The Duchess Who Sees Ghosts - Chapter 27 – Curse (11)

Chapter 27 – Curse (11)

Translator: Yonnee

—

‘Please remember.’

Julia’s eyes shook like a fire swaying in the wind.

‘We were people, too.’

How could she forget? How could she give up on them? Even if everyone else turned their backs on them, Julia would never let go.

As she sighed lightly, Leo looked at her with concern. Julia left yesterday afternoon, saying that she had something to think about for a while, and she didn’t return to her room until dawn.

He wanted to ask what happened, but Leo couldn’t step forward and talk to her. And so, he continued to worry about her at her side.

Julia was now looking through documents with tired eyes, then she opened her lips to speak.

“…How’s the Sanctuary going?”

“We will know the details only when we get a report on it, but it seems to still be in progress. It’s planned to be done this evening.”

“This evening…”

Julia gently lowered her gaze as she repeated the words. Her red eyes, which were hooded by long, thick eyelashes, were in anguish.

Leo glanced at her. What was she thinking? The sudden shift in her atmosphere from yesterday was worrying him endlessly.

He hoped that she would tell him of her own volition, but she never talked about herself first.

“Duke Epesia.”

“Yes?”

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“As many as you want. What is it?”

As Leo leaned forward, Julia stared at him with calm eyes, then she spoke.

“I want you to attach talismans in some areas of the academy that I’ll tell you about. This should be before the Sanctuary is performed.”

“Talismans?”

Julia gave him a bundle of talismans. The papers were eye-catching as the brilliantly colored pieces of paper were painted with red ink.

“This…”

“It’s a type of a warding talisman. It’s supposed to drive away evil, and it won’t be of much effect here, but it’s still better than nothing.”

“Huh?”

Leo looked at Julia with a perplexed face as she spoke words that he had never heard before.¹ Julia only stared at him for a moment, then she continued speaking.

“First of all, please attach these talismans. We need to prevent the spirits from outside from being summoned inside. And…”

Julia trailed off for a while as she gently closed her eyes.

“…for that to happen.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Mm. It’s nothing. I’m trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario, so please make sure to do as I say. I’ll tell you about the locations, so please attach them there. Please finish attaching them before the sun sets.”

Julia smiled as she shook her head, and Leo could only nod. Julia took out a guide map of the academy and marked each location.

After she finished marking them, Julia handed the guide map over to him. Then, Leo left the office.

When the door closed behind him, Julia’s expression hardened once more. Her expression mirrored the serious decision she had just made.

Only firm resolution was left within her.

*

As the sun was about to set and the sky was bathed in a red light, it was only then when a report arrived from Leo.

“It’s finished.”

“Thank you. It must have been quite difficult.”

As soon as Julia smiled gently, Leo shook his head as if to say he was alright. Though in fact, it really was difficult to attach dozens of talismans around the academy like he did.

There would not have been enough time to do this, but Leo completed the work that Julia requested of him. She looked at him wordlessly for a while, then smiled.

“You’re amazing, Duke.”

“What?”

“I think I can do anything as long as you’re helping me. Why does it feel like this?”

“Really? Then I’m glad.”

“Right, me too…”

“That’s what I think, too.”

“……”

Julia kept smiling, and while thinking of what to say next, she stopped and looked up at him. Leo raised the corners of his lips naturally.

His eyes were like crescent moons as his lips curled up. Was he always so good at smiling?

Julia lowered her gaze.

“Did you check on how the Sanctuary is going?”

“It’ll be at midnight.”

“Midnight…”

Julia contemplated for a moment, then she got up from her seat.

“It’s not bad. Then, should I prepare, too?”

“Prepare?”

“Yes.”

He thought that Julia would pass by him, but she stopped walking and looked up.

“Let’s eat together first.”

It was the same everywhere she went. It was only possible to do something when the stomach is satiated. Since eating comes first, this was also a way of preparing.

After dinner, Leo looked absurdly at the other side of the room after Julia left right after she ate, saying that she had something to do.

Olden approached Leo’s side as he was looking where Julia had been just now, disappearing once again before he could even hold onto her.

“What’s wrong, sire?”

“…Did something happen to Julia?”

“What do you mean?”

“Yesterday, she was firmly against the Sanctuary, but now she’s just watching by without reacting to it even though it’ll be performed soon. What does this mean?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

Olden looked worried for a moment, perplexed as well, then he carefully spoke.

“Did she already give up?”

“Give up?”

She gave up because there’s no other way? Leo shook his head shortly after thinking about the possibility, recalling the expression on her face.

“No way. If she was someone who’d give up just like that, she would have given up from the start. I don’t think she’ll ever give up.”

“Then she must have come up with something else. She’s a clever person, so it’s better to trust her and wait.”

“Yes, I trust her.”

Despite Olden’s reassuring words, Leo still looked anxious as he stared towards the direction where Julia disappeared. His eyes narrowed.

“I’m just worried that the alternative would put her in danger.”

And his concerns were reflected in his eyes as well.

*

Dusk had already settled and time had passed. Contrary to Leo’s anxious thoughts while waiting for Julia, Julia did not return to that room.

On the other hand, Seren and the court mage Horbeloix had gathered at a large vacant lot in the academy, preparing for the first stage of the Sanctuary.

“These sacred artifacts will be the origin of divine power. While we are using the sacred artifacts, Horbeloix will keep up a constant barrier to keep the divine power concentrated, and the range will encompass all three academies. Horbeloix, please be prepared for any unexpected situations.”

“You can leave it to me.”

Horbeloix answered positively and turned around to look. He was worried that Julia might turn up and disturb them, but in the end, she didn’t show up.

Only Leo stood nearby and watched them do this. The academy was quiet because they had the students on a curfew.

In that place, there was only the Dean, some professors and the people brought along by Leo and Julia. Olden stood next to Leo and looked at the high priest and the mage with curious eyes.

“If I see a Sanctuary being performed in my lifetime, then I’ve seen everything.”

“Certainly. It’s a rare opportunity to witness this ritual.”

There were so few cases when a Sanctuary was needed to be performed, and it happened only once every few decades. Performing a Sanctuary would mean that the scale of one such problem had blown up to such a large extent that there was no other way to solve it.

Olden glanced at the sacred artifacts buried nearby.

“According to what I’ve heard, the value of such artifacts would be around the price of a large mansion.”

“Those in the religious order are nothing short of swindlers anyway. Of course they have a lot of money.”

“If you say that in front of a priest, you’ll be questioned for heresy.”

“It’s true anyway, so is there a need to undergo an interrogation about heresy? Anyway, the entire temple is a group of such people.”

“……”

Olden sweated as he heard Leo’s devious answer.

“It’s almost midnight.”

A brilliant star in the sky caught his eye. It was a guiding star that indicated the time on this continent. As Leo lowered his head slightly, he muttered.

“Where is she… Julia…”

Did she really give up? Are you going to abandon them like this, Julia? What are you doing? Leo cried out inwardly in frustration.

Unfortunately however, the only voices responding to him were the people preparing for the Sanctuary and the sound of the wind.

Leo continued to bite his lower lip as he looked around. And the moment he looked back, Leo had no choice but to open his mouth agape.

With her red hair fluttering in the wind, she donned a fine dress that had an exquisite mix of the colors blue, red and white.

Leo was mesmerized by her as she calmly walked forward, a fan in one hand and a small blade in the other.

“I’m late, aren’t I?”

When Julia smiled as she said this, Leo came to his senses and shook his head. Whether she felt his dazed stare or not, Julia looked at him and spoke.

“What do you think? It’s my first time wearing this. Does it look okay?”

“Yeah. Pretty.”

His eyes were on Julia, not the clothes. Did that mean her outfit was pretty? She wanted to ask. Not just that, but also the truth behind what he said the other day.

But it wasn’t time yet. Julia looked towards Seren and Horbeloix for a moment, then she looked back to meet Leo’s gaze.

“Are they almost done preparing for the Sanctuary?”

“Yes, it’s starting soon. What are you going to do? Have you found a way?”

“There’s a way. As always, it’s up to the living to find answers, right?”

“That’s true, but even if you’re thinking of doing something else, please just stop now. I know you feel sorry for the dead and that you sympathize with them, but I also value you. So… Please just be careful.”

“……”

Julia looked at the site of the Sanctuary and slightly bowed her head, looking at the ground. Leo anxiously glanced at Julia, who did not say anything.

When the silence stretched between them, Leo tried to open his lips to speak, but Julia spoke before him.

“I don’t have to answer what you said to me that day right away, do I?”

She recalled his words and his whisper into her ear, and at this, she smiled.

“It doesn’t matter if it takes a while, but don’t make it that you won’t be able to answer. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“…If it goes well, I’ll think positively about what you said.”

“That’s not a definite answer.”

“It’s more fun to be ambiguous.”

Julia smiled and straightened her posture, then she looked up at the sky. As she watched the spirits of the dead, still hovering in the air, she continued speaking.

“I don’t know how to solve this curse. I’m neither an exorcist nor an onmyouji. If this was a curse for the deceased to be burned because of resentment, then I would have found a way, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. So… Maybe the Sanctuary is the most reasonable solution for the living. Eradicating all negative energy guarantees the safety of the area. But then…”

Julia closed her eyes.

“That’s not something I could abide by. I can’t forget that they’ve also once lived in this world, and so they are precious to me. They’re also warm-blooded people. So…”

Julia’s eyes turned white.

“There’s only one thing I can do.”

Julia smiled slightly as she approached Seren and Horbeloix. The two of them were surprised to see her in that unusual outfit and with her eyes a different color.

However, as though she didn’t care about their reactions, Julia spoke softly.

“I’m going to make a final attempt to solve this problem. If I fail, then you may proceed with the Sanctuary. Please.”

“…It’s going to start soon. We can’t wait for long.”

At Seren’s words, Julia curled up her lips and nodded.

“It won’t take long for me, either.”

It would only take a short moment. As Julia turned around, she settled in the center of the vacant lot. Then, she looked up at the sky.

As her fan unfolded, the sharp sound rang through the air. Her right hand stretched out, and the tip of her shaman’s sword pointed to the sky.

Blue energy seeped from her body. It wasn’t common to see divine power flowing out of her body, but because Leo had seen it several times, his expression was that of worry rather than wonder.

I hope nothing happens. Leo believed in her. She was going to solve this problem easily and see her smile again.

Leo had no other choice but to believe this and sit on the sidelines. He couldn’t do anything to help her this time.

At that moment, Julia’s hair turned white. Leo narrowed his eyes at the change of her hair color. Then, Patrick rushed from behind.

“Milady!”

Patrick’s voice was full of desperation. Julia must have heard it, but she didn’t pay him any mind. Only Leo was the one who turned to him.

“Patrick?”

“Your Grace! Please stop her!!”

“What do you mean stop? Why?”

Patrick’s words prompted Leo’s concern to shoot up once again. Without hiding the anxiety in his voice, Patrick replied urgently.

“What she’s doing isn’t lifting the curse!”

“What… are you talking about?”

Patrick bit his lips tightly, struggling to spit out the words as he looked at Julia.

“The kodoku curse is where the last bug becomes the medium of the curse, and in this case, the last living person remaining would become the medium and will absorb all those spirits summoned all this time. And Milady intends to become the medium herself! It means she’ll embody the curse soon!”

At Patrick’s words, Leo’s eyes flitted towards Julia once more. The subtle blue energy that had blossomed around her began to flow out of her body so strongly that it even caused a wind to blow.

“That’s suicide.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Please, please stop her!! No matter how much I tried to stop her, she wouldn’t listen! You have to keep your promise, and this is your end of the deal. Please—please stop her, Your Grace!”

With his lower lip tightly bitten, Leo took a determined step forward. One step, another step. As the distance between them narrowed, Julia spoke.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“Julia…”

“There’s no need for me to explain, Duke. I’m sure you heard it already.”

“…Yes, but I don’t think this is right.”

Julia didn’t respond to him. The answer was already in the air. And her answer was not the only solution. However, her feelings and her conviction narrowed her view on the matter.

“I… I have a lot of things I haven’t told you yet. There’s much to say, and so much to show. But, Julia… If you make this choice, I will have no choice but to live with regrets again.”

“There’s a way.”

“How? Why would you take on the curse like this at the risk of your life? Is suicide your answer?”

“It’s not suicide. If I accept those souls into my body, the curse will be complete, and I’ll bring them all to nirvana. The curse will disappear in this way. If the medium of the curse is a person, then that means the medium is not the soul. Without that, the curse would no longer last. That’s why…”

“I can’t see the spirits at all, but if this enormous amount of energy that I could feel will enter your body, will you still be safe? No, you won’t! You’re putting yourself in danger! Julia, you’re a living person. No matter how much incredible energy you have, you are not a vessel that could embrace them all! So, so just please… Let’s give up now. I know you feel sorry for them, but…”

Leo was heartbroken. The strong wind was very cold, but his emotions were so intense that he couldn’t even feel the temperature around him.

“The things I couldn’t say, the things you couldn’t say… I’ll look forward to hearing them.”

Julia stared at him, then turned around as she looked up at the sky. Her red lips were closed.

But that was only for a moment. As she opened her lips once more, these were the only words that Leo heard.

“It’s… It’s already too late. I can’t stop now.”

A strong wind blew from her like a ferocious storm of divine power.