Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 4

Wolfram Burnett, unable to bear the commotion, finally stepped out of his office. Exhaustion hung over him, and the area under his eyes looked dark behind his glasses.

He glanced back and forth between the soldier and Lily, visibly irritated.

“What on earth is going on?”

The soldier hurriedly stood and reported.

“I’m sorry! One of the maids went wild, and while we were trying to stop her, the window broke.”

He didn’t mention that he had been knocked out by an invisible force. It was too hard to explain.

“Just when I thought today might be quiet, again with this.”

Wolfram irritably pushed up his glasses and looked at the shattered glass and empty window frame. His already poor complexion darkened further.

He turned his gaze to Lily.

“You said you had something to tell me?”

His grim expression suggested that unless it was something important, he’d personally hand Lily over to the head maid.

She spoke as politely as possible.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What is it?”

“Um, it’s a bit difficult to say here…”

Wolfram muttered while rubbing his forehead.

“Now that things are going chaos even from dogs and cows.”

Being compared to an animal didn’t bother her as much as the instinct to survive did. At this rate, she wouldn’t get off with just re-education.

She’d be fired. The worst kind of firing—blacklisted in the industry and unable to find work anywhere nearby.

Lily quickly looked at the ghost.

‘You said you’d take responsibility!’

Fortunately, the ghost wasn’t late with the code.

[Say, “Wendel’s apples really tasted awful.”]

“W-Wendel’s apples were really awful!”

Wolfram squinted at the sudden outburst—but only for a moment. Then his eyes widened.

“What did you just say?”

The mysterious phrase had worked! Lily wondered just how bad Wendel’s apples had to be to become a secret code, but she followed through.

“Wendel’s apples really tasted awful.”

“How could you… No. Don’t answer. Follow me.”

He led the way back into the office. Lily passed the dumbfounded soldier and followed behind. As soon as the door closed, Wolfram pressed her.

“How on earth did you know that?”

“Before I explain, I, Lily Dienta, swear to the divine Lord Lumion.”

Lily clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

“I am not insane, nor a follower of any wicked cult, and everything I am about to say is the complete and honest truth.”

“Spare me the useless preamble.”

Lily opened her palm and pointed to the ghost standing beside her.

“The spirit of Duke Aidan Kashimir here has told me.”

A crease formed between Wolfram’s brows. It was obvious he thought she was out of her mind. Her fingers, which had been spread wide, curled inward awkwardly.

In a shrinking voice, she insisted again.

“I swear again, I’m not crazy, and I speak only the truth.”

“You expect me to believe that? The Duke’s spirit? What nonsense… You must have learned something and decided to use it. With the Duke gone, you think you can mock House Kashimir?”

Wolfram’s eyes gleamed with contempt.

“If you won’t come clean about how you found out, I have my ways.”

He moved toward the door. Lily quickly stepped in front of him. Whatever his methods were, they didn’t sound peaceful.

She looked desperately at the ghost again. The second code came quickly.

[Ask about the Brtulu Bridge.]

“His Grace asks how the Brtulu Bridge is coming along.”

[Surely they didn’t stop repairs because of me.]

“He wonders if they really stopped repairs because of him.”

Wolfram froze. Lily didn’t miss the chance to press further.

“I can offer more proof. A powerful one. Right, Your Grace?”

Her wide eyes begged, ‘I’m counting on you!’ The Duke gave a vague smile.

[Oh, I do have something. But Wolfram won’t be able to bear the shame. I really wish he’d just accept the truth already.]

“I see. Sir, His Grace hopes you’ll accept the truth now. If not, he says he’ll have no choice but to shame you.”

“A solo performance, is it?”

Lily ignored him.

“If you don’t want me to learn what would shame you the most, it’s in your best interest to believe me now.”

“Hah. I’m curious to hear what that could be.”

Wolfram smirked. Lily exchanged glances with the ghost.

[To my dearest Anna Cape…]

“To my dearest Anna Cape.”

[Anna, while eating a pink peach today.]

The moment she heard a woman’s name followed by “pink peach,” Lily instantly sensed it was a love letter.

Flustered, she looked back and forth between the ghost and Wolfram.

“Your Grace, isn’t this a bit too personal?”

The ghost was firm.

[Anna, while eating a pink peach today.]

“Anna, while eating a pink peach today.”

Wolfram’s eyes widened.

[I thought of your rosy cheeks.]

“I thought of your ros—”

“Stop!”

Wolfram shouted, his face pale.

“Are you finally accepting it now?”

[What a shame. I could’ve recited the whole thing.]

“By the way, His Grace says he could recite the entire letter from start to finish.”

“Why do you even remember that?!”

Wolfram protested harshly, his face full of confusion as he looked around.

“Is His Grace really here? The Duke’s spirit?”

He seemed almost convinced now, mumbling to himself. Lily held out her hand and clearly pointed again.

“Yes. Right here, His Grace is present, in the form of a spirit.”

Wolfram stared fiercely at the spot. The Duke, having leaned in too close, instinctively stepped back.

“I don’t see anything.”

“Do you need more proof?”

When Lily asked carefully, Wolfram refused in an irritated tone.

“No, that’s enough.”

He let out a deep sigh, like smoke billowing from a cigarette.

“So what are you?”

“My name is Lily Dienta, and I’ve been working here as a maid for—”

“I’m not asking for your life story. Are you a follower of the Solmon faith?”

“No!”

Lily jumped.

“I clearly swore at the beginning that I wasn’t! I absolutely am not a heretic!”

There was a reason Lily denied it so strongly.

The Solmon faith was a foreign religion that had quietly spread among the public since last year.

Its followers claimed they could communicate with the souls of the dead to uncover the secrets of the world. They also claimed that one could transcend the limits of life and reach the infinity of the soul.

With these ridiculous promises of immortality and spirits, one by one, people of the Empire began falling for it, forming disturbing groups and even defiling the temples of the divine.

Eventually, the Empire declared them enemies of the divine and wiped them out. They confiscated the properties of defected citizens and branded their foreheads as slaves.

So, under no circumstances could she be mistaken for a heretic. Lily pleaded earnestly to prove her innocence.

“I came here with courage to be of service to the noble Duke Kashimir whom I deeply respect and rely on. But to be accused of being a heretic—I feel so wronged, and it deeply saddens me that this is the reward for my loyalty.”

She dabbed her eyes with her sleeve.

“If anyone hears you suspect me of something so disgraceful and it reaches the ears of the temple, I’ll… well, I suppose I’ll just have to accept my fate. But haven’t you come to believe in His Grace’s presence as well? Shouldn’t we be working together to get through this situation, instead of accusing me of being some wicked person—what good does that do for you…”

Wolfram shut his eyes tightly.

“Enough, I get it. I’ve heard plenty.”

[You really speak without pause.]

As the ghost admired her monologue, Wolfram rubbed his face roughly like trying to wash it without water. When he looked up, he seemed much calmer, as though his mind had finally settled.

“What in the world happened to you? We summoned the Empire’s best physicians, yet none of them could even name a proper diagnosis.”

[I don’t know much myself. One day, I was suddenly separated from my body and became bound to the main building. I don’t have any idea why this happened.]

“His Grace says he has no idea either. One day, he suddenly left his body and now can’t leave the building.”

“His soul left the body…”

Wolfram murmured.

There was only one suspect. The ghost brought it up first.

[We need to investigate the Solmon faith.]

“His Grace says we need to investigate the Solmon faith.”

“Considering His Grace’s condition, that’s a reasonable path. But in the Solmon faith, wasn’t it only the cult leader who could use magic of this level?”

Lily blinked.

“Um… wasn’t that person executed right after the imperial celebration banquet?”