Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 132 - Side Story Chapter 8

The Night of the Banquet.

“Haaah… I’m so nervous.”

Lily whispered softly as she held onto Aiden’s arm.

The grand banquet hall of the imperial palace, adorned with mirrors and gold in perfect harmony, gleamed beneath the chandelier lights.

The oil paintings on the ceiling looked almost alive, and a small chamber orchestra filled the air with gentle music.

Nobles dressed in splendid attire gathered in groups, chatting as they waited for the Empress to arrive.

In the midst of this fairytale-like atmosphere, Lily and Aiden were being quietly ostracized.

Not a single person approached them. Yet it wasn’t as if people had forgotten they existed — countless glances kept flickering their way.

‘It’s not my imagination. Every single one of these people is talking about us!’

At first, people just seemed to be testing the waters. But when Aiden showed no reaction at all, they grew bolder and began whispering more openly.

Sometimes, she even heard the word “maid” spoken out loud. Then, as if realizing their mistake, someone from the group would quickly raise their voice to change the topic — “Ah, your lady’s maid as well? Ours isn’t much of a hand either…” — pretending it was a harmless conversation.

“Lily, want to try this?”

Aiden, unbothered, took a glass of champagne from a passing servant and handed it to her.

Lily glanced at her calm lover.

His complexion was clear and radiant, like a pearl. His hair was neatly styled, and his outfit — matching hers — only heightened his noble grace.

But what truly made him shine was the smile of quiet happiness on his face.

He looked at Lily as if gazing at the world’s most precious treasure. Even she, though long used to it, sometimes found herself speechless before the depth of that gaze.

No doubt, it was his dazzling expression that made the onlookers lose their composure and gossip even more.

Lily raised her glass and calmly scanned the hall. She kept her chin high, just as Countess Dorian had taught her.

She spoke softly so only Aiden could hear.

“Do you really think Nobert Rader will come?”

Wolfram — the man who had pretended to be one of Caleb’s subordinates — had said that Nobert had accepted the deal. But she still couldn’t relax.

The hall was packed with nobles. Knights stood at regular intervals. The decorations were so grand and sacred that they seemed to crush the life of a commoner.

If she were Nobert Rider, she would have bolted straight back out the entrance.

Aiden answered leisurely, “If he doesn’t come, we’ll just find another way.”

He took the empty glass from Lily’s hand and passed it to a servant.

Then, the blare of trumpets echoed through the hall as the doors behind the raised platform swung open.

The herald stepped forward and proclaimed,

“His Imperial Majesty Otto Seichwartz and Her Majesty Regent Empress Themis Seichwartz are entering!”

Following the others, Lily knelt on one knee. But as soon as she spotted Saul Oetz, her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

‘He’s been exchanging letters with Grandma lately… Are they meeting again? Grandma’s leaving for the duchy soon — does he know that? Will they just keep writing letters? Ugh, I’m so curious. No, stop. Don’t think about it.’

Though she was dying to know, Lily decided to remain a respectful granddaughter who minded her grandmother’s privacy.

The Empress stepped forward and spoke.

“I thank you all for praying for Emperor Julius’s peaceful rest. May the grace of the Divine rest upon you, and may peace and glory continue in this land through our united hearts.”

Her voice wasn’t raised, yet every word rang clear through the air.

“Now rise, eat, drink, and celebrate — for a new Emperor’s era begins!”

Lily lifted her head.

The Empress looked completely different from when Lily had seen her at Aiden’s mansion a few days ago.

Her face was still pale, but the fear and anxiety from that day were gone. She looked calmly over the nobles before turning to take her seat.

The young Emperor, held in his nanny’s arms, was escorted back behind the hall under heavy guard — it was his bedtime.

Music resumed. About half the guests began to dance in the center of the hall, while the rest chatted loudly. The room was far noisier than before the Empress’s arrival.

Aiden led Lily somewhere.

He guided her to a secluded corner of the hall — not completely hidden, but slightly apart. The spot, chosen by someone familiar with the palace, was perfect: shaded by columns and drapes, discreet yet with a clear view.

It gave the impression of “If she’s foolish enough to step onto the terrace… well, it’s easier to watch from here.”

It was, in short, the perfect place for tonight’s plan.

“Lily, I’ll step away for a while. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

She replied briskly. Aiden gave her hand a firm squeeze before slipping away into the shadows, heading far across to the other side of the hall.

Lily was left alone.

‘Wow… they’re staring even harder now…’

The stares pricked at her like needles, making her sweat. Apparently, people had been holding back only because Aiden was beside her.

Still, no one dared approach. No one came up to sneer, “So you’re that Lily Dienta?”

Their message was clear: they had no intention of associating with a filthy, rumor-stained maid.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

She steadied her breath and silently repeated the name Nobert Rider.

Then, recalling his appearance, she sharpened her senses, waiting to see from which direction that vile man would approach.

It didn’t take long before a man quietly drew near.

“Lily. You’re Lily Dienta, right?”

‘Finally!’

Lily controlled her expression and slowly turned.

Nobert Rader looked about her age, maybe a year or two older. His dark, dyed hair was slightly curled, and his frame was thin so his clothes looked loose on him.

“Lily, it’s me, Nobert. Don’t tell me you don’t remember?”

His voice wasn’t very loud, but loud enough for nearby people to hear.

‘Yes. Hear everything. Open your ears wide and don’t miss a single word.’

Lily snorted inwardly and fixed him with a steady stare.

As she always did before a con, she took a light breath. Then she took a step toward him.

“Of course I remember. Nobert! My goodness, I can’t believe I’m seeing you here!”

Nobert’s eyebrows twitched. Of course he was surprised.

There was no way Lily Dienta could actually know Nobert Rader. How could she have any connection to someone who never existed?

The whole play assumed she didn’t know “Nobert Rader.”

Usually, when a stranger pretends to know you, you’d be flustered and respond with something like, “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.” If that happened, Nobert would make an even bigger scene; the crowd would whisper about the shameless maid hiding her past.

Even if she did know the name, that reaction would be strange. She should have scolded him for spreading those ugly rumors.

But that was only how things would go if Lily hadn’t expected this meeting.

Instead of playing into his expectations, she acted as if they’d known each other for years.

“How did you get all the way here? Wait—are you even allowed to be here?”

She glanced around urgently. The man, puzzled, seemed to hurry to catch the flow.

“Did I come somewhere I shouldn’t? There’s you, who used to be scrubbing floors, and look at you now.”

Lily’s mouth dropped at the double meaning. This was… this was too vulgar!

Encouraged by her shocked reaction, Nobert pushed further.

“Anyway, I came to offer congratulations. Seems you finally found a man to settle down with. Duke Kashimir, huh… Impressive. Of course he’d drop someone like me. I couldn’t even buy the buttons on your dress.”

He bit his lip and put on a briefly sad face. Then he looked at Lily with disgust and snapped.

“But if you plan to keep dressing like that, you’d better hide your true self well. If people find out about your loose life and your greed for money, you’ll be back to being a maid. By then, nobody in the Empire will be ignorant of you, and you won’t get to meet another man.”

To Lily, his acting felt awkward overall, but to the others it seemed to satisfy them.

A short whistle, and suppressed laughter rippled like waves.

From an objective view, Lily Dienta was being utterly humiliated. While Nobert spoke over ten sentences, she hadn’t managed a single proper rebuttal.

She frowned and looked displeased, but inside she must have been so ashamed she didn’t know what to do. It was ridiculous and pathetic.

Nobert keenly sensed the crowd’s perception. He had achieved his goal, and Aiden was coming back this way, so it was about time to withdraw.

“Remember my advice.”

He struck a tone of finality and left the line unfinished as he turned away.

“Wait!”

Lily called out in the informal way and grabbed his wrist hard.