Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 39

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[And even now, you step forward so willingly. I can’t even guess where the limits of your kindness lie.]

Lily twisted in her seat in embarrassment.

Did he really say “the limits of your kindness”? Did she hear that right?

A ridiculously handsome man had just uttered a line straight out of a cringey romance novel—without a shred of shame.

Other than her family, like Julia, the highest praise Lily had ever received from others was “You’re good at cleaning” or “You have a mild temperament.”

She truly didn’t know what to do with herself.

[And since you’re sharp-minded, I’m sure you fully understand the risks behind Julius’s proposal without needing me to explain.]

The compliments didn’t stop—they only leveled up. Her skin burned from her scalp to her neck. If she looked in the mirror now, she’d surely be beet red.

It was harder to keep her composure now than when she sat face-to-face with the emperor in their tense meeting.

Lily barely held back the urge to melt into the sofa. Aiden’s voice kept going.

[Lily, your decisions have always led to good outcomes. I was too busy opposing them until now, but I’ve come to understand—it’s right to follow your lead. You’re the herald of fortune who came to me.]

This wasn’t a snowflake of affection—it was a bonfire. She felt scorched.

Each word was so over-the-top that Lily began to wonder—was Aiden just speaking in noble fashion?

In that world, poetic praise was normal. Was she just the clueless maid overwhelmed by noble flair?

If Wolfram had said the same, she would’ve wondered if he ate something weird for breakfast and just ignored it.

But Aiden said it all with such warm, gentle eyes that Lily’s heart couldn’t help but race.

[So, Lily—once Lady Dienta finishes her translation, you can leave.]

“Translation?”

[Yeah. You’re going to the capital to face the leader of the Solmon cult—Manus, right? Then you need to bring as much information as you can. It’s best to be fully prepared, don’t you think?]

“Yes, yes. You’re right.”

Lily agreed quickly, desperate to bring this embarrassing conversation to an end.

Even with just a moment of thought, his suggestion was completely reasonable. In a situation where any piece of information might prove useful, it was only smart to fully understand the materials they had.

And she wouldn’t have to wait long. Julia had been pushing the translation work at an insane pace—over half of the scriptures were already done.

[Good. Then it’s a promise. You’ll leave for the capital once Lady Dienta finishes her work.]

Aiden stated their terms in a light tone.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

[I’ll need time to prepare myself too, so you mustn’t break the promise.]

“I won’t. I promise.”

Lily nodded firmly. She was relieved the embarrassing conversation was over, and at the same time, glad they had reached a fairly solid conclusion.

With a satisfied smile, Aiden told her to inform Wolfram. Lily faithfully followed the order.

Wolfram asked again, looking a bit confused.

“His Grace agreed?”

“Yes. But not right away. He said I can go after Grandma finishes her work.”

“What I mean is, regardless of the timing—did he really agree to you going to the capital with the emperor at all?”

“Yes, Secretary.”

He looked puzzled for a moment, then addressed the air around him, as if speaking to someone invisible.

“If it comes to that, as Miss Dienta said, His Grace must remain here. If it’s revealed that his illness is a lie, then the fact that Miss Dienta is actually working for him will come out too.”

Lily had been worried about the same thing.

“If he finds out, there’s no telling how he’ll react. In the worst case… he might try to bring us all down with him.”

Aiden remained calm.

[I’ve considered everything.]

“He says he’s considered everything.”

Wolfram frowned, clearly still unsure, then bowed his head.

“I will follow His Grace’s command.”

With that, the urgent conversation came to a pause, and they all returned to their work.

As time passed, the shock from all the compliments that had scrambled Lily’s brain began to settle. Only then could she reflect on Wolfram’s reaction.

Wolfram clearly hadn’t believed Aiden’s decision right away. He seemed to think that there was no way Aiden would let Lily go to the capital unless he was going with her.

She had missed it earlier, too happy about gaining permission. But now that she thought about it, it really was strange.

‘Right. He let me go way too easily. He’s always stopped me every time I tried to do something risky.’

But this time, Aiden had agreed right away—no excuses, no attempts to talk her out of it.

She glanced at him from the side. He caught on immediately and turned his gaze toward her.

[What is it, Lily?]

“It’s nothing.”

Nothing, yeah right!

She was baffled, realizing this was the first time Aiden hadn’t tried to stop her.

Hadn’t he once nearly destroyed a castle just from being apart for two days? He’d practically begged her not to leave him alone…

‘Maybe I’ve finally earned his trust. He must think Lily Dienta is capable enough to be trusted now.’

She tried to take it positively. Still, deep down, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

He hadn’t questioned the dangers she’d face. He hadn’t tried to carefully plan things out with her first. He’d just agreed.

‘Maybe… maybe he’s waiting to talk more while Grandma finishes the translation. Maybe he figured I wouldn’t listen if he just outright said no…’

Turning a page, Lily realized how ridiculously petty she was being.

She was the one who said she’d go. So the right thing now was to focus and get to work. But her thoughts kept circling.

‘Still, even Secretary Wolfram seemed suspicious. It’s not just me, is it? Did his feelings… change? Since his recovery isn’t progressing, does he not care what happens to a mere maid anymore? After all that sweet talk that could rot your teeth?’

Still defining herself as just a maid, Lily bit her lip hard.

If only she were doing hard labor, she’d be too breathless to have all these thoughts.

But in her comfy chair, in an environment without a single bead of sweat on her forehead, her mind was free to wander—and it wandered far.

Her strange, sunken mood didn’t lift even after lunch. Aiden, unaware of it all, gave her instructions as usual.

[Let’s go to the library. I need something.]

There’s only one thing to find in a library: books.

Lily tried to recall if there was anything today that required referencing books. Nothing came to mind.

It couldn’t be for his hobbies either—he couldn’t even flip the pages by himself.

Curious, Lily headed to the library.

“Good day, Miss Dienta.”

Her status in the castle had risen to the point where even the duke’s personal librarian bowed to her.

“Hello, sir.”

“What are you looking for today?”

“Um…”

As Lily hesitated, Aiden whispered:

[Tell him we’re looking for books brought in from overseas.]

“We’re here to borrow books from overseas.”

“Even if they’re from abroad, the selection is wide. Do you have a specific country in mind?”

Of course—it was the duke’s library. The collection was vast. Julia had once gushed about it with stars in her eyes.

Aiden whispered again.

[I want to see books from Solmon.]

“We’re looking for books from Solmon.”

“If you tell me the title, I’ll retrieve them for you.”

[Ask to browse the shelves directly.]

“I’d like to take a look at the shelves myself.”

Lily faithfully relayed Aiden’s every word. Following the librarian’s lead, they crossed the library.

Compared to the full library, the section on Solmon was small—just three shelves packed tightly.

Standing before these books in a public space felt strangely awkward, even unsettling.

Lily asked carefully,

“These aren’t banned books, are they? I mean, with the current tensions between the two countries because of the Solmon cult… is it okay for them to be out like this?”

“Books that could be mistaken for banned materials aren’t placed on open shelves. These are mostly academic works, classics, a few memoirs and poetry collections.”

Listening to the librarian’s explanation, she stared blankly at the unreadable titles.

“Do you know the title of the book you’re looking for? Or should I select a few based on your area of interest?”

[To Madam Dienta…]

Without thinking much, Lily repeated after Aiden.

“To Madam Dienta…”

[Send all of them.]

“Send all of th—”

She suddenly widened her eyes and whipped her head toward Aiden.