I Became a Ghost Story After Possession
Chapter 1
[How to Summon □□]
[Standing in □, □ woman
With the □□ of □□□, defile the earth
With your □ □□ hand, draw a circle
Bow your head and look up at □
Make grapes ripen on thornbushes
And figs bear on thistles
□□ and □□
Welcome the □□ of □□ descending from earth to ground]
Meow.
***
Evangelin Rohanson, the only daughter of Count Rohanson's family, died.
While it was announced to the public that she died of illness, the servants working in the Rohanson household could never forget the pale foot that dangled from a cherry blossom branch, swaying in the wind.
The cherry blossoms had bloomed so red and beautiful that day that their luscious fragrance still seemed to linger at the tip of her nose.
Or perhaps it was because of the cherry blossoms filling the coffin instead of white lilies.
The funeral was held at the mansion, likely because the cause of death was something that shouldn't be spread abroad.
After the ceremony at the annex, instead of being enshrined in the temple, a tombstone was to be erected in one corner of the rear garden. The temple wouldn't enshrine those who committed suicide, so there was no other choice, but those unaware of the circumstances simply praised the Count's love for his child and expressed their condolences.
The funeral was modest.
Generally, a noble's funeral would be magnificent and grand even in its final procession, but Evangelin's ceremony somehow looked shabby for a noble family daughter's funeral.
Perhaps because they refused visits from other nobles on the pretext that the illness might be contagious, the attendees were limited to the servants working at the mansion and a few knights.
Was it because there were few guests, or because no one wept for the deceased even at a funeral? A somewhat eerie feeling permeated the hall.
The prayer recited by the priest was the only thing that dispelled the gloom.
The funeral was officiated by a priest whose name wasn't well known. His appearance while reciting the prayer and his pure white vestments seemed devout, but if he truly valued honor, he wouldn't have joined this occasion for gold coins.
Once the priest's prayer ended, the ceremony would nearly conclude. All that remained was to close the coffin and inter the body in the pre-dug grave.
It was around the time when several servants, having been told beforehand to move the coffin, were making preparations.
In the silent funeral hall, a rustling sound suddenly rang out particularly loud.
The priest, who was terribly protective of his authority, coughed meaninglessly to warn them and tried to continue the prayer, but the commotion only grew worse.
Grass rustling, something unoiled moving while bones scraped together, wood creaking. Small noises gathered in one place, and eventually when people started murmuring, the priest who could endure no longer stopped the prayer and opened his eyes.
And the priest faced the cause of the people's agitation.
Pure white hair cascaded down like a waterfall. The soft-looking hair strands seemed less like thread and more like spiderwebs gathered together and drawn out long.
Eyelashes trembled, and behind opened eyelids, bright red pupils were revealed. Rather than gems like rubies, it was a color reminiscent of a living creature's heart.
Except for the red eyes that looked like congealed blood, everything was pure white. Wearing a white dress alone among black mourning clothes, she seemed like a being from the other side of the world, separated from reality. Quiet, cold, and pale.
The priest realized why the small noise he first heard had sounded so loud. He had been closest to the coffin. The priest called out to God in his heart and recited the prayer.
Unfortunately, it had no effect.
The resurrected corpse now began to move its body. Starting with bending her hands, then making a fist, blinking, and turning her head. It looked exactly like something not human learning to handle an unfamiliar body.
It looked up at the chandelier swaying from the ceiling, then swept its gaze over the people in the ceremony hall. Those who met that gaze flinched, covered their mouths, and held their breath.
When the gaze finally reached the priest, he fully understood why people had reacted that way. It was like seeing a masterpiece with human eyes painted into it. No, the eyes in the painting were moving and looking at him.
Having been caught in the eyes of something ominous that shouldn't exist or rise, it would have been better to run away even if it meant biting off his own tongue or strangling himself.
It would have been more natural for a masterpiece to walk out of its canvas, or for a sculpture ground from a soul and delicately carved to pretend to be human. Compared to that, a marionette tied to strings in a doll maker's shop was closer to being alive.
"...What's my name?"
Finally, human words spilled from its lips.
The thing that had taken over Evangelin Rohanson's body finished adapting to its new body and smiled as if deeply satisfied.
***
It seems I possessed someone somehow.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a splendid chandelier. For reference, it looked very expensive. While gauging the price of the chandelier, I pondered how I died.
Since I was healthy, it wasn't death by illness. I hadn't found a job yet so it wasn't overwork, and I didn't sacrifice myself saving an animal or a child. I didn't meet a god or a suspicious fortune teller either. No matter how I thought about it, it seems I just possessed someone's body after dying in my sleep.
Even though possession was all the rage these days, was it okay to possess someone so thoughtlessly? Well, what's done is done, so that's not what's important.
I've already possessed someone, so there's no point dwelling on my past life. What's important is the body I possessed.
Wait, did I possess this body?
There was no original owner's memory or anything... Looking at my hands, I wasn't a child... Since I didn't have any information about the body's owner, I should probably go with amnesia.
My hair was white and my hands looked refined, so I was definitely a noble, but no particular character came to mind. In typical cases like this, wasn't it usually a book I was reading or one of my favorite works?
There was no piece I particularly liked, and what I recently enjoyed reading was a heavenly demon regression story. It was what I read most recently so my memory was freshest... This wasn't a martial arts world though. If I had possessed a martial arts novel, I would have died of an illness, so rather that was fortunate...
No, that won't do.
It seemed like answers wouldn't come by thinking alone. In times like this, I needed to check the surroundings. I should ask the middle-aged man reading a book next to the bed. The fact that he was wearing thick reading glasses looked like a setup. If I possessed a sickly character, it wouldn't be strange for someone to be by my side. Better to pull off the amnesia trick.
Wait, where is this? I looked around the room.
I saw people. Why were there so many people? I thought I sensed someone's presence from somewhere, and I saw everyone in the room. They were all wearing black clothes and keeping quiet. This was a funeral.
A funeral. I was lying in bed, and it wasn't just any bed but a coffin. There were flowers laid out. Cherry blossoms? Or plum blossoms? They smelled nice... Wait. The place I was lying in was a coffin... Was this a funeral? Was someone being buried right now? People were wearing black mourning clothes...
My head spun.
It wasn't uncommon to possess a dead body. There were cases where the original owner died and came back to life, and villainesses often met their end this way. Possessing right at the moment of death was clean in its own way. It happened often enough in stories.
But... possession during a funeral?
That was a first.
At least let me possess after death! Was this some kind of joke? Possession during a funeral?
Looking at the solemn atmosphere, it seemed like a funeral. I heard the priest reciting something, and my body felt stiff. Since I possessed a corpse, it should be stiff.
The people around were all looking at me. From their perspective, the corpse's eyes had just opened. Their shock was understandable.
I slowly blinked to show I was alive. That only made the atmosphere stranger.
The priest, who had been reciting with his eyes closed, opened them wide. He looked terrified. Why? Because a corpse moved? But I'm alive?
"Let us... close the coffin! Now!"
The priest shouted at the servants standing near the coffin. The servants, flustered by the sudden shout, flinched and then reached out to close the coffin lid.
Wait. Were they going to bury me alive?
"No, wait! I'm alive!"
I hurriedly raised my upper body. The servants fell backward in shock. Someone among the mourners fainted. Others stood frozen. This wasn't the reaction I expected.
"Everyone, calm down! The lady has revived!"
A middle-aged man in black formal wear stepped forward and calmed the people. He seemed like the butler of this household. At his words, the people barely regained their composure.
"Praise be to the goddess! A miracle has occurred!"
The priest, who moments ago had been terrified, now looked delighted and praised the goddess. He was a man who knew how to read situations well. His reaction speed was impressive.
Thus, my possession ended with a resurrection instead of a funeral.
***
I decided to sort out the situation.
First, my name. I didn't know my name. The body's original owner was definitely dead, so there was no way to know. I had to ask someone.
"My name... what is it?"
I asked the butler who had calmed the people. He looked surprised by my question but answered readily.
"You are Evangelin Rohanson, the only daughter of Count Rohanson."
Evangelin Rohanson. That was the name of the body I possessed.
"What day is it today?"
"Today is the 5th of the Flower Moon, my lady."
The 5th of the Flower Moon. That was the date. I nodded as if I understood.
"And... what happened to me?"
The butler's expression darkened at my question. He seemed to be weighing how much to say. After a moment of hesitation, he answered.
"You... took your own life, my lady."
Suicide. That was how the original owner of this body died.
"..."
I couldn't think of anything to say. Suicide was a heavy topic. I didn't know why she chose death, but it wasn't something to speak lightly of.
"For now, rest. I will inform the Count that you have revived."
The butler guided me to my room. The room was spacious and splendid. It was definitely a noble's room. I lay on the bed and organized my thoughts.
I possessed a body. The body's owner was Evangelin Rohanson. She was the only daughter of Count Rohanson. She committed suicide. And today was her funeral.
That was all I knew.
I possessed a dead noblewoman's body and came back to life. This was a typical possession story setup. But something felt off. The atmosphere at the funeral was strange. No one cried for the deceased. Rather, they looked afraid.
Why were they afraid of Evangelin Rohanson?
I needed to find out more about this body's original owner. But how? I had no memories. I was illiterate in this world's language. I couldn't even read a diary if there was one.
Illiterate. What kind of half-hearted possession was this? I could speak but couldn't read? That made no sense.
So I ended up studying a foreign language I had never done in my previous life.
When I told the maid I couldn't read, she was so flustered. I didn't expect to see her pupils dilate like that. But thanks to the good excuse of amnesia, she said she would buy me a primer.
The book would come tomorrow, so today I'll explore the house!