Chapter 42

“Wake up, Caelith.”

My eyes fluttered open as Auntie Shira tapped my forehead. I must have dozed off somewhere along the ride, as my body was slumped against the carriage wall.

“How long are you planning to sleep? We’re here.”

I shook my drowsiness away and looked outside the carriage. There was a vast manor ahead, its outer walls stretching wide enough to enclose the entire estate. Iron gates embossed with the count’s crest stood open. Beyond them, a long cobblestone road led inward, flanked by trimmed hedges and marble statues.

Stepping out of the carriage, I watched servants rushing about to unload all the luggage we had brought.

Kaelon stood at the front gate with Elysia and Yuna, speaking with an elderly man dressed in a neat uniform. Despite his age, his posture was straight, his hair neatly combed back, gloved hands clasped behind his back.

The old man’s eyes shifted to me as I approached the front gate. He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment.

“You must be Sir Caelith—the young master has spoken much of you. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

I nodded, offering a small, slightly awkward smile in return. “Uh…please, raise your head—there’s no need for that. Who might you be?”

“Hoho, do forgive me,” he said with a faint chuckle. “At my age, the memory is the first thing to go. My name is Alistyr Hawkthorne, the head butler. I’ve served the Eldritch household for longer than I can remember. If you have any issues or need guidance while here, please do not hesitate to let me know.”

“I appreciate it, Sir Alistyr.”

“No need to be so formal, just call me Alistyr,” Alistyr then turned to Auntie Shira behind me. “And this young lady is…?”

“I’m their guardian,” she replied.

I glanced around the estate, then jabbed Kaelon in the side with my elbow. “I know you’re a noble, but I didn’t realize you were this… rich.”

“Weren’t you and your family supposed to be down on their luck? No offense, but you seem to be doing just fine.”

Kaelon grinned. “I didn’t tell you? We are doing quite poorly… for a Count. Feeling happy that you’re friends with someone like me?”

I answered with a sarcastic edge in my voice. “Yeah, yeah. Thank you for being friends with a lowly commoner like me, Young Master Kaelon.”

Kaelon simply rolled his eyes.

“Big sister! You’re here!”

From the distance, Kaelon’s sister, Lilith, came running out of the estate, launching herself straight into Elysia’s arms, nearly knocking her over. Kaelon opened his mouth to scold her, but Lilith stuck out her tongue and grinned.

Kaelon sighed and addressed the old steward. “Alistyr, could you please summon Marguerite and have her show Elysia the way around?”

“As you instructed, Young Master,” Alistyr replied with a bow before disappearing.

After a few moments, Alistyr returned, accompanied by a middle-aged woman dressed in a maid’s uniform, a small lace cap perched neatly atop her tidy bun. She bowed her head upon seeing Kaelon.

“Margerite will show you your quarters and give you a tour around the estate, along with the tasks you’ll be handling in the future,” Kaelon explained to Elysia. “If you’re unsure about anything, just ask her—she’s the head maid and the one in charge of all the household staff.”

With a composed, stoic expression, the woman stepped forward and approached Elysia.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Elysia. I’m Marguerite. I’ll be overseeing your work here—please follow me.”

“A-ah! Yes!”

Lilith released Elysia’s arm with a pout as Elysia followed Marguerite into the mansion. A moment later, Lilith’s eyes lit up when she spotted Yuna, who stood there in a daze, taking in her surroundings.

“Yuna, you’re here too! Come on—I’ll show you around!”

Before Yuna could respond, Lilith grabbed her arm and dashed off with her in tow. Yuna let out a small, startled yelp as she was pulled along. Auntie Shira too, was already ahead, walking toward the mansion without a care in the world.

“Looks like we’ve been abandoned. Come on, let me give you the grand tour—more specifically, show you where your room is,” Kaelon said, waving a hand as he strolled ahead.

I was about to follow him when Alistyr held me back, a serious look in his eyes. It seemed he had one last thing to say.

He bowed his head once more, this time more deeply than before.

“Didn’t I say there’s no need for this? Please, raise your head, Alistyr.” I tried to steady him with a comforting gesture, hoping he could meet my gaze.

“No. This old man simply wishes to thank you from the bottom of his heart.”

I tilted my head, confused by what he meant.

“After my lord fell ill, the Young Master had to shoulder the entire household. He became a shadow of himself. But seeing him for the past few days… it seems he’s returned to being his old self again.”

Alistyr raised his head, meeting my eyes.

“This might be selfish of me, but I hope you continue to stay by the Young Master’s side as his friend.”

I let out a smile and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

“Of course. I mean, look at him— who else would willingly be his friend? Someone has to beat some sense into him if he ever does something stupid.”

“Oi! Caelith, are you coming or what?! What are you doing standing there?!” Kaelon yelled from the distance.

Alistyr, ever composed, allowed a small smile to appear and gestured at me to go. “You’d best hurry. The Young Master isn’t known for his patience,” 

Then the brief warmth in his eyes settled back into his usual steady composure, “I wish you the best of luck during your stay here, Sir Caelith.” he added with a courteous nod.

…

Following Kaelon into the mansion, the first thing I noticed was the grand staircase dominating the center of the hall. Its polished wooden banisters gleamed under the soft light of crystal chandeliers hanging from the high, vaulted ceiling.

The marble floor shone so brightly that it almost reflected the ornate furniture arranged along the sides of the hall. 

A large portrait hung on the wall above the middle of the staircase, depicting Kaelon, his sister, and their parents.

We made our way up the grand staircase to the second floor, Kaelon lead me toward the room I would be staying in. 

The room was unsurprisingly spacious, more than enough to comfortably accommodate my few belongings while even looking remotely full. Next to the bed stood a tall window, through which the neatly trimmed garden outside was visible, sunlight spilling into the room.

“What do you think?”

I plopped onto the soft bed with a satisfied sigh, “Honestly? It might be better than my old room.” 

Kaelon smirked. “Alright, don’t get too comfortable. There are still a few more places I want to show you.”

I followed him down the hallway as he led me through the main areas of the house—the dining room, with its long polished table and neatly arranged chairs, and the library, where shelves of books stretched toward the ceiling.

As we walked, the door to one of the bedrooms swung open, and a man stepped out. Kaelon froze the moment he saw him. I recognized him from the portrait—it was Kaelon’s father—but he had aged considerably.

His dark hair was now streaked with gray, and deep lines etched on his face, giving him a more solemn, weathered appearance than the dignified image in the painting.

“Father?! What are you doing here?! You should be resting,” Kaelon exclaimed.

He waved a hand dismissively, signaling that it was no big deal.

“How could I stay locked in my bed when the friends you’ve been talking about are coming?” He coughed between each word. “You must be Caelith. My children have been talking about you.”

“Quite incessantly, if I may add.”

I turned to Kaelon, grinning. “For real, man? You’re making me blush.”

Kaelon bit his lower lip, saying nothing, while his father let out a small chuckle at our lighthearted banter, before looking at me again

“I want to express my deepest gratitude for saving my daughter. I don’t know what I would have done if she were gone… You truly saved her life, Caelith.”

“It’s nothing, really,” I replied. “Besides, I should be thanking you and Kaelon for letting us stay here and giving my sister a job.”

A small smile formed on his face before he suddenly began coughing violently. Kaelon quickly moved to support him.

“It seems you’ve finally made a good friend, Kaelon,” he said. “And Caelith, I hope you’ll be able to treat this place like your home in the future.”

Kaelon’s voice was tense with worry as he steadied him. “Father, the physician said you still need to rest. Your condition has only just stabilized recently.”

Just as Kaelon was about to lead his father back to his quarters, his father’s eyes suddenly widened. He froze, his expression shifting from surprise to something more like fear, as he turned his gaze toward something or someone behind me.

“!?”

Kaelon and I followed his line of sight and saw Auntie Shira strolling down the hall, as she casually inspected the paintings and decorations along the walls. 

“K-Kaelon… why is the ‘White Phantom’ standing in our hallway…?”

Kaelon frowned, unsure of what his father meant, and glanced at me. I shrugged, not knowing for certain either, though I had a suspicion.

As Auntie Shira approached, Kaelon’s father appeared to be panicking. He trembled as he quickly forced his posture upright and smoothed his rumpled robes before introducing himself.

“It’s my greatest honor to finally meet you, the ‘White Phantom,’” he rasped. “I am… Thaddeus Eldritch, the sixth head of this house.”

He paused, his breath shaken as he forced himself into a respectful bow. “Had I known you were coming, I would have personally come to greet you sooner. Koff… koff… May I ask the reason for your visit?”

“No need for the formalities. I’m simply here to look after this boy and his sister,” Auntie Shira said, her voice calm and unbothered. Her hand reached out to ruffle my hair. 

Kaelon looked increasingly puzzled as he observed his father’s reaction. He couldn’t understand why his father was so unsettled by her presence.

“White Phantom? Just… what’s going on?” he muttered to himself. 

The count leaned himself on a wall to steady himself.

“Kaelon…” his father began, then paused to steady his breathing. “You might not have heard of her, but years ago, she stood as the sole equal to the Sword Saint.” 

He glanced at Auntie Shira with profound respect. “In truth, some even believed she had even surpassed him.”

‘?’ 

I knew she was strong—I had the bruises to prove it—but equal to the Sword Saint? I looked over at Auntie Shira, who merely took another casual swig from her bottle.

“You’re saying… she’s up there with the strongest people in the Empire?”

Kaelon stared into the void, trying to process everything his father had just said. His gaze flicked between his frail father and the woman who, until moments ago, had simply been Auntie Shira.

Then he snapped his head toward me, his face twisted into a vivid mix of disbelief and frustration.

“Fuck you,” he said, his voice caught somewhere between a laugh and a groan. “You lucky bastard.”