“Did you come because of Evan?”
Next time we meet, I thought she’d ask me about Evan. Could it be for that reason? But Ella shook her head.
“…Lady Evien, I was curious until not long ago, but today, that’s not the reason I came.”
Wasn’t she the lively maid who used to giggle and laugh while looking at Evan? Somehow, today she seemed a bit more serious.
“Could it be that you have business with me?”
A ghost from the manor coming to see me personally—this was pretty flattering. Well, I still wasn’t entirely convinced she didn’t come because of Evan. Ella hesitated for a while, unsure how to begin, before finally opening her mouth.
“…Actually, I was the first to find you in the rose garden, Lady Evien.”
“You found me?”
“Yes. So while I was reporting it to the head maid, the master of the house happened to overhear as he was passing through the upstairs corridor.”
It seemed I had lost consciousness in the sky and fallen into the rose garden. That must be why Basileon was there when I woke up.
“Lady Evien, do you know the difference between us ghosts and you?”
“Hmm? You mean the fact that I’m an evil spirit and you’re ghosts?”
At her sudden, unfamiliar question, I tilted my head in confusion.
“Ghosts can’t use special abilities the way you can, Lady Evien. Most of what we have is only for carrying out the tasks we’re assigned.”
“You mean a special ability, like this?”
I picked up a fallen twig beside me and struck at the weeds.
You used 〈Attack〉 on 〈Weed〉.
〈Remaining uses: 9〉
“Yes, that’s right. That’s an ability only you, Lady Evien, can use.”
“Hmm. Why is that?”
“All the ghosts of the manor are envious of you… because they think you receive the Lord’s favor thanks to those special abilities.”
“…What?”
Envious of me? My eyes widened at the unexpected revelation. I knew the ghosts looked up to me, but I never thought it was actually envy. I can possess survivors, read maps, and attack them—all skills the other ghosts can’t use, skills that only I have. But to think they’d envy me over something like that…
“Mhm… Even if I try to get close to Basileon, there’s not really any benefit, right?”
“As expected, you don’t deny that you have the Lord’s favor after all.”
Ella smiled brightly at my answer.
“No, I mean, Ella… I don’t think it’s favor. How about calling it friendship instead of favor? I’ve never really sought Basileon’s favor…”
“Lady Evien… I don’t think it’s friendship either. What about calling it love instead?”
Ella, with a surprisingly serious expression, chose the word to replace “favor” herself.
“That’s even more ridiculous!”
“Anyone would have to agree if they saw the Lord running to Lady Evien when she collapsed…”
I see… Basileon… he rushed over as soon as he heard the report that I had collapsed in the rose garden?
“Anyway, the reason I’m bringing this up is that my thoughts have changed. After seeing you in the rose garden, my perspective shifted.”
As I listened to Ella, I fanned my flushed face, heated from the word “love.”
“Hmm. What kind of thoughts?”
“I thought that, having the Lord’s blessing, you’d be able to live more comfortably than any other ghost…but I saw with my own eyes that it’s not the case.”
Ella seemed embarrassed to admit that fact, unable to meet my eyes.
“The Lady Evien I found in the rose garden was having a nightmare. And it looked truly horrifying.”
“Ah, that’s…”
I also knew that I had nightmares related to what I experienced in my past life. But just like Basileon is always having nightmares, it was something I was used to as well.
“So, you thought I was living comfortably without any hardships… but since that’s not the case, you feel some sympathy?”
Ella’s honest words were helpful, but they didn’t make me feel any better.
I felt like they were judging me according to their own standards.
“Ah, um… well, that’s!”
Before I knew it, Ella was watching me nervously, sensing my growing discomfort.
“I, I’m sorry, Lady Evien.”
Plop—.
Suddenly, Ella dropped down flat, bowing so low that her forehead touched the floor.
“What are you doing?”
I hadn’t even said anything particularly harsh, so why was she doing that? I didn’t curse or anything.
“W, will you… give me a punishment?”
Ella’s whole body and her voice were trembling faintly.
“Punishment? What are you talking about?”
Ella looked up at the tips of my feet, her voice quivering as she spoke.
“I’m sorry. I said something I shouldn’t have to you, Lady Evien…”
I lowered my gaze to meet Ella’s eyes directly.
“Ella. Look at me.”
“….!”
“Sure, I was a little upset for a moment, but I’m not that angry. And even if I were, I’d never punish you. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
Since Ella was a ghost, tears didn’t form in her eyes. Instead, I could see her eyes crying without shedding a single drop.
“….”
How many minutes had passed like that? Since we were sharing a gaze, was my sincerity getting through to her? I could feel Ella gradually regaining her composure. Hesitant at first, she finally spoke again.
“W, we… we’ve all heard that when Lady Evien gets angry, you punish the ghosts…”
“Who said that?”
“Other ghosts who’ve… been punished by you, Lady Evien….”
Wait. Since I possessed this evil spirit, I have never done anything like that. If what Ella says is true, doesn’t that mean the real evil spirit, Evien Montrose, did such things before I took over?
“What kind of punishment?”
“All we know is that they were punished… we don’t know the details. There were rumors that Lady Evien silenced them.”
“So what you’re saying is… I wasn’t just someone they envied—I was someone they were afraid of, too?”
Because of past actions I didn’t even know about, strength unconsciously crept into my voice.
“I, I’m sorry!”
I was so taken aback that my tone came out a bit cold, and Ella seemed to misunderstand it again.
“Ella. There’s nothing to apologize for. I have no intention of punishing you whatsoever. If anything, I want to get closer to you!”
“Ah! I, I’m sorry….”
My persuasion didn’t work. Ella turned and ran off somewhere. Is it her temper that’s the problem? Should I have comforted her gently first and explained once she calmed down completely? In my frustration, I think I only ended up instilling more fear in her.
“…This is driving me crazy.”
I remained silent for a long time after Ella left.
‘Wait. Can an evil spirit even punish a ghost? We can’t even touch each other, so how would that work?’
Setting that aside for a moment, if Evien did torment the ghosts, isn’t the reason simple? Evien is an evil spirit, after all. A literally wicked ghost, so it makes sense that her personality would be harsh. Thinking that way, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.
‘…So my reputation was that bad? I’ll have to make amends starting now.’
After making that resolution to myself, I flew to the manor to find Basileon.
* * *
The rare book storage room inside Ravenwood Manor.
“Hmm… this is so boring.”
Mary, pausing from searching the bookshelf, muttered in complaint.
“Mary. You confirmed it too, didn’t you? That what Lilith said wasn’t a lie.”
“No. Honestly, I still don’t really know. I have no idea what Lilith is talking about…”
The survivors, except for Lilith, were rummaging through the bookshelves inside the rare book storage room. I poked my head through the bookshelf Mary was searching.
“What did Lilith say? Tell me too!”
“Kyaaa!”
Mary jumped back in shock.
“My ears! Why are you shouting? I was just trying to make it fun since you said you were bored.”
“E, evil spirit. Why on earth did you come here?”
Mary looked at me and made a troubled face.
“Mary Crow. Don’t you remember the last time I brought you some food?”
“Ah, that’s…”
“Evien. It’s been a while.”
Evan spotted me and gave me a bright smile. But ever since I began suspecting that he might be someone connected to the evil god, I can’t stop feeling wary of him. Even something as simple as smiling that brightly makes it feel like he has some kind of ulterior motive.
“Ah, mhm.”
“…Evien? Your reaction seems a bit lukewarm.”
Seeing my reaction, Evan’s expression stiffened slightly.
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