Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 64

Besides, what could she possibly do, even if she worried to the point of splitting her head open?

Go back to Aiden Kashimir’s side? Sneak into the royal capital? Hide herself head to toe in a cloak and gather rumors at a tavern?

The only thing she could actually do was keep the townhouse Aiden left her in perfect condition.

Lily let her arms hang limp. Her hair was a mess, and a few strands that had lost their hold fell through her fingers.

She stood frozen like that for a while, then finally moved her legs. Her powerless steps dragged her slippers across the floor.

She slowly climbed onto the bed. Curling up under the covers, she thought miserably.

“I wish I could just forget quickly. Let my heart fade fast, eat well, sleep well, and meet a new love that fits my station… Ha, like that’s going to happen.”

With how she felt right now, she’d be better off joining a convent and devoting herself to God than finding a new love. Lily sighed.

Maybe Aiden was right. Maybe they really could care for and love each other with unchanging hearts even in the distant future.

And yet… she would always live with doubt and unease.

It would surely be a miserable life, with not a single day of peace. And if only she were the one suffering, that would be fine. But watching her like that, Aiden’s heart would rot too.

So instead, it was a hundred times better to be miserable like this and wait for the pain to dull bit by bit.

As always since she’d left the castle, Lily finished her thoughts with self-rationalization. Whether feelings changed or not—if the end was going to be unhappy, it was better to bear it alone…

What else could she do, other than acting pathetic and calling it sour grapes?

“Really… what can I do…”

Lily sniffled. After tossing and turning for a while longer, she finally drifted into a light sleep.

 

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

 

Lily stood in front of the mirror. In the mirror stood Lily Dienta, all ready to go out.

Her outfit had come from the wardrobe that Mark Kashimir had prepared. It couldn’t compare to the fancy dresses noble ladies wore, but it was neat and proper—perfectly fine to go out in.

She put on a hat with a ribbon and picked up her basket. Inside were her newly bought embroidery tools, neatly arranged.

She focused her eyes and stared into the mirror at herself.

“Something! I! Can! Do!”

Determination was clear in her eyes. She nodded deeply and grabbed her keys before heading out.

Late in the afternoon, Lily, done with her tasks for the day, was headed to the “Red Needle Embroidery Shop.”

The name sounded like a cover for an assassin group, but it was just a regular embroidery shop.

Twice a week, a small embroidery gathering was held there. Members would chat while working on their own pieces or help beginners. If you paid a small fee, the shop owner would teach you how to knit.

Lily was currently taking the beginner class.

“Hello!”

“Welcome, Lily.”

“Good afternoon.”

The members who’d arrived earlier greeted Lily warmly.

“Did you practice a lot?”

“Ah… well, once I got home, I forgot everything…”

“That happens to everyone at first. It’s okay. Then let’s start by reviewing.”

Gloria, the shop owner, said kindly.

This was Lily’s third time attending the gathering. So far, she had only managed to repeat what could honestly be called a waste of money and thread.

When it came to embroidery, she had only done minor clothing repairs. The most complicated thing she’d ever made was a cloth ball she gave to Aiden as a gift.

She had never even held tools like a crochet hook or knitting needles before.

So her hands trembled even when trying to start a stitch, and the yarn would fray from being unraveled over and over.

Sometimes she felt like she would be stuck trying to make the first stitch forever…

As a seller of embroidery tools, Gloria was endlessly kind to Lily, who had become a regular customer. The other members were also just warm and encouraging.

Lily was grateful for how kindly everyone treated such a hopeless beginner, but in truth, she wasn’t very interested in embroidery.

She had only come here for one reason—to hear news from the capital.

Getting a job as a maid in a noble’s house would have made it easier to hear gossip, but that was out of the question. And it was too dangerous for a young woman to hang around taverns or alleys hoping to gather meaningful information.

In her situation, this embroidery group was the safest place she could blend into.

The Red Needle Embroidery Shop attracted women from many walks of life, and luckily, a few of them worked for the upper class. Lily had her eyes on them.

There were more loose-lipped nobles than people thought, and their servants always remembered what their masters carelessly let slip.

Of course, a good servant was supposed to act like they heard nothing and saw nothing. But “acting” was just that—they saw and heard everything.

And among them, there was always at least one chatterbox who liked to share juicy stories.

Lily hoped dearly that someone like that was part of this embroidery group.

“Lily, how about trying this pattern today?”

Gloria pulled a design from a box of patterns. It was a simple lace pattern made with the basic techniques Lily had learned so far.

“You could use it as a border for a handkerchief or sew it on sleeves—it’s simple but elegant.”

Lily stared hard at the design, trying to burn its tricky structure into her memory. While she did that, Gloria checked in on the other members.

“Wow, is this thread from the mansion? It’s really high quality.”

Gloria subtly hinted her disapproval to a member using materials from another shop.

“Ah, well, yes, my lady asked me to bring it. She said she’d be giving it to guests from the gathering, so she picked the shop herself. I have to make six by this weekend, so I couldn’t finish everything at the mansion and had to bring some work here.”

Lily clicked her tongue inwardly.

That’s the problem with employers. They think finished products just appear when they give an order. Meanwhile, the servants have to lose sleep scrambling to get it done.

That poor servant’s name was Dona Alosha, the head maid under Count Contania.

“By the weekend? The design looks too complex to finish six in time.”

Dona replied in a troubled voice.

“Actually, since they’ll be turned into brooches, I really need to finish a day or two earlier.”

“Oh dear, really? Then it’s way too tight… That won’t do. Let me help you with some of them.”

“Ah! Thank you so much, Gloria!”

Lily leaned over slightly to sneak a peek at the difficult design.

It was a tiny drawing, smaller than a quarter of her palm. Dona was embroidering it onto fabric. Lily gasped.

“Whoa, you’re drawing this with thread?”

“I’ve already finished two, actually.”

With a proud smile, Dona took the finished pieces out of her handbag.

“Wow… That’s amazing… Really, wow…”

“You’ll be able to do this soon too, Lily.”

Dona lifted her chin slightly with pride. But Lily didn’t find it annoying at all—Dona had every right to be proud.

Vines and leaves wove together in delicate shading to form a pattern. Just completing one looked like it would ruin your eyesight.

And she had already finished two. That was real skill. It was way beyond what Lily could even imagine doing. Her embroidery skills were awful, and her drawing skills weren’t any better.

Then suddenly, Lily felt a strange sense of familiarity.

“I’ve seen that somewhere before…”

She handed the work back and picked up her own thread again.

She now had no trouble wrapping the thread around her fingers to start the first stitch. But she still gripped the crochet hook too tightly, and her fingers hurt.

Slowly moving her wrist, she kept thinking about the pattern.

“No, I’ve definitely seen it before. But not that exact picture—just something similar… Hmm… Hmm… Ah!”

Lily’s eyes widened. She’d seen it in the forbidden book Julia was translating!

That book had tons of symbols like that, each with a short description of its effect. They were called “blessing sigils.”

She couldn’t believe her eyes and kept sneaking glances to check. But the more she looked, the more certain she became.

If you ignored the decorative details and simplified the tree stem into a line, the drawing Dona was using matched one of the symbols from the book exactly.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember exactly which one it was.

“There were so many kinds. Health, long life, protection, charm… All sorts of stuff.”