Working at a Haunted Mansion – Chapter 69

Author: Asternkm

Aiden stared past the door and asked,

“Did he threaten you? Is that why you were so terrified?”

“No, not exactly.”

Lily answered slowly, tracing her memory.

“It was just… the way he looked was so shocking. What on earth happened to him? He’s in a far worse state than I remember.”

Aiden relaxed his expression and smiled gently, his eyes softening.

“Let’s talk inside.”

Lily’s fingertips went cold.

Go inside? After seeing her shaking like a leaf, that was still what he said?

The moment she took one step into the entryway, that ghost would cling to her for sure.

He couldn’t even speak clearly, yet somehow had the hearing of a hawk. He was already pressed right up against the boundary of the entrance.

“U-Um, what if we, um, had the conversation back at Mr. Idiris’s townhouse instead? Or maybe, uh, in a different building…”

“That would be a reasonable idea too.”

Aiden took off his coat and placed it over Lily’s head. It dropped low, nearly halfway down her face, completely blocking her view.

While she was still confused by the sudden darkness, he spoke politely,

“But I’ve already prepared a drawing room just for you. I’d like to ask for your understanding.”

“Well, I suppose I have no choice.”

It wasn’t ideal, but with the host insisting this much, she didn’t really have an option.

Lily held the coat in place with one hand and reached out the other to Aiden.

It was true—like this, she wouldn’t have to see the ghost as she walked.

The drawing room might not be ghost-free either, but if she kept the coat on, it should be fine. With a bit of maneuvering, she could probably even eat with it on.

“Excuse me, then.”

His voice had a hint of amusement. She was trembling in fear, and he was clearly trying not to enjoy himself too much.

Just as she was about to fume at how carefree he looked—both feet suddenly lifted off the ground.

“Eek!”

Another disgraceful yelp escaped her.

“Lily, if you squirm, it’ll be dangerous.”

“P-Please put me down!”

“The path to the drawing room is a little tricky. If you walk while blindfolded, you might fall. I can’t risk letting a precious guest get hurt.”

He explained calmly, despite it making no sense, and began to walk. The ghost followed them.

[Mis…under…standing. It’s a misunderstanding, Aiden…]

“Ugh!”

Lily froze like a rock at the ghost’s pleading voice. Maybe it was easier to be carried after all.

Accepting her fate, she stayed quietly in his arms.

“We’re here.”

She heard the door open. A sweet, fresh scent of flowers poured out from inside.

It wasn’t the kind of fragrance that came from just one or two bouquets. When Aiden said the drawing room was “prepared,” he hadn’t just meant tea and snacks.

Lily really wanted to see the room with her own eyes—but held back. If she took off the coat, she would see the ghost again.

Even worse, the ghost might poke its head under the coat through any slight opening.

She gripped the collar tighter and pressed it against her face, closing her eyes. At almost the same moment, the ghost shrieked like it was having a fit.

[Misunderstanding… misunderstanding… it’s a misunderstanding… I swear…!]

Lily summoned every ounce of patience to hold in a scream. Her body still flinched, but at least she could spare Aiden’s ears.

Aiden gently set her down onto a chair.

“Th-Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you.”

He lightly brushed her shoulder, then stepped away before she could say anything. From the sound, he had taken a seat across from her. Even then, Lily kept twitching.

Aiden said, a little exasperated,

“At this rate, we won’t be able to have a proper conversation.”

“Y-Yes, I suppose that’s true.”

Lily mumbled from inside the coat. She agreed completely.

What kind of serious talk could they possibly have like this? It was too ridiculous to concentrate.

“It’s not like I’m enjoying this! Why the heck did he end up like that anyway? He’s the Emperor, isn’t he? How can his willpower be this weak?”

Anyway, this couldn’t continue. Lily took a deep breath and cautiously peeked out from under the coat. If it seemed manageable…

She immediately gave up and pulled the coat back down over her face.

Julius was right next to Aiden, pleading with him. Aiden’s right shoulder was half-covered by the sludge-like mass.

“Is he near you right now?”

“Yes, right beside Your Grace.”

Just a brief glance had been enough to make Lily’s hair stand on end and goosebumps break out across her skin.

Her entire awareness had been consumed by that presence—she couldn’t even remember what the drawing room or the table looked like.

“I’m sorry, but… could I please stay like this? Or maybe, um… would wearing a blindfold be better?”

“No. That’s not great either. It might look strange.”

He answered seriously. Lily imagined the scene in her head: a handsome nobleman sitting across from a common woman wearing a blindfold in a room filled with flowers.

“You’re right. This is probably the best option.”

The best solution would’ve been to move the ring to another building. But since the ghost was that corrupted, the ring must be just as ominous.

Anyone trying to carry it would end up in serious danger. Which meant, for now, this was her only option…

“I don’t like this either.”

“Pardon?”

Lily blinked, confused.

Then what was she supposed to do? Was he telling her to just open her eyes and tough it out? But Aiden would never force her to do something she was frightened of.

Even so, Lily made up her mind to obey the Duke.

Alright. I’ll take one deep breath and lower the coat. No—three more deep breaths…

Just as she gripped the coat in preparation—

“Julius.”

Aiden spoke his name in an utterly flat tone. The voice was so cold it made her spine straighten—and it wasn’t even directed at her.

The effect was immediate.

[Y-Yeah, yeah, Aiden, yeah.]

“Go wait outside.”

[I’ll… I’ll go…]

The grotesque, relentless sound that had been pleading “misunderstanding” vanished cleanly. After a few more seconds, the air felt noticeably lighter.

Lily hesitated, then cautiously peeked out from under the coat. The ghost was nowhere to be seen.

She fully removed the coat, looking dazed.

“He’s gone?”

“Yes… he’s really gone.”

Her eyes widened as she looked around the drawing room—finally seeing what it looked like. It felt like she had stepped into a painting.

Vases overflowing with lush flowers were arranged around the table, filling the space. It was as if the season had turned to spring without her knowing.

“They’ll wilt soon, and yet he put out so many… How much did this all cost?” The thought crossed her mind, but even so—it was beautiful. Clearly, it wasn’t just Aiden himself that had been carefully arranged.

And more brilliant than anything else—Aiden was smiling with a radiant face.

“Wh-Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just looking at your face…”

“Wait! No! Don’t say it!”

A sudden chill ran down her spine as if he were about to say something she couldn’t handle, and she cut him off in a panic.

Aiden shrugged and graciously complied.

They were merely sitting in a drawing room, but Lily already felt exhausted. She let out a long sigh. Seeing that, Aiden chuckled and rang the bell.

Tea and sweets were brought in. The coat was returned to its rightful owner. Once the servants withdrew and they were alone again, Lily began to relax.

She kept a cautious eye on the doorway. The ghost had vanished completely.

“You handle him really well.”

“Do I?”

To Lily, it seemed the ghost was even more terrified of Aiden than she was of it.

It was pitifully desperate not to offend him. It had been frantic to clear up the misunderstanding that it had threatened her.

Lily couldn’t understand how such a thing was possible.

The ghost’s corruption itself was natural. Its only outlet for communication had disappeared, so it must have sunk even deeper into despair.

Meanwhile, Aiden—the object of its inferiority—had regained his body without issue. It was only natural that the ghost’s already fragile state would deteriorate further.

But how Aiden had trained that ghost remained a mystery.

It’s not like he could tie it up and torture it. You couldn’t exactly negotiate or threaten a ghost. For starters, they couldn’t even communicate properly.

So how on earth had he managed to make a half-crazed spirit obedient?

Lily cautiously brought it up.

“He listens to you so well.”

“I think so too.”

“How can you tell?”

She genuinely wanted to know—but as soon as she asked, she realized how rude it sounded. She quickly added,

“It’s just… since Your Grace can’t see him, I figured it would be hard to tell if he was obeying or not…”

“It’s easier than you think.”

Aiden took a calm sip of his tea. He was definitely dragging this out to keep her attention.

Despite her irritation, Lily waited patiently—she really wanted to know.

In a way, it concerned her own worth. If he could handle ghosts without her, then maybe there was no reason for her to be around.

Aiden set down his teacup.