I Got A Job At A Haunted Mansion - Chapter 7

I Got A Job At A Haunted Mansion
Chapter 7

“Your Grace, I will escort Miss Haien to her room.”

Great! He chose me!

The butler left the office and I followed closely behind him. As we strolled down the hallway, I looked around nervously, wondering if we might encounter another ghost. Thankfully, we reached my room without any spectral interference.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” I said, bowing to the butler as I stepped into my room.

“No problem,” he replied, offering a brief smile before turning to leave for the duke’s office.

‘I imagine being a butler means you never have time to go home……’

I watched him disappear down the hallway and closed the door.

Later that night, as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, I heard the sound of a child running outside my door. It must’ve been that girl again. I pulled the covers over my head, but the noise of her footsteps was too loud to ignore.

How tired would I feel tomorrow if I can’t get any sleep like last night? Wait, didn’t the other maids mention that the ghost was not a bad child……and that she would quiet down if asked nicely?

With that in mind, I stood up from my bed and cautiously twisted the doorknob, pushing the door open slowly. The door made a creaking and scraping sound, and I caught sight of a small pair of feet in the doorway.

“You’re here, Sister!”

“Yeah……”

“You were acting as if you couldn’t see me earlier!”

“Yeah, but I need to sleep now. Can you please keep the noise down?”

“But Sister and Brother are the only ones who can see me! No one else can! Can’t you just play with me?!”

Oh…… I should’ve just let her be……

“I have to work tomorrow, so I need to get some rest.”

“Then we can play when you wake up tomorrow.”

“Well……”

“Play with me~ Play with me~”

The child began to whine and throw a tantrum. This was different from what the maids, who couldn’t see ghosts, had said. However, because I could see her, she was persistent and didn’t give up easily on me.

“Play with me! Play with me!”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll play with you tomorrow, but only for a short while. I have work to do.”

“Okay, got it!”

“So, you will be quiet now, right?”

“Yes, sleep well!”

She excitedly rolled her feet and waved her hands in excitement. I instinctively waved my hand back as she disappeared down the hall, her footsteps muffled. As promised, the noise that had been disturbing my sleep disappeared, and I crawled back into bed.

‘Do I really have to play with a ghost……? Well, at least it’s quiet now, so I can sleep well.’

Despite my concerns, I closed my eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the following morning and headed to work. However, I couldn’t help but notice that the duke appeared extremely fatigued, with a face that seemed worn out. His dark circles were even more pronounced than the day before, and he looked completely different from me, who had enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

“Your Grace, perhaps it would be better for you to rest a bit?”

“No, I’m alright.”

“You seem quite tired. Taking even a brief rest would enhance your productivity……”

“……”

“Ah, I apologize. I may have overstepped.”

“No, you’re right.”

The duke responded with a brief chuckle.

“Do you remember that blonde girl who resides in this mansion?”

I couldn’t discern his intention in asking me that question, but I nodded and replied, “Yes.”

“She’s always making noise. So I figured if I was going to be disturbed while sleeping, I might as well get up and work.”

That blonde girl. She needs to let people sleep! It’s not appropriate to disturb someone’s sleep simply because you’re bored!

Sleep is crucial for our physical and mental health. Without enough rest, our brains cannot recharge, and our memory and immunity can weaken. During the growth period, sleep is essential for the release of growth hormones. That’s why getting eight hours of sleep per day is crucial. Poor sleep can negatively impact our personality, and in severe cases, it can even be fatal. That’s why I felt sorry for the duke who had trouble sleeping.

“I’m glad she didn’t wake you up.”

The duke acknowledged, to which I nodded. Indeed, I slept well without any interruptions, which improved my condition. My skin cleared up, and the dark circles under my eyes disappeared.

However, I was the only one in good condition.

……So I had no choice but to speak up, even though I knew it might come across as cheeky.

“Your Grace, please sleep for a while. I will take care of the ghost and make sure she doesn’t disturb your rest.”

“You’re going to deal with her?”

“Yes, Your Grace. The maids have told me that she’s not a bad child.”

“What do you mean?”

“Would you like to go to your bedroom to sleep, Your Grace?”

“……”

“Please make a quick decision and get some more sleep. I won’t be able to handle her all day long.”

“……I’ll just stay here. I’ll rest on the sofa……”

Although his response was unenthusiastic and implied displeasure, he did not refuse either. I quickly went to the sofa and tapped the surface with my palm.

“Very well, please come this way, Your Grace.”

“……”

At that moment, I realized that I had been treating him as if he were my younger brother. Worried that I might have hurt his feelings, I discreetly checked for any signs of discomfort. To my relief, he walked over to the sofa without a word and sat down.

“Please lie down, Your Grace.”

“I’ll just rest my eyes for a moment.”

“You should feel comfortable even if just for a little while. Here’s a cushion you can use as a pillow.”

I picked up a cushion and placed it at the edge of the sofa. The duke hesitantly stared at it for a moment before slowly reclining his body onto it.

I was surprised by how receptive he was to my suggestions.

“Please rest. I’ll close the curtains for you.”

“……”

The duke looked at me with a blank expression before finally lying down on the sofa after a gentle push. He appeared bewildered, as if he had just witnessed an unexpected disaster. I smiled down at him before walking over to the window.

I drew the curtains, blocking the light and causing the room to darken. As I turned to the opposite window to draw its curtains, I noticed the duke lying on the sofa in front of me, eyes closed and breathing shallowly. His chest rose and fell with each breath.

“Kya! Sister!”

Suddenly, the girl ghost entered the office by passing through the door.

“Y-You! Shh! His Grace is sleeping.”

“You mean Brother?”

“Yeah, he’s taking a nap, so don’t disturb him. Would you like to come out with me for a while? I’ll keep you company.”

“Okay,” she replied softly.

“Sister, let’s play in my friend’s room.”

“Your friend’s room? Your friend has a room here?”

“Yeah, come with me.”

Then the girl left the office by passing through the door again. I let out a small sigh.

Is this really okay? Although many people had said that the girl was harmless, ghosts still scare me……

Nevertheless, I followed the little ghost as she led me through the hallway, passing by the askew abstract painting and the central spiral staircase. We walked for quite a while.

“Laura, where are you going?”

On the way, I ran into the maid whom I had grown close to during meals. She then approached me.

“Hello, Sonia. Uhm…… I left something behind and needed to retrieve it.”

“I’m headed to my room too, wanna walk together?”

She replied with a cheerful smile, the reality was that I hadn’t actually forgotten anything in my room and had no reason to go there.

“Oh…… Well……”

“Is there something wrong?”

I felt flustered and tongue-tied as she stared at me with a puzzled expression, glancing around to find if there was anything strange.

“Sister is coming to play with me in my friend’s room!”

The little ghost yelled, but Sonia couldn’t hear nor see the ghost, leaving me in a difficult situation. What am I supposed to do?

“Sister promised to play with me! You who can’t even see me should go away!”

The ghost waved her hands in front of Sonia, then she tried hitting her, but her small fists repeatedly went through Sonia’s body.

“Let’s go together~ I’m curious about what it’s like to serve the duke directly. Can you tell me about it?”

She came closer and linked her arm with mine. However, since the ghost was standing in front of me, Sonia passed right through her body. I was momentarily concerned that Sonia might get possessed, but the ghost emerged right behind her and ran towards me.

“No, don’t go. Play with me, Sister~ Stay with me! If you leave, I’ll make a lot of noise while you’re sleeping!”

The ghost girl spread her arms and blocked our path, even though we could easily pass through her. I wondered what her intention was; perhaps she was trying to demonstrate her strong will?

“Err…… Sonia. I actually need to go to the restroom. Right now! So don’t follow me……”

“Huh? Is that so? No wonder you were stumbling over your words. I understand.”

Sonia immediately released my arm and giggled. Then she waved her hand and went on her way. I felt miserable, as if I had become a loser. I don’t usually share something so personal with someone I had only known for a short time……

“Sister, do you need to poop?!”

The ghost exclaimed and laughed. Yeah, children of that age tend to enjoy these kinds of topics……but she was the only one between the two of us who finds this entertaining. I was mortified……

“Sister, do you need to go to the restroom? The restroom?!”

“No……”

“You’re not going?”

“No…… I don’t need to.”

“Well then, let’s proceed to my friend’s room.”

The child stepped forward and continued to walk.

“It’s all because of you. Don’t you get that I was the only one who could see and hear you? I also have my own dignity to uphold.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“……Nevermind……”

We walked down the hallway once more and finally reached a door.

“We’re here, Sister.”

The child said and disappeared through the door. I hesitated, as entering someone’s room without permission made me anxious.

“Sister, the door is locked. Let me unlock it for you!”

The child spoke as her head emerged from the other side of the door. With a clicking sound, the lock turned. I paused for a moment, but eventually turned the knob and entered the room.