The Ghost Lady Of The Duke's Family (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 12
Even as she steadily moved forward, Aeli clicked her tongue, tilting her head in confusion.
Fine, alright.
It was a luxury to wonder about anything when no one would answer—especially for a ghost.
‘Besides, Adi will need to go to the temple soon anyway.’
At the very latest, the opportunity would come before the year ended.
She still couldn’t understand why House Mason had left the boy in such a state all this time.
But once he passed his fifth birthday, imperial law required every child—regardless of status—to visit the temple for blessing.
In short, it meant he could finally leave the mansion.
‘Unless there’s a severe issue preventing a visit to the temple, it’s a mandatory step—something even Lutis can’t avoid.’
Especially in the insular noble society, this compulsion ran even deeper.
If someone couldn’t even go for a blessing, the prevailing belief was that something must surely be wrong.
From health to intelligence, suspicion loomed over everything, so no one dared break this rule.
—At that time, I’ll either reveal the hidden account…
Or else fabricate a reason to take the boy straight to House Mason.
At the very least, Mari was a trustworthy ally who could help.
‘The problem is… even if I, a ghost, make plans, how can I possibly carry them out?’
Well… whatever happens, regular walks won’t hurt—he’s healthy, after all.
Thud.
“…….”
—Hm?
She was deep in such thoughts, heading toward Mari with the boy, when—
Aeli abruptly squeezed her own sleeve, then lowered her gaze.
—Adi?
It was because the small figure ahead had suddenly halted mid-stride.
As she bent down to meet his eyes, she noticed his gaze fixed elsewhere.
Aeli followed his line of sight.
Several servants, who’d been shuttling busily between the main house and the annex over the past few days, came into view.
‘What’s going on…?’
Just as she was about to speak in puzzlement—
“Ria.”
—Huh? Oh!
“…I just don’t wanna eat candy anymore.”
—Wait, what? Since when… Huh?
Before she could finish, the boy turned and quickly vanished up the stairs.
Aeli, catching up a beat too late, stood alone in the corridor, dumbfounded.
‘The child… he’s not the type to cut someone off so abruptly and just leave, is he?’
The situation was utterly bewildering.
Only now did Aeli pause, racking her brain: what on earth had happened?
Up until last week, the boy hadn’t shown any reaction—let alone interest—to the servants.
He’d passed them by as indifferently as if they were framed portraits on the wall.
That meant the cause must have occurred recently—yet, as far as she knew, the only unusual thing was his visit to the main house.
She’d been glued to his side all day; the chance that something had happened without her noticing…
‘Was practically nonexistent.’
Aeli tried to organize her thoughts calmly—or at least, she tried.
What could possibly be the cause?
Would a simple visit to the main house really scare him so badly he’d run away like that?
The boy wasn’t that sensitive.
Then why had the servants gone to the main house?
‘…Obviously, for estate management.’
And why manage it?
As she eliminated possibilities one by one, only one answer remained.
—…Lutis.
Aeli sighed deeply and pressed her fingers to her brow.
—…I made a mistake.
Adi, for all his poise, was still just a four-year-old child.
How could he possibly be fine when his only father had confined him to the annex, returned after nearly three years, and hadn’t even shown his face?
Pretending to be okay didn’t mean he actually was.
It might just be speculation, but her instincts screamed clearly enough.
Whatever the reason, Lutis was somehow connected to the boy’s strange behavior.
Now that she knew, she could no longer put off the matter she’d been deliberately ignoring.
—…
Recalling the boy’s rare, twisted expression right before he turned away, Aeli made up her mind.
She’d have to visit Lutis tonight.
[This is the timeline separator]She tried to stay composed, yet found herself helplessly watching the boy’s every move.
Following him back into the room after he’d gone ahead to the attic, Aeli rolled her eyes as she saw him already seated at the desk again, staring blankly at a potted plant.
Then Mari brought food, and shortly after, the boy finished his meal and exchanged a few brief words with her.
Only after the sun had set and darkness settled for several hours did the boy finally begin yawning.
She coaxed him gently to bed, and he drifted off almost immediately.
And now…
…was the moment.
—He won’t wake up, will he…?
Aeli stepped quietly out of the room, exhaling the breath she’d been holding, careful not to disturb his sleep.
Strictly speaking, there was no need—she made no presence unless she chose to—but it was a matter of feeling.
After witnessing that rooftop spectacle once—when the boy, still asleep, had secretly run away, stopping her already-stilled heart once more—Aeli knew she had to be meticulous.
‘Let’s see just how grand the things are that you’re doing while abandoning that rabbit of a child.’
Gritting her teeth, Aeli headed toward the main house.
As a ghost, she didn’t walk—so with just a thought, she arrived in an instant.
—Wait… what if he’s asleep?
Having entered the main house in no time, Aeli paused mid-step as she prepared to check each likely spot for Lutis.
In her agitation and pent-up anger, she’d thought only of finding him—completely overlooking the crucial matter of timing.
‘…He goes to bed at ten, right?’
Who was Lutis, after all? One of the Empire’s few Sword Masters, Captain of the Imperial Knights, and a Duke to boot.
Naturally, his workload was immense.
Yet somehow, despite all that, he never failed to keep to his bedtime like clockwork.
—But what time was it now…?
She faintly recalled the hour she’d checked before leaving the attic—and her mouth snapped shut.
Worried the boy might wake midway, she’d waited an extra two hours just to confirm he was deeply asleep.
…It was already well past midnight.
‘Am I seriously supposed to go just to look at his sleeping face?’
Did that even make sense?
It was late—everyone had retired, save for the night guards—leaving the first floor eerily empty as Aeli wandered.
Thud… thud…
Footsteps echoed from far down the corridor.
Aeli turned toward the sound—and her eyes widened. It was a familiar face.
‘So… it’s Lord Montero, I suppose.’
Siren Montero—second son of House Montero, one of House Rattleleaf’s vassals.
He inherited his family’s signature deep teal hair and lemon-bright eyes, yet had reportedly renounced his succession rights early, claiming no desire to threaten the heir line.
To whom? To Lutis.
And now served as Captain of the Knights of House Rattleleaf… wait?
‘The knights’ quarters are in the opposite direction.’
Aeli’s eyes lit up as she watched the Captain stride up the stairs with obvious irritation.
That way led unmistakably to the rooms housing Aeli and Lutis’s bedroom—and the study.
Unless the Captain planned to burst into Lutis’s bedroom at this hour, his destination was clear.
Aeli hurried after him, struck by a sudden certainty—they were seeking the same person.
—I’ll just go back and search alone if not.
Anyway, it was rather novel to mutter to oneself right beside a trained knight without being noticed.
Had they walked down the long corridor for even a few seconds?
Because of his quick pace, the Captain stopped far sooner than expected—right in front of a very familiar door.
“I’m coming in.”
He knocked, then without waiting for a reply, threw the door open.
Aeli’s eyes went wide—she dimly remembered the Captain as someone who strictly upheld hierarchy.
Shocked by this uncharacteristic breach, she stepped inside—and doubted her own eyes.
‘…What on earth is this?’
Her husband’s appearance stunned her anew.
‘Did they starve you on the battlefield?’
He’d grown gaunt, a stark contrast to the last time she’d seen him, with deep shadows beneath his sharpened eyes.
Aeli flinched backward momentarily as killing intent—poorly contained—leaked out in waves.
It wasn’t just his disheveled state that shook her—it was the exchange that followed.
“No more. Please stop for today and go to bed.”
“Get out.”
Lutis scowled, clearly exasperated.
“Who told you to come in without permission?”
“I knew you wouldn’t grant it even if I waited. Everyone’s worried—I came as their representative. Don’t take it out on me.”
“Disobeying orders warrants immediate execution. I see you’ve grown a second life.”
“Yes, I did—until a few days ago. But we’re no longer on the battlefield, so summary execution isn’t possible. You of all people should know that, Your Grace.”
Lutis, rubbing his temples with fatigue, muttered something foul under his breath—and Aeli sucked in a sharp breath.
Was the man before her eyes… really her husband?
Where had gone the wholesome young man who once smiled gently, smelling like sun-dried laundry on a bright day?
In his place stood a cold-blooded figure who seemed capable of bleeding only blue beneath his skin.
“I may not kill you on the spot, but I can punish you. Starting today, you’re confined for a week. Only water and bread. No sleeping.”
“I won’t leave without a clear answer. Please go to bed now.”
Even Aeli, unfamiliar with military law, recognized this as blatantly unfair.
His words and demeanor were so unlike the Lutis she knew that her stunned mind refused to function properly.
Apparently accustomed to such scenes, the Captain continued without blinking—and Aeli’s eyes widened at his next words: it had been over a month since anyone had seen Lutis sleep.
“On the battlefield, we tolerate such things—but continuing this after your return is a problem. Your Grace needs rest, and as your vassal, I have a duty to safeguard your well-being.”
“Hah…”
“I… understand your struggles because of Lady Aeli, but it’s already been four years. Even a Sword Master can’t endure this—it’s truly dangerous now—”
Shwick—
Lord Montero was still speaking heatedly when—
A sharp object sliced through the air, passing straight through Aeli’s incorporeal form.
She stiffly turned her head—and saw the quill that had just been in Lutis’s hand now embedded in the wall.
So he’d just used force against someone who cared about him.
Against the very man who’d always said those with power must wield it responsibly?
—…
The quill had grazed the Captain’s cheek, leaving a thin, shallow cut.
Staring at something that seemed neither human nor monster, Aeli couldn’t comprehend any of this.
“I said… get out. Don’t make me say it a third time.”
She truly couldn’t understand it at all.
Male lead fell into her trap — and shattered when she walked away
This is also on my reread list!
This one is a slow burn, but when it burns, it burns hard.
Definitely worth a read, y’all!
The story follows a thousand-year-old seductive spirit who, on a bet, sets out to charm the male lead—a once-promising but unfortunate cultivator.
But just when she succeeds in making him fall for her, she heartlessly leaves, driving him to madness.
Determined to find her at all costs, he captures her, keeping her by his side no matter what, even if she hates him.
I love this kind of trope—I enjoy watching the male lead suffer in agony.
The ending drags a bit with unnecessary filler, but that’s fine.
As long as I enjoy the beginning, I’m good.
Intro
As an enchantress, Su Heng possesses captivating eyes and charming beauty, easily manipulating the joys and sorrows of living beings at her fingertips.
But to enchant a god, making him taste the bitterness of love’s separation, long-lasting resentment, unattainable desires, and inability to let go…
Do you dare?
Su Heng assists a divine lord in his cultivation, aiming to make him experience all the sufferings of love, so that he can attain the Great Dao.
Only after being chased down from the heavens by the divine lord, confined and completely possessed by him, does she realize how successful she has been.
The once gentle and polite youth has transformed into someone she no longer recognizes.
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As she recounted the memory, the boy had already fallen asleep—leaving Aeli alon
Whaatt? Did he see her or something? (･o･;) ㅤㅤㅤ
“…!”
HE. SAW. HER. He saw her! He must be in such shock.
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Okay, so he can see her. Does it have something to do with the petal (・o・)
It turns out he actually hears her voice, I’m surprised.