episode_0083

“Jeokhwa is a family with a particularly deep history among the five families. Since the old civilization before the fiery ten days and the fall of the castle, the genealogy has never been interrupted. This mansion is also older than any other buildings owned by other families… ”

“Ah, yes… ”

In the dark hallway, gas lamps were installed at a certain distance, giving off a soft glow. This, combined with the classical decoration, created the illusion of walking through a maze of dreams.

But unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy the dreamy scenery. This is because the mouth of the steward walking ahead was constantly moving, pulling me back to reality.

Thanks to that, I was almost forced to cram the long history of Japanese colonial rule into my head. He said he was very proud of the fact that he had just joined the company two years ago.

Or maybe there are guidelines for serving customers.

I think it’s more persuasive when you see him muttering in a constant tone, like the sound of speech recorded on a gramophone.

“Huh?”

Tired of not being able to hear anything, he was just listening to the steward’s words through one ear and enjoying the scenery around him.

As he said, all the sculptures and works of art lined up at regular intervals in the hallway looked ten times older than me.

Meanwhile, I entered an area where picture frames with colorful decorations were lined up in a row.

It seemed like a place to display photos of past members of Jeokhwa, as everyone was well-dressed and staring straight ahead with solemn expressions.

However, as I was passing by, glancing at their faces, there was a photo that instantly caught my eye.

I stopped for a moment and stared at the photo.

It was a photo of a man and a woman who appeared to be in their late teens together, and just looking at them standing in the grass with their arms around each other’s shoulders and smiling broadly made me feel happy.

But there is another reason why that photo caught my eye.

This is because no matter how you look at the woman in the photo, she looks pitiful.

Even the man next to him has such similar facial features that you can pity him only for his short hair.

But no matter how much I think about it, I have never heard of her having a brother of similar age.

Moreover, even though it is hung on the far left, the color of the photo has faded quite a bit and has a yellowish tint to it.

At best, the photo looks like it was taken at least twenty or thirty years ago, so it’s ridiculous that Yeon Myeong-ha has maintained the same appearance since then.

I grumbled and thought for a while, but in the end I couldn’t overcome my curiosity. Even if it was someone else’s family affair, even if it was from a prestigious family, there was no way I could tolerate this.

If I don’t agree, I’ll just get scolded or something…

“… The 11th ancestor also had unusual inspiration and foresaw the future of businessmen and politicians. At that time, it was before the day of the castle’s inauguration, so there was no concept of wizards, but looking back, the glory of the enemy was already… ”

“Hey, deacon?”

“Yes, sir. Any inconvenience?”

When I called him in a low voice, he immediately stopped walking, turned around, and came towards me again.

I asked the steward, carefully pointing to a photo of a man and a woman together.

“Well, maybe… Who are the people in this photo? ?”

“Ah, this is a photo of the current head of the family and his younger brother. This is a photo I took right before my coming of age ceremony when I was young.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t rude and he answered as if it was no big deal.

The current head of the family is Yeon Yeon-ha’s father. If she were her younger brother, she would be Yeon Myeong-ha’s aunt.

Her mesmerizing beauty seems to have come from her father.

“Do you have any further questions?”

“No. It’s okay now.”

Thinking that I had satisfied my curiosity, I shook my head and followed him back to the guest room.

However, the stickiness that I felt from the moment I saw the photo still did not go away from my mind.

I was able to quickly recall the reason.

What I was thinking of was Yeon Myeong-ha’s mother, whom I met earlier.

She also possessed outstanding beauty for her age, but no matter how much she thought about it, Yeon Yeon-ha’s appearance did not show any of her mother’s characteristics.

If I had met him anywhere other than here, I would have probably assumed that he was not related by blood and passed it on.

Rather, I should say that it felt like the aunt who had passed away had been reincarnated.

Maybe my paternal blood is too strong… ?

“We’re here, sir. You can just go in.”

I was lost in my thoughts and before I knew it, I had reached the front of the room I would be staying in.

I briefly thought that I might be treated poorly. That’s because her mother’s attitude toward Yeon Myeong-ha earlier was so cold.

But it seems like it was a useless worry.

This room was more luxurious and luxurious than any other residence I had ever seen.

He then added further explanation before leaving.

“If you need anything, just ring the call bell next to the bed. And we recommend that you do not go outside the mansion if possible.”

“… Why?”

I don’t have any intention of wandering around, but earlier, Yeon Myeong-ha was free to roam around anywhere other than the main house where her parents live.

And when Yeon Myeong-ha said those words, the steward was definitely next to him.

I’m curious as to why he said the opposite of what the owner said.

“The concentration of particles in the air is high in this area, so the population density of spirits is also very high. So, it often happens that they fight among themselves and are thrown out into the material world. As a result, the phenomenon of lights or illusions appearing in the air may occur.”

He continued his explanation sincerely as if he would resolve my doubts.

“Wizard customers are often surprised to see him, perhaps for users like us who have no magical skills at all. Sometimes, there are people who complain that they have seen a will-o’-the-wisp. In addition, sometimes low-level magicians in the hunting ground escape. Anyway, it’s best to be careful.”

“If that’s the case… Okay.”

I nodded at his words. Although it may be a bit excessive, it feels like a reasonable concern from the user’s point of view.

But I didn’t really listen. From the beginning, Yeon Yeon-ha told me that it didn’t matter, and more than anything, I felt like I had to go for a walk at night at least once.

It was my first time feeling the suffocating atmosphere of a prestigious house, and I felt quite frustrated in an unusually extravagant and formal space.

Moreover, Yeon Gyeong-ha said that the spirits are afraid of me, so I guess there is no particular danger. Needless to say, he’s a low-level magician.

“Then rest in peace.”

The steward bowed to me once and then went back down the hallway he came from. His new form shimmered in the darkness and gaslight, gradually becoming blurred.

I also tried to go into the guest room, but just then I felt a strange scent coming from the direction he left from the night wind, so I stopped moving for a moment.

It seems a little bit odd, and it also seems a little unpleasant.

When I see that it doesn’t look very unfamiliar, I feel like I’ve definitely smelled it somewhere before. But I couldn’t completely discern its identity.

It only passed by very lightly with the breeze, and my sense of smell isn’t very good right now, probably because I was in an enclosed space with the other person the entire time.

The strong and sweet scent she gave off still disturbed my nostrils.

I stood there for a moment and thought about it, but in the end I couldn’t find a clear answer and entered the room.

It’s impossible for a person who is said to be the steward of a prestigious family to have not washed properly…

***

I took off my women’s clothes and changed into comfortable clothes, but I didn’t go to bed right away. A guest is scheduled to come later tonight.

As I turned on the nightstand and was writing a letter to my sisters at the desk next to the bed, I heard a small knocking sound at the door.

Looking at the grandfather clock hanging on the wall, it was almost midnight.

As I approached the door and pulled the handle, I saw a now familiar female student standing there.

“Pa, why didn’t you open it quickly? What are you going to do if someone sees this? ”

Yeon Myeong-ha ran into the room like a squirrel and snapped.

“It opened as soon as you knocked. And if I was worried about someone seeing it, I think it would have been better for me to go. Is it really necessary to come like this?”

“My room is in the main house, so security is tight. Did you see it earlier? Mother is strict. If you get caught entering the main house, you could really die. And even if I’m seen outside, I can just make an excuse that I went for a walk… ”

Of course it’s a metaphor, right?

But when I heard the word mother, the memory of seeing that photo earlier came back to me.

I looked at the young lady who was out for a night walk.

Her hair was shiny as if she had applied perfume, and her cheeks were flushed red as if she had just washed her body.

The darkness of the night highlights the shadows of the sharp features, making it feel like a well-made statue.

It’s an unrealistic beauty that leaves me speechless… As expected, her face does not show the slightest resemblance to the woman called her mother.

Rather, it has a stereotypical appearance similar to the woman named Aunt in the photo earlier.