Chapter 51 - Our Horror House <1>
I
The Royal Capital Sears was a vast city surrounded by walls. Its population was, of course, the largest in the kingdom, and while the citizens once lived only within these walls, their numbers grew with time, and now numerous houses and farms exist outside the walls as well.
Many merchants from various countries reside within the city, and numerous districts centered around the commercial area in the heart of the city are teeming with people. Here in this commercial district, one could obtain anything and everything from the kingdom.
Where people gather, a large entertainment district naturally spreads, and the bustle never ceases, even at night.
The port is divided into two large sections: one is a naval port, and the other is for trade and fishing. In a corner of the fishing port side, there is a district as intricate as a slum, where refugees and criminals from various countries have taken up residence, making it the royal family's sole source of concern.
The royal castle and palace are on the east side, at the edge of the city, perched on a slightly elevated hill. Behind them are several layers of walls, and beyond the walls are mountains. The first gate is the city's gate, the second is the royal castle's gate, and the third is the royal palace's gate.
To enter the royal castle and palace, one must ascend a wide but quiet slope.
Large houses are scattered along this slope. These are mostly the homes of high-ranking officials who serve in the palace, the city's wealthy, and people of power; it is not a place for commoners to live.
…In other words, this high ground near the royal palace is the high-class residential area.
"Haaaaaaaaaaah…"
Ritz tore off the robe he was wearing and let out a grand sigh. He frantically ran his hands through his styled hair, scattering powder and setting agents, making a complete mess of it, then tossed the fake beard and monocle onto a table. He then collapsed onto the sofa.
"Welcome back!"
Anna greeted the exhausted Ritz in a dazed voice. Franz, who was in the same room, didn't even lift his face from where it was buried.
"I'm back…"
Two weeks had passed since they arrived in the capital and took up residence in the royal palace without a permanent place to live. The luxurious furniture and opulent atmosphere that dominated this spacious room made Anna, a commoner raised in a poor church, feel extremely out of place. She felt like she was just a freeloader in this room, and she couldn't relax.
Anna gazed out the large window beyond the two collapsed men.
"Oh, it's snowing."
Soft snowflakes were dancing down into the well-manicured garden outside the window. It had apparently gotten much colder lately, but Anna, who couldn't go outside, couldn't feel it on her skin. For Anna, who had watched the seasons change while farming, it was unsatisfying and lonely. With going out being so difficult at present, looking out the window was her only way of knowing what was happening outside.
Inside the room, the fireplace burned brightly, making it very warm. Dozing off in that fireplace was their other companion (?), the child Salamander, Sara-chan. Anna was convinced that Sara, a child of spirits, must be bored and stressed out, being unable to go anywhere or do anything freely.
Even if she asked, Sara could only speak up to two syllables of human language, so she didn't really know what the salamander was thinking.
When she shifted her gaze back to Ritz, he hadn't moved a muscle. Had he fallen asleep? With a sigh, she stood up, hung the minister's uniform-like garment that Ritz had been wearing on a hanger, and put it away in the closet.
Lately, the frequency with which Ritz collapsed onto the sofa in a state of extreme disarray had increased. Extreme disarray meant he was practically in his underwear. At first, Anna would complain that he was being slovenly, but now she didn't say anything. Instead, she had taken to gathering up the clothes he threw off.
In the past two weeks, she had come to understand well why Ritz had wanted to run away instead of returning to the capital.
It wasn't that the three of them were being overworked to the point of exhaustion. They were treated well enough to have no complaints… generally speaking. But the three of them were mentally and physically worn out.
After a while, Ritz finally lifted his head and spoke to the two dazed figures.
"You guys, what about… dinner?"
"Don't want any."
"…Right."
Even Anna, with her voracious appetite, had been declining meals lately. One reason was that she didn't get hungry because she didn't go out, but that wasn't the only reason.
The meals were certainly delicious, as King Edward was always considerate of them in one way or another. From Anna's perspective, who had come from a life of poverty and then a journey on the road, every day was a feast. But for some reason, they often had to dine with the royal family and the prime minister.
Because of this, she could never let her guard down. After all, Anna had absolutely no knowledge of formal table manners. Since coming here, she had been forced to cram-study them while being taught by Franz and Edward.
Franz, as expected of the sole son of a wealthy man, was incredibly knowledgeable about such things. She often thought from the bottom of her heart how lucky they were to have someone so well-informed in their group. As for Ritz, he seemed to have ignored proper etiquette from the start and had acquired the skill to somehow make it look presentable, albeit haphazardly.
Sometimes the three of them would dine alone. But with several maids and a number of attendants for each person, they couldn't afford to make any mistakes, given Ritz's position as minister.
After all, they were the minister and his family, not carefree travelers. They couldn't make a ruckus, nor could they engage in ordinary small talk. And the atmosphere was certainly not one where they could casually ask, 'What do you use this for?'
The first three days were fine. Anna was full of curiosity, the food was delicious, and the stiff, formal meals felt like something out of a picture book. But even that grew tiring when it continued for too long.
"I wish they'd just let us eat however we want."
Anna was reaching her limit with the formality. It was just so tedious. For example, at breakfast every day, conversations like this would unfold.
"Anna-sama, what kind of bread will you have?"
"Uh, umm… a baguette…"
"How would you like it sliced?"
"Thinly, please."
"How would you like it toasted?"
"Well-toasted, please."
"Very well. And what kind of jam shall I bring you?"
"Raspberry, please."
This was what she was asked for a single piece of bread. Next, she would be asked about her drink.
"I'll have a café au lait."
"Very well. How would you like your milk?"
"With milk, please."
"No, that is not what I meant. I was referring to the region of origin."
"Region of origin…?"
"We also have different breeds of cow, if you prefer?"
"Anything is fine."
"Very well. And what would you like for sweetener?"
"Honey is fine."
That was only half of it. Next, she would be barraged with questions about how she wanted her eggs cooked, how her sausages should be prepared, and so on.
As far as Anna was concerned, any bread they had was fine, any jam that looked tasty was fine, and any milk they had was fine. Eggs and sausages, too—as long as they were cooked and served, she would eat them without complaint.
Sometimes, Anna just wanted to say, 'Whatever's fine!' It was probably the same for Franz, and Ritz had even started to actually say things like, 'Whatever, just bring me something.'
All three of them had reached their limit.
Perhaps taking pity on Anna and Franz… or more likely sensing his own limits, Ritz had apparently been negotiating to rent a house for them somewhere for some time now. But it seemed he hadn't received a favorable response.
The room the three were in now was Ritz's private room, deep within the detached palace wing assigned to them.
Ritz had instructed the servants from the very beginning not to enter this room under any circumstances, so no one other than the three of them and Edward ever visited.
Since Anna and Franz hadn't said the same, servants would appear to tend to them if they let their guard down, which is why they were taking refuge in this room.
"Anna, what did you do today?"
"Um, the Queen dressed me up in lots of clothes, and then I ate a lot of sweets."
The Queen's name was Patricia, Edward's wife. Since she never had a daughter, she doted on Anna as if she were her own granddaughter. Incidentally, her only son's child was also a boy. Every time Anna visited the Queen, she would be told with heartfelt emotion, 'I always wanted a girl.'
What followed was a tea party where she was dressed up in various outfits like a doll. The dresses were certainly cute. Anna was a girl, after all, so she liked cute clothes, and she loved tea and sweets. But while she didn't mind farm work every day, doing that every day was… quite tough.
In fact, even now, she was wearing a fluffy one-piece dress with frills and ribbons. Ritz, who had praised it with curiosity at first, hadn't said a word about it recently. He must have gotten used to it.
Once, Franz passed by while she was with the Queen, but she saw him tiptoe away to escape. She still held a grudge against him for not either rescuing her or joining in to share her burden.
"What were you doing, Franz?"
"…Reading."
For the past few days, Franz had been borrowing heaps of books from the royal library and bringing them into this room. When Anna went to the Queen's quarters, Franz was lying down reading a book, and when she returned, he was asleep in the same spot with a book for a pillow. He had apparently spent the whole day without leaving the room.
"I see…"
Ritz murmured with a sigh and sank back into the sofa. After a brief silence, Anna sighed.
"I want to clean by myself, I want to cook the dishes I finally learned how to make, I want to till the fields… I want to go for a walk freely!"
After all, even on a walk, a maid would accompany her.
"You're right. I'd like to be left alone, too."
Franz wasn't fond of interacting with others to begin with. Being interfered with in so many ways must have been unbearable for him. Ritz was constantly grumbling that he wanted to go out for a drink, to have some fun. As for what kind of fun he wanted to have, Ritz had never given her an answer, so that remained a mystery to Anna.
But there was no doubt that all of them were frustrated.
Ritz sat up with a start. His eyes were filled with determination.
"Anna, Franz, tomorrow the three of us are going to barge in on Shasta. We'll threaten him that if he doesn't find us a house outside, the three of us will just go and live somewhere on our own."
"Okay!"
At Ritz's forceful words, Anna's eyes lit up and she nodded. Franz also nodded with an expressionless face.
And so, the three of them began their 'Battle to Find Our Home.'
II
"This is troublesome, Ritz-san. I am looking for a house. I truly am."
Shasta informed the intrusive Ritz, a wrinkle forming between his brows. Franz watched the scene from a step back. Anna also stood next to Franz, observing the argument between Ritz and Shasta.
This was Shasta's office. And it was still morning. The documents for his duties were piled up, waiting for approval, but the stack wasn't getting any smaller.
This was actually part of Ritz's strategy. If they persisted during his busiest work hours, Shasta would surely give in. Ritz had declared that a serious man like him would never let his duties fall behind.
The neatly arranged, grayish-light-brown hair was slightly disheveled, and his breathing was heavy. It had been quite some time since this argument began. Shasta was probably getting tired too.
"You're lying, Shasta. You're not looking, are you?"
"Ritz-san, I do not lie!"
"Yeah, you might not lie, but you'll certainly fudge the truth, won't you? Come on, Shasta, I'm begging you."
Ritz persisted. Franz mentally defended Ritz. They were desperate, after all. Their very lifestyle was at stake.
"I told you, I'm looking!"
"Shasta-san, a house, a house!"
Finally, Anna also resorted to direct action. She clung to Shasta. Franz silently stared at Shasta. Shasta's eyes were tired. But he, too, was at his limit.
"If you want, I can just barge into your house, you know?"
"Please don't. I have a newborn grandchild."
"I think Sally would let me stay, though."
"Please don't destroy my family!"
Incidentally, Sally was the name of Shasta's wife. She was said to be a modest woman who rarely appeared in public.
…They continued to argue like this for an hour… and finally, Shasta broke. He picked up a bell on his large desk and rang it. An attendant appeared immediately.
"…Sorry, but could you pass these documents to the Councilor and the Assistant? And could you please summon the Chamberlain and Inspector Kenny Fort?"
"As you wish."
As the attendant left with the documents, Shasta gestured toward the sofa set in front of his desk. The battle was apparently over, so they sat down as prompted. Shasta let out a huge sigh, rang the bell again, and summoned a maid.
"How may I help you?"
"Please prepare tea for the Minister and his companions."
"Yes, sir."
After the maid left, Shasta stood up and faced Ritz.
"A house has been found. However, it's a property with a catch. As for why I didn't recommend it, please ask O'Connor and Fort. I have work to do, so please, do not disturb me."
With that, Shasta spoke rather quickly and returned to his desk. Naturally, their gazes followed him. Shasta was looking through the documents one by one, writing something down.
To Franz's eyes, his speed was almost godlike. Having grown up watching merchants process documents, Franz's judgment was not mistaken. He was strangely impressed, thinking that this was why the country had managed to function even without Edward.
If it weren't for this house problem, he was sure he would respect Shasta even more than Ritz did. But right now, the house was the top priority.
After drinking tea and taking a breather, Anna, perhaps growing bored, asked Ritz in a small voice.
"…Shasta-san seems to have it tough, huh?"
"Right? This country is held up by the Prime Minister. Because the king is so pathetic."
A sharp retort came in response to Ritz's smug nod.
"The minister, too, I might add."
Shasta had replied while organizing his papers. It was amazing that he could listen to their conversation while processing documents at such a speed. As Franz watched him with a look of respect, Shasta noticed and turned to smile at him for a moment.
"Due to the nature of my work, I'm able to listen to people's conversations while processing documents."
Shasta reached for the next document. It was a rather thick one. It would surely require time and concentration. But contrary to his expectations, Shasta flipped through the pages at a tremendous speed, scribbling something down.
Anna, who had gone to peek at Shasta, had eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Shasta-san is amazing! He's reading one document while writing another!"
"I'm just making a note of which document I processed and how. It's not that amazing."
"That's not true! It's amaaazing!"
Though he thought she shouldn't be bothering him, Franz couldn't talk, as he too was mesmerized by the magnificent dexterity of his hands. I see, so that's how you can process documents faster, he thought, mentally drilling the practical skill into his head. He didn't know if he could use it for anything, though.
By the time Anna had developed a deep respect for Shasta, Chamberlain O'Connor and Kenny finally arrived. Both wore solemn expressions.
"Took you long enough. Sit down."
Even though it wasn't his room, Ritz casually invited them to sit on the sofa. The two obeyed hesitantly, glancing at Shasta's face.
"So, you found a house for us?"
"Well, yes…"
Kenny replied in a rather hesitant tone. He looked at O'Connor with pleading eyes. But O'Connor, too, just looked at Shasta in a troubled manner.
"What's with you guys? So serious over a mere house."
Ritz tilted his head. Franz couldn't understand the gravity of the situation either. Why would they be so hesitant to report on a house they had found?
"Chamberlain, if you would, please, from you."
"No, I believe you, who are on good terms with the Minister, would be the more suitable one, Kenny-kun."
Their reluctance to get to the point, each trying to make the other explain, instantly heightened the sense of unease. Could it be that they hadn't actually found a house? Were they trying to cover it up somehow?
"Kenny-san, O'Connor-san, aren't you going to tell us about the house?"
Anna, oblivious to the delicate atmosphere, asked as she looked back and forth between the two. Still, their silent game of passing the buck continued.
"You're not going to say something like, 'There is no house,' are you?"
As Ritz leaned his cheek on his hand and directed a suspicious gaze at the two, they flinched.
"N-Not at all, Your Excellency. There is… a house. There is, but… right, Chamberlain?"
"Y-Yes. There is a house, Your Excellency. There is…"
"Then just tell me already. What's the catch with this property?"
"W-Well, that is…"
O'Connor and Kenny fell silent again and glanced toward Shasta. Following their lead, Franz looked over as well. The two men's pleading eyes and the three companions' questioning gazes converged on Shasta's face. After a moment, Shasta sighed, left his work, and came over to the sofa.
"Very well. I shall explain."
Shasta sat down on the sofa of the reception set and received a city map and a floor plan of the mansion from Kenny. Shasta first spread the floor plan out in front of the three of them.
"The property we have found is this one. Built sixty years ago, two stories with a garden, ten rooms. There is also a separate servants' cottage outside. The main house has four guest rooms, providing ample living space."
The three of them peered at the floor plan. Each room was spacious. Had it been a nobleman's mansion?
"Hmm…"
"Wow! It's so luxurious!"
"And this property is located about a twenty-minute walk from this castle. It should be convenient for commuting to the castle as well."
"Yeah. You found a good place, didn't you?"
Looking at the city map Shasta presented, the house was located slightly down the hill. Franz didn't mind where the house was. He glanced over and saw that Ritz looked so happy he might start whistling. He was probably thinking about going out and having fun.
"This house is great, isn't it?"
Ritz sought the agreement of the two who would naturally be living with him.
"I agree! I like this place. The garden is big, so I think I can make a field."
Anna was all for it. Franz, too, thought it was perfectly fine. But he had one concern. A fundamental one.
"…As a house, it's perfect. But what about the price?"
"Ah…"
"The price…"
Naturally, considering the location and size, it must be quite expensive to either buy or rent. But they didn't have much money with them. As the one in charge of their finances, he knew that best.
"That's right, it must be expensive…"
Ritz folded his arms and groaned. He had probably just realized it. He had been so focused on having them find a house that he forgot they didn't have the funds to buy one. Franz had completely forgotten about that too. Given Ritz's position, this wasn't a matter of simply renting a room at a cheap inn.
"Ritz, we need to save up money, huh?"
Leaning her cheek on her hand at the table, Anna also sighed. Even Anna understood the common sense that you can't live in a house without money. From Franz's perspective, he was the strange one for forgetting something so obvious.
But it was Shasta who broke the stalemate.
"This house is not expensive, Ritz-san."
"But it's still a fair price, right? We really don't have any money."
"Actually, this property… is free."
"…Free?"
"I told you, Ritz-san. It's a property with a catch."
Shasta's story was as follows.
About thirty-some years ago, a noble family and their servants lived in this house. Outwardly, they seemed wealthy and happy, but some kind of dispute had arisen within the family. The details of that dispute rarely leaked to the outside.
All that was known was that one day, a maid disappeared from the house, and at the same time, the heir also vanished. Afterward, the wife fell ill, and her husband died as if following her.
With no one left in the family, the house was repossessed by a merchant, but no one was able to live there for long. The reason was simple.
…At night, a woman would be heard crying.
Since this happened every night, there was nothing anyone could do.
Despite paying a high price, the house was in this state. Hiring someone to exorcise the ghost in order to sell the house would cost money. At this rate, they wouldn't even break even.
The thoroughly exasperated merchant resold the house again and again. Eventually, the rumors about the house became famous among merchants, and it was traded for a bargain price.
After that, a merchant who finally gave up on the ghost騒動 donated it to the state, and the house is now owned by the king.
At that time, King Edward paid a small sum from his own pocket. He probably thought of doing some ghost hunting for fun, but he must have been too busy to get around to it.
"…So, you're saying if we get rid of the ghost ourselves, we can live in this house for free?"
"That's right. That's why I said it had a catch."
"Hmm…"
Ritz grumbled. It was probably a difficult situation, but he must have been thinking that the fact that it was free was appealing.
"A ghost, huh? I kind of want to see one."
Anna said nonchalantly.
But upon hearing that story, Franz's blood ran cold. A ghost was one of the things he absolutely did not want to encounter. Unlike spirits, they appear suddenly without any warning and instill fear in people for no reason. Franz believed there was nothing more terrifying than a fear that could not be understood.
They were completely incomprehensible beings. More troublesome than humans, and he wanted nothing to do with them more than he wanted nothing to do with humans. The thought of exorcising one themselves sent shivers down his spine.
"Can't you find any other properties?"
At Franz's question, the three, including Shasta, shook their heads.
"The conditions don't match, Franz-kun. Other than this, you'll have to wait a little longer."
"…A little longer?"
"That's right, about another month…"
That was also tough. Franz wanted an environment where he could be left alone as much as possible. Since he was so exhausted after just two weeks, he didn't think he could wait another month. But the only property available came with a ghost extermination…
Everyone fell silent. Ritz and his companions were contemplating whether they should go to the house or not, while the other three were hoping they would give up.
"Franz, what do you want to do?"
It was Ritz who broke the silence. He was now being forced to make the ultimate choice.
"…"
Seeing him remain silent, Ritz turned his gaze to Anna.
"What about you, Anna?"
"Well, first I want to see the house. Because I can't really tell just from the blueprints."
What Anna said was reasonable. It wouldn't be too late to give an answer after first seeing the house, investigating its condition and the extent of the ghost's harm.
But it was a ghost, a ghost. He didn't want them to know he was afraid, so while he thought that silently in his heart, he said the complete opposite out loud.
"I'd like to see it first, too."
He regretted it the moment he said it. But it was also a fact that he couldn't stand life in the palace any longer. And so, the viewing was decided.
"Alright, let's go investigate today. Shasta, lend me the key. We'll find the place ourselves, so just lend us the map."
Today, right now? He almost said it, but he managed to suppress it by putting on a grumpy face. There was no way he would let them know he was scared of ghosts.
With Ritz and Anna's 'strike while the iron is hot' decision, it was quickly settled that they would venture into the problematic haunted house.