◇ Chapter 2 ◇
It took Catherine quite a bit of money and time just to leave Orleans.
She even wasted more money after changing her destination halfway through the journey. Although the coachman felt sorry for her and charged her less, it was still a large amount.
The place she finally arrived at was the Christopher Duchy, the most prosperous land in the eastern part of the Iterana Empire.
As expected of a land protected by the Grand Archmage Grand Duke Cesare, the city was full of life and energy.
About two weeks after settling into an inn while searching for a place to live, Catherine finally heard some good news.
“It’s huge.”
“Hehe, that’s right. This is the largest residential mansion in northern Christopher. As you can see, it even has two large annex buildings beside the main house.”
“And it’s cheap.”
“Exactly! You’d never find land this large anywhere else in Christopher at this price! And on top of that, it comes with such a beautiful mansion. What a bargain!”
“The scenery isn’t bad either.”
“Of course! From here, it’s only about twenty minutes on foot to the northern shopping district. The harbor is also nearby if you take a carriage. You know Christopher’s northern territory is famous as a port city. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the sea!”
“Then why is it so cheap?”
Catherine’s expression didn’t change at all.
However, cold sweat began forming on the broker’s forehead.
The reason Catherine had chosen Christopher as her new home was simple.
Its finances, culture, art, and education were among the best in the empire.
As if luck was finally on her side, she had found this mansion on the outskirts a few days ago.
It was the very old mansion she was now visiting.
“Ahem… Doesn’t that just mean you’re lucky, miss? You won’t find another mansion like this anywhere on the continent. It’s truly a gift from heaven!”
But no matter how she looked at it…
A mansion like this couldn’t possibly be sold for such a low price.
Catherine walked across the overgrown weeds that had once been a garden before entering the main building.
The curtains were torn.
The wooden stairs creaked.
But nothing looked as if it were about to collapse.
‘This is strange.’
‘It’s in much better condition than the price suggests.’
“What do you think? It’s only a little dirty because it’s been empty for a long time. Nothing is falling apart…”
“What’s the catch?”
Even though she had been born a noble lady, Catherine had often gone out alone to take care of things herself.
To make the most of her small allowance, she had spent years keeping financial records.
Because of that, she had developed an excellent sense for money.
She already knew this price was far too low.
“W-Well… There really isn’t any problem! You’re simply very lucky…”
“Then forget it.”
She answered firmly and turned around without hesitation.
Opening her faded parasol, Catherine walked out of the mansion.
“It’s a beautiful mansion with a large garden and a great location. I really liked it. But if it’s this cheap, then there must be a problem big enough to cancel out all those advantages. Let’s forget about this deal. I can’t trust you anymore, so this will be the last property you show me.”
Even at such an unbelievably low price, it was still expensive for Catherine.
‘I really was asking for too much. I’d better find a smaller house nearby. It’ll also make finding work easier…’
Just then—
The broker hurried after her and stood in her way.
“W-Wait, miss! Please wait a moment!”
Catherine looked up from her troubled thoughts.
The broker scratched the back of his neck before lowering his voice.
“Actually… this mansion has a very frightening rumor surrounding it. Some people even say it’s partly true. In the last two years alone, four buyers canceled their contracts.”
“A rumor?”
The broker nodded with a serious face.
“Sigh… People say there’s a ghost living in the basement. On nights with a full moon, you can hear screams… and even a woman crying… I made a mistake bringing you here, miss. I’ll find you another nice house.”
A ghost.
Screams.
A crying woman.
That was enough.
Catherine quickly interrupted him.
“Fine. I’ll buy it.”
“…What?”
While the broker stood there in shock, Catherine opened her bag and took out her fountain pen.
She carefully removed the cap and held out her hand.
“I’m buying this mansion. I’ve been lonely because I don’t have any friends anyway. If there’s a ghost here, at least I won’t be bored.”
She took the contract from the stunned broker and quickly signed it.
Catherine Panya
The surname she wrote was Panya, her mother’s family name.
The broker’s face brightened immediately.
He hurried back to the city to bring her luggage.
Now that the purchase was complete…
How much money did she have left?
Catherine sighed.
The cash remaining at the bottom of her bag was pitiful.
It wasn’t even enough to hire an inexperienced maid for more than four months.
She had already sold every piece of jewelry except for her mother’s keepsakes.
This was everything she owned.
‘Still… considering I left home with almost no plan, this isn’t such a bad result.’
The broker returned less than two hours later.
Perhaps he was happy to finally get rid of such a troublesome property.
His dark face was covered with a bright smile.
“I’ve put all your luggage inside the main building! Here’s your contract… Ah! This is a small gift from us. It’ll be very useful when cleaning the mansion. Hahaha, I guarantee it!”
Leaving behind one large suitcase and a broom, the broker drove away.
Once the carriage disappeared over the hill, silence returned.
Only the wind rustling through the weeds could be heard.
“Hmm.”
What now?
She had only managed to buy herself a home…
Yet she already felt completely lost.
Catherine carried her suitcase upstairs and threw it into what looked like a bedroom.
After thinking for a while, she picked up the broom and started sweeping.
“Mmm…”
Because the windows had been left open for so long, thick black dust had piled up everywhere.
Even after sweeping nonstop until the autumn sunset colored the sky…
“This room is too big.”
Not only was it big—
There were too many rooms.
At this rate, she’d collapse from housework alone.
“It’s okay. Don’t rush, Catherine. Compared to Orleans, you’re living in heaven now.”
She threw down the broom and left the bedroom.
The previous family had lived here for two years.
Surely they had left some household supplies behind.
Fortunately, she found an old mop bucket near the bathroom.
Taking a rag that looked more like a piece of old cloth, she ran to the river behind the mansion.
She scrubbed it until sweat covered her face.
But…
“The rag is still filthy.”
By then, stars had begun appearing one by one in the darkening sky.
“Ah… sigh…”
Damn it.
When am I ever going to finish all this?
Can I even finish it?
Pulling at her bangs in frustration, Catherine stuffed the cloth into the mop and returned to the mansion.
By the time she had mopped the entire bedroom floor…
The Milky Way stretched across the night sky beyond the dusty windows.
‘Maybe it’s because this place is far from the city.’
‘It’s unbelievably dark.’
The mansion didn’t have electricity yet.
Thankfully, she had noticed where the candles were during the day.
She walked over and lit one.
Even after the room filled with warm candlelight…
“The candle is too short.”
At this point, the place had gone beyond terrible.
Taking a deep breath, Catherine calmed herself.
Stay calm.
Stay calm.
Once she had settled down, she carried the candle downstairs.
There were still wardrobes, cabinets, and rusty dishes.
If she searched carefully, she might find more candles.
‘Candles… Where did we keep them back in Orleans?’
Her eyes slowly turned toward the stairs leading into the basement.
She was certain there was a storage room below.
But the cold air rising from the darkness made her uncomfortable.
The atmosphere was thick and gloomy.
Like the inside of an anthill.
“This mansion has a very frightening rumor…”
The broker’s warning echoed in her head.
“…Nothing’s going to happen.”
She knew from experience…
Whenever she said that—
Something always happened.
But she had no choice.
The basement was the only place left where candles might be stored.
Feeling along the wall, Catherine slowly descended the spiral staircase.
The old wooden door creaked open.
Just as she expected…
A huge underground room spread out before her.
Cold air brushed against her face as the wind howled.
But Catherine barely noticed.
“My goodness…”
Was she dreaming?
An unbelievable sight unfolded before her.
Without a single candle…
Without a single window…
The floor of the basement was glowing.
A gigantic circular pattern, drawn with incredible detail, shone brightly.
At that moment…
A chilling voice echoed through the underground room.
「Whoever possesses me shall rule the world.」
The glowing pattern turned bright red.
As if it were alive, it spoke in an eerie voice.
Catherine stared blankly for a moment before quickly stepping back.
She hurried upstairs into the bedroom.
Then she grabbed the mop she had thrown aside.
Holding the candle in one hand…
And the mop in the other…
She marched back into the basement.
“A drawing this huge!”
“Who made such a mess of my floor? If you’re going to draw on it, at least do it neatly!”
Rolling up her sleeves, Catherine began scrubbing the glowing pattern with all her strength.
Whoever had drawn it must have used incredibly strong ink.
No matter how hard she scrubbed…
It only faded little by little.
“Hmph… Let’s see which happens first—me falling asleep, or you disappearing.”
Again and again, she washed the mop in a barrel of foul-smelling water before scrubbing the floor.
All the while, she cursed the previous owner for making such a mess.
Splash… Splash…
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed beyond the old wooden door.
They sounded as though someone completely soaked with water was walking closer.
Breathing heavily, Catherine turned toward the entrance.
The candlelight shook in the rushing wind.
A chill ran down her spine.
After what felt like a very long silence…
A voice drifted out of the darkness.
“Who are you?”
Before Catherine could even react—
A man suddenly appeared right in front of her.
The first thing she noticed was his sharp violet eyes.
His skin was as white as fine porcelain.
His lips were pressed into a cold line.
The smell of blood overwhelmed the damp scent of the basement.
Even in complete darkness…
His unreal beauty stood out clearly.
He looked so breathtaking that he seemed like someone from a dream.
The handsome stranger pointed a clear, razor-sharp sword at Catherine’s neck.
“The Pope’s Watchdog? You actually managed to find this place. I suppose I should praise you for that.”
He smiled beautifully as he spoke.
It was a smile that looked as if flowers should bloom around it.
Catherine forgot to breathe as she stared at him.
The intruder was completely soaked from head to toe.
Outside, not a single drop of rain had fallen.
Wet mud clung to his black leather boots.
‘Mud.’
‘And it’s wet mud.’
The man leaned closer and spoke cautiously.
“That’s quite a convincing disguise. Anyone would think you’re just an ordinary woman from the city. I almost believed it myself. As expected, they’re becoming more persistent—”
“Wipe it.”
She had been cleaning with all her strength…
And now he had tracked muddy footprints all over her freshly cleaned floor.
Catherine pushed the sword away from her neck and pointed toward the trail of mud behind him.
Then she held out the mop.
Her heart almost broke at the sight of the muddy floor.
“Why are you staring like an idiot? I told you to clean the floor. And don’t point a sword at someone the first time you meet them. Do you want to be reported for attempted murder on top of breaking into someone’s house?”
