Chapter 16: Room 102, Cursed Room – ‘Mansion of Fear’ (2)
[User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 5
Current Location: Floor 1, Room 102 (Cursed Room – Mansion of Fear)
Sage’s Advice: 3]
“Everyone, are you ready?”
With concern that the ‘worst backstabbing gossip’ we just engaged in might have reached the butler’s ears, we put on our best poker faces, chatting casually before stepping out.
“Of course, everyone is prepared. The mansion has such a lovely ambiance that we ended up chatting about all kinds of things, and time just flew by.”
We spent a full 30 minutes debating how and where we might meet our untimely demise, all while the mansion’s atmosphere did its best to lull us into a false sense of security.
“Haha, the view of the mansion has always been something the elder cherished. And it seems everyone dressed comfortably for hiking, so let me guide you.”
On the first day in the mansion, we set off for our first adventure: hiking.
*
It was a rather spooky mountain. Perhaps it was all the unfamiliar trees? Or maybe it was just how filled with preconceptions I was while looking at everything?
From top to bottom, everything felt suspicious. Apparently, I wasn’t alone in feeling this way; everyone else was discreetly glancing around, nervously watching the shadows.
As a result, our stamina drained faster than we could walk, and by the time we reached the halfway point, fatigue was evident on everyone’s faces except Jinchul-hyung.
“It seems like it’d be a good idea to take a break here for a bit.”
I had my suspicions, but the offer from the elder, who seemed to be hiking leisurely without breaking a sweat, was accepted by all of us.
“If you don’t have anything to do, would you like to hear some stories about the mansion?”
Well, we had nothing else on our plate, and who knows, there might be clues about our escape woven into the tales.
“Oh my! Of course! I’ve always been curious about my uncle’s mansion. This mountain gives off an unusual vibe, doesn’t it? Is there something special about it?”
“Well now, special… more like there was a bit of a dispute regarding land ownership.”
What an abrupt turn into reality. I had entertained all sorts of occult notions about vengeful spirits from 300 years ago, but here we were, being served a slice of 21st-century bureaucracy on a silver platter.
“Basically, most of the mansion and surrounding land belongs to the elder. However… it’s not quite that simple with laws. There are some areas that technically don’t belong to him.”
“If they don’t belong to uncle, then whose do they belong to?”
“For instance, the land beyond the mid-slope of this mountain all the way across belongs to the government. The nearby cathedral may be half in ruins now, but it’s still owned by the Catholic Church. There are also some ambiguous plots like the little farm outside the garden and shrines of unknown origin that seem to have popped up out of nowhere.”
“Then is it a problem for us to go there?”
“Honestly, it probably doesn’t matter much. I said most of it belongs to the elder, right? The legal owners are completely neglecting their property, so you really don’t need to worry about that.”
The far side of the mountain, the cathedral, the farm outside the garden, and some random shrines weren’t part of the mansion. I committed this to memory. What it meant? I had no clue, but surely it bore some significance.
“The view near the mountain peak is absolutely breathtaking. I make sure to step on the summit at least once every two or three days. When I gaze out at the surroundings from up there… it feels like all the impurities of the world just vanish.”
“Haha, you’ve got quite the stamina, sir. I imagine it must not be easy to reach the peak.”
“I’ve been living nearby, so after all this time, I’ve figured out a few strategies to make it manageable.”
Light chatter flowed easily. Yet, there was an underlying tension hanging in the air.
So we persevered and made it to the mountain peak, which was just as stunning as the butler had boasted.
While it wasn’t the kind of ‘veiled grandeur’ that made you question your existence, it was refreshing enough to feel like a hidden gem for a mountain behind a house.
As we started down, the butler casually inquired about our dinner plans.
“How would you like to handle dinner? Normally, we’d prepare something from the mansion. But since you’re college students, it might be more fun to camp out and eat like you’re on a trip. If you prefer, we could set up something by the stream.”
There was no need for prolonged discussions.
Upon hearing his proposal, I immediately thought that a campsite would provide us a much-needed respite from the butler and his maid. Eunsol-noona seemed to share the same sentiment, thankfully.
“Oh my, thank you, Mr. Butler. We’d definitely feel more at ease playing among ourselves. If you could set something up by the stream, we would appreciate it.”
“I will make the arrangements.”
Once we descended and returned to the mansion, our first order of business was to locate the MIA Seungyub.
Of course, I figured he’d likely be obliviously chasing after some girl, but even so, we couldn’t ignore the possibility that he might tragically disappear in this spooky place.
Fortunately, finding Seungyub was not an arduous task.
Specifically, right after our arrival, a girl donned in a cheerfully quaint maid outfit that didn’t match her age greeted us. Next to her, Seungyub was gasping for breath like he’d just run a marathon.
Jinchul-hyung looked like he was itching to say something, but we were too worn out for anything unnecessary. So, we all trudged inside for a breather.
After a well-deserved rest, we made our way to the camping spot by the stream.
Fortunately, the trail to the stream wasn’t rugged, and upon arriving, we found a grill already set up for cooking meat, complete with an assortment of beef, pork, and fresh vegetables.
No matter how intimidating the mansion was, people can’t resist the allure of meat! The atmosphere lightened instantly, and so did our expressions.
Jinchul-hyung, who had been fuming at the thought of scolding Seungyub, seemed to decide against ruining the mood, merely ending it with a flick to the forehead and a few playful words.
“Ah… well, at least this place doesn’t scrimp on the food. That’s a real relief. They might be pushing us to our limits, but at least they feed us well. Otherwise, we’d have all dropped dead by now.”
He grabbed the tongs and ambled over to the grill, inspecting the meat.
“Oh wow, look at that beef marbling. This pork looks like it’s going to melt in your mouth.”
“This looks like lamb. It’s my first time having it since arriving in Korea. It feels like it’s been ages.”
The atmosphere was warm and cheery.
Then, the ‘investigation meeting’ commenced.
“So, Seungyub, while you were tailing Ahri, did you see anything noteworthy? By the way, if you say you saw nothing while gazing at her face and how stunning she is, prepare for a night of starvation.”
“Yikes! What do you mean, noona? I was only helping! I thought getting close to her would be a better way to scope out the mansion.”
No one bought his excuses, but nobody bothered to push it further.
“Fine, so did you actually see anything?”
“Rather than seeing, it just feels like a strange mansion. I’d say I gathered two observations? First off, the mansion is enormous, yet it’s odd that only two people maintain it.”
“That is genuinely weird. Not only is the house big, but the land, starting from the garden, is vast. Having just two people around, one of whom is a kid, is baffling.”
“Also, they didn’t prevent me from wandering around most parts, but they specifically kept me from going to the study. That right there screams ‘something is being hidden!’”
“I guess you weren’t just fooling around. No people and restrictions on the study, huh? What do you all think?” asked Jinchul-hyung.
“Hmm… honestly, nothing concrete is coming to mind. Should I try to force my way into the study? After all, I’m the late elder’s favorite niece. Do you think the maid and butler would confront me hard?”
“Isn’t that just a tad dangerous?”
“Well, if things go south, the rest of you can rescue me and bring me back to life!”
His humor was darker than a horror film, sending everyone into an awkward silence.
“Ahh, what’s with everyone? I was just jesting! If it seems dangerous, I’ll pull out. But staying idle without a plan only gives our enemy the advantage. So while doing nothing might appear safer, it’s actually the riskiest choice. That’s just my philosophy.”
Has she gained confidence with her younger appearance or what?
Whatever the case, we still knew too little about this mansion to reach any conclusion.
In the end, dinner time passed with us happily enjoying the sumptuous meat.
Though the meat was excellent… the meeting concluded with zero resolutions, and eventually, even Seungyub, who seemed like the most carefree among us, turned gloomy.
Caw! Caw! Caw!
An eerily chilling cry echoed in the air.
The ominous sound of a crow resounded, signaling the end of our gathering as we silently got up and made our way back to the mansion.
*
Elena
Late into the night…
Eventually, the discussions on dinner and the small talk afterwards yielded no results. Before long, exhaustion washed over us, and one by one, we retreated to our rooms looking drained.
What on earth were we supposed to do? It felt like total chaos.
After facing various challenges in Russia, she had immigrated and settled in Korea with her family, and now it had been almost six years.
Aside from the normal ups and downs of life, it hadn’t presented any major issues.
Living here had its pros and cons, but at least Korea was a relatively safe enough place.
However, little did she expect to find herself entangled in something like this…
Thoughts that haunted her nightly resurfaced with shocking clarity in this eerie mansion.
Tap-tap, tap-tap.
Then, her heart started to race.
Footsteps.
They weren’t loud, but at such a time, wouldn’t they be more pronounced? Safe or not, this place was surely one of the most terrors-ridden locales in existence.
Quietly, she slipped a knife she kept from dinner into her sleeve.
Even if something happened, surely someone would rush to assist her if she made a fuss during the tussle.
The footsteps stopped right in front of her door.
Bracing herself to let out a scream, Elena flung the door open in one swift motion.
“Oh gosh!”
That was careless. It turned out the “monster” wasn’t some unidentified beast at all. With a familiar face, Elena felt a wave of relief wash over her, quickly retracting her knife.
“Why are you here so late? Did you have something to discuss?”
It wasn’t a major issue. The mansion felt too creepy, and being alone had stirred her mind into a flurry.
She completely understood, considering she was in the same state herself.
So, hoping to calm their nerves a bit, she began chatting about seemingly trivial matters, trying to pass the time lightly.
If she kept this up, perhaps the long, spooky night would drift by more comfortably than anticipated.
*
The following morning,
We discovered Elena’s corpse.
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