Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 89

The next afternoon, Aiden was rendered speechless when he saw Lily’s outfit.

“Lily…”

She replied as if it were nothing.

“This is only natural. We’re dating in secret, after all.”

“No doctor walks around the city in their uniform.”

“Well, now there’ll be one.”

Aiden stared at her for a moment, then asked,

“You planned this from the start, didn’t you?”

She looked away innocently. She had absolutely no intention of changing. After a moment’s hesitation, Aiden gave a helpless smile.

“Alright. I suppose this much is fine.”

Victory was hers!

Their first destination was the opera house.

Lily, who had never seen an opera before in her life, was so thrilled her hair practically stood on end.

The orchestra’s mesmerizing music! The dazzling costumes and inventive stage effects! The stunningly beautiful voices—so eerie and powerful it was hard to believe they came from human throats!

And the opera that day was The Maiden and the Monster, based on the novel of the same name—one of Lily’s all-time favorites.

Characters she had only seen in print stood on stage, beyond anything she had imagined. They portrayed a tale of loneliness and love, obsession and forgiveness with stunning precision.

She was completely immersed in the new experience.
When the story hit its climax—when the maiden discovered the monster’s dark scheme—she nearly passed out from shock.

The opera glass handle was soaked with sweat. During the intermissions, she was so drained from tension she had to rest completely limp.

Aiden looked down at her with a hint of complaint, saying things like how she paid more attention to the show than to him, or whether they were even really here together—but it was all talk. He clearly enjoyed himself.

The moment the show started and everyone’s eyes turned to the stage, he would interlace his fingers with her free hand.

And from time to time—no, far too often—his gaze would cling to her cheek with such warmth. It was as if he’d come to admire her face, not the opera.

When the performance ended, they stepped out onto the street. Evening twilight had spread across the city.

Considering the public’s gaze, they walked side by side with just enough distance between them for a person to stand. Now it was their turn to act out a play.

“Did you enjoy it?”

Aiden shooed away a noble approaching him with a wave and asked, his tone slightly stiff. It was for the same reason he didn’t link arms with her.

“Yes, Your Grace. Thank you for the gift.”

She responded politely.

“And you, Your Grace?”

“A bit better than before, but I still struggle in crowds.”

“Seems we chose too crowded a place. Next time, perhaps a smaller gathering would suit you better.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She pressed her lips together. If she wasn’t careful, a flood of words would tumble out.

What did you think, Your Grace? How could she love the monster? Not just any monster, but one that drank human blood!
Maybe even when we think we’re choosing freely, we’re really shaped by our surroundings… Still, it was such a beautiful love story!

Those thoughts spun wildly in her head.

She had no idea where they were going next, but she just wanted to get into the carriage, be alone, and spill everything in a burst of chatter. She had already forgotten her original goal of observing public perception of Aiden.

Their second stop was a restaurant. When Lily hesitated over her outfit, Aiden reassured her and led her up the stairs. Once they reached the top, a staff member opened the door.

The soft buzz of conversation, the clinking of dishes, and the mouthwatering aroma all swept over her at once. It was only then Lily realized she was actually hungry.

As they stepped fully into the restaurant, there was a moment of silence. Everyone turned to look at them.

Before long, time resumed as if nothing had happened. But she still sensed the occasional sidelong glance.

Lily almost shrank back but then changed her mindset and squared her shoulders.

Yeah. Look at me. Go on, look!  So that when we officially go public, you can say you knew it all along! That even back when I was in my counselor’s uniform, we were already close!

Since she had chosen to be with him, Lily was prepared to face public scrutiny head-on.

The staff led them to a window seat on the second floor. The wide spacing between tables finally allowed her to speak freely.

“Alright, Lily. Tell me.”

Aiden asked, eyes starting to sparkle, his smile barely restrained.

“What did you think?”

Lily took a deep breath—and then unleashed everything that had filled her head the whole time.

 

 

 

****

 

 

The sky was a bleak, ashen gray. The chill of early winter hung in the air.

Saul Oetz gave the scene outside the window a brief glance before turning his eyes forward again. The Emperor walked ahead with his signature hunched posture.

Those who observed the Emperor’s gait often found themselves feeling a strange sense of unease. His young, robust body moved like that of an old man not far from death.

Sometimes, the Emperor moved with youthful energy, his limbs swinging powerfully. But if his focus drifted even slightly, his back would hunch and his steps would slow, cautious and frail.

The mismatch between appearance and movement was too obvious to ignore, so the chamberlain had the royal physician issue a plausible explanation.

Now, everyone in the palace believed the Emperor was still suffering aftereffects from a fainting episode.

But Saul Oetz knew the truth. It was a habit ingrained in his soul—one he could not break.

They arrived at the Emperor’s private chamber, and the commander of the knights was instructed to guard the hallway before the doors were shut.

This marked the official end of the Emperor’s duties for the day. Considering they had just finished lunch, it was quite an early conclusion.

Again, the aftereffects served as a useful excuse—he needed sufficient rest due to lingering fatigue.

Instead of heading toward the bed or a comfortable chair, the Emperor stood waiting in front of a wardrobe.

Saul retrieved a lantern with one hand, then opened the wardrobe and pushed aside the tightly packed clothes.

Upon closer inspection, a small groove could be seen on the back panel. Saul pulled a key from inside his coat and inserted it into the hole.

He twisted the key in a specific way, and with a click, the lock disengaged. He pushed open the panel, and the Emperor entered the dark passage first.

Saul followed, stepping into the tunnel. From inside, he returned the wardrobe and clothes to their original state and locked the back panel tightly. Then he used the lantern to light the path beneath the Emperor’s feet.

What they walked through was a secret escape route, created in case of rebellion or other emergencies. Only the Emperor and his closest confidants knew of it.

At the end of the tunnel was a secluded fortress on the southern edge of the capital. But that wasn’t their destination today. They were headed to a storage room partway through the tunnel.

Originally, this storage had housed disguises, weapons, and dried provisions for emergencies. But its purpose had since changed.

Once inside, Saul lit the various candles placed around the room. As the light spread, the space revealed itself.

A large rug covered the floor. On top of it sat a low table and cushions.

Parchments, quills, and ink were neatly arranged. And in the farthest corner of the room lay an old man, wrapped in luxurious silk, eyes closed.

It was Manus, the high priest of the Solmon religion—publicly declared executed long ago.

“Still the same as ever…”

Saul stared at the old man. Though he had done nothing but lie there for weeks, his body was unchanged—like wax poured into a mold.

Looking at that figure, which defied the natural flow of life, always made Saul shudder.

The Emperor took off his shoes, stepped onto the rug, and sat at the small table facing the old man.

Saul knelt beside him and handed over a candle. The Emperor lit the incense and placed it in the burner.

The thick smoke from the burning candles mixed with the foreign scent of the incense. It was overpowering—difficult even to breathe.

The Emperor began to chant a foreign prayer, calmly and fluently, in a language far different from the Empire’s tongue.

It was clear at a glance—this was the Emperor’s secret shrine.

When he had asked for a place no one could find, a place no one would know, Saul had led him here without question.

He never asked why. He simply didn’t care.

The foreign incense, the spells, the supposedly executed high priest’s corpse, the charm stretched across its face—none of it concerned him. Truly, he had no desire to know anything.

He was merely a slave to power. As long as he was compensated for his errands with continued wealth and status, it didn’t matter who his master was.

The strange cadence of the chant echoed through the storage room. Saul tried not to think too deeply about the true identity of the one he served—and shut his ears.