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Chapter 03
Ghost.
Even after returning to the Whittington Mansion, the words I had heard at Aileen’s funeral still lingered in my ears.
A ghost that curses the women of the Plenigan family.
I didn’t believe in the kind of ghosts that appear in old tales—covered in a pure white sheet, floating around. So I could have easily dismissed the words I heard at the funeral with a scoff.
But there was a reason I couldn’t just let it go.
[Beth, there’s a ghost in our family.]
Aileen had definitely said this.
[It’s a curse and a binding left by our ancestors. A ghost that appears only before the women among our descendants…]
A ghost that appears only before the women in the family.
It strangely matched what I had overheard from the maids at the funeral.
There was also the letter Aileen had sent me a week before her death. At that time, she had been excited, claiming she had discovered the true identity of her family’s ghost.
And not long after, Aileen had lost her life.
“Could all of this really be a coincidence?”
I shook my head. There was something heavily looming over Aileen and the Plenigan mansion—a ghost, or at least the shadow of one, whose nature I could not grasp.
I could have inquired directly at the Plenigan Mansion about this “ghost.” I could have made an appointment in advance, met the bereaved family to offer my condolences again, and politely asked, “I’m concerned about some matters; could you possibly explain them?”
That would have been the most proper and courteous way for the young lady of the Whittington family to act.
But a ghost? That’s not something you can ask about openly.
Having grown up enough to understand the world, and moreover having attended a university where women were rarely able to enter, it was obvious people would laugh behind my back if I uttered words that sounded like a toddler’s.
They might listen seriously instead of mocking me, considering my position—but would I truly get the answer I wanted?
I still remembered Mrs. Jenkins’ cold glare at the funeral.
That icy look that warned me not to pry into the reasons behind Aileen’s death. The resolute manner that seemed to draw a firm line, saying there was nothing more to know about Aileen or the Plenigan mansion.
Clearly, asking formally would get me nowhere.
I could just assume Aileen’s death was an accident, accept it quietly, and return to daily life.
But I couldn’t accept that. That was not how I, Elizabeth Whittington, operated.
So I made a decision. I would enter the Plenigan Mansion myself and investigate until I got the answers I wanted.
As soon as I made up my mind, I decided to put the plan into action. Hesitating wasn’t in my nature.
(Regarding this trait of mine, Ian would say, when in a good mood, “As expected, you have great decisiveness, miss.” But when in a bad mood, he would say, “Miss, what if your impulsive actions lead to an accident?”)
When I explained my plan to my grandfather, he looked as though he had just witnessed the ground collapse beneath him.
“A maid, you say!”
He opened his mouth so wide in shock that I worried a fly might fly in.
But my grandfather shouted again as if eating a dozen flies was no big deal.
“You, the young lady of the Whittington family, who will one day succeed me as the next Count Whittington, want to become a maid in a merchant family?!”
“I’ve thought about it carefully before saying this,” I replied.
I explained to him about my friend’s sudden death and the suspicious rumors surrounding the “ghost.”
“I just want to know what kind of accident took Aileen’s life. I’m not trying to cause any trouble.”
“But you don’t have to use such drastic measures!”
My grandfather shook his head in disbelief.
“There’s a way to visit the Plenigan Mansion as a proper guest. As the young lady of the Whittington family, they wouldn’t treat you harshly even if they saw me. Even if the family doesn’t explain properly, you could learn things while having tea or taking walks with neighbors or other guests…”
“Grandfather, that method won’t get proper information, which is why I thought of this plan.”
Frustrated, I interrupted him.
“Going as a formal guest, especially a female guest, means I can’t freely move around the mansion. Even if I wanted to speak with neighbors, I’d only meet a limited number of people. The mansion’s staff would also hesitate to speak openly to a guest.
And I have to consider that the investigation might take time. As a female guest, my stay would be limited. But as a maid, as long as I don’t get fired for mistakes, I could stay for months while continuing my investigation.”
“Months?!”
Grandfather raised his voice in surprise again. I felt a little touched that he worried about me being away for so long.
“I’m not saying I’ll stay that long, but if the investigation takes longer than expected, it could happen.”
“No, from what I see, you’ll probably cause some ridiculous incident and be kicked out in a day or two. Planning to stay for months is out of the question.”
“…Grandfather, please trust your granddaughter.”
“Sending my granddaughter to a distant mansion as a maid, where I know nothing of the place, still doesn’t sit right with me.”
“Grandfather, I’m not going to a battlefield to die. It’s just a house where people live. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Still…! Well! How about Mrs. Weber accompanying you? As your friend and fellow maid?”
I appreciated my grandfather’s concern, but his suggestion was ridiculous.
“Mrs. Weber is old enough to be my parent, so calling her my friend would be absurd. Also, the newspaper ad clearly stated they were hiring only one maid.”
The reason I decided to disguise myself as a maid to enter the Plenigan Mansion was that, on my way back from the funeral, I happened to see a local newspaper ad. It announced that the Plenigan Mansion was hiring a live-in maid.
“And even if you oppose, it’s too late. I already sent a letter to the Plenigan Mansion as soon as I returned, saying I wanted to enter as a maid after seeing the ad in the newspaper.”
“So! You seized the opportunity to have a young noblewoman serve in a merchant’s house?!”
“Of course not. I thoroughly concealed the fact that I was from the Whittington Mansion or my real name.”
Naturally, the Plenigans would be suspicious if I said I was from the Whittingtons. So I asked one of the Whittington household staff to send a letter with a fake name and address.
“And I’ve received a reply to come for an interview the day after tomorrow.”
“Who do you take after…? Never mind. Speaking like that only insults myself.”
Grandfather sighed and sank deeply into his chair.
“Alright, Beth. So what is it that you want?”
He stared at me intently.
“You didn’t come just to get permission to act, did you?”
“Of course not, Grandfather. Your insight is astonishing!”
“Don’t mock an old man.”
I smiled at him. He wasn’t someone so rigid as to not understand my intentions. He would surely recognize that I wasn’t trying to start this as a mere prank.
“A letter of introduction. To work properly as a maid, a letter of introduction is essential.”
“If it’s a letter from Count Whittington, it would work anywhere. That’s not difficult.”
“That’s not it! It would be troublesome if they knew I was connected to our family. I’ll use a false name.”
I waved my hands anxiously.
“I hope you could ask someone you know to provide a letter of introduction. That would be very helpful.”
My plan worked perfectly. Grandfather asked Baroness Olga, a respected and well-known figure, for a letter of introduction. When the Plenigan Mansion saw her name, they asked a few minor questions and immediately hired me.
Mrs. Jenkins also briefly appeared at the interview but left quickly. I had worried about being recognized, but because she had worn a black veil at the funeral, she didn’t recognize me in my maid outfit with my red hair flowing freely.
After all, who would imagine a noble young lady working as a maid?
I was satisfied with my plan. Now, as a hired maid, I could move around the mansion freely to gather information.
About the identity of the “ghost” said to roam the Plenigan Mansion.
Just as I was retreating to my room after hearing the housekeeper, Mrs. Pierce, explain a few rules for live-in maids, the door swung open, and someone entered.
“Ah, Mr. Thomas.”
Mrs. Pierce jumped to her feet. I hadn’t investigated the Plenigan family members yet, so I didn’t know his exact relation to Aileen, but he seemed to be a close relative.
“A new maid has arrived.”
The man named Thomas quickly sized me up and asked,
“What’s your name?”
“Ellie Lambert.”
“Alright, Ellie. You can learn the basics from Mrs. Pierce. But I also have one important task for you.”
“I will do my best in anything you ask.”
I answered obediently, thinking to myself: He’ll probably just assign me to clean a section of the mansion, care for a favored pet, or assist an elderly lady with limited mobility.
But Thomas’s next words slightly diverged from my expectations.
“From today, a distinguished guest will be staying in our mansion. The other maids are busy, so you will handle their room and errands.”
“Yes, understood.”
“They’re a noble, with connections to important clients, so you must never neglect your duties.”
“I will remember.”
“Well… Ah, Count Penwood! You didn’t have to come all the way to the maid’s room!”
From Thomas’s flustered remark, it seemed the noble himself had just arrived.
I’m not sure how important a noble he is, but I know enough about the meticulous nature of aristocrats.
I instinctively bowed. As I slowly lifted my head, I almost let out a shout.
…Why are you here?
A tall man had just entered the housekeeper’s room, smiling mischievously and staring directly at me.
It was none other than Ian Quaid, acting butler of the Whittington Mansion.
