TGBAP 47

“Damn it…… to think he’d really come.”

“At times like this, Your Highness is really heartless.”

Everyone followed behind Leopold with listless steps, like livestock being led to the slaughterhouse.

All of them had changed into maid uniforms and attendant uniforms, then secretly slipped out of the imperial palace and were now walking through the forest.

It was an escapade an ordinary noble could never imagine. But who is Leopold? When it comes to curiosity, there is no one who can keep up with him.

It wasn’t the first or second time he had secretly slipped out of the imperial palace and gone down into the capital already.

Of course, there were a few times he got caught halfway and was dragged back.

“Ah! A path! It must be this way!”

It was a relief they hadn’t gotten lost, but thinking that path was the road to hell made them want to back away.

But since no one could voice complaints to the Crown Prince, they followed behind him without a word.

‘How has not a single thing changed……!’

Lilis panted, lagging far behind.

Because it had been so long since she’d seen him, she thought he must have become more impressive and more mature, but it was all a misunderstanding.

Memories of how badly she’d suffered from Leopold’s pranks as a child crept up, one by one.

At times like this, it was only bitter that her status was lower than his.

Thump-!

While she was grumbling inwardly and swallowing down every curse she could think of, something struck her forehead.

“What is it! Why did you st—!”

“Shh. We’re here.”

Seeing Amanda’s face, terrified to the limit, Lilis clamped her mouth shut.

Lilis finally pushed through the kids and spotted the mansion visible in the distance.

A mansion sitting all alone halfway up the mountain.

She didn’t know if it was because dark materials were used from the start, or if it had changed over time, but the mansion was dark overall.

As if it were a mansion that had risen up from hell.

“……Do we really have to go in there?”

At the end of the silence, Amanda spoke. Everyone looked back at Leopold.

“If a man’s drawn his sword, he’s got to at least chop a radish.”

In an instant, despair settled over everyone’s faces. They slowly held their breath and approached the fence surrounding the mansion.

Now that they were right in front of it, they didn’t have the courage to go inside. In the end, Leopold turned to Shulan and Harry.

“You go first.”

“Eeeek!”

“I refuse.”

Shulan yelped, and Harry rejected him at once.

“Your Highness said we should come! Of course Your Highness has to go in first!”

“How can someone be called a lord if he drives his vassals into a death trap?”

With their firm stance, and with Amanda and Lilis’s stinging gazes added on, Leopold grabbed the two and whispered.

“If you go in first, I’ll grant you one wish.”

Shulan flinched, and Harry’s eyes narrowed.

“If you say a wish…….”

“Anything, as long as it’s within what I can grant!”

“No, thanks. Completely useless.”

Harry knew from the start it wouldn’t work on him. The one he was aiming for wasn’t him, but Shulan.

“……In a few days, we’re hosting a small gathering at my house—could you come?”

“Huh? A gathering?”

“Yes! It’s nothing special, just a place where young gentlemen around our age gather to socialize. We’re planning some small pastimes too, like horseback riding or hunting.”

At the obvious maneuver, Harry’s eyes narrowed. That thought must be the work of Count Neofin, Shulan’s father.

Shulan still tended to follow Count Neofin’s words faithfully rather than moving by his own will.

Leopold seemed to be thinking along similar lines as Harry, because he hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Fine. Send an invitation later.”

“Really?!”

“Of course. Do you think I’d say two different things with one mouth? If you go into the mansion first and check what it’s like, I’ll definitely go.”

“……I’m a little scared, but if it’s Your Highness’s request!”

Shulan and Leopold clasped hands tightly, sealing their contract. Only Harry shook his head, unable to believe it.

“……I’m going!”

“Fighting, Shulan!”

“Shulan is the best!”

At his friends’ cheers, Shulan’s shoulders lifted a little.

Everyone held their breath and watched Shulan. Shulan, who had reached the mansion before they knew it, wandered around it for a while before grasping the front door’s handle.

Creeeeak-

With a chilling sound, the door opened. From far away, beyond the door only looked darker and murkier.

“Sh-should we have gone with Shulan?”

“What if something happens to Shulan?”

“It’ll be fine. I told Shulan not to close the do—”

Before Leopold could finish, Shulan went into the mansion. At the same time, the front door slammed shut—BANG!

In an instant, a heavy silence fell among the kids.

“……What was that, just now?”

“Did the wind close the door?”

“T-that must be it. Otherwise, how could the door…….”

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

A loud scream came from inside the mansion. Everyone froze, hearts pounding, staring intently at the mansion.

Bang!

In less than a minute, Shulan burst out of the mansion with a deathly pale face.

“Sh-Shulan!”

Amanda grabbed him as he came running like mad.

His face was pale without a trace of color, and his trembling body looked anything but normal.

“G-ghost! There’s really a ghost!”

Everyone swallowed hard and looked back at the mansion. The door that had opened as Shulan ran out shut again with a creak-creak sound.

Compared to the earlier slam, it was an incredibly gentle motion, like someone was pulling it closed.

“I’m not going! Absolutely not! I’m never going again! I’ve done enough!”

Shulan was thoroughly terrified. It was impossible to send him into the mansion again.

“……Let’s stop here. We’ve confirmed it’s a ghost mansion, right?”

“Th-that’s right. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

With Lilis and Amanda also stepping up to say they wouldn’t go, Leopold let out an uncomfortable groan.

“Your Highness, let’s go now. If you’re really curious, bring a knight later?”

“…….”

Looking at Shulan in a panic and his friends who had lost all will, it would be right to promise “next time” for now, but…….

‘Why can’t I move my feet?’

If he went back to the imperial palace like this, it felt like he would regret something deeply.

He didn’t know why. His instincts were simply telling him so.

“……I’ll go.”

“What? Y-Your Highness!”

“No! Don’t go!”

Even as his friends called from behind, Leopold strode toward the mansion.

When he reached the front door, he swallowed hard and grasped the handle with a grim resolve.

“……It’ll be fine.”

Brainwashing himself that it would be fine, he worked up his courage and opened the door.

Creeeak-

What unfolded before his eyes was, unexpectedly, a rather antique interior.

It felt old and worn, but overall it was clean and atmospheric. Like a noble’s mansion, even…….

Whoosh-!

Before he could even continue the thought, his vision suddenly spun hard.

Caught by the collar by an unknown force, he was dragged into the mansion and rolled across the floor. Then the door slammed shut—BANG!

“What rat bastards are sneaking into my house……!”

“……Huh?”

Leopold, who had reflexively shut his eyes, snapped them open at the strangely familiar voice.

“……Me?”

Someone who looked exactly like him was glaring with eyes wide open, straddling him.

* * *

“Lucian, really. If you want to make up, you should just say it plainly and feel refreshed.”

Ever since Lucian had snapped in anger last time, he kept hovering around her, watching her mood and circling nearby.

[He’s not honest. It’s obvious he feels sorry.]

Sometimes, when she saw Lucian getting irritated, she felt bitter and angry too, but not long after, when he cautiously watched her mood, all the piled-up feelings melted away.

Of course, the number of times he properly apologized to her could be counted on one hand, though.

[Should big-hearted me reach out first again this time?]

Ria hummed to herself, thinking she should put a little more effort into tonight’s dinner.

Fwoosh-!

While she was wandering in the kitchen, she sensed something.

Ria widened her eyes and approached the window.

[……Humans?]

Beyond the fence, she could see five humans loitering around. They huddled together, whispering toward this place.

[Yeah, I thought it’d been quiet for a while.]

After Lucian came, things like this hadn’t happened, but before he came, it was common.

[If you want to see a ghost that badly, I should let you see one.]

She didn’t even need to listen to know why they came here.

They must have come for a courage test, or to show off, insisting there’s no such thing as ghosts, and to check if there really is a ghost in the mansion.

Just as she was getting angry for the first time in a while and thinking about how to welcome the uninvited guests, something suddenly occurred to her.

[……Come to think of it, there shouldn’t be any reason for humans to come here?]

Why has no one come for years since Lucian arrived? The imperial family must have blocked access to this place with all kinds of excuses.

[Because they can’t let anyone find out about Lucian…….]

Even if people sometimes came to scout, this was the first time a whole group had come like that.

[Either they came secretly to avoid people’s eyes, or they’re someone in a position that doesn’t care about that order…….]

She needed to check what their purpose was.

They were hiding beyond the fence, so their faces weren’t clearly visible. On top of that, a few of them had their hats pulled low.

Judging by their clothes, they looked like servants…….

[But you never know. They could be in disguise.]

There’s no way servants would disobey an imperial order in the first place.

[Ah, they’re moving.]

Right then, one man began to move. The way he walked, tense and creaking, was quite ridiculous.

Ria pulled her face back from the door and waited for him to come in.

[Hmm, how should I chase them out so it becomes a rumor that I chased them out well?]

Just then, candlelight caught her eye. She smiled wickedly and waited for the door to open.

Creeeak-

Because the hinge sound was especially loud, the man who came in grew even more rigid.

Ria stood right beside the doorway, quietly watching him pass in front of her.

[……? He’s younger than I thought?]

She thought he was an adult, but his cheeks still had baby fat, and his somewhat youthful face proved he was still a child.

[Around Lucian’s age?]

“Th-thought it’d be scarier than this.”

The reddish-brown-haired boy said.

Does he realize his legs are shaking even though he says that?

Ria sneered and slammed the door beside her on purpose.

Bang-!

“Eek!”

While the boy trembled in fright, she increased the size of the flames on the candles set around the place.

Fwoooosh!

As ominous fire surged up in various spots, the boy’s teeth clacked together.

[Still not leaving?]

Ria manipulated a few of the flames to drift around him. Then she moved a toy Kaiser had left behind in the past.

Kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak-!

A bizarre laughter came from the toy. Of course, the boy, who didn’t know the laughter was coming from a toy, would probably feel it was the work of a ghost.

[3, 2, 1…….]

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

The boy screamed loud enough to lift the mansion, kicked the door open, and bolted outside. She could see the group hiding by the fence panic.

[They won’t come again now, right.]

Ria lightly brushed off her hands and watched through the window to see how they would act. Before long, they would leave this place…….

“Ria, what was that sound?”

Lucian came down from the second floor. It seemed he’d heard the commotion from earlier and come to see.