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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: You Can See Me?
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*Clack, clack, clack, clack—*
From the kitchen came a delicious smell, along with the continuous sound of a knife at work. Someone was definitely cooking.
“I have to see who it is.”
Lucian had been thinking ever since his visitor earlier that day.
Should he remain terrified, afraid to uncover their identity? Or should he find out and humbly accept the outcome, even if it was completely different from what he imagined?
In truth, he wanted to thank them, no matter who they were.
After all, they were the benefactor who had saved him from starvation, the only one who cared for him in this place where no one else came looking.
Mustering his courage, Lucian took one trembling step after another toward the kitchen.
The kitchen door was wide open, as if inviting him in. Even though he had prepared himself, he found it a little scary to actually step inside.
Instead of marching in boldly, Lucian decided to just peek his head in and survey the kitchen.
“*Gasp!*”
Lucian instantly clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle the sound that almost escaped.
Just like the other day, various cooking utensils and ingredients were floating in mid-air, the meal in full swing.
A ghost? Magic?
In any case, one thing was certain: this was not the work of an ordinary person.
His legs trembled uncontrollably, but Lucian swallowed hard and took a bold step forward.
***
*Clack!*
Sensing a presence, I stopped cooking and turned around.
Lucian stood wavering at the kitchen entrance, his face pale and trembling.
For a moment, I wondered if he would run away like last time and considered getting out of his way.
[Hmph! I don't care anymore! Run away, faint—do whatever you want!]
I turned my attention away from Lucian and focused back on my cooking.
With the new ingredients that had arrived today, I had a lot more options.
But to punish him for his insolence, I decided to just make an omelet and goulash.
[You hate vegetables, don't you? Today is a vegetable party, just for you!]
I deliberately chose only the vegetables he hated, like bell peppers and onions, and chopped them for him to see.
Lucian had now taken five steps from the entrance into the kitchen.
“I, I like meat better…”
Lucian whispered, looking around. Since he couldn’t see me, it seemed like he was talking to the empty air.
[Oh? Not fainting this time, are we?]
He looked like he was about to wet himself, but he had guts. A mischievous thought suddenly struck me.
I lifted the knife I was holding and waved it from side to side.
[Nope. No meat today.]
Then, I split an onion in two for him to see. Lucian let out a strangled yelp and stumbled backward.
I snickered, expecting him to run away. But what was this? This time, he approached the island counter.
“When will the food be ready? I'm hungry.”
[…Well, I'll be. Now you're talking to me?]
I was so dumbfounded that all I could do was let out an empty laugh. Still, this was better than him just running away.
My mischievous mood suddenly deflated. I picked up a spatula, walked over to the clock, and pointed to the number 6.
[I've always served it at six. Wait.]
“You're telling me to wait? Okay.”
For a moment, I had the illusion that we were actually having a conversation.
Feeling like I’d get drawn into his pace if I stayed like this any longer, I decided to ignore him and focus on cooking.
Lucian now settled in completely, watching me cook.
It was impossible, but I felt a prickling on the back of my head.
The sound of a child’s humming filled the usually silent kitchen. It was so awkward that I finished cooking faster than planned.
I quickly plated the omelet and goulash and placed the dishes in front of Lucian.
“Wow, I've never seen anything like this.”
[It's packed with the vegetables you hate, so make sure you eat it all.]
“Everything my benefactor makes is delicious! This must be tasty too, right?”
I didn’t know how to react. Just then, Lucian finally started to eat.
“Mmm! It's delicious!”
Thankfully, it seemed to suit his palate, as Lucian began to eat voraciously.
[Eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you.]
“It's so fluffy. It's like eating a cloud.”
That was Lucian’s review of the omelet. It was such a childlike thought that I couldn't help but smile.
He was eating in such a hurry that some goulash on the corner of his mouth was about to fall onto his clothes.
I took out a napkin and held it in front of him.
Lucian paused, then swallowed the food that filled his mouth. The napkin then moved on its own and wiped his mouth clean.
“…Are you wiping my mouth?”
[Yeah, you little brat. Why are you being so messy?]
“Heh, heheh…”
His innocent smile bothered me for some reason, so I wiped his mouth roughly with the napkin.
Lucian muffled protests and struggled.
After the brief commotion, the plate was gradually emptied.
“Phew… I'm full now.”
Lucian leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. I couldn’t help but sigh at the messy table and his face.
[Geez, you're a handful.]
I finished cleaning the table. As I took the plate to the sink, Lucian’s gaze followed my every move.
[What are you staring at when you can't even see me? Hurry up and go wash up for bed.]
“Benefactor, are you really here?”
[If I'm the benefactor you're talking about, then yes.]
“Why don't you show yourself?”
[When did I say I was hiding? You're the one who can't see me.]
“Are you perhaps a magician?”
[I'm not alive, so I'm not a magician.]
Lucian probably thought he was asking questions into the void, but I answered each one.
Even if my words couldn’t reach him.
“…I want to meet you, Benefactor.”
[You'd faint if you saw me. You don't like scary things, remember?]
A heavy silence fell after that. Only the occasional clattering of my washing the dishes could be heard.
But for some reason, at this moment, I felt like Lucian and I were connected.
[…I want to talk to you, too.]
He wouldn't hear it anyway, so I confessed my embarrassing inner thoughts. But I regretted it the moment I said it.
[Ugh, this really isn't like me.]
I shivered and, out of sheer embarrassment, suddenly shouted.
[Hey! Say something! Why'd you suddenly go quiet after chattering away?]
For a split second, my eyes met Lucian's. No, did he just stare at where my eyes were?
Lucian’s golden eyes widened as if in deep shock.
“A g-ghost!”
Lucian shrieked and fell backward off his chair.
***
“…I want to meet you, Benefactor.”
He had hoped for some kind of answer, but the benefactor just continued with their tasks without a word, which felt cruel.
Lucian thought he was the only one who was anxious and wanted to see them. Just as he closed his eyes, ready to leave…
[…I want to talk to you, too.]
A beautiful voice reached him. It was a voice that sounded like he had heard it somewhere before.
Lucian immediately turned his head to find the owner of the voice.
A figure stood in front of the sink where there had been nothing just a moment before.
But the figure was so transparent that he could see the sink clearly through it.
It was a woman in a simple dress, with long, wavy hair cascading down her back.
[Ugh, this really isn't like me.]
The woman shivered as if shaking off a chill.
[Hey! Say something! Why'd you suddenly go quiet after chattering away?]
The woman abruptly got angry and turned around.
Contrary to his expectation of a scary face, the woman was an incredible beauty.
So much so that she was easily the most beautiful person he had ever met. He found himself staring at her, mesmerized.
But despite that, the realization that she wasn't human made his heart drop.
“A g-ghost!”
He lost his balance and fell from the chair. Before he could even feel the pain, Lucian scrambled to his feet.
The woman’s translucent form was still visible.
After they held each other’s gaze for a moment, the woman, her eyes wide, approached him from the other side of the table.
[…You can see me?]
Lucian was a little scared, but he slowly nodded. The woman’s eyes grew even wider.
“……”
[…]
“…Um, hello?”
[Aaaaaah!]
The woman suddenly screamed. Then, her floating body began to fly all over the kitchen.
It was a chilling reminder that she really wasn't human.
But still, somehow…
‘It's not that scary, is it?’
The ghost seemed to be in a greater panic than he was, so Lucian quietly watched her fly around.
After some time, the woman hid behind the sink, peeking her head out.
[Y-y-you…! How can you see me!]
“…What can I do? I just can.”
[S-since when! No! You couldn't see me a moment ago!]
“……”
[This is impossible…!]
*Aaaah!*
The woman was screaming and jumping around so frantically that Lucian’s expression turned sullen.
“Quiet!”
At Lucian’s command, the woman froze in place and stared blankly at him.
“Please calm down a little. Um… Benefactor?”
[Benefactor, my foot… Do you even know who I am?]
“Uh… Benefactor?”
[That's not it!]
“But you cooked for me, cleaned for me, and did my laundry. Didn’t you?”
[Ugh… That's true, but that's not what I am!]
“Then what are you?”
[I'm… well…]
She opened and closed her mouth, hesitant to speak, but then she shrieked.
[I'm your bride!]
“…What?”
Bride? Could she mean… the Ghost Bride? The Ghost Bride he had a Spirit Wedding with?
Lucian was instantly reminded of his wedding day, the worst day of his life. Bizarre things had certainly happened then.
The coffin had moved during the ceremony, and a sudden gust of wind had blown through. And most of all…
“Th-that time, the ghost's leg…”
[Huh? You saw my leg?]
Seeing Lucian’s face turn deathly pale, the woman pressed her lips shut.
[…I didn't mean to scare you.]
Her voice was softer now, and Lucian looked up. The woman looked crestfallen.
[That son of a…! No, I can't swear in front of a child. But I couldn't just stand by while those scumbags were spouting nonsense!]
“…So you mean, you didn't appear to eat me?”
[Why would I eat you?]
“Well… because I'm a sacrifice?”
The woman's face seemed to say, *What kind of nonsense is that?*, so Lucian drew his lips back in.
[I'm telling you this just in case you misunderstand, but I never said I wanted you as my groom.]
“What? Then why am I…”
[How should I know! You people were the ones who suddenly barged in while I was minding my own business.]
Lucian slumped to the floor. He felt utterly drained.
Then why on earth was he here? He’d been told he was made the groom to appease the ghost's spirit.
‘Who am I supposed to resent?’
When he first came here, he resented the Ghost Bride who had brought him to this place.
After that, he resented his family, who never once showed their faces even as he was dragged away as a sacrifice. Then, he resented the people who saw him as an obstacle to be quickly removed.
To learn that the very person he had disliked and resented so much had not only not harmed him but had actually treated him well threw him into confusion. At the same time, tears began to well up.
As fat tears rolled down Lucian’s cheeks, the Ghost Bride hovered around him, flustered.
[Why are you crying? Is it because I said something I shouldn't have?]
“N-no…”
Lucian shook his head. He wasn't crying because of her.
He was just overcome with the sad reality that, aside from the Ghost Bride, no one else cared about him.
Lucian cried quietly for a long time. The Ghost Bride, not knowing what to do, crouched down beside him.
