Chapter 71
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71
"Melek?"
I'm a possessor. I had no say in being thrown into this novel, nor do I have any idea why it happened. On top of that, I don't even know the original story and am navigating this world through sheer guesswork. Reviving Ryder the same way I was brought here is impossible.
But by sheer chance, another kind of possessor was right beside me: Melek, a ghost who could inhabit an empty body.
Jelly summoned Melek at my command. Now, all I had to do was persuade him.
"You called for me?"
"Melek, do you see that boy? Can you enter his body?"
"What? But... I-I can't do something like that."
Melek was utterly flustered by the sudden request. It was fascinating how, despite the pitch-black blindfold covering his eyes, his expression was still so easy to read.
Come to think of it, hadn't Melek said he didn't know how he possessed his current body? I didn't know how I did it, either... Still, shouldn't a ghost instinctively know how to enter a human body?
Besides, it seemed that wasn't the only problem.
"How could I do that to a person? He's just a child. Using someone else's body without permission... it feels like a terrible sin."
True, this was a man who couldn't bring himself to eat animals, let alone kill a single rat. Of course he would value the sanctity of human life. It felt like he was only coexisting in his current body by chance, anyway.
But wait... wasn't that a highly sophisticated, indirect insult? I was doing the exact same thing—using someone else's body. Sure, it wasn't my choice, but still...
Madame Toten looked at me with pleading eyes. I understood Melek's concern perfectly. He didn't want to use someone's body without permission because he felt it was disrespectful to the deceased. In that case, I just had to make him realize that wasn't the issue here.
"Melek, the boy's mother wants this. If things stay as they are, Ryder will go down in infamy for dying from a curse. No one will mourn him; they'll say he deserved it. But if you help us, Madame Toten can protect the marquisate, and Ryder's honor can be cleared."
Even as the words left my mouth, I knew it sounded like major gaslighting. It had been a while since I'd fully leaned into my role as Evangeline, and trying to speak like a villainess made me push things a little too far, a little too fast. Surprisingly, it worked wonders on Melek.
"Is that really true?"
"Look at that man over there. He's immediate family, yet he's practically drooling at the thought of devouring his own nephew."
As Melek and I whispered, Dies was still straining to break down the door. Far from mourning the boy he believed to be dead, he looked like a vulture desperate to display Ryder's corpse and snatch the vacant title of marquis.
"What a bastard."
Melek spat, glaring at Dies. Burning with a sense of justice, he looked ready to dive into Ryder's body that very second, but then he hesitated, as if something had just occurred to him.
"My Lady. But... how do I act like a child?"
"You don't have to. Madame Toten knows the truth, and Ryder was a mature child to begin with. Besides, you don't need to be a perfect match. Ultimately, Madame Toten just needs someone who can inherit the title of marquis and preserve the family."
Melek seemed to steel his resolve. His body began to blur. So this is what he looks like as a ghost. He appeared as nothing more than black smoke, probably because I lacked the spiritual sight to see a ghost's true form. I'd been a little disappointed about my lack of spirit affinity, but I didn't envy spiritual sight in the slightest. I was glad I didn't have it.
The black smoke billowed out and seeped into the boy's body. Melek had successfully possessed Ryder.
"The young master moved!" Hena shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
The moment she spoke, the body in the maid's arms twitched. Watching this, Dies looked utterly bewildered.
"What? Why is he alive?" he asked in sheer disbelief.
So the bastard knew Ryder was dead. That explained his persistence. Yeah, you prick. I wonder how he's alive.
Melek soon opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.
"M-Mom..."
The awkwardness in his voice as he called her "Mom" likely stemmed from his own upbringing in an orphanage.
"Madame Toten, move."
Madame Toten was staring blankly, stunned by the sight of her son seemingly returned to life. I tapped her shoulder, urging her to take control of the situation.
"Weather, open the door."
"Y-Yes, ma'am. Right away."
The maid holding Ryder opened the door in a daze. Ah, right. From her perspective, a dead person had just come back to life. Madame Toten had entrusted the boy to her, so she had to be a trusted maid. I'd have to explain things to her later.
The door, half-destroyed by the axe, swung open. Melek climbed down from the maid's arms and threw himself into Madame Toten's embrace.
"Did you sleep well...?" Madame Toten's voice was thick with tears. Even knowing this wasn't her real son, seeing Ryder alive and moving again seemed to unleash a flood of grief.
"I was sleeping so soundly for the first time in a while, but a strange noise woke me up."
His whining sounded exactly like a child his age. For someone who claimed he couldn't act, this was pure method acting. Is he a better actor than me? I doubted anyone would ever suspect his soul had been swapped.
Well, except for the lunatic running wild with an axe.
"You're lying, aren't you?! He was definitely dead a moment ago!" Dies roared. He looked around, seemingly searching for his axe again.
For the record, the moment the axe Dies was holding had rolled to Madame Toten's feet, I'd signaled Jelly to get rid of it. I, too, had learned a thing or two since the Donau kidnapping incident.
"What kind of trick is this? Have you resorted to dark magic, Sister-in-law?"
Unable to find the axe, Dies's eyes twitched as he demanded answers. He was so agitated that spittle flew from his mouth.
Technically, since a ghost had possessed the body, it was a form of dark magic. Madame Toten was too busy weeping to offer an excuse, so I had no choice but to step in. Since I'd decided to help, I had to see it through.
"Why are you so certain?"
Dies, who had been focused on Melek, shut his mouth and stared at me. Was he scared? It seemed Evangeline's notorious reputation was useful even against a lowlife like him. At times like this, I was glad to have possessed a villainess.
"Who the hell are you...? This is family business. Butt out, outsider!"
"I am no outsider. Madame Toten is my chaperone."
Instead of the polite, social smile I'd learned from Doline, I flashed him a raw, villainous smirk for the first time in a while. For reference, this was a smile powerful enough to subdue Donau, make my family's servants faint, and even give Gabriel—who was completely head over heels for me—pause.
"You never checked his heartbeat. You never even got close to him. So how were you so certain the young master of House Toten was dead?"
"Now that she mentions it..."
"I just thought he was sleeping."
As I deliberately planted the seed of doubt, several of the onlooking servants began to murmur in agreement.
"Only two people could have concluded that the young master was dead: the maid holding him, and the person who desperately wished for his death and tried to kill him."
What was the maid's name again? I thought Madame Toten had said it.
"Was it Weather?"
"Y-Yes, My Lady."
"Was the young master of House Toten dead? Did his heart stop and then restart? Or is there a puppeteer here pulling the strings of a corpse? You were holding him the entire time. Surely you can answer."
"No, My Lady. The young master was simply exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep."
Despite receiving no instructions, the maid named Weather was quick-witted enough to give the exact answer I wanted. Since Madame Toten had entrusted her son to her, she had to be an incredibly reliable maid. No wonder she caught on so fast. She was in the same league as Canna, Hena, and Daisy.
Now, I turned the accusation back on him.
"Sir Dies, why were you so certain that the young master of House Toten was dead?"
I thought I could use this to frame Dies as the culprit and have him stripped of his succession rights, but the butler suddenly cut in.
"It was my fault."
"Butler!"
"I do not mean I had a hand in Young Master Ryder's passing. I merely told Sir Dies that the young master's health had taken a turn for the worse and that we should prepare for an unfortunate event. It seems he misunderstood my words."
"Th-That's right! The butler told me, so I just believed him."
He was taking all the blame to protect Dies. At the same time, he'd reduced the severity of the offense, reframing it as a simple mistake born of misunderstanding. I'd thought it before, but this old man's silver tongue was truly something else. No wonder I'd been so completely fooled by his benevolent face and polite demeanor!
"How insolent."
While I was pondering how to counter, a sharp, cold voice rebuked the butler. It belonged to Madame Toten. Her tone was haughty and biting, hard to believe it came from someone who was always so polite.
"A mere servant dares to predict the death of the young marquis? And you went around spreading rumors? I am truly disappointed. Butler, why did you act with such insolence?"
"It was for the sake of House Toten."
"It seems you have forgotten your place. Your loyalty should have been to me and my son, not to the marquisate."
The marchioness squeezed Melek's hand and stood tall. She wasn't as perfectly composed as usual, but she looked more noble than I had ever seen her. Look at her, everyone! That's my chaperone!
"Lock the butler in the basement. Post three guards. I will grant the position of butler to whichever of you performs this duty most diligently."
Those who had been watching hesitantly now raised their hands to volunteer at the mention of the promotion. Madame Toten casually pointed to three of them and had the butler sent away. Her choice seemed random, but I was sure she had a plan.
"Lock the nanny and Dies in their rooms for now. They are criminals who could have harmed Ryder. Anyone who aids them before my return will be deemed an accomplice."
The nanny, realizing her predicament, allowed herself to be quietly dragged away. Dies, however, resisted furiously, throwing a massive tantrum.
"Let go of me! Do you think I'm a servant like you lot? How dare you lock me up?!"
It took no fewer than four grown men lunging at him at once to finally subdue and drag him away.
After dealing with those two, Madame Toten finally looked at the maid.
"Weather. You did well. I promised to reward you, did I not? Tell me what you want."
"M-May I really ask for what I want?"
Weather's eyes sparkled, as if she'd never expected to actually be rewarded. Her curly hair bounced, reflecting her excitement.
Why was she so surprised? Was Madame Toten usually stingy? If so, she needed to seize this opportunity. This was a woman who had bet her entire estate on me—now was not the time to hesitate. Go big!
Weather clutched the hem of her worn apron, her chapped hands fidgeting as she hesitated. After agonizing for a long moment, she seemed to decide on what she wanted most. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then spoke in a resolute voice.
"I... if Madame permits, I would like to stop being a laundry maid."
Despite getting hurt to protect Ryder, Weather had made an incredibly modest wish. If it were me, I would have asked for gold and jewels. Are all loyal maids like this? Even my own servants acted burdened whenever I handed them gold coins—though Canna, of course, was always happy to accept them.
Madame Toten seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she asked in bewilderment, "Is that all? Not gold bars or jewels? You... for my son..."