Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 24

When the Emperor tilted his head to look at the chief attendant, the chief attendant immediately spoke to Wolfram.

“So, you claim ignorance.”

Such rude exchanges would seem odd under normal circumstances, but given the Emperor’s current condition, it made sense. Whenever the Emperor’s words were hard to understand, the chief attendant would step in to assist.

At any rate, this meant the protection item was safe. If no one knew where it was, what could he possibly do?

Wolfram tried to soothe his bruised pride by clinging to this small victory.

The cult leader wanted the protection item. Once they were gone, Wolfram intended to investigate further.

At that moment, the Emperor stood up.

“In that case… let us go there.”

The Emperor remained leisurely. He pointed directly at Wolfram with his finger.

“Lead me. To the place my dear friend once used.”

Only then did Wolfram remember that the Emperor had mentioned visiting the main building the day before.

At the time, he had merely thought it was another strange whim. But now, after the conversation about the protection item, he felt a deep sense of unease.

Even if they went to the main building, the Emperor wouldn’t find it…

The Emperor picked out a few more attendants to accompany him and left the room.

The main building’s every entrance was now guarded by Imperial knights. Given that the windows had all been smashed open, the security was even tighter.

The midday sun poured down. Other than the sound of footsteps, the halls were eerily quiet—strangely peaceful. Feeling the wrongness in the air, Wolfram realized: nothing had yet happened to the Emperor.

The day before, during the whole visit, the Emperor had been plagued by a string of petty misfortunes.

He would trip over nothing, doors would jam for no reason, vases would shatter suddenly, cutting his fingers on the glass…

But now, he was moving around without any mishap.

“Looks like the bad luck stuck to His Majesty has finally worn off.”

The two attendants whispered behind him. The Emperor, too, seemed lighter on his feet.

That small difference made Wolfram feel all the more uneasy.

They arrived at the Duke’s bedchamber. At the threshold, the Emperor turned his head to glance over the room before stepping inside.
He gestured for the attendants to stay behind.

Wolfram did not take his eyes off him for a second. He had no idea what the man was thinking.

It was clear he was searching for the protection item. If the Emperor ordered him to search, Wolfram was prepared to avoid the real location without raising suspicion.

The Emperor approached the desk attached to the wall. He brushed the surface with his palm and, in one smooth motion, opened a drawer.

Wolfram’s eyes widened.

The Emperor casually rummaged through the drawer, then closed it and opened the one beneath.

“Your Majesty!”

Wolfram shouted, unable to contain his anger. The Emperor glanced at him.

“How dare you address His Majesty without permission!”

The chief attendant exploded.

“But Count, this is—!”

“What’s wrong with His Majesty inspecting the possessions of his loyal subject? Does the Duke have something he should not be showing His Majesty?”

“Do you mean that seriously? Anyone can see this is—”

“Silence.”

The chief attendant cut Wolfram off.

“Or the Duke will bear the consequences of your insolence.”

Wolfram bit his lip hard. He looked around—but there was no one on his side.

Meanwhile, the Emperor, ignoring the commotion, continued ransacking the room. He grew bolder, even flipping over drawers entirely.

Wolfram felt as though his hair was standing on end. Why hadn’t he moved the protection item immediately after hearing from Lily Dienta?

Still, it was understandable. For Imperial citizens, protection items were sacred but also, in daily life, treated almost like casual charms.

After all, having one didn’t spare them from misfortune. Crime, famine, and suffering still struck—and during those times, the idea of spiritual protection often felt like a hollow promise.

Thus, while they respected their importance, they did not cling to them desperately. Wolfram clenched his fists tightly. Of course, he knew where the Duke kept it.

He had simply assumed that saying “no one knows” would make the Emperor give up. He hadn’t imagined this level of shamelessness.

He wanted nothing more than to drag the Emperor out of the room immediately. But if he so much as twitched a finger, the knights standing guard would subdue him.

So all he could do was stand there and watch.

The Emperor, continuing to desecrate the Duke’s dignity, moved closer to the bed. Beside the bed stood a small nightstand. The Emperor carelessly knocked aside a cloth ball resting atop it and reached toward the drawer.

Wolfram could feel the Emperor’s chilling gaze on him—but even sensing it, he couldn’t steady his breathing.

The Emperor opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a small porcelain box.

Wolfram gasped.

The Emperor placed the box on his palm and casually flicked off the lid. It clattered loudly across the floor.

Wolfram was on the verge of fainting.

Inside…

The Emperor tilted his head.

Inside—there was nothing.

Wolfram was as stunned as the Emperor. There should have been the Duke’s protection item inside.

The Emperor searched the rest of the bedroom. Then the study, the dressing room, even the supply closet—but he could not find it.

In the end, the Emperor left the main building, his face twisted in rage. Wolfram was not permitted to follow and was left standing alone.
After hesitating a moment, he made his way toward the servants’ quarters.

He had intended not to seek out Lily Dienta until after the Emperor had left the castle.

But after today’s chaos, he felt he had to share the information with her immediately—whether for preparation or further speculation.

Lily Dienta was loitering in the translator’s room. When she saw him, she brightened as if she had something to say.

But Wolfram raised a hand to stop her and spoke first, urgently.

“The Emperor is looking for the Duke’s protection item.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to tell you!”

Lily said brightly and rummaged through her pocket.

The thought hit Wolfram in an instant—and sure enough, she pulled something out.

“I have it! I took it this morning!”

It was a rosary strung with pearls. There was no doubt: it was Aiden Kashimir’s protection item.

 

 

****

 

 

In the very early morning, long before Wolfram accompanied the Emperor to the main building—

“Ugh…”

Lily was crouching in the bushes, searching through the grass. She was looking for the ring she had dropped the night before.

When Lily had arrived much later than expected last night, Angela hadn’t scolded her harshly.

Instead, she had asked with concern, “Did something happen? Was someone chasing you?” —that’s how pale and shaken Lily had looked.

During the few remaining hours before morning, Lily hadn’t been able to sleep at all, lying awake the whole time. The ring the Emperor had given her weighed heavily on her mind.

That strange glow. Though she hadn’t been able to examine it carefully, the more she thought about it, the less it seemed ordinary.  It strongly resembled the shimmer of a soul.

And the fact that the ghost, who usually trailed after the fake Emperor, had lingered beside the ring—that too felt significant.

Could the ring somehow be a clue to solving Aiden’s condition?

Once that suspicion took root, there was no way Lily could just ignore it. After agonizing through the night, she finally came out at dawn to search the bushes— with the Emperor’s ghost still standing nearby.

It didn’t take Lily long to find the ring. Thanks to the ghost, she had a good idea of where it had fallen, and the ring was large enough to spot easily.

Maybe because the sky was already starting to brighten, the ring’s sparkle wasn’t quite as dazzling as it had been at midnight. But the faint flickering light—like a small, wavering flame—was still there.

[My ring…]

The ghost repeated the same line he’d muttered over ten times already. Since returning here, Lily had steadfastly ignored him—and perhaps because of that, he had lost interest in her too, now gazing only at the ring.

‘It’s definitely important to the ghost.’

Lily, without thinking much, reached out to touch the shimmering, wavering mist around the ring—like heat haze or scattered sparkles.

The moment her fingertip brushed it, a chill ran through her, and goosebumps broke out across her skin. She could feel the haze. It was a strange sensation, like stroking a sheet of transparent silk.

[Ah… Ahhh…]

The ghost groaned strangely and clutched his head. Startled, Lily quickly pulled her hand back.

She glanced between the ghost and the ring. The ghost was staring blankly at the ring. Gathering all her courage, she tested it again—
and the result was the same!

Lily’s heart began to pound harder and harder.

‘The Emperor’s soul is connected to the ring. He stayed here all night—he’s bound to it, not his body! If that’s the case, then there must also be an item tied to His Grace’s soul!’

Without thinking further, Lily snatched up the ring and sprinted toward the main building. She was so desperate that she nearly stumbled several times, but she didn’t slow down.

Whether the fake Emperor also knew the ring’s purpose, whether he had given it away on purpose or by accident, whether he suspected her abilities—

The questions swirled endlessly through her mind.

But one thing was clear: she absolutely had to stop the fake Emperor from getting his hands on Aiden’s soul-bound item.

If he found it, there was no way anything good would come of it. He could take it back to the capital—or use it to do something unimaginably evil.

Lily reached the main building’s entrance. Even at this early hour, Imperial knights were already standing guard.