The Uninvited Guest Of The Haunted Mansion (21)

The Tailor had corpse-pale, whitish eyes. Her navy suit clung to her body and flared into a mermaid-like silhouette at the hem, making her resemble a creature of the deep rather than something born of land.

She quietly studied Serenity, then lifted her thin, smooth navy lips into a faint smile.

“I am the Tailor.”

From Nia’s description, Serenity had expected someone far more hysterical, yet this woman’s demeanor seemed calm… aloof even. That, however, was only her surface.

’She certainly doesn’t look very human.’

Perhaps a touch obsessive about control too.

“I’ve heard much about you. It’s an honor to meet you, miss,” The Tailor said politely.

“The honor is mine,” Serenity replied. “I’ve heard you’re the best tailor in the capital. Your reputation precedes you. Thank you for coming such a long way.”

“I’ve been looking forward to the day I’d meet you, miss.”

The Tailor’s smile deepened slightly. Her voice was low and rough, like metal scraping softly against metal, its pitch eerily flat. The longer she spoke, the less human she seemed.

More unsettling still, she stood the entire time with her hands folded neatly over her abdomen… her posture flawless, not a single movement wasted. If not for the faint motion of her lips, she might have been mistaken for a statue.

She wasn’t grotesque like the gardener or the chef, but Serenity found her all the more unnerving for it.

“…Then, what should I do first?” Serenity asked.

“First, could you come this way?”

The Tailor stepped back, gesturing toward a small dais prepared nearby. As she moved, her upper body remained unnaturally still… each limb seemed to function independently, as if connected by invisible strings.

’That would be terrifying by candlelight at night.’

Suppressing a shiver, Serenity climbed onto the dais. The Tailor smiled faintly and looked up at her.

“Today we’ll measure your body, choose the fabric and pattern, and discuss the overall design. If you don’t deliberate too much, it should take around two hours and thirty minutes.”

A control freak… confirmed.

The suspicion solidified into certainty. Serenity resolved to avoid any sudden movements or unexpected remarks while facing this Anomalous being.

Having died and returned nearly ten times, she’d become skilled at recognizing these patterns.

Meanwhile, Nia was beaming the entire time, delighted by everything that happened… unlike Serenity, whose body was stiff with tension.

Nia stood by the wall near the reception entrance, covering her mouth to stifle a squeaky giggle.

’She’s getting sillier by the day.’

It had once seemed grotesque, but after meeting so many savage Anomalous beings, Serenity now found Nia’s behavior almost endearing.

Then, without warning, the Tailor’s head snapped a full one-hundred-eighty degrees toward the back.

A slicing sound tore through the silence… shlik!… and one of the Tailor’s elongated nails shot out, embedding itself in the wall right beside Nia’s head.

“Eek!”

Nia froze, eyes wide and glassy. Serenity too stood frozen, unable to react to the sudden violence.

A cold silence blanketed the room.

The Tailor was the first to break it.

With her twisted head, she smiled… a slow, dark curl of the lips.

“Maid, you are noisy. I intensely dislike those who disturb my work.”

“So-sorry…” Nia stammered.

“Then, would you please leave?”

The other four nails twitched in midair, sharp and eager. Though her tone remained polite, the threat beneath it was unmistakable. Serenity held her breath, afraid even to swallow.

Nia’s shoulders drooped, her expression more sullen than frightened. Her glassy eyes rolled slightly before she muttered, “Could I just stay quiet?”

“Please leave,” the Tailor repeated.

“…Yes,” came Nia’s squeaky reply.

She stepped aside obediently.

“Miss, I’ll see you later then,” she said meekly.

“Oh… all right.”

Click.

The door shut softly behind her.

Only after Nia’s clacking footsteps faded completely down the corridor did the Tailor’s head turn back to its proper position. She calmly withdrew the nail from the wall, then smiled… long and thin.

“Shall we continue?”

Something had clearly changed. Serenity realized the Tailor could control her nails at will.

Sure enough, instead of a tape measure, the Tailor extended and retracted her nails to take Serenity’s measurements. Each time one of them neared her skin, Serenity couldn’t help but suck in a quiet breath.

It was a blood-chilling, nerve-wracking experience… in more ways than one.

After measuring Serenity’s waist, the Tailor smiled with eerie satisfaction.

“I’ve only heard of the Primdellrose lady by rumor,” she said softly. “But meeting you in person… your body is far more beautiful than I imagined.”

“You say you’ve heard rumors about me?”

“Of course. You’re the only daughter of the Count’s house. There isn’t a soul in the capital who doesn’t know Serenity Primdellrose. Even the street urchins in the back alleys must have heard of you.”

For a moment, Serenity struggled to keep her composure.

The Count’s daughter… who had never once stepped beyond the manor gates… was known by everyone in the capital? That was absurd. To be the protagonist of a horror story was not a sane or enviable thing.

Just months ago, she’d thought leaving the manor would solve everything. Now, even that conviction felt hollow. She found herself wondering if perhaps Nia had been right all along… ‘the manor is the safest place.’

Still, Serenity’s resolve didn’t waver. She would find a way to escape this place, no matter what.

“Shall we choose the fabric now?” the Tailor asked, breaking her thoughts.

While Serenity was still mulling over her worries, the Tailor returned with several bolts of fabric and spread them before her.

“Your skin is exceptionally fair, and your eyes are green, with honey-gold hair,” the Tailor observed. “So I’ve brought several shades of white that would suit you. Is there one you prefer?”

Serenity stared at the fabrics laid out neatly on the table… and fell into an entirely different kind of crisis.

’They all look like the same shade of white…’

What in the world was supposed to be different about them?

She glanced up cautiously. The Tailor’s expression was one of quiet expectation.

’If I say I don’t know, she’ll probably have another one of those dreadful fits.’

Serenity swallowed hard. She didn’t want that.

In the end, she raised her hand and pointed at random. “This one pleases me the most.”

“You have… unique taste,” the Tailor murmured.

Oh no. Was that the wrong answer?

Serenity quickly tried to recover. “Could you recommend another fabric?”

“No,” the Tailor said. “I’m just a bit surprised… it’s not what I expected.”

Her tone was calm, but the faint crease between her brows lingered.

“Then, try this on for size,” she said at last.

She set the other fabrics aside and approached, dragging a long length of cloth that trailed across the floor. With careful, graceful movements, she draped it over Serenity’s shoulders.

“You must not move. I will secure the fabric.”

The Tailor’s faint smile remained… until, suddenly, it froze. Her hand paused midair.

“…It’s gone.”

“What is?” Serenity asked, frowning.

The Tailor didn’t respond. The small, polite smile that had been fixed to her lips began to fade.

“…Tailor?”

A prickling unease crawled up Serenity’s spine. Something was wrong.

Fumble.

Fumble, fumble.

Fumble, fumble, fumble.

The Tailor’s hand darted in and out of her pocket, movements growing faster and more frantic until she began turning her clothes inside out in a frenzy.

“Not here not here not here not here not here not here not here not here not here not here not here… “

The words spilled from her mouth in a rapid, feverish chant. The Tailor clawed at her jacket, tearing it to shreds as her face twisted in panic.

“My needle! My needle is gone!”

Her corpse-pale eyes flushed red, veins spreading like cracks through porcelain. Then, a piercing shriek tore from her throat.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

Serenity clapped her hands over her ears. The sound was so sharp it felt like her skull might split.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

The entire room shook. Ornaments toppled from the shelves and shattered on the floor. The chandelier above them cracked with a sickening crrrk! before raining shards of glass that tinkled and skittered across the tiles.

‘No! What a mad Tailor!’

The longer the screams went on, the more her head pounded as if being split by an axe. Even covering her ears didn’t help. The air tasted metallic, and blood trickled from her nose.

’What to do… what can I do?!’

Frantically scanning her surroundings, Serenity’s eyes widened as a thought flashed through her mind.

‘The sewing kit!’

The laundry maid had given her a small sewing kit the day before, just in case.

Heart racing, Serenity dug into her pocket with trembling hands. To her immense relief, the tiny pouch was still there. She clutched it tight and held it out toward the Tailor.

“Needle! I found the needle!”

Silence.

The screaming stopped.