“Fine silk fabric. Elegant fragrance… Such a scent isn’t easily obtained in the market, is it? Isn’t this a gift from the wise concubine of the purple robes?”

Natsuki’s older sister, Ai Shuyū Kiyoku, had entered the inner palace and now held the title of the wise concubine of the purple robes. She had always been particular about clothing and wore a fragrance she personally concocted. Though she might gift it to someone she was fond of, that was meant to be within the inner palace only. Different fragrances were used depending on one’s status, so it wasn’t a scent for just anyone. After considering this, Natsuki’s mind rang with warning bells, thinking that this ghostly presence was strange.

“Um, customer… wouldn’t it be better to lower the child you’re carrying?”

As soon as Natsuki quietly, but clearly, spoke, the woman’s demeanor suddenly changed. The atmosphere became tense, charged with murderous intent, and the air grew taut.

Even if a ghost’s presence was as overwhelming as a living being’s, a ghost’s sole focus was its obsession.

Because of her obsession, the ghost likely wanted to send a letter through the writing service, but as soon as someone else touched that obsession, the ghost would likely think it was being stolen. Sometimes, it would even attack.

“Hey, sir. I would like to request one more letter… on rice paper… addressed to… the person at the Black Forbidden Castle…”

The woman’s voice was light, like the ringing of a bell, but it carried an underlying tension that could snap at any moment. As Natsuki, still seated, stepped back, the tone of the woman’s voice became even more unhinged.

“Because… it’s dark and cold here… I want to get out soon…—Ah, why? Why can’t I stop shaking…?”

The woman screamed as if she were irritated. Despite hiding in the shadows, her beautiful features were no longer concealed. Her mouth had split, and her skin was rotting away. Even though Natsuki could clearly see the dangerous signs, she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

“Did someone kill you? Do you want to take revenge on them?”

That question seemed to touch the woman’s obsession. The guest’s expression morphed wildly, and she leapt over the desk as if possessed by a beast.

“You told me to come quickly to the capital… Now it’s my turn, isn’t it? Then why… why are you standing in the way of my happiness? I can’t forgive you, I can’t forgive you! Ah, where are you… Was it a lie that you would be with me? Why…?”

In a panic, Natsuki grabbed a talisman made of yellow paper with red symbols from a drawer she had opened earlier. The “Repelling Evil Spirit Talisman” was something she had prepared for just such an occasion, having been burned at the Tai Miao temple for its power to repel evil spirits.

Just in time, she dodged the woman’s attack. As the talisman touched the ghost’s forehead, the woman let out a bitter groan.

“Uuuuuuu… aaah…”

The woman let out a painful sound and, with the speed of a beast, darted out of the narrow shop.

To ensure she couldn’t return, Natsuki quickly pressed a talisman onto the door, and once the tension loosened, she collapsed onto the wooden floor.

† † †

“Miss, are you awake? Can I begin preparing breakfast?”

At the sound of her servant’s voice, Natsuki jolted awake. She realized she must have dozed off in the shop and stretched her body. Fortunately, she had made arrangements to wait for customers while lying down, so she had ended up napping on the bedding.

When she managed to sit up and looked at the desk that separated her from the customers, she saw several sheets of paper money on the coin dish. Apparently, last night’s guest had dutifully left them behind. These were not ordinary paper bills but “ming coins,” which were burned and sent to the underworld for the dead to use.

“Miss, you fell asleep in the shop, didn’t you? I’m coming in.”

The young girl entered the room without waiting for a response. The door swung open, and a figure with long black hair tied behind their back entered—Kafuka.

He took one look at the half-written letter and the fluttering ming coins on the coin dish and seemed to understand everything. He frowned deeply.

“Another ghost, huh…”

Natsuki tensed at the tone of his voice. Kafuka’s concerns were always tied to money. While he didn’t mind if Natsuki focused on her writing or took on ghostly writing requests, ghostly clients never paid. His words, “Another ghost?” were likely referring to the fact that she had done another job that wouldn’t earn money.

Among the servants who disliked Natsuki in the Ai family, Kafuka was the only one who had come with her to “Gray Dust Abode,” and she was grateful for that. However, his manner of speaking was sometimes a bit too blunt for her liking. She had become used to it, but after falling asleep in the shop and feeling sore, she wasn’t in the mood to let it slide.

“Well, if by ‘another ghost’ you mean that another ghostly client came, then yes, that’s true. Originally, ‘Gray Dust Abode’ was a writing service for ghosts, and living clients are only taken on as an afterthought… By the way, Kafuka. A writing service is something you must accept when requested. Especially a letter…”

Natsuki had explained the proper conduct of a writing service many times. To her, it wasn’t just a business; it was a responsibility for those who could read and write.

“Alright, alright. It’s just that you keep saying you don’t want to get married, so I’m just concerned about the store’s finances… It’s fine. If you’re really planning to marry quickly like your father says, then the store’s finances don’t matter.”

“Ugh, that’s…”

Natsuki stumbled over her words. When the topic of the shop’s finances came up, she always felt at a disadvantage. Trying to change the subject, her gaze fell on the bamboo scrolls and unfinished letters left over from last night. She picked up a bamboo slip and began reading aloud.

“One of the destinations is to the village of Gokko in the Funaku Province… Now, what should we do?”

Now that she thought about it, she had failed to ask the ghost’s name. She wasn’t even sure what the letter’s content was supposed to be, as the ghost had lost its sanity before the conversation could reach its core.

“Hurry to the capital…”