If You're Being Held Hostage, Wiggle the Carrot! - Chapter 98
Ruby blinked her eyes open, hair tousled from sleep, and sluggishly climbed down from the bed. Unable to see in the dim room, she reached for the lamp on the bedside table and lit it, yawning languidly as she shuffled toward the window.
The moment she flung open the curtains, a fierce burst of sunlight flooded in, searing her eyes.
“It’s winter. Why is the sun this strong?”
Squinting, Ruby shielded her eyes with both hands, then staggered out of the bedroom.
The hallway was unusually quiet. Perhaps Liam was still occupied with meetings, as there was no sign of him this morning.
She sank onto the sofa, hoping to clear her sleepy mind, when a knock echoed at the door.
“Yes?”
At her response, the door opened. Instead of Liam, a young maid entered and gave a polite curtsy.
“Good morning, my lady. My name is Julia. I’ll be assisting you today.”
Ruby blinked, mildly puzzled that someone wouldn’t be waiting on her. Was that really necessary? She herself wore a maid’s uniform most days, so wasn’t this a bit much?
Noticing the fleeting confusion on Ruby’s face, Julia offered a composed explanation.
“The head butler sent me personally.”
“Ah, I see.”
“You don’t need to speak so formally with me, my lady.”
“I use formal speech with everyone here.”
It was a principle Ruby had maintained since her arrival. To her, there was no need to form attachments to a place she would only pass through.
Her words were polite, yet unmistakably distant. Before Julia could pick up on the subtle coldness in her tone, Ruby spoke again.
“Well, I’d like some water to wash my face, please.”
She needed to get ready quickly so she could either find Liam or head straight to the office. She couldn’t wait to see how the meeting was going.
“Of course, I’ll be right on it.”
Once Julia had stepped out, Ruby turned to find the clothes she had worn upon arriving. Today, she had no intention of wearing a maid’s uniform.
She might run into the vassals after all.
If they opposed her request, would that make things difficult for Ivan? But then again, they were bound by a contract. Surely he would find a way to locate her tribe somehow.
“Since then, I haven’t even had a single prophetic dream.”
She felt like she was going crazy worrying about her aunt and mother’s safety.
The absence of those once-so-frequent dreams felt like a sign — a sign that perhaps they were no longer in this world. The anxiety gripped her like a tightening noose, pushing up against her throat.
Until now, Ruby had done well to keep her composure. But today, the day of the meeting, she found it difficult to calm herself.
* * *
After washing up and getting dressed, Ruby stepped into the hallway, glancing sideways at Julia, who followed her at a measured pace. Unlike Leslie, Julia looked to be a little older.
Casually checking her fingers, Ruby spotted the ring worn on Julia’s left ring finger. She nodded to herself as if that confirmed a quiet assumption. Had she not seen the ring, she might have misunderstood.
“You’re married, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“So, do you commute to the ducal estate every day?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
As they made their way toward the office, Ruby asked a few more questions here and there, then nodded thoughtfully. Julia found her behavior a little curious, but chose not to question it.
Ruby stopped just short of knocking on the office door, lingering in silence for a beat. Her hand hovered in hesitation, a quiet sigh slipping from her lips as she reached up to adjust her bunny ears.
Normally, she would’ve tucked them away. But today, she felt like leaving them out. As if, in this small gesture, she could will her tribe’s safe return.
The thought of her kin made it impossible to ignore the unease that had been tugging at her all morning. Turning slightly, she addressed Julia without taking her eyes off the hallway ahead.
“There’s something that’s been bothering me. I need to check it out.”
“…Pardon?”
“Come with me for a moment.”
“Ah, of course.”
Without another word, Ruby led Julia out toward the back garden. She offered no explanation. She simply moved with quiet urgency, and Julia followed without protest.
Once they reached a secluded area, Ruby spun around abruptly — not to look at Julia, but to scan the space around her.
“There it is. I knew I caught a scent…”
Not all spirits gave off a noticeable smell, but some of them left behind an unmistakably distinct odor.
A malevolent spirit… or perhaps a child ghost.
Ruby had sensed it the moment she met Julia — that faint, milky sweetness that clung to the young maid like dew. It was the scent unique to a young spirit, soft and pure, almost heartbreaking in its clarity.
She couldn’t help but wonder how deeply the child must have loved their mother to carry such a strong trace of her scent. It was the kind of clinging presence that only came from a desperate attachment.
There was no doubt in Ruby’s mind now — a young ghost had latched onto Julia.
