Is the Price of Curiosity an Exceptional Man? - Chapter 1 - Part 5

Chapter 1 – Part 5

At that moment, Reina was so shocked she almost spat out the bread in her mouth. The ghost Lilith was talking about was her.

“And they say it vanished right in front of the store. So, people are saying it might be an ancestor from our family appearing as a ghost.”

Listening to Lilith, it seemed like the rumor had been exaggerated.

I clearly walked into the store. How could they say I vanished like smoke…?

“What about that store?”

Pretending not to know the ghost’s identity, Reina’s voice carried a tone of concern. She was worried about Madam Emma, fearing the store might have suffered because of her.

“No, it’s booming.”

But Lilith’s unexpected words flowed out.

“What?”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Reina stopped reaching for the bread and looked at Lilith.

“People are saying that our family’s ancestos wanted to buy clothes from that store so much that they visited it even as a ghost. So, young ladies have been clamoring to buy clothes from that store since yesterday.”

“Really? It’s not just a silly rumor?”

Clothes even a ghost wants to wear…. 

It must have been some curious young ladies who went to the store, and the rumor spread from there.

Reina chuckled at Lilith’s ridiculous words.

“No, it’s true. And that store is our regular shop, Madam Emma’s boutique.”

Lilith responded with a look of injustice, seemingly displeased with Reina’s reaction.

“What?”

This time, Richelle asked with surprised eyes, and soon her gaze turned to Reina.

Feeling uncomfortable under Richelle’s gaze, Reina glanced at her, but Richelle acted as if she hadn’t looked and silently cut her meat into small pieces and chewed.

Reina also stopped talking and tried to eat, but Richelle’s constant glances made her feel uneasy, making it hard to eat comfortably.

After the meal, Richelle, who had been silent throughout, called Reina as she was about to head to her room.

“Reina, can I see you for a moment?”

“Why?”

Having felt Richelle’s uncomfortable gaze during the meal, Reina wanted to refuse her call.

But Richelle signaled with her eyes for Reina to follow, so she had no choice but to go to Richelle’s room.

As soon as she entered, Richelle quickly closed the door and spoke.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

“What?”

It seemed Richelle had guessed that the ghost Lilith mentioned was Reina. But she pretended not to know.

“Don’t pretend. You’re the ghost Lilith talked about, aren’t you?”

Richelle’s violet eyes glared at Reina.

“What, what are you talking about? Why would I be a ghost?”

Blinking her golden eyes repeatedly, Reina tried to deny Richelle’s words.

“When you went out yesterday, you were wearing a different dress than when you came back. Do you think no one would notice? And who else would do something so strange? What were you curious about that made you dress up as a ghost?”

Richelle’s violet eyes, filled with intensity, stared straight at her.

“N-no.”

Reina tried to deny Richelle’s words, but she couldn’t face her, so she looked around nervously.

“Look me in the eye and say that. The fact that you can’t look me in the eye makes me think it’s you.”

“I-it’s not.”

Not wanting to show it, Reina stammered as she spoke.

“Do you think I don’t know you? No matter how much you deny it, your expression and actions are already telling me it’s you.”

It seemed pointless to keep denying it to Richelle, who was already convinced that Reina was the ghost.

Since Richelle seemed determined to get an answer, Reina eventually had to give in to her relentless questioning.

“I can’t win against you, Sis. Yes, I am the ghost.”

Reina sighed softly.

“Geez! Why did you do that? Tell me.”

Reina considered telling Richelle everything that happened yesterday and the resulting concerns but soon shook her head.

Maybe she was just temporarily reminded of the commander’s thing because she was too shocked yesterday. She couldn’t risk Richelle’s ridicule over an image that might disappear by tomorrow.

“I’ll tell you next time. But please keep this a secret from Father and Mother.”

“Alright. But you have to tell me next time! By the way, Reina, you look like you need some sleep. It’s written all over your face that you couldn’t sleep because of your worries… probably related to what happened yesterday?”

“W-worries? Me? I don’t have anything like that. Hahaha.”

Reina tried to act nonchalant, watching Richelle’s reaction.

“Really? If you have no worries, that’s a relief for me.”

Contrary to her words, Richelle had a look that seemed to question whether Reina’s worries would truly be resolved.

Reina was worried that Richelle might keep pressing her, but fortunately, it seemed she had no intention of asking further. However, Richelle’s suspicious gaze remained, so Reina couldn’t let her guard down yet.

Wanting to avoid Richelle’s gaze, Reina hurriedly left the room.

It’s just temporary.

As she walked down the corridor, Reina thought that what happened to her was only a temporary phenomenon. She believed that after sleeping tonight, her mind would be clear.

But that was just her illusion.

The next day, and even the day after that, the image didn’t disappear from her mind. Not only did she keep thinking about it, but she also continued to be tormented by nightmares, making her face look more and more haggard with each passing day.

Why won’t that club leave my mind….

“No, don’t follow me!”

Reina kept running to avoid the club, but the more she tried to escape, the more it chased her.

Even if she was confident in her running, it was useless in her dreams. No matter how well she ran, the fact that the place she was being chased was downhill made it difficult to avoid the club.

“Ugh!”

Due to persistent nightmares, Reina had to attend training with swollen eyes, and breathing in the early morning air.

Why am I having these strange dreams for three days straight?

When she arrived at the training ground, she saw Patrick talking with the knights. Her gaze naturally fell on him, but she quickly looked away when their eyes were about to meet.

Even though she had done nothing, her heart pounded, and she felt short of breath.

Is this instinct, am I just a pervert, or is it the shock of seeing the opposite sex for the first time?

Reina glanced at Patrick again.

Could I have fallen for his manhood? Or did it just catch my eye because it looked the best among them?

Even as time passed, Reina couldn’t shake off the image she saw that day from her mind, which was tormenting her. Not knowing how to handle these indescribable emotions, she looked at the other knights.

When their lower bodies came into view, the images she saw at the hot spring vaguely resurfaced. Although she hadn’t looked for long, the memories came back vividly.

Not everyone had a large weapon-like thing. Some seemed to be only the size of a thumb….

No, stop thinking about it.

The more she thought about it, the more confused her mind became. So Reina tried hard to chase away the foolish thoughts in her head.

Time will heal it, and I’ll forget it soon.

She concluded that she was just shocked by seeing a man’s manhood for the first time and couldn’t get her mind straight. At most, it would last a week.

* * *

“Today’s training will start after running 100 laps around the mansion.”

Patrick was seen shouting to the knights from the platform, and Reina was staring intently at him again.

The idle thoughts she thought would soon disappear were still lingering in her mind even after a week. As a result, her gaze kept drifting to him.

‘Women won’t be able to leave him alone.’

Moreover, the words the knights had said kept echoing in her ears.

How great could it be that women can’t get over him?

Although Patrick had a handsome appearance, Reina was surrounded by so many handsome men that his looks alone couldn’t catch her eye.

But after seeing his body, her feelings started to change. It wasn’t just his lower body; she found herself increasingly drawn to his entire appearance.

He’s handsome, has a strong muscular body, good manners, a good family, a bit old-fashioned but still decent. The best part is his lower body….

No! What am I thinking?!

Reina thought to herself and then immediately denied it. Her thoughts were so erratic that she felt confused.

Why am I like this? 

But in this situation, one thing was clear. Reina had started to see Patrick as a man.

The person she had met every morning for training, who had never stirred any thoughts in her, suddenly looked different.

Every day was the same routine, a repetitive day, so why?!