Chapter 42
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42
So, he had been starved to death by the Director and Merai. Then, twenty years later, as Merai was about to commit another evil act, he possessed a vacant body to stop her.
My nose began to sting with emotion. What? He’s a good ghost! Was that why he’d shielded the children, taking a knife for them? My fear seemed to recede a little.
At the same time, my feelings were complicated.
I thought I’d finally met a fellow possessor, but it turned out I’d revealed my secret for nothing. Not that it was much of a secret anymore, with Daisy, Canna, Pudding, Gabriel, and now Melek all in the know. At this rate, everyone in the mansion would probably know by next week.
“I’m sorry. It’s because my body is like this…”
Seeing my gloomy expression, Melek grew dejected as well. Well, it wasn’t exactly his fault.
“It’s fine. I told you, I’m in a similar situation.”
Technically, we were in the same boat. Whatever. I’d been doing just fine without knowing the original story, and I had my “big data” to rely on. It would be fine!
“Is that all you had to tell me?”
Melek nodded.
Then it was time for his treatment. I picked up the vial of holy water but hesitated. Melek was a ghost, wasn't he? Was it really okay to sprinkle this on him? Wouldn’t he be exorcised?
Ah. So that was why he’d told me everything before I could treat him.
I set the holy water back down. I had no choice but to call a doctor. Even if it wasn’t as clean as using holy water, his body was that of a beastkin, so he might heal quickly on his own.
But was he wearing that blindfold because his eyes were injured, too?
Wait, could it be…
Could his eyes be rolled back into his head because he was possessed?
Wary of that plausible, and terrifying, guess, I avoided looking at his blindfold as I opened the door.
“Can we come in now?”
Jelly and Pudding, who had been curled up in front of the door, shot to their respective spots on the sofa and the bed. Pudding immediately started kneading the blankets. Aw, my cute baby.
“Did you give him a name? What did he say?”
“Meringue.”
“Pfft—hahaha! Meringue? You called him Meringue? With that guy Melek’s body, his name is Meringue?”
On the other hand, that son of a—no, that wolf—sprawled out on the sofa was laughing hysterically. Pudding was cute, and Meringue was cute, but this guy wasn’t cute at all.
It seemed they weren't just acquaintances; they must have had some terrible history when Melek was alive. And perhaps because Jelly hated his own name, he found it hilarious that Melek had been given a name even more ridiculous than his. Watching him made my blood boil.
“I’ll just call you Melek.”
“Pardon?”
Melek looked like a child who’d just had a toy snatched away. His eyes were covered, but his expression was still so clear.
“Just as I am Evangeline Rohanson, you are simply Melek.”
“I see…”
Fortunately, young Melek accepted it quickly. Now it was Jelly’s turn to be grumpy. His tail thrashed against the floor, clearly showing his displeasure with my decision. Not that it was going to change my mind.
“So, have you decided what to feed him?” Jelly asked, backing down when he saw I wouldn’t budge and changing the subject.
Oh, right. He’d said he was hungry. Since he was a ghost and not the body’s original owner, he probably had no idea what would fill his stomach. You can’t fill a lion’s belly by feeding it carrots. Since the original Melek was a beastkin…
“Can’t he eat the same things you two do?”
Jelly and Pudding usually went out to eat separately from the meals the mansion provided. They sometimes came back with blood on their fur and got an earful from Canna; being beastkin, they seemed to hunt and eat raw meat.
Jelly shook his head.
“His dietary habits are different.”
Different? Was he a herbivore?
“What species is he? You’re a wolf, and Pudding’s a cat.”
“Ah. Melek is a cow.”
A cow? Then he really was a herbivore. It would be a bit awkward for them to eat together. He wouldn’t be hunting, for starters. In fact, if they went together, he might end up being the one who got hunted.
Did he have cow-like eyes under that blindfold? For a moment, I almost asked him to show me. But the thought of seeing his eyes rolled back into his head was enough to give me nightmares, so I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
Anyway, a cow? Would he eat fodder? Or since he was a beastkin, would a simple vegetarian diet be enough? The mansion didn’t serve many greens, so I doubted we had enough to fill him up.
For now, I’d have to ask someone to buy a lot of greens as soon as the sun came up. If that became too much of a burden, starting a small garden in a corner of the grounds wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The problem was what to feed him until then. I couldn’t just let him starve…
As I scanned the garden for anything edible, my gaze fell on the cherry tree. The branches, laden with petals, looked like something a cow might actually eat. Cows ate a lot, and the cherry blossoms seemed to offer the most volume.
“Do you think you can eat that?”
“That tree?”
Melek’s eyes widened. It must have been confusing to suddenly be told to eat flowers. But things like flower pancakes existed, and I’d had cherry blossom tea before, so it should be safe to eat, right?
“Want to try some?”
Whatever. Let’s just see what happens. I’d never heard of a cow having a flower allergy, so it would probably be fine.
I picked up the glass jar decorating the table. Canna had collected the fallen cherry blossoms and given them to me as a gift after I’d mentioned that catching a falling petal would make a wish come true. Our female lead had such a kind heart it brought tears to my eyes.
I shook a few petals into my palm and offered them to him. Melek hesitated for a moment before burying his face in my hand. Hey, I offered them to you, not my hand as a bowl!
Melek munched on the petals. He looked a bit uncertain… did it taste bad?
“…It’s delicious?”
Nice! It must have suited his palate.
“That’s delicious?”
A horrified Jelly took a petal to try for himself.
“It is good? Why?”
Even Jelly, a carnivore, had a positive reaction. Was this some kind of delicacy? Curious, I nibbled on one, but it just tasted like strange grass.
Maybe Canna had done something to them when she washed them, but the taste was quite odd. It was like an unripe persimmon—astringent. Perhaps it only suited the tastes of beastkin? Of course, being a generous person who respects all tastes and dietary preferences, I didn't mention that it tasted awful.
“Eat that for the time being.”
Whatever. As long as the person eating it was happy. I couldn’t give him the ones Canna had given me, so I’d have to ask someone to gather the fallen petals.
“Now then, I’ll assign you a room, so follow me.”
“Pardon? Am I not staying here with you?”
I almost snapped at Melek’s question. Excuse me? An unrelated man trying to share a room with an unmarried noble lady? Of course, Jelly and Pudding were also unrelated males, but… Pudding was a kitten, and Jelly spent most of his time as a wolf, so it didn’t feel real.
But Melek would be a cow if he transformed, right? Sharing a room with a cow felt a bit… This was starting to feel like animal discrimination.
“There’s nowhere to sleep in my room. Unless you want to sleep on the floor, I’ll give you a room with proper bedding.”
The sofa belonged to Jelly, and the bed was for me and Pudding, leaving only the carpet on the floor. Melek didn’t seem to like that idea either, as he nodded obediently and followed me out.
Ah, come to think of it, I should go to the butler first. I needed to ask him to call a doctor, inform him about our new guest, and discuss Daisy’s reinstatement.
And I had to tell him Gabriel was coming tomorrow. Ugh… I was dreading meeting Gabriel. I wished tomorrow would never come.
* * *
Perhaps because it had been an exceptionally long day, or perhaps because they had finally escaped the mental anguish of being trapped underground, the children fell asleep looking carefree. The Countess’s bed was large enough for two adults, so it was more than enough space for three small children.
Daisy stroked the hair of the immature Mary, who had fearlessly insisted on following them to the Rohanson mansion.
“Thank you for looking after the kids.”
Daisy offered her thanks, but there was no reply. Hena was staring into space with hollow eyes. She looked like a patient who had lost all meaning in life, and Daisy’s heart tightened.
The young lady had looked exactly like that when she was alive—like someone who was forcing herself to breathe because there was nothing left in the world to love. That was why Daisy hadn’t been surprised when Evangeline committed suicide.
“Um, Hena.”
Just as Daisy was about to say something, the door swung open. Only a few people in this mansion would be forgiven for such a rude entrance.
“Sister! Oh, Daisy, you’re here too.”
The flower cultivated by the monster smiled shyly.
“You’re late.”
Unlike Daisy, who had sought out the children as soon as they arrived, Canna had been attending to Evangeline, which was why Hena had been left waiting.
“Canna, please don’t disappear without a word next time. Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
She had even gone searching for her sister with the incredibly uncomfortable Sir Gabriel.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ll make sure to tell you from now on, so please don’t avoid me, Sister. Okay?”
“Okay. I will.”
Instead of making excuses about having told her she was just stepping out, Canna quietly hugged Hena. She knew Hena’s overreaction stemmed from the trauma of her own kidnapping.
“I’ll be back in a moment.”
“Now? Where are you going?”
“The young lady said she needed cherry blossom petals. I happened to have some I gathered, so I’m going to give them to her.”
There were three jars of petals in total; one had been given to Evangeline, while Hena and Canna had shared the other two. Canna took her portion to give away. Her own wishes had already come true, so she didn’t really need them anymore.
Having dutifully stated her destination, Canna left the room.
The room felt exceptionally quiet with just one person gone. Hena watched the door her sister had exited through before speaking in a low voice.
“My sister spent her whole life lying in bed. She was dying, but thanks to the holy water, she made a miraculous recovery. It hasn’t been long since she’s been able to walk, run, and laugh like that.”
Hena’s voice was so quiet it was as if she were talking to herself. Daisy realized belatedly that the words were meant for Hena herself, not for anyone else.
“I’ve decided to love Canna, no matter who she is.”