When I first opened my eyes after being possessed by Isabelle, there was a familiar book in my arms.
<The Ghost-Seeing Princess of Herpelder>
When I realized that I had been possessed by a book, there was still hope.
The novel was unfinished, and less than half a year remained until the last scene was written.
But even after half a year, I still woke up every morning in Isabelle's body.
Although I had held on to my calm personality, I burst into tears on the day the last chapter ended.
"What if I really can't go back like this? My hard-earned money! My reputation!"
Fortunately, I, who was far from depressed, shook myself off and faced reality within a day.
"I need to earn money first."
In the meantime, I sold my remaining jewelry and dresses to survive, thinking that I would return soon.
But now, there was nothing left to sell, let alone eat.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have had that crazy party on the last night.'
Desperate to find a way to make a living, I set up a 'ghost detective agency' using the cursed ability that Isabelle had so longed for.
At first, I just dismissed it because of the stereotype that I was a female detective and that I could see ghosts.
Fortunately, however, after completing a few commissions, word of mouth began to spread and I became known as a detective in the neighborhood.
But as they say, life isn't easy. As the worries about making a living diminish, another worry appears.
"..."
I took a sip of tea with a stiff face.
It was clearly my favorite tea, but I couldn't taste any flavor.
All I wanted to do was run away from this place.
'They say that once you see him you can never forget his appearance...'
The man sitting across from me was dazzlingly beautiful.
Golden hair that seemed to have been spun out of the brightest part of the sun, and red eyes that looked like refined garnets glimpsed beneath darkly shaded eyelashes.
Surprisingly, it was exactly as described in the novel.
'Your face is just like an angel...'
"This is how they treat guests here."
"..."
At the sharp voice, I swallowed my breath and placed my teacup down on the table.
"... Excuse me. I heard from thr secretary that you have a case for me to handle."
I managed to squeeze out my voice.
Then the man asks back in a low voice.
"You know who I am, right?"
'Of course.'
I nodded, my eyes slightly trembling.
How can I not know? His Majesty the Emperor of the Celeste Empire.
He was the youngest Emperor to ascend to the throne and was the one who transformed the insignificant frontier state of Celsius into a powerful nation overnight.
Yet his reputation in the empire was at rock bottom.
There were dozens of reasons for this, but the biggest reason was that he killed his father and only brother and ascended to the throne.
Another was that he was a tyrant who suffered from an inexplicable madness and killed without any hesitation.
'His gaze is truly that of a crazy person.'
In the original, Isabelle was extremely reluctant to encounter this person.
I don't know the exact reason, but I figured it was because it's better to avoid crazy people.
Because I thought we wouldn't ever meet anyway.
'But things are different now.'
The fee was a whopping one million gold, so it was hard to avoid it because he was crazy.
To be honest, I had to do this even if the devil came to me.
And who knows, maybe they'll let me live out of gratitude after I've solved the case perfectly.
If you can't avoid it, you have to collide with it.
"So, can you tell me what the incident was, Your Majesty the Emperor?"
A deep smirk appeared on Adolf's lips at my words.
"You're acting like quite the detective. I can't even imagine that you're the daughter of a family that once stood shoulder to shoulder with the royal family."
My expression hardened for a moment.
"I heard that your entire family died because of the curse. I heard it was because of you."
"Why that story..."
True to his words, the Herfelder family, once the wealthiest in the empire, was slowly being forgotten.
And it was Isabelle's fault that led to the destruction of Herfelder.
To be exact, it was because of the curse she was born with.
Not only did the curse rob Isabelle of everything she held dear, but It also trapped her in this haunted mansion.
Isabelle lived in mourning for months in the gloomy mansion where no one remained.
She was overcome with guilt over the fact that if she had not been born, not only her parents but also no one else would have died.
Even though I didn't experience it directly, Isabelle's memories and emotions remained intact within me.
So, it was not pleasant to hear such words. It was more than just unpleasant it made me feel dirty.
I was lost in thought, fiddling with the silver ring on my index finger.
'What happens if I refuse this request? Will I die?'
If you think about it, it was an obvious thing.
No matter how bad the mood or how unlucky one was, the Emperor's orders were absolute.
Besides, isn't this man a rascal who takes human life lightly?
If I had refused the request without even hearing it, he might have become so angry that he might have cut off my head.
'You have to wake up. You can't die here.'
I suppressed my tension and calmly moved my lips away.
"Have you come all the way here just to check if my rumors are true?"
Adolf leaned back leisurely and laughed.
"The past doesn't really matter."
"...?"
"The only thing that matters is whether the curse you have can solve my problem."
I brought the teacup to my lips and observed Adolf carefully.
Despite his arrogant appearance, he had been checking the wall where the clock was a little while ago.
'He's not showing any signs of fatigue, but his eyes are shaking. His legs are also shaking slightly.'
It was the behavior of someone who was pretending to be relaxed but was clearly anxious.
I answered slowly, deliberately, to read his mind.
"The curse is true. I can indeed see ghosts. But will my curse really solve Your Majesty's problem...?"
"Can you speak a little faster?"
"Yes?"
"Damn it, what the hell are you doing out at this late hour!"
Adolf suddenly got up from his seat and shouted, looking unsteady.
'What is it? Is it madness?'
Embarrassed, I secretly pushed back my chair and looked around.
"Your Majesty..."
"If your abilities are fake like the others, I won't let you off easy, so be prepared. I'll tear your limbs to shreds... Ugh."
In an instant, his handsome face turned ugly.
I, overcome with a bad feeling, slowly got up from my seat.
"Your Majesty, it is too late today. It is already close to midnight, so I think it would be better to talk again tomorrow."
I approached the door while Adolf was off guard and grabbed the doorknob.
"Where are you going?"
"..."
A chilling voice came from behind me. Adolf approached with long strides and stopped in front of me.
I let out a deep breath without realizing it, looking at the cold gaze that had sunk even further.
The sturdy arm that stretched out to my side pushed the slightly open door shut.
Squeak.
The creaking of an old, unoiled door brought me back to hell.
I realized how dangerous the situation was as I heard the heavy breathing coming from right in front of my nose.
'...I have to run away from here.'
It's an unpleasant fact, but being a detective, which I started to make a living, suited my personality perfectly.
Naturally, I could tell what a person was thinking just by looking at their eyes.
But I, facing the vivid, blazing red eyes, could not read anything.
To be precise, there were too many emotions in it.
As if it weren't one person.
I, who had become trapped in Adolf's arms, wiggled my hands behind my back in an attempt to escape from him.
"You're trying to run away again."
Before I could stop it, a large hand grabbed me by the neck and pushed me against the wall.
"...Ugh!"
"Do you dare to disobey my orders?"
"Your Majesty. Your Majesty!"
The more I struggled to escape the strong grip, the stronger the grip around my neck became.
'Breathe, I can't breathe!'
At that moment, my fingertips, which were supporting my staggering body by holding onto the shelf, touched a thick book.
I picked up the book without a moment's hesitation and slammed it into Adolf's hand with all my might.
Puck!
The force that had been holding my neck was released along with a dull thud as his head hit me.
Dump.
I gasped for breath as I watched Adolf collapse helplessly.
"Gasp, gasp, you crazy bastard."
That was when.
Chorus.
A gust of wind blew from somewhere and the pages of a book that had fallen to the floor flipped over.
"Why is this..."
I passed the fallen Adolf and slowly picked up the book.
[....Chapter 12. The Suspicious Client
Isabelle couldn't hide her bewilderment. Why was this man here? Adolf, whom she should never have met, was standing right before her.
Isabelle twisted her body, but the man's strength did not match her. There was a sense of desperation in the large hands that were squeezing her neck. As if she were the last resort to save him....]
...This.
This is the situation now, right?
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