The Ghost at the Window

The raw truth of it all had utterly shattered someone, who now thrashed restlessly within their bedsheets throughout the night.

‘Did I speak too harshly?’

‘No, it was clearly that obnoxious Ferren, so full of himself! Who would ever want to deal with him?’

‘Let him mourn his dead wife on his own; who even bothers with that “resurrect my beloved” nonsense these days?’

‘I’m absolutely fuming! Was I too complacent lingering in the ducal territory recently?’

‘To be lectured by some lecherous old man, and then to serve as a mere attendant to a little girl!’

‘Perhaps I should just retreat to an uninhabited, deep mountain forest and start a new venture there, rather than enduring such indignities here.’

‘Where would Mr. Green’s reputation stand if I allowed this?’

‘Once my injuries have sufficiently healed, the very first thing I’ll do is blast the entire Cavendish family to smithereens!’

‘Only then will I truly reclaim my dignity!’

‘If I were to set up a massive explosive spell array, I’d begin with the southwest corner of the ducal manor…’

Knock, knock, knock.

A gentle tapping at the door interrupted his thoughts, but Rhine paid it no mind.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.

The person outside seemed to be waging a silent war against the wooden door, persistently knocking with increasing force, even as no one answered.

However, given the late hour and the presence of other residents in the vicinity of the dormitory, the escalating clamor abruptly ceased, as if halted just shy of its full potential.

“Who is it, disturbing people so late at night? Show some manners!”

“I’m dead, so if you have something to say, burn some paper offerings!”

“Even if a ghost shows up, I’ll blast her with a bombardment spell!”

“This useless door can open for whoever wants it; I’m going back to sleep!”

Seven minutes later, the persistent visitor outside finally seemed to give up, their footsteps gradually receding into the distance.

Just as Rhine began to believe he could finally resume his fantastical plans in peace, a faint rustling emanated from outside his window.

“Wait a minute, it can’t actually be a ghost, can it?”

“There’s no one else around at this late hour…”

“What the hell is that thing, I warn you, don’t you dare come any closer!”

“I’m still furious, you hear me!”

Little Rhine swallowed hard, his heart pounding, as he nervously slipped out of bed.

He tiptoed towards the window, cautiously peering outside.

Suddenly, a cascade of long, gray hair descended from above the window, followed by the abrupt appearance of a woman’s figure pressed against the glass, much like an inverted corpse.

Her face, shrouded in the moon’s shadows, was contorted with palpable resentment, and a pair of predatory, shark-like eyes fixed directly on Rhine.

“A ghost!!”

A scene from a horror story—’The Scream’.

The figure outside the window executed a nimble flip, using the momentum to kick open the window with a swift, almost soundless whoosh, like the most lithe secret agent.

Before the young boy, whose soul had all but fled his body, could react, a deadly scissor kick swiftly pinned him to the floor.

Feeling the familiar sensation beneath her, Audrey disdainfully brushed a strand of hair from her face, removed her glasses, and then squatted squarely on Rhine’s chest.

She then began to viciously knead his soft, pliable cheeks.

“Blast it all!”

“You were clearly inside, yet you wouldn’t open the door for me, even after I practically broke it down!”

“Of all people to stand up, you chose me, didn’t you?”

“How dare a mere male attendant try to play games with this young lady?”

“W-w-w-whoa! A ghost!”

“Who are you calling a ghost, you little brat!”

“I’ll knead your precious little face until it’s beyond recognition!”

“Address me as Young Lady!”

‘Hah! I see now, it’s merely my inner demon, looking so eerily like Audrey!’

‘This is truly a ghostly sight!’

‘Begone! Begone!’

‘…’

‘My male attendant, after just a few days apart, has his mental state truly deteriorated?’

‘To be battling inner demons in such a manner… has his rebellious phase gone too far?’

“In that case, allow me to cure you!”

Audrey executed an over-the-shoulder throw on Rhine, yet it yielded remarkably little effect.

Looking down at Rhine, whose eyes seemed utterly unfocused, Audrey felt her great vengeance had been exacted.

She placed her hands on her hips, taking a moment to savor the victory.

“Heheheh, heheheh, get lost, all of you, get far away from me!”

“Otherwise, I’ll run you over, run run run…”

A strange smile played on Rhine’s lips as he lay sprawled on his back, gazing up at the ceiling, utterly unable to rise.

He seemed completely unhinged, as though he had been thoroughly tormented by a succession of older sisters.

Even Audrey, witnessing this bizarre spectacle, found herself utterly speechless.

The appointed day had arrived, and she had indeed visited Rhine’s room as agreed.

Since their arrangement hadn’t specified any particular activities, she could, in theory, simply leave openly after a quick look around.

Yet, upon reflection, if her personal attendant had truly lost his mind, she felt a certain obligation to intervene.

Hadn’t his psychological resilience been quite formidable, though?

Her inability to deter him had, in fact, caused Audrey to regard him with even greater respect.

‘Alas, who could blame her for her own kindheartedness?’

Today, she would reluctantly endeavor to cure him of this delusion.

After all, a rebellious phase was simply a stage every young boy had to navigate.

True to her decisive nature, Audrey immediately began rummaging through his belongings, overturning boxes and rifling through drawers.

She reasoned that most boys concealed unspeakable little secrets within their rooms, and that fighting fire with fire would be the most effective approach.

“Let me see, hmm?”

“Hemp rope, a hammer, a woodworking knife, aluminum sheets…”

“What exactly is he planning with these? Since when do boys keep such items?”

“Has my research become outdated, or could it be—”

Audrey’s gaze sharpened considerably.

‘I recall hearing that the court alchemists recently convened to undertake a grand project: the collaborative creation of a massive, semi-automatic, drivable super golem, to be christened “Iron Knight”.’

‘For the next decade, they intend to recruit suitable individuals from the populace to serve as its pilots.’

Ah, a rebellious phase, a fascination with handicrafts, and a desire to ‘run people over’—when linked together, these disparate elements began to coalesce into a disturbingly coherent picture.

‘He wants to pilot the Iron Knight!’

Audrey nodded to herself with a quiet sense of pride, convinced that her deductions had once again placed her at the vanguard of contemporary thought.

‘However, this delusion isn’t something that can be cured overnight.’

‘The afflicted individual must first recognize the childishness of their fantasies before they can enter the long, embarrassing “dark history recall” phase.’

‘I suppose I’ll continue my investigation for now—’

‘[Death Records: Whoever reads this shall perish, save for the great ■■]’

Audrey’s hand stiffened momentarily.

She cast a silent, fleeting glance at Rhine, who continued to squirm and twitch on the floor.

“My condolences.”

“The condition is far too severe; the physician is utterly powerless.”

She opened the black-bound notebook, and the very first sentence leaped out at her—

‘[Chris! Just you wait! I’ll definitely win over your sister!]’

“…”

Silently, she turned to the second page.

‘[Audrey Research Manual: This creature exhibits peculiar and illogical behavior, its troublesome nature rivaling that of the Maha Hounds in the Ancient Zhi Forest…]’

“Hmph.”

‘[As a Young Lady, she is unkempt, shattering all traditional notions of a noblewoman. Therefore, she cannot be viewed through the lens of stereotype.’

‘In fact, referencing “Studies in Abnormal Psychology” would be far more appropriate for understanding her.’]

“Heh heh.”

‘[How can her reputation outside the ducal manor still be so impeccable?! It’s utterly baffling! They speak of her “elegant demeanor,” her “aloof beauty,” her “vast knowledge”—but isn’t she just a troublesome young lady?!’

‘Someone truly ought to expose the glorious tale of her blowing up the kitchen, allowing all the ducal residents to witness and appreciate it for themselves! What is there to boast about?!]’

“Heheheh.”

‘[However, at this age, which ought to be the happiest, she has never had a single confidant. Her mischievousness, rather than being mere girlish exuberance, is more likely a means of asserting her presence and deliberately concealing her inner loneliness.’

‘Beneath that outwardly contrary facade lies a subtle detachment, much like my own.’]

‘—How truly sorrowful.’

Bang! The notebook snapped shut.

“Hey, Rhine, you’re still awake, aren’t you? You can still hear me, right?”

Audrey’s voice, cold and tinged with a subtle tremor, cut through the air.

“To dare slander me behind my back—you possess truly immense audacity.”

“Go ahead and pretend. I am quite aware that you became like this after someone spoke to you, didn’t you? It’s commendable that you didn’t direct your anger at me; you truly have a generous spirit.”

“However, there is one thing you said that was correct—”

“How sorrowful we are.”

Audrey returned the notebook to its place and departed abruptly, leaving Rhine lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, his gaze filled with self-mockery.