TGBAP 13

[……! ……Lucian!]

“Hic, R, Ria?”

Ria’s voice rang out. Lucian tried to stand, then toppled forward. He quickly looked around.

“Ria! Ria! I’m here! Riaaa!”

[……Lucian! Hurry over here!]

The voice came from the direction of the stairs. Tears blurred his vision, but Lucian desperately forced himself up and staggered toward the stairs.

Light poured in through the doorway above the stairs. It felt like being saved from the darkness.

“Ria!”

[Lucian!]

Ria was halfway up the stairs. Seeing her standing there with such a desperate face, bitterness surged up.

“Waaah! Where were you! I…… I called for you forever……!”

No matter how mean he’d been, he hated that she hadn’t come to find him. And why wasn’t she coming down even now?

[I can’t go any farther from here! Can’t you see this? Even if I want to go, I can’t!]

“Hic! Huh……?”

Lucian barely stopped crying and looked up. Sure enough, Ria had both hands raised in the air, as if something were blocking her, and she was looking down at him.

Feeling puzzled, Lucian went up to where Ria was.

“There’s nothing there……?”

[Of course you wouldn’t see it! But I do! The basement is the only place I can’t go besides outside!]

It was new information. Lucian was startled for a moment, then got angry instead, asking why she was telling him that now.

[How was I supposed to know you’d go to the basement?! I thought I’d locked the basement door, too—how the hell did you open it?!]

“I, I just…… I went in wherever I saw…….”

[Haa. Still, I’m glad you’re safe. Are you hurt anywhere?]

Ria let out a relieved sigh and checked him over. Sniffling, Lucian went out with her.

In the bright light, he was a total mess.

There was a bluish bruise on his chin, his whole body was smeared with something black and brown, and his arm was scraped somewhere and bleeding.

[My god! What on earth happened down there!]

“Hic! I, I don’t know…… the basement is weird. There are only weird rooms……!”

[Ria, wait! Isn’t this blood? If it’s your blood, then…… it looks old, doesn’t it?]

Ria’s shock was brief; she realized the powder caked on Lucian’s hands and body was old blood that had changed over time.

Ria barely calmed Lucian down and was able to hear what had happened in the basement.

A door carved with strange patterns, a door leading to a long tunnel, and a mysterious room filled with bloodstains.

Since she couldn’t enter the basement, she hadn’t even known such rooms existed.

From what she heard, it seemed like some kind of trap had been set, and it must have reacted to Lucian’s blood.

[Haa, still, thank goodness you got out quickly. If you hadn’t made it out in time, you would’ve ended up like the lantern.]

“No! I don’t want to die!”

Lucian screamed hysterically and clung to her. Since Ria had wrapped mana around her whole body, he could lean on her.

Ria decided to wash Lucian first and led him to the bathroom. Still terrified from what had just happened, Lucian didn’t leave Ria’s side for even a moment.

Even though it must have been quite annoying, Ria didn’t complain. Instead, she said it was okay and gently soothed him.

Thanks to that, Lucian felt his wildly pounding heart quiet down.

Only after he got into the bubble bath Ria made for him did everything that happened in the basement feel like a frightening dream.

“……Ria, I was wrong.”

Lucian thought this had happened because he’d said cruel things to Ria. If they hadn’t fought, it wouldn’t have happened.

At that, Ria snorted a laugh and scrubbed Lucian’s body.

[No, I’m sorry too. I didn’t understand my little groom’s feelings. Let’s never fight again, okay?]

“Mm…….”

[And don’t go down to the basement again. I can’t go there, so if something dangerous happens, I won’t be able to help you.]

“Yeah, I won’t go in again.”

After making a firm promise with Ria, Lucian finally relaxed his stiff body. Maybe because the tension eased, his eyes slowly began to close.

[Here. I’ll wash you.]

“No. I can do it myself…….”

[It’s fine, so go to sleep. I’ll stay right next to you the whole time.]

If Ria is by his side, he can relax.

In the end, Lucian couldn’t resist his eyelids closing and fell asleep.

When Lucian’s pretty breathing could be heard, Ria erased the smile she’d been wearing. A chilly wind rippled around her.

With an expression so frightening that anyone who saw it would think she was a vengeful spirit, she looked terrifying.

* * *

Ria laid the sleeping Lucian on the bed and let out a sigh.

[Thank goodness nothing happened.]

When she heard Lucian’s screams from the basement, it felt like she was going to go crazy. Then, for the first time, she resented herself for being bound to the mansion, unable to do anything.

[What on earth is in the basement? And what is that long tunnel?]

She’d lived in this mansion for over 300 years and prided herself on knowing every corner of it, but that confidence shattered today.

Based on what she inferred from Lucian’s story, this mansion is connected to somewhere. And someone who comes and goes through that tunnel did something strange in the basement.

Goosebumps ran all over her body to the point her soul trembled.

[Wait, but something’s strange.]

She felt an uneasy sense that she was missing something important. Ria looked over the clothes Lucian had taken off again.

Not only dust and powdered blood, but his clothes were also covered in jelly-like clots of blood.

Only then did she realize it.

[……They’ve been coming and going recently.]

And from Lucian’s explanation, the magic circle drawn on the floor looked like the kind used to offer something as a sacrifice.

[Since when, exactly?]

Since when she had consciousness……? That might be too much to say.

Then at the very least, it means someone has been going in and out of the basement for over 300 years, and that’s practically impossible.

Unless there’s some psycho doing this insane thing generation after generation, it’s not realistic.

To know for sure, she’d have to check the magic circle’s pattern.

If she asked Lucian to draw the pattern and bring it…….

[No, no. He’s traumatized—I can’t send him back to someplace that dangerous.]

There’s no choice. She can’t go down to the basement herself.

[Then I’ll have to lock the door to the basement.]

Not only to keep Lucian from ever going down again, but also to prevent whoever entered the basement from possibly coming into the mansion.

Leaving the sleeping Lucian behind, Ria went out. Before sealing the door, she went down toward the basement.

Thump-!

Sure enough, the moment she reached the midpoint of the stairs, an invisible barrier blocked her, stopping her from going any farther.

Now that she saw it, it was clearly different from what happened when she tried to leave the mansion grounds.

Even if she went just 1 km beyond the mansion, horrific pain would wrap around her whole body, but here it was as if the basement itself was being blocked—only a barrier appeared.

[Whatever they’re using my mansion for, they won’t be able to lay a hand on Lucian.]

Ria closed the door to the basement and formed a spell.

Click-

It couldn’t be opened, as if a latch had been locked from the inside.

This should be enough. If someone tries to break the door by force, the array is set so she’ll receive an immediate signal, so a sudden attack won’t be a problem.

Mmm…….

She heard Lucian’s groan from the second floor. Thinking he might have woken up, she hurried upstairs.

Thankfully, he hadn’t. But maybe he was having a nightmare; he panted, cold sweat beading on him.

“Uuuh, Ria…….”

Calling Ria’s name, Lucian flailed his hand in the air. Ria took his hand and lay down beside him.

[Shh…… it’s okay. I’m right here.]

After patting and soothing him for a long while, Lucian’s groans subsided and he grew peaceful again.

That night, Ria stayed by Lucian’s side, praying he wouldn’t have any more nightmares.

* * *

After the basement commotion, Lucian became even more of a clingy barnacle to Ria.

It was always the two of them anyway, so they spent every day together, but he didn’t cling like this before.

Because of that, Ria had to keep mana around her body at all times. Otherwise, Lucian might stumble because he would pass straight through a ghost’s bodiless form.

[Still. Even so. Right now, sticking to me is more dangerous, isn’t it? Back off a little.]

Right now, Ria was standing in front of the stove making lunch.

“I don’t want to.”

[Ugh, you stubborn little mule.]

Even with Ria’s grumbling, Lucian only made a walnut on his chin and didn’t say much.

[Are you still scared?]

“…….”

The way he avoided her gaze in silence meant it was the answer. They say even adults need a few days when they develop trauma—children would be worse, not better.

[I’m right here, so what are you worried about? I’ve locked the basement up tight, and no one will hurt you.]

“……But I still don’t want to be apart.”

[What am I supposed to do with you…….]

Ria looked down at Lucian with his face buried in her back. Since her body was transparent, his ugly expression he’d tried to hide was plain to see.

If this keeps up, he’ll be so afraid he won’t be able to do anything. She’d prioritized calming his startled heart, so hadn’t she even paused the things they’d been doing, too?

While she was pondering how to get rid of Lucian’s fear, the bright weather outside caught her eye.

A season moving from spring into summer. The sunlight was warm, and wildflowers bloomed prettily all around the yard.

An idea came to her.

[Lucian, shall we go on a picnic?]

“Picnic?”

[Yeah. Today, we’ll eat lunch outside. I was going to make sandwiches anyway, so let’s pack it like a lunchbox. If we eat by the stream, won’t it feel like a picnic?]

Curiosity flickered in the golden eyes.

“A picnic is going out to eat something delicious and talk happily and stuff, right? That picnic from fairy tale books?”

[Yeah, that picnic.]

“Okay! I love it!”

[Today, no studying and no training—let’s play all day long.]

“Really? No studying today?”

[Instead, starting tomorrow, we go back to being diligent and studying like before.]

Lucian flinched, glanced at the bright outdoors, then shook his head vigorously.

[All right, soldier! For a successful picnic, can you help me!]

“Yes! General! I will work hard!”

[Good. Then, soldier, prepare toys or fairy tale books to bring and play with at the picnic!]

“Yup!”

Lucian ran off. Only after hearing his footsteps fade did Ria start cooking.

……Trot trot trot!

But the footsteps returned again.

When she turned around, Lucian was standing by the doorway with a slightly frightened face.

“……Can’t you come with me?”

[Still scared?]

Lucian nodded. Well, being excited and being scared are separate things.

With no choice, Ria decided to prepare for the picnic with him together.

* * *

“Waaah!”

They came to the edge of the forest where a small stream flowed. Since it was full spring, flowers were blooming in profusion.

“Ah! Ria! Look over there!”

[Looks like they came on a picnic like us.]

A group of foxes could be seen deeper in the forest.

Since there were two cubs, it seemed to be a family. Lucian only exclaimed waaah! in admiration and didn’t chase after the foxes.

They spread out a mat. Setting sandwiches and fruit in the middle made it really feel like they’d come on a picnic.

[Before we play properly, let’s fill your belly first.]

“Yes! Thank you for the meal!”

Seeing him smiling as he kept saying it was delicious, he looked much better than he had over the past few days when he’d been listless.

Ria waited until Lucian finished eating, looking around the surroundings.

Birdsong, flowers dancing as they released a fragrant scent with the wind, and even animals running around using nature as their playground.

She’d been in the mansion for over 300 years, but today the scenery looked especially different.

“Just like I thought—it’s you, Ria! The sandwiches are so good!”

It must be that this different scenery can only be complete because Lucian is here.

[Next time, I’ll make it even more delicious.]

“I’ll look forward to it!”

Smiling, Ria looked up at the sky again. Somehow, it felt like the warmth of the sunlight was settling over her whole body.

Even though she has a body that can’t feel warmth, she felt like she finally understood what it means to feel warm.

* * *

After lunch, they played all kinds of games. They played chess, searched for flower meanings, skipped stones on the water, and played hide-and-seek.

Ria hid so well that there were times Lucian couldn’t find her and cried, but in the end, it was a fun time.

Only, Ria’s stamina couldn’t keep up with a lively little child.

No, she’s a ghost, so she shouldn’t have any stamina limits—so why does she feel tired?

“Ria! What are we doing next?”

They’d been playing for almost three hours, but Lucian showed no signs of tiring. If anything, it felt like his eyes were even more sparkling than at the start…….

Sparkle sparkle sparkle-

……Seems not.

Ria swallowed the sigh that rose up on its own.

[Lucian, aren’t you tired?]

“Are you tired, Ria? You’re a ghost.”

Right. She’s a ghost—so why is she tired?

Today, Ria realized anew that even a ghost can become mentally exhausted.

In the end, she had to think hard about what method would let her play with Lucian without putting in effort.