Chapter 10
“Ah! There she is, miss!”
“Young master! Over here!”
The northern knights, who had been jogging under the scorching sun, stopped in delight. It was because of Lady Balus, who had been desperately wooing the young master these past few days.
“Do it with me!”
“I’ll be waiting at the northern castle!”
The exquisitely beautiful girl, like a wax doll, visited the villa every day to confess her feelings. The timid young master responded only by closing the window.
“Young master! You’re lucky.”
“Our young master has grown up now. Truly grown up.”
Swoosh—!
Ignoring the playful teasing of the young knights, Ian swung his sword silently. Every time it sliced the air, Calicia’s contract came to mind.
Party A, Calicia, will fully cooperate to remove Party B, Ian’s ghostly curse.
Party B, Ian, will allow Party A, Calicia, up to three hours per day of spirit possession for her awakening abilities.
Party A, Calicia, will teach Party B, Ian, certain techniques to ward off malevolent spirits.
Party B, Ian, will teach Party A, Calicia, how to use her abilities.
Both parties must keep secret any information learned about the other during the execution of this contract.
Door cracks, window sills, under pillows—wherever there was a gap, she shoved the contract in. He couldn’t help but notice it.
“……”
The ghostly curse. Calicia used a word he had never heard before to define his condition. She even mentioned treatment.
Was it a trustworthy proposal, or merely a scheme to exploit his weakness?
Swoosh—!
The sword, heavy as his thoughts, cut through the air. Every slash left a vivid golden trail in its wake.
Whooosh—!
From the far end of the training field came the cheerful sound of a whistle. Ian didn’t bother to look back. He knew exactly whose doing it was.
“A strong body houses a strong mind!”
As expected, it was the voice he anticipated.
“Keep it up just like that! Your form is perfect!”
Clapping her hands, Calicia cheered Ian’s physical health. For one whose body and mind were properly aligned, spirits could not harm them recklessly.
“Wahaha!”
“Young master! Did you hear that? She said perfect form! Perfect form!”
“You’ll have to train hard to maintain that body!”
The knights, clutching their bellies, laughed uproariously. They joked about biceps and triceps, ignoring their jog entirely.
Thud—!
Distracted, Ian finally dropped his sword to the ground.
“Run again.”
A voice colder than the northern winter fell on the knights.
After finishing training, Ian returned to his room and brushed off his shoulders. White grains of salt scattered in the air and fell to the floor.
Lately, Ian’s daily routine was no different from salted mackerel, thanks to Calicia who would sprinkle salt at every opportunity.
“They say when a woman harbors resentment, frost falls even in midsummer.”
The northern knights called the current situation “love and war.” After long isolation, the lady’s affection had turned into deep hatred, they said.
But in reality, it was merely dealing with spirits.
Whoosh!
“Hey, did you go somewhere strange? Some gambler tagged along.”
Whoosh!
“Oh, and where did you drag in something nasty again? Where’s the salt?”
Whoosh!
“Now even a beast spirit. Where do you keep wandering every day?”
Thinking deeply, Ian slowly flicked his tongue. A salty taste seemed to linger in his mouth—a bothersome and unpleasant sensation.
Calicia’s antics were persistent. But letting her do as she pleased was also his choice.
Because Calicia never lied.
-“I swear, a spirit’s attached to you. If you don’t believe me, fill a teacup halfway with salt and place it near your bed. By the next day, it’ll be completely blackened.”
Would Calicia show him the truth again this time? Ian picked up the teacup on the table with a slightly tense expression.
“…It’s burned.”
The salt, which had been white until last night, was now completely blackened.
That evening.
“I’ll sign the contract, so stop following me.”
Ian, visiting the northern castle, held the contract in front of Calicia. Seeing his neatly signed handwriting, she grinned.
-“Miss, you look so sneaky.”
-“You can look so devious.”
Isaac and Deoric, who had approached silently, shook their heads.
“Really? No backing out.”
Ignoring them, Calicia practically snatched the contract and quickly signed, unwilling to let Ian’s mind change.
“Now that the contract’s done, let’s get to know each other more deeply.”
Clap!
Clapping her hands, Calicia lifted the mood.
“Let me tell my story first…”
Trailing off, she opened the curtain to the world’s unluckiest tale. She wanted him to see her plight first.
“Cunning people like to embellish their words. That’s my favorite saying.”
But Ian, standing silently, cut her off. He didn’t have time to listen to a sob story in a lady’s bedroom.
“Hmph, well… straight to the point is fine. Then clause two can start immediately, right?”
Calicia’s face changed drastically as Ian grabbed her arm and led her toward a plush bed draped in black curtains.
“Just think of it as lying down to rest and relax.”
Patting the bed, Calicia laughed, while Ian’s expression grew distinctly reluctant. He stared at the bed as if confronting an enemy.
“……”
Silver lace trailing to the floor, silk bedding with elaborate embroidery, and the faintly sweet fragrance.
The bed before him clearly belonged to a noble lady.
So, a woman.
Ian’s ears turned red as he looked back and forth between the bed and Calicia.
“Smells.”
After a long silence, Ian muttered. The overly sweet scent had unsettled him.
“Smells? I don’t smell anything.”
“I do.”
“Then hold your breath or something.”
Calicia dismissed his protest lightly and pushed his rigid shoulders toward the bed.
“…You!”
Flustered, Ian grabbed her wrist roughly. The sudden force made her body lurch forward.
Flowing dress and swaying hair. Ian’s brows furrowed in frustration as the sweet scent hit his nose.
“…Let go.”
His neck flushed red, Ian threw her wrist off.
“I’m lying down, so move.”
He turned away, lying stiffly on the bed.
“Are you entering a coffin? Relax your body.”
Watching his corpse-like stiffness, Calicia shook her head.
“Now close your eyes.”
She lifted his hands over his eyes, coaxing him gently.
“Your turn, spirit.”
At her call, the ancestral spirit stood by the bed, oddly excited as he looked down at Ian.
Though he had lingered in the afterlife for years, possessing a living body was new.
And this first attempt was in the body of a Rakies with the power of light. Naturally, curiosity arose.
“Just think of one thing: you want this body. You want to inhabit it.”
Calicia whispered in Deoric’s ear with a slightly mischievous tone.
“The hot blood in this firm, beautiful body!”
The words made Ian frown as if enduring a horrific nightmare.
-“Miss, but didn’t you say taking another’s body accrues karma?”
Isaac, who had quietly approached, whispered.
“It’s fine.”
Calicia waved her hand dismissively.
-“Last time you said it could cause rebirth as a lowly being…”
“It’s fine. It’s not my karma.”
Isaac was dumbfounded by her shameless, sly answer. In truth, a noble spirit like Deoric didn’t easily lose control or suffer from a few possessions.
But Isaac, unaware of this, watched Calicia coaxing the spirit and thought of one word: rogue.
“Now, spirit, imagine being pulled in… Oh! There it goes!”
Calicia raised both hands high, listing off the steps to possession.
