🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 07
“You must not go into the basement.”
That was what the butler, Toby, had said.
Could that basement be the source of the blood-draining rumors? If she went down there, would packs filled with human blood be hanging from the ceiling?
And in the middle of it all, Zachary would be gulping down blood, with crimson dripping from the corners of his mouth.
Just imagining it was horrifying.
If this were a horror movie, it would make for a pretty incredible scene.
But movies and reality were two very different things.
Yurita quietly came down the stairs and carefully headed toward the basement, avoiding the servants’ eyes.
A heavy lock was firmly attached to the basement door.
Getting this open won’t be easy.
The butler probably had the basement key. Obviously, she couldn’t just ask for it.
Just as she was about to turn back—
Boing—
“Hm?”
A strange swelling sound rang out. Something white bulged out from around the lock.
What is that? Mold?
As Yurita stared closely at the white “mold,” it gradually grew larger and lifted its head.
It has eyes, a nose, and a mouth?!
Yurita’s eyes widened.
A translucent body with tiny black eyes, nose, and mouth.
A ghost?
The little white ghost looked blankly up at Yurita. Then it grinned and slipped back into the lock.
A moment later, the lock clicked open on its own.
A giggling “Heeheehee” echoed from inside the lock.
So there really are ghosts in this house.
She had occasionally narrowed her eyes and looked around the mansion just in case, but until now she hadn’t found even a trace of one.
Not everyone became a ghost after death. Only those with deep lingering attachments—or for some unknown reason—remained in this world as spirits.
White usually means the soul of a child.
Adult souls were usually black. Pure children appeared white.
That white ghost meant that a child had died in this house. She didn’t know why.
Not exactly a good sign.
Thinking that, Yurita carefully cracked open the basement door. A gloomy staircase stretched downward.
Could there be more ghosts down there?
When she had first gained the ability to see ghosts, the occult fanatic in her had been thrilled. But not anymore. Yurita wasn’t the type to fangirl over real ghosts.
They all carry stories that are too sad to treat as fandom material.
They were beings deserving of respect.
Her love for the occult only extended to terrifying creatures imagined by humans.
Anyway, let’s go down.
“My lady, what are you doing here?”
At that moment, the elderly butler Toby suddenly appeared in front of her and slammed the basement door shut.
Yurita was startled internally, but she smiled calmly at him.
“I was just looking around the mansion.”
“I told you not to enter the basement.”
“I heard it’s a wine cellar. Since I’ll be hosting banquets in the future, I thought it would be necessary to know the condition of the storage.”
“…I manage the wine cellar very well. It’s old and damp down there—not a comfortable place for a lady.”
“I see.”
“And His Grace dislikes banquets, so it would be best not to hold any.”
At those words, Yurita’s eyebrows rose.
“Oh? Why does my husband dislike banquets?”
“He hates noisy parties. The previous duke was the same way.”
“My, is that so?”
Then I absolutely have to hold one here someday.
Yurita smiled slyly to herself.
If Zachary hates it, then I’m all for it.
She intended to gather every bit of information she could about him.
If it meant she could repay the humiliation she’d felt at the wedding ceremony!
“Toby, I won’t go into the basement, but I’d like to taste the wine from this house. Could you send some up tonight?”
So I can check whether it’s really wine and not blood.
Of course, they would obviously serve her ordinary wine.
“I’ll instruct the head maid accordingly.”
Just then, the butler glanced sharply at the opened lock.
“My lady, do you happen to have the basement key?”
“No, of course not. The door was already open when I came.”
“…How strange.”
“You should pay more attention to basement security, Toby. The lock seems unreliable. It’s a place no one should enter freely, right?”
Yurita grinned and walked away.
“I’m sure I locked it last night…”
With a puzzled expression, Toby pulled out a key from his waist and locked the basement door again.
“That was close.”
Back upstairs, Yurita let out a sigh of relief.
If the butler had caught her inside the basement, who knew what he would’ve reported to Zachary?
The basement will be difficult for a while. The butler will probably keep watch.
For now, she’d set aside the suspicion that Zachary drank blood.
But she still had many questions about him.
Was the rumor true—that Zachary had killed his father and older brother for the title?
Murdering family members is a grave crime. If I find evidence, I might be able to report him to the imperial family.
Yurita was even considering realistic methods of revenge.
But honestly, there’s another rumor I need to be more careful about.
The story that Zachary had neglected his politically arranged wife until she took her own life.
That wasn’t just a rumor—it had actually happened in the original story.
Just how badly did someone have to be neglected before they chose suicide?
I refuse to end up like that.
Wandering the hallway, Yurita paused by a window.
How did I end up worrying about things like this?
As she watched the clouds drifting by, longing for her previous life welled up inside her.
All I wanted was financial freedom, to quit my job, and live comfortably.
She even remembered the large sum of money she had carefully saved in her bank account. A sigh escaped her lips.
Boing—
Then she heard the exact same sound from earlier near the basement door.
Yurita quickly lifted her head. Far down the hallway, the same little white ghost peeked out at her.
As Yurita hurried toward it, the ghost hid itself, only to reappear several meters ahead.
Is it guiding me? Or just playing around?
Half suspicious, Yurita followed the ghost all the way to the top floor of the mansion.
Where did it go?
—Here.
A voice echoed inside her head.
—Come here, to the window.
When Yurita approached the window, the voice came again, this time from outside.
—Look outside.
She peeked out and immediately saw the side of the giant gargoyle statue attached to the mansion roof.
Ah, it’s even more magnificent up close. A true masterpiece.
Yurita once again admired the intricately carved demon wings and horns.
“Do you find this body so magnificent?”
The voice rang out again. At the same time, the gargoyle’s fierce eyes flashed.
The statue… was talking?!
Could this statue also be possessed by a ghost?
Yurita could sometimes see ghosts, but this was her first time actually speaking with one.
Oddly enough, she wasn’t afraid.
“Are you frightened? Heh heh, understandable.”
The voice tried hard to sound deep like an adult man’s, but it couldn’t hide the fact that it belonged to a child.
Honestly, it even sounded a little pathetic.
“You called me? Who are you?”
“Woman, do not faint from shock. I am the fallen angel Lucifer!”
“Lucifer is a demon’s name.”
“…Then I am the great demon Lucifer!”
“Actually, Lucifer is both a fallen angel and a demon.”
“Are you making fun of me right now?! Do you wish to be cursed?!”
The words were threatening, but the tone made it impossible to feel scared. It felt like talking to her younger brother Theo when he tried to act tough.
“I am the true master of this mansion! If you offend me, your life here shall never be peaceful!”
What kind of way of speaking is that?
“So why did you call me, Lucifer?”
“Call me ‘Lord’!”
“Lord.”
“Hmph. Woman, don’t you want to know Zachary Killaster’s weakness?”
Oh? That definitely catches my interest.
“What’s Zachary’s weakness?”
“Heh heh, if you want to hear it, come a little closer.”
Yurita leaned her upper body out the window. The gargoyle statue was close enough to touch if she stretched out her hand.
“Closer.”
To get any closer, she’d have to lean dangerously far out.
Yurita narrowed her eyes. Quietly, she raised one hand high and smacked the gargoyle square on the forehead.
“Gwah!”
At that moment, the statue jolted, and a tiny white ghost popped out of it with a boing sound.
So that’s what it was. The ghost from the basement had gone inside the statue.
—Geez! You scared me, woman!
“What kind of trick are you trying to pull? Were you trying to make me fall? There’s a limit to how much mischief I’ll tolerate just because you’re a kid.”
—Who are you calling a kid?! I am the great fallen demon Lucifer! Just wait—I’ll curse you! I’m not telling you Zachary’s weakness anymore!
The ghost stuck its tongue out at Yurita, then floated away like a deflating balloon.
“What a cheeky little brat.”
Clicking her tongue, Yurita tried to pull herself back inside.
“Huh—?”
At that moment, her hand slipped, and her body tilted dangerously forward. Just as she was about to fall from the roof—
Thud.
A strong hand grabbed Yurita’s arm and pulled her back through the window.
