The Ghost Lady Of The Duke's Family (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 15
“If Miss had seen Young Master today, she would have been truly overjoyed.”
Mari spoke toward the boy, who stood frozen in surprise, eyes wide open like saucers.
When had he grown so much?
The sight of multicolored paper fluttering down like butterflies was nearly breathtaking.
Had Mari, while scanning the food on the table, nearly forgotten the most important thing and rushed off to the kitchen in a hurry?
“Ah….”
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one struck by that breathtaking view—the boy too gaped slightly, eyes sparkling.
His pupils, brimming with rich hues, shimmered like jewels.
How grateful she felt, to share such a beautiful moment.
– ……
Though no one except the boy—the birthday boy himself—could see her.
Even if she passed by unnoticed, like a nameless backdrop no one would ever recognize,
Aeli was happy. How could she not be?
– Adi.
“……?”
Though memory held nothing due to the four-year void after her death—four whole years.
The time it took a nursing infant to surpass baby food and eat solid meals, to roll over, crawl, sit, walk, and finally run about freely.
– Are you… happy now?
Not once had she been there for any of those moments.
Now that she realized it anew, the boy seemed unusually young today. Surely, there had been times when he was far smaller.
“…Yes!”
At Aeli’s question, the boy finally relaxed his stiff expression, his eyes curving gently.
With cheeks flushed and sincerity untouched by even a grain of falsehood, he smiled—
just like that.
– ……
The gap in growth Aeli had never witnessed.
She’d known, yet couldn’t help but feel regret for that span of life already long gone.
Those lost days would never return, and the emptiness the boy must have felt during that time would never truly fade.
Suddenly, she recalled when he’d just been born.
[Aww…] [Did you have sweet dreams, little one?] [Uhh-hmm…!] [You’re answering me? How clever you are!]Holding that tiny white bundle close, she’d wished:
‘…I wanted to raise you without lack of anything.’
She’d hoped he’d see only the bright side of life.
Even if that proved impossible forever, at least as late as possible.
Others had scolded her, saying such indulgence would spoil him—but Aeli had wanted it that way.
She’d wished for him to remain a child for as long as possible,
hoped he’d enjoy a childhood filled purely with love and happiness, untouched by shadows.
“…? Ria, what’s wrong?”
– Mm… nothing.
Caught staring blankly at him, the boy tilted his head and asked softly.
Aeli gave a faint smile and gently shook her head.
– I was just so happy, that’s all.
She’d wished for him to grow this way. Yet the time she’d lost—more than enough to bury all those chances and possibilities in mud—hurt deeply.
Though they say time flows like water, and for someone else it might have been but a fleeting instant,
for this boy, that brief span spent alone in a cramped attic with no human contact had been his whole world.
It must have been so.
– Hey, Adi.
“Yes? What is it?”
– There’s something I must tell you.
Now that a chance to set things right had appeared, how could anything feel unwelcome?
Even if her insides were torn to shreds, Aeli was genuinely glad she could utter these words.
That was why she could smile.
– It’s something your mother asked me to tell you.
“…Mother?”
The boy stared wide-eyed, muttering in a daze—not so much questioning as repeating her words to confirm he’d heard correctly.
– Yes, your mother.
Aeli finally voiced the words she’d silently repeated countless times since reuniting with him.
Words she’d held back, waiting for this very moment.
– When you… came to me, it felt like I’d gained the whole world. That hasn’t changed, not even now.
“……”
– Of everything I’ve ever had in my life, you are the most precious.
Perhaps, had she been reborn not as a ghost but even as livestock, she’d have gladly accepted it if it meant meeting him.
She’d never known how deeply lovable a life born of herself could be until she lost it.
A single thread of his gaze meeting hers filled her with overwhelming emotion; the faintest brush of his hand brought unmatched joy.
How could she not yearn desperately for his life?
– You understand, don’t you?
“…Yeah.”
– Thank you for growing up so wonderfully… and I’m truly proud that you’re my son.
“……”
– Happy birthday, my sweet child. I love you so very much.
You are my treasure.
Not a single moment has ever passed when that wasn’t true.
“Mm…”
To the boy, Aeli was merely someone relaying his mother’s message.
Yet his constant nodding made her feel, just for this moment, that he truly understood she was his parent and answered her as such.
‘From now on, I sincerely wish every path you walk will be filled with love and happiness.’
It was a truth that would never change, not even if she died and came back to life.
[This is the timeline separator]“Oh no! It’s gotten so late… At this rate, His Young Lordship will go to sleep without even making a wish on the cake, let alone eating dinner!”
“Young Master, weren’t you hungry?” Mari cried out in alarm, arriving late with the cake tray and checking the time.
Up till then, the boy had kept his damp, glistening eyes fixed on the floor.
Whether he’d heard her words or was simply moved by the surprise party, she couldn’t say—but well.
Mari had looked positively gleeful even as she set down the cake, having paused mid-serving just to fetch it. And that was good enough.
Still dazed by the suddenly cheerful atmosphere, the boy sat down and carefully picked up his cutlery. Given it was his birthday, the variety of dishes served was considerable.
‘Still, compared to what he used to eat at home, it’s a bit lacking…’
Ah well, what more could they expect here?
Considering Mari had badgered the cook herself to prepare this, the result wasn’t at all bad—and for now, that had to suffice.
If it felt unfair, the only option was to whisk the boy away before he got locked in the annex forever.
– Adi, Adi.
“Mm…?”
– How about… putting the flowerpot down to eat? Isn’t it uncomfortable holding it the whole time?
“……”
– ……
Oh. Right. Never mind.
Aeli awkwardly nodded and stepped back. She knew his stubbornness wasn’t something she could easily overcome anyway.
As Mari hurried back and forth serving food, she placed the cake on the table and asked,
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. What’s this? I’ve never had it before.”
“It’s pasta made from a recipe my mother gave me. Miss loved it so much… and since Young Master’s tastes are similar to Miss’s, I thought you’d enjoy it too.”
“…Mother liked this too?”
The boy paused mid-bite, fork twirling noodles halfway to his mouth.
His fumble left sauce smearing around his lips,
yet it created the warmest, sweetest scene imaginable.
Mari pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped his mouth as she replied,
“Yes. Even though she adored meat, whenever this pasta appeared, she wouldn’t even glance at the meat and would finish two whole plates of it.”
…Perhaps it would’ve been better if the conversation hadn’t gone this far.
But regardless, watching the boy happily munching pasta with cheeks stuffed full, Aeli made a vow.
She would show him a much wider world.
Not this cramped, worn room where a bed, desk, and one bookshelf filled every inch.
She wanted him to experience vast mountains and open fields with his whole body—not just glimpse grass and trees vaguely through a window.
So that one day, he could spread his wings and freely soar through the skies.
A child who’d seen so little of the world didn’t belong locked away like a caged bird in the annex’s tiny attic.
‘…Which means he can’t stay at Rattleleaf any longer.’
Even if the Rattleleaf line currently had no cadet branches, by the time Lutis passed away, the boy would already be a full-grown adult.
Would he really spend all those years in near-neglect, drifting through life without knowledge or purpose?
That would be a problem even if he eventually inherited the family headship.
‘Without receiving consecration or engaging in any public affairs, he’ll surely be dismissed as flawed.’
By then, he’d have neither friends nor retainers left to support him—forced to stand utterly alone.
What could be more terrifying than power one couldn’t protect?
In that case, it was wiser never to possess it at all.
“Once you’re done eating, shall we light the candles on the cake?”
Just as Aeli was lost in these thoughts,
Mari arrived holding long, thin, colorful candles and pointed at the cake.
“N-now?”
“Yes! This cake has your favorite syrup brushed between the layers, and there are little popping candies embedded inside! Look at the chocolate coating too—doesn’t it look delicious?”
“Whoa, it looks tasty… ah, no! But it’s still… still too early…”
“Too early? It’s already later than usual—even if you eat the cake and head straight to bed!”
“But still…”
Flustered, the boy fidgeted anxiously before abruptly turning his head.
Meeting his eyes, Aeli subtly leaned toward the cake.
‘It looks perfectly fine…’
Worried something was wrong, she hovered over it—yet tilted her head in confusion. The boy’s pleading gaze still hadn’t let up.
But as a powerless ghost, there was nothing she could do… except…
Mari’s expression grew increasingly perplexed by the boy’s inexplicable stubbornness.
His own face, as he fiddled with the main ribbon on the flowerpot, looked no less dejected.
‘He clearly wants more—so why’s he acting like this?’
Setting aside bedtime, she worried the celebration might spill past midnight and his birthday would end.
And even with warmer weather, the chill after sunset remained a concern.
“A-atchoo!”
Just as expected, the boy shivered and sneezed as the cold floor seeped into him.
Mari sighed softly, straightening her knees from crouching at his eye level.
“I’ll go get a blanket. You’ll catch a cold at this rate, Young Master.”
“Mm…”
“…But promise me you’ll blow out the candles before midnight? You can’t make a wish after your birthday’s over.”
“……”
“Yes?”
Avoiding Mari’s gaze, the boy finally nodded. Less than thirty minutes remained till midnight.
Thinking they could smoothly proceed to gifts soon, Aeli brightened and moved toward him.
Or tried to.
Crash!
“……”
“……”
– Ah, oh…
Of all moments—
If only the flowerpot nestled in the boy’s arms hadn’t tilted and fallen. He’d been half-asleep, well past his usual bedtime.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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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.