The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 73

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Chapter 73

Earlier, I was fine, but why suddenly…? As Kin had warned, I’d clearly pushed myself too hard today. I should have known better from the moment I woke up feeling unwell. It was fortunate, at least, that I wasn’t with Kin. He would have noticed immediately.

‘No, it’s not fortunate. Get a grip.’

This was no time to relax. Experience told me that a few bouts of nausea like this always preceded a violent surge of blood from my throat. Vomiting blood in a busy hallway would be like announcing, “Look, I’m terribly ill, please check on me!” I had to get out of here, fast.

Where? Where should I go? ‘There!’ Through my blurred vision, I spotted the exit leading out of the mansion. It connected to the tower. The ghost tower, the one where I’d encountered the ghost before. I was a little scared, but ghost or no ghost, I hurried towards the tower. Thankfully, there were no guards or passersby. The surrounding grass and soil offered a place to discreetly be sick and cover the evidence.

Just as I couldn’t hold back any longer and felt myself about to collapse, I heard the ghost’s voice from very close by. “[My love, my love… Don’t tell me you’re out there looking for someone younger…? I should have died. Waiting for you is so… sob sob…]”

I turned my head involuntarily. “[Waaaaah! Our eyes met!]”

We were close enough to see each other clearly. The ghost was a middle-aged man with near-white blond hair and clear blue eyes. He wore a white silk pajama top with frills at the neck and wrists, and plain white trousers. Though translucent, both his clothes and the ring on his ring finger looked expensive at a glance. He was someone of importance.

We were both startled, but the ghost seemed more so. He looked me over with wary eyes. Despite the chills running through my body from the pain, I couldn’t tear my gaze away. Seeing him this clearly, I was certain who he was. The resemblance to Kin, despite the age difference, the build, the portrait I’d seen in Mother’s room… It was undeniable. He was… “[A… a fairy?]”

“…Father?”

A fairy? Why a fairy? But before I could dwell on it, a wave of nausea forced me to turn my head. “….” Too late. Blood gushed from my lips. Thud, thud. It splattered onto the ground.

“[Aaaaaah! The fairy’s bleeding!]”

Oh no. I’d tried so hard not to be discovered, and of all times, I had to run into Father. He shrieked repeatedly, circling me. With his bright eyes, impressive physique visible even through his clothing, he wept profusely. He was slightly shorter than Kin, but not small by any means. Objectively, he was probably quite tall. I hadn’t met many people, but I had a vague feeling this was true. This large man circled me, his gaze fixed solely on me.

‘This is… overwhelming.’ I had no idea what to do about this situation, and the transparent figure of my father hovering around me made me dizzy and even more overwhelmed. What should I do? ‘But… they said Father was alive. Why is he a ghost?’

They said he was unconscious, but his body was alive. That’s why Mother, Kin, and I were supposed to visit him this afternoon. But the ghost looked exactly like the former Duke in the portrait. This is what Kin would look like when he got older. No, even now, they were practically identical. It would be more suspicious if he wasn’t Kin’s father.

It was strange that a living person appeared as a ghost, but I decided to treat this ghost as my father-in-law. ‘I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m so, so sorry to Father, but… maybe it’s a good thing he’s a ghost right now…’

I’m sorry, Father. But if you weren’t a ghost, I’d be discovered immediately, and I’d be dragged off to a doctor… That thought was interrupted by another surge of blood. “[Aaaaaah! Aaaaaah! Aaaaaah!]”

This wasn’t normal. Usually, after one episode, things calmed down. This was strange. “[A… a doctor! We need to call the physician! No, wait. She’s not human. Who do you call if a fairy is hurt?]”

Unlike his stern portrait, Father’s kind, innocent eyes couldn’t hide his distress as he shed a torrent of tears. Amidst it all, I had the absurd thought, Ghosts can cry?

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. I repeated the process slowly, and thankfully, the pain began to subside. I finally had the composure to look around. I quickly checked my clothes. Thankfully, there was no blood on them. I carefully wiped my mouth. Thanks to ducking my head quickly, there wasn’t much blood there either.