“How could this happen...”
I was shocked to see all of Netanya's painful past and put my hand on my forehead.
The archangel, the goddess' closest confidant, lost her lover and child to a mere human.
Moreover, after losing Heath, he was moved to the attic like a piece of luggage and left there abandoned.
No one in the Count's household paid any attention to her, except for a maid who occasionally looked after her.
'How difficult it must have been.'
I hugged Netanya without realizing it.
I know how rude it is for me, a mere human, to hug her, who is of such high status, but I wanted to comfort her in this way.
It was at that moment that I was hugging Netanya tightly and rubbing her back.
White light flowed out from my body, illuminating my surroundings.
“What is this...”
At that moment, when everyone, including me, was confused, I felt Netanya's body moving in my arms.
I quickly got up and opened my eyes wide at the sight that unfolded before my eyes.
“Netanya...”
Netanya's eyes, which had been blank like those of a dead fish, had a faint but distinct color.
As I was blinking at the sudden situation, Netanya suddenly grabbed my wrist.
“Save my child.”
"... Yes?"
Please save the child.
How can you save a child who is already dead?
'Haven't you come to your senses yet?'
While I was panicking, Chihara came over quickly and asked.
“Netanya, are you awake? Do you know who I am?”
His expression and voice were filled with concern for his old friend.
But Netanya currently seemed to have no time to care about such feelings of congratulations.
“My child. Our Heath... Please save the child. We have to save him.”
Chihara's face darkened at the sight of Netanya continuing to look for the child.
“Come to your senses, Netanya. The child is gone now. It will be hard, but it’s time to let him go. How long can you be sad like this...”
“No! There is a child.”
Chihara's words were cut off by a loud and powerful shout that made one wonder how such a voice could come out of such a skinny body.
“My child is still here. A vengeful spirit, unable to leave the world of humanity... unable to go to Hethel’s embrace... My poor child still cannot find peace.”
At that moment, the warm air inside, which had been receiving the full heat of the sun, froze like an Arctic cold wave.
“A vengeful spirit?”
As the Crown Prince muttered, we exchanged hasty glances.
I stared blankly at their eyes, which were as bewildered as I was, and then I urgently asked Netanya.
“What do you mean, Netanya? The child has become a vengeful spirit. Tell me more about it!”
Despite my urging, Netanya buried his face in the pillow and continued to cry. After a long time, she finally told me her story in a wet voice.
The fact that the child, who had absorbed all of his mother's despair, could not return to Hethel's embrace and remained here, that he had become a vengeful spirit and was tormenting the current Count and his family, and that because of that, the Count's son had been sick in bed for years.
“If this continues, the child’s soul will be broken. Please help my child.”
I had no choice but to nod unconditionally at Netanya's earnest plea as he grabbed my wrist again.
***
After leaving Netanya's room, we walked down the hallway with dark expressions, still maintaining our transparency.
“I thought it was strange that every business that Count Ganeth started failed. If he had just failed in business normally, I would have thought he had no talent for business...”
“The gold and emerald mines that Daron Ganeth received from the imperial court in return for his service in subduing the barbarians were repeatedly destroyed by accidents.”
I nodded at the Crown Prince's words.
“Yes. Because there were so many accidents, miners avoided it, so it became a closed mine.”
When I heard that story, I joked that that family must have been in trouble, but it turned out it was true.
As I shook my head in frustration, Chihara gritted his teeth and muttered.
“Fearless, even for a mere human being.”
Chihara's voice, which had been growling like a ferocious beast, was once again tinged with regret.
“But how much resentment must that child have harbored to have become a vengeful spirit? I don’t know how to relieve the resentment that is firmly embedded in that young heart.”
“That’s right. But if we leave it like this, his soul might disappear, so we have to convince him somehow.”
As I was sighing deeply, Delton, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped in front of a door.
“Is this the room? Where is Heath’s soul?”
“Yeah. I feel a bad vibe here.”
"Hmm."
I stared at the door quietly, then turned around and declared.
“You guys stay here. I’ll go in alone.”
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
The Crown Prince shouted in a firm voice.
“Have you forgotten what’s inside? It’s a vengeful spirit. A vengeful spirit that has the power to influence family affairs and threaten people’s lives. Do you know what that vengeful spirit will do and say such reckless things?”
“He is right.”
The Marquis also agreed with the Crown Prince's words.
“A vengeful spirit cannot control its own emotions. It cannot distinguish between an enemy and someone trying to help it. If you are not careful, you could get seriously hurt.”
It was unexpected.
I thought the Marquis wouldn't care whether I was in danger or not.
I looked a little surprised, but then I burst out laughing.
“That’s why I’m going in alone.”
“What does that mean?”
The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows as if he couldn't understand.
“Think about it, Your Highness. No matter how much of a vengeful spirit it is, its source is a mere four-year-old child. But wouldn’t the child be scared if so many people rushed towards it?”
"But..."
“I told you not to worry. I know that my life is precious. Would I really go out and face a vengeful spirit without any defenses?”
“Then what countermeasures are there?”
“Of course. Here you are. My sturdy shield!”
I lifted Delton, who was sitting there blankly, by the nape of his neck, and held him in my arms.
Then Delton jumped as if struck by lightning.
“What? Me? No, why me?”
“Haven’t you heard? The vengeful spirits aren’t ordinary souls. If anything happens, Delton has to protect me.”
“No, but why should I be that guardian! There are so many useful people here! There’s that damned Crown Prince, Hethel’s favorite, and even an archangel! Why me of all people...!”
“Oh. If a bunch of men the size of a house were to rush in, the child wouldn’t be scared. But Delton is a cat, so the child would be less wary. Do you know? If the child is about to run wild, if Delton acts cute, the child might calm down.”
“No, what is that... I’m not a cat, I’m a lion...!”
“Oh, you can’t just go back to your original form. Alright, let’s go!”
I quickly opened the door, stopping Delton from changing his appearance in a hurry.
The damp air that had been trapped in the room burst out and covered my body.
It was similar to what I had felt in Netanya's room, but the air had a more sinister feel to it.
I took a deep breath, quickly closed the door, and looked around the room.
'Let's see.'
The child lying there as if dead must be the son of the Count who is sick. And the child standing at the bedside and glaring as if he is going to kill...
"Heath."
I carefully called the child's name.
Then, the child who had been staring only at the Count's son without moving an inch regardless of who came in suddenly turned his head.
'What? Looking at it like this, he's just an ordinary kid.'
At first glance, it looked like an evil spirit, with its entire body wrapped in an ominous black air, but upon closer inspection, its appearance turned out to be nothing more than a cute child.
A lovely child with blonde hair from Netanya, pretty blue eyes that seem to have been inherited from his father, and cheeks as rosy as a peach in season.
I was quietly observing the child when the child asked me.
“Who are you?”
The dark air surrounding the child grew thicker as if he felt uneasy at the appearance of a stranger who knew his name.
'The energy of a child can be fierce.'
At that time, I was thinking about how to lower that barrier first, thinking that I couldn't have a conversation in this kind of atmosphere.
“Who are you to ask me if you know my name?”
A child whose whole body was enveloped in pitch-black air suddenly threw a tantrum and ran towards me.
'This little brat is quite the hothead.'
I shook my head repeatedly, then met the child's eyes and smiled brightly.
“Um, Mom’s friend?”
At that moment, the child who was trying to attack me fiercely suddenly stopped moving.
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