QHIM chapter 52- Fake Ghost

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After a moment of silence, Jerome spoke calmly.

“My birth mother was a dollmaker who specialized in cursed dolls. So the attachment doll she made for her son… ended up looking like that.”

“Why is it wearing a cloth?”

“It wasn’t exactly the most pleasant to look at. Every time I saw it, I screamed and cried. So eventually, it started wearing the cloth on its own. Cute, isn’t it?”

It was a surprisingly heartwarming story, considering it came from Jerome.

No wonder he was so good with his hands.

The talent must have come from his mother, just like the roses he made from handkerchiefs.

‘Jerry must be a nickname for Jerome.’

Jerome’s birth mother had been the mistress of Duke Michael.

Although she was the daughter of a poor farmer, she had a gift for curse magic.

She spent her life locked in a remote tower, where she handled Michael’s political enemies until she fell ill.

By the time Duke Michael came to take young Jerome away, her illness had already worsened.

Ultimately, Jerome had been forced to leave his dying mother and move into the duke’s household, where he learned magic.

Even if he seemed like a troublemaker, Jerome had followed the elite path of an imperial prodigy.

Of course, I had no way of knowing what he felt during that time.

I stared at him quietly before speaking.

“So… you’re here to visit an old friend from your childhood?”

To be honest, hearing the story of his mother making him an attachment doll softened my heart a little.

Maybe even someone like Jerome, as crazy as a mushroom, still had a human side.

Sensing the change in my tone, Jerome smiled faintly.

“No, I just thought it’d be easier to win you over by creating a melancholic atmosphere. Women always fall for men with sad backstories.”

At that moment, I was sure of one thing: trying to understand how this man’s mind worked was an insult to humanity.

Narrowing my eyes, I crossed my arms.

“You really don’t care what I think of you, do you? On top of squatting illegally in someone’s cabin, you do something like this—do you know how disrespectful it is to—”

“Jeanne, sorry, but—”

Jerome suddenly cut me off with a sigh.

“Can you stop talking for a moment?”

His sudden shift in tone shut me up.

For someone who claimed he lived for the joy of annoying me, the way he rejected me before I even confessed made me feel like I’d been dumped.

With an annoyed expression, Jerome added,

“In exactly 30 minutes, I plan to pounce on you, so I need to save my energy. I get that you’re dying to talk to me, but—”

“…”

“I’m under a lot of pressure to make your first time satisfying. So please, give me some time to think.”

Jerome finished his brazen nonsense and turned back to his book.

My fists trembled in my lap.

I couldn’t pick a fight with him, knowing full well I’d lose, but it made me so mad I could scream.

‘Fine. I’ll investigate this place while I’m here. Maybe I’ll find something useful.’

Just as I turned away, my eyes met Jerry’s.

He hesitated, then slowly approached.

Finally, he curled up in Jerome’s arms, letting out soft cries.

Meow, meow.

Jerome pushed the book aside and picked up Jerry in his arms.

Perhaps because this place had been their childhood hideout, Jerome seemed mentally at ease.

While he enjoyed the reunion, I scanned the surroundings.

From magical artifacts of unknown purpose to a wall filled with books, it was the stereotypical wizard’s house straight out of a fantasy novel.

As I ran my hand along the spines of the books, my gaze was drawn to some glowing letters.

Following them with my fingers, the light reached the pocket watch hanging around my neck.

“No way… Is it reacting to Maya’s pocket watch?”

Just as I was about to pull out the suspicious book, Jerome called my name from behind.

“Jeanne.”

I turned my head with a blank expression. I saw Jerome trying to take off Jerry’s little outfit while Jerry squirmed, resisting with all his might. I replied expressionlessly.

“Don’t torment him right after giving that heartfelt speech like it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

“Do you think Chloe would like Jerry?”

Startled by Jerome’s unexpected words, I flinched. Jerome turned his body toward me and rested his arm on the back of the sofa.

Eventually, Jerry, who had escaped Jerome’s grasp, scurried over and hid behind me.

After all that fuss about not wanting to talk to me, now he was suddenly making conversation as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I responded with an annoyed tone.

“Impossible. She’ll never be born.”

“That would be a problem.”

“…”

“I really want to start a family with you.”

His voice was far too calm given the weight of his words.

Sensing this, Jerry wrapped himself tightly around my leg.

It seemed that even Jerry had joined in on trying to convince me, realizing that his master’s efforts alone wouldn’t sway me.

I waited, wondering what Jerry had to say.

“Nya, nyanyat. Nyanyanyat.”

“…”

As if I could understand that.

I let out a sigh, looking down at Jerry, who was trying so hard to convince me with words I couldn’t comprehend.

Of course, I knew exactly what Jerome meant by those words.

Family was one of the few things Jerome lacked.

After being separated from his mother at a young age, Jerome was raised under strict noble education instead of receiving his father’s love.

That intense educational pressure had shaped him into the empire’s hero.

But when Jerome sealed Mephisto within his own body, Duke Michael turned his back on him.

Jerome no longer fit into his father’s ideal mold for a son.

Thus, Jerome had no one left to connect with.

Carlisle had betrayed him, his father had abandoned him, and the people of the empire, who once revered him, began to treat him with caution in an instant.

In such circumstances, I must have seemed like a savior to him, the one who saved his life.

But I couldn’t be his true salvation. I could never give Jerome what he desired most.

“You don’t even know what kind of person I am. What if I were a murderer who’d killed people? Or a monster?”

“…”

“And what if I couldn’t have children?”

What Jerome needed right now was “someone who could build a real family with him.”

His occasional talk of wanting me to be his wife or bringing up Chloe might stem from that underlying psychology.

Feeling a strange sense of guilt, I hesitated before speaking.

“Even so, do you still want to make a family with me?”

There was no response.

It seemed even Jerome hadn’t expected me to dig this deep.

But if I didn’t scare him off, I felt Jerome would never give up so easily.

“This is just my guess, but it seems like you don’t really care who it is, as long as she can give you a child. Honestly, it just…”

I paused, taking a breath. Jerome was still smiling at me.

“…It just seems like you want to belong somewhere.”

In the silence, the crackling sound of the fireplace filled the room.

Jerome tilted his head slightly and let out a sigh.

“Hmm, you might be right.”

“…”

“I’ve never really understood what affection feels like, so maybe I’m calling my desire to belong somewhere ‘love’ on my own terms.”

The speed with which he accepted my words caught me off guard, making me feel awkward.

Jerome, who had been tapping the sofa as if deep in thought, suddenly stood up.

I reflexively took a step back as he moved closer.

“In the end, what you need is proof, isn’t it? Proof that my feelings for you aren’t just desire, but love.”

There was something sharp about his friendly tone. For some reason, Jerome seemed a little down.

When I hesitated to respond, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him.

The sudden closeness made my neck stiffen, and Jerome, with a faint smile, spoke again.

“When a monstrous bastard like me speaks of love, of course, you’d think there’s some ulterior motive.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

I widened my eyes in surprise at his unexpected remark.

Jerome’s gaze had grown colder than usual. I hesitated before responding softly.

“That’s not what I meant…”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll prove it to you all night. Perfect timing…”

Jerome gently rubbed my frozen wrist.

Just as I was about to stop his clearly suggestive actions, a playful voice pierced my ear.

“It’s been 30 minutes.”

Whistle.

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