Knock knock.
There was a knock again.
Knock knock.
Who is it?
I turned my head, but the horse whined again and scratched the ground with its forelegs.
Although we couldn't understand each other, it felt like a warning not to open the door.
As I hesitated, unable to do anything, there was another knock on the door.
Knock knock
"Miss Harrington, are you in there?"
It was Erne's voice.
Knock knock.
The knocking continued. I swallowed hard. It was definitely Erne's voice, but it couldn't be Erne. No, it couldn't be Erne.
There's no way he, who can barely sit up because he's so feverish, could suddenly become fine and come to my room.
So what is that?
I was as still as if my feet were glued to the ground.
Knock knock.
"Madam, are you Inside?"
Sir Henry? I almost screamed at the sudden change in voice. Something was imitating the voice.
"Miss Harrington, are you in there?"
This time, Baron Brix's daughter? I covered my mouth with both hands. The thing outside kept asking if I was inside.
I had a feeling that I shouldn't let anyone find out that I was there.
"Miss Harrington, are you in there?"
Knock knock.
The knocking grew louder. I didn't even breathe.
Knock knock.
The knocking became rougher, and the voice imitating the Marchioness of Ferdi was now Cliff.
"Countess, are you in there?"
Knock knock.
The knocking had now become the sound of a fist being struck. With each thud the door shook, and Judith clamped her mouth tighter.
Countess, are you in there, thump thump. Miss Harrington, are you in there? Thump thump thump. You'r e in there, thump, I know, thump, thump thump- You're in there, thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump-
The door shook as if it might fall down at any moment.
Hic, I instinctively reached for the pot, taking a deep breath. I didn't know if the pot could really stand up to what was out there. I had to grab something.
"..."
The moment my fingertips touched the handle of the pot, the sound of the door banging and screaming suddenly stopped.
...Did you go?
I, who had been standing there unsteadily, lost the strength in my legs and collapsed to the ground. Cold sweat ran down my back.
I bit my lip without realizing it, afraid that the breath I had been holding would burst out and come back again when I heard the sound.
How much time has passed?
My sense of time was also blurred and frozen, and then, hiiiing, a horse cried out loud from outside.
I came to my senses at the sound of the horse's neigh. The fear that had been flooding my throat was finally starting to subside.
I turned my head toward the window. Dawn was breaking. The horse, which had been pacing around in one spot, stopped as I approached the window.
What were you trying to warn me about?
I mustered up my courage and opened the window. As the cold wind blew in, Erne came to mind belatedly.
I wondered if Erne was okay. I was a little relieved to learn that he was probably bedridden and couldn't open the door.
I slowly opened the door, still holding my trembling heart. The hallway was filled with silence. I took a step forward, unable to let go of my tension.
Nothing happened. Only then did I stride out the door. My feet rustled. I slowly lowered my head.
"...Dust?"
There was only dust there.
***
Erne's condition had worsened since yesterday. Henry, who had come to visit him, could not hide his complicated feelings.
"I wonder if Erne is also at fault."
He came back to life as an incorruptible corpse, then was killed by another incorruptible corpse.
"What kind of strange fate is this?"
Henry muttered in a tearful voice.
By then, Judith was also becoming anxious.
"Excuse me. Sir Henry, the others, did they have any other symptoms besides fever?"
"It's another symptom."
Henry hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth.
"I heard that some people heard auditory hallucinations."
"Are they hallucinating?"
"Yes, his deceased mother was knocking on the door."
His dead mother knocked on the door? Judith swallowed dryly.
"So he opened the door, but there was no one there. But I heard that the symptoms started that night."
Suddenly, before the fever started, Erne said to me,
"Did you come to my room last night?"
I remember asking, "Did you open the door?"
I sighed and touched my forehead. If Erne had not been ill, I would have opened the door at the sound of his voice.
"What is it, Ma'am?"
"No, that's it."
I, whose thoughts were not in order, moved my lips and then took a deep breath.
"I've been thinking about it. Sir Henry, I think it's the dust."
A hallucination of someone you know knocking on the door. You don't know if it's a real hallucination or not, but let's just say it's a hallucination. Anyway, if you open the door because you're fooled by the hallucination, the symptoms will start.
However, it seems that symptoms do not appear unless the door is opened. Although I heard auditory hallucinations yesterday, I was completely fine today. I did not even have a slight fever.
If auditory hallucinations were the beginning of a symptom, I thought that those who heard auditory hallucinations would have something in common.
My mind suddenly remembered the dust that had piled up in front of the door yesterday.
Dust, yes, dust.
"Huh? Dust?"
"Yes. The day Erne came to see the mummy, he came in covered in dust. When he opened the coffin, a thick layer of dust rose up."
Erne came back covered in dust even after shaking off his clothes and body twice at the auction house.
The same must have happened to Viscount Hustleton and Baron Beto. There must have been dust left on their clothes and hair.
"Since they are both men, their clothes would have been changed by a dedicated servant. But the laundry."
"The laundry maid does it."
So, Baron Beto's laundry maid was dead. But the question still remained.
Why did Erne's symptoms appear later than others? Why did my hallucinations appear later after I inhaled the dust?
"Anyway, please just give me a moment, Sir Henry."
My questions were piling up, and I wanted to talk to Henry some more, but I had somewhere to go today.
"Don't worry and just go to work, ma'am."
I packed up my things and prepared to leave the house. Even if Ern is sick, I must work. Smith won't lower the interest rate just because Erne's sick. In fact, it'll cost more for Erne's medicine, so I can't take a break from work.
After the golden bug went to Leon, the number of orders was cut in half, but it wasn't like there was no income at all.
Only my accomplices, Baroness Layla Briggs and the Marchioness of Ferney, continued to buy candles from me.
"Would you mind buying me some fever reducer while you're here? I see the bottle is empty."
"I will do that."
The fever reducer stopped working at some point, but I couldn't give it to him.
'Fever reducers are not the solution.'
Another way was needed.
A mummy, a dust, something imitating a voice. It seemed like something that could not be solved by medicine.
So where do we find out the identity of this?
While I was pondering, I arrived at Baron Briggs's residence. I tried to quickly give her the first few seconds and leave, but Layla would not let me just leave.
"Miss Harrington, I need you to come with me somewhere."
"Yes? Where?"
After getting ready to go out, Layla naturally dragged me towards the carriage as if flowing water.
"I know where the psychic who sold me that ring is. I almost got into big trouble because of the thing I bought from him, so I can't just sit back and do nothing, right?"
Thinking back, Layla frowned, still feeling resentful.
"But why should I go there with you, Lady?"
"That's because Ms. Harrington is my accomplice. And you were the one who confirmed the identity of the ring from another medium. Come with me and find out."
"I also have a strong desire to do that, but today."
"I'll give you a daily wage."
"Go ahead, I'll make sure you get a refund."
I opened the carriage door myself and escorted Layla.
It's not like I'm being crazy about money when Erne is dying. If I get paid, I can buy expensive fever reducers and buy some meat to feed him that soup.
'First of all, Ceres is a medium who sells curses, so she might know about the mummy.'
Even though the Items he sold were defective, he still had more knowledge than the average person.
'While I'm at it, I might as well ask.'
But suddenly a question arose. Why does Layla bother to go get a refund when she doesn't need money?
"It's disgusting. How dare you swindle me?"
Ah, that was a sin of contempt.
***
"This swindler."
As soon as they arrived at the tent of the medium named Ceres, Layla snapped venomously.
"Huh? No, what are you talking about all of a sudden? Okay, please sit down. Sit down and tell me."
Ceres, who looked to be in his early forties, seemed used to this situation. He skillfully coaxed the excited Layla into a seat.
Will you melt Layla's heart with your kind hospitality?
It was a good strategy, but unfortunately, it didn't work on Judith. Judith gave Layla a look that said, "Leave it to me now," and then whispered about the ring on her behalf.
"I told you that the Lady was almost in a lot of trouble because of the things you sold."
"Oh, is that so? I'm really sorry about this. I'll do whatever you want, Young Lady."
Judith felt embarrassed to ask any further questions since Ceres was humble and said he would do whatever she asked.
"I just hope that Young Lady will understand my circumstances a little."
"What are the circumstances?"
This was the situation with Ceres.
He is a retailer who sells amulets that have been enchanted. The manufacturer is responsible for refunds and other follow-up actions.
So, ask the manufacturer for a refund or whatever.
"That's incredible. Should I go and find the person who created it?"
"Of course not. If Young Lady wishes, the red wine medium will come to you."
Wait, who are you?
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