Chapter 55 - My Horror House <5>
"I’m Ritz Alster. Anna’s adoptive parent entrusted her to my care. I’m not a thug, so don’t worry."
"Yes."
In stark contrast to last night, Annie answered obediently.
"The voice that told you that corpse was Evans, the one that was always near you—where did it come from?"
"From here. I can hear it when I’m in this room."
"This room?"
"Yes."
Which meant their entire conversation was being overheard.
"Where the hell is it?"
At Ritz’s words, Franz also scanned the room. All he could see was the furniture.
A small chest, an old chair and desk, and besides that, only a corpse—it was a bleak room. All of Annie’s belongings from her life were probably stored here.
From that, one fact became clear. The only ones who could have built a basement here and hidden all of Annie’s belongings were Evans’s parents. They had covered up Annie’s death.
And shortly after, they had died one after the other. But no matter how much Annie may have resented them, she shouldn't have had the power to curse them to death. However, the owner of that voice could. That voice had, in fact, caused Franz to lose consciousness and had drained Ritz’s power.
"…It’s gotten kind of cold…" Ritz muttered. Franz turned toward him and saw a black substance slowly seeping out from behind Ritz. It was like a cloud, a black mist, or smoke….
"Ritz, behind you."
"Behind me? There’s nothing there."
Something Franz could see that Ritz couldn’t… there was only one possibility: a spirit.
"Evans-san, can you see it?"
Franz sought confirmation from the other spirit magic user present. Evans nodded silently.
He took a shining, transparent glass bottle from within his robes and, while chanting a prayer, sprinkled its contents on Ritz, Franz, and Kenny.
"It’s holy water. This will prevent your life force from being drained in an instant."
Tense, everyone stared at the corner of the room. Ritz couldn’t see anything at all, but he could hear a low, growling voice.
The malevolent presence grew stronger and stronger. This was nothing like yesterday. Even Ritz, who couldn’t see it, could feel the presence and was trembling.
Damn you… How dare you tell that woman the truth…
"Evans-san."
"Right."
Evans readied his holy staff. He began to chant a long prayer. All the while, the black mist continued to spread.
That woman was a fine servant… Do not interfere…
Eventually, the evil being revealed its form. Floating within the black mist was a figure composed of several fused, severed heads….
This was a Ghost, formed from multiple souls absorbed by a dark spirit.
Even if they couldn't see the black mist of the spirit, Ritz and Kenny could see the Ghost. The Ghost's many eyes all turned to face Annie at once.
Come back… and become one with us…
"No!"
Annie hid behind Evans. To think she had been made to believe this eerie thing was Evans all this time—it was beyond pitiful, it was tragic.
"Creepy."
Ritz muttered as he backed away. He was well aware that a sword was useless against spirits and ghosts. There was nothing Ritz could do. The only one here who could do anything about this was Evans.
As the spell was completed, the jewel embedded in his holy staff began to shine brighter.
"All of you, stand back. Leave this to me."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
In truth, there was nothing Franz could do. He knew that much. But he couldn't help but ask.
"I appreciate the offer. But please, let me do this alone."
"But…"
It was true that as a novice, he would be of no use. He knew that. He knew, but as a fellow spirit user, wasn't there something he could do?
As if sensing Franz’s desperation, Evans smiled gently.
"It was likely my sin that called this Ghost to the mansion."
"…That’s not…"
"No, it is. If I hadn’t abandoned her and had properly mourned her afterwards, my parents would never have done something as horrifying as hiding her body here."
"But that… you couldn’t help it. I’m sure I would have run away too!"
"You’re Franz-san, correct?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. You’re a kind person."
"That’s not it. I’m sure I… couldn’t have endured it either."
Franz shivered as he imagined the sight Evans must have seen.
His lover impaled, a pool of blood, vacant eyes….
He wasn't strong like Ritz, Edward, or Kenny. He would surely have run away, just like Evans.
He wasn’t sympathizing with Evans. This incident had made him realize just how weak he himself was.
As he stood with his head down, a hand was gently placed on his head. It was Evans. He spoke to Franz as if to comfort him.
"What do you think it is that calls forth dark spirits?"
His calm, quiet tone overlapped with Orphe’s when he was teaching, and Franz answered honestly in a small voice.
"…I don’t know."
"It is the darkness in people’s hearts. The darkness in the hearts of my parents, who hid her body, is what invited this dark spirit here."
Uoooooh, I was so close…
The evil spirit let out a cry that seemed to crawl across the ground. The black mist gradually grew thicker. If he could seal all of this black mist, the evil spirit made of fused heads could also be purified into ordinary souls. As a fellow spirit user, Franz knew at least that much.
But only a light spirit user could do it.
But Evans, like Franz, was an ordinary person. A normal person who had been tormented for so long, regretting his own weak heart. When he looked at Evans, Evans smiled serenely.
"I must atone for my own sin myself."
"I understand…"
Franz silently bowed his head and retreated to the entrance of the basement. There was nothing more he could say.
"I will be with you as well, Evans-sama."
As she spoke, Anna’s body swayed unsteadily.
"Whoa."
Ritz supported her body. Before them stood a beautiful maid. But unlike a normal person, she was translucent, and they could see through her.
I’ll return Anna’s body, just in case something happens.
"Annie."
I’m sorry. I was deceived. I believed the words of that evil spirit, that if I could get outside using Anna’s body, I would find a way to bring Evans-sama back to life…
Annie hung her head. She, in her own way, had been desperate to save the one she loved. They couldn't blame her for that. Ritz and Franz simply listened to her confession in silence.
I was about to be absorbed into that thing, wasn’t I? And Anna would surely have followed… I’ve done a terrible thing. Please tell Anna I’m sorry.
"Yeah. I will."
Annie quietly stood beside Evans.
"Annie, it’s dangerous."
It’s alright. I want to be with you.
"Thank you."
Evans and Annie took each other’s hands.
"…Everyone, please leave this basement. I will seal that dark spirit and purify the evil one. I do not have the strength to protect you as well."
Everyone knew that they could not argue with Evans's quiet but newly confident words. Kenny bowed his head slightly and nodded.
"…Understood. Please be careful."
"But…"
Evans was clearly anticipating his own death should he fail. Franz was at a loss for words.
He mustn’t do anything to change his resolve. Everyone has something they must accomplish once in their life, even at the risk of their own life.
Because he had missed that opportunity, he had suffered all this time. They must not interfere anymore. Ritz and Kenny seemed to understand that.
Franz, too, understood his resolve with a painful clarity, but it was just too heart-wrenching.
Evans was an ordinary person. That’s why his own present and Evans’s past seemed to overlap slightly.
Franz was undoubtedly on the same side as Evans, the side of the weak, not the side of the strong where Ritz and Kenny stood.
It was Evans who had made him realize this for the first time. No matter how much he put on a brave face or pretended, Franz had to admit to himself that he could never be more than an ordinary person.
"Now, hurry!"
Urged on by Evans, Ritz, carrying Anna, led the way as they rushed up the stairs. He felt a strong reluctance to leave, but he knew they had no choice but to entrust this to them. That much was clear.
"May the blessing of the Light Spirit King be with you…"
For the first time, Franz prayed from the bottom of his heart to the Light Spirit King, the guardian spirit of Yuresla.
Left behind in the basement, the two smiled at each other and turned to face the Ghost that had merged with the dark spirit.
"In the end, I wanted to be with you."
Me too, Evans-sama.
Evans raised his holy staff. He had lived his life consumed by regret for what happened to Annie, thinking only of atoning for his sin.
"Will you forgive me?"
In response to his question, his long-lost lover smiled gently.
"Of course. I have never hated you. Because I love you."
Now that he had been forgiven by Annie, he had no regrets left in his life. He wanted to lay down his life here and be called to the Goddess’s side with Annie.
"Thank you, Annie. Well then, shall we go?"
"Yes."
Calmly, Evans took Annie’s hand. Her faintly translucent hand was as beautiful as it had been in the old days, without a single wrinkle.
Annie’s hand squeezed his own, which had become covered in wrinkles.
With the same feeling, this time they could be together forever, never to be parted. He felt as if he could see the blessing of light on the other side of the eternal tunnel of pain.
"O Light Spirit King, who governs shining hope and pride. I am Evans Clayton. Grant me the brilliance to seal the darkness!"
The basement was flooded with a dazzling light.
"No!"
"…Anna?"
"Don’t die!"
Just as they reached the top of the stairs leading out of the basement, Anna, who had been unconscious in Ritz’s arms, suddenly screamed.
"Hey, are you okay, Anna, Anna?"
Ritz looked into her face in a panic.
The next moment, as if in response to Anna’s voice, a giant spray of water erupted from the pond in the garden.
"A… Water Dragon…"
After circling once above the unconscious Anna, the Water Dragon descended the basement stairs with tremendous speed.
"Anna? She’s unconscious, right?" Ritz muttered.
With the Water Dragon’s roar, a flood of light burst forth, piercing the eyes of everyone who had grown accustomed to the darkness. It was so bright they couldn’t open their eyes.
"What’s happening?!"
When the light finally subsided and they could open their eyes, they all stood stunned at the scene before them. The place where the basement was supposed to be had caved in.
"…What happened to Evans-san?"
As they all started to rush toward the collapsed area, a spray of water shot up, and at the same time, earth was thrown into the air.
"What was that?"
The source of the water spray was the Water Dragon. As if its duty was done, the Water Dragon roared in their direction and then returned to the pond in the garden.
"…Let’s go, anyway."
As they got closer, they saw that the collapsed area had become a large, empty cavity. Normally it should have been filled with earth and sand, but the basement was clearly visible.
"The Water Dragon protected them…"
Anna was still unconscious, but she had a strangely satisfied look on her face.
VIII
It has been a week since the commotion at the mansion.
During that time, the mansion has been bustling with private cleaning companies, gardeners, and demolition crews to tear down the old servant’s quarters in the back.
The reason the house is being cleaned so spotlessly is simple: it has been officially decided that Ritz and the other two will own the house.
Truthfully, they had planned to do all the cleaning, demolition, and gardening themselves, but Kenny, feeling responsible for Anna being possessed and the terrible ordeal they had gone through, consulted with the Chamberlain and Shasta, and a large number of contractors were brought in as a form of atonement.
Of course, the private contractors have not been informed that the owner of this house is a minister. Ritz casually wanders around the mansion with the contractors, giving instructions here and there, but so far, no one seems to have realized his true identity.
On the contrary, he is adored as a cheerful mercenary who exorcised the ghost of the famous haunted house and got a house for himself.
This is entirely due to the disguise Ritz wears when he is acting as a minister. His disguise of a fake beard, a monocle, and a light dusting of white powder in his hair to simulate grayness changes his image considerably.
The citizens of the capital recognize that figure as the minister and assume that a man of considerable age holds the position. Therefore, no one would think to connect such a young man with the minister.
This was the reason for Ritz’s strange disguise. Franz learned this for the first time during this incident.
Ritz had proudly said, ‘Thanks to this, when I take off the disguise, I can go out and have fun in the city whenever I want, right?’ He was usually so spontaneous, yet it was funny how strangely meticulous he was about things like this.
"Wow, it’s so clean!"
Anna, who had been bedridden, had finally recovered and, entering the mansion for the first time in a week, let out a voice filled with emotion.
"Right? And all of this was free."
"That’s amazing!"
The three of them walked through the house, where the sounds of repairs could still be heard here and there. Now that it was clean and bright, the whole ghost incident seemed like a lie, and it was ridiculous how scared he had been.
"What happened to Annie’s body?"
Anna, who hadn't been told the details of what happened afterward, asked the two of them. Franz looked up at Ritz’s face. Ritz gave Franz a slight nod. He probably wanted him to explain.
"Evans-san buried her in the church cemetery."
"Oh, I see…"
Anna said she remembered everything from the time her body was possessed by Annie. Although she couldn’t move her body at will, she had seen everything from within Annie.
However, she said her memory of the time after she was freed from Annie and lost consciousness was hazy. It seemed she didn't remember summoning the Water Dragon unconsciously at all.
In silence, the three of them went out into the garden through the back door. The old servants' quarters had long since been demolished. The small, dirty pond had had its moss removed and its water replaced.
Anna noticed for the first time that a small hut had been built on the site where the servants' quarters should have been, where there should have been nothing.
"What's that hut? It's new."
"…We had it newly built."
"What for?"
At a loss for what to say, Franz fell silent. Ritz answered in his place.
"It’s the new home for the newlyweds."
"Newlyweds?"
Just then, the door of the hut opened and a man came out.
"Hey, is that Evans-san?"
Anna involuntarily sought confirmation from the two of them. It seemed the image of Evans in her memory was somewhat different.
Franz nodded with a wry smile at Anna, who was looking up with an expression of disbelief.
"That’s right."
"He looks younger, doesn’t he?"
Still not believing it, she sought confirmation from Ritz as well.
The deep wrinkles had faded, and the traces of anguish that had been finely etched on his face were gone. His cheeks glowed with a healthy complexion, making him look younger than his late sixties.
Ritz laughed at the thoroughly confused Anna.
"Yeah, he’s happy, I guess."
"Why? Didn’t Annie-san die?"
"Well, she’s dead, but…"
"That’s right. She’s still dead, but…"
"But depending on how you look at it, she might be alive."
"Yeah, you’re right."
Even when Anna stared at him intently, Franz could only shrug. He himself was hopelessly bewildered by this turn of events.
"Huh, what, I don’t get it!"
Evans, noticing the three of them, including the confused Anna, waved in their direction.
"Welcome, everyone. Annie, our guests have arrived."
Oh my, welcome.
The face that appeared was that of a half-transparent Annie.
"Why? Wasn’t she called to the Goddess’s side…"
For Anna, being buried in the church cemetery meant that the soul had also been called to the Goddess’s side. The fact that Annie was here lightly surpassed Anna’s imagination.
At the surprised Anna, Annie and Evans smiled happily.
"It’s a long story, but basically, they got married and decided to live here."
"Huh, huh, so the newlyweds are…"
"Yep, Evans and Annie."
"Really?"
Amidst her surprise, a look of joy gradually spread across Anna’s face. She must have come to understand Annie’s devoted love for Evans all too well during the two days she spent with her.
For Anna, who found joy in others’ happiness, there could be nothing more joyous than seeing the two of them happy.
"I’ve been allowed to live here until I am called to heaven."
Evans said to Anna, looking embarrassed.
After being protected by the Water Dragon from the collapse of the basement, they had, at Ritz’s suggestion, decided to build a house here and live in it.
I’m so happy. To think I can live with Evans-sama.
"Please stop with the ‘Evans-sama.’ We are husband and wife."
Oh my, how silly of me. Evans♥
"Annie♥"
At this hopelessly lovey-dovey display, Franz slumped his shoulders in defeat.
What is this fairy-tale-like development? What does that make him, who was so terrified of this mansion….
"I’m glad they seem so happy!"
Oblivious to his feelings, Anna turned back to the two of them with a beaming smile. To Anna, that scene probably looked like a very happy one.
What a simple-minded fool, he cursed inwardly.
"Alright, I’m going to help with the garden!"
Ritz called out to Anna, who was enthusiastically about to head around to the front of the garden.
"And one more thing. We’ve also decided on a maid to work for us."
"Don’t tell me that’s…"
"Yep, it’s Annie."
"Really!"
Anna ran over to Annie.
"Annie, it’s a pleasure to be working with you."
Annie lowered her eyes at Anna, who was smiling at her without any hesitation.
Anna had almost died because she had taken over her body, yet she was acting so happy, as if it didn't matter. She must have felt sorry about that.
As expected, Annie asked Anna with a worried look.
Anna, can you forgive me?
Anna nodded happily. She understood Annie’s feelings well. She couldn’t blame Annie, and most importantly, she herself was safe, so there was no problem.
"Of course. Let’s be good friends!"
Anna…
Three days after this, Ritz and his companions would move from the royal palace into this house, and their life with the five of them—Annie, Evans, and the couple living in the cottage on the property—would begin.