Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 82

Part 11. Safety and Comfort

When Lily arrived at the office, she suddenly felt something strange. Julius was nowhere to be seen.

She had been too giddy to notice at first, but now that she thought about it, it was definitely odd. Wasn’t he supposed to be following Aiden around everywhere?

Even if he’d been scared of Aiden and kept his distance, he should have shown up the moment he sensed Lily’s presence.

As she looked around in confusion, Aiden asked,

“What’s wrong?”

Lily answered in a very quiet voice.

“I can’t see the spirit.”

“He’s in another place.”

Of course. It made sense not to keep Julius in a place where important documents and day-to-day affairs took place. He’d probably stored the ring in a separate annex.

But then Aiden explained something she hadn’t expected, with a slightly apologetic tone.

“I didn’t realize he frightened you that much. You met him alone back at the estate, so I didn’t think it was that serious. If I’d known, I would’ve kept him away earlier.”

Lily quietly sat down in the seat he gestured to. Every time she realized she was affecting Aiden’s decisions, her cheeks flushed with heat.

Wolfram was the first to speak. He reported the results of an investigation into Countess Contania’s private gathering.

“There are four regular members. The one to watch is Count Saul Oates. He was the one who passed along the brooch design.”

“Who is Count Oates?”

“He’s the Emperor’s chief attendant.”

“The chief attendant? That means—this is… probably…”

Aiden nodded.

“The Emperor is likely involved.”

“What’s the cult leader’s goal? Don’t tell me he’s trying to start preaching again? While on the throne? Why is he so greedy? And does the count even realize what he’s doing?”

Now, Lily spoke without hesitation, openly pouring out her curiosity.

“It would be hard not to realize.”

Lily pulled back her chin, deep in thought. The Emperor wasn’t content with his current power and had resumed evangelism— this time targeting high-ranking nobles.

He can’t even use magic, so where does this confidence come from? What’s he aiming for? Couldn’t he just sit quietly and enjoy his wealth and authority? Well… that would’ve had its own problems too.

The situation felt like it was only getting worse. If there was any upside at all, it was that one couple had been born from it.

Yes—she had accepted Aiden into her life. There was nothing left to fear.

Lily set her resolve and asked,

“Then what should I do now?”

Her determined words made Aiden blink in surprise before he smiled gently.

“There’s nothing you need to do.”

“…Sorry?”

That couldn’t be right.

Lily looked at him, trying to confirm what she’d heard. But he doubled down.

“I mean it. You don’t have anything you need to do. I said it from the start— I asked the First Knight Captain to verify Julius’s existence.”

“You did. But still…”

Lily trailed off. Now that she thought about it, Aiden hadn’t said anything false.

Still—was he really excluding her this neatly? The only person in the Empire who could see and hear spirits?

“I forgot to mention this yesterday with everything going on… Thank you, Lily. Thanks to you, I was able to gain the Knight Captain’s cooperation.”

“You’re very welcome.”

The polite words of thanks sounded like a subtle signal that her usefulness had ended.

Still in disbelief, Lily asked again,

“So there’s really nothing I can help with? Not even one thing?”

“All I want is for you to live happily. Safely, peacefully, and without trouble.”

Aiden emphasized his point with three near-synonyms.

“If you can live without worry and make a little time for me now and then… that’s all I could ask for.”

Lily blinked, then suddenly asked—

“Do you really think that’s possible, Your Grace? Telling me to live without worry… You’re not seriously saying that, are you?”

Come on. If he knew her even a little, he wouldn’t say something like that.

“Well, fair point. You do seem like the type to make up worries out of thin air. Or throw yourself into something completely unexpected.”

He spoke with a more serious expression.

“Lily, this may sound disappointing, but I won’t be needing your help anymore. I already know how to return a spirit to its body, and now I’ve secured cooperation from the captain of the First Order, who’s responsible for the safety of the royal family.”

His voice was as gentle as if he were ready to grant her any wish—but his meaning didn’t waver at all.

“You’ve already played a huge role. Leave the rest to me.”

Lily stared into Aiden’s calm eyes, then looked away. She had no real argument. He was, annoyingly, only stating facts.

Still, something felt off. The man she loved was putting his life on the line, and all she could do was sit back and smile?

It made her want to yell Give me a real job! She was that frustrated.

She glanced at Aiden, who looked more refreshed than ever—like he’d just had a wish granted. Then she looked at Wolfram and—

‘Huh?’

He glanced at Aiden, then tightly pressed his lips together. It was the textbook look of a subordinate begrudgingly following orders.

“Understood. If Your Grace insists, I’ll comply.”

Lily backed down—for now. Of course, this wasn’t surrender.

‘Forget talking to him. I’ll have to interrogate Wolfram later when I get the chance.’

Having made that mental note, Lily suddenly grew curious.

“Then why did you call me here? I mean, you don’t need me for anything, and it’s so early…”

Aiden gave her a warm smile. Just as he was about to reply, Wolfram cut in.

“To ease the Emperor’s suspicions, we’ve decided to present Miss Dienta as someone in an emotionally unstable state who needs ongoing counseling. There’s also a chance communication with His Majesty Julius may still be needed.”

It was a perfectly reasonable explanation—but Aiden clearly didn’t agree.

“I thought we were done discussing that.”

Their gazes clashed midair. Lily held her breath and watched.

“Lily’s stepping away from this. That means no more contact with Julius either. She’s no longer involved—no different from a civilian now.”

“I won’t involve Miss Dienta unless absolutely necessary. All I’m saying is, we shouldn’t eliminate the option entirely.”

Lily Dienta herself was very eager to stay involved. She could’ve given an entire speech about it if someone had just asked.

But no one did. And it wasn’t exactly the kind of atmosphere where she could jump in uninvited.

“With that kind of half-hearted thinking, we’ll just end up depending on her again.”

“So Your Grace intends to willingly shoulder the cost of inefficiency?”

Lily’s eyes widened. That sounded almost like an insult, but Aiden responded without a hint of resentment.

“Just because Lily’s help is available doesn’t make it the most efficient choice. Can we really trust Julius to act in our favor? What if he feeds us false information? If it doesn’t produce clearly superior results, there’s no reason to expose a civilian to danger.”

Wolfram shut his mouth, then stood.

“Then I’ll leave you to fulfill the original purpose of inviting Miss Dienta. I’ll excuse myself for a while.”

He gave a formal bow and exited the office. Lily looked between the door and Aiden, flustered. She hadn’t expected things to get this tense.

Her original plan was simple:

Step 1: Wait for a moment alone with Wolfram.
Step 2: Persuade—or pressure—him into revealing a task that required her involvement.
Step 3: Carry out the mission in secret, without Aiden knowing.

She hadn’t accounted for a breakdown in trust between commander and aide. Approaching Wolfram now could get her burned from both sides.

And that look Wolfram had given her as he passed—she could still feel it.

‘He looked at me like I was some legendary femme fatale who blinded her ruler with love!’

She’d always thought those kinds of titles were reserved for stunning beauties —or master seductresses who could manipulate kings.

She wasn’t either of those, but…
it did seem like she’d blinded Aiden.

As Lily sat, fidgeting with unease, Aiden asked,

“Do you think I’m being foolish too?”

“I wouldn’t go that far… but I do understand your aide’s point of view.”

A diplomatic answer. In truth, she did think he was being foolish. At least a little.

If she were involved, they could make better use of Julius. He could scout hidden areas behind enemy lines, and she could pass the intel to Aiden.

She’d already started acting the part of counselor—might as well turn it into a full performance. With the right setup, they could lull the cult leader into letting his guard down, maybe even expose weaknesses.

Throwing away all those advantages— there was no way she could call that a wise choice.

Seeing even her hesitate to back him up, Aiden’s expression darkened.

Lily screamed inwardly.

‘This is NOT what I signed up for! Is this how our first day as a couple is going to go?!’