Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 36

This chapter is sponsored by NoodLuver~

The next day, when Lily entered the annex to replace the holy water and headed to the bedroom, she began to wonder if she didn’t, in fact, have some extraordinary hidden talent.

Something like… a spirit cleanser, or at the very least, a soul meditation guide. That’s how much Julius’s soul had recovered—it was almost unrecognizable.

She had guessed as much while changing the holy water and checking the ring. But it was one thing to guess based on the shimmer trapped in the ring; it was entirely different to see it with her own eyes, in the form of a person-shaped soul.

Just yesterday, Julius had still been covered in creeping blackness, with only scattered patches of light showing through.

Now, his soul looked much clearer, like layers had been peeled away. If yesterday he was like a mass of pitch, today he was more like a bottle of water shaken with fine sand. And more than anything, the clarity in his eyes was different.

“Spiritual physician Lily Dienta, at the service of the ruler of the Empire.”

She bowed deeply.

Julius replied in a clear voice:

[You may rise.]

“Did you rest well last night?” she asked as she fumbled in her basket.

[I did. I feel more clear-headed than I have in a long time.]

It was obvious, even at a glance.

Because of that, her hand searching for the glass rod slowed. She was suddenly unsure whether she could continue this little act in front of a fully alert emperor.

But she couldn’t skip it either—routine was routine—so she steeled herself and took out the rod.

As usual, Lily held the rod to Julius’s mouth. After a few seconds, she removed it and narrowed her eyes as if to examine it—when Julius asked:

[What exactly can you learn from that? Isn’t it just an ordinary glass rod?]

As she feared, Julius had begun to question it. A very reasonable suspicion.

Fortunately, Lily was prepared for this. She answered smoothly, with her usual composure.

“To my eyes, I can see things others can’t. The residue of your soul left on the rod appears quite clearly to me.”

She held the rod up proudly for show.

“Your spiritual resonance is extremely stable today, Your Majesty. A very positive sign. Have you been keeping up with your meditation?”

[I have,] he replied.

His eyes followed her hand as she returned the rod to the basket.

[Ever since you left yesterday. I kept thinking of my family.]

“Good. Then shall we continue where we left off yesterday?”

Lily sat across from him.

“You said that man never met the Empress. I find that hard to believe from a logical standpoint. Could you explain more?”

Julius stared at her for a moment.

His gaze, now much more lucid, was entirely different from the day before. He no longer looked at her as an equal—or as someone who could surprise him. Gone, too, was the vacant, helpless expression.

Lily swallowed hard. Even though his soul wasn’t fully purified, he was already a tougher opponent to deal with.

[As soon as he opened his eyes, he sent Themis and Otto to a countryside villa. And he never once called for them again.]

It was a far more extreme method than anything Lily had imagined. She’d only considered the possibility of them not running into each other in the capital.

She couldn’t quite figure out the reason. Was he afraid they’d recognize him and blow his cover? But if that were the case, he would’ve had to replace everyone—head chamberlains, royal guards, personal attendants…

As Lily mulled this over, Julius’s voice reached her ears again.

[How is Aiden? Has he shown any improvement?]

He wore a worried expression, like he was concerned for an old friend.

This, from the same man who’d panicked and run away at the sight of Aiden’s spirit? The shamelessness was remarkable.

But then again, Lily was no less bold. With a sigh, she began to ramble about her “other patient’s” condition.

“His Grace has always maintained a pure soul. But recently, he’s been… declining.”

She continued in a sorrowful tone.

“It’s because of a growing grip of unjust anger. There’s been more lashing out, more distrust… and the biggest issue is, he’s started refusing treatment.”

[Aiden’s not the type to fall apart so easily…]

Julius stared directly into Lily’s eyes as he spoke. It was clear he didn’t believe a word of what she’d said.

‘Huh, I thought he was just paranoid—but he’s actually got a decent read on His Grace.’

His cold gaze seemed to say that shallow tricks wouldn’t work on him. And considering this was the downfall of someone he supposedly hated, you’d expect him to feel at least a bit triumphant.

Lily’s palms were damp with sweat. This wasn’t like tricking some half-insane spirit. The tension was in a whole different league.

She lowered her gaze politely, careful not to look guilty, and replied,

“I only reported what I’ve observed, as per Your Majesty’s command. Even though revealing a patient’s condition goes against my duty as a physician.”

Anyone with Julius’s level of intellect would understand that this essentially meant: ‘You asked me to tell you, so how dare you act like I’ve betrayed someone.’

Even with her plausible defense, Julius didn’t drop his suspicion so easily. The silence in the room turned tight and heavy.

Lily calmly placed one hand over the other, suppressing the near-tremble in her fingers.

Don’t snap… breathe… just wait it out. Wait for your moment.

Truthfully, Lily had little talent for patience. She usually preferred to stir things up and break tense atmospheres rather than endure them.

But this time, she couldn’t afford impulsiveness. No risks. No unpredictability. No dangerous variables.

If she fumbled through some unexpected situation and ended up exposing her alliance with Aiden, she’d lose one of her most valuable cards.

So she stayed quiet and focused on her objective.

Julius had to fully believe that Aiden’s condition was deteriorating—and that Lily Dienta was nothing more than a talented, naive healer with no allegiances.

Her ultimate goal was to plant a very useful misunderstanding in Julius’s mind: that with a little coaxing, Lily Dienta could be easily manipulated.

Her patience paid off.

Julius finally broke the silence and asked,

[If that’s the case, then I’m deeply concerned. A sudden shift in a dear friend’s mental state… Surely, if you’re a skilled healer, you must already understand the cause. If there’s anything I can do, I will.]

To an outsider, he might have sounded like a truly concerned friend.

But Lily knew better.

He was clearly still weighing how much he could trust her, if she was hiding any loyalties, if there was another motive behind her actions.

Thanks to Aiden’s relentless warnings, Lily had a sharp sense of what Julius might be thinking. Aiden never stopped repeating himself—day after day.

If you’re going to deceive Julius, deceive him perfectly. Even if you both know it’s a game of mutual bluffing, the surface must be flawless. Give him nothing to latch on to.

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing Your Majesty can do,” she began, drawing out her words just enough to heighten his anticipation before delivering the blow.

“Because the cause of His Grace’s condition… is Your Majesty.”

[Because of me?]

As expected, he repeated her words in shock.

Surely, in all his life, he had never heard a commoner accuse him so plainly—face to face.

“Yes,” Lily replied, her tone cool and collected.

“I don’t know exactly what it was about Your Majesty that disturbed His Grace. But I can say for certain—you were the trigger. He began distrusting me the moment I took on Your Majesty’s treatment.”

Julius didn’t get angry at her bluntness. Instead, he gestured for her to continue.

“In fact, he originally told me not to come to the annex. He said I should focus on his treatment first.”

She tilted her head slightly, pretending to recall the details.

“He said once he recovered, he would personally take charge of Your Majesty’s treatment. That he’d bring in more skilled personnel to offer better care. But as a physician, how could I ignore a critically ill patient—especially the very Father of the Empire?”

It wasn’t the kind of question that needed an answer. Lily kept going without waiting for one.

“So I disobeyed His Grace’s orders and started coming to the annex. And since then, he has refused to trust me. He gets angry every time he sees me, which has only worsened the distortion in his soul. So, Your Majesty, the source of it all… is you.”

She paused the elaborate lie just long enough to study Julius’s expression.