Pillu narrowed his eyes as he flicked his sleeves, looking at the unfamiliar person standing in his area. His black eyes scanned the stranger up and down, a hint of suspicion in his gaze.
"What are you doing here? And who are you?" he asked firmly, his voice demanding answers.
Levi’s eyes were filled with a red tint, the result of jealousy eating at him. He couldn’t bear the sight of Julian being happy, not even for a moment. The thought of Julian living in a joyful home, while he was left with nothing, made his chest tighten with a painful ache.
He didn’t deserve any happiness, Levi thought bitterly.
Pillu’s eyes widened in surprise and anger. "You don’t know me?" He took a step closer, his voice cold. "I’m Pillu, and this is my area. What are you doing here?"
Levi froze, his heart pounding. A feeling of fear washed over him as he wondered if the stranger might be the landowner or something else he couldn’t understand. He quickly took a deep breath to steady himself, pretending to be defeated.
"I... I’m not doing anything," Levi stammered, his voice barely above a whisper as he lowered his gaze, avoiding Pillu’s intense stare.
Pillu raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me... You look like someone just stole your lover," he said with an amused tone, almost as if he’d guessed something.
Levi’s eyes widened in shock, as if Pillu had exposed a secret he’d been keeping deep inside. Without thinking, he instinctively covered his mouth, as if to prevent the words from spilling out.
"How do you know...?" Levi asked, his voice trembling.
Pillu smirked, seeing through his act. "Tell me. Maybe I can help you," he said, his tone softening just slightly. He stepped forward and placed a hand on Levi’s shoulder. "Come on, let’s go to my house."
Levi reluctantly followed Pillu, unsure of where this was going. But when they reached Pillu’s home, his eyes widened in amazement. The house was bigger than any he had seen.
He even noticed a Soul Stream, which was quite expensive. But none of that mattered. All he could think about was Julian—seeing him happy and surrounded by love.
Pillu led him inside, his eyes scanning Levi’s face, noticing the conflict in his expression.
"Now, tell me what’s wrong," Pillu asked, sitting down on a plush couch. He grabbed the remote for the Soul Stream TV, casually playing with it, but his attention was fully on Levi.
Levi couldn’t help the anger that bubbled inside him. He clenched his fists, the jealousy and hurt consuming him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words were tangled in his chest, unable to come out.
"Tell me everything..." Pillu said, his voice soft but curious.
Levi hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of the lie he was about to tell. "Okay..." he began, his voice dropping to a softer tone. "Actually, Ruby..."
"Oh, what’s her husband’s name?" Pillu interrupted, furrowing his brow. "Yeah, Karl and the others, right?" Pillu shook his head, still not having properly seen her. He had planned to meet her, but instead, he had bumped into this sneaky ghost.
Levi continued, pretending to be sad, his eyes lowering. "I used to like Ruby," he said, his voice quivering slightly, just enough to make it sound convincing. "I wanted my mom to arrange a marriage for us. But... I’m very shy. Even though Ruby... well, she had her problems, and she is an alcoholic, I still liked her because once, when I met her sober, she was talented, intelligent, and... different. I believed that something made her , so I was willing to face any difficulty to help warm her life."
He took a breath, his voice becoming more sorrowful as he continued the story. "I told my cousin Julian about how I felt, and he promised to talk to my mom for me, since I was too shy to ask her directly. I was so happy when Ruby aunt came for the marriage talks. But then, I was shocked... she came for Julian. She was going to marry him, not me. I felt betrayed. All I could do was watch my beloved marry someone else. It’s been two years now, and I still can’t move on. My mom even arranged a marriage for me with someone else, but I just can’t forget Ruby. So, I came here to see her one last time."
Levi’s voice was full of longing and pain, as he made his words sound as convincing as possible. He wanted to make Pillu believe the story, even though it was all a lie.
Pillu, who had spent his days watching romantic shows and indulging in fantasies, felt
He was moved by Levi’s story.
"Oh my goodness! You’ve gone through so much! I always thought Julian was a good ghost, but he turned out to be such a scheming one..." Pillu exclaimed, his tiny hands trembling as he wiped away a single tear rolling down his cheek. "Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you!"
Levi lowered his head, his expression seemingly filled with guilt. "I’m sorry for troubling you..." But as he spoke, his eyes flashed with a hint of cunningness.
"How are you?" Ruby asked casually when she noticed Karl sitting lifelessly on the sofa. Though she didn’t feel like talking to him, seeing him like that made her ask.
Hearing her, Karl’s eyes welled up with tears. "Stupid wife... how do I look? I feel so sick and tired," he cried, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his robe.
Ruby rolled her eyes, but she didn’t scold him back. She knew he was just feeling unwell. "If you’re still feeling bad, go eat some fruits I brought. I gave the bag to Julian," she said, then turned and walked toward her bedroom.
He looked back at her with wide eyes, biting his lips in thought as he clenched his fist tightly.
—To be continued...🪄