Ghost Turmoil (1)

JustSomebody13 – Fujo

When Julia left, and Rio was staring vacantly at the empty chair while sitting down, the sea breeze blew over his hair. The teacup was no longer hot. When Rio thought of Julia’s smile, a smile naturally formed on his face as well.

“Shall we put up a personal escort next to her?”

“It doesn’t seem necessary.”

When Julia left, and Rio was staring vacantly at the empty chair while sitting down, the sea breeze blew over his hair. The teacup was no longer hot. When Rio thought of Julia’s smile, a smile naturally formed on his face as well.

“Shall we put up a personal escort next to her?”

“It doesn’t seem necessary.”

Olden stared at Rio, who turned around after saying it was no need. His mysterious eyes gazed at Olden, and his mouth opened slightly.

“But just in case, put up two people next to her.”

I don’t want to see her getting hurt. Rio muttered and turned his gaze, then stared silently at the distant sea.

After talking to Rio, Julia changed into a casual dress and moved right away to take Patrick, who was resting in his room. Patrick, who was taking a nap, grumbled at her sudden call, but his body packed the necessary supplies as Julia ordered.

“How long will this take?”

Julia tilted her head as Patrick, who was carrying a bag on his shoulder, looked down on her with his sturdy build.

“We should go first to know about it. First of all, we need to go around the three military forces, so let’s think about it after we arrive.”

Patrick pouted at her ambiguous answer, but Julia smiled and grabbed his arm, then left the room. Julia rode the horse prepared for her to the first grave and met the people living around the area for the first time.

“Come to think of it, it seems like the rumor really is going around here.”

“I hear a lot of dreary noises these days. I’m afraid there’s something.”

“I told you it’s my father! He lost his life in a battle that year…”

Julia met someone who claimed the ghost to be his father, just as Rio said. Julia slightly turned her head as she heard the man who said that it must be his father who lost his life in the battle. And she spoke while looking at that man again.

“Did you see it in person?”

“I saw it. With my own eyes!”

“How was it?”

“He was in a lot of pain. His stomach was bleeding a lot, and he was crying. He waved his hands and moved his mouth, and it was like he was begging for his life. It was very clear!!”

Julia was briefly confused by the man’s tearful reaction, but soon calmly looked at him. Living as a shaman for a long time, it was natural for her to deal with all kinds of stories. Among them, many were eccentric and unique, so this kind of reaction was not new to her.

“Please calm down. Then, can you tell me when or where you saw it?”

The man looked at Julia with tearful eyes and turned his head to stare at the grave.

“At dawn.”

“Specifically when?”

“When the sun has not risen yet.”

Julia’s brow creased slightly as the man tilted his head and answered. After the conversation, Patrick’s voice was heard over Julia’s head, who was walking the street.

“What’s wrong?”

“Usually, the dead show themselves at the point when yin is at its peak. Most of the time, it would be around midnight, at the end of the day. But according to his words, it was before daybreak, so it was definitely at a dark time at the beginning of dawn.”

Julia stopped and slowly looked up at the number of tombs in the distance.

“At dusk, when the moon has risen, it’s hard to see the dead because they’re resting, so what was the dead who showed itself at that time?”

“…What do you mean?”

Julia’s forehead formed a slight crease, and her mouth shut tightly. As she fell silent, Patrick waited for her answer and didn’t ask any further.

“I need to ask around some more.”

Julia’s eyes glistened slightly.

*

“Ah… I’m dying.”

Julia, who returned to the castle, complained when she laid on her bed. Julia’s shoes and clothes that she took off and threw away were arranged by her maid, Elisa, who had a puzzled look on her face. Julia rolled her eyes at her.

“Elisa.”

“Yes?”

Elisa looked at Julia after tidying up the clothes she was holding in her hand as she heard the voice that called her.

“Have you ever seen a ghost?”

“Ghost?”

Elisa shook her head after a moment of consideration for her abrupt question. Julia closed her eyes slightly to her answer.

“Then, do you believe it?”

“Yes. I believe it.”

“How come? You haven’t even seen it.”

“I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard a lot about it. No matter how imaginative you are, isn’t it because it exists that you can hear so many stories circulating about it?”

A valid and logical reason. But contrary to what she said, many people in the world believed in nothing but what they saw. Julia was also subjected to various criticisms and reproaches when she was a shaman. Some people even said that she was a swindler who came while carrying a talisman then sprayed it with water.

“So, if it really existed, would you want to see one?”

“I don’t know. I think it’ll be very scary to see in person.”

Being afraid of the dead was not always because it was harmful to someone. It was a fear of the loss of life that made people fearful of the dead even if they didn’t do any direct harm to people.

Dead people—ghosts, a word that symbolizes death. People fear death and fear the pain and silence that will come upon them, which in the end, gave meaning to the existence of ghosts.

“You don’t know for sure. Maybe it wasn’t their choice to be like that.”

“Yes? What do you mean?”

Elisa tilted her head at Julia’s quiet muttering to herself. Julia simply shook her head.

“I want to take a bath, can you get me some water?”

“I will prepare it soon.”

Julia glanced slightly at her back as she walked away from her sight. It was all because she was so tired from walking around all day. As her consciousness slowly drifted away, she closed her eyes, and soon she felt as if she was being sucked somewhere.

The door closed with a ‘click’ sound. Julia’s mind, which was fading away, returned slightly, but she couldn’t open her eyes because the temptation to sleep was too sweet. She only opened her mouth.

“I… am… so tired… so… wake me… up… later.”

The sound of heavy footsteps was heard together with her muttering voice. Unlike Elisa, who walked silently with light steps, they were footsteps that revealed their presence. But Julia’s spirit, which was caught in the spell of sleep, could no longer distinguish them.

The sound of footsteps came and stood beside Julia. A softer and warmer feeling, rather than a sweet one, touched her cheek.

“…Warm.”

The Dukedom of Ephesia, which was located alongside the seashore, had a lower average temperature than other regions due to the wind coming in and out of the vast sea. No wonder Julia’s body was cold after she wandered around all day.

With a smile on her face, Julia still felt the warm touch on her cheek. The bed shook and somebody climbed onto it, but she couldn’t think of anything because of the pleasant feeling on her cheek.

“Was it that hard?”

A soft and warm touch on her cheek, together with a friendly and low tone. Julia naturally answered.

“It was… wide… and… cold.”

“Soon, it will be warmer, so it will be more comfortable to walk around. There’s a famous vacation spot, I’ll take you there in the future.”

“…To… the sea?”

“Yeah.”

“But… it’s… still… early… spring.”

“You can stay here until then. There’s no problem.”

“Is that so…?”

A gentle voice flew into her ears in a murmur of her reply—a pleasant voice. Julia smiled.

“You should take a bath before sleeping. You will catch a cold otherwise.”

“A… mother… nag…”

She heard a laugh. Julia laughed as well. Then soon, she fell quiet. Julia’s senses got further away due to the warm touch, but by the time Julia started to drift off to sleep again, she heard the door open.

“Duke?”

A woman’s voice was heard from Julia’s remaining senses that got further away. She lifted her very heavy eyelids quietly at that word. Long hands and a broad shoulder could be hazily seen due to her blurred vision, as well as blue eyes that were looking towards her.

Her distant senses slowly returned. Then soon, Julia’s eyes were wide with surprise, and her mouth slightly opened. A considerate smile then formed on his cool face.

“Did you sleep well?”

“How… how… how come?!”

“How come?”

“How come you are here!!”

Julia quickly rose from her spot, pushing his hand aside. Rio shrugged when Julia looked at him with a frightened look on her face as she backed away from him.

“I came here to see how things are going, but you were asleep.”

“Then you should have turned back! How could you look at a woman’s sleeping face…!”

“You look pale.”

“…Yes?”

Rio’s blue eyes gazed at Julia. She felt her cheeks get colder again, and his warm hands came to her mind.

“I didn’t know because you looked sick. I apologize if it was unpleasant.”

Julia was left speechless as he spoke with serious eyes. She would have been angry if he had replied shamelessly, but he didn’t. Besides, the timing wouldn’t be right—not with him bowing like this. Julia’s eyes were shaking.

“Then, I should go now. Take a bath before you sleep. Don’t be sick.”

His red lips opened and spoke. Julia’s mind, who had been lost in thought, came back, and she looked at his back. He was trudging as if he was a puppy that had been abandoned.

“E… excuse me!”

He stopped at the voice that called him as if he had been waiting for it. Why did I call him? Julia called out to Rio, but she didn’t have anything to say, so she closed her mouth and hesitated. Then Rio opened his mouth.

“You don’t have to think too much about it. You must be exhausted, so I’ll listen to the story tomorrow.”

“Th… that’s.”

“Don’t be sick. I care about that more.”

His side profile was slightly visible and it was quite cool to see his smile. Julia hurriedly opened her mouth as his blue eyes looked at her then soon turned away.

“E… excuse me!”

“What else?”

She heard a delighted tone rather than an irritated one as she kept calling him. Is this a pleasant situation for him? Julia didn’t bother to understand his mentality, which she didn’t know well.

“…Let’s have a cup of te-”

“Shall we?”

“…”

Julia had a confused look on her face when he responded before she could finish speaking. Rio shrugged his shoulder as if he didn’t realize what he just did and sat on the tea table, naturally ordering tea from Elisa. Then, Rio’s gaze reached Julia again.

Pat, pat. Julia’s eyes moved slightly to Rio’s gesture that patted the chair. Rio opened his mouth.

“Sit down. If you stand blankly like that, your legs will hurt.”

“…Okay.”

Julia carefully approached him, which was unpredictable, and sat down. Rio nodded and opened his mouth as she sat down.

“Did anything happen?”

Julia looked displeased when Rio’s words seemed to be more worried about her despite asking about the progress earlier.

“Did something happen?”

“Then, it’s a relief.”

It was just being polite. As Julia struggled to ignore it and had the urge to open her mouth, Rio spoke again.

“I will be troubled if something happens.”

“…”

What does he want to say? Julia’s eyes met Rio’s, and their eyes locked in the air.

“So don’t overdo it and don’t get sick. If it’s too hard, it’s okay if it takes longer. Just take your time.”

“…Why? Isn’t it better to solve it faster?”

“Right. That would be better.”

“Then, we should hurry and solve it.”

“That’s good too. But it’s not necessary.”

“Why?”

His eyes were smiling. His blue eyes were shaped like a blue crescent.

“Because it’d be great if you stay for a long time.”