‘If the target is going to be killed, it should be by me. Not by ghosts or beasts.’
If Liss had truly gone into the forest, that alone was terrifying enough for me.
The winter Black Forest was dangerous even for me to avoid, and if he happened to run into a magical beast, he would be dead in an instant.
‘Let’s find him quickly and bring him out.’
Fortunately, I had been coming and going here for a while to organize reports for the commander, so I roughly knew the paths.
‘But… the path I remember feels… different?’
More precisely, I couldn’t see it properly anymore.
The deeper I walked, the thicker fog rose beneath my feet.
As the opaque mist blocked my vision, I suddenly recalled what the maids had said about ghosts.
“Before a ghost appears, there’s always fog.”
“Right. I saw one in the fog too. Then I immediately fainted.”
Their words were becoming uncomfortably real.
Normally, rumors get exaggerated when passed around, but I didn’t expect them to be this accurate.
“…Huh?”
While looking around, something white flickered through the thick fog.
The fog was white, and whatever it was also looked white, making it hard to see clearly.
“What… is that? A ghost? It seems… kind of big.”
The “ghost” I saw was tall—almost human-like.
Come to think of it, everyone only said they saw it from far away. No one had actually seen it up close.
Probably because they fainted first.
As an assassin, dealing with ghosts was still part of the job.
I swallowed hard and slowly approached it.
“I got you…!”
Just as I grabbed the white collar of what I thought was the ghost, the fog around us briefly shifted.
Or maybe he was just so clear that it felt that way.
“…Liss?”
The “ghost” was none other than Liss.
What I had grabbed was just his white coat blending into the fog.
Leaning against a tree, Liss slowly opened his eyes at my voice.
For a moment, his pupils glowed red.
I blinked—and they were back to their usual violet.
Did I imagine that? Because of the fog?
I never thought he’d actually be here. How did the duke even know?
“Milord!”
There was no doubt now—the duke had someone planted here to monitor him.
Otherwise, there was no way he could track Liss’s every movement.
“Why are you here, Aile?”
His eyes were filled with confusion.
That was what I wanted to ask.
The center of this forest was full of unknown magical beasts, making it extremely dangerous.
I could get here easily because of my job, but for someone like Liss, who could barely get out of bed without falling, how was he here safely?
What kind of luck did this man have?
“I came looking for you. The gate to the forest was open, so I thought maybe you were here. I was supposed to deliver documents.”
I almost said the duke told me to come here.
I smiled innocently and showed him the documents I was holding.
“I couldn’t find you, so I came out for a walk with Dell.”
That sounded like a complaint.
Strange. I wasn’t that late… but his expression made it seem like he knew exactly what I had been doing.
“…By forcing open a locked gate?”
“Dell only feels better when he walks in the forest.”
As if to prove it, Dell appeared through the fog.
A fluffy white creature trotted out happily, as if he had just finished a pleasant walk.
There was something red on his mouth…
…Blood?
“Aile, you look surprised. Like you’ve seen something you shouldn’t.”
Suddenly, Liss reached out and touched my eye area.
The warmth of his hand made me flinch.
“Wait, milord. There’s something on Dell’s mouth—”
“On his mouth? No, it’s clean. And the fog in this forest causes hallucinations. Be careful not to inhale too much.”
When I looked again, the red stain was gone.
“…I see. I didn’t know that.”
Even after rubbing my eyes, nothing remained.
Hallucinations in the fog. That must be true.
But I still smelled blood somewhere.
Not just imagination—my instincts confirmed it.
And something was strange.
It wasn’t only beast blood.
I was certain.
I had spent my life in the field; I couldn’t mistake it.
This… smells like human blood too.
What situation would mix beast and human blood?
A battle? A hunt?
Before I could think further, Liss grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go back to the manor. You might get lost in this fog.”
“Ah, yes. But milord, did anything happen in the forest?”
“No. Why?”
His innocent eyes met mine.
Maybe this smell was just part of the hallucination too?
There’s no way blood would be near a weak target like him.
“Nothing. It just feels like a place where even a corpse wouldn’t be surprising.”
Half joke, half serious.
Liss chuckled softly.
“There’s no way.”
Right. Of course not.
“A ghost in the forest? Have you ever seen one, milord?”
At Aile’s question, Liss tilted his head slightly.
What should I even say?
That ghosts don’t exist?
If anything exists in this forest, it’s more likely skeletons than ghosts.
“I’ve never heard of one.”
“Ohh, so you didn’t know.”
Aile’s eyes widened.
“The rumor is that a ghost appears in the Black Forest during winter. That’s why entry is blocked… apparently many people have seen it.”
So she’d been gossiping with the maids.
Probably wasting time on nonsense.
Still… Liss found her chatter oddly pleasant.
“Even knowing there’s a ghost, you still came looking for me?”
“Yes… I did.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
Aile thought for a moment, then shook her head.
“I am scared. If you get taken by a ghost, I won’t have anyone to pay my salary.”
Ah. So that’s what she was afraid of.
Liss laughed quietly.
