Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 33

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She fidgeted with her clasped fingers. Aiden watched her quietly for a moment, then finally spoke.

[Julius Sheiwartz harbors hatred toward me.]

“…Excuse me?”

Lily blinked at the unexpected slander. This was not the conversation she had anticipated.

He continued in a calm tone.

[I was raised in the Imperial Palace as a child. I’m sure you’ve heard the story.]

Lily replied softly.

“Yes, that you lost your parents early and the former Emperor took you in as his own.”

[That’s right. The two of them raised me like their real son. The problem was… they neglected their actual son. His Majesty was abusive to Julius. Physically, emotionally. And the anger that built up in Julius from years of being compared…]

Aiden took a light breath before finishing.

[…was directed at me.]

“You mean, the anger meant for the former Emperor… was turned on you?”

[Yes. In both body and mind.]

Seeing the look on her face, Aiden quickly added,

[It was a long time ago. Once we grew older, I stopped letting it slide. After a few scuffles, he must’ve realized he couldn’t win anymore, because he started avoiding direct confrontation.]

He gave her a smug smile, clearly trying to show he was fine—but Lily couldn’t relax at all.

“Once we grew older? So then, before that, how much did he have to endure? Physically? Mentally? Is that even something you just drop in a sentence like that?”

The fact that Aiden hadn’t shared any specific incidents only made Lily’s imagination race further.

“Did you ever get an apology?”

Aiden shook his head.

“And you just… let the world go on thinking you were lifelong best friends?”

[That rumor came from us. Once we were old enough, we realized being seen as allies benefited us both. We glossed over the past as childish squabbles and pretended to be close. ‘Lifelong friends’… I guess you could say we were, before we turned ten.]

The sudden glimpse into royal history left Lily’s mind blank.

[But Julius has never let go of that hatred. Maybe no one else could see it, but I always recognized that look in his eyes. In the end, he achieved his goal. Even if he didn’t plan for it to end this way.]

“Th-that rotten scumbag!”

Lily’s fist trembled.

“I get that he had it rough, but taking it out on someone else? That’s just wrong! Should I go toss that ring into a sewer right now?”

Honestly, it was pitiful. Julius was a victim too—never able to escape his childhood pain, growing up full of hate.

Lily, regardless of right or wrong, found his story tragic.

But if she had to choose a side, she was firmly part of the Duke’s household. Aiden Kashimir mattered more to her.

“Still, if you’d been through all that, Your Grace, you should’ve just said not to bother with someone like him.”

[Isn’t that just pathetic?]

“What is?”

[I admitted I got beat up as a kid.]

“Do you want me to tell you what a truly pathetic childhood looks like?”

Aiden couldn’t hold back a laugh and teased,

[No need. I’m curious, but I’ll respect your dignity.]

The lightened mood let Lily breathe a bit easier. This was much better than the self-mocking tone he’d had earlier while sharing his past.

He seemed about to say more, but chuckled softly and murmured like he was talking to himself.

[You really are impossible.]

Aiden looked at her quietly. His gaze was as gentle as his soft voice.

Lily only held his eyes for a second or two before glancing away. It felt oddly embarrassing to maintain eye contact. To change the mood, she mumbled,

“Th-thank you… for telling me something that must’ve been hard to recall. I understand now why you didn’t want me going alone. I’ll be careful.”

[It is about caution—but more than that, it’s so you can use it.]

“Use it?”

[Yes. When you try to persuade Julius. He’s very good at hiding what he truly feels. He can be cunning. Even I sometimes wonder if he’s really moved on from his old jealousy and resentment.]

What he meant was clear: he hadn’t.

[Always keep in mind—when you think you’re deceiving Julius, you might actually be the one being deceived. And he must never, ever know that you’re working on my behalf.]

It was only logical, but hearing it from Aiden made it sink in more deeply.

[Make good use of what I told you.]

Lily looked up.

[It’s my shame—and Julius’s. It could be the key to breaking through to him.]

What kind of heart willingly offers up their own painful past like a chess piece?

Lily thought back on Aiden’s little habits: the quiet frustrations, his constant worry, and the way he’d fussed over the crates while saying—

[I just want to go back to my body so I can help you.]

Was that what he’d been thinking about while I was organizing the office… from outside the door this whole time?

Aiden always wanted to do something for her. But Lily never really expected help from him.

What could she possibly ask of someone no one else could see—someone who couldn’t affect the world, except by breaking things?

Even in their contract, Lily handled the present labor while Aiden handled future repayment.

He didn’t need to cling to her so tightly. And yet, here he was—offering up even his ugliest memories, desperately trying to find something, anything, that might be of help.

“Thank you.”

Lily said it sincerely.

“You’ve helped me a lot.”

She was the one who gained something from it, but Aiden smiled like he was the lucky one.

That smile held no trace of pretense or calculation. Just like it always had lately. And that’s exactly why Lily suddenly felt a pang of regret.

Once he returns to his body… I probably won’t see that smile again. We live in different worlds.

It wasn’t just the soul that needed to go back to where it belonged. They did too.

Sure, they’d remember it for a while. The odd little time spent with a maid who once seemed charming like a curious animal.

But that was all just a deviation, forced by circumstance. Once Aiden returned to his glamorous, noble life, he’d soon forget a rough-handed commoner like her.

He might even want to erase the part of his life where he had to grovel to a maid just to stay alive.

Who’s to say people’s hearts don’t fade?

He might act like he wants to be with her all the time now. He might even seem genuinely happy in her presence. But in the end…

Emotions are fleeting. Permanence only exists in stories. Lily understood that well. So she decided she would savor the moment like it would last forever—then let it go when the time came.

Those who can’t let go only make themselves miserable.

 

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

On a morning with just the right amount of sunlight, Lily Dienta appeared in front of the annex holding a picnic basket with its lid neatly shut.

“Good morning!”

She gave her usual greeting to the guard, bowed politely, and inserted the key into the annex’s front door lock.

After Lily Dienta stepped inside, the guard took out his issued pocket watch and checked the time.

The annex was originally kept locked and left without any special supervision. There hadn’t even been a designated guard.

But ever since Lily Dienta started coming and going from the annex, a guard had been stationed there full-time.

The job came with simple instructions:

First, do not allow anyone besides Lily Dienta to enter or exit.

Second, no matter what sounds might be heard from inside, do not interfere or inquire.

Third, if Lily Dienta does not come out after one hour, break in through the window with the emergency hammer and assess the situation.

Such bizarre orders were more than enough to spark curiosity. And the fact that Lily Dienta—currently the most talked-about person in the estate—was involved only added fuel to the fire.

The mystery surrounding Lily Dienta was immense.

An absurdly rapid rise in status. Signs of apparent mental instability. The appointment of relatives during the Duke’s absence. And yet, because she had the support of the second most powerful person in the estate, all of it was under a strict gag order.

And now, she brought a basket every morning and entered the supposedly empty annex…

But a good soldier does not question his commander’s orders.

The guard knew full well that curiosity could ruin his future. He focused solely on his assigned duties.

Meanwhile, inside the annex, Lily locked the door behind her and braced herself mentally so she wouldn’t be startled as she surveyed the parlor-slash-living room.

The annex was a small cottage that, though compact, had every space needed for daily life. Because of its size, the front door opened directly into the living room.

Yesterday, for whatever reason, the Emperor had been in the living room early in the morning, and she’d nearly dropped the basket upon entering.

Fortunately, today it seemed he was staying quietly in the bedroom. Relieved, she first made her way toward the chapel.