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Chapter 31
Tybern crossed his arms and stared at David with a cold gaze, as if to say, Let’s see what nonsense you’ll come up with next.
The one growing impatient from his calm attitude was Kiera.
“So, High Priest! Just where is the evil spirit you’re talking about? You can exorcise it, right?”
Herden remained silent, watching the whole scene unfold without interference, just as he always did.
“It can be exorcised. That’s precisely why the Lord has sent me here. ‘Exorcise the evil spirit and protect the Duke of Katieron!’—those were His words!”
David the High Priest shook the silver bell in his hand. It rang out softly with a clear chime.
“I sense an overwhelmingly strong aura of evil in this very room! Ooooooooh!”
As David theatrically shook the bell, Lani quickly covered her mouth, barely stifling her laughter. Hider, standing behind Kiera, glanced at Lani.
David spun in a circle around the room, then suddenly widened his eyes.
“Hasn’t Lord Tybern been ill recently?”
“…Yeah, he has.”
Tybern replied indifferently, his tone conveying just how ridiculous and exhausting he found this theatrical act David and Kiera were putting on.
Kiera glanced anxiously at Tybern and Herden.
“How did you know that, High Priest? Father’s illness was a tightly kept secret!”
Tybern was the Empire’s hero, its strongest sword. Among all current swordmasters, none were deemed stronger than him. His absence would be a national issue.
The Imperial Family, in recognition of Tybern’s value, had granted the Duke’s household considerable privileges—tax exemptions, favorable treatment for their businesses, and much more.
If Tybern were to die, all of that would be revoked.
Even so, Kiera believed that Tybern’s death would benefit her more.
Still, her heartfelt acting managed to get a small scoff out of Tybern.
“Wow, the High Priest really is impressive.”
He didn’t forget to add a mocking tone.
“It seems the Lord sent me here just to help you, Lord Tybern!”
“Well, how generous of Him.”
David clenched his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the smug expression off Tybern’s face.
His lips trembled as he said, “It seems the evil spirit has latched onto Lord Tybern! That’s the source of his illness!”
At that, Herden frowned. Tybern was not the type of man who would be taken down by a mere evil spirit.
David, lost in his own theatrics, continued.
“It’s probably the spirit of someone who bore a grudge against Lord Tybern!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Yes, Lord Tybern!”
David shook the bell with renewed vigor.
“To vanquish a spirit, one must first identify it. Give me just a little more time, and I shall uncover its true identity!”
Kiera sniffled dramatically.
“Who could be such a wicked spirit to torment my father… They’ll face divine punishment!”
The room was filled with nothing but Kiera’s fake sobs and the sound of the silver bell ringing.
“What is your name?” David asked, shaking the bell sporadically. Lani, watching this unfold, muttered to herself.
“His acting is practically possessed.”
David’s lips quivered, his breath growing ragged.
“The… the spirit is speaking!”
“What is it saying? What could be so evil that it would torment the Katieron family?!”
Kiera played along. It was like watching a perfectly rehearsed play.
“Its name, its name…! Amy!”
At that moment, David twisted his body and shook the bell madly. Herden looked slightly overwhelmed by the sight.
Perhaps it wasn’t the theatrics that overwhelmed him—but the name itself: Amy.
“Amy?! Honey, Herden—it must be that Amy is angry about her death… She’s taking revenge on Father! What do we do?!”
Kiera clung to Herden, sniffling. Hider’s face turned icy cold at the sight.
He was utterly disgusted at how Kiera was using even Amy’s death as a prop in her act.
“Is it really Amy?!”
Herden shouted. David widened his eyes and shouted back:
“You bastards! I’ll kill you all! I’ll get revenge for what you’ve done to me!”
The wildly ringing silver bell added to the dramatic chaos.
“Amy!”
Herden gritted his teeth and his eyes filled with tears.
“E-evil spirit, b-begone!”
David shook his head and began sprinkling holy water onto Tybern. He then recited a prayer loudly from the holy scriptures.
And then—
Flutter.
Other than the wildly moving David, no one else was moving. There wasn’t even a breeze. Yet Kiera’s skirt suddenly fluttered high into the air.
“Kyaaaaah!”
Kiera screamed.
Lani, crouched on the floor, smirked.
“Time for me to join the show.”
David and Kiera had already laid the stage perfectly. Lani tugged on the hem of Kiera’s dress, making it flutter again.
David flinched and stepped back. The hand holding the holy water trembled.
Flutter.
Kiera detached herself from Herden. Lani began throwing things near her, yanking her hair, and generally tormenting her like a mischievous child.
Lani’s eyes sparkled like a little devil’s.
“An—an evil spirit!”
David screamed. As if everything up to now had been a joke, he started dousing Kiera with holy water and shaking the bell wildly while chanting frantically.
Kiera turned ghostly pale, shaking all over.
“P-please spare me, Amy! D-don’t do this! Kyaaaaah!”
She thrashed about like a madwoman, while Tybern watched with a look of pure disgust.
“Looks like the spirit isn’t on me, but on Kiera.”
Tybern said coldly. Herden also stared blankly at her.
“Well, High Priest. What do we do now? How should we proceed with the exorcism?”
David turned back to Tybern, visibly trembling. The coldness in Tybern’s eyes made him shrink.
“L-Lord Tybern. Well, um…”
Tybern clicked his tongue.
“Herden. It seems Kiera’s weakened spirit allowed the evil one to latch onto her. I think it would be best if she went to her family estate for a while—to rest and recover.”
At those words, Lani happily made Kiera’s skirt flutter once more.
At that very moment—
[Stealth Art v.2 activated
You can no longer be seen by most people.]
A spark flashed before Lani’s eyes, and suddenly, she vanished from Hider’s view.
He almost jumped in surprise but managed to hold himself back.
Why… why did she disappear?
His breath grew rapid.
Lani had vanished from his world.
It was a situation he had never imagined—not once since she had come into his life and saved it.
The chaotic scene in the room finally came to an end as Kiera ran out, screaming like a madwoman.
“Argh!”
David ran after her. Tybern turned lazily to Herden and said,
“Go after them.”
Herden clenched his jaw and chased after Kiera with a confused look on his face.
Left behind in the now-quiet room, the sound of Lani’s cheerful laughter echoed.
Hearing it, Hider finally exhaled.
“…Whew.”
Lani reappeared.
Hider, pale-faced, approached her.
“They totally tripped over their own lies! Did you see her face? She looked terrified!”
Lani’s face was filled with gleeful satisfaction. Hider tightly grabbed her hand.
“Hmm? Young Master?”
She was solid to the touch.
“…Did something happen?”
Her voice was clear. She was standing right in front of him.
Lani hadn’t disappeared after all.
With a strangled voice, Hider muttered,
“…No. Nothing happened.”
Yes, it had to be a temporary phenomenon. Nothing more.
