Chapter 90: “What? Possession? Just like that?”
Count Vermon was also beside Roselia.
The infirm Count Vermon was being supported by a sturdy man—who happened to be none other than…
“Hello?”
“Not hello.”
It was Kaien, that wretched servant Roselia despised.
He had been pretending to be Count Vermon, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, but once the situation was resolved, he had immediately changed back into his servant attire.
Eckart furrowed his brow.
It seemed he would need to keep that scoundrel away from Roselia.
Philip, sensing Eckart’s unusual mood, cautiously watched. Roselia spoke at the perfect moment.
“After thinking carefully about what you said, brother, I realize I was being short-sighted.”
“What?”
“I’ll make sure not to do anything that would worry you from now on, so you won’t have to worry too much. You can leave without concern.”
Roselia said it brightly.
She wasn’t taking Eckart’s concern lightly.
She merely considered it excessive.
She was already surrounded by the cheat-like advantage of the original story, powerful items, and people who protected her.
Eckart was, of course, one of them.
He stared at Roselia for a while before unexpectedly asking a question.
“About what happened… how did you even come up with such an idea?”
“Huh?”
“You spread rumors secretly to trap Count Gaut, didn’t you? And ordering the servants to tidy the study was part of that plan, right?”
“There was no evidence. I had no choice but to take the risk.”
“And what if it hadn’t worked?”
“I assumed it would. He was cornered to the point of abandoning his wife; I knew he’d surely lose reason. Though I didn’t expect him to go so far as to hold hostages.”
“…”
“I’m just glad it ended safely. Count Vermon regained consciousness too.”
At that moment, Count Vermon, who had been silently listening, nodded his head.
“Thanks to everyone’s care… I don’t know how to repay you…”
A high-ranking temple healer miraculously arrived at the duke’s residence at dawn.
Though there had been minor disturbances along the way, they were insignificant.
As Roselia had said, everything ultimately worked out.
Though she had been asked not to intervene, it was precisely her help that allowed things to be resolved.
Eckart, lost in thought, suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“On the day of the carriage accident, didn’t the Countess act in a suggestive way toward you? I asked her about it, but she hardly remembered anything.”
“She doesn’t remember?”
Roselia could recall that day vividly—it was a memory etched sharply into her mind.
The Countess’ chilling, sinister smile, her words that it was too late as she held her back…
Her threatening demeanor had been more than enough to cause misunderstandings.
But…
Roselia glanced at the system window.
There had been something that bothered her for some time.
But it was such a bizarre story that she hesitated to reveal the truth.
“I’ll answer that for you.”
“Count Vermon?”
Count Vermon, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
Though he spoke boldly, he chose his words carefully.
“The truth is… my younger sister, Agnes, is a medium.”
“Excuse me?”
“A medium.”
For a moment, everyone froze at Count Vermon’s words.
Some frowned, some looked bewildered.
Only Kaien looked genuinely intrigued.
Unlike Kaien, who was accustomed to the supernatural, Eckart doubted his own ears.
“Did I hear that wrong… a medium?”
Count Vermon nodded.
“Yes. I said it clearly.”
“So, a medium… someone who… gets possessed by spirits…?”
Even as Philip spoke, he felt the absurdity of it.
Divine or magical powers were recognized by society, but spirit possession and divination were not.
Religion, practical uselessness in war, and lack of economic utility all contributed to the dismissal of mediumship.
Some commoners or minor nobles might indulge in astrology or crystal ball readings, but only as a superstitious amusement.
In some cases, people even considered mediumship a mental disorder, so households kept it quiet.
For nobility, this was doubly so.
“Yes. Agnes often experiences such things.”
Yet Count Vermon spoke sincerely, insisting his sister was a true medium.
“Hah, really.”
Eckart’s expression vanished.
The ridiculous story had completely killed his interest.
He suspected that Vermon might be fabricating this to protect his sister.
“I know it’s hard to believe. Even within our family, many doubted her. But it’s true. I’ve seen Agnes’ personality shift many times myself.”
“Even so… a medium… Maybe the Countess had another issue? Like… a split personality?”
‘Split personality…’
Roselia looked at Kaien.
[You don’t know anything, right? You’d have investigated the Countess too.]
Kaien shook his head.
[I don’t know. A medium? First I’ve heard of it.]
“Hmm.”
Even Kaien didn’t know.
Of course, the original story had no such absurd setup.
[Still, a medium is kind of like you, right?]
[You also have multiple personalities.]
Kaien straightened his face.
[I only have two personalities.]
[And it’s a completely different type from yours.]
[I’m a mage; spirits don’t possess me.]
Though both involved supernatural phenomena, Kaien strongly denied any similarity.
Count Vermon continued.
“I thought it might be a split personality at first, but it isn’t. It isn’t something that can be fixed with medicine.”
“…”
“It’s different. It’s not just a personality shift—she suddenly acts as if she has urgent tasks to do and moves about busily…”
“Enough.”
Eckart cut him off.
“The culprit has been caught, and the misunderstanding about the Countess has been cleared. There’s no need to complicate things further.”
“Yes, understood, Young Duke.”
Though Eckart was unconvinced, Count Vermon respectfully bowed his head with reverence.
After averting his gaze from Eckart, he fixed his eyes on Roselia.
“Thanks to the Young Duke and Princess, Agnes and I are safe. The Vermon family will never forget this debt.”
At that moment, he expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Ding—!
【SYSTEM: Congratulations! You have successfully completed the “Who is the Real Culprit?” mission!】
A flashy notification sound rang in Roselia’s ears, followed by a fanfare.
‘Ah, that startled me.’
She calmed her pounding heart and looked at the system window.
【SYSTEM: Mission success rewards will be granted immediately!】
[Benefactor of the Vermon family, Luck Point Shop Upgrade, Eckart’s Affection +30]
【SYSTEM: Luck Point Shop upgraded as a mission achievement reward!】
[“Ask Me Anything” temporarily unlocked.]
The collapse of the Vermon family was prevented, rewards received, and a woman’s grievance resolved.
Yet a lingering unease remained in her heart.
She quietly returned to her room.
She was alone, the only sound outside the window was the chirping of insects.
She looked around once more and spoke toward an unseen presence.
“I have something I want to ask.”
“……”
But there was no response.
‘Anyone watching would think I’m talking to thin air.’
Count Vermon’s words kept replaying in her mind:
[The truth is… my younger sister, Agnes, is a medium.]
Everyone thought Vermon was making excuses for his sister, but Roselia couldn’t deny it.
She had once glimpsed her keywords using massive Luck Points:
[#BornToBeRich #SkilledWoman #MaxSocialSkill #Countess #WoundedWoman #Independent…]
And the final keyword:
[#Medium]
Astoundingly, she really was a medium.
And Roselia realized it meant more than just a quirky character trait or unusual setup.
On the day of the carriage accident, the Countess had said:
[It’s good to see you doing well. I’ve wanted to speak to you directly someday.]
[You mean me?]
[Yes. I’ve always watched from afar.]
“If you want to talk to me, speak to me directly. Don’t use someone else’s body.”
Roselia was certain: someone was watching her.
I’m so glad it was answered