Chapter 34
Okay, calm down. If you hear a ghost talking and freak out or acknowledge it, the ghost will stick to you. Just ignore it completely.
“It's weird. There are signs of cooking, but no signs anyone ate.”
That was probably an offering or something? That's why there's no trace of it being eaten.
“Maybe Troy ate it.”
Daisy was right. Thinking about it, Troy was hanging around out front. He must've eaten it as a drinking snack! Ghosts don't exist in common sense…. No, since this is a novel world, maybe they do?
“Nothing more to see here.”
Absolutely not because I'm scared and want to get out of the dining room fast. As we left, another weird sound came. This time, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who heard it.
“What was that noise?”
Heading toward the sound, we found a room hidden in the most remote corner.
“What's this room?”
“The Director's office….”
The Director's office is in the most out-of-the-way spot? Unlike other orphanages that embezzle funds and abuse kids, this one's pretty clean, huh. No wonder Daisy still speaks fondly of it.
Kanna pressed her ear to the door.
“It's coming from in here.”
The sound must be from inside. But Troy's with Jelly, right? A thief? Or maybe an accomplice hiding after sensing us.
Listening closely, I heard scratching. Scritch-scritch, like someone clawing the wooden wall with nails.
But if it's an accomplice who hid sensing people, why make noise to draw attention? Is it really an accomplice in there? Or even human? After hearing that starving ghost earlier, everything seemed suspicious.
“I-I can't go in.”
“Scared?”
“…Yes.”
Daisy shook her head in fear. Worried a ghost might come out? Relieved I'm not the only one terrified.
“I'll be here, so it's fine.”
Telling her she's not alone seemed to reassure Daisy. Even with her skill knocking Troy out with a shoe, ghosts defy physics—she's got reason to fear.
“I'll open it.”
And Kanna's here? Look at her unflinching poise! As the tragic heroine, she's immune to this stuff.
Until the door opens, no clue if it's an accomplice or ghost inside. Schrödinger's Director's office?
Kanna opened the door without hesitation, and the room was empty. Nothing visible, but the scratching persisted. Crazy, it is a ghost…!
Tears welled up. Too scared to enter myself.
“Stop, please stop.”
Daisy was worse off. Kanna ignored our trembling and opened every door inside. Not scared at all…? Heroine grit is no joke.
Then, when Kanna opened the wardrobe, something popped out.
“Gulp!”
A swallow from right beside me. Me? I'd been holding my breath ages ago.
“A rat?”
It was a rat from the wardrobe. It vanished from sight fast. Pudding yawned indifferently. A cat uninterested in rats…. Never thought I'd feel Pudding's beastkin nature here.
“Must've been the rat scratching the wardrobe door.”
Yeah. No more sounds now. Not a ghost or accomplice—just a rat. All that tension felt embarrassing, leaving me deflated.
“Miss, look at this.”
At the call, I stepped inside. Crossing the threshold, the air grew heavy, breathing hard. Just my imagination.
The floor Kanna illuminated had a familiar shape.
“Summoning Circle?”
Why is this here? Stunned by the sudden appearance, I recalled the paper Gabriel showed last time.
The convent priest succeeded in summoning after seeing Donau's painting. Same here? Director's office, so the fondly remembered Director drew it?
“Daisy.”
Maybe she knows something? But Daisy backed away. Not for long—she bumped into someone behind. Daisy staggered without screaming; Jelly caught her stylishly.
“Mr. Jelly?”
“Jelly. Why are you here?”
Not for some rom-fantasy trope of catching stumbling Daisy, right? Knew when Troy would wake and left? About to scold, but Jelly explained quick.
“He insisted he had something to say.”
Jelly nodded back; Troy emerged cowering. Daisy's face crumpled instantly. Troy clung awkwardly to Jelly's sleeve; Jelly brushed it off like dust. Troy clenched his empty fist, then bowed deeply.
“Daisy, sorry, so sorry…. I couldn't stop Mom.”
“What? Why bring up the Director?”
Troy opened his mouth like bearing the world's weight.
“Mom… took the kids….”
***
“What nonsense is that?”
Daisy repeated in confusion. The Director? She's the kidnapper? Not Troy? Stalling for time?
“Don't lie.”
“I know it's hard to believe.”
Troy entered and rummaged a drawer.
“It should be here somewhere….”
Drawer stuck? Grunting, so I opened it for him. Weak from just waking after knockout.
“Th-thank you.”
Troy, embarrassed by help, bowed to empty air without eye contact. I'm right here—bowing where?
Rummaging papers, Troy found it.
“It's grown again….”
Grown? I read the paper Troy found. Daisy, curious, entered quick too.
“Wh-what is this?”
“Proof Mom sold the kids. I only learned about these papers recently.”
First, numbers everywhere. Still bad at prices, but lists of figures with dates beside.
Like annual events—at least once a year, up to twice. These seem like sale prices.
So the kidnapper isn't Troy, but the Director Daisy praised as saintly?
I messed up. Forgot the cliché: the least suspicious is the culprit.
***
“Director, Director!”
The distracted Director snapped back at Ranan's call. Glancing, Ranan eyed Mary—like she had words, not him.
“Director… my arm hurts.”
“…I see.”
Releasing her arm revealed deep handprints on Mary's. Bruise-worthy grip. Director rubbed her forehead. Not meant to get violent, but things spiraled out of control.
Mary, rubbing her arm, suddenly looked up at the ceiling.
“Troy's here again?”
That dumb, stubborn son rummaging the orphanage again. Never listened since childhood. Opposite of Merai's doting. No parent loses to their child, they say.
“Troy?”
Ranan heard footsteps too. Came once while sleeping? Why again? Realizing multiple steps, hope seeped in.
‘He brought guards to find us!’
Troy brought guards for sure. Hope cracked through for Ranan.
Days ago, trusted Director suddenly locked kids underground for breeding. Thought prank at first, but seeing chained Melek revealed severity.
Only sharp ones like Yulma or Ranan noticed. Young like Mary knew but clung habitually.
So Yulma spread rumors of sales to alert them.
‘Will they find the basement?’
Ranan lifelong at orphanage, first basement news. Troy upstairs only—unaware. Director hid from own son.
They'll search office thoroughly…. Can they open if found? Followed Director once out for food, but door locked tight. Only she knows the trick.
“Troy brought help, it seems.”
Director realized multiple intruders too.
‘Always defying Mom.’
Merai hid basement from son, planning reveal if cooperative later.
“Must hurry.”
Finish before Troy and his aides find entrance. Merai scratched her arm anxiously. Fresh red marks under sharp nails.
