Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 123

Aiden wrestled his violently pounding heart under control and leapt from his horse. At once, he strode straight to Lily and held out his arms.

She squinted slightly at the height difference, then entrusted herself to him. Once her feet touched the ground, she clung to his neck, hugging him tight.

“I missed you!”

“…So did I, Lily.”

Aiden’s voice was low and strained as he gently set her back. His eyes swept over her from head to toe.

“Ah, I’m fine. These are just scratches, really. Nothing to worry about.”

She noticed his worried gaze and tried to soothe him. It was obvious she hadn’t yet seen a mirror.

One braid had come loose, her hair tangled and dusted with grit and bits of glass.

Her so-called “scratches” left bloodied marks on her face, her neck, and the backs of her hands. Some cuts were frighteningly close to places that could have blinded her.

He even spotted a torn fingernail on her ring finger, the skin beside it bleeding. Aiden buried his eyes in his hands, unable to look at her any longer.

“R-really, it’s nothing,” she insisted.

“I should have hurried more… No, I should never have dragged you into this at all…”

“You’re bringing that up again? Didn’t we already agree on this?”

He couldn’t answer.

“…Wait, are you crying?!”

Startled, Lily pulled his hands away. He wanted to say he wasn’t, but a tear slipped down his cheek.

He caught her fingertips against his face and kissed them softly.

“Thank you… for enduring.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

Her smile dazzled him.

On the road back, Lily moved onto his horse. Her body, worn out by relief and exhaustion, sank fully against him, and Aiden’s arm wrapped tightly around her.

In a drowsy murmur, she told him what she’d been through. Some parts were vague, glossed over here and there—likely because she didn’t want to worry him more. But that didn’t matter. There would be others to fill in the details later.

For now, only one thing mattered: Lily had returned to his arms.

With every part of her story, Aiden’s thoughts shifted. If only she hadn’t meddled with that cursed ritual sacrifice… if only he could still exact vengeance on Julius’ body… dark, bitter notions rose in him.

But when her tale was done, what escaped his lips was not regret or calls for revenge.

Instead, he voiced aloud the conviction he had clung to as a lifeline.

“I believed in you. When I found you gone from the imperial city, I wanted to throw everything aside and rush to you—but I didn’t. I knew you would find a way. You’re capable, and you always keep your word…”

“You really know me well now.”

Her reply was satisfied, though she tucked her hair behind her ear as if unused to such praise.

“And once again, you did it splendidly. You were amazing, Lily.”

“Hmph, keep going.”

She leaned her head back against his chest.

“You stayed true to your convictions. I admire you for that. And thank you for coming back safely to me.”

Over and over, Aiden whispered his heartfelt gratitude into her ear. Her soft chuckles tickled his chest.

Then she turned to face him, cheeks glowing bright from his constant praise.

Her round cheeks, so tempting to bite, moved as she spoke seriously.

“I trusted you too, Aiden. I kept telling myself—just hold out a little longer, Aiden will finish this! That’s how I found the strength, even when I was scared. So… thank you too.”

Her gaze, shining like a sky full of stars, met his.

He stared, spellbound, at her forehead, her lashes, the curve of her lips. Even the crusted blood couldn’t mar her beauty.

Aiden loosened his grip on the reins, savoring her sweet words.

He had become Lily Dienta’s pillar.

Just yesterday, he’d driven her to tears and misery. But now, he had regained her trust and become her courage.

“I’m glad you said that.”

It was as if a brilliant light shone from deep inside him. As he vaguely realized his face was softening too much, Lily pressed her lips quickly to his cheek.

She was never this bold with her affection. Surprised, he looked at her, and sure enough, her eyes were wide at her own daring.

“Th-that’s only because you smiled like that…!”

Her face burned scarlet. This time, Aiden was the one who leaned in and kissed her first.

 

 

****

 

 

 

Lily Dienta suddenly realized she was sitting in a chair, receiving treatment. She had no memory of how she’d returned to the mansion. It felt like waking from a dream, her head still hazy.

She remembered only up to the moment she was swept along by Aiden’s radiant face. She couldn’t just sit there while her lover’s eyes brimmed with affection.

And it wasn’t as if she’d done anything scandalous in front of others. It had been just a simple kiss, no different from a morning greeting.

But what happened after that?

As she extended her other hand for the physician, Lily’s thoughts tumbled on.

Had Aiden leaned in close while she was adjusting her posture? Had she been so startled she nearly fell off the horse? She recalled being held so tightly she couldn’t breathe. And she was certain someone had coughed awkwardly behind them.

The clearer her memory grew, the more alarmed she felt. She immediately shut her mind off.

If she remembered it all, she was sure the embarrassment would be unbearable.

The physician finished applying ointment to her cleaned wounds and quietly withdrew.

“Nothing else hurts?”

Julia, who had stood by throughout the treatment, asked her.

“No, grandmother. Nothing.”

“Good. Then let’s hear how all this happened.”

Her tone was heavy. Lily straightened her back automatically under Julia’s stern gaze.

She had to explain herself well. Otherwise, she would surely be scolded harshly for recklessness.

At the very least, she should have told Julia before leaving. She had left in a rush, trying not to raise suspicion from the imperial knights, and hadn’t explained the situation.

Now she had to patch things up.

So Lily gave it her all, explaining the reasons behind her wounds and why they were worth it. She even sprinkled in touches of morality, conviction, and the value of life.

When she finished, Julia simply looked at her in silence.

Her complicated emotions were hidden behind her eyelids, but the eyes of a guardian shone with pride and affection.

“Yes. That’s the Lily Dienta I know. Always brave, always strong. You must have been scared, but you did well.”

Julia’s smile was filled with satisfaction. Only then did Lily feel certain—Julia’s praise was genuine.

A smile spread across Lily’s face too. Her choice had been the right one. She had acted for something worth risking her life for.

The release of tension made her voice crack.

“I was so scared. I really thought this time I might die… ow!”

She rubbed her stinging arm where Julia had swatted her.

“Watch your words in front of your grandmother.”

Seeing she was on the verge of a real scolding, Lily quickly played it off. “Ow, ow, my wound aches…” she whimpered.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

 

 

The day after the incident, investigators arrived at the mansion. They came to question how Lily Dienta had been involved with the emperor’s collapse and the events at the villa.

In truth, the written report already carried Duke Kashimir’s seal. The questioning was only a formality, requiring her to restate what was already recorded.

Yet the story they reconstructed was far from the truth.

The emperor had detected the cult’s attempt at resurrection. When the Empire’s steadfast sword fell into a mysterious coma, he decided to act as bait himself to draw them out.

Pretending to accept the heretics’ creed, he gathered the traitors together. The villa in the western forest had been the trap he set.

During this, Duke Kashimir recovered enough to lend support. But when the cultists attempted to assassinate him, he was forced to retreat once more.

The one who filled the Duke’s empty place was his right hand—Lily Dienta!

She, standing at the Duke’s side, had grasped the unfolding situation. On the day of the final battle, she led the ducal forces to aid the emperor.

But at that very moment, cultists locked in the cellar awakened forbidden sorcery, unleashing spirits that tore the villa apart…!

“According to the testimony of Ramond Kelper,” an investigator interjected with a question not in the script, “you spoke ill of Her Majesty the Empress aloud, and only after that did strange phenomena erupt within the building.

He insists that your words, not the cultists in the cellar, were the true cause of the anomalies. What do you say to this claim?”