|| Chapter 4 ||

[He’s probably eating by now.]

After seeing the little kid walk into the kitchen, I immediately went to his room. Ever since he came to the mansion, this was the only room I hadn’t properly cleaned.

I opened the window and used magic to blow away all the dust.

In an instant, the entire room became spotless. After cleaning the attached bathroom as well, I felt as if a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

Now the only dirty thing left in this clean room was the pile of laundry.

[Just looking at it makes me sick.]

Judging by how yellow the clothes had become, I could already imagine how bad they smelled.

Just as I was wondering whether I should take them away and wash them, I heard the little kid climbing the stairs.

I quickly hid on the ceiling.

“Wow! That was so delicious!”

Lucian patted his now-full stomach and smiled happily, his lips still shiny with grease.

Seeing how satisfied he looked made me glad I had gotten up early to cook breakfast.

[…Wait!]

The feeling of satisfaction lasted only a second before I was horrified.

The little brat wiped his greasy hands and mouth on the clothes he was wearing.

[N-No…! T-Those…!]

“Ah, they’re dirty now.”

[You just realized that, you idiot?! Just wash your hands with water!]

“I was going to do the laundry anyway, so I’ll wash these too.”

At least he had some common sense.

Lucian changed into clean clothes.

Then he picked up the laundry basket, grunting from the weight, and carried it downstairs.

I should have been proud that he wanted to do everything himself.

Instead…

I suddenly felt very uneasy.

I followed behind him.

He walked to the stream that marked the border between the garden and the forest.

I wondered if he’d done laundry before.

But then…

He suddenly turned the basket upside down and dumped all the clothes straight into the stream.

“Ah! Don’t float away!”

As the lighter clothes drifted downstream, Lucian hurried after them.

Just watching him was already giving me a headache.

What happened next…

Was complete chaos.

He dipped the clothes into the water and pulled them back out, causing dirt, sand, and tiny rocks to stick all over them.

Apparently, he didn’t know he had to scrub them.

He simply soaked them in water, so all the stains remained exactly as they were.

This wasn’t laundry.

It was more like soaking clothes in muddy water.

“Huff… Huff… I’m tired…”

Even so, he worked hard enough to break into a sweat.

By the time he’d washed about two-thirds of the clothes, he was completely exhausted.

“J-Just… let me… rest for a moment…”

His legs shook like a newborn deer as he slowly walked back toward the mansion.

Only after he had completely disappeared did I quickly gather up the now-ruined clothes.

[Sigh… If you don’t know how, then don’t do it.]

Still…

Maybe I should praise him for trying.

Since things had already come to this…

I’d better finish everything before he came back.

I lifted all the clothes into the air, making sure none of them touched each other.

[Clean!]

A brilliant white light burst out and covered every piece of clothing.

Soon…

The weeds, mud, stains, and slime disappeared, leaving the laundry perfectly clean.

“Mm…”

Just then…

I heard Lucian coming back outside.

I hurriedly folded every piece of laundry, placed them neatly into the basket, and hid inside it.

Lucian sat down for a moment.

Then he looked at the empty stream in confusion and quickly jumped to his feet.

“…Huh?”

“They’re here?”

Only then did he notice the laundry basket.

His eyes widened as he looked at the freshly cleaned clothes.

I nervously watched his reaction.

“Could it be… my benefactor came again?!”

[Benefactor?]

Before I could even understand what he meant, Lucian suddenly stood up and began running around.

It looked as though he was searching for someone.

About ten minutes later, he returned with his shoulders slumped.

“I guess they already left…”

Tears began filling his golden eyes.

“N-No! I can’t cry!”

Fortunately, he quickly wiped them away by himself.

Then, with his eyes still red, he shouted,

“Benefactor! Thank you! Breakfast… and dinner yesterday were both delicious!”

His voice echoed throughout the forest.

I simply stood there, staring blankly.

Seeing the little kid smiling so brightly made my heart itch in a strange way.

“Alright!”

“Let’s go.”

He picked up the laundry basket I was hiding in and carried it back into the mansion.

Thanks to that…

I was able to observe his face up close for the first time.

Maybe it was because he’d gone hungry these past few days.

Or maybe he’d always been underfed.

His cheeks were thin.

His white hair looked dry and messy.

Dark circles had begun to form beneath his eyes.

Yet…

His golden eyes still sparkled as brightly as the sunlight.

Like a child holding onto hope.

It wasn’t the kind of expression someone living in such despair should be able to make.

Without realizing it…

I found myself staring at him.

When Lucian returned to his room, he neatly folded the clean clothes before heading into the bathroom to wash away his sweat.

Only after I heard the sound of running water did I quietly climb out of the basket.

[…This feels strange.]

Had anyone ever thanked me before?

Every human I’d met until now had either been terrified of me or cursed me while trying to drive me out of this mansion.

The only creature that ever approached me kindly was the occasional lizard.

Humans and ghosts could never truly live together.

I’d always accepted that.

But…

I had no idea how I was supposed to react to something like this.

[…Of course, things would change if he found out who I really am.]

I knew.

The little kid thought I was a human.

It stung a little.

But there was nothing I could do about it.

I just hoped…

That he’d keep smiling because of me.

Even if that smile had been built upon a misunderstanding.

“Ahhh… Why is it so cold again today?”

Hearing him complain from the bathroom, I hurried over.

Only after I secretly warmed the water with mana did his expression finally relax.

[Beautiful? Yeah, right.]

I headed down to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

But the moment I saw the completely clean plate with only the broccoli left behind…

The corner of my eye twitched.

Just yesterday he had almost starved to death.

And now he dared to be picky?

[Heh… Then I guess it’s time to change today’s menu.]

I had planned to cook something delicious with the meat I’d frozen using ice magic.

But not anymore.

I brought out a small amount of meat along with a mountain of vegetables and placed them on the table.

[This way, he’ll have no choice but to eat them.]

Grinning mischievously, I began chopping vegetables as fast as I could.

“Mm…”

“It’s delicious, but…”

Thanks to another wonderful meal, Lucian’s stomach was full once again.

But something bothered him.

Ever since he had left broccoli on his plate…

Broccoli had appeared every single day without fail.

The more he picked it out…

The more broccoli appeared.

To make matters worse…

There was even a drawing of broccoli beside his plate.

Someone had circled it with a big red ring.

Just looking at it made him nervous.

“Mmm…”

“I don’t want to eat it.”

He knew he wasn’t in a position to complain about food.

But…

That didn’t make him like broccoli.

“Whew… Alright!”

After thinking about it for a long time…

Lucian finally made up his mind.

He shoved all the broccoli into his mouth at once.

His face twisted as though he had just eaten poison.

But…

As he slowly chewed…

The rich sauce began spreading across his tongue.

Chew…

Chew…

Eventually…

He swallowed it.

Lucian blinked in surprise before taking a sip of water.

“…It’s actually okay?”

The terrible memory from the first day disappeared.

He still didn’t like the texture.

But…

It wasn’t bad enough to hate anymore.

“Hehe… I’m an adult now!”

“I’m not scared of broccoli anymore!”

Feeling proud of himself for overcoming such a huge challenge, Lucian couldn’t stop smiling.

After watching him finish his meal…

I quietly stepped out from behind the cupboard and let out a helpless laugh.

[Honestly… Becoming an adult just because you ate broccoli? What nonsense, little brat.]

Even though it was ridiculous…

I couldn’t stop smiling.

As I was about to finish cleaning the kitchen…

A piece of paper on the dining table caught my eye.

Someone had drawn something on it.

[Pfft! Ahahaha! What is this?!]

I burst into laughter.

It was a crooked little drawing that looked like either the sun or a flower.

I stared at it for quite a while.

Then I took it back to my room and carefully hid it in one corner of my bookshelf.

Not because it was precious.

I just thought…

It would be a waste to throw it away.

As I silently made excuses to myself, I happily swayed my hips.

[…Still, I’m worried that he can’t read.]

He looked about seven years old.

He should have learned at least a little by now.

Yet…

He couldn’t read a single word.

[It’s not like there’s anyone who can teach him.]

It wasn’t just reading.

The little kid lacked knowledge in many areas.

It wasn’t that he was stupid.

He simply had never received the education a child his age should have.

If I could…

I’d teach him myself.

[But… he doesn’t even know I exist. He can’t even see me.]

Maybe things were fine for now.

But someday…

He would leave this mansion.

When that day came…

He’d have to live among other people.

At the very least, he needed a basic education.

[Ah! Maybe I can ask that guy.]

I thought of someone who occasionally visited the mansion.

After checking my old journal, I calculated when he had last come.

If my memory was right…

He should visit again soon.

[When he comes, I’ll make him teach the little brat somehow.]

He was incredibly selfish.

I had no idea whether he’d agree.

But I didn’t have any better options.

Besides…

There were several things in this mansion he’d always wanted.

If I gave him one of them…

Surely he’d at least teach the kid how to read.

Thinking of ways to lure him in…

I began making plans.

“Mm…”

“I couldn’t find them again today.”

Recently…

Lucian had noticed many changes in the mansion.

Every day, three delicious meals appeared.

Whenever he left his room for even a short while…

His bedroom, the living room, and even his laundry would all become perfectly clean.

To be honest…

Having no one to talk to was a little…

Just a little lonely.

But thanks to the mysterious benefactor who came and went like the wind…

He never truly felt alone.

So for the past few days…

He had searched every corner of the mansion, hoping to speak to them.

Yet he hadn’t found a single person.

Not even a shadow.

“Then I’ll have to use my secret plan!”

After thinking carefully about everything that had happened…

Lucian reached one conclusion.

His benefactor spent the most time in the kitchen.

It made sense.

Someone had to cook all those fresh meals.

There was no way they were bringing them in from somewhere else.

Today…

No matter what…

He was going to see his benefactor’s face.

Lucian quietly took off his shoes so his footsteps wouldn’t make any noise.

Then he carefully sneaked toward the kitchen.

Thankfully…

No one was there.

Looking around for somewhere to hide…

He found a cupboard beneath one of the cabinets.

He squeezed himself inside and left the door open just a tiny crack.

From there…

He had a perfect view of the kitchen.

“Now…”

“I’ll wait.”

Lucian kept his eyes wide open, watching through the small gap.

Ten minutes passed.

Then twenty.

Then thirty.

By the time forty minutes had gone by…

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

He knew he shouldn’t fall asleep.

But…

His body refused to listen.

Before long…

His eyes slowly closed.

Because of that…

He never saw the blurry figure without feet slowly approach the cupboard where he was hiding.

Lucian nodded off until the delicious smell of cooking meat suddenly woke him.

Rubbing his sleepy eyes…

He remembered why he was hiding there.

Holding his breath…

He carefully peeked through the gap.

Then…

He froze.

“…Huh?”

In the completely empty kitchen…

A knife was moving all by itself.

A cast-iron frying pan flipped a steak over on its own.

It was impossible to believe.

It was as though…

Not a person…

But…

“T-The Ghost Bride…!”

Goosebumps spread across his entire body.

Without realizing it…

He let out a tiny scream.

The moment he noticed his mistake, he quickly covered his mouth.

But…

The Ghost Bride had already heard him.

The cast-iron frying pan, which had been dancing cheerfully through the air…

Stopped.

Completely.

Lucian could hear nothing except the pounding of his own heart.

Then—

Creeeak…

The cupboard door slowly opened with a chilling sound.

Lucian didn’t realize it had opened because of his own foot.

Instead…

He believed the Ghost Bride had opened it.

“Aaaahhh!!”

Screaming at the top of his lungs…

Lucian burst out of the cupboard and ran from the kitchen as fast as he could.

He sprinted down the hallway before racing up the stairs.

As he reached the staircase…

He glanced back toward the kitchen entrance.

For just a brief moment…

He thought he saw a woman standing there with an incredibly sad expression.

But when he looked again…

No one was there.

Believing it had all been the Ghost Bride’s doing…

Lucian locked himself inside his room and could do nothing except tremble in fear.