The Duchess Who Sees Ghosts - Chapter 10 – Ghost Turmoil (6)

Chapter 10 – Ghost Turmoil (6)

Translator: Yonnee

—

“Seasonal God.”

Patrick gripped the sword that he had already unsheathed and looked around. Even if he couldn’t feel the energy being emanated, the Seasonal God was still a god. What he emitted was not spiritual power, but sacred power that Patrick couldn’t detect.

But this was different for Julia. This god was the one who was responsible for her death, so she had a deep connection with him. Just by his sudden appearance, Julia’s head started throbbing.

“Why are you here?”

Julia lowered her voice and the language that she used in her previous life flowed out of her lips. Patrick looked at Julia in surprise at her change in voice and tone.

“Are you still not done with your business with me, Seasonal—”

[ HIIISS! HISS! HIIIIIIISSSS!! ]

The cries sent chills down their spines. It was as if he was expressing extreme anger or sorrow. As she listened to the long cry, Julia bit her lips and folded her fan. Closing her eyes, she gently bent forward and bowed to the god. Then, she spoke softly.

“Please take back your anger.”

The snake’s golden eyes glared down at Julia, then he cried in a low voice again as he looked towards another direction. Julia followed that gaze and saw the tombstones from the faraway cemetery.

Then, he cried again. Julia gave an inquisitive stare. It seemed like he was trying to tell her something instead of expressing his wrath.

The snake flicked its tongue and touched the talisman attached to the back of the gravestone. Then, the talisman was set ablaze. One after another, the snake’s body shone brighter as the talismans burned. Beside Julia, Patrick flinched. She glanced at him for a moment before speaking to the god again.

“Seasonal God, someone is forcefully taking away the negative energy here. And because of that, the souls of the dead are disappearing. Is that what you mean to tell me?”

At her words, the Seasonal God cried low and nodded once. Julia frowned at his affirmation.

The Seasonal God stared at her for a brief period, before suddenly standing taller then disappearing, going back from the direction he came from.

Julia stared blankly at the snake’s retreating figure. Patrick, who was standing next to her, tapped her on the shoulder, tense.

“Milady. Milady!”

“Oh… What?”

“What was that?”

Julia shook her head and kept silent. She was still also confused because she didn’t know what just happened.

She didn’t find out much from the god, but more than that, she was still reeling from her reunion with him. She didn’t exactly have a good relationship with him, so it was unexpected. Julia’s mind was heavy with unanswered question.

Julia staggered slightly, and Patrick looked at her with surprise. Julia just shook her head, stopping him from supporting her.

“I’ve been waking up at daybreak these days, so I haven’t had much sleep… I’m just tired.”

“You’re pushing yourself too hard, Milady. Please don’t do anything tomorrow and rest well.”

Just as Patrick said, it was exhausting to wake up so early for several days in a row. And amidst all that, Julia couldn’t believe she met the Seasonal God… All of it stacked together and took a toll on her.

But it was strange. No matter how difficult the work was, she didn’t get affected to this degree before… Her whole body was drained of energy as if someone had sucked the life force out of her.

Julia squinted her eyes and staggered forward. Patrick looked at her with worry.

“Milady, the stairs are in front of you… please wait for me!”

Patrick shouted from afar as he rushed to pick up the scattered bags of the talismans.

Julia waved her hand at him to tell him she’s alright, but then, as she went down the steps to leave the refugee shelter, her eyes closed and she stumbled. She felt the presence of someone close to her, then a soft touch.

She raised her gaze with a blank look and saw clear blue eyes and sky blue hair that shone like silver under the faint moonlight.

“That was dangerous.”

She gaped at him, and in response, he chuckled softly. How considerate of him.

“Even so, it’s a relief.”

Behind him, Julia could see the darkness receding. The sky, which had seemed to have frozen a while ago, lit up beautifully as if it intended to dazzle everyone with its light.

If the sunset turned all ladies into beautiful women, the clouded moon that gave way to daybreak would make a man beautiful enough to shake a woman’s heart.

Leo gave Julia a friendly smile instead of his impartial smile. His hand gently rose to caress her hair. At his warm touch, Julia closed her eyes without resisting. The moon’s last fragment vanished over the horizon.

“You did well, Julia.”

After hearing those words, Julia felt the strength escape from her body and soon, she lost consciousness.

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a child who was abandoned by her parents, calling her a cursed child. But a god appeared and saved her.

Because she had no choice but to live alone without even graduating from elementary school, she grew up naïvely without knowing what was going on around her.

There were many bad people who aimed for young girls, and the world was far too dangerous, but the young child grew up without having to experience such hardships. It was thanks to the god who helped her.

A shaman who happened to meet the child gave her a small room where she started her own life as a shaman.

The child sat in that small room and met all sorts of people that the shaman introduced to her, and she received good reviews and praises because she received help from a good god.

However, as time passed by, there were more times when she would blame the god that stayed next to her rather than give thanks.

The god made her live a completely different life from other people just by being next to her. For the child, the god named ‘Mago’ was her benefactor, her friend and her parent… But on the other hand, the god was no better than an enemy.

When the child was reborn into another world, her connection with Mago was severed, so she thought that she could finally live a new life.

However, although the knot of time was still tightly tangled now, it would be easy for someone to come and unravel it.

“…Ow.”

As Julia slowly woke up to the strong light that was shining on her face, she covered her eyes with her hands as she groaned.

“Are you up?”

A gentle voice entered her ears, at which she turned her head. Julia opened her mouth slightly in surprise as her gaze met with striking blue eyes.

Leo smiled and handed her a glass of water.

“You’re still spaced out, aren’t you?”

Julia accepted the glass and took a sip. As the cold water flowed down her throat, she could feel herself getting refreshed by a cool energy surrounding her body. Then, she turned to him, feeling her mind getting sharper.

“Why… is Your Grace here?”

“Why, you ask.”

Leo grinned and sat back in his chair, then took his book from the nearby table and opened it.

“I brought you here.”

“…Your Grace?”

Julia just stared blankly at Leo, who went back to reading his book. Her spotty memories were slowly being pieced together in her head as she tried to remember how she got back here.”

She could remember losing strength and almost falling down the stairs, and Leo’s smile engraved in her mind.

‘You did well, Julia.’

As she recalled his smiling face, Julia’s eyes popped wide open, and all at once, the sunlight surrounding her entered her sight.

“Ah…!”

“Do you remember?”

Julia pulled her blanket with her eyes still on his book. Then, some fragmented memories rushed in—and the vivid feeling of being in Leo’s arms while she had lost consciousness.

‘What did I just do?!’

Julia had never been in a man’s arms like that in any of her lifetimes and was now stunned by her own defenselessness.

Suddenly, she was reminded of what her older sister, Lorraine, once told her.

‘Why do you sleep with your eyes half open? I can see the whites of your eyes, it’s so creepy. You look like a ghost! And no matter how much you drool, can’t you act more like a noble?’

Now that her sister’s words suddenly popped into her mind, Julia seemed even more distressed.

She fainted just like that, so… it must have been ugly. Julia pulled the blanket tighter over her body while berating herself.

“What’s wrong?”

While getting out of bed, Julia flinched and moved away as Leo approached closer, then she spoke in a careful manner.

“Was Your Grace the one who brought me here yesterday?”

“Well… Yes.”

Julia shut her eyes tightly and bit her inner cheek. Then, she answered him, avoiding his gaze.

“…Did I sleep with my eyes open?”

Leo blinked and contemplated for a second. Then, he shook his head.

Julia sighed in relief as soon as did so. But then, Leo continued.

“It wasn’t yesterday.”

“Pardon?”

Julia’s eyes widened at his remark. But Leo just shrugged.

“Lady Julia, you’ve been asleep for two days. So to be exact, it wasn’t yesterday, but the day before.”

“Two days?”

“Yes. I was worried that you wouldn’t wake up. Do you usually sleep this much?”

Julia gaped at him. Two days, not just one? Julia furrowed her brows, contemplating. Leo stared at her and sat back on his chair with the book on his lap, his fingertips together.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Julia shook her head. It was the first time she slept so long. Ever since she became a shaman, she never needed to sleep that long.

She always just accepted a god’s power, so her body was always in the best condition even if she didn’t do anything special to regain strength. Unlike Patrick, who always struggled due to lack of sleep, Julia never stumbled just because she couldn’t sleep for one or two days.

For her to suddenly faint like that—it was definitely a problem.

In her mind, she traced her memories and remembered that she saw the Seasonal God that day.