“…Shall I take you there?” 

 

  The Duke asked as I hesitated.

 

  “Your Grace?!”

 

  This was a question I hadn’t anticipated at all.

 

  No. What is this coward saying? Is he going to faint on me again?

 

  “It’s okay. I can go alone… probably.”

 

  “…No. I’ll take you there.”

 

  He said as he placed his hand over mine on the doorknob. But just as the door was about to open, the butler appeared in front of us. He had his right hand clenched as if he was about to knock, but when he spotted us, he lowered his hand.

 

  “Butler!”

 

  I greeted him warmly.

 

  “Could you please take me to my room?”

 

  The butler glanced at me for a moment, then turned his head toward the Duke, and then back to me.

 

  “…I have some business to attend to, so I am not able to accompany you. I apologize.”

 

  He nodded politely and turned to leave.

 

  Huh? Didn’t he come because he had something to do here? Why is he going back? Did he forget something important?

 

  “Let’s go.”

 

  Unlike me, who was taken aback, the Duke didn’t seem to find the butler’s strange behavior surprising. As he walked ahead, I hesitated before following him.

 

  “Thank you for taking me… Are you able to go back?”

 

  I asked the Duke as we reached my room.

 

  “Why wouldn’t I be able to go back?”

 

  “Yes. Well… right. I’ll go in now, Your Grace.”

 

  “Rest.”

 

  I closed the door but didn’t immediately lie down on the bed. Instead, I pressed my ear against the door.

 

  Clump, clump, clump.

 

  It didn’t take long before I heard hurried footsteps. It was the sound of the Duke running. As I listened to the sound of his receding steps,  I thought.

 

  As expected, he was scared. I hope he doesn’t faint again. Even if he does, well… the butler will pick him up. This time, I won’t.

 

  With that thought, I finally went to bed and closed my eyes comfortably.

 

  The ghost maid and the headless ghost probably won’t harm me, but still, they’re ghosts. I need to find a way to help them ascend as soon as possible…

 

 • • • • • • •

 

  “I think I’m going crazy…”

 

  On my way to the room after finishing work, eager to take a bath, I ran into the red-haired maid in the hallway. I had been avoiding her, but today, of all days, we crossed paths head-on as I turned the corner.

 

  I jumped in surprise like a coiled spring but quickly acted as if nothing had happened. I pretended not to know her and walked past her. 

 

  Darn it, is she following me?

 

  “Why are you following me?”

 

  “…”

 

  “Go away.”

 

  “…”

 

  Just like what was written in the Madam’s journal, she couldn’t speak. However, even though it seemed she could hear me, she was pretending to not hear my desperate plea.

 

  From that day on, she started following me. When I slept, ate, and even when I went to the restroom. Yes, a ghost had attached itself to me. 

 

  The ghost maid followed me around, expanding her territory. She went from just cleaning as she wandered the hallways to entering the dining room, the garden, and even the Duke’s study.

 

  “What are you carrying with you?”

 

  “I didn’t bring her here!”

 

  I exclaimed with a tearful voice at the Duke’s words. Then I glanced at the ghost maid who was tidying up the desk. Despite her lack of physical strength, she pretended to be diligently cleaning.

 

  “Sister. Is she the one you brought?”

 

  Shawn asked, having just returned from outside the mansion.

 

  No way… This is so unfair!

 

  “She followed me…”

 

  “Great!”

 

  Shawn seemed to be delighted by everything. Soon, she began playing with the ghost maid.

 

  “Didn’t you always stay outside?”

 

  “…”

 

  “Don’t stay in the hallway! Come here often! Let’s stay here with my big brother and sister! They can see us, you know? Isn’t it fascinating?”

 

  “…”

 

  It seemed that Shawn thought she had found another close friend to replace Theo. The ghost maid seemed to be quietly listening to Shawn’s words.

 

  She might have been a bit annoying, but considering how patiently she dealt with Shawn, she clearly wasn’t a malicious ghost. But that was only one thing, and a ghost was still a ghost, which was unsettling.

 

  I need to help her ascend as soon as possible…

 

  That day, the ghost maid stayed by my side as I worked in the office. After work, she followed me all the way to my room. 

 

  Then, while I was trying to sleep, she stood beside the bed, looking down at me. I sensed her gaze and briefly opened my eyes, almost fainting when our eyes met.

 

  “Ha… Please lie down here instead.”

 

  I said, moving to the edge of the bed. The ghost then lay down and turned her face to look at me.

 

  “Don’t look at me.”

 

  She nodded once and glanced at the ceiling. With that, I could finally go back to sleep.

 

  I can’t continue like this. I need to find a way to help her ascend.

 

  The next day, I woke up early and went straight to the kitchen.

 

  “Chef! Can I get some salt or red beans?”

 

  In my previous life, there was a way to prevent ghosts from attaching themselves to you – by sprinkling salt and red beans. It seemed that this concept didn’t exist in this world, but it was effective. I knew because I had tried it before!

 

  “I don’t have red beans, but I do have salt. It’s roasted salt.”

 

  “Just give me a little.”

 

  I got some salt and put it in my pocket. Then, I waited until it was late at night when the ghosts usually appeared. I went outside to the garden. Soon, the red-haired ghost maid appeared by my side.

 

  Now’s the time!

 

  I threw salt at the ghost. She flinched and ran away when the salt hit her. It worked! I kept my eyes on her as I moved back, creating some distance.

 

  Hehehe, she should have fallen!

 

  Satisfied, I headed towards the Duke’s office. However, I suddenly felt an eerie sensation. When I slowly turned around, I saw the red-haired ghost chasing me fiercely.

 

  “Uwaaaah!”

 

  What’s happening? Why isn’t she dropping off? Did I use the wrong salt?

 

  I screamed and sprinted down the hallway. But in front of me, there was the headless male ghost. Behind me was the ghost maid, and in front of me was the headless ghost. I was trapped in a terrifying moment of crisis.

 

  “Sister!”

 

  At that moment, Shawn broke through the wall and spotted me. Seeing a familiar ghost, I couldn’t have been happier.

 

  “Shawn!”

 

  I stopped running and stood next to her. The headless ghost and the ghost maid approached me from both sides. In the end, I found myself surrounded by ghosts.

 

  “But why is she crying?”

 

  Shawn, as if looking behind me, asked. I turned around to look at the ghost maid. She was shedding thick tears from her big eyes.

 

  “Why is she like this? Did you make her cry?”

 

  Shawn pointed at me and asked. Then the maid started sobbing even harder while shedding more tears. 

 

  Well, it was true that I made her cry, but I felt a bit unfair. After all, she tormented me first…

 

  “Sister, don’t cry…”

 

  Shawn comforted her. Then she turned to me, her eyes scolding. 

 

  Soon, the headless male ghost approached me, placing both hands on his hips. It was as if he was judging me, questioning why I did that.

 

  With both ghosts acting like this, I felt like I had done something terribly wrong. To make matters worse, the ghost maid was petite, barely reaching my nose. 

 

  Seeing her cry and suffer made me feel like a mean and bad person for tormenting such a small girl.

 

  The other ghosts seemed to share the same sentiment, as they turned from me and started to console the red-haired maid, urging her to stop crying. I watched from the sidelines, feeling isolated. 

 

  I knew I could probably escape in this situation, but it didn’t seem right. I hesitated but finally spoke up.

 

  “I’m… sorry for sprinkling roasted salt…”

 

  Upon hearing my words, she stopped crying. Slowly, she approached me, sticking close by my side. And just like that, the ghost was attached to me once again.

 

  “Now, don’t fight. Let’s be grown-ups.”

 

  Shawn spoke in a lecturing tone. Beside her, the headless ghost applauded our reconciliation, and Shawn and the red-haired maid joined in, clapping too.

 

  Clap, clap, clap, clap.

 

  I stood between them, feeling embarrassed and awkward. All the ghosts were clapping around me.

 

  Clap, clap, clap, clap.

 

Sigh… There was no choice. I reluctantly joined in the applause.

 

  “Wow… yes… um, thank you(?)”

 

  The night passed with everyone except me seeming to be happy.

 

 • • • • • • •

 

  “Your Grace, you’re here today!”

 

  When I entered the office, the Duke was sitting at his desk, working. I felt genuinely glad to see his face during the daytime, so I quickly approached him. 

 

  Holding onto the edge of his desk, I looked at him and said,

 

  “Your Grace, please help me!”

 

  “With what?”

 

  “I want to see the ghost maid’s memories to get information about that woman. She’s sticking to me, and at the right time, I want you to push her spirit away like last time.”

 

  “No, I can’t.”

 

  “…”

 

  “…”

 

  “…Why not?”

 

  The Duke replied blandly, “It’s dangerous.”

 

  “It won’t be dangerous; the maid doesn’t look malicious…”

 

  “I don’t know why you’re so sure about this. Being so reckless in a dangerous situation can lead to accidents. In my opinion, you’re the most at risk right now.”

 

  For a moment, I had no words.

 

  He… does have a point.

 

  “I’ll pay attention and be careful.”

 

  “…No.”

 

  “That maid is stuck to me, and I’ll be lucky if I don’t grow old and die before she ascends! But who’s to say when she might turn into an evil spirit before then? What am I supposed to do?”

 

  “…What are you saying…? She’s stuck to you?”

 

  The Duke raised his head, making eye contact with me as he asked.

 

  “Yes, no matter where I go, she appears by my side, even at night, and doesn’t leave until very late. Sometimes I see ghosts that can do such things, but this time, it stuck to me.”

 

  After I answered, I suddenly thought of the black smoky ghost that always clung to the Duke.

 

  “Oh. It seems like the ghost attached to you might be a protective spirit, so it’s fine, Your Grace. Also, it’s so weak that it seems to have trouble maintaining a form. It will likely dissipate if you just leave it alone.”

 

  I quickly said this to reassure the timid Duke. But contrary to my intentions, he seemed even more frightened. There was a rustling sound as he dropped the papers he had been holding onto the floor.

   

  

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