I was startled by those words.

It was no wonder, as whether it was an animal or a human, a ghost “clinging” to a living person was a dangerous thing.

People with weak mental strength were usually vulnerable to ghosts.

When a ghost latched onto a person, that person might waste away for no apparent reason and eventually die.

This happened because the ghost would drain the person’s life force and energy like a mosquito. A ghost that took a person’s life would become a malevolent spirit.

Leila, who had been sighing deeply, suddenly looked at me with sparkling eyes and said,

<You said you needed money to buy the Viscount Oblene territory, right?>

Oh no, had the word gotten out? Damn it.

<Even if you started a business right away, it would be tough because the image of the Duke of Everdeen was at rock bottom in the Empire.>

I wanted to deny it, but unfortunately, Leila’s words were true.

Even the nobility mocked us, calling us the “Ghost Duke’s House” behind our backs instead of using the proper name “Everdeen.”

As I shook my head in disbelief, she flashed me a bright smile.

<But if you established a connection with a high-ranking noble with influence, it would be easier to get investments and make the process a bit smoother, wouldn’t it?>

Though she claimed to be a priest, her skillful speech made her seem more like a natural-born merchant.

Seeing my skeptical raised eyebrow, she batted her eyes sweetly, as if dangling bait.

<Haures fled to the Marquisate of Amethris, and the person it latched onto is the young Marquis Jervis Amethris.>

* * *

‘Jervis Amethris, huh…….’

In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, I pondered deeply while attending Lady Lavadié’s dance lessons.

The Marquisate of Amethris bordered the Duke of Everdeen’s territory.

‘It’s a family quite well-known in political circles. About half a year ago, I heard that the current Marquis moved from the capital to focus solely on his only son’s recovery and treatment after he started falling ill for unknown reasons…….’

This was the response I received when I asked Sebastian about the Marquisate of Amethris, handing him a map I had found in the library.

He trailed off, which was unusual for him, so I wondered if he had more to say. But he just said it was nothing and escorted me to the hall before disappearing.

Anyway, if the young Marquis started falling ill about half a year ago, it was right after the time Leila mentioned losing the demon.

The timing fit so perfectly that it was hard to think there could be any other reason.

<My power is more about breaking down things from within, so if I handle it wrong, even Jervis could be in danger. That’s why I’m asking you for help.>

Leila demonstrated by making the tail of a sack-shaped ghost disappear with a pop, only to get a thorough beating from it.

Once the sack-shaped ghost disappeared, huffing angrily, Leila sheepishly straightened her clothes and continued speaking.

<There’s a ghost named Selena, right? Her power should be enough. All you need to do is separate the demon from the boy. Then I’ll destroy it immediately.>

It was a flawless proposal.

The only issue was explaining what happened to the Marquisate of Amethris after dealing with the demon. I’d need to think more about that.

“Miss, you need to focus.”

“Oh, yes!”

At that moment, Lady Lavadié’s polite voice brought me back to reality, and I quickly adjusted my posture.

We were in the ballroom of the Everdeen mansion.

Although it hadn’t been used in over ten years and showed signs of wear, it was the only place with a smooth enough floor for dance practice.

Lady Lavadié clapped her hands to keep time.

“Yes, good. Now, with that posture, step forward with your right foot and turn your body. One, two, three. One, two, three.”

I stepped forward with my right foot in time with her words. And then, a graceful turn.

Thud!

“Ouch.”

As I tried to turn toward the Viscountess, my balance suddenly gave way, and I fell flat on the floor.

The Viscountess rushed over, startled.

“Oh my, Miss. Are you alright?”

“I’m, I’m fine…….”

Sigh, this was already the third time.

I rubbed my sore backside and slowly got to my feet.

‘Maybe I’m just not cut out for dancing.’

Lady Lavadié now looked at me with a gaze that was almost pitiful.

It was like she was looking at a tadpole without legs.

Don’t pity me…

<Why can’t you do something so simple? Tsk tsk.>

I really didn’t want to hear that from a teddy bear.

As I glared at Rick, who was perched on a table, the ballroom doors, which had been closed all this time, opened, and the Duke and Sebastian entered.

Lady Lavadié began to hiccup softly at the sight of them.

“I-I greet the Duke. There’s still a bit of time left in the lesson, so what brings you here…?”

She quickly held her breath and bowed. The Duke nodded lightly in acknowledgment and handed her a piece of paper.

“I finished my work earlier than expected. I wanted to see how Terry is doing in her lessons. Is that a problem?”

“N-Not at all.”

Who could possibly stop the master of this mansion from observing his heir’s lessons?

As I rubbed my sore backside, I greeted the Duke with a cheerful smile.

“Duke!”

“Ah, Terry. Were you doing well? How’s the lesson going?”

“Um.”

Unable to find the right words, I just darted my eyes around, and the Duke chuckled softly.

Why is he laughing? I haven’t said anything yet, have I? I didn’t say I couldn’t dance, did I? What a strange person.

While I was silently protesting and pouting, Lady Lavadié, who had been watching us with curious eyes, suddenly clapped her hands together and laughed.

“You two seem to get along very well. Now that I think about it, when the young lady has her debutante, there will be many occasions to dance with the Duke. Why not practice now?”

What! You say that after seeing how I just danced?

I was about to shake my head vigorously but stopped when I noticed the Duke’s eyes trembling like leaves.

‘Oh.’

It was the first time I’d seen him look so flustered. Maybe he wasn’t good at dancing?

Except for the time when we returned from the forbidden forest, he always had a gentle, calm, or serene expression. Seeing him like this suddenly made me feel mischievous.

Before the Duke could say anything, I quickly nodded to Lady Lavadié.

“Great! I’d love to dance with the Duke!”

“The young lady seems to like the Duke very much. Wonderful.”

Lady Lavadié smiled broadly, dismissed the servant who had been playing the piano, and sat down at the piano herself.

I curtsied slightly to the Duke as per etiquette and extended my hand.

“Shall we dance, dashing gentleman with glasses?”

“Pfft. Ahem, ahem.”

Sebastian, standing behind the Duke, quickly inhaled and cleared his throat at my words.

‘Sebastian, I promise I’ll earn lots of money and keep you healthy… You have to hang in there until then. Go for it!’

I looked at Sebastian with a determined gaze and didn’t forget to give him a small fist pump.

“…Alright. With pleasure.”

The Duke let out a small sigh-like smile and took my hand.

Among everyone in the mansion, the Duke was particularly tall. Trying to dance with him meant that following the etiquette of placing one hand on the waist and the other on the shoulder was impossible.

So, we simply held both hands and moved our feet to the accompaniment.

Lady Lavadié’s piano playing was warm and gentle.

However, our steps were not.

Thud! Thump! Thud!

When my step went off, the Duke’s step would stumble.

Conversely, when my step faltered, the Duke’s foot narrowly missed stepping on my heel.

How should I put it… We were both definitely bad at dancing, but somehow it synced up perfectly, so it looked like we were mimicking the dance moves.

It was almost like a spectacle.