Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 3

The ghost, sensing Lily’s hesitation, spoke gently.

[I understand it’s hard to believe. You must be wondering, “What if he changes his mind later?” or “What if he gets angry if I ask for something honestly?” Even so, could you trust me? Truly, you are the only one I have.]

Unlike his earlier mysterious remarks, his voice now carried a deep sincerity. His shoulders drooped, and he looked at her with genuine desperation.

Considering all the hardships he must have gone through, his attitude was understandable.

If she herself had turned into an invisible person, ignored by everyone, she would’ve been bawling her eyes out not after three weeks, but in just three hours.

‘He does seem kind of pitiful.’

Lily bit her lip hard.

‘He hasn’t actually harmed anyone, and he seems completely sane. It’s honestly not as scary as I thought. He even seems sincere about the promise. I’m sure he’ll at least give me a chest full of gold coins.’

More than anything, what pulled at Lily’s heart was the thought that she could keep working in the main building— and without being harassed by the ghost, unlike the other maids.

Summoning her courage, Lily made up her mind.

“I-I can’t be of much help. I really don’t know anything about spiritual matters, and I’m just a lowly maid, there’s not much I can do in the castle anyway…”

She awkwardly stood up, brushing the dust from her crushed skirt, and casually mentioned her own duties as well.

“And I have to keep doing my original work too. If I slack off with the cleaning, I’ll lose my position as a main building maid. B-but Your Grace can only stay within the main building, right? If I get reassigned, it’ll be harder for us to meet.”

She glanced at him, worried he might be offended by her clumsy commoner’s way of speaking, then hurriedly continued.

“And besides what I just mentioned, there are probably many other reasons why I’m not suited to serve as Your Grace’s assistant.
Still…”

She was about to babble that she would do her best if he chose to use her anyway, but the ghost didn’t wait for her to finish. He declared it himself first.

[Despite all those limitations, you are the best assistant I could ever hope for.]

He placed his right hand over his chest and bowed deeply.

[I offer my gratitude for your kindness.]

It was a bow straight out of a faded old picture book she’d seen as a child— the kind a prince would give.

It felt like there should be a princess wrapped in layers of fine cloth facing him, not a scruffy maid like her.

Flustered by the princely bow that didn’t suit the situation, Lily clasped her hands tightly together. Then, bowing even deeper than the Duke, she politely said,

“I-I look forward to working with you.”

And so, Lily accepted the position of the ghost Duke’s assistant, though she still had no idea what exactly she could do for him.

She only worried that she might have given him false hope.

‘Well, at least he looks satisfied.’

Avoiding his pleased smile, Lily gathered her cleaning tools and headed to the second floor.

Technically, her “contract” with the ghost was just a side job. As she had told him, she couldn’t afford to neglect her primary duties.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway— but although someone was clearly walking beside her, there wasn’t even the slightest rustle of fabric from him.

If she closed her eyes, it would feel like she was completely alone. The mismatch between sight and sound was eerie and unsettling.

Feeling a mix of wonder and fear, Lily finally started cleaning the second floor, about ten minutes behind schedule.

The ghost didn’t leave her side. He didn’t speak much, just silently watched her work from a short distance away.

It seemed he was waiting for her to finish before discussing the real matter at hand.

He was trying to be considerate, in his own way, but honestly, Lily wished he’d waited somewhere else. Every time she forgot about him and turned around, there he was, standing still like a candlestick—it scared her half to death.

However, as time went on, Lily realized the real fear wasn’t the ghost himself.

‘Working while being constantly watched by your highest boss… I didn’t think the real nightmare would be this!’

Feeling her nerves shred under the silent scrutiny, she barely managed to finish the cleaning. Now, only the third floor remained.

As she stood before the staircase, the Duke finally broke his silence.

[I need to meet Wolfram.]

“Baron Burnett?”

Wolfram Burnett, Baron Burnett, was the Duke’s most trusted aide and the acting lord in his absence.

Lily had never seen him in person, but from her training as a maid, she remembered he had violet hair and wore glasses.

[I want to discuss how far the investigation into my condition has progressed, and what steps we should take next.]

“That’s a relief.”

Lily sighed in genuine relief.

[What is?]

“I was completely at a loss about what to do next. Even though I agreed to become Your Grace’s attendant, like I said, I don’t have any useful skills. Honestly, I thought I wouldn’t be much help at all. But now that there’s someone to assist us, it’s a huge relief.”

The Duke just gave a faint smile, as if saying that was obvious.

Thinking about it, she realized her worries had been a bit silly. What could a mere maid and a ghost accomplish alone? It was natural they needed to contact a capable aide.

Lily looked up the staircase. The Duke had spoken at exactly the right moment. The office they needed was on the third floor.

However…

“There’s a problem. I’m not allowed to meet with the Baron. If I dared knock on his door, I’d be dragged off for retraining by the Head Maid.”

A low-ranking maid was forbidden from speaking directly to a titled noble.

The highest-ranking person she could ever hope to meet was the Head Maid. Otherwise, she had to skitter around like a cockroach to avoid being seen by nobles.

The Duke pondered for a moment, then said,

[All you need to do is meet him. After that, leave everything to me.]

It was a reckless command, but if it was just about making contact, there was a way.

Lily began slowly ascending the stairs. As a cleaning maid, she knew the schedule and usual locations of the castle’s main figures.

She started mopping the floor from the end of the corridor, while carefully keeping an eye on the office where Wolfram Burnett was likely working.

There was a guard stationed at the door. Lily organized her movements and lines in her mind with precision.

When she got close to the office, before the soldier could stop her, she banged on the door.

[For a soldier of the Duke’s house to let a maid slip past… they need to redo their basic training.]

If the soldier had heard the ghost’s cold remark, he would have felt very wronged. Normally, maids cleaning nearby weren’t considered a threat. Now that a precedent had been set, they’d probably be more careful next time.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

The soldier immediately grabbed Lily by the collar. At the same moment, a voice from inside the office said, “Come in.”

“It’s nothing, sir!”

“I have an important message for Baron Burnett!”

Lily shouted loudly. The soldier, still gripping her collar, shook her roughly and growled,

“Baron Burnett is not someone a mere maid can speak to! Go through the Head Maid!”

If she tried the proper ways, she would never get to see the Baron in a lifetime. There was absolutely no justifiable reason for a maid to request a direct meeting.

Meeting him face-to-face without a middle-person was the only option.

Praying the Duke hadn’t made a false promise, Lily screamed at the top of her lungs.

“Baron Burnett! Please listen to me! I have a very important report!”

The soldier began dragging her away from the door.

“I’ll report every last thing you’ve done to the Head Maid. How could such a rude girl even set foot inside the Duke’s castle…”

It was at that moment—

A loud crash shattered the window a few steps away from them.

“Kyaaah!”

Lily shrieked and instinctively ducked. The soldier froze, wide-eyed.

As the initial shock passed, Lily immediately turned toward the ghost’s location. He was still staring at the soldier’s hand gripping Lily’s collar.

The ghost moved closer, and placed his hand lightly on the soldier’s shoulder.

Before she could fully grasp what was happening, the soldier was suddenly hurled backward— as if punched by an invisible fist.

Lily nearly fell over too, but since she had been tense from the moment the ghost approached, she managed to pull free just in time.

[Lily, are you alright?]

The ghost asked, sounding genuinely worried.

[I tried to make sure none of the glass shards hit you, but you should check if you’re hurt anywhere.]

She appreciated the help, but her heart could hardly take it. The ghost continued inspecting her worriedly.

[How’s your neck? Are there any marks left?]

Lily slowly tilted her head side to side. Since the soldier was still too close for her to speak, she gestured instead, showing she was fine.

But it seemed the ghost misunderstood her movements. He looked down coldly at the soldier, and at that chilling gaze, Lily began to worry she might need to stop him, before something worse happened.