The Uninvited Guest Of The Haunted Mansion (39)

According to Blake, this manor was hell-bent on devouring Serenity. Anomalous beings were nothing more than puppets of this world, so aside from a few individuals who were favorable to Serenity, they were eager to put her in danger.

Even if that was not the will of an Anomalous being, it would often end up leading to situations that threatened Serenity’s life.

So it was clear that this situation, too, was the manor trying to put Serenity to the test.
Otherwise…

“Take this and go to the pond. The time should be about right by now.”

Serenity glanced alternately at the Count, who stood upright in the middle of the study, neatly ready to go out, and at the suspiciously large basket on the table.

Even from a few steps away, a nauseating fishy smell wafted.

Things couldn’t be this bad even if luck were against me. No sooner had I escaped that damn, weird phenomenon inside the painting than I ran into this.

Frowning slightly, Serenity tried to guess what day it was. Unfortunately, it was Thursday.

‘Not a chance.’

Serenity swallowed a quiet sigh.

“Wasn’t the butler supposed to come in today?”

“He’s preparing to go down to his hometown.”

“Ah… I see.”

The Primdellrose butler used to leave the manor and drop by his hometown every quarter, and it happened to be today. At this point it was clear that the manor’s will was involved.

Serenity lowered her gaze obliquely.

‘Of all places, a pond.’

Behind the Main Building, about ten minutes away at a slow pace, there was a small pond. Unlike the lake in the west garden, it was artificial; inside lived a ‘pet’ the Count treasured particularly.

Usually feeding it was the job of the Count’s dutiful retainer, the butler. The Count particularly hated the idea of others handling it.

So on the very rare days when the butler wasn’t around, the Count himself would give it food…

‘So he’s forcing this on me.’

Serenity narrowed her eyes.

‘Is this also part of the manor’s attempt to devour me?’

Finally averting her gaze from the basket, Serenity asked cautiously.

“You seem busy today.”

“As you can see, yes.”

“…Then couldn’t you have the servant do it?“

The Count adjusted his cravat and sharply lifted his head.

“Are you telling me to entrust my precious child to just anyone?”

If that precious child’s staple diet is live meat, wouldn’t you think so? A father’s daughter still only has one life.

Words she wanted to say rose to her throat, but Serenity answered with a faint smile.

Today wasn’t a generous day for the Count, and he was probably on edge because of the outing, so if she answered back any more she couldn’t guarantee what would happen.

“…Yes, understood.“

When Serenity obediently replied, the Count’s previously sharp expression visibly softened a little.

As he threw on his jacket, he asked offhandedly,

“So, how have you been getting along with the Duke these days?”

“Well, um… he treats me well. He’s kind.”

“You should make a good impression while the Duke stays at the manor. Our family’s business depends on his hands.”

Of course.

My escape is on the line too, Father.

Instead of answering, Serenity gave him an innocuous smile.

“Then off you go.”

“Yes.”

When Serenity picked up the basket on the table, she felt something stir against the inside of the lid.

Goosebumps prickled, but she showed no sign of it and gripped the basket so hard her hands turned white. She didn’t want to know what was inside. Guessing was enough.

“Be careful on your way.”

“Serenity.”

The Count’s calling stopped Serenity’s hurried steps out of the study.

“Yes, Father.”

“Act cautiously in all things.”

“…“

“If you act rashly, you won’t like the consequences.”

The Count, who had been quietly watching her, gave a faint smile.

Serenity couldn’t answer for a while and met his gaze in the air. Was it a warning to be polite when dealing with the Duke, or to abstain from foolish tricks? The subjectless warning felt somehow ambiguous.

Eventually she forced a stiff smile.

“…Yes, Father. I’ll keep that in mind.“

—

The path to the pond was bleak. It was early winter. The nearby flowerbeds had long since lost their leaves, leaving only bare branches. At this time the garden felt less like a garden and more like a cemetery. Each time Serenity took a step, dead leaves, not yet nutrients for the earth, crunched under her shoes.

‘The smell of stagnant water…’

The farther she got from the Main Building, the more the smell of old water and moss mingled into a terrible stench. At some point a milky mist had formed around, making it hard to make out distant features.

Finally arriving at the pond, Serenity slowly stopped. There was not even a walking path nearby; with no proper landscaping it looked like a ruin.

The pond was large. It was called a pond, but it would not have been out of place being called a lake. There were no trees nearby, but instead water lettuce floated on the surface that did not sink even in the cold. Even in snowy midwinter it remained intact, making it look as if algae covered it at a glance.

Either way, they contributed to the eerie atmosphere.

Arriving at the water’s edge, Serenity set the basket down and opened the lid. Inside were piled many pieces of something cut into two-span lengths. They flinched occasionally as if boasting freshness. Serenity couldn’t bear to stare long and hastily turned her head, barely holding back a retch.

She closed the lid and stepped back a few paces. All she had to do was watch it finish the food, then pick up the empty basket and return.

How long had passed?

The surface of the once-still pond began to ripple.

It grew into larger waves and eventually into something close to surf. Not long after, with a splashing sound, a gigantic something revealed itself above the surface.

‘Seeing it in person, it’s even… worse.’

What appeared before Serenity had a lower body made of tentacles of a deep-sea creature. Its upper body resembled a human, but it was too grotesque to simply call it human: a scaly face, two eyes consisting only of whites with no focus, vivid gills at its neck, and arms jointed in strange twists.

‘The Count who keeps this as a pet, truly…’

At that thought, Serenity shook her head slightly.

Still, was it a relief that the monster’s eyesight had long since degenerated and it distinguished things by sound and smell? As long as she didn’t move unnecessarily, there was no danger of being noticed.

-Kii.

The monster began to shake its body with a cry. Each time it twisted its joints, a creaking sound came.

‘It seems bigger than I thought…’

The monster had the property of freely shrinking or expanding its body to match the size of its habitat. If raised in a glass jar it would grow only to that size, but the more space it had, the larger it became. And the Count had made this huge artificial pond purely for that monster.

It was fortunate that the monster merely ate the food quietly; if it ever left the pond hungry, who knew what would happen. After all, the creature’s staple was fresh meat.

‘Don’t make a sound.’

If it noticed her, she wouldn’t even be left with her bones.

Now all she had to do was wait for the monster, which was inching forward on two arms, to finish eating the meat in the basket and disappear, then retrieve the basket.

So, that’s what should happen, clearly…

-Kiek! Kii.

Sniff sniff.

’…Huh?’

Instead of devouring the food inside the box, the monster began to look around. It put its hands on the ground and sniffed the air.

At the same time, Serenity had a bad feeling.

What happened next occurred in the blink of an eye.

-Kiiiiik!

Suddenly the monster snapped its head up and rushed toward Serenity at terrifying speed. It extended a tentacle and clamped around her ankle.

“Eek!”