The Duchess Who Sees Ghosts

A distracting evening. The darkening time at sunset passed, in no time the crescent moon and the rays of the setting sun showed themselves in the sky.

People's footsteps were carried away by the cold wind and shaken, as if they were going on their way.

Everything that embroidered the night sky air were sighs and people's warmth.

A dense and suffocating dark and damp air. Such air in a place where there were not many people, would make anybody's skin shiver.

In a narrow South Korean landmass, it was common to rebuild a broken down and destroyed building, and as expected, it was common for bankruptcy to happen as well.

In a closed construction site which no one went to, only a notice of 'soon to be torn down' was left there, and apart from it, humans were very rarely seen.

"This is a place that I visit yearly; every time I come, it feels like Jack Frost is coming down eerily."

To have such a coy crying voice every now and then didn't exactly suit the atmosphere of the quiet and dark building.

As she rubbed her arms, the grumbling Yeonhee opened her fan wide and smiled while stealthily covering her mouth.

"Don't you think so, dear Crone?"

Unlike her face that looked young, the voice and tone that came out from her throat were quite quaint.

"Because the chilly winter air is piercing through my clothes, it makes my skin cold. Let's hurry and take care of it, then go back."

Yeonhee, who flipped her long, black hair back and fluttered her fan, shook her head while giggling.

At that time, a fierce wind blew and swung her hair harshly. Yeonhee laughed low.

"We're already welcomed violently, huh."

Yeonhee, who folded the fan in a dashing way along with a 'thud!' sound, stealthily pulled out a talisman from her arms. In a cold winter, a talisman to exorcise evil spirits was a product of the past, forgotten by people.

But for Yeonhee, she didn't mind that it was forgotten; now it wasn't important at all.

As Yeonhee opened her eyes sharply, she blankly looked in front of her. Then, a weak, middle-aged woman's voice slyly penetrated Yeonhee's ears.

[Are you going to gain your senses after you let your guard down again and create a hole in my body?]

"Crone. Are you still talking about the story when I was 18?"

[It's been six years since that happened. I don't know how I ended up with a reckless, penniless woman like you. Even if I found a vessel, I wouldn't tell you, you wench!]

"Aren't you the one who said that you liked me, and tried to possess me when I was still a 13-year-old elementary kid?"

[That's why I'm suffering right now. Even after the seasons change and pass, how come you're still jumping around. Until now I…]

"Crone. Your words are good, but I think it's not the time to quibble over it."

As the heavy and low voice that was crying over her suddenly cut off, Yeonhee's eyes became sharp again. As Yeonhee clutched the talisman she held in her hand, she opened her mouth.

"Soon Christmas will come, don't you feel tired of me looking for you like this every year?"

Following her small muttering, a dark energy revolved around her surroundings, and soon a big shadow moved slowly.

Yeonhee's eyes moved and followed it as well. A voice rang within her head once again.

[Don't let down your guard. It's a seasonal god. If you lose your life as you attack the enemy with a straight and arrogant head and end up in heaven, you will regret it.]

"Do you think I will be like that?"

That face of hers that was smiling confidently with glowing black eyes still looked so young.

[…We'll see about that.]

The crone still wanted her voice to be heard, but soon, the shadow showed itself.

"Aaaaaaaarggh!!"

It was a size that could make ordinary people faint, but instead, Yeonhee smiled when she saw the snake.

"You got bigger than last year, seasonal god."

[It means it's getting stronger, right. What did I say, it's better for an ancestral rite…]

"I don't want to dance on the blade of a straw cutter."

Yeonhee cut her words again.

[Evil…]

Crone's dreary voice was mixed with anger, but as Yeonhee's eyes emitted light, she glared at the snake.

Jack Frost, who came every year, always weakened people's hearts and bodies, but that was nature's providence.

But the snake's seasonal god brought misfortune, and it was the main culprit who snatched people's lives. In the past, they held an ancestral rite and prayed for their wish to come true and for the safe beginning of winter, but as the generations went on, such customs disappeared, and the seasonal god was not pleased.

"For you to be this huge… Six years ago, you were just a serpent, but now you've become a monster, huh. What should I do?"

[If we hold an ancestral rite…]

"Because there was no more straw cutter, you became like that, huh."

That hurts. Yeonhee, who was murmuring, grabbed the talisman tight, and soon, she opened her fan wide. The snake flinched. The corners of Yeonhee's mouth curled.

"Why? Are you afraid now because every year, you disappear whenever you got hit with this fan?"

[If you do so, it will get angry.]

"That's how you catch it."

[How can you do that to a seasonal god?!]

"We'll see about that, Crone Grandma."

The snake coiled and looked down at Yeonhee still. Then, it moved swiftly and started to wrap around Yeonhee.

Its body, which had thick trunks smoothly moved, and its appearance, which wrapped Yeonhee, was extremely threatening.

Yeonhee, as expected, didn't relax as soon as the snake started to move, she folded her fan, and with tension in her keen eyes, she waited for a chance.

"If I die, will it be a gentle and easy death?"

[Why would you die. Even if you die, I will save you again.]

"That's a welcoming sentence."

Yeonhee grinned, and soon, she opened her mouth slightly and started to mutter something. At that moment, the atmosphere surrounding her began to change drastically.

The snake, as expected, might have noticed the change. And so, as it tore apart everything on its way with its golden eyes, it opened its mouth wide. It was so big and dangerous as if it would swallow Yeonhee's body and make her into a meal in no time.

The opened mouth approached Yeonhee fast. Now it was a hazardous situation that if the snake closed its mouth, she could be a snake's meal. But Yeonhee reached out the hand that held a talisman.

Then the snake stopped, rolled its eyes, and saw Yeonhee, soon its body trembled along with a blood-curling screech.

Yeonhee slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, which were supposed to be black, turned white. The face which had been smiling was gone, and only seriousness covered her face.

"Crone. I think I will save my life again this time."

[You will be careless.]

"We'll see about that."

The snake couldn't close its mouth as if something blocked it, and its body trembled. Its trembling tail seemed like a puppy aegyo or a short-tailed viper's threat.

"You must've been through hardships by coming again this year, but you need to go early, seasonal god."

[Be polite!]

"This much is enough, anyway."

The talisman that Yeonhee had been holding suddenly started to burn. It slowly burnt from top to bottom, and finally, it reached Yeonhee's hand; it might be because Yeonhee didn't feel hot, she grinned while looking at it vacantly.

"As expected, when it's cold, a warm fire is the best."

Yeonhee took a deep breath after she finished her talk. A strong wind was blown from her mouth along with a 'whooar!!' and ashes from the burnt talisman flew away. The serpent that was struggling violently looked at the ashes that flew onto him and soon moved away from Yeonhee while twisting its body on the ground around like crazy.

"Oh my, it's going to fall."

Yeonhee, who slightly jumped back to move away from the snake, soon looked interestingly at the snake, which slowly became calmer.

"You come like this every year, I don't have anything to treat you but please at least receive my farewell and go. Goodbye."

As Yeonhee bowed gracefully, her lengthy hair that went down to her butt, tied in a ponytail, reached the ground. Yeonhee furrowed her eyebrows.

"I should cut it."

As Yeonhee took a breath, she saw the snake. There was no more struggle. The long tongue that was thin and cute didn't move, and the snake, which was lightly moving up and down, became calm.

Yeonhee stared at it vacantly then she opened her mouth.

"You worked hard today as well, Seo Yeonhee."

She patted her shoulder and dusted it off, soon she slightly approached the snake and pulled out another talisman from her arm. The voice within her head spoke.

[Send it away properly. Use your farewell.]

"What a nuisance…"

[Tsk!! If you behave like a dumb daredevil, and heaven finds out then get angry, what will you do?!]

"Crone has known everything anyway; you can just block them off. What's the problem?"

[Hoho…]

A dejected laugh was heard. Ignoring the voice, Yeonhee took out talismans and stuck them all over the snake's body then clapped her hand twice.

The sound of 'clap clap!' was heard loud in the building. Yeonhee lowered her head.

"Farewell, seasonal god. Let's meet again next year."

[…This is a shaman, you said.]

"Is being a shaman a big deal? I can just earn money well."

Her smiling face resembled the face of a woman who got stained in a mundane world. Yeonhee grumbled.

"It's Crone's fault because you were attracted to me when I was a child—I'm in dire need of money right now. When other people went to school and studied, I sat in that small room, and as I got ignored, I heard that I was a shaman; that's enough for you, right?"

[If you don't have a comeback… it becomes my fault, huh?]

"It is indeed Crone's fault. Is it my fault? Huh?"

[Oh my. Right. If that snake ate you, it must be my fault as well, right?]

"It's all Crone's fault. Anyway, because I finished my business here, I will go and receive the money, you just calm the snake down. I'm going."

As she answered sarcastically, she waved her hand, and her walking posture while swinging her arms resembled a casual player.

It's been 11 years since a god called Crone entered her body and lived with her. It meant that it has also been that long since the young Yeonhee began the way of the shaman.

Because of that, it was no surprise that her life was different from other children, and in the end, she couldn't receive any education and become a shaman.

"Why don't you show me the money? Currently, money is the best in this world."

She even whistled while walking backward leisurely. But the world was always like that, you wouldn't have any losses if you listen to adults' words, and there was nothing good in ignoring god.

Because it was something that happened every year, it was a big mistake to take her eyes off the ball. It was common for people to forget when they were nervous, and when they were in pain for creating a hole in their body.

Oblivion. It was a blessing and a curse that God sent to human beings.

Yeonhee turned her body slightly as she felt strong wind blew in her back. A faintly fading snake's corpse was seen as she looked at her back. Yeonhee titled her head.

But soon after she no longer paid any attention and turned away, a hard wind blew violently in her back. Yeonhee frowned, and as she turned her body this time instead of a dying snake, something else was seen.

"What is this!!"

As soon as Yeonhee saw a small snake in front of her nose, she swung her fan while screaming.

The snake was blown away after being hit by a fan along with a 'thud!', she gasped, and soon the snake disappeared. Yeonhee calmed herself and let out a deep breath but she felt uncomfortable somewhere in her body.

"Wha… what is this?"

Yeonhee felt dizzy and she lost strength in her legs and fell. As she wondered if she felt the cold cement ground, her vision lowered, and she faced the ground before knowing.

"Cr… crone."

She struggled to call that name, but there was no answer. A strong throbbing pain hit her heart. Yeonhee, who raised her trembling hand, touched her nose and burst into low laughter.

"I'm so unlucky… it bit the tip of my nose, huh."

The price of mocking god was high. No, was it cheap? Since it cost only one human life. But that's so unfair. Yeonhee struggled to open her mouth.

"Crone…"

[I know right.]

The unheard voice spoke again. Yeonhee shut her eyes. Darkness came. But the voice kept on talking.

[Do you think you can still live after receiving seasonal god's wrath in your body? I told you right. Be polite.]

"I didn't know… I would get bitten like this."

[How was it? How was it? God's lethal poison that was enough to even make the viper grovel before dying?]

"It's… thrilling."

[Your lips until the end.]

As she heard Crone's voice, she felt somehow pleasant. The voice that's been with her since a long time ago was always familiar and delightful that it seemed like it belonged to her grandmother. Tears fell from Yeonhee's closed eyes.

"I'm dead?"

[Dead.]

"This is unfair. I've never even dated anyone. What if I became a virgin ghost?"

[You still have the nerve to worry about that?]

"…I couldn't even date."

[…]

The Crone burst out empty laughter. Yeonhee laughed as well. A chilly wind blew and cooled off her body.

[Do you want to live?]

"Is that… a question? There… are… still… many things… I want… to do…"

[If you go to heaven, you can forget all your hardships and live happily. I can help you.]

"That's… what… the elderly… like. There're… still… many things… I wanna… do."

The Crone was silent. Yeonhee pressed for a reply to the unheard voice. Thus the sound was heard again.

[…I told you right. I will save you again even if you died.]

"You can… save me?"

[Don't blame me. You better go to heaven, drink rice wine, play around, and have no regrets.]

"No… way."

As Yeonhee struggled to smile, Crone's breath was heard. While Yeonhee was trying hard to grab her consciousness that was slowly fading away, Crone swept her consciousness softly and gently.

[Let's go.]

"Whe…re?"

[Follow me, you will know.]

"Cro…ne?"

Yeonhee called out for Crone, but there was no answer. Yeonhee struggled to move her lips a couple of times more, and soon as she closed her mouth, the strength in her body was gone. That was a token of Yeonhee's last farewell to this world.

A cooling sensation wrapped around her body. It was until she felt a familiarity, and Yeonhee grimaced at her poignant loneliness. The sense to hold on to dear life disappeared slowly. And until then. Until then was the last memory of Yeonhee's life.

*

And again, now.

Until then was her past reminiscence. Like Crone's last words, it might be that she was transferred into this world because of her last consideration. As if to pay off her past life that was full of sorrow and pain, she was born as the youngest lady of a noble family envied by others.

It had been 20 years since that happened.

She could throw away her former name and get a new one.

"Julia Robinheartz."

A dull face seemed to represent her mind as he spoke in a low voice.

The time passed until she forgot everything but there were still many things that formed within her eyes.

"He's doing it again with his neck."

It was because she was still able to see ghosts.