“Guess not.”
He muttered the words in a sulky tone, replaying the events from a few dozen hours ago.
He was the kind of person who readily admitted he was easily scared. But just as much, he was objective—he trusted his own eyes and ears.
In other words, he wasn’t the type to be rattled by baseless rumors. And yet, here he was, clearly shaken.
Something about his behavior wasn’t right.
Near the end of yesterday’s walk, Ries had suddenly leapt in place, like he’d seen something he absolutely shouldn’t have. Then, without warning, he abruptly called off the stroll.
Ketir clearly remembered the moment Ries came rushing back to the Duke’s office and dove straight into his arms.
His whole body had been trembling, his tail tucked under, ears pinned back. Ries had been terrified.
And Ketir had seen this kind of strange behavior before—back at the townhouse.
There was no way he could forget that terrifying memory. The chill that had crawled up his spine was still vivid. And after that day, he’d been tormented by some unknown ghost for quite a while.
Which meant that seeing the same signs now… shudder. Ketir trembled silently.
“Honestly, I admire your instincts. I’m scared out of my mind—please, let me stay close for a while.”
“…If it’s in the office.”
“Thank you. At last, all the blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into serving you are paying off.”
Justyn, as always, accepted with a calm nod. Ketir cheered inwardly.
But the person who had heavily influenced Ketir’s deduction had arrived at a very different conclusion.
His eyes subtly drifted toward Sefiut. One by one, the clues clicked into place in his mind.
That night walk Sefiut mentioned. The mysterious fireball spotted only at night. The wildly inconsistent sighting locations—as if someone had been wandering through the mansion. The creepy, cackling laughter…
Every single clue pointed in one direction.
Hop. Ries jumped onto the bed and glared down at the silent doll. His gaze was sharp, but the doll didn’t react. To anyone who didn’t know better, it would’ve looked like nothing more than a completely ordinary toy.
You said you didn’t get caught…!
The silent accusation dissolved into the air. Overwhelmed with frustration, Ries began rolling the doll around with his front paws.
“Mrr. Myaow. Meeeeh.”
Hey. Mister. Elder.
He tried every word Sefiut usually reacted to like a ticking time bomb, but still—nothing. At this point, the guy was clearly playing dumb.
I knew it. I knew it was you…
It was just ridiculous. He’d so confidently claimed he hadn’t been caught—and now this? This disaster?
With things blown this far out of proportion, Sefiut would have no choice but to lay low for a while. Until the rumors died down, he’d have to quit sneaking around.
While Ries was busy stressing and trying to piece it all together, someone quietly slipped into his thoughts.
It was Ketir. He leaned in and asked in a low voice,
“Ries… you saw a ghost, didn’t you?”
The gravity in his tone didn’t match the absurdity of the question. Ries finally wore a face that said, Ah, so that’s what this is about.
Now it made sense—why Ketir had been so shaken over an unsubstantiated rumor. That sudden end to their walk must’ve pushed his imagination into overdrive.
And it wasn’t imagination—it was the truth. But if Ries nodded now, Ketir would probably be a nervous wreck for days, jumping at every shadow in the mansion.
Out of a sense of old comradeship, Ries decided to lie. He tilted his head as if he had no idea what Ketir was talking about.
“Really?”
At the second question, Ries gave no answer. Instead, he flopped lazily across the bed. Slowly, a touch of relief returned to Ketir’s face.
“Whew… scared me half to death.”
If that’s all it takes to calm you down…
Ketir, visibly relieved, turned and left. The dazed look in his eyes crept back in, but he hid it well.
***
Ries thought back to the conversation he’d had with Sefiut last night—just the two of them.
“Mrrrrrrow!”
You said you were sneaking around!
—Didn’t think they’d catch me. Damn those cunning humans, hiding so well and fooling me like that.
Despite the tough talk, Sefiut couldn’t meet his eyes—clearly embarrassed. The fact that he’d quietly tagged along on today’s stroll seemed to be his way of making amends.
Of course, he still had to act all grand.
—Ahem. From now on, if you need to go out, I’ll come with you. That way, we won’t run into any ghosts unnecessarily.
“Nyaaan…?”
Then why didn’t you last time…?
—Tsk tsk. You tossed me into the laundry room, and now you expect kindness? Dream on. Just make sure not to get me dirty again—be extra careful!
He might’ve been annoyed, but at least he didn’t have to waste energy coaxing a sulking Sefiut. So in a way, it worked out.
That brought the strolling party to four: one cat, one doll, and two humans.
For the record, Melissa was the one carrying Sefiut. She insisted it was because he looked heavy. He wasn’t, really—but since the gesture came from a place of kindness, Sefiut accepted it without complaint.
Today, I’m finding the chief steward—no matter what.
If Count Averitt showed up to stir the pot, even better. The healthier Justyn got, the more the Count’s influence would fade.
But once again, Ries failed to track down the chief steward. This time, it was because two unfamiliar faces suddenly stepped in front of them.
“Um, excuse me…”
“State your business.”
“Ah—hello, Sir Ketir. Sorry to bother you, but, uh… we need to speak to the cat…”
The speaker was a maid with thick black bangs that nearly covered her entire forehead.
And she wasn’t alone. Next to her stood a male servant with shaggy brown hair, wearing a tight, anxious expression.
The only thing the two had in common? Massive dark circles under their eyes—rivaling even Ketir’s. With their pale skin and sunken eyes, they looked like a pair of pandas dragged in from the zoo.
Not that their pitiful appearances earned any sympathy. Ketir’s expression subtly soured, his guard clearly rising.
Fortunately, the two had enough sense to realize how they looked. The male servant quickly raised his hands in a frantic gesture.
“We swear—we’re not trying to hurt him! We know the Duke treasures that cat. We’re not looking to lose our heads! It’s just…”
He squeezed his eyes shut, like bracing for impact.
“You’ve heard the rumors, right? About the ghost sightings? Well, we… saw it too. And we’re not exactly great with scary stuff, so… we haven’t been sleeping well, and we were hoping, maybe, possibly—oh no, that’s not what I meant—”
Whatever self-control he’d had was long gone. The man’s cowardice had officially been confirmed.
Melissa, still fiddling with the doll in her arms, took over for him without missing a beat.
“So what Barton and Ria are trying to say is: they’re scared out of their minds, crying, losing sleep, thinking the ghost might show up again—but then they heard that my irresistibly squishy, dazzling, heart-stoppingly cute master might be a Spirit Beast, so they came here hoping he could help. That about right?”
“Exactly!”
Ries gave her a look of pure disbelief. Never mind the fact that she knew their names—how the hell did she manage to recite a perfect summary of a bunch of things they hadn’t even said yet?
And those cringe-inducing adjectives? She wasn’t even remotely embarrassed. In fact, she looked proud—like a mother showing off her precious baby.
Why…?
“Mm, it’s a reasonable request. I haven’t been with Lord Ries long, but he’s incredibly sharp. However!”
Melissa’s eyes flashed.
“You can’t just come running up like that! Do you have any idea how fragile he is? What if a gust of wind knocked him over? What if his fur got ruffled? What if his precious pink toe beans got scratched? What if he saw your faces and lost his appetite from the emotional trauma?! You need to approach with care—gently, respectfully, and reverently. Got it?”
“U-uh…”
“…Y-yeah…”
“Whew. I swear, no matter how many times I explain it, some people just don’t get it.”
As Melissa finished her passionate speech, everyone else—three people and one cat—wore nearly identical expressions. Her enthusiasm was so over-the-top, it was practically seeping out of her.
And yet there she was, pretending to wipe sweat from her brow like she’d just finished some exhausting ordeal. She clearly hadn’t meant to be funny—but it kind of was.
Having finally gotten all that off her chest, Melissa stepped aside, giving the other two a chance to speak again.
“M-may we… ask for your help…?”
The maid bowed deeply as she asked, her voice polite and hopeful.
Which made Ries mentally replay what Melissa had said a moment ago.
So, basically—
You want me to exorcise ghosts?
Me?
