Chapter 24 – The Realization of a Ghost
The ghost’s expression changed to something indescribable. Urged by me, the ghost, looking dazed, slowly began to recount her name and story. Soon enough, the kitchen was filled with the sounds of crying—no, it was Julianna’s sobs ringing out.
“Wahhh, I hic loved him so much..!”
“He really is a terrible person, huh?”
“Hic, he even said we’d get married!”
When a ghost’s anger settles, they start to lament. If you give them space, they tend to let their emotions run wild even more. After unloading all that baggage, they generally become somewhat calmer.
“Wahhhhh…!”
“There, there; eat this and calm down.”
“Hup, sniff…”
While Julianna was pouring out her heart, I repeatedly opened and closed a drawer—and finally snagged some cookies, which I popped into her mouth. She started munching on the tear-soaked cookies.
“Now you have to forget that trash and start fresh. How much longer are you gonna hold onto your resentment and hatred?”
“Hnn, sniffle you’re right…”
“It’s not like you wanted your dream to be that, right?”
“Gulp, yeah… I wanted to be someone who could protect someone precious… sob, but that jerk…!”
Just when Julianna’s eyes began to sparkle again, ready to dive back into those hateful memories, I waved my hand to interrupt.
“Oh dear, that person isn’t precious anymore and definitely not even alive.”
“Snort, you’re right…”
“So let’s forget about that trash and aim for a better goal.”
“Should I? Can I actually do it?”
“Hey, what can’t you do? The strongest mercenary Julianna is right here, right?”
I said this with an encouraging tone, and suddenly, Julianna, who had been wilting, shot her head up with determination.
“That’s right… I was once called the mightiest mercenary!”
“See? So no more weak talk! From now on, go after what you really want!”
“Okay, I will!”
“Alright, munch on this, and no more naughty deeds—just live a good life from now on. Got it?”
She nodded as she accepted the cookie, and I laughed, enjoying the sight of Julianna devouring it.
‘That’s one problem solved!’
Promises to the dead are incredibly important. Making a promise that echoes death, like “I’ll tell you something once this is all over!”, often leads to becoming a restless spirit if you die before fulfilling it.
Living humans break promises easily, but for ghosts, it’s nearly impossible. So, the moment Julianna took the cookie I offered, she became incapable of harming others.
“The things I wanted… what I really wanted…”
She seemed lost in thought, mumbling to herself. I decided it was best to give her some space and stood up.
It’s just polite to let someone have their moment, right?
‘I should take the leftover cookies to Mia instead.’
Thinking of Mia, who looked pretty down, I left the kitchen with the remaining cookies on a plate.
*
“Yeah, I—… Huh?”
Julianna finally realized what she truly wanted and was about to tell Lian. But all she found in the kitchen was the sound of silence.
“Ah…”
Having been a ghost for so long, it seemed she hadn’t registered just how much time had passed.
Julianna stared blankly at the cup of tea in front of her.
“Weird person.”
She was a vengeful spirit bound in a book by a dark sorcerer, cursed. Being more monster than human, she managed to keep her sanity and ‘think’, all thanks to Lian.
“At first, I thought I was dying…”
Hearing that strange question about geospatial coordinates made her vision spin at a dizzying speed, and she felt like a leaf in a typhoon.
When the fear of extinction struck her, she was alighted—so she could finally gaze upon her own existence straight on.
Like how humans see their entire life flash before their eyes just before they die.
The realization of breaking free from bloodlust to see her own existence didn’t change a thing. Something flashed by her eyes too quickly to catch, and she felt herself drifting away from the world.
It felt like her existence was rejected by the world, sending her into a dizzying spiral beyond dissolution.
Just as her newfound consciousness was about to drown in fear, her bound form suddenly halted, as if she’d been dropped from a height.
“Huh? Aaaah!”
Like a string pulling her back, she began to return the way she came.
Bang!
When she regained her senses, she found herself back in the library. The book where she was sealed looked as if it had been thrown against the wall, sliding down like a slumped puppet.
“Ugh…”
Having returned from a crazy wild adventure due to the comedy filter, Julianna was now filled with furious rage. Yet, it didn’t manifest as that blind fury from before.
“That damn guy…!”
Now, her anger was solely directed at Lian for putting her through such trauma—it wasn’t just the intent to kill someone.
“I won’t let this go!”
The overwhelming fear morphed into rage that drove her wild. Julianna levitated the book, her physical form, out of the library.
To avoid being detected by ordinary folks, she activated her invisibility feature and flew toward Lian’s location.
Her mind buzzed with thoughts of vengeance.
“Actually, I was born in the back alleys—…”
She had no intention of whining over tea. But for some odd reason, in front of this kid named Lian, her emotions bounced around unpredictably, and she found herself crying like a fool.
Plus, Lian treated her like she was a ‘living person’. That melted the icy barrier around her heart.
As her soul, once shackled by curses and resentments, regained not only freedom but clarity of thought, everything felt like waking from a long, drawn-out dream.
Julianna shook herself from those thoughts and recalled what she truly desired.
“I can’t atone for those who’ve already passed… but at least I wish to help those who have decided to protect their precious people.”
With this conclusion cemented, her course of action became clear. She stepped into the book and let it float in the air.
“Let’s help that girl, Lian, who once wanted to protect him.”
That was the best decision she could make. The now-invisible book flew toward where she sensed Noah.
Noah, who had been following Jess, now sat in her own cozy corner.
“I can do it!”
Every time Noah tried to help, Jess would raise her tail defiantly, pushing Noah aside, leading Noah to leave Pia to cover her back and sneak out of the dining room.
Back in her room, Noah was deep in thought.
‘…It’s going to be hard to go back to the library today.’
It wouldn’t be hard to sneak back in; however, it had only been half a day since Lian insisted she was not allowed inside.
If Lian found out she had snuck back into the library so soon after being told not to, he would surely be disappointed in her. That thought made her hesitate.
‘..I don’t want to be hated.’
Noah buried her face in her knees, overwhelmed with her musings.
‘How can I become stronger? Is there really no other choice but to resort to these cruel methods?’
Methods that are brutal yet guaranteed to gain power flickered in front of her—no way, no how did Noah want that kind of strength.
‘..Is this a foolish thought?’
She wanted to save him. She wanted to protect Nero. It was a sincere feeling. Despite feeling she could bear any pain, she didn’t want to easily extinguish another life for any reason.
‘I’m such a fool.’
Her inability to decide seemed silly, making her feel idiotic. The gloom settled, and her once sparkling eyes dimmed.
Thud.
“…?”
Just then, something lightly dropped onto Noah’s foot. She lifted her head from her knees to check what had fallen.
“…!?”
A pure white book lay right before her.
Rustle.
The book opened by itself without Noah even touching it, flipping pages until Julianna, the white ghost, bounced out.
“Ahh…”
Noah stared, astonished, as if caught in a spell.
“You wanted power, didn’t you?”
Julianna spoke with a teasing smirk, quite different from her usual demeanor.
“I’ll help you gain the power to protect someone precious. How about making a contract with me?”
Unconsciously nodding at Julianna’s genuine tone and smile, Noah was met with an exasperated frown.
“Are you nodding without even hearing the terms of the contract? Haah… A lot to teach you ahead.”
And just like that, Noah had found herself a mentor.
*
Mia’s mansion—once a haven for nobles—was filled with many unused places. Among them was the indoor training hall.
Noah used the training hall freely since Mia didn’t mind if she did or didn’t use it.
“Haa, ha…”
Noah was sprinting, sweating like crazy in the spacious hall.
‘She’s really pushing herself!’
I grinned as I watched her diligently training with fierce determination, alongside Julianna, who continuously tossed out tips for more training.
‘Exactly what you’d expect from a character in the original story—…’
Suddenly, cold sweat began to run down.
‘The original story…’
I felt my entire body getting drenched.
‘Ah…’
I had totally forgotten.
Thump, my knees gave way and I felt myself collapse to the ground.
“I forgot about the protagonist…!”
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