TWLSV~05

Chapter 5

“Good morning.”

Elisia bowed politely.

However, Cedric, seated behind his desk, did not even lift his eyes from the documents in front of him.

He was ignoring her completely.

What an infuriatingly rude man.

Just as she was about to say something, her gaze caught something behind him—

The spirit of Duchess Diana was clinging tightly to Cedric’s back.

It seemed she had been attached to her son ever since Elisia had refused her help earlier. The sight was both pitiable and painfully stubborn.

“Um… Duke. I came to apologize.”

“Not here to scold me this time?”

Cedric’s tone was flat, almost mocking—clearly referencing what she had said yesterday.

Elisia awkwardly tapped the tip of her shoe against the floor.

“That’s… I’m sorry. My behavior—no, my mistake.”

“It’s fine. I’ve already heard from the physician that your mind isn’t exactly… stable. Were you perhaps learning acting techniques during your little four-day disappearance?”

“…I ran away?”

At that moment, a thought surfaced.

Come to think of it…

[“So your attempt to get attention by running away failed… and now you’re trying to win my attention with ridiculous amnesia?”]

Cedric’s words from yesterday echoed in her mind.

The timeline began to piece itself together.

Elisia Simone had disappeared from this estate and was found four days later.

“Where exactly was I found?”

“At the front gate. Lying there neatly dressed like nothing had happened.”

Cedric answered without bothering to hide his irritation, as though the question was pointless.

But to Elisia, every detail mattered.

Information was everything. In fortune-reading, the more data you had, the clearer the future became.

She needed to understand this body’s past if she wanted to predict its future.

“So… why did I run away?”

“How would I know? I thought you went back to the Simone estate, but apparently not. Maybe you were off meeting some man in secret.”

“…I see. I guess even I wouldn’t know that.”

Cedric frowned slightly.

Her reaction wasn’t what he expected.

Normally, she would either storm out in tears or scream in outrage.

But Elisia simply stood there, unmoved.

Instead, she fell into thought.

Putting aside why Elisia Simone ran away…

Why does this man believe the Simone family murdered Duchess Diana? And what does that have to do with her disappearance?

She glanced at the spirit behind Cedric again.

The resentment clinging to it was so thick it could be sensed even without her shamanic senses.

Curiosity crept in like a habit.

Why does a soul like that linger beside her son?

Finally, she spoke.

“Duke… why do you believe the Simone family killed Duchess Diana?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Cedric’s hand paused mid-page.

Slowly, he raised his eyes.

A cold gaze locked onto her.

The dull silver eyes that had seemed lifeless until now flashed with contempt and disgust.

“So you’ve lost your memory… and now even your sense of fear?”

For a moment, Elisia flinched at the killing intent radiating from him.

Just mentioning Duchess Diana made him this hostile.

“I’m sorry for bringing it up if it’s painful. But I truly don’t remember anything. Could you at least tell me—”

Cedric suddenly stood up.

In a single stride, he crossed the distance between them.

And then—

He drew a sword from the sheath resting beside his desk and pointed it at her.

“W-what are you doing?!”

Elisia stumbled backward in shock, but Cedric didn’t even blink.

The sharp tip of the blade pressed lightly against her chest.

“Ever since yesterday, you keep repeating that name.”

His voice was ice-cold.

“I can take that as a desperate wish for death, can’t I?”

“W-wait—hold on!”

I should’ve just kept my mouth shut…!

Standing at the edge of death, she recalled her earlier thought.

‘You’ve got a bad fate. You might even die by getting stabbed on the street.’

She never imagined it would be her husband holding the blade.

She had already died once—hit by a truck—and now that she had been reincarnated into another body…

She had no desire to die again by sword.

And worse—

If she died, the child spirit would be left wandering aimlessly in this world. With no shaman to anchor it, it could eventually turn into a vengeful wandering entity.

At the brink of death, Elisia suddenly noticed Duchess Diana’s spirit panicking beside Cedric.

Her expression wasn’t fully visible, but she clearly feared her son would truly kill her.

“I-I’ll find the real culprit behind Duchess Diana’s murder!”

Cedric tilted his head slightly.

His killing intent did not disappear.

“Are you trying to bargain your way out of death?”

“No, I mean it. I really can find them.”

“And why should I believe you?”

“W-well… that’s a good question.”

She quickly corrected herself when Cedric tightened his grip on the sword.

“Actually… I’ve gained spiritual abilities after losing my memory! Ah—don’t cut me down!”

Cedric let out a short, humorless laugh.

Not a good sign.

“So you’ve become a fraud instead?”

“Hey—no, I’m serious!”

She quickly turned toward the air beside him.

“Duchess! Please say something! Your son is about to kill me!”

Cedric flinched slightly.

Elisia focused all her senses.

It was difficult without the child spirit, but survival instinct sharpened her perception.

And then—

She heard it.

“…You were bitten by a black dog when you were little?”

“!”

“And you broke a vase in your mother’s room when you were five!”

The sword slipped from Cedric’s hand.

Clang.

It hit the floor with a heavy sound.

Cedric stared at her in disbelief.

Those were memories no one should have known.

He swallowed hard.

“You… really…? My mother is here?”

“Yes. But not in human form. I didn’t even know ‘Diana’ was her name at first.”

Silence.

Then Elisia quickly added,

“I swear I’ll find the real culprit behind Duchess Diana’s murder before autumn ends. In return, you should grant me one request. Fair exchange, don’t you think?”

“…What?”

Cedric frowned.

This woman had no shame at all.

Normally, he would have thrown her out of the room by now.

But—

Her words about his mother lingered.

If she truly could find the culprit…

Right now, there was almost no evidence. Only suspicion. Even Elisia herself was merely a possibility.

And if she failed?

He could simply use it as justification to exile her.

After a long pause, Cedric finally spoke.

“…Say it.”

Elisia met his gaze.

“If I find the real culprit… please divorce me.”