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Chapter 30
“I actually have something to tell you, young master. Well, this afternoon… I think I saw a ghost…”
I explained with lots of gestures. Hider probably already knew about the ghost incident. And he must’ve heard that the maids were calling that ghost “Amy.”
Hider listened quietly, his expression calm.
“…So the duchess is trying to use your mother as an excuse to kick grandfather out, right?”
“Exactly, young master!”
Hider let out a sigh. He didn’t seem very pleased. Understandable.
“So what are you planning to do?”
“Ah, actually… I spoke with Sir Tibern, and… I was thinking, maybe we could do that!”
Hider chuckled softly. He had definitely grown lately—not just in height, but in build too. He was training hard and growing fast.
Maybe that’s why… even his smile seemed more mature. As expected, he was handsome. Once he becomes a full-grown adult, that adorable part of him will probably disappear completely.
That’s kind of a shame.
“This should be fun.”
“Right? But are you okay, young master?”
“Me?”
“Yes! I mean, since this is about Lady Amy…”
“My mother would probably feel relieved. Don’t worry about me.”
If that’s how he felt, then I was glad.
As his body grew, it seemed his mind was maturing too. Hider was becoming more solid, steadier.
“Well then, I’ll stop bothering you! It’s almost lunchtime!”
The head chef in this house was really talented. The duchess had apparently been very picky when selecting him.
Sir Tibern recently hired a new nutritionist, and thanks to that, the meals had gotten even better in quality.
Even the meals for the servants had improved greatly. That was something Lady Luella worked on after she arrived, and it had raised the overall satisfaction among the servants too.
Truly, food and money were the best.
I wonder what’s for lunch today?
I was about to leave and stop bothering Hider, but he stopped me.
“Wait, Lani.”
“Yes?”
Hider held onto my apron and hesitated a moment. Seeing him like that reminded me that the little boy he once was still lingered inside him.
With his head slightly lowered, he spoke in a small voice.
“Stay with me. I think I can study better when you’re nearby.”
Ah, that made sense.
Some people really did focus better when someone was near. And Hider tended to rely on me quite a bit. I guess that kind of thing would disappear as he got older too?
“Sure. I’ll just go get something to work on. Is that okay?”
Hider nodded.
Hider silently watched as Lani moved about quickly. She carried a large basket, bustling here and there, and then settled herself on the sofa.
She pulled out all sorts of things from the basket and began sewing with busy hands.
Apparently, she was making things to sell at the market.
Watching her fingers move so rapidly, Hider let out a sigh.
He was still far from strong enough. If he wanted Lani to be free from that kind of labor and live in comfort, he needed more power.
When will I grow up completely?
Lani had mentioned lately that the other maids were subtly excluding her.
“They don’t give me any work! And when I try to help, they freak out!”
It seemed to be a new kind of bullying. Clearly, it was because of her closeness to Hider.
Hider wanted to free Lani from all of it.
To do that, he had to study hard, train hard. If he became the kind of great knight Tibern hoped for, he could gain more power.
“What’s so great about the heir of a dukedom? Hider, the disappointing Duke of Cartieron—just having Herden was enough.”
It was a tone lamenting his own son’s inadequacy.
“The next Duke of Cartieron must become a Sword Master. I’m getting old. When I’m gone, who will protect the North?”
What he really meant was: if Carte couldn’t become a Sword Master, the heir might be changed.
Whether Tibern had that level of power or not, that was Hider’s hope.
A fire flickered in Hider’s eyes.
Lani had no idea. No idea who that fire was blindly burning for.
2 p.m.
Just as Dania had told me, all lodging areas were shut down. The head butler came by with a disapproving face and told me not to go anywhere—just stay in my room.
“No matter how high and mighty you feel lately, if you ignore the Duchess’s orders, you won’t get away with it. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
He left with a disgruntled look.
He probably just wanted an excuse to pick a fight.
Around 2:30, the mansion began to stir. They said they’d arrive at 3, but it seemed they were early.
Through the window, I saw the duchess putting on a huge act welcoming someone.
That must be David. In the original story, he showed up blabbering about exorcism and tormented Hider endlessly.
Called him a possessed child.
And it was how Kiera justified her abuse of Hider.
Herden stood by and did nothing. Just drank and visited Hider to babble about Amy—what a pathetic father.
Now he just swapped out the name with Tibern, but he was doing the same thing.
Sigh. People don’t change. Nature doesn’t go anywhere.
I began preparing. Activated my Stealth Skill and slipped out of my room. Headed down to the lobby where I saw David sprinkling something as he moved about.
Holy water, maybe?
Leaning against the railing, I watched what they were doing.
“There’s definitely a ghostly presence. The mansion is full of ominous energy, Duchess. You must have been under great stress.”
“That’s why I invited the High Priest. All the servants have been cleared out, so please, do what you need to do.”
Kiera let out a deep sigh.
“The ghost has made the entire house feel strange.”
“No wonder. It’s a very malicious spirit that’s attached itself here.”
Pretty sure he was talking about Kiera herself.
If we’re ranking evil spirits, no one beats her.
I quietly trailed behind them, eavesdropping on their conversations. Nothing particularly useful came up—other than the fact that David had been paid quite generously for today’s event.
Hider walked alone down an empty hallway. The head butler had made a fuss and told him Tibern was calling for him.
And there, in front of Tibern’s door, he ran into Herden.
Hider immediately turned his head away. Herden looked at him with a complex expression.
Inside Tibern’s room, no one else was there yet.
“Lani’s not here yet.”
Tibern pretended to be surprised as they arrived.
“Father, I heard you called for us. What is the matter?”
Herden’s gloomy voice echoed, and Tibern clicked his tongue.
“I never called for you. Why are you here?”
“I was told that you summoned me, so…”
And at that moment, there was a knock, and the door opened. The Duchess entered, followed by the priest—then lastly, Lani.
Lani winked at Hider and Tibern. It seemed no one else could perceive her presence yet.
“I’m actually the one who called you. The High Priest said he had something important to share.”
“Last night, during my prayers…”
Lani looked at the priest with sparkling eyes.
Hider, however, was only looking at Lani.
Even though she was playing a role in this little act, there was still a playful sparkle in her eyes—remnants of her younger self. In truth, none of this performance mattered to Hider.
The most important thing was that Lani didn’t get hurt.
“The god told me that the Duke’s estate is possessed by an evil spirit. He said I must go and exorcise it as his servant.”
The priest spoke with dramatic flair.
Lani looked delighted. And to Hider, that was enough.
