The Mansion That Remembered.

With steps that were neither leisurely nor hurried, he approached the bed.

Then, he reached for the old-fashioned radio placed on the decorative table next to the bed.

With a click, the button was pressed, and after adjusting the antenna that stretched out like antennae, a clear voice was soon heard through the speaker instead of crackling noise.

〈The morning temperature will drop to 13-14°C. There will be very many clouds, relative humidity will be 88-92%, and a gentle breeze will blow from the north at a speed of 4-5 meters per second.

It is advisable to bring a warm jacket when going out. At sea, the waves will be gentle, the wave height will be 0.6m, and visibility will be 45-100%―〉

It was a familiar weather forecast that he listened to as naturally as breathing, as it boasted weather that was impossible to grasp.

Those who were listening to the broadcast, which explained the weather from the nearby sea to the distant sea and throughout the entire town on an hourly basis, shuddered.

〈―ward.〉

Edward’s voice, who had been unconscious for several days without even opening his eyes, rang out.

The owner of the mansion laboriously lifted his eyelids, which had turned into a very thin shell.

Just like waking up to the radio weather forecast every day.

『Is it raining?』

At his grandfather’s question, his grandson cast his gaze out of the large window that occupied one wall of the bedroom.

As befits a small rural town northeast of London, the only things visible were grassy hills and sheep.

The rain, fluttering like a fog that wouldn’t even wet the windowpanes, made such a landscape less boring.

『Just a slight flurry.』

『It’s always like that.』

As if he had exhausted all his energy in the short conversation, Edward again took a rough breath.

After a long time, he called the name he was leaving behind.

『Theodore.』

Most of the time, he called his grandson Teddy, but at this moment, Theodore was right.

At his grandfather’s call, Theodore bent his tall frame and lowered his waist.

『Yes, Eddie.』

Edward laboriously twitched the corners of his mouth at Theodore’s low voice coming from near his head.

The senses remaining in his body were so dull that he didn’t even know if he was smiling properly.

He struggled to wake up from his sinking consciousness again.

And he exhaled his remaining breath very long.

He didn’t know how many days he had been unconscious, but Edward was grateful that he had been given time to leave a few words.

Even though death was right in front of him.

Death was, after all, a destiny given from birth, and in a way, he had reached the threshold of death later than others, so he wasn’t disappointed.

Edward recalled the words he had written in his will, which he didn’t know how many times he had revised.

He had already repeatedly instructed his grandson about the important things, and the contents would be revealed in a few tens of minutes, so they were useless now.

He opened his mouth again, hoping that his dry tongue and throat would work properly.

Once he crossed the threshold towards death, there was no turning back, so it was the last thing he had to say while he was alive.

Words he had been endlessly contemplating since he became ill.

『Return safely.』

Edward smiled with all his strength.

The eyes that contained the winter sky, just like his, met his gaze straight on.

A very faint smile was drawn over the face of his grandson, who had been sitting by the bed where death loomed, indifferently passing the hours.

Edward did not hear any answer, but he closed his eyes comfortably as if that was enough.

Everything was over.

Death did not knock politely, but rushed in as if it had been waiting and grabbed Edward’s last breath.

Edward squeezed out everything left in his lungs, as if the tightening hand was not allowing him to breathe any longer.

The dark blue gaze that had been looking at Edward, who had met his death on the bed where he was born, slowly sank.

『He has passed away.』

The doctor, who had checked the last vital signs, declared his death.

The doctor reached out and straightened the dead man’s disheveled collar.

The resident nurse standing across from him was also diligently removing the things attached to his body.

The hands that were collecting the needles, IV fluid, and devices connected to check his vitals were careful.

Theodore was watching the entire process at his feet.

Those who worked at the mansion blinked their tearful eyelids and left, and the doctor and nurse also left Edward’s bedroom after finishing their work.

Theodore turned off the radio that was chattering away on its own.

The sound of rain hitting the window filled the muffled space as if all sounds had disappeared in an instant.

Theodore looked around the bedroom one last time and left the room.

Even though it was already the time when the sun had risen, his gaze, walking through the hallway where a faint light lingered due to the clouds in the sky, swept across the frames that filled the wall.

From the portraits of ancestors who had the same surname but looked similar and dissimilar to the photos of close cousins.

They were the faces of those bound by blood.

He briefly twisted his lips and entered the drawing room across from the bedroom.

A secretary with an exotic appearance in this town bowed his head.

『Mr. Taylor said he will arrive around 1 p.m.』

Theodore nodded his chin.

Taylor was the lawyer in charge of Edward’s will.

Most of the will had been revealed during his lifetime, so there were no questions.

The funeral arrangements were the same.

『Then let’s agree to meet again at that time.』

At Theodore’s words, those who were sitting made a gesture as if they understood.

Because they had worked in the mansion for a long time, their shares were also left in Edward’s estate.

They also had to leave the mansion as soon as the inheritance was settled, so they would be busy too.

It was when people were quietly getting up from their seats.

Drag.

There was a sound of something heavy scraping across the floor.

Those who managed the garden and took care of the household stopped and raised their heads.

The doctor, who was about to say goodbye and leave, also looked around in an awkward posture.

『What’s that sound?』

It was a sound that could have come from somewhere in the mansion, which was built in the 17th century and was still old despite many repairs.

『It sounds like the floor is being scratched… Ah! Ah….』

The doctor, who had been speaking in a puzzled tone, widened his eyes.

What they heard was not a sound made by a person.

However, it was not a natural phenomenon either.

The managers also realized that.

Everyone entering and leaving the mansion was in this drawing room, so the possibility of someone else working somewhere in the mansion was close to zero.

As if meeting their expectations, the sound of dry wooden planks twisting was heard throughout the house.

The sound of scratching the wooden planks with something metallic grew louder and then disappeared.

The servants recalled the rumors that had been attached to this mansion for a long time.

The rumors of this cursed mansion, where all those who inherited the bloodline had died out, was something that had been famous enough to be published in the newspaper until recently when the momentum had died down.

The doctor quickly coughed dryly and covered his mouth with his fist.

He seemed to be trying to regain his composure, but he could not hide his pale face from fear.

『Well, I’ll be going now.』

Theodore nodded calmly at his quick tone, which seemed like he wanted to run away quickly.

『Thank you for your hard work.』

The doctor twitched the corners of his mouth and moved his feet hurriedly, just like when he came.

As if chasing after him, the managers also hurriedly said that they would go to the annex a little away from the mansion and pack their things.

As soon as Theodore’s permission was given, people left the drawing room.

“Oh my.”

The secretary, watching those who had disappeared in an instant like dogs tucking their tails and running away, muttered in Korean, which was unfamiliar in this area.

“The rumor that there are ghosts will spread again.”

“It’s not new.”

Theodore also replied in fluent Korean.

“The rumors have already spread widely, but it’s been quiet for a while.”

The secretary caught the end of his words, sitting on the empty sofa.

Theodore put his hands in his pockets and twisted his mouth.

“A protest that has been going on for over a hundred years, that is.”

Thump—!

There was a deafening sound of a door closing as if wind had rushed in from somewhere.

At the same time, footsteps rushed in from all directions as if it was time.

Creak, creak.

The stairwells, where no one went up or down, spewed a series of bursts as if they were being crushed by something heavy.

The footsteps, as if several people were coming up at the same time, were getting closer and closer.

Theodore stood there calmly.

As he did not react, the sound echoing in the house became more violent as if threatening him.

“Let’s take a break for a while.”

The secretary, who had picked up the tablet, frowned.

“Are you going to go find them now?”

Theodore’s head tilted as if it were twisted.

“If not now, there won’t be time. Besides, if we leave it like this, the schedule after that will be a mess.”

The secretary sighed, recalling Theodore’s schedule, which revolved around the minute.

Edward’s condition was deteriorating, so he had cautiously drawn up a generous schedule, taking the funeral into consideration, but it was actually close to the realm of miracles that the plan was proceeding smoothly.

Thanks to that, he had been continuously video conferencing last night to digest the pulled and postponed work.

The secretary frowned at the suddenly rising bitter memory.

The things he had to do right now were also piled up like dirty laundry.

“I’ll postpone the other things as much as possible, but I hope you can check the report that will come in an hour together. We have to take care of it before we go to Korea.”

Theodore lifted his arm to check the given time.

“That’s enough.”

He nonchalantly lowered his voice and stared at the shadow stretched out below his feet.

Even under the same electric lights, his shadow was lighter in color, as if diluted with water, unlike the secretary’s pitch-black shadow.

Theodore took a short breath.

Then, the shadows of the stretched-out furniture twitched as if they were perking up their ears.

As if they were alive, the shadows gradually touched Theodore’s shadow.

The shadow wriggled, increasing and decreasing in volume.

And it became darker and darker as if it had taken away the color.

The sight looked like a bird flapping its wings.

After confirming that, Theodore left the drawing room.

Behind his back as he walked down the hallway, all the shadows cast in the mansion began to rush in.