The Dutiful Kid Who Saved the Villainous Family - Chapter 156

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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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Episode 156

The Pope still spoke with a fresh and gentle tone.

“Pitifully, it seems there is a spirit here that cannot find its proper place. Therefore, I have punished the one responsible for failing to guide that spirit to the right path…”

He looked dryly at the bone powder that remained where Cardinal Bruna had been.

“Please clean up that trash now.”

“Yes, yes! Your Holiness. We obey…”

The cardinals who were flustered upon seeing the Pope’s furrowed brow scrambled about in confusion.

The Pope, who had been quietly watching them, smiled briefly.

“Then, let us now release our test subjects through the open gates of the Papal States. …Our little bird with clipped wings, together with them.”

At first glance, it sounded like he would mercifully send Airi and Cookie away.

But that wasn’t the case.

‘What should I do?’

Originally, after the sealed Papal States opened, she should have returned to her own body.

Right now, she was in an out-of-body state.

But the Pope had blocked Airi from returning to her original body.

The Pope smiled faintly as he looked around.

“So, how does this situation look to you all?”

How does it look?

Cookie sent a telepathic message.

[Damn bastard… How does it look! It’s the worst!]

‘Right! It’s the worst!’

Little Ghost Airi and Cookie simultaneously clenched their fists.

The fists of the two ghosts who couldn’t find their bodies trembled.

The Pope raised his hand once again.

‘This time for real…’

It could become dangerous.

‘We’re still just ghosts though!’

Airi and Cookie Ghost, who were merely children, stiffened without even being able to hold hands.

It was when the Pope with his raised hand was staring intently at the space where they were.

“Your Holiness! You must evacuate!”

A loud warning sound resembling a siren echoed in all directions.

It seemed something had gone wrong with the Papal States’ sealing barrier. Someone had infiltrated.

‘Are we saved?!’

It was funny to hope ‘are we saved?’ while in ghost form, but still.

The Pope’s brow furrowed.

“…I’ve taken temporary measures, so it should be fine.”

With that small murmur that only the three people present could understand.

The Pope’s pure white vestments fluttered as he nodded lightly.

And at the same time, they disappeared.

All the numerous test subjects.

…Only Airi and Cookie, the two ghosts, remained in this place.

* * *

“…Why hasn’t my daughter returned yet?”

The gates of the Papal States had opened.

What that meant was clear.

It meant Airi would return.

Right after the Papal States’ seal was lifted, Declan thoroughly searched the interior of the Papal States.

But Airi was nowhere to be seen.

No, there wasn’t even a single ant.

Just in case, he even called for a medium.

“There is… nothing here, Lord Ortejo.”

Perhaps she might be somewhere other than the Papal States.

That thought made his heart anxious.

He asked Jackvell Marquess to continue searching the Papal States, then returned to Ortejo Castle at the fastest speed.

But…

‘…Airi hasn’t returned?’

Declan looked around Airi’s room.

Inside the room decorated with all his heart.

There were countless bear dolls collected on each of Airi’s birthdays, martial arts figurine dolls made one by one for each special occasion, and training uniforms tailored to fit Airi’s growing body, all piled up like mountains.

He had also brought Airi’s body, which seemed to be sleeping peacefully, along with its coffin.

Cookie’s crispy but empty body was also laid right next to Airi.

Declan waited leisurely.

For Airi to open her eyes.

But…

“Airi.”

Even after the night passed, Airi didn’t come.

No response came back whatsoever.

Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

“Father!!!!!!”

“Airi, give up…”

“No! He might hear me! Fa!!! ther!!!!!”

“Hmm, it seems he can’t hear us.”

“Why? Gasp! Maybe it’s because the word ‘father’ feels awkward.”

Ghost Airi, who had been thinking deeply, puffed out her belly.

‘Father wanted to hear the word father, but maybe he liked the original way of calling him better!’

With absolute certainty that Declan would never want that, Airi shouted loudly as if letting out a battle cry.

“Daaaaaaaddy!!!!!!!!!”

“…Are you doing battle cries?”

But there was no response.

Little Ghost Airi floated around Declan’s vicinity.

Then she moved her hands and feet earnestly while shouting.

However.

“Airi, where on earth are you…”

Seeing Declan’s eyes reddening, Airi stamped her feet.

But when a ghost stamps their feet, humans cannot hear any sound.

Cookie, who let out a deep sigh, muttered quietly.

“Oh my, how frustrating. It’s like eating a bowl of sweet potatoes.”

Airi felt just as frustrated.

The current Declan was only staring forlornly at Airi’s physical body.

That sight looked so lonely that she wanted to raise her hand high and say ‘I’m here.’

“Until we find your body, it seems only we two can communicate.”

Looking at the silent Airi, Cookie Ghost gently patted Airi’s shoulder.

To become real ghosts, desperately searching for their bodies.

Moreover…

Cookie sighed deeply while touching Airi’s translucent shoulder area.

“But you know, Airi. Look at our body condition. Don’t we seem to be getting more and more transparent?”

“Yeah. And.”

Airi muttered while placing Cookie on her transparent hand.

“Your voice sounds really quiet too.”

“Haah….”

Cookie let out a deep sigh.

“The Pope is really strong. To use such cruel tricks even on unfortunate ghosts.”

Airi didn’t know what ‘unfortunate’ meant, but she could sense that her current situation was really not good.

‘So what should I do now?’

Her round head spun furiously with thought.

She couldn’t reveal to Declan that she had returned.

Because she couldn’t go back to her original body.

However, Airi shook her head firmly.

‘I can’t give up like this! Pope, you know one thing but not two!’

The instructor at Gyeonghye Taekwondo Dojo had said so.

“Life is like saengwima!”

“…Saengwima? What’s that? Some kind of mouse….”

Life is ‘saengwima’!

Joy and sorrow are separated by just one floor!

…That’s what it means.

‘Cookie really doesn’t know, does she.’

Unlike herself who was almost an adult, Cookie was very small.

Airi looked at Cookie with pity and shook her head inwardly.

‘I have to protect this little Cookie!’

Cookie, receiving Airi’s pitying gaze, tilted her head curiously.

“…I don’t know what that means, but anyway, I’m glad you seem spirited.”

“Yeah! That’s right, I’m spirited!”

Airi nodded her head vigorously.

Then she grabbed Cookie’s hand –though she couldn’t really grab it properly– and said.

“Yeah! So there’s a place we need to go together….”

“Huh? Where are we going? Your father, elder, dad, anyway…. The guy you like is right here!”

Airi nodded her head.

“Yeah! But right now Father can’t see me….”

“He can’t see you right now?”

Airi said spiritedly.

“We have to find a way!”

“How? Do you know a way to get your body back?”

Airi didn’t know a way to get her body back.

But….

“It’s worth trying!”

* * *

Beside Airi’s coffin, Declan stayed up all night.

But Airi’s body was still cold.

‘…She still hasn’t come back?’

The next thing he did was have the sealed Papal States thoroughly searched once again.

Declan used his family’s heirloom crystal orb to receive their reports.

But….

“Lord Ortejo, I’m sorry but there’s not a trace of anything alive here.”

“…You can’t see anything?”

“Yes.”

At this point, he had no choice but to accept it.

That something had really gone wrong.

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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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