Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 10

Lily Dienta made him feel happy. Even her endless, trivial chatter never grew tiring.

It was a feeling the ashen shadow he had become had believed he would never experience again.

And so, naturally, curiosity followed. If he could laugh this much even now then what would he feel, if he were to meet Lily Dienta when he was whole again?

A duke and a maid, people who breathed different air from different worlds. Yet, perhaps for Lily Dienta, a small exception could be allowed.

If she were lifted from her lowly position and placed in charge of his room, his meals, his clothing, and just like now, his office—then even after all this ended, he could still keep her by his side.

But something faint and uncomfortable tugged at him.

“No… No, that’s not right…”

Aidan changed his mind.

If he did return to his body, it would be in no small part thanks to Lily Dienta.

With that as justification, he would place her at the third desk. Have her suggest unexpected solutions, accompany him on walks when he needed to clear his head.

He recalled how she’d bite into dessert, eyes lighting up in fresh delight every time. He could give her sweets far better than those.

He’d also provide clothes that suited her cheerful nature—replacing that dreary maid uniform.

And upon reflection, not all of these plans needed to wait for the future.

For instance, as soon as tomorrow, he could have her change out of her maid uniform and improve her working conditions. Let her enjoy a small taste of the rewards yet to come.

This plan pleased Aidan greatly.

He had been slightly worried that she might be frightened by Wolfram’s talk of silencing her—but look: she’d said she trusted him, and even brought him a gift, hadn’t she?

And so, as dawn approached, Aidan Kashimir made up his mind.

The moment he saw the maid again, he would tell her of his plan from the night before.

Then the maid—or rather, Lily Dienta, who would no longer be a maid—would smile brightly in return.

Aidan waited for her with anticipation. He waited even as day turned to night once more.

Even when the new morning arrived and the smile that once hovered on his lips had long since dried up.

He kept waiting.

Kept waiting.

…Always.

 

 

****

 

 

Escape!

Lily successfully hitched a ride back on the supply wagon returning from the duke’s castle after delivering the morning goods.

She gladly accepted her fellow apprentices’ requests to buy things from town on her way back. It was to avoid unnecessary suspicion and to use the advance money they gave her as part of her escape fund.

She felt really sorry for the friends who trusted her. That’s why, once she settled down in another city, her first plan was to send them money.

Her large bag was filled with small coins and little everyday items not worth buying twice.

“Going on a long trip or something?”

Her fellow apprentices teased her with friendly smiles, but Lily flinched inside.

They were almost right. The only difference was, it wasn’t a trip, it was an escape.

It had been nearly a year since she left the duke’s castle and came down to the city. People were already bustling about since early morning, and the air was filled with the smell of baking bread.

Lily walked briskly like everyone else. After turning through several narrowing alleys, she arrived in the middle-lower class residential area where her old home was.

Her grandmother lived on the second floor of a narrow building sandwiched between two others.

Lily bounded up the stairs and banged on the door.

“Grandma!”

Before long, her grandmother, Julia Dienta, appeared.

Wearing small glasses perched on her nose, she had her gray-white hair neatly pinned up without a single strand out of place. The buttoned-up collar hinted at her strict nature.

She looked somewhat confused by her granddaughter’s sudden appearance.

“Lily?”

“Good morning, Grandma!”

“What’s going on all of a sudden? You didn’t even call.”

“There’s no time to explain standing around. We have to pack right now.”

She barged in without waiting.

The house had just a small living room and one bedroom with a metal bunk bed. Even that room felt more cramped than it was, thanks to the piles of books everywhere.

She looked around the room. There were even more books than last time. Probably secondhand ones she’d picked up cheaply.

‘I told her so many times to spend that money on bread instead!’

But Lily knew well that it was hopeless, her grandma’s obsession with books wouldn’t change.

Lily hurried into the small room.

“Lily! What do you think you’re doing, bursting in here like a whirlwind? Did I raise you like this?”

“No, Grandma. I’ll explain now. The Duke has become a ghost. I swear, I tried my best to help him!”

She yanked open the zipper of her travel bag.

“But the way these people work is insane. Once he’s back in his body, they’ll definitely try to kill me to shut me up. That’s why I have to run while he’s still stuck like that!”

“What are you even talking about?”

Why doesn’t she get it?

Lily was frustrated for a moment but took a deep breath and began explaining again. Meanwhile, her hands stuffed clothes into her bag like crazy.

“So, the Duke became a ghost, right? And I’m the only one who can see him, so I ended up as his attendant. Then they said they needed a translator who knows Solomon. I asked how they’d keep it a secret, and they said they’d fake an accident and kill them…”

“Lily!”

Julia grabbed her wrist.

“Calm down, sweetheart.”

Only then did Lily realize she’d been talking without even stopping to breathe.

As she tried to take a deep breath, Julia took her bag and slid it under the bed.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”

“Not yet.”

“Then wait here a moment.”

Julia stepped out. Lily used the time to calm herself down and sat at the dining table in the living room.

There was a thin book with a black cover on the table. Normally, she’d have eagerly picked it up, but right now, nothing could hold her attention.

A little while later, Julia returned with a tray carrying breakfast for two.

“I had to pay extra to Mrs. Brown for this. You owe me.”

She spoke in a mildly scolding tone.

“Now, really calmly, from the beginning—explain everything clearly.”

So Lily spent the next 40 minutes over breakfast telling the unbelievable story she’d experienced.

The first thing Julia said after hearing it all was, “You saw a spirit again?”

“Again?”

“Yes. Again.”

Lily was confused. Again? Was she saying Lily had seen spirits before?

As far as Lily could remember, the Duke was the only spirit she had ever encountered. But Julia didn’t seem like she was lying.

‘Did I get amnesia or something without realizing? No… that can’t be.’

Julia let out a short sigh.

“You really don’t remember, do you.”

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken? Me seeing a ghost? When? You’ve never said anything like that before. Do Mom and Dad know?”

“No, they don’t. I kept it a secret. You stopped talking about it at some point, so I thought maybe you stopped seeing them…”

Lily nervously licked her lips.

This wasn’t the time for a trip down memory lane. She needed to leave the dukedom—fast.

Still, part of her wanted to hear more from Julia. About her past, about this strange ability she hadn’t known she had. Of course she was curious.

She did some quick mental math. Today was an official day off, so there was no need to worry. And it was still early morning. Talking a bit longer wouldn’t hurt.

What if seeing spirits wasn’t the only special power she’d forgotten?

“Grandma, I honestly can’t believe it. You’re saying I saw ghosts when I was little? When exactly? I seriously don’t remember a thing.”

Julia stared into her empty teacup, reminiscing.

“Well, of course you wouldn’t. You were only five years old. So bright, even back then. Already reading and speaking fluently at that age…”

 

 

 

****

 

 

Julia Dienta barely made it back to her boarding house just before dark. Her feet ached from the long walk.

She was a Solomon tutor. There weren’t many jobs for that, but whenever there was one, Julia was almost always hired.

Though her noble family had fallen from grace, her calm and meticulous demeanor impressed interviewers.

But more than anything, her ability to read Solomon without a dictionary was the key.

She had no degree, so she was inexpensive, but her skill rivaled that of scholars. Even in a thriving place like the dukedom, people like her were rare.

Her current employer was a branch of a count’s family.

They planned to refine their son’s education and eventually place him in a trade company dealing with Solomon, a land still mysterious but with promising trade prospects.

The family offered her room and board, which would’ve saved her time, but they said she had to live there alone.

Since she was also raising her granddaughter, she had no choice but to find housing on the outskirts of the city and commute.

Julia headed to the shared living room on the first floor. The landlady, Mrs. Brown, had been watching Lily until she got back.

“Hello, ma’am. Thanks again for today.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Was everything okay today?”

“Nothing to worry about. Lily plays well by herself.”

Mrs. Brown called out to Lily.

“Lily, your grandma’s home.”

Finally, the little girl sitting on the sofa by the window, buried in a book, jumped up.

“Grandma! You’re back!”