IWIAHC Chapter 6

Simultaneously, Lily miraculously remembered who owned that bizarre voice and bent at the waist immediately.

"I greet Your Grace."

[Good morning, Lily.]

It was the kind of warm morning greeting one might give a friend of ten years.

In reality, they were practically strangers who'd only spoken for a single day.

'He's so excessively kind that it's actually suspicious.'

Lily thought doubtfully. The calculating, cold personality of Duke Casimir was known across the entire continent.

Yet he was smiling almost every time their eyes met.

She deduced accurately:

'He must be terribly worried I'll refuse and run away. If he keeps treating me this kindly, that's fine by me.'

She smiled ingratiatingly as if she'd never been startled.

"What were you saying?"

[That back when I was around, it wasn't quite this filthy.]

The ghost's gaze slid slightly away from her.

However, Lily focused less on his sheepish attitude than on the fact that the ghost had responded to her words.

'He heard me badmouthing my boss. Ugh, I need to watch my mouth from now on...'

This was a very important matter. Since ghosts made no sound, one never knew when or where he might be listening.

Lily engraved the work rule in her heart while efficiently stacking dishes on the tray.

When she saw a cup abundantly covered in white and blue mold, both the ghost and Lily made "Oh..." sounds.

Having finished collecting the dishes, Lily lifted the tray. Seeing this, the ghost moved one step ahead toward the door.

The ghost reached for the door. However, his hand failed to grasp the doorknob and passed straight through.

The sight of him hesitating for a moment entered Lily's eyes completely. It might have been dismissed as a cute mistake—moving out of habit, forgetting his current condition. But as the building began vibrating subtly, the situation grew serious.

Lily's eyes widened.

'Is this man getting angry because he can't open a door? This suddenly?'

She'd heard rumors about him constantly breaking glass and knocking things over. But she hadn't known his patience was this lacking.

She hurried to his side—his condition was clearly not normal. His habitual smile had vanished and the corners of his mouth were completely downturned. He looked beyond flustered, as if his temper had snapped.

The vibration intensified. She had to redirect his attention.

"Your Grace, would you like to come see the kitchen?"

The ghost rolled only his eyeballs to look at Lily. His face still looked rather malevolent, but the vibration stopping was effect enough.

Conscious of the soldier outside, she asked quietly.

"You don't normally visit there, do you? Besides, you'll be bored staying here alone."

The ghost slowly nodded.

[Right. Being alone...]

As he spoke, vitality gradually returned to his eyes. Lily placed her hand on the doorknob and grinned.

"Follow me."

She headed for the servants' staircase. Glancing back, she saw the ghost trailing along while surveying his surroundings with interest.

Despite apparently living as a ghost for quite some time, he seemed not to have ventured this far. He must have thought it wasn't his place to go.

He didn't mind chatting with maids, but seeing things like this—he was unmistakably nobility.

They stopped by the kitchen attached to the main building, handed off the dirty dishes, then retraced their path.

The ghost, now completely recovered, spoke.

[I made quite the spectacle earlier.]

"A spectacle? Not at all."

She actually agreed it had been rather spectacle-worthy, but denied it for her employer's dignity. The ghost still seemed somewhat embarrassed.

[I'm ashamed I can't even help you that much. When you're managing everything so admirably.]

Lily found this puzzling. What on earth could a ghost duke possibly do to help her? Weren't his dreams a touch too ambitious?

His very existence placed mental strain on Lily. Even His Grace the Duke ought to humbly accept this fact.

What he should do was remember her kindness well, then repay it double when he returned to his body.

Lily was a wise maid, so she knew how to express such true intentions in a manner pleasing to her master. She spoke earnestly.

"There is a way Your Grace can help me."

[What would that be?]

"Simply remain unharmed until the day you recover. And if, when Your Grace finally rises from your sickbed, you remember our promise—there could be no greater joy."

The duke seemed quite pleased with Lily's answer, which consisted purely of sincerity. He smiled lightly.

[Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease.]

Comforting him was easy, thanks to the ghost being a contracts-first-principles sort. As they finished climbing the servants' stairs, he suddenly asked:

[Which way do you come when entering the main building? It doesn't seem to be through the central entrance.]

When she looked at him curiously, he elaborated further.

[No one was entering through the central entrance this morning, so I was surprised when you suddenly appeared.]

"I use the west side door."

[Do you always use that route?]

"Yes, Your Grace."

The conversation ended there—he apparently had no further questions.

Lily returned to the office and cleaned a bit more. Simply organizing scattered items and wiping away dust made the surroundings considerably brighter.

Wolfram must have noticed the change, for upon entering he swept the office with newly appreciative eyes.

"You cleaned?"

"Yes, Aide. As the office's dedicated maid, I'll do my utmost to maintain a comfortable environment. Please let me know anytime if you need anything."

She then politely gestured with both hands toward where the duke stood.

"His Grace is here."

"I greet Your Grace."

Unlike Lily, who could see the duke's form, Wolfram was greeting empty air—yet he showed no hesitation whatsoever.

[You may raise your head.]

"His Grace says you may raise your head."

Having done as instructed, Wolfram walked to his desk while sharing progress updates.

"First, I've scheduled Cardinal Alberto's visit. Since it's highly likely this isn't a natural illness, seeking counsel from the temple seems advisable. However, just in case, the chief physician will conduct another thorough examination."

The duke nodded.

"His Grace says he understands."

That concluded the topic related to the duke's condition. One couldn't expect meaningful progress overnight.

Wolfram then pulled out a stack of papers.

"I've compiled the matters handled during Your Grace's absence. After you review them, I'll explain issues requiring Your Grace's decision."

Apparently working a few hours yesterday hadn't been sufficient to fulfill the duke's obligations.

Wolfram picked up the documents and prepared to begin reading aloud. However, Lily had a better method.

After requesting permission, she took the documents from Wolfram and spread several pages across the duke's desk. When the duke finished reading, she laid out the next ones.

This simple method allowed everyone to work efficiently. The kind duke permitted her to sit in the auxiliary chair, which improved working conditions even further.

The quiet filled only with rustling paper passed, then came time for the duke to convey his opinions. Here too, Lily actively offered suggestions.

"Your Grace, I can write—if it's acceptable, how about I take notes and relay them to the aide?"

Wolfram looked up at her voice. His gaze wasn't particularly pleasant, but without objection he lowered his head again.

Disliking the maid was separate from recognizing how convenient her suggestion was.

[You can write?]

"Yes, overly complex words might be difficult, but I can write legibly enough to be read."

[You really are... helpful in so many ways.]

The duke smiled with an ambiguous expression. It even looked somewhat troubled. He clearly hadn't expected her to fulfill even this role.

Lily spoke with a touch of satisfaction.

"I'm happy to be of help to Your Grace."

He looked at Lily as if facing some strange creature, then answered:

[Then I'll ask you to do so.]

Lily gripped the pen. It felt slightly awkward after such a long time, but she simply delighted at scoring more points.

However, the duke said nothing despite considerable waiting.

"Your Grace?"

Called with curiosity, the duke blinked before smiling gently.

[Something I need came to mind.]

What could a ghost possibly need? A living sacrifice? The vitality of the living? Earth from dark, gloomy graveyards?

[Would you write this down first and convey it to Wolfram?]

"Y-yes, I'll do that."

Lily trembled alone with groundless fear. Yet as the duke's words continued, her expression grew increasingly puzzled.

When she finally stood before Wolfram, she had to break into a cold sweat proving these were indeed the items the duke wished to furnish the office with.