Lawrence couldn’t hear Tommy’s voice, but Tommy was glaring at him with gritted teeth.

<Who’s he cursing at…?>

‘Terry, stop.’

Sensing the unusual tension beside me, I discreetly signaled to Tommy with one hand to step back.

Tommy wasn’t just any ordinary ghost.

He had been with me for over eight years, and ghosts who stayed by my side for a long time usually gained the ability to interact with the physical world.

That’s why Tommy could throw candy at Lawrence.

I had endured the glares from the Oblene Viscount family all these years because this place held precious memories of my mother.

I couldn’t lose it all in an instant.

‘He’s just a clueless kid, a kid who believes the Viscount’s boastful tales!’

Knowing the truth, I had no reason to get angry.

Repeating this to myself, I took a deep breath and spoke.

“What did you just say?”

Even though I hadn’t intended it, my voice came out low and chilling enough to give goosebumps.

Lawrence flinched, perhaps sensing that my demeanor wasn’t that of an ordinary eight-year-old child.

But feeling embarrassed that he was intimidated by me, his face turned red, and he raised his voice.

“…I’m right, aren’t I? Did I say something wrong? My mom said your mom died because she didn’t know how to be grateful to my dad and got punished for it!”

This brat, really.

Despite my efforts to hold back, those words snapped the last thread of my patience.

How much more should I endure? Even if I ended up locked in the storage room for a few days, I had to say what needed to be said.

I smiled widely, pulling my lips into the most gentle and elegant expression, and then I spoke.

“Shut up, Lawrence.”

“…What?”

“Shut that mouth that doesn’t know when to stop yapping, before I get a needle and thread to sew it shut.”

Lawrence’s mouth hung open in shock at my words.

But soon, he came to his senses and twisted his face in anger.

“Are you crazy!”

Smack!

Before I could even react, my head snapped to the side.

Along with a loud noise, a stinging sensation spread across my cheek.

I scoffed inwardly.

‘Well, this is perfect. Now I have a reason to hit back a few times in self-defense. It’s all in the Empire’s law book, self-defense.’

Since it had come to this, I figured I might as well land a punch on his stomach to feel better even if I got locked up.

I steeled my resolve, eyes flashing, and was about to swing my fist when it happened.

<This crazy brat dared to lay a hand on someone!>

At that moment, only I could hear the booming voice echoing in my ears.

Then, in slow motion, I saw Tommy, with eyes blazing red, reaching out to shove Lawrence’s shoulders.

“Uh…?”

Lawrence’s eyes widened as he realized his body was tipping into the air.

I belatedly gasped and reached out desperately.

“Lawrence! Grab on!”

But Lawrence’s fingertips barely brushed past mine and slipped away.

Crash! Bang! Thud!

With a series of loud noises, Lawrence’s body tumbled down the stairs and finally sprawled out on the first floor.

“What was that noise!”

The sound of the servants rushing over was louder than anything before.

“Lawrence! My boy!”

“What in the world happened!”

The panicked voices of the servants mingled with those of Carlotta and the Viscount.

I looked down at the scene with a pale face and thought.

“Teresia Oblene! Come down here this instant!”

Oh no, this was a disaster…

* * *

For the past few days, the Viscount’s manor had been anything but quiet. Even after three doctors had visited, Lawrence still hadn’t regained consciousness. Every time the Viscount went to see Lawrence, Carlotta would cling to his clothes, demanding that I be punished, causing quite a scene…

Since that day, I had been practically confined to my room by the Viscount, and it was Tommy and the other ghosts who brought me these updates.

Tommy, while informing me that Carlotta had cried so much over the past few days that she eventually fainted, fidgeted awkwardly with his fingers.

<Hey…>

“What?”

<…Are you mad?>

Tommy, uncharacteristically subdued, glanced at me to gauge my mood before quickly looking away.

“…Sigh.”

Having deliberately maintained a grumpy attitude for the last few days, I finally relaxed my expression and let out a big sigh.

Well, what’s done was done.

In a way, it was a relief.

If Tommy hadn’t pushed Lawrence, I might have actually returned with a needle and thread to confront him.

‘Being locked up for about a week isn’t a big deal. I’m used to it.’

The Viscount of Oblene wouldn’t be able to completely cast me aside. The current Viscount Oblene had gained his noble status by marrying my mother, Iphia Oblene, and his claim to the title was weak.

Although it wasn’t unheard of for nobles to register illegitimate children in their family records, it was incredibly difficult to get approval from both the temple and the imperial family.

Therefore, as of now, I was the only legitimate heir in the Oblene Viscount’s family records.

If I were to die or disappear right now, the surrounding noble families would undoubtedly do everything they could to swallow up the Viscount’s estate.

So, as always, the Viscount would treat me as if I didn’t exist. It was less troublesome than dealing with attacks from others.

…Well, unless Lawrence got registered, but he hadn’t yet.

After sorting out my thoughts, I tapped Tommy on the shoulder, who was still looking glum, and smiled.

“It’s okay. I’m not mad anymore.”

<…Really? Really?>

“Yeah, really, really. Thanks for getting mad on my behalf.”

<Hehe.>

As soon as I smiled, Tommy, who had been sulking, instantly brightened up and grinned back at me.

He was just someone I couldn’t stay mad at. I was thinking that as we shared a smile.

Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps approaching from the stairs, and the door burst open without warning.

For the first time in three days, the door opened to reveal the Viscount’s face, cold and stern.

“Teresia Oblene. Come with me.”

…Uh-oh? This didn’t feel good.

* * *

The Viscount dragged me down to the reception room on the first floor.

Sitting on the sofa opposite me, he tossed a stack of papers onto the table and gestured with his chin, frowning.

“Read it.”

I didn’t want to follow his command, especially with the inexplicable sense of foreboding that had been nagging at me, but I had no choice.

Suppressing my instinctive aversion, I slowly reached out and picked up the papers. And the moment I read the words on the top page,

“Parental Rights Waiver and Adoption Agreement”

I had to seriously wonder if my eyes were deceiving me.

“What is this…?”

“It’s your adoption agreement.”

The Viscount kindly confirmed what I had read, as if to ensure I understood.

“Since Lawrence has been registered, there’s no need to keep you in this house anymore. You’ve heard, haven’t you? The Duke of Everdeen is looking for an heir.”

At those words, I instinctively tore my eyes away from the paper and looked up sharply.

The word “Everdeen” lodged itself clearly in my previously dazed mind.

Even though I had barely left the estate since birth, I couldn’t not know that name.

Especially after one sleepless night when Tommy had vividly explained it all to me.

The Duke of Everdeen.

That place was also known as the “Ghost Duke’s House.”

* * *

Five years from now.

The Emperor, who had pushed the Duke of Everdeen into war to keep him in check, seemed quite displeased when the Duke continued to win battles and gain fame.

So, the Emperor issued a cruel order.

“Exterminate the Mortia clan.”

He commanded the Duke of Everdeen to exterminate the Mortia clan, who lived in the forest at the western border of the Empire and were known for communicating with the dead and aiding their rest.

The official justification was that they were a sinister group using “evil spirits” to deceive the people of the Empire.

It was a deeply unsettling order to kill those who could communicate with the dead.

But disobeying orders was treason, so the Duke of Everdeen and his knights silently drew their swords.