Chapter 39: “The Secret Engraved on the Soul”:
“…I’m a little late.”
A veiled woman stood by the door, having entered unnoticed, slowly scanning the room.
Bella mimicked the woman’s soft and detached tone with deliberate exaggeration, curtsying mockingly — as if daring her to do something.
“You show up uninvited to someone else’s home and speak in riddles?”
Behind the veil, Bella sensed a brief flicker of emotion. Living with a ghost for so long, it felt as if she could see beyond the veil. Discomfort and irritation oozed from the woman like mist.
“There’s no good in staying close to the dead. You’ll grow weak, closer to death.”
Whether it was advice, prophecy, or a curse, Bella simply smiled and shrugged.
What she needed most was a home. And second — a fence. Something to shield her from the bitter, howling world outside. A place where she could breathe, even if just briefly.
It was the reason she’d worked herself to the bone for over ten years.
“The world’s already told me to die. I’m used to it.”
“….”
The woman’s shoulders visibly tensed.
In the end, wearing a veil meant nothing — it couldn’t hide anything. Even through it, her emotions seeped out clearly.
Bella didn’t understand. Why the discomfort? Why the surprise?
“Isn’t a ghost who listens better than a world that doesn’t?”
“…You’ll regret it.”
Now it was pure hostility.
With that, Bella realized the veiled woman knew something.
Her friendliness toward the ghost, her disdain toward Bella — it made no sense at first. But if she knew something about the ghost, it all lined up.
“Well, then I’ll regret it later. ‘I should’ve listened to that lady,’ and all.”
Just then, Count Karl entered and frowned at the tense atmosphere.
The veiled woman, unmoved by his presence, spoke again, her posture lofty and cold.
“There’s no ghost here, Count.”
“No ghost? Nonsense!”
Count Karl’s face flushed bright red. He had just devised a perfect plan to trap Bella, and now it was falling apart.
Most of the kingdom believed in the legend of the Prellrod ghost — that it haunted the mansion and killed people, an evil spirit even the royal family failed to control. Only after a long silence had the estate been put up for auction.
But now, the veiled woman had declared there was no ghost. No one knew exactly who she was, but as someone from the temple, her words carried heavy weight.
“So the whole ghost thing… just a rumor, huh?”
The woman turned sharply, uninterested. Count Karl grabbed her arm in desperation.
“No! His Highness himself ordered this ghost to be exorcised! Even if there isn’t one, we must make one!”
His shrill shouting made him look like a child throwing a tantrum.
The woman shook off his grip, and Count Karl, realizing what he’d just done, quickly pulled his hand back.
Even nobles faced harsh penalties for offending someone from the temple — perhaps the harshest of all.
“Are you asking a servant of the temple to lie?”
“T-That’s not what I meant…”
“There’s no ghost here. Let us return.”
The priest turned to leave. Count Karl glared at Bella and mouthed a vulgar curse before hurrying after her.
“…Bella.”
“…?”
The priest paused and turned back, her voice softened.
“We’ll meet again. Until then… stay safe.”
Her tone was wistful, as if painting a memory — one aimed not at Bella, but at Chei, the ghost inside her. Bella noticed, gave a bitter laugh, and turned her gaze to the Count.
“Count. You haven’t forgotten what I said, right? Think it over carefully.”
“You filthy commoner… so arrogant.”
Count Karl twisted his lips into a sneer, expressing his disgust. Only once they were completely gone did Bella collapse into an armchair, her tension releasing at last.
“A temple official… That was terrifying.”
“More dangerous than a noble, surely.”
It felt like Chei was whispering by her ear again, just like when she sealed him in the bracelet.
Her body was cold, and her head a little dizzy — probably from housing a ghost too long — but still bearable.
“Why’s that?”
“People who believe in the unseen can do far more unexpected things than those who believe in money.”
“…That’s true. But that woman… she kind of let us go, didn’t she?”
“You handled it well. But release me now, Bella. It’s not good for your body.”
“…I don’t know how.”
It wasn’t that she wouldn’t release him — she couldn’t.
Bella smiled awkwardly and muttered.
After all, she had no experience with ghosts, let alone how to deal with them. She couldn’t go out killing an innocent to give Chei a new body. And truthfully, housing him inside her wasn’t so bad.
Last time had been terrifying, when she’d been devoured without understanding anything — like being swallowed by a black tide.
“Bella?”
Chei noticed her condition deteriorating and called her urgently, but Bella’s mind was already clouding.
“I’m fine. It’s not too bad. Just… cold…”
Her eyes blinked slowly.
There was a district in the capital known for housing famous sorcerers. Maybe she could visit them — find a way to live with a ghost peacefully.
One day, maybe she could take Chei in and out of her body freely. Travel together beyond the mansion.
These thoughts drifted lazily through her head until Chei’s energy shook her awake from within.
Bella shivered violently, trying to refocus her vision.
“Ah. Was I out of it again?”
“Yes. I need to get out soon. Can you faint for a bit?”
“…Faint? Me? Uh… probably?”
“Then either lose consciousness or fall asleep. Dawn would be perfect.”
“Hmm, okay.”
The sun was already cresting over the ridge — far from ideal for ghostly power.
Bella quickly drew the heavy curtains and slipped under the covers. But falling back asleep in the morning wasn’t easy.
“Chei… do you know any lullabies?”
“…There’s one my nanny used to hum, but it’s hazy…”
“Even humming is fine. Just sing something. I’ll try to pass out quickly.”
A long silence followed. Bella wondered if she’d asked too much, and closed her eyes with a faint smile.
She was about to start counting sheep when a low voice began softly humming near her ear.
“….”
It was a song Bella recognized. A lullaby passed down for generations in the kingdom.
Suddenly, tears welled in her eyes. She pressed her lips tightly together.
Her father used to sing it to her. It was so warm, it hurt. As a child, she cried at sad things. As an adult, it was the beautiful things that brought tears — though she didn’t know why.
Though the lullaby rang in her ears, it felt like it came from her heart — from Chei inside her chest.
By the time the song settled in her soul, Bella’s face relaxed.
“Bella. I hope you dream well.”
Chei whispered gently, preparing to leave her body. Just then, a pale mass caught his soul.
“….”
It was Bella’s soul — holding onto him.
Just because the body sleeps doesn’t mean the soul does. Only in true peace does the soul rest.
“Bella. You need to let me go. If not, it’ll strain your body.”
Souls act on instinct. So the fact that Bella’s soul was holding on — it likely reflected her deepest, truest feelings.
“You don’t want to be apart from me, do you?”
His voice was soft but tinged with something sly.
Chei placed his hand gently on the hazy mass. It flinched, then wrapped carefully around his hand.
So like Bella. Of course — it was her soul, after all. Even without eyes or a mouth, it was unmistakably her.
“Bella. You’ll make me think dangerous thoughts…”
Chei laughed quietly and touched his forehead to her soul.
Whether living or dead, it seemed loneliness was the same. Part of him wanted to stay beside her soul forever. But he had to leave.
“Bella. What I’m about to say — your body won’t remember it.”
“…”
“Can you hide it — so only your soul remembers?”
Bella’s soul moved slightly up and down, like a nod.
“If I ever become a vengeful spirit… you must remember this.”
“….”
His tone was gentle, like explaining to a child. Perhaps sensing the affection, Bella’s soul clung tighter to him.
“Bella. I…”
