they were hiding beyond the fence, their faces weren’t clearly visible. Furthermore, several of them had their hats pulled down low.
Judging by their clothing, they looked like servants…
[But you never know. They could be in disguise.]
In any case, there couldn’t be servants willing to disobey Imperial orders.
[Ah, there’s movement.]
Just then, one young man began to move. The way he walked nervously, creaking with tension, was rather absurd.
Lia withdrew her face from the edge of the door and waited for him to arrive.
[Hmm, how should I drive them off so word spreads about a proper haunting?]
Just then, a Candle caught her eye. She smiled wickedly and waited for the door to open.
Creak—
Because the hinge sounded so notably loud, the young man’s body grew even more rigid.
Lia stood beside the door frame and watched as he passed before her.
[…? He’s younger than I expected.]
She’d assumed he was an adult, but the baby fat still lingering in his cheeks and his youthful features proved he was still a child.
[About Lucian’s age?]
“W-well, it’s not as frightening as I thought.”
The boy with reddish-brown hair spoke.
Despite his words, was he unaware that his legs were trembling?
Lia smirked and deliberately slammed the door beside her shut hard.
Bang!
“Aiee!”
As the boy cried out in fright and shuddered, she increased the size of the flames on the Candles placed throughout the room.
Whoosh!
As flames licked ominously from various points, the boy’s teeth chattered.
[Still won’t leave?]
Lia manipulated a few of the flames to dance around him, and then set in motion a Toy that Kaisar had left behind.
Giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle!
An eerie laugh poured from the Toy. Of course, the boy, unaware that the sound was coming from the Toy itself, would likely perceive it as the work of a spirit.
[3, 2, 1…]
“Aaaahhhhh!”
The boy let out a scream that nearly shook the Mansion apart, kicked open the door, and bolted out. His companions, hiding beyond the fence, visibly startled.
[They won’t be back.]
Lia dusted off her hands lightly and watched through the window to see how they would behave. Soon they would leave this place…
“Lia, what was that noise?”
Lucian came down from the second floor. It seemed the commotion from earlier had drawn him down.

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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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