P-picture?
Ries’s paw, which had been hovering awkwardly in the air, dropped onto the desk with a soft thud. Meanwhile, Justyn was busy rushing around, doing everything he could to “safely preserve” what he thought was a drawing.
He really thought it was that bad?
Bad enough to mistake it for a picture? Ries felt like he’d just been smacked in the back of the head.
No way. He’d actually thought it was decent, even kind of proud of it—so his pride shattered on the spot. He opened his mouth, ready to demand another look.
“Haha.”
But the moment he saw Justyn laughing out loud, the fire inside him fizzled into smoke. Ries stared at him blankly.
“……”
Nnngh.
In the end, he gave up on trying to stop him. There was still time before the meeting anyway—he could try again later. And honestly, Justyn looked so happy… it felt wrong to snatch it away from him.
And so, Ries’s very first letter ended up mistaken for a picture and was proudly “preserved” in Justyn’s office like some prized artwork.
***
—I saw your drawing too, by the way.
“MYAAOWK!!”
You know it’s not a drawing!
Ries yowled in outrage.
He was in the dressing room connected to Justyn’s bedroom. He’d snuck in while Justyn was bathing, hoping to have a private conversation with Sefiut.
How the hell could “Take me to the meeting” be mistaken for a drawing?! He grumbled under his breath, venting his frustration—but the reaction he got only made him more annoyed.
—What is it now?
Forget it. Ries gave up on pushing the topic any further.
Sure, the conversation had veered off into nonsense right from the start, but there was one reason he’d wanted to talk to Sefiut.
“Nyaaak. Eeeaaaang.”
You said there weren’t any ghosts.
He recalled the female ghost he’d unexpectedly run into while exploring the mansion. His heart thumped all over again just thinking about it.
—When did I ever say that? I said I could get rid of them, not that there weren’t any.
“Nyaaa…!”
That’s the same thing…!
Wait. Ries froze mid-outburst, a chill prickling down his spine. A terrible thought crossed his mind. Could it be… a bound spirit?
As if reading his thoughts, Sefiut spun a slow circle in the air. The fish plush that always floated beside him drew a lazy orbit around his head.
—Well, usually they’d sense my aura and back off before they even get close. But there are a few weird cases. You ever heard of earthbound spirits?
“Eung.”
Ries nodded. Spirits stuck to a particular place or object—that much he knew.
—With those guys, you’ve got to face them head-on and battle it out. The longer they’ve been anchored in one spot, the nastier their personalities get. Of course, to me, they’re all pretty much the same.
Ries listened intently, but his expression turned… complicated. “The older they are, the nastier they get,” huh. He felt like there was living proof of that floating right in front of him.
—What’re you looking at?
“Mya, myaow?”
Did I say that out loud?
—You think I can’t tell just because you didn’t say it? Get your face under control! Your expression is screaming it!
Ahem. Sefiut cleared his throat as if to reset the mood.
—Anyway. You need to start getting used to this. None of them are causing harm, so what are you so scared of?
“Kiiing…”
—Tch. What, you think I’m Justyn or something? Sucking up won’t get you anywhere.
He flicked his tail, then added with a huff,
—And hey, I do have a conscience, alright? This place is basically home for those guys—I’m not gonna just kick them out without a good reason. Sure, I booted the ones with bad attitudes, but still.
Funny, Ries had never seen any other ghosts around the Duke’s estate. Well, except for that grandmother ghost Sefiut had supposedly given permission to.
—Oh, those guys? Bunch of snot-nosed brats who didn’t know how to show respect. I chased them all out.
“……”
Snot-nosed…? They were probably long dead. Pretty sure the “snot” had dried up centuries ago…
The words nearly slipped out, but he swallowed them just in time. He had zero interest in getting scolded for sass.
—I warned them to stay out of sight, so if they’ve got half a brain, they should know better by now. So quit whining like a little mutt.
“Myak.”
I’m a cat, you know.
—Hah. Big or small, doesn’t make a difference.
Sefiut gave Ries a sly look, clearly trying to provoke a reaction.
—If I’m around, you’ve got nothing to worry about. So? Starting to realize how valuable I am?
“……”
—Tch, ungrateful brat.
“Wuaaaeng…”
In the end, Ries surrendered with a pitiful mewl. Judging by the way Sefiut rattled off a whole list of “Do Not” rules, he must’ve really suffered during the last laundry incident.
—Be careful. Super careful. Don’t let me get dirty. Treat me with respect, got it? And the laundry—ugh! Don’t squeeze me like I’m some soaked dishcloth! Be gentle!
Ries tried his best to hide his sour expression. He didn’t even do the laundry himself—he had to hand it off to the maids. Still, he gave a reluctant nod.
Only then did the plush doll look satisfied. With his spirits clearly lifted, Sefiut began fluttering cheerfully through the air, his tiny stuffed body bouncing weightlessly.
As Ries watched him drift around, a question suddenly came to mind. From the way he talked, it sounded like he’d been zipping around the mansion dealing with ghosts personally. But… when did he even get out?
Ries didn’t bother hiding his curiosity. Sefiut rolled his eyes theatrically.
—You know… that thing.
“Nya?”
—Ugh, fine! I went out for a little midnight stroll, okay?!
Ries’s mouth dropped open. He hadn’t noticed a thing. But he nodded quickly anyway.
Well, can’t really blame him.
Sefiut hadn’t been able to talk while moving around with him. And even if he couldn’t speak now, he’d spent his entire afterlife freely roaming the mansion. Being stuck in a plush toy must’ve felt suffocating.
Still… worry bubbled up, and a nervous sound escaped before he could stop it.
“…Myaowrk?”
…You didn’t get caught, right?
He was just checking—what if Justyn had spotted him sneaking around? But Sefiut huffed, clearly offended.
—Caught?! Me?! Please. Unlike someone, I actually know how to move around without getting noticed!
“Eaaang.”
I didn’t get caught either…
Cough! An awkward cough slipped out. Ries tilted his head, confused.
—R-Right. You didn’t. My bad. Poor word choice.
Sefiut rushed to cover up, strangely flustered. Ries stared at him for a moment, suspicion flickering… but only briefly.
—A-Anyway! That heir of mine looked a lot better today. What, did you lift the curse or something?
The perfectly timed change of subject came before Ries could push any further. And since he’d meant to bring it up anyway, the moment passed without a fight.
So much for catching him in a lie. That day’s conversation wrapped up with talk about the curse and Justyn’s recovery.
Any doubts that had briefly surfaced disappeared without a trace.
***
Ketir looked off today.
He’d been perfectly fine that morning, but after breakfast, he stepped out briefly—and came back looking like death. His face had gone pale, and he couldn’t seem to focus, like something heavy was weighing on him. And whatever it was, it had to be serious.
Ries sat neatly on top of Justyn’s desk, quietly observing him. His master seemed to notice it too.
“You don’t look so good.”
“…Ahem. It’s nothing.”
“……”
“I take that back. It’s something.”
Ketir barely lasted a second before he caved. No one had even pressured him, yet he spilled everything willingly.
To sum it up:
“There’s been a ghost sighting.”
“…Yeah.”
Apparently, people had been seeing ghosts around the mansion. And not just one or two people, either.
At first, Ries thought they might’ve seen the same ghost he had before—the woman with the elegantly antique dress. The hem of that gown was still etched clearly in his memory.
But as the story unfolded, it became clear Ketir was talking about something else entirely.
A floating fireball?
According to one of the servants, a glowing blue flame had been drifting near the kitchen. Normally, if it were just one person saying that, you might think they were overtired or imagining things. But too many people had seen the same thing.
And in multiple locations: the storeroom, the stables, the long dark hallway leading to the annex, the back gate to the garden, even the servants’ quarters.
Whatever it was, this “ghost” had been floating all over the estate.
“One of the maids said she heard laughter—this eerie, cackling sound. The moment she heard it, she fainted. Her coworker found her the next morning.”
Ketir added the last part with a grim look.
But Justyn still seemed unconvinced.
“For something like that…”
As expected of a sharp aide, Ketir understood what he meant right away. What he was really saying was: You didn’t see it yourself—so why are you this scared?
“…You think I’m overreacting?”
