ENGDB 22

Chapter 22

“N-no… I didn’t mean it like that. And we don’t have to keep holding hands like this…”

“If I keep giving you mana, this is much more efficient.”

As if to prove his point, Kalid released a little mana, and it immediately flowed through their joined hands.

“T-that’s true…”

With nothing to argue back, Irene had no choice but to keep holding his hand.

Rather than feeling full from the mana that flowed into her from time to time, she became more aware of the warmth of his hand.

Glance. Fidget. Glance again.

She kept stealing looks at their joined hands, her face slowly turning red.

Before leaving early in the morning, Kalid finished all urgent matters in his territory and prepared to head to the imperial palace.

Of course, Irene was right beside him.

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“This… I mean this.”

Irene lifted their joined hands and shook them slightly.

“What about your hand? Ah, am I holding it too tightly?”

Kalid loosened his grip a little, looking confused.

He held her hand carefully, as if it were something fragile like glass.

“No, that’s not it… Do we really have to do this?”

“Weren’t you the one who said you’d be annoying first?”

That was true… but she didn’t expect him to hold her hand even while working.

Kalid didn’t let go at all. If anything felt slightly off, he would just adjust their grip or interlock their fingers again.

At this point, it was unclear who was bothering whom.

‘Why am I the only one embarrassed?! There are people who can see me now, but Kalid is completely fine with this?! Ugh, whatever.’

Irene complained in her mind but eventually gave up. Anyone looking would think they were glued together.

Strangely, even though she was a ghost, it felt like her hand was sweating.

Why was it so hot? It wasn’t even spring yet.

She glanced at their hands and fanned herself with her other hand.

Kalid tilted his head, looking between the window and the fireplace.

Then suddenly, he realized something.

That habit Whitey had when she felt shy or embarrassed.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Noticing his changing expression, Irene quickly changed the topic.

If she didn’t, she felt like she would be kicking her blanket in embarrassment tonight.

“The documents! There are still so many left! Let go of my hand now—you said you had to finish them before going to the capital!”

She shook their hands as if trying to free herself and said it must be inconvenient to work with one hand.

But instead of letting go, Kalid handed her the documents.

“Wait, why are you giving these to me…?”

“Didn’t you say before—even ghost hands are helpful when lifting paper together?”

That was something she had muttered to herself when she was still a ghost, looking at a pile of documents and wanting to help him.

So he really had heard everything.

For a moment she was shocked—but before she knew it, Irene ended up helping Kalid with his work.

Time passed quickly, and the day Kalid had to leave arrived.

Irene sat by the bedroom window, watching until Kalid and his group disappeared into the distance.

‘I’ll return as quickly as possible. If anything happens, send Gray immediately.’

Remembering his worried words before leaving, a small smile formed on her lips.

‘He really worries too much… But still… it feels lonely now that he’s gone.’

She stayed there, staring outside for a while.

Knock, knock—

The sound of knocking brought her back to her senses.

“Irene, it’s Sebastian.”

“Yes! You can come in.”

Sebastian entered, neatly dressed as always—but he looked a bit tired.

“Were you resting? Do you need anything?”

“Hmm… no, I think I’m fine.”

“Haha. If you need anything, please call me anytime.”

Sebastian smiled kindly and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped as if he remembered something.

“Ah! His Highness said to give you that room. Please use it comfortably.”

“That room?”

Irene looked toward a door on one side.

It reminded her of the room Kalid had once given her as a gift.

That luxurious room filled with clothes and accessories… which she couldn’t even use as a ghost.

“Wait… it was really mine?!”

She stared at the door in shock.

Why would Kalid give clothes to a ghost?

She couldn’t understand.

‘Do I smell? That can’t be, I’m a ghost.’

‘Or… is he indirectly saying I always wear the same clothes?’

She glanced down at herself.

She was still wearing the same white off-shoulder dress with lace—the one she had been wearing since she first woke up here.

She had been worried she might look like a ghost in funeral clothes or covered in blood from when she died—

but instead, she looked completely normal.

‘But Kalid isn’t that kind of person…’

She shrugged.

In the end, the room full of clothes and accessories became hers.

“But… will I ever get to use them?”

Without realizing it, her thoughts slipped out.

Seeing her act like nothing was wrong made Sebastian feel heavy inside.

She must not have chosen to become like this herself.

He didn’t know her story, but she must feel anxious, not knowing when she might become transparent again.

Sebastian couldn’t fully understand her feelings—

but he decided to do his best to keep her from feeling lonely until Kalid returned.

***

Unlike Sebastian’s worries, Irene wasn’t as depressed as expected.

She had a romance novel in her hands—something she had grown to love even more after coming to this world.

‘If I become transparent again, then so be it!’

With that carefree thought, she quickly got absorbed in the book.

It was a rare romance novel—with illustrations.

“Hey, you’re smiling! Your lips are practically reaching the sky. The longer you deny it, the more you’ll suffer, male lead!”

Irene clicked her tongue at the male lead in the book, shaking her head.

But her eyes sparkled as she turned the pages.

While reading intensely, she suddenly remembered Kalid from last night.

“Wait… Kalid smiled like this yesterday too…”

While working on documents, Kalid had smiled while reading a letter Sebastian brought.

At the time, she didn’t think much of it.

“The name on the letter was Ame… lia? No, Amel… Ah, what was it…”

She tried to remember the sender’s name, but she had only glanced at it.

“It was definitely a woman’s name. Don’t tell me…?!”

The Grand Duke of the North’s one and only fiancée!

A classic romance novel trope!

A misunderstanding story!

Maybe the fiancée cleared up a misunderstanding and sent a letter—

and Kalid smiled while thinking of her?!

Even though Kalid sometimes smiled and joked with Irene, she knew he wasn’t like that with others.

So if he smiled just from a letter…

“Oh my! The Grand Duke of the North’s romance is happening right here?!”

As an avid reader of romance novels, Irene’s imagination ran wild.

“Ah, this kind of relationship is so good—Ahem. I mean, interesting! Or maybe the female lead runs away at least once…”

She grinned without realizing it, lost in her imagination.

But strangely—

whenever she imagined Kalid with a beautiful woman,

something in her chest felt uncomfortable.

“Hmm… is Kalid’s mana already running out?”

She questioned her sudden discomfort.

But after taking a few deep breaths, she felt fine again.

After some time, Sebastian came to visit again.

“Ah, Sebastian. Did something come up? Do you need my help?”

“No, not at all. I just came to check how your day has been.”

“Already asking about my whole day? It’s not even—huh? When did it get so dark…?”

She looked outside.

Just a moment ago, sunlight had been coming through the window—

but now, soft moonlight filled the room.

“Haha. It seems the book you were reading was very interesting.”

“Y-yeah… it was more fun than I expected. I didn’t even notice time passing.”

She had thought only a few hours had passed—but the whole day was already gone.

And after imagining the Grand Duke’s romance dozens of times, she quickly closed the book, afraid of being caught before even finishing half of it.

“Tomorrow, you should visit the fifth floor. The new books there will surely suit your taste.”

“Alright, I will.”

Irene nodded slowly and glanced at Sebastian.