Chapter 03
Tiya glanced around and quickly snatched up a small fire poker from the corner.
“Strike first… Victory comes first!”
Her grandfather’s drill-like training seemed to shine in that moment, but—
<Stop!>
The ghost’s voice hit the brakes on Tiya’s feet.
Standing in front of her, the ghost asked in a tone of exasperation:
<Do you always act like this when hunting bears? Just recklessly charging?>
Of course not.
I only cracked the grizzly’s skull because I lured it with the scent, waited for it to lower its guard…
“Ah-ha?”
Tiya’s eyes sparkled like a hunter spotting prey, as if realizing something.
Click.
The previously closed door opened.
The intruder moved cautiously, as if aware someone was inside the room.
Peering through the darkness, the thief soon found what he sought and let out a mocking laugh.
In the far corner, curled up like a sleeping ball, was the child.
“Right, you couldn’t last till dawn anyway.”
Shifting his gaze from the child, the intruder’s steps headed straight for his target.
Just as the masked thief reached for the Spirit Egg, the ghost watching from the center of the room shouted:
<Now!>
The thief didn’t hear it.
As the signal, Tiya, hidden behind the open door, darted out like a flying crow.
Tap-tap!
Her light footsteps barely making a sound, her skirt fluttered like small wings.
In the instant that her weapon brushed past the thief’s head, she shouted:
“Uryaa! Wolf Fang!”
Swinging the poker with all her might.
“Wha—what!”
The thief barely dodged as the poker narrowly missed his head.
<Idiot! Who shouts the name of a move so loudly when ambushing!>
“But it’s tradition to call out the move when fighting!” Tiya protested timidly.
Meanwhile, the thief threw a metal ball from his pouch.
Bang!
Thick smoke filled the room instantly.
“Argh! I can’t see anything!”
Disoriented and panicked, Tiya swung wildly with the poker.
A low voice calmed her.
<Quiet. Calm yourself. I’ll sense the enemy.>
“You… you can see them?”
A lie. The ghost could see no better through the thick smoke.
Yet she could sense the enemy’s presence.
Within the hazy smoke, the ghost silently pointed with a finger:
“Thir—!”
<Shut up!>
Tiya swallowed the name of the move, pouting, then followed the ghost’s guidance.
Using the instincts honed from thousands of practice swings, Tiya wielded the poker.
Clang!
Thud.
The thief collapsed without a sound, eyes rolling.
Tiya felt the victory in her fingertips.
Yet instead of jumping up in excitement, she restrained herself and feigned bravado.
“Hmph, did I take him down?”
<…Yes, but don’t say that. Words like that are like resurrection spells, bringing even a dying enemy back to life.>
“Eh? There’s a spell that scary?”
As Tiya blinked in confusion, the smoke cleared, and commotion arose outside the door.
“What’s that noise… Smoke?”
“Fire? Here! Bring water!”
The servants rushed in, seeing the unconscious intruder and Tiya, utterly astonished.
“A thief? Knocked out like that!”
“Could it be… you caught him?”
The idea that such a small girl could defeat a thief left them in awe.
They checked Tiya for injuries, still unaware of the ghost hovering three steps away.
Then someone removed the thief’s mask.
“This is…!”
Under the lamp, the culprit’s face was revealed.
The one who had trapped Tiya and tried to frame her for stealing the Spirit Egg—
It was Erin, her assigned maid.
The ghost, watching with its usual cold expression, for the first time let a corner of its mouth lift.
Normally, Erin would have been untouchable in today’s “events.”
People would have believed that the youngest Vladichev daughter, dismissed for not being a spirit tamer, stole the Spirit Egg.
Naive and honest Tiya could only protest, and so she was gradually isolated in the mansion, unaware that Erin was the real culprit.
The ghost muttered irritably:
<Damn spirit… what the hell am I supposed to do with that little brat?>
Yet in the ghost’s mind, plans were already forming to turn this situation to her advantage.
Her gaze fell on the Spirit Egg, lips twisting slightly.
At least she had decided how to make use of this changed scenario.
<From here on, everything will be different.>
The ghost’s veiled face remained hidden, but her words hinted at a new scheme in motion.
***
The next day, at noon.
Tiya, having fallen into a deep sleep after the previous night’s excitement, woke up late.
‘Hmm, something huge must’ve happened yesterday…’
Blink.
The feel of the poker in her hands came back vividly.
Blink.
The helplessness of being trapped in the unfamiliar room returned.
Blink. By the third blink, her drowsiness was gone.
<You’re awake, right?>
“G-ghost!”
Hovering in midair, legs crossed, the ghost looked down at her.
Tiya jumped behind the sofa in fright.
Peeking over the backrest, the ghost had not disappeared.
It wasn’t a dream!
And this ghost from yesterday had appeared again—in broad daylight!
But it helped me yesterday, so it must not be a bad ghost.
Summoning all her courage, Tiya slowly stood and looked at the ghost, expressing her gratitude.
“Th-thank you for helping me yesterday. I’m Tiya. Tiya of Astiya.”
The ghost remained silent, her face hidden behind the black veil.
A long silence followed.
Growing bored of waiting, Tiya finally noticed the ghost’s uniform.
Yesterday, she thought it was just black clothes because of the darkness.
That’s… a Vladichev Knight uniform!
Finally, after a long wait, the ghost spoke.
<…Call me Winter.>
A short answer, but enough for Tiya.
Realizing the ghost wore a Vladichev Knight uniform melted away her caution.
“Okay, Winter! Then… um…”
Tiya took a deep breath and began rattling off questions.
“Winter, are you really a ghost? How long have you lived here? Did you see me before? Actually, I lived here as a baby! Why can’t anyone else see you? Ah! I still can’t see your face! So… could you take off that thing… Hup.”
Suddenly, she realized something and clamped her mouth shut.
Winter wore a funeral veil.
Her grandmother had said that northern people, valuing stoicism, hide grief under black veils.
Asking Winter to remove it would be extremely rude.
In other words, Winter was deeply sad, hiding her grief behind the veil.
