It was such an agile escape that he couldn’t even think of catching her. Johan watched her retreating figure with bewildered eyes.

‘She’ll really need help in the future…..’

Considering her physical condition, that is. It seemed that speed just now had been a bit too much for her. He thought it would be fine since they had already gotten quite intimate, but….

Johan clicked his tongue in regret and recalled the contents of the letter he had received from his father while May was avoiding him.

If my thoughts are correct, her physical condition and the compass are separate matters.

No matter how strong a thought-form is, it cannot exert power when separated from its owner. Looking at the circumstances, it seems another thought-form has taken her body as a host. It’s not entirely unheard of.

I don’t know how it settled in that body, but it was probably a last struggle before disappearing.

And in such a state, the purpose of flaunting its existence in such a form is obvious. Rather than recklessly using power, it’s trying to conceive a child. Before naturally disappearing, that is.

Johan, you know too, right? Human souls are stronger than you’d think. A mere thought-form cannot perfectly control a body that already has an owner. That’s why they only inhabit objects….

But what about a seed that hasn’t fully formed yet? What if it takes possession of the body before the soul is fully contained?

They are cunning and quite clever. They’ll probably act up much more than now to create their own vessel. They have no choice since they’ll disappear otherwise.

And as their influence grows stronger, they’ll even shake her mind. If she shows behavior different from usual, be more cautious.

However, try not to show that you’re watching that existence. A thought-form facing extinction might take the host’s body hostage if things don’t go as planned.

But since I haven’t experienced this directly either… I think we need more information for a complete solution. Let me know immediately if you notice anything unusual.

P.S. Even if it’s a vessel containing a thought-form, it’s still a human, not an object. No murder. Please wait quietly until I find other information.

Johan smirked as he recalled the postscript where the last words were particularly emphasized.

As if he would commit murder. Rather, reading his father’s letter made him pity the woman more. Though judging by how he wanted to chase after her retreating figure just now and bite that nape of hers, it was an emotion quite different from sympathy.

Whatever the case, his desire to help her was certain. Moreover, though he hadn’t told his father, as mentioned before, May needed help. From what he discovered after spending the night. The energy troubling her seemed to cause worse situations than expected if they didn’t have relations as it wanted.

In fact, after May lost consciousness during their intense lovemaking, the thing coiled in her belly had thrashed about. The moment intercourse stopped, it made her body burn fiercely. Considering the purpose of this persistent torment was ‘conception,’ it was quite vicious.

As his father said, it must be thrashing about to create a vessel. Thrashing that took the host hostage, demanding the act of creating a vessel quickly. In other words, May was in an inevitable situation where she had to have intimate relations.

What expression would she make when she found out? She would probably cry. And like that day, she would have no choice but to ask him for help. Johan smiled while arbitrarily predicting the woman’s future.

‘But it’s still strange…..’

No matter how unlucky, having two thought-forms attached was unusual. While laying May on the mansion bed that day, the compass had jumped around like a guard dog protecting its owner. It was amusing to see something that usually pretended to be an inanimate object acting as if it had lost its mind. Though its obsession with its owner wasn’t strange.

‘Since it’s an object carrying something like an old man’s ghost, maybe it’s not impossible for it to attract another thought-form.’

Johan’s eyes rolled slowly as he reached his own conclusion.

“Well, since the owner seems to agree, shall I try a bit harder?”

He muttered while leaning his upper body against the railing, looking down at the first floor. At the end of his gaze was an old man floating endlessly with a semi-transparent body.

* * *

Walter, how about sending Emily to me?

She’s reaching the age where she could enter the Academy or Academy soon.

You wouldn’t know this…. So there’s no need for long explanations. Actually, this isn’t a suggestion but a notification. I’ve sent a separate letter to her too.

If she says she wants to come, just let her. You know you have no right to stop her, right? Truth is, I’d like to formally adopt her while I’m at it.

If I weren’t a naval officer who could lose his life at sea, I would have filed a lawsuit against you long ago. You bastard who doesn’t deserve to be a parent.

Damn, it’s frustrating just writing these curses. I should see you in person and curse you properly.

When Emily’s reply arrives, I’ll head to Almar immediately. Since there’s no way she’ll refuse, I’ve already told the butler to prepare her room. So you just say ‘understood.’

P.S. Since you’ve become suddenly rich, buy me a warship. With the grand name ‘Herman Vicenti’ engraved largely on it.

It was a scathing letter without any greetings or flowery phrases. After reading the playful postscript, May furrowed her brow at the familiar surname ‘Vicenti.’

‘Vicenti? Vicenti…..’

And just before reaching the answer to that familiarity, …knock knock. The man standing outside the open door knocked lightly. With a face suggesting he hadn’t meant to interrupt, he strode into the room.

“Dinner is ready, but there was no answer when I called……”

“Ah, I was reading a letter……”

May unconsciously avoided his eyes. Though she had stopped randomly avoiding Johan since that dawn a few days ago, the words she had heard from him that day remained vividly in her memory.

“I don’t know how you felt, but I enjoyed it. …To the point where I was a bit hurt when you avoided me.”

Even without looking in a mirror, she could tell her cheeks were properly flushed. May let her hair fall forward by lowering her head to hide it. Though it probably made her look gloomy and funny, it was the best she could do.

And mischief swirled in the man’s eyes as he looked at such a woman. Soon, his hand approached arbitrarily and tucked May’s hair behind her ear. May instinctively stiffened. It seemed it wasn’t just her imagination that his subtle skinship was increasing. After all, his hands were touching her at every opportunity without regard for time or place.

Moreover, what was with that gentle gaze? May had the rude thought that Johan’s gentle gaze didn’t quite suit him.

“Usually, that makes people want to tease more.”

Especially not someone who said such things.

“…P-please don’t.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

‘Liar…..’

May timidly glanced at him. Though she immediately lowered her gaze as soon as their eyes met. The man before her seemed somewhat changed since their candid conversation that day.

Rather than his personality completely changing…. Perhaps the indifference that was always present in his gaze had been removed? It was difficult to explain precisely, but sometimes she even thought he was openly trying to seduce her.

‘Though that couldn’t be…..’

Whatever his true feelings were, as mentioned before, it was very burdensome. May was in a position of being swept up in another person’s intense interest for the first time in her life. Moreover, the man who had already experienced her avoidance several times had long since blocked May’s escape routes and circuits of thought.

For example.

“Um, you can eat first…. I’m not hungry, and I want to read these letters more……”

When she said that, he never simply nodded.

As expected, Johan hummed and instead of leaving, began neatly organizing the pile of letters in front of May. Quite a number of letters gathered in the man’s large hands. Not satisfied with that, he even snatched the one in her hand and said with a smile.

“Then read them downstairs. I hate eating alone.”

“Ah……”

A stern gaze followed her hesitation. For May, it was an unspoken pressure she couldn’t avoid.