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Chapter 11
Enhae, her long black eyelashes still holding unfallen tears, began to slowly examine the elderly ghost before her.
Seeing this, the old ghost let out a small chuckle and spoke in a voice much gentler than before.
“[I kept hearing the sound of kittens echoing through the palace here and there… and now I realize that sound was your crying.]”
As he finished speaking, the tall ghost leaned toward Enhae, startling her so much that she plopped down without realizing it.
“Hic! Hic! Hic!”
She hiccupped involuntarily from the shock, and the old ghost simply laughed heartily, finding the scene amusing.
Enhae held her bladder tightly and looked up at the laughing ghost. Though clearly a spirit, unlike the others she had seen, he emitted no chilling aura, no foul smell—only a dignified presence that was impossible to approach casually.
“Wh… Whiccup… who… who are you?” she asked, her earlier boldness replaced by polite curiosity mixed with hiccups.
Her tiny hands covered her mouth, yet her hiccups persisted, as if a large grape were bouncing uncontrollably in her throat.
The old ghost, seeing her chubby hands trying to stifle the hiccups, smiled kindly and met her eyes.
“[You are a princess of this kingdom, yet why do you cry all alone everywhere? Your sorrowful cries reached me, so today I came myself.]”
The old ghost did not directly answer her question about who he was, but the gentle inquiry about why she cried made Enhae’s tightly pressed lips twitch.
Her small, plump lips, glistening with saliva and tears, looked as if they could burst into sobs at any moment.
Could it be that ghosts could hear her cries even from afar?
This palace library was a place no one could enter without the Crown Prince’s permission, and the ghosts here did not frighten her, so she could cry safely.
Yet if her cries could reach the ghosts outside, would they come here to find her?
If so, where could she escape to avoid the frightening spirits?
Seeing Enhae, still on the verge of tears, the old ghost shook his head gently and said,
“[Child, not all spirits can hear your crying.]”
Enhae, with round eyes full of tears, softly asked,
“Eh?”
Before she could finish asking what he meant, the old ghost, with a kind expression, explained in a way she could understand.
“[Only special ghosts, like me, can hear it.]”
“What…?” Enhae tilted her head, confused, and the old ghost, speaking gently, asked,
“[Child, are you afraid of me?]”
Enhae shook her head while hiccupping, her chubby cheeks bouncing cutely from side to side.
Seeing this adorable sight, the old ghost extended a hand, but it passed through her soft cheeks without touching them.
“Ehng!” he grumbled in mock disappointment, and Enhae’s eyes widened in surprise.
A transparent hand suddenly protruding before her—of course she was startled.
The old ghost let out a faint sigh, slowly straightened, and gazed at the still-hiccupping Enhae with a look of pity.
How could a child like her have awakened spiritual sight…?
Meanwhile, Enhae, trying to swallow her continuing hiccups, looked around at the library, noticing something strange: all the scholar ghosts that had been scattered around were gone.
Where did they all go?
She looked up at the elderly ghost, tilting her head in curiosity. Once again, she felt it—this ghost was not frightening like the others. Somehow, his presence felt warm and familiar.
“[Why are you staring so intently? I am a ghost, yes, but am I frightening to you?]”
Grandfather?
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the old ghost and asked,
“Grandfather? Then… are you perhaps my grandfather?”
The old ghost, pleased by the intelligence and clarity in her black eyes, smiled broadly at Enhae.
Her gaze was filled with hope and anticipation. Unable to contain himself, the old ghost laughed heartily.
“Ha ha ha ha ha! Grandfather… yes, would you like that?”
Enhae, who had been sitting on the floor, quickly straightened and began examining the old ghost’s face slowly.
The smiling old ghost’s face seemed familiar. Somehow, it reminded her of her father and the Crown Prince, and also of her long-deceased grandfather.
The old ghost, observing her gaze calmly, uncurled his folded hands behind his back and leaned slightly closer.
“[Now that you look closely, do I resemble your grandfather?]”
Enhae lowered her eyes, fidgeting with her clasped hands.
“Well… I’m not sure, but you do resemble Father and the Crown Prince… Somehow… I don’t know why, but you aren’t scary.”
Her tiny, cherry-red lips pouted as she spoke cutely, making the old ghost laugh again.
“Ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha.”
Finally quieting his laughter, he stroked his white, full beard and asked kindly,
“[Child, why did you always hide and cry alone? As the princess of this kingdom, was there no one to scold you?]”
Hearing the old ghost’s tender voice, Enhae, recalling all the times she had endured alone, closed her eyes tightly as tears began to fall like pearls.
Touched by her pitiful state, the old ghost stroked his beard awkwardly and asked again,
“[Shall this grandfather chase away all the ghosts who have been troubling you and stand on your side?]”
Enhae’s nostrils twitched as she fought to hold back sobs. She had been so frightened and lonely all this time, yet here, finally, was a being—even a ghost—offering to be on her side.
Looking up at the old ghost, she asked, tearfully,
“Truly?”
Her eyes shook with emotion. The old ghost smiled softly and replied,
“Of course, truly.”
With the ghost’s affirmation, Enhae braced herself and said loudly,
“Yes! Please do!”
Her dark, tear-filled eyes met the old ghost’s gaze firmly. At that, his lips curved into a gentle smile.
“[Good! So be it. From now on, no evil spirit shall come near you without my permission!]”
Enhae’s eyes widened in disbelief, and her tiny cherry lips parted in astonishment.
The old ghost, pleased by her adorable expression, lowered himself fully to the library floor and asked,
“[Child, can you tell this grandfather your whole story?]”
Tears in her eyes and her mouth slightly open, Enhae nodded and gave a faint smile.
The sun had climbed higher, scattering light across every corner of the library.
In a quiet corner of the shelves filled with ancient books, the five-year-old princess and the white-robed elderly ghost sat side by side, like a grandfather and granddaughter who had shared many years together, quietly talking.
The young princess began recounting all the terrifying experiences she had never shared with anyone.
The old ghost, listening kindly and adding gentle responses, extended his hand through hers as if to reassure her, saying silently that she no longer needed to be afraid.
“The first ghost I saw was a scary old lady ghost next to Mother,” she said, recalling the day she had screamed in fright at the spectral woman beside her mother.
Then she told of the infant ghost clinging to the royal physician, and of all the spirits in the palace who had tried speaking to her, one by one.
Seeing her recount everything, her face looked unusually relieved.
Thanks to the orders of His Majesty, she had never been able to share these stories with anyone…
And now, as her voice gradually became wet with tears, the old ghost, listening to her remarkable tale, furrowed his brow and closed his eyes tightly in sympathy.
“And earlier… I met a very, very scary ghost,” she said, shuddering as she recounted the boy ghost clinging to the back of the page attendant in Hyeshin Palace that morning.
“He was completely soaked, and his eyes looked like hollow holes… and he came to me…”
Enhae could not finish her sentence, her eyes squeezing shut.
The old ghost let out a long sigh and clicked his tongue.
“[That wretched fellow! He dared frighten our princess? Shall I catch him immediately and punish him?]”
Perhaps because of the grandfatherly coaxing, or because the accumulated sorrow had finally poured out, Enhae’s eyes, squeezed shut, released tears like shining pearls, soaking her robes.
The library, usually filled with the faint sound of wind through the open skylight, grew utterly still. Enhae, still hiccupping softly, looked up at the old ghost.
“Hic… hic… please, I hope I never see those ghosts again,” she said.
The old ghost, though his hand could not touch her, lifted it gently and stroked her small head.
“[Yes. From now on, without my permission, no spirit shall come near you. I promise.]”
Then he looked up at the large skylight, letting sunlight pour into the dim library.
He had wandered the palace as a spirit for hundreds of years, having refused ascension and forsaken heavenly law. Though he had not ascended, he knew not to meddle in the affairs of the living and had never manifested before his descendants—until now.
Now, seeing the spiritual sight of this young princess open, he could not ignore her plight.
From this day forward, he would be her protector. He did not know why her spiritual sight had awakened, but he could not leave this small descendant alone.
Even if he were to fail in reincarnation or fall into hell for his actions, he would have no regrets. After all, had not his own life in the world been harsher than hell itself?
