Chapter 20: “Illegal Gambling Den”:
At this point, even a count might be tempted by the offer. Tempted enough to wonder just how dangerous this must be, if such a high price is being paid.
But Bella’s next words put the Mist Merchant in even more of a bind.
<br>“Let me recruit a knight order.”
<br>“But that’s…”
The Mist Merchant trailed off. Even if he wanted to allow it, it was legally impossible.
Yet Bella walked over casually and placed her hand right on top of the chest. The merchant looked at her with disbelief. Leaning casually with a hand on the box, Bella looked rather delinquent—and threatening.
<br>“A noble’s privilege. What I want are employees.”
<br>“Employees?”
<br>“A manor caretaker would be ideal. Just happened to hire staff who can use swords.”
<br>“Ha…”
Like peeling skin from a fruit. The Mist Merchant sighed, running a hand through his hair in surrender.
Now that she’d presented a plausible workaround, it would be hard to say no.
Bella didn’t seem to realize, but the Mist Merchant was betting everything—his entire fortune—on this gamble.
Though calling it a “gamble” felt wrong; it was more like a desperate all-in.
<br>“You understand, right?”
<br>“What do you take me for.”
Bella gave a satisfied smile and lifted her upper body, picking up the chest.
<br>“Now, tell me your terms.”
The Mist Merchant leaned back in his chair, taking his time. Bella waited patiently for his answer.
<br>“Not ‘merchant.’ Call me Ridel.”
<br>“Yesss, Mr. Ridel.”
The Mist Merchant—no, Ridel—pressed his lips together, forcing a smile as he sighed inwardly.
Was Miss Bella always like this?
With that expression and tone, she could easily cause Count Tresy to clutch his neck and collapse.
Still, Ridel decided to trust his instincts—he believed Bella was someone worth betting on. He reached out and desperately grabbed her wrist.
Bella stared at him like he’d lost his mind, but Ridel’s eyes were so desperate that even she fell silent.
<br>“When you go south, take the ghost with you.”
<br>“……What? I’m sorry, Ridel, but do you even know what the ghost is?”
He must mean Chei. After all, there was only one ghost in this manor.
Take Chei to the south? A theory flashed through Bella’s mind.
Does Ridel know who Chei was in life?
If Chei was important enough for Ridel to be concerned about…
<br>“I’m not sure either. But I have a feeling the target isn’t the manor—it’s the ghost.”
Ridel interrupted Bella’s thoughts with an explanation.
She nodded slowly. His reasoning was fair.
Sure, the mansion was large, classy, and beautiful—but not worth repeatedly killing its owners over. That suggested their true target might not be the house but Chei himself.
But Chei was a ghost.
The more she learned, the more tangled Bella’s thoughts became. Who on earth had Chei been, for such prominent people to be interested?
<br>“……The ghost can’t leave the mansion. Probably.”
<br>“That’s why I brought this.”
<br>“……?”
Bella finally looked at the chest in her hand. It rattled slightly when shaken.
Suspicious, she glanced at Ridel, then cautiously opened the box.
Inside lay a bracelet, aged with time in a way that made it look artfully antique.
<br>“What is this?”
<br>“A sacred artifact that can seal a ghost. The only royal treasure that ever leaked out.”
<br>“Seal… a ghost?”
Wait. Aren’t there only three royal treasures? Some say they’re just legends; others claim they wield divine power.
The royal family’s mystique—the idea they were chosen by the gods—came from these artifacts. And now, one of them was in Ridel’s hands? That stank to high heaven.
This felt wrong.
Her instincts screamed that she’d gotten involved in something too big.
<br>“If a ghost touches that bracelet, it gets sealed. And if the cord breaks, the ghost can possess your body for one day.”
Ridel whispered, glancing around nervously. Which was pointless—no one else was in this mansion.
Bella silently stared at the bracelet, frowning.
<br>“Possess me? That’s dangerous, isn’t it?”
<br>“Not really. After one day, the ghost gets automatically expelled and returns to its original resting place.”
Bella cautiously lifted the bracelet from the box. It was clearly made of blue mineral, but under light, it shimmered with a hint of red.
To think even this could be a royal treasure. Maybe the royal family really did have powers beyond human reach. That might explain why the monarchy remained stable despite the social order crumbling.
Bella fastened the bracelet to her wrist. Not because she trusted Ridel—but because she trusted his money. At least in business, he was reliable.
<br>“Fine. I’ll protect Chei. But you need to support me, as promised.”
<br>“Of course.”
Bella brought out pen and paper, and Ridel wrote a contract in elegant handwriting.
It stated that as long as Bella protected the mansion and the ghost, his company would pay her ten thousand gold upfront, help maintain the estate, and invest in her business.
Though parts overlapped with their previous contract—which promised business support if Bella survived six months—the importance of this new deal was clear.
Ridel was also asking her to change public perception of both the house and the ghost.
Bella had no reason to refuse. That had been her plan from the start.
<br>“Now we’ve got two contracts.”
<br>“I’m counting on you.”
Ridel stood after signing. He’d said everything he needed to. Now all that remained was to test Bella’s potential and minimize risk while achieving his goals.
Before leaving the room, he paused to look back at her deep in thought.
Even the first time they met, he’d never forgotten her purple eyes. No other client had left such an impression.
There was a flicker of madness in those indifferent violet irises. The calm ones were often the most unstable.
Ridel forced Bella’s face from his mind and exited the mansion.
Beyond the gate, he pulled his hood low and looked up. The lights in the mansion were still on. It seemed Bella had a lot to think about.
<br>“…?”
A sudden chill made Ridel shudder. He glanced around, then froze.
There, in one of the windows, was a faint, blurry shape.
<br>“…A… a ghost?”
Why did it feel like the ghost was glaring at him?
He rubbed his arms to shake off the creeping fear.
If that ghost was truly what they were after, it would also be the key to this conflict. He’d told Bella he didn’t know who the ghost was—but he had a guess.
From the information he got with the artifact, Ridel knew the ghost wasn’t entirely invulnerable. The fact that no one had tried to harm it yet meant the ghost still had value to them.
After all, they could exploit the name “Prelrode” with rumors and fear.
But if Bella began to change that—if she lived openly in the mansion, if people stopped fearing the ghost…
Then they’d start asking questions.
Could a mere maid really fight off intruders and guard a haunted mansion?
What if… Prelrode’s wraith had truly returned?
It was just a theory—but Ridel thought he knew who might be behind the smear campaign. That’s what made this moment so dangerous. Now that Bella was alive.
<br>“She’d better pull this off.”
Ridel’s anxious sigh vanished into the night air.
* * *
<br>“Chei. Where are you?”
After sending Ridel off and finishing her packing, Bella searched the mansion. Chei had vanished.
She checked the office, parlor, library, and gallery. All in vain.
<br>“Where did he go…”
She muttered, climbing the stairs.
Was Chei startled by a stranger’s visit? A flicker of worry crossed her face.
Still, she had bigger concerns. The gambling den frequented by Baron Oshik happened to be owned by Count Tresy—who was currently acting as regent for a now-defunct duchy.
A count managing a royal duchy as regent. Bella’s instincts tingled.
Chei was hiding something. Something he hadn’t told her.
<br>“Ah.”
Suddenly, Bella turned on her heel. She’d forgotten—Ridel, that damn Mist Merchant, had broken a window.
She rushed to her old bedroom and flung the door open.
The broken window creaked open from the impact, letting the chilly night air brush against her cheeks.
The white curtains fluttered like ghosts, and between them stood Chei.
With shining platinum hair and soft blue eyes, pale skin devoid of color, and an ethereal expression—
If Bella had to name the most beautiful moment of her life, she’d choose this without hesitation.
<br>“Bella.”
His painfully beautiful voice called her name with sorrow.
This was what it meant to be haunted. Bella felt it in her bones and stepped into the room.
<br>“Chei. You don’t look well. Is it because of Ridel?”
<br>“You know him?”
<br>“He’s the merchant I work with. A strange man, but not a bad one. At least, he’s reliable in business.”
She tried to sound cheerful as she approached. But the closer she got, the colder the air felt—like it was freezing her bones.
<br>“We don’t need anyone else in this mansion, Bella.”
<br>“I agree. Don’t worry, Chei.”
<br>“What trust is there? We’re nothing to each other.”
Chei’s voice was gentle and refined, yet cold. Bella’s eyes widened in confusion.
<br>“…Aren’t we friends?”
<br>“I don’t want to be friends.”
Chei stepped away from the window and approached. Just as he reached out to touch her cheek, his eyes locked onto something.
The bracelet on her wrist.
<br>“Chei?”
At her voice, he slowly raised his gaze. The moment he saw her innocent violet eyes, his expression hardened.
He stepped back, covering his mouth with a hand.
<br>“Chei, what’s wrong?”
<br>“Speak from there, Bella. You can’t touch me anyway.”
<br>“Why are you saying that? I’m just worried.”
<br>“Don’t come closer. Just speak from there.”
He raised his hand to stop her. Though she could pass through him anyway—his face twisted with frustration and confusion.
Bella was bewildered by his sudden coldness.
<br>“Is it… because of this bracelet?”
Ah.
Somehow, despite being dead and pale, Chei felt as if his face was burning.
