17. Baron Oshik
“I-It’s all my fault!”
Even before she had a chance to think about what she’d done wrong, Bella bowed deeply. So suddenly, in fact, that her head passed right through Chei’s body.
Startled, Chei quickly took a step back, then gently mimed placing a hand atop Bella’s head, as though to calm her. Of course, he couldn’t touch her—there was no sensation.
“It’s not your fault, Bella…”
“No, it is. I just… I found it strange that a ghost like you would act so friendly toward me.”
Bella squeezed her eyes shut and fired off the words in a rush.
Seeing such a beautiful face filled with regret made even nonexistent crimes feel real. Just looking at his handsome face already gave her a strange sense of guilt.
As Bella kept her head lowered, Chei quietly leaned down to meet her gaze.
“You’re being oddly self-deprecating, Bella.”
“Gasp…”
When Bella raised her head in shock, she was met with the most beautiful smile, brighter than any flower. She reflexively covered her mouth with both hands.
Chei, knowing his hand would pass through her, instead playfully let it sink halfway into her head as he mimed stroking her hair.
“You may not know it, but you’re beautiful. Really beautiful. I sometimes wonder if I’m even allowed to be near someone like you.”
“…Did you hit your head?”
“Pfft, no. I died from poison, remember?”
Luckily, Chei’s chuckle lightened the mood.
Gathering her courage, Bella straightened her back and faced him confidently—though her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might leap from her chest.
Maybe that’s why she was feeling queasy and dizzy. A shiver ran down her spine. But she pushed her symptoms aside, knowing she had something important to say.
“I’ve been thinking… We could actually make this a win-win situation.”
“How so?”
Chei’s gaze landed on her lips. They were unusually pale—she looked like she could collapse at any moment.
She seemed unaware of how unsteady her body was. A faint, unreadable emotion flickered in Chei’s blue eyes.
“I’ll manage this mansion to the best of my ability. That way, you get to stay in a spotless, dust-free home forever.”
Bella placed her hands confidently on her hips as she laid out her argument. Chei, still staring at her lips, asked again.
“And you?”
“I… um, I get a friend.”
“A friend?”
Chei’s expression subtly stiffened.
Was he that against being friends? Bella pouted internally. Technically, she was the owner of this mansion. She was trying to be friendly. Was that so offensive?
Maybe it was because Chei was a noble—perhaps being asked for friendship by a commoner felt like an insult.
But Chei was no longer a noble. He was a ghost. Bella straightened her slumped shoulders and responded confidently.
“Yes. I don’t have any friends.”
…Though maybe not something to be proud of. Bella averted her gaze awkwardly.
“With your personality, I thought you’d have lots. You’re bold and outgoing, and you know how to navigate social situations.”
Bella moved past Chei and lit the wall lamp in the room. A warm glow quickly filled the space.
She took out a year’s worth of gossip magazines she’d bought today, placed them by her bed, and began tidying the room as she usually did. Then she turned back to Chei.
“My coworkers were just that—coworkers. Since I couldn’t share any information with them, they probably kept their distance. In a way, I isolated myself.”
“Are you not the type to build close relationships?”
“Of course I am. I was a noble once, with a close maid I trusted. I had friends in the village, too.”
“Then… did you lose touch with them? These days, a letter can reach someone in just two days.”
Chei sat gently on the stool next to her bed. Bella, still puzzled by how he could sit on things despite being a ghost, studied him before speaking quietly.
“I wasn’t doing well.”
“Hmm?”
“I gave up my noble surname. The maids I was close with left long ago due to pay issues, and the kids I was friends with in the village… We had a falling out.”
“…”
“The only thing that changed was my surname, but strangely, everything felt different.”
Bella didn’t force a smile. And Chei didn’t try to coax one out of her either. They simply sat in quiet understanding.
“I probably changed too. Even though I was the one who gave up my name, I must’ve felt so small and ashamed.”
Bella spoke again as she grabbed a portable lamp and placed it beside her bed. Then she crawled under the covers and leaned against the headboard.
The soft white comforter warmed her instantly, making her feel sleepy.
She slowly looked around the room. The firewood crackled softly, and the warm air filled the space. The small wall lamp and bedside flame flickered gently, giving the room a cozy atmosphere.
This was the life she had dreamed of—the reward for enduring all her hardships. The flickering flame painted a warm glow over Bella’s violet eyes.
“I was so embarrassed. Wearing a dull gray dress with nothing to my name, knocking on doors asking for work… My face burned. I felt like crying every time.”
“…”
“I got better over time, moving from place to place. But when I first left my home, gave up my name… I really thought shame could kill a person.”
“I see.”
“Even a money-obsessed girl like Bella has her story. Not the most cheerful tale, though.”
Bella hadn’t been fine. She hadn’t been strong from the start. Maybe her obsession with owning a home came from the need to stay sane in a world that made no sense.
After all, who wouldn’t be affected by a once-loving father turning into a gambling addict, wasting the family fortune, and sending mercenaries after her to collect debts?
Building a relationship with someone often starts by sharing your stories. But Bella still wasn’t ready to reveal everything.
That’s why she kept a professional distance with the other maids—so they wouldn’t ask.
Because she didn’t want to make up lies, and she didn’t trust herself not to fall apart while doing so.
“Anyway. I don’t have any friends.”
Chei, who had been listening silently all this time, finally spoke.
“Then I’m your only one?”
“I guess so. You’re my one and only friend, Chei.”
Bella said it half-jokingly and glanced at him. Beneath the flickering candlelight, Chei’s pale face broke into a soft smile—as if he were truly satisfied with her answer.
“That makes me happy. I’m your only one.”
…Was he teasing her? Bella stared at him with a baffled expression before giving up.
If a handsome man was happy—so be it.
* * *
“Huu…”
Chei had gone out, saying he’d take a stroll around the mansion. Left alone, Bella flipped through the gossip magazines by candlelight.
[Baron Oshik Caught Gambling Again!]
They really did publish all sorts of junk.
This was last year’s issue, so over a decade had passed since Bella had left home. And yet, Baron Oshik hadn’t changed one bit.
Baron Oshik. Her father, who lost everything to gambling in an instant.
Bella traced the words with a strange look in her eyes.
[Where Is the Honor of Baron Oshik?]
Apparently, he’d caused a scene in the streets after running out of gambling money.
The last article was from about three months ago.
[Southern Baron Oshik Stripped of Title, Becomes a Commoner!]
So, in the end, he lost his knighthood, his money, his pride—and his home.
Bella’s eyes dimmed.
What pained her most was that he hadn’t always been like that. Baron Oshik had once been a proud knight.
He’d gone to war for his country, and when he returned, he’d spend entire days reading to her and teaching her swordplay with wooden swords, apologizing for being away.
“…Father.”
A word she hadn’t spoken in years. It felt so foreign now.
Over ten years, he had crumbled—slowly, then all at once. And this was the end of his story.
As Bella held back the tears that threatened to fall, she flipped through the magazine again, pretending she was still reading.
“…?”
Illegal Gambling Sweeps Through the South!
Who’s Behind It All?
The peaceful southern towns had been turned into chaos—by none other than gambling.
A new game called “OX” had appeared, drawing even commoners into its simple betting system.
…Just pick “O” or “X.” That’s it.
The royal family had launched a special investigation, but the gambling tents popped up and vanished too quickly to catch anyone.
Bella let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
Gambling, huh. She never found it appealing—she valued safety above all.
But her father had been different. He had a daughter and a noble title. He must’ve been tempted by big money.
If he had a fortune, he could raise her without shame. That hope had pushed him into ruin.
“…Should I head south?”
Bella pressed her throbbing temples.
But what if she ran into Baron Oshik? Could she pretend not to see him? Could she look at him without scorn?
Even if she looked at him with disappointment, she doubted she could truly turn away. Because she remembered. She remembered what it was like to be loved by him.
“…Haa…”
She was sighing deeply again when—
Suddenly, the window flew open with a clunk, and Bella shot up in alarm.
“What the—?!”
A strong gust of wind blew through the open window, and all the lights in the room were snuffed out in an instant.
In the pitch darkness, Bella reached for the sword she’d left beside her bed, every nerve on edge.
The silence was suffocating—even the air held its breath.
