Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 14

The head maid’s destination was the office.

– Baron, Lily Dienta has not returned yet.

– So the Lily Dienta written here is really that Lily Dienta, huh.

Wolfram sighed and set down the document.

Aiden moved behind Wolfram and read the paper. It was a confirmation from the administration about the issuance of a travel permit.

It stated that Lily Dienta was going on a short trip with her grandmother.

– This is the sloppiest escape I’ve ever seen. I’ll send someone to bring her back. Thanks for confirming.

With that, Wolfram dismissed the head maid.

Only then did Aiden realize that the maid who had promised to return tomorrow had intended, in her heart, to leave for good.

She hadn’t responded at all to his desperate plea for trust, and he realized that imagining a future between them had been something only he had done.

What seized him in that moment was a sense of betrayal.

Considering that he had first thought of her as nothing more than a convenient way to communicate, it was an unreasonably intense emotion.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the linen ball. He remembered how happy he’d been to receive it.

How ridiculous he must’ve looked. Had she laughed at him, thinking she’d tricked him completely?

He was overcome with shame… and remembered nothing after that.

Now, Aiden stood at the entrance, looking down.

The carriage opened, and the maid stepped out. It was the face he had searched for so desperately.

She hurried up the steps but couldn’t bring herself to speak in front of Aiden. She looked pitiful, unable to meet his gaze and unsure of what to do.

He just looked at her, as if observing her. More accurately, he was waiting.

‘Say something. A lie, an excuse, anything. I don’t care.’

Whether it was logical or just something thrown together didn’t matter. No need for length either.

If she just said she was late unintentionally, Aiden was ready to cover up her attempt to run away.

That hadn’t been his intention from the start.

If he’d had the power to cross the threshold of the entrance, he would’ve hurled the entire carriage when Wolfram arrived.

Just minutes ago, he hadn’t wanted to let the traitor off.

But the moment the maid ran straight to him without hesitation, all those thoughts vanished.

Now, all he could do was wait—hoping she would say something in her defense. It was almost laughable.

She was the one in the wrong, but it felt like he was the one standing trial.

“I’m sorry!”

The maid suddenly bowed her head deeply.

“His Grace asked me to trust him, but I was scared your aide would kill me on his own. I should’ve just been honest about my worries…”

Her body lowered more and more. If left alone, her forehead would’ve touched the ground.

“I didn’t know His Grace was hurting so much. From now on, I’ll believe everything he says. And I won’t leave without saying anything again. I’m truly sorry.”

To the one who had wished for an excuse, Lily offered an apology.

She never gave him what he wanted or expected, Aiden could never win against her.

His anger slipped away like grains of sand, and now he was simply curious about the expression she had while speaking.

Lily didn’t seem willing to lift her head. Aiden looked down at her round head, then finally spoke, unable to wait any longer.

[Raise your head.]

Lily cautiously straightened up. Her eyebrows were arched high like mountains, and her lips were slightly pushed out. Her face was filled with worry.

Aiden could tell right away, her concern wasn’t about whether her apology would be accepted.

It was about him, Aiden Kashimir. She felt sorry for him.

But why? What sort of audacious thought was in this maid’s head now? She was in a wretched position, just like him.

She had faithfully served beside a ghost she was terrified of to the point of screaming, yet what she got in return was a threat to her life.

Her escape had ended in vain, and now she stood alone like a sacrifice before a maddened spirit.

There was no one to help her.

It wasn’t all that surprising Lily Dienta had decided to run away a second time.

Her situation hadn’t changed since before she ran, and if she’d felt threatened then, she would feel it again.

Even if she was now foolishly pitying his situation, she’d come to her senses soon enough.

And when she did, she’d laugh at how she once worried about him.

In a moment like this, what use were words dressed up like peacocks, or purring like cats?

Compared to the value of life, even a chest full of gold was nothing more than a bunch of dull, meaningless rocks.

For the first time, he felt what he had to offer was painfully insignificant.

“Your Excellency, are you alright?”

Lily asked carefully after the silence dragged on. Her twitching hand, opening and closing, looked as if it might reach out to him at any moment.

Aiden stared straight into those compassionate eyes.

Lily Dienta still hadn’t realized reality. And that would remain true, so long as she continued to pity him.

Aiden realized what he had to do. He had to win her sympathy. So that she wouldn’t be able to leave him. So she would keep feeling sorry for him with all her heart…

He buried his face in both hands and spoke in a collapsing voice.

[No, Lily. I’m not alright. You left me alone.]

“Ugh…”

[You abandoned me here. I was happy when I received your gift, but even then, all you were thinking about was leaving me.]

“Ab-abandoned you…?”

Lily, seen through the gaps in his fingers, panicked and didn’t know what to do.

Aiden continued his act.

[It’s fine if no one else sees me. I never cared about that. But I couldn’t see you. We promised, and yet no matter how long I waited, no matter how much I wandered, you never came.]

He only meant to act pitiful. But the more he spoke, the more those feelings returned.

The anxiety, the vague fear, and then the anger and terror from realizing the truth. Those sharp emotions filled his whole body again, as if cutting through him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d look for me that much. I really didn’t.”

Aiden lifted his face and looked at Lily.

‘Yeah. Why did I search for her that much?’

Why did it feel like the world had collapsed, like I’d lost something I could never afford to lose, sinking into helplessness and sorrow…

Finding the answer to that could wait. What mattered now was not losing her again.

He moved his intangible hand and wrapped it around her wrist. He felt no warmth or sensation. Not even the feeling of touch.

Still, the overlapping visual image brought some strange comfort.

“I’ll never leave again.”

As the silence stretched on, Lily spoke first, looking nervous.

So, winning her sympathy was the right move.

[Keep that promise. Truly, you’re all I have. Don’t leave me alone.]

He glanced downward, toward the carriage where the culprit sat.

[If Wolfram is the problem, I’ll drop a chandelier on him or knock over a bookshelf so he can’t threaten you…]

“Y-Your Grace, I’m sorry, but that kind of solve-everything-with-death thinking is scary.”

Lily murmured.

Aiden’s lips curved upward slightly. Her bold reply was amusing. It finally felt like everything was going back to normal.

“And I think the aide really reflected on himself. He apologized again on the way back.”

[Still, what if he secretly hatches some evil plan? Then can I do whatever I want?]

“No? You should say, ‘Have you forgotten the disaster of that day?’ And then say His Excellency won’t forgive him. Then push over a distant statue like a stage effect.”

[I’ll do that.]

I’ll do that as much as you want. Will one statue be enough? Wouldn’t the chandelier work after all? Is there anything else? Anything would be nice. If only I could.

A flood of over-the-top, fawning responses rose in his head. It was clearly the result of being overly relieved. He held onto his reason and swallowed the thoughts.

Lily’s lowered eyelids lifted slightly, and her bright-colored eyes sparkled.

Lily Dienta looked at him. Straight and unflinching. Aiden stared at her, almost entranced.

“Then I’ll tell Grandma everything’s been settled.”

[So Mrs. Dienta came with you too.]

“Did Your Excellency already know about the translator applicant?”

Lily’s eyes momentarily sharpened.

[I overheard Wolfram talking about it on the first day you were gone.]

“Yeah, that and some other things… She said she was too worried to send me back alone.”

Though Lily sounded a little pouty, she quickly composed her emotions.

“So please wait just a moment.”

As he blankly watched her braided hair sway from side to side, she quickly reached the carriage. She turned briefly to glance at him before finishing opening the door.

Aiden waited for her to return.