The Ghost Lady Of The Duke's Family (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 5

“I’m going insane! How on earth did he get up there again?!”

Just as she was about to step out of the mansion, something odd caught her eye—and it turned out to be her own son.

In that utterly absurd moment, Aeli stood frozen, unable to act, only twitching her legs in midair.

The boy, who had been crawling inch by inch along the sloped roof, suddenly slipped and slid downward.

Without another thought, Aeli rushed to his side.

“Adi!”

At her desperate call, the boy, barely clinging to the attic window above, slowly turned his head.

“L-Liaaa….”

“Why are you doing this here?! No, how did you even get up there in the first place?!”

“…You’re going away again now! Wahhh…!”

Their eyes met, and his face twisted as he wailed loudly. Aeli panicked, circling helplessly around him.

Even as he sobbed, the child clung fiercely to the roof’s edge with both hands, his plump little arms straining to hold on.

Seeing his short legs dangerously swaying above the attic window, Aeli gasped in horror. His arms, trembling from exhaustion as he dangled, could barely support his weight any longer.

“Where did you come out from?! Can you get back inside?! No—actually, I should call someone…!”

But no matter how hoarsely she screamed, it would be useless.

The servants nearby wouldn’t notice a thing, no matter what she did.

Besides, there wasn’t even a proper way up to the roof.

‘Only when repairs or cleaning are needed does the Head Servant designate a few people and send them up using scrolls.’

Even if, by sheer luck, someone discovered the boy and brought a scroll…

It was uncertain whether he could hold on until then.

He looked as if he might fall at any second, yet Aeli couldn’t think of a single way to help. Just as she realized this, her face turned deathly pale.

“I don’t wanna! If you go inside again, you’ll leave me! Hic… You always leave me! I won’t go! Wahhh…!”

Wahhh. Pressing his face against his shuddering arms, the boy spoke.

Aeli opened her mouth toward him.

“C-Can you get back inside somehow?”

“I won’t go! I hate it!”

“You’ll get seriously hurt if you fall!”

In truth, it was more likely than not that it wouldn’t end with just injuries.

After all, the attic was already above a tall three-story building—and the roof was even higher than that.

If a four-year-old child fell from that height onto bare ground, the outcome was painfully obvious.

But Aeli couldn’t bring herself to say it outright. Instead, she stepped right up behind him. She couldn’t even reach out to grab him, yet her body moved before the thought fully formed.

“If you don’t promise, I won’t go in! Kehh…! I won’t go in!”

“…Fine! I won’t go! Is that okay now?!”

“Th-then… pinky swear, promise….”

“……! Baby!”

Fearing further delay would be truly dangerous, she finally nodded in agreement just as the boy said.

Upon hearing Aeli’s answer, the boy lifted his trembling arm as if to seal their promise—and then fell.

Aeli shrieked and chased after him, squeezing her eyes shut just before he hit the ground. She couldn’t bear to watch.

After a moment, she trembled and slowly opened her eyes.

“……?”

To her astonishment, there wasn’t even a single strand of the boy’s black hair—or anything else, for that matter.

Utterly bewildered, Aeli frantically searched the surrounding area.

Unsurprisingly, not only was there no sign of the child, but not even a passing ant was in sight.

Tap tap. Tap-tap-tap!

Suddenly, a sound came from above. Aeli looked up.

‘…What? What is this? Why is he up there?’

At a height nearly impossible to see clearly with the naked eye—inside the very attic window where the boy had clung moments before—a tiny finger tapped against the glass.

Since he apparently couldn’t see her well, Aeli nearly fainted when she saw his small forehead and nose pressed tightly against the windowpane.

She immediately climbed up and stood before the window. She had no idea how she’d managed to get there so quickly.

The moment she stepped inside, the boy, cheeks flushed red from tears, pouted and thrust out his pinky finger.

“Lia promised! Hic! Not to go! You said you’d stay… with me….”

Staring at the tiny finger—no bigger than half her own—Aeli covered her face with both hands and rubbed it hard.

Relief mingled with indescribable emotion, tightening her throat.

“You really…!”

“…….”

“How did you even get up there?! I’ve told you so many times it’s dangerous! And why did you stick your hand out?! Why won’t you just—!”

Just as she was about to scold him for not listening, her mouth snapped shut.

Tears, like little chicken droppings, rolled steadily down his soft, pale cheeks.

“But… but….”

“…….”

“But if Lia leaves, who will I stay with? Being alone is really scary!”

Waaah! The boy finally burst into loud sobs.

Sitting on the bed with legs stretched out, he rubbed his eyes roughly with both hands. Aeli could only watch, utterly speechless, her lips trembling.

Tear drops on the sheets left perfect round stains, slowly darkening the fabric.

‘…You’re right.’

Only then did it suddenly dawn on her.

Ordinary noble children typically formed friendships through social gatherings attended with their parents once they reached a certain age.

Whether attending parties at other mansions or hosting their own,

or even visiting other estates through their parents’ connections—this was the norm.

And in most cases, such relationships were naturally facilitated by the parents.

Though it was rare for children to contact each other directly, the initiation of any such bond still always began with parental involvement.

“Wahhh….”

“…….”

The boy’s delicate skin reddened from his rough rubbing.

Seeing this, Aeli’s heart ached deeply.

[Hello?] […….] [My name is Aeli Mason. You’re the one who’s supposed to stay at our house from today, right?] […Go away.] [Aww, don’t be like that! Our rooms are really close—I’ll show you around! Okay? What do you say?]

Aeli and Lutis themselves had followed a slightly unusual path, but their beginning had been much the same—

a bond formed through their parents’ friendship.

‘But Adi is different.’

The boy hadn’t had that chance.

More precisely, there was no adult who cared enough to help him form proper human connections.

His mother had died before he could even begin to speak, and his father had been away at war for years without a trace.

In such circumstances, being banished to the annex meant the servants certainly wouldn’t pay him proper attention either.

Setting everything else aside—even this morning’s commotion showed it clearly.

‘Not a single person noticed, let alone thought to bring him wash water.’

Just from what she’d seen these past days and nights, it was obvious how he’d been treated.

It was clear as day that he’d lived entirely alone—without loving family, playmates, or attentive servants.

Even an adult would struggle under such conditions, yet this child had endured it his entire life since birth.

Realizing this, Aeli couldn’t bring herself to scold him further.

After all, in a way, it was all her fault.

“Adi.”

Aeli spoke softly, gazing at the boy’s eyes—already swollen red and puffy from crying.

At that brief call, as if startled, the boy—who’d been gasping for breath between sobs—reached out and clutched at her. Since he couldn’t physically grasp a ghost, his desperation only grew more frantic.

“Hic! D-don’t go…! If Lia leaves, I’ll be alone again!”

“Don’t cry.”

“But… still….”

Aeli knelt and crouched down before the bed.

His eyes followed her movement until her gaze settled just below his own level.

She spoke once more.

“I’m sorry I got angry. I was just so worried you’d get hurt—I was really scared.”

“…….”

“…I won’t go.”

“…Really?”

His eyes widened in surprise as he met her gaze midair.

Moisture clung to his swollen, reddened eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

When tears finally dripped from those wide, jewel-like eyes, Aeli gave a firm, solemn nod.

“I’ll stay right here as long as you ask me to. I won’t leave—not at least until you’re all grown up.”

“But even when I’m all grown… you can’t… hic!… go…”

“Then I’ll stay by your side even when you’re all grown. Would that be okay?”

“…Mm.”

As the boy gave a tiny sniff and nodded, Aeli gently brushed away his tears with her fingertips.

Of course, that didn’t actually dry his tears—it was merely her own small comfort.

Clenching her fist over the arm he couldn’t hold onto, Aeli soothed the child while thinking to herself.

‘Even if he resents me when he grows up… I’ll have to bear that too.’

Whether that day was far in the future or much sooner—

it might be a moment she’d come to regret. But right now, Aeli had no other choice.

After all, she’d only intended to leave so as not to burden him—it wasn’t to witness him suffering like this.

‘If, by any chance, Lutis tries to change the heir over this matter…’

Well then—it would depend. If the boy truly desired the dukedom, that was one thing. But if not, she herself had enough hidden funds to ensure he could live comfortably for life without any title.

Secret emergency funds stashed anonymously across the Empire—something most nobles possessed.

Aeli simply happened to have a bit more than most.

“Adi, are you sleeping?”

“…….”

After sobbing for a long while, the exhausted boy finally fell asleep—and didn’t wake until lunchtime.

Once again, Aeli sat watching his sleeping face for a very long time.

[This is the timeline separator]

And so, a month passed.