Working at a Haunted Mansion Chapter 99

Lily gave Aiden’s outfit another look.

The cloak sagged downward under the weight of the thick fabric, its front fastened tight without a gap.
In short, everything above his knees was wrapped in the cloak.

“Wouldn’t it be better if you took the cloak off?”

Since it was winter, Lily herself was wearing several layers of clothes. Judging by how thick his upper body looked beneath the cloak, Aiden must have been the same.

If so, then warmth was already secured—he could surely do without the cloak. Not only did it look cumbersome, but it also kept him from using his arms freely.

Aiden refused with a sly smile.

“To walk at ease with you, I need at least this much trouble. If my face were exposed by accident, it’d cause a commotion.”

“Covering up that much will probably draw even more attention.”

A hat alone seemed enough to hide his identity. Covering himself excessively only made him look suspicious.

But Aiden clearly had no intention of changing his clothes. He raised his arm slightly and spread the cloak open.

“Lily, think about it carefully. This outfit has a very big advantage.”

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t see one. If anything, it was nothing but disadvantages—he couldn’t even hold hands. When she still couldn’t figure it out, Aiden said seriously,

“I can’t use my hands.”

“That’s not an advantage.”

“I have no plans to take off this cloak today.”

“That’s even worse.”

From beneath the hat, the curve of a mischievous smile showed. Then suddenly, he stepped close enough that the brim of his hat covered the top of her head.

Lily found her gaze caught in the shadowed eyes that seemed darker than usual.

“If I want to eat something, I’ll have to borrow your hand.”

From behind came the sharp sound of someone sucking in a breath.

Startled, Lily turned. Mari’s eyes were as wide as a rabbit’s.

When she quickly glanced around, she saw Wolfram too, silently recoiling in distaste.

Lily’s face flushed crimson in an instant. Her eyes darted back to Mari. Thankfully, Mari lowered her head first, shutting her half-open mouth tight.

At the same time, as if she just had to comment on the scene, she pressed her arms stiffly to her sides and raised only her thumb in a small gesture.

Lily hurried out of the room.

She swore to the heavens—she had never once, not even in a dream, harbored the desire to put on some bold display of affection in front of an audience! She was completely blameless.

This was all Aiden’s fault. His antics were growing reckless, shamelessly bold. Her face was burning.

Did this mean that in front of people who already knew, he would act as he pleased? What would happen after all this was over? When they ended their secret romance and became husband and wife officially in society?

Lily feared the future.

“Come with me, Lily.”

Aiden’s voice carried a trace of laughter. He caught up with her without any effort at all.

She shot him a sidelong glance. He seemed greatly amused by how flustered she was.

Meanwhile, Lily’s face, red all the way to her ears, refused to cool down.

She muttered under her breath,

“Don’t tease me in front of everyone.”

“Tease you?”

He widened his eyes.

“You’re doing it because you find my reactions funny.”

“That’s unfair.”

“What?”

Lily’s tone came out more like a drawn-out, disbelieving “Whaaat?” She didn’t bother hiding her incredulous expression.

But Aiden pressed on, sounding genuinely aggrieved.

“Tease you? What could I possibly gain by teasing you?”

A bad feeling swept over her. This wasn’t good. At this rate, the conversation was turning against her…!

She quickly looked back. Mari and Wolfram were trailing at a distance. But in this quiet corridor, the only voices were her own and Aiden’s—every word was surely reaching them.

Lily rushed to end the conversation.

“No, no. Okay, I get it. I understand.”

“I don’t think you understood at all. You’ve misunderstood my feelings—definitely.”

Ah! He really was teasing her after all! That was why he was clinging so persistently!

She quickened her pace, but she couldn’t shake him. Despite looking ridiculous in that outfit, he walked gracefully, effortlessly keeping up.

“The first thought I had the moment I put on this cloak was exactly that. It’s the natural thought for lovers, isn’t it? The idea of inconvenience never even crossed my mind. You asked, so I gave you my honest feelings—yet somehow it’s seen as teasing.”

“S-stop…”

“I’ll say it again—I’m truly wronged here. Why would I tease you? I don’t even have enough time to win your favor as it is.”

“Eek!”

Unable to bear the embarrassment, Lily let out a scream and dashed away. But even as she fled, her face was covered in a wide smile.

Even the carriage waiting outside had been disguised, looking somewhat shabby compared to usual.

Lily didn’t wait for him to take her hand. She bounded up into it in one leap.

 

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

The carriage dropped them off a little distance from the square.
Despite the cold weather, the plaza, centered around the fountain, was bustling with people who had come for the market.

Scents of every kind drifted by on the wind. Lily was most intrigued by one particular stall and bought a handful of roasted chestnuts.

It was just as she was about to feed one to Aiden, exactly as he had teased in song earlier.

Without her noticing, Aiden had already leaned in close, the brim of his hat once again brushing over her head like it had back at the mansion.

He opened his lips just enough for the chestnut and patiently waited for Lily’s hand. Lily slipped it into his mouth, then peeled another to eat herself.

She pretended it was nothing, but her cheeks were already burning again. If she looked in a mirror, her face would surely be scarlet.

Without looking away from her, Aiden said,

“Thank you. It tastes even better thanks to you.”

“Y-yes, I’m glad…”

Flustered, Lily fidgeted, pretending to busy herself by looking around the square. But her body betrayed her, inching closer to his side.

Going out in disguise was certainly nice. If he had dressed as the Counselor, walking this close together would have been unthinkable.

“Doesn’t it taste a little plain? At the mansion they’d glaze it in sugar…”

“This way it’s simple, and I like that.”

“H-hm. Is that so?”

Lily shared a few more chestnuts with him. Then they passed the time doing the usual things one did at the market—buying fried sweets, admiring hand-carved wooden tools.

After wandering around the square, they decided to rest for a bit on a bench near the fountain.

To be precise, it was Lily who sat down. Aiden stood in front of her, as though shielding her view.

When she lifted her head, her eyes landed on the sharp line of his jaw. Aiden wasn’t looking at her, but scanning the crowds around the fountain.

At last, sensing her gaze, he glanced down at Lily. That habitual smile lingered on his lips.

Lily finally asked what had been on her mind.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

Aiden’s eyes widened slightly, then immediately returned to normal.

“No. I would never be so rude as to double-book an appointment. This time is only for you.”

He answered with his usual sly charm.

She knew full well how smoothly he could lie, but this time there wasn’t a trace of hesitation.

At first, Lily too had believed that this outing really was “just for the two of them,” as he said.

But at some point, she noticed his attention was divided. Even as he paid heed to her, he was also watching the distance, studying the flow of passersby with sharp focus.

‘I thought he was just cautious because of the disguise… but no. There’s something more.’

He looked relaxed, even calm. To most people, he might have seemed more leisurely than usual.

But Lily was attuned to reading him. She could feel the sharp energy running under his skin.

He was waiting for something.

‘A person? Or… searching for something?’

As her suspicion lingered, Aiden’s smile slowly faded.

The curve of his lips remained only faintly. His eyes, now lowered quietly onto her, carried a mix of conflict and hesitation.

At last, he spoke, slowly.

“Lily, no matter what happens from here on… you don’t have to worry.”

Lily’s brow furrowed instantly.

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“I’ve already made sure nothing will ever harm you. Everything will be fine. So don’t—”

Aiden abruptly stopped mid-sentence. Then, everything happened at once—things Lily could hardly believe.

The first thing she saw was Aiden’s eyes flying wide open. When she looked down, she saw the tip of a blade burst through his body, glinting before vanishing back into the folds of his cloak.

The cloak began to darken, soaked through. Aiden staggered, then collapsed forward onto Lily, his suppressed groan and the ragged sound of pain filling her ears.

As he crumpled, Lily’s view opened up. And there— a man cloaked head to toe in a robe was already hurrying away.