* * *

“Who are you?”

To my surprise, a poised noblewoman stepped out.

Her tired, detached eyes and golden hair, spilling elegantly down her pale neck, gave her an oddly unsettling air.

Glancing between me and Jerome, she spoke disinterestedly.

“If you’re here about joining the guild, I’ve already told you I’m not interested…”

“No, that’s not it. We’re here to deliver a letter from your sister.”

“My sister?”

Her hazel eyes briefly flickered, focusing on the letter in my hand.

Her cracked lips twisted into a faint smile.

“Ah, I see. It’s cold out here; please, come inside.”

Unexpectedly, she grabbed my arm and began pulling me inside.

Taken aback, I almost stumbled, but Jerome, standing at my side, grabbed my other arm, and I fell against his broad chest.

Thud!

Something rotten and foul-smelling whizzed past my shoulder, hitting the wall.

It was a decaying fruit.

Laughter erupted nearby.

Turning my head, I saw a group of children jeering.

“Monster!”

“Get out of town, you freak!”

The kids stomped and shouted before disappearing over the hill, and the sky, already overcast, opened up, releasing a downpour.

The smell of rotting fruit mixed with the wet earth, and Jerome’s grip on my arm tightened.

“Naughty kids, aren’t they?”

Jerome tried to engage the noblewoman with a casual comment, but she just stared blankly.

Her attitude had changed drastically from the moment she’d welcomed me.

Unbothered, Jerome smiled brightly and gestured at a flag fluttering on the roof.

“That flag’s given only to heroes who contributed during the Great Calamity, right?”

Following his gaze, I saw the dandelion-seed design flapping in the wind.

Jerome, a hero himself, would know.

The noblewoman nodded listlessly.

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s also the reason my husband is bedridden.”

“Ah, my condolences.”

“Is that so?”

Her vague reply made me squint.

For someone talking about a husband gravely injured in the Calamity, she sounded oddly indifferent.

She finally broke the silence.

“Come inside. I’ll prepare some tea.”

The noblewoman bowed slightly and entered the house.

Jerome naturally started to follow her, but I grabbed his arm.

He gave me a puzzled look, and I whispered.

“Doesn’t this seem off? ‘Is that so?’ She sounded like she doesn’t care about her husband at all.”

“Not every couple is as happy as we are, you know. Plenty of families have their secrets.”

Jerome, who had been the one panicking about a murder earlier, now looked at me like I was being ridiculous.

Sighing, I released his arm.

‘He really is impossible to predict.’

After following the carefree Jerome into the house, I took in the interior.

The place, much like its shabby exterior, clearly needed repairs in several areas.

My eyes wandered to a painting on the wall.

A man in uniform gazed back at us with an expression that spoke of firm determination.

“Why would the local kids do something like that?” I wondered aloud.

Jerome, as if it were nothing of consequence, responded, “Some of the heroes who entered the subspace back then had their bodies ruined by the effects of the ether. Limbs gone missing, severe burns all over—turned into horrifying masses of flesh.”

“…”

“There are still some people who believe it was the demon’s curse. Those kids probably picked it up from hearing their parents talk about it.”

I couldn’t help but turn my head to Jerome. He blinked, unfazed, at my pale face.

For people to shun those who saved them, calling them demons just because of their disfigured appearance…

Instead of offering gratitude for their protection.

No wonder Jerome hated the songs of humanity so much.

As if to soothe my reaction, Jerome smiled faintly and cupped my chin, redirecting my gaze forward.

“We don’t have time to be caught up in feelings. You need to finish what you started. Come on, let’s go.”

✽ ✽ ✽

Once we confirmed that Madam Quaintrell was safe, I intended to deliver the letter and the cigars and leave.

However, the lady was adamant about not sending us off so quickly, insisting we stay for a chat.

It turned out her reason for not replying to her sister’s letters wasn’t as complicated as I’d thought.

As she set down her teacup, she spoke.

“My sister always felt a sense of rivalry toward me, even as a child. She wants to see me unhappy. It gives her some kind of satisfaction.”

“…”

“When my husband fell ill… she’d boast about her healthy husband in every letter. After that, I stopped sending her updates on purpose.”

So it was just a simple sibling quarrel? Too embarrassed to come herself, she sent me in her stead.

Regardless of their issues, I still had to complete the guild task.

I began rummaging through my pockets for the letter and cigar case.

Seeing me struggle, Jerome whispered brightly, “Looking for this? You dropped it earlier in the carriage.”

Jerome handed the cigar case to the lady on my behalf.

Must have slipped out when we were tussling over the ring.

Relieved it wasn’t lost, I added, “If your sister reports this to the authorities, it could become a problem. You should at least send a reply to let her know you’re well.”

“Yes, I will. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

The lady nodded more compliantly than I expected.

With our conversation over, we stood to leave. The sky outside had already turned pitch-black.

We had to go before the rain got any heavier.

As we stepped out with the lady accompanying us, I noticed the coachman struggling, his arm shielding his head from the rain.

A wave of unease washed over me.

“What happened here?”

My voice came out tense as I saw the front wheels of our carriage completely wrecked.

The coachman, pale and trembling, bowed repeatedly.

“I did see some local kids loitering around… but I didn’t think they’d pull such a cruel prank while I was away. I’m so sorry, my lady. It’s my mistake.”

I rubbed my forehead in exasperation.

Those troublemakers who had thrown rotten fruit at the mansion had now gone so far as to destroy our carriage wheels.

The lady, looking distressed, sighed.

“Oh dear, I should’ve been more mindful…”

“It’s all right,” Jerome reassured her kindly.

“These things happen.”

His gentle demeanor remained unchanged, even though she wouldn’t even look in his direction.

Checking his wristwatch, Jerome handed me an umbrella.

“I’ll head down to the village and see if we can borrow another carriage.”

“I’ll come with you—”

“No, it’s best I go alone in this rain. Madam, would you mind looking after my wife for a while?”

The lady smiled serenely. “Of course. Rest well in the meantime.”

With that, she walked back toward the house.

Once she was gone, Jerome pulled me into his arms, his earlier cheer gone, replaced with a detached expression.

“None of those portraits on the wall featured the lady. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, which is odd for a married woman. And all the furniture in the house is arranged for a right-handed person, but she stirred her tea with her left hand.”

“She might’ve taken off her ring for comfort, and the furniture could’ve been set for her husband,” I argued weakly.

“Her husband’s bedridden. He wouldn’t be coming down to the parlor. And it’s strange for someone who’s filled an entire wall with his portraits and medals to not wear her wedding ring.”

I processed Jerome’s deductions.

The situation felt unnatural.

No word described that eerie mansion better. Jerome tapped my shoulder lightly.

“Investigate some more while I’m gone.”

“…”

“Something interesting is bound to come up.”

A rare gleam of excitement lit up Jerome’s eyes, like a child about to flood an anthill.

He left with the coachman, and I reluctantly turned back toward the ominous mansion.

The lady awaited me at the entrance, handing me a dry towel.

As I wiped my wet hair, I stared at her curiously and asked, “Have we met before?”

“No, I don’t think so. This is my first time meeting you.”

“Oh, I must’ve imagined it,” I said, chuckling awkwardly.

The lady gave a demure smile, then spoke again.

“I’m sorry to trouble you, but could I ask a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yes, I need to bring in the laundry before it gets wetter. Could you deliver my husband’s meal? Just place it by his bed.”

She handed me a silver tray with soup and bread.

I realized I hadn’t seen her husband even once since arriving.

He must truly be bedridden, just as Jerome guessed.

I took the tray, studying the lady.

“The room at the end of the hall…”

I ascended the stairs and walked down the long, dark corridor.

Not a single oil lamp lit the way, making the hall feel just as sinister.

Taking a deep breath, I approached the husband’s room.

Jerome’s earlier joke rang in my mind.

“Just look at this mansion. It’s the perfect setting for a murder mystery.”

The unsettling atmosphere had me thinking the same way.

What if I opened the door and found a corpse instead of a person?

Things would get really complicated.

Gritting my teeth, I gripped the doorknob tightly.

“Please, don’t let there be a corpse inside.”

Resolving myself, I turned the knob, and my eyes widened at the sight before me.

* * *