Chapter : 8 – I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But I Make a Living as an Exorcist!
My empty hand trembled slightly in the air.
“Yes. The Count herself came, got very angry, and left.”
I froze stiff.
“She said she’ll come again at this time tomorrow and told you not to go anywhere!”
Bella even imitated Rudyan’s voice, which made me even more flustered.
‘You don’t have to go that far—I already know she’s sharp.’
Count Rudyan Helkene.
When the female lead became successful as a landlord,
Rudyan went to see her and kept questioning her.
Why she bought haunted mansions, why she destroyed them, and what she did with the ghosts.
And it wasn’t just once or twice.
The female lead even complained about being exhausted by Rudyan’s endless questions.
Someone who mentally pressures others—
In simple terms… a suspicious antagonist.
And right now, I was living in a “haunted” house—
A bad feeling crept in.
It’s already morning.
I rubbed my heavy eyelids as faint light came through the window.
My body was tired, but my mind was strangely clear.
‘Why is Rudyan coming to see me?’
Rudyan was someone who hated wasting time because of her large business.
If you said something pointless in front of her, she would respond coldly without hesitation.
Among noble ladies, it was even said never to invite her to tea.
‘So why me?’
Honestly, it’s a bit scary.
Is she going to bother me like she did to the female lead?
‘No way.’
…But I couldn’t say that with confidence.
Even when I read that scene, I wondered why she bothered the female lead so much.
For someone who valued time that much—why?
I let out a deep sigh.
‘Well, I’ll find out when I meet her.’
I should have slept more.
Instead, I stayed up all night, and now my whole body felt heavy.
As I tried to get up—
I heard hurried footsteps outside, getting closer—
Bang!
“Miss, are you awake?”
Bella burst in.
She looked like she had run over in a hurry, breathing heavily, her cheeks flushed.
In her clasped hands was a thick envelope.
“The Duke of Monteville’s servant brought something!”
Bella’s voice was full of excitement.
She sounded so energetic, as if it were daytime instead of early morning.
But… a servant?
“Not a carrier bird, but a servant came?”
“Yes, look at this!”
Bella ran over and handed me the envelope, her eyes sparkling.
She crouched beside me as if telling me to open it immediately.
Only then did I sit up and lean against the bed frame.
‘What could he send through a servant?’
More importantly, did we even have anything to exchange besides letters?
The envelope was definitely heavy. It felt different from a normal letter.
Tilting my head, I untied the ribbon and carefully opened it.
“…Oh my.”
I dropped the envelope and covered my mouth.
Rustle—
The contents spilled onto the bed.
“How much is this?”
“Exactly!”
Bella laughed and plopped down next to me. The money scattered slightly from the movement.
Yes—money.
Dozens of neatly bundled stacks of cash!
My hands trembled as I picked up a few bundles, then put them back down.
I couldn’t calm myself at all.
Harman…
You’re really a good person!
I wiped the tears at the corners of my eyes.
“Bella.”
“Yes, Miss!”
I suddenly hugged her.
My shoulders shook as I laughed.
The bundles of money fell again onto the bed with a dull sound, but I didn’t care.
As I patted Bella’s back, my movements slowly slowed down.
It was just one payment—
But so many memories flashed through my mind.
Not from this life, but from my previous one.
My father, who said he’d return after one night, never came back.
I joined a small company right after high school, but my team leader hated me for no reason and constantly insulted me.
But now that I think about it, it didn’t feel painful or sad.
I hadn’t achieved anything, and I didn’t really have a reason to live.
Maybe that’s why, even when I woke up in Sienna Alderton’s body, I felt nothing.
I just worked hard out of obligation, enduring my father’s neglect, saving money bit by bit.
After leaving my family, my only goal was to buy a cheap mansion.
I glanced at the money on the bed.
Yes… what I needed was—
A comfortable house and enough money.
At last, I found a meaning to live.
My nose stung slightly.
Still hugging Bella, I picked up the letter again and read it.
[After checking, it seems the Rundane mana stone used when building the mansion is no longer imported into the Empire.
So it may be difficult to rebuild the wall.]
Rundane mana stone?
I’ve never heard of it.
I had seen many types of mana stones while helping my father’s business, but never this one.
Even Harman, the only Duke in the Empire, couldn’t get it?
‘Is it no longer produced?’
No matter how rare it was, it was strange that he couldn’t obtain it.
Still, he even wanted to use the same materials.
He must really love this mansion.
‘But the wall near the entrance is the biggest problem.’
Forget checking the other floors—
If that wall stays as it is, the mansion will never lose its “haunted” reputation.
‘Then I won’t be able to stop the future where Harman goes mad.’
It was just my guess that the mansion was the cause, but still—
How do I get that Rundane mana stone—
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, loud knocking hit the front door, even through the closed windows.
Bella and I, still patting each other’s backs, widened our eyes and pulled apart.
“Is Sienna Alderton here?”
First, a flat male voice.
“She already left her family, so what Alderton? She’s just a commoner now.”
Then, a sharp voice mocking my status.
Even without seeing her face, I knew who it was.
Rudyan Helkene.
“Bella, my clothes!”
“Here, Miss!”
Bella quickly brought a neat, simple dress.
I changed in an instant and ran downstairs.
Bang bang bang!
“Yes, I’m coming!”
I opened the door—
And met her eyes.
Jet-black hair tied tightly without a single strand out of place.
Bright red eyes.
She fanned herself lightly, looking elegant rather than harsh.
But—
“I clearly told the maid to make sure you stay today. Does she have no mouth, or do you have no ears?”
Her words were blunt and sharp, completely different from her beautiful appearance.
“…Ah, I’m sorry. Are you Count Helkene?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to come inside?”
Snap!
Rudyan closed her fan with a sharp sound.
Her slightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.
She crossed her arms and looked around the mansion.
I quickly started walking before she could start criticizing it.
Fortunately, she followed me without resistance.
After her guard whispered something to her, she became noticeably quieter.
Still, as we walked to the reception room, I made up my mind not to look back.
‘She’s really scary…’
Even when I first met Harman, I wasn’t this nervous.
Probably because he had been polite and showed no hostility.
But with Rudyan, it felt like one mistake could lead to disaster.
When we reached the reception room, Bella had already prepared warm tea.
As I tried to guide Rudyan to a seat, she walked past me and sat down on the largest sofa.
She crossed her legs comfortably, like she was in her own house.
Her red eyes scanned the room.
As expected, her opinion followed.
“I wonder if there was any need to buy such a large mansion. You only have one maid, after all.”
She was clearly speaking to me.
“From what I hear, you left the Alderton family.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then you’re a commoner now, so I’ll speak casually.”
…Weren’t you already speaking casually?
Can you get even more casual than that?
Rudyan leaned back comfortably, arms resting on both armrests.
With her legs still crossed, she looked down at me with a slightly arrogant gaze.
“Sienna, there’s something I want you to do.”
“What… would that be?”
“I want you to inspect a mansion.”
What is this… déjà vu?
I slowly turned my eyes toward Bella.
Usually sharp and reliable, Bella was awkwardly fiddling with the teapot.
…Just how did these rumors spread?
