The Villainess Captured The Grand Duke - Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Without hesitation, Scheuer replied, 

“Yes! I didn’t see the ghost myself, after all.”

She found Raygrain’s question puzzling. Shouldn’t it be Solle who needed to respond after claiming to have seen a ghost? Looking up at him, her eyes blink in confusion.

“Anyway, I’ve left the guests in the care of Josiphena, so please focus on getting to the bottom of this, Grand Duke! ”

Given the influx of outsiders, even a small commotion couldn’t be overlooked. Moreover, with the recent incidents involving monsters, it was wise to ensure the guests felt secure.

After a moment of silence, Raygrain finally spoke in a calm voice. 

“It seems you’re quite fearless.”

“I’m actually very timid! ” 

Scheuer replied with a bright smile. 

“Whenever you go out hunting, I make a wish in front of the statue.”

“Do you throw coins too? ”

“I can’t because there’s no pond.”

“Sounds like you would if there were one.”

Just then, Josephina approached from behind and spoke softly. 

“Your Grace, it seems Solle is quite startled. What should we do? ”

“I’ll go check on her now. Thank you, Josiphena.”

“I’ll let her know.” 

Josephina responded before swiftly crossing the corridor.

Scheuer pointed down the hall and asked Raygrain, 

“Would you like to come with me?”

He shook his head slightly and replied,

“I’ll join you after I’ve reorganized the guards.”

With his response, Scheuer nodded energetically and made her way to Lady Solle’s room.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace…” 

Lady Solle stammered, her face pale as she repeatedly pulled up the shawl that kept slipping off her shoulders.

Scheuer gave her a reassuring smile. 

“It’s alright. The Duke is checking on the situation, so we’ll get to the bottom of this soon.”

Lady Solle nodded and gripped the warm cocoa in front of her, though she still seemed uneasy, glancing nervously at Scheuer. Understanding that Lady Solle was naturally shy, Scheuer spoke up confidently.

“We brought in an expert to help with the ghost situation!”

“A ghost expert…?” Lady Solle asked hesitantly.

“Yes! You haven’t met him yet, but this is Lord Leilda, the master of the Magic Tower!”

Even with her introduction, Leilda didn’t offer a greeting. The figure before them, draped in a robe, looked down at them with a somewhat crooked posture. In the dim light of the room, his shadowy figure, combined with the robe, made him appear quite eerie.

The only thing visible were his golden eyes glinting in the dark, reminiscent of a wild animal encountered at night. This made Lady Solle clamp her mouth shut even tighter, feeling even more apprehensive.

Scheuer, sensing the tension, continued brightly, 

“Don’t worry! We’re here to figure everything out together! ”

Scheuer, feeling that something needed to be done, tugged at Leilda’s robe and whispered, 

“Wouldn’t it be better if you appeared younger to ease their fears? ”

“It’s my choice. As long as that Sevi guy is around, I’ll keep it this way.”

Leilda replied, irritation evident in his tone.

Both of them clearly shared a strong aversion to losing face. With an annoyed expression, Leilda asked, 

“Why am I the ghost expert? ”

“Because you’re a mage, so I thought it might be somewhat similar.” 

Scheuer suggested.

“Not at all! What do you think magic is? ”

“You summon things and such, right? ”

“That’s black magic. And even if you summon something, it’s not a ghost! ”

Leilda removed his hood, looking gruff as he asked, 

“What did you see? ”

“Pardon?” 

Lady Solle exclaimed, startled, and Scheuer quickly interpreted,“He’s asking what you saw,  lady Solle! ”

After a moment of hesitation, Lady Solle began to stammer. 

“Uh… I was reading because the change in temperature from the north was unfamiliar.”

The servant from the Mattio family, who had come with her, nodded in agreement, supporting her story.

“But then, I thought I saw something flickering outside,” she continued.

“A flicker of light?” Leilda asked.

“Yes, so I looked out the window, but there was nothing there. Just as I was about to go back to bed, I heard a strange noise in the hallway.”

As Lady Solle recalled the experience, her voice grew more frightened. 

“Elma and I went out into the hallway, but only a few lights were on, and no one was around. So we kept walking, and when I looked out the corridor window at the garden, I saw two white shapes!”

She claimed that when she screamed and looked again, the shapes had disappeared.

Leilda responded nonchalantly, 

“Could it have been that flower Scheuer gave me before?”

“Daisy?” Scheuer asked.

“Yeah, the one that used to pop everywhere.”

“If it was, there would’ve been a sound. The noise was one of its features.”

“True, I didn’t hear anything either,” Leilda conceded.

Solle, listening to their conversation, cautiously added, 

“Oh, and there was a sound in the hallway. It was like shuffling, as if someone was dragging fabric, and I thought I saw something silver.”

As Lady Solle’s words became more detailed and specific, Scheuer froze for a moment. Combining all the information, a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning. She turned to Josephina, who was standing nearby, and asked, 

“Where is Sevi?”

“Another maid went to knock on his door earlier, but there was no response. He might be asleep,” Josephina replied.

It had to be Sevi. Now that she thought about it, he had even sent a letter in the middle of the night asking to meet when they were at the central estate. Koa had also mentioned that Sevi lived with his days and nights flipped, so the evidence pointed clearly to him.

‘Judging by the fact that there were two figures, Koa must have been dragged out as well…’ 

Scheuer laughed sympathetically. Just as her thoughts were about to turn downward, Leilda, who had been listening, suddenly declared with more enthusiasm than before, 

“It’s a ghost.”

Stunned by his sudden certainty, Scheuer quickly responded, 

“Wait, what? Lord Leilda, on what basis are you saying that?”

“It’s definitely a ghost. We should exorcise it right away,” Leilda insisted.

“And how do we exorcize a ghost?”

“I don’t know, sprinkle garlic, throw salt—whatever, it’s the Duke’s problem.”

Even though they both knew it was obviously Sevi, Leilda continued his act. Solle, naive and believing his “expert” opinion, looked even more frightened. Seeing her pale face, Scheuer whispered to a maid to reassure Solle that it was all just a joke, and then she followed Leilda out into the corridor.

As Leilda strode briskly down the hallway, Scheuer chased after him, cautiously speaking up. 

“You knew it was Sevi and did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Nope,” 

He replied, pretending innocence as he quickened his pace.

Scheuer, determined, kept up with him and said, 

“What if Lady Solle really believes it? I told her it was a joke, but you should still apologize later.”

Her firmness seemed to reach him, and Leilda shot her a displeased glance. 

“You called me out in the middle of the night to play the ridiculous role of a ghost expert. Just let it slide.”

He waved his hand dismissively, clearly annoyed. Even so, Scheuer continued to walk alongside him, matching his pace.

***

Raygrain stood by the garden visible through the corridor window. One of the knights, with a voice that seemed deflated, reported from behind him.

“Josephina wanted me to inform you that Lady Scheuer suspects Sevi might be the culprit.”

“Maintain the guard just in case, and guide the High Priest to his quarters if you find him,” Raygrain instructed.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The sound of the knight’s footsteps receded, but Raygrain’s gaze remained fixed. He was captivated by the sight of two figures walking down the corridor—Leilda and Scheuer, the latter chattering beside him. Even in the dim light, they stood out.

He had sought her out immediately after receiving the report, worried that she might have been frightened after seeing a ghost. But instead, she was calmly directing the guests, unflustered as always. Considering her audacity to travel to the North alone, her composed reaction made sense, yet his feelings toward her were far from tranquil.

It was clear to him that Scheuer was behind this; she must have asked Leilda to accompany her. Leilda was not someone who often showed her face around.

‘She was the same with my mother. Perhaps I’m just projecting,’ he thought, trying to rationalize his feelings. But no matter how he tried to convince himself, Raygrain’s emotions slowly and steadily sank deeper into turmoil.

The sight of them together sparked a mix of protectiveness and frustration within him. He couldn’t help but worry about Scheuer’s safety, especially in light of the recent unsettling events. As the shadows of the two figures grew closer, he felt an urge to intervene to ensure that everything was alright, even if it meant confronting his own feelings about the situation.

“Alexithymia”