“Then what were you going to do if Erne didn’t rot even after the ceremony?”
“I told you that he would start rotting tomorrow and then I tried to run away. I’m sorry.”
Tan glanced at Judith and Erne, then shrugged his shoulders.
Judith burst out laughing in shock, and Erne had an expression on his face that made it impossible to tell what was going on.
Tan was both scared and amazed by Erne. The magic he performed that day, which was supposed to be a heavenly ritual, was nothing.
After witnessing Erne come back to life, Tan went into hiding for a while. It was so scary that he kept it a secret from anyone.
But when he saw Erne again, curiosity rose between his fears.
“But how did you really come back to life?”
How would I know that? Erne looked at Tan with a bewildered expression.
“But why do you talk so childishly? If you’re trying to get sympathy, it’s no use.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I usually speak in a mature tone when I’m working, but I guess I was surprised and spoke in my usual tone.”
Judith, who had been quietly listening to Tan's words, asked him his age as if something was strange.
“How old are you?”
“Me? I’m seventeen.”
What? Seventeen? Seventeen? Judith studied Tan's face carefully. No matter how young he looks, he's in her mid-twenties, and at first glance, he looks thirty, but he's seventeen.
“If you keep lying, I’m going to make your feet burn like I did before.”
“I’m not lying!”
Tan felt wronged. He had been misunderstood countless times because of his face which looked older than his age, but he felt wrong every time.
“You may not believe it, but I’m seventeen. What good would it do for me to lie about my age?”
“If that’s true, I’m sorry.”
Judith's face turned pitiful at Tan's words. 'But how did it come to be like that...' It seemed as if she was saying exactly that.
“It’s okay. People used to say that a face like mine would look younger when I got older.”
You're such a positive kid, aren't you? It's not easy to be seventeen and look like you're thirty. Judith looked at Tan with a proud expression.
“Don’t feel sorry for me.”
Tan snapped back, his expression was even more unpleasant. His slurring tone was exactly that of a teenager.
“Anyway, we're here.”
“We're here? I can’t see the village. And it doesn’t seem like there’s a village in a place like this.”
Judith looked around in confusion. As expected, Erne, who was looking around, frowned.
“I told you I’d get in trouble if you kept talking nonsense. Guide me straight.”
Tan sighed and raised his finger as if he had expected that after seeing Judith and Erne's reactions.
“I’m not talking nonsense. Don’t you see over there? That tent over there is where I live.”
Judith and Erne were speechless when they saw where Tan's finger was pointing.
It was not a place fit for human habitation. The floor was wet mud in a shady place where not a single ray of sunlight reached.
“It’s brother Tan, brother Tan!”
“Brother, Brother, why did you come so early today?”
Children were running around happily on the ground, which was damp and had an unknown musty smell.
All of them were children with strong characteristics of the Shartin tribe, and it was obvious that they were not in good nutritional condition.
“I brought a guest. You must behave properly.”
Even though he was only seventeen, Tan was able to teach the children with dignity.
The children did not approach Erne and Judith, even though their innocent eyes were filled with curiosity. Instead, they seemed frightened and wary and took hesitant steps back.
“People living around here don’t like us very much. That’s why the kids are cautious. Over there, over there is where their godmother lives.”
Tan, who spoke casually, took Judith and Erne to a shabby tent. It had chairs and a table, indicating that it was a place where people lived.
“Godmother.”
After telling Erne and Judith to wait a moment, Tan approached the old woman lying on the cot. He shook her gently, and the old woman's eyes opened slightly.
Tan knelt down in front of her and whispered in her ear the reason why he had brought the guest. The old woman frowned and sighed, then slowly got up from her bed.
“Please sit down.”
The old woman’s eyes were as clouded as if covered with a white film. Judging from the way she walked with Tan’s help, it seemed that she had difficulty seeing. The godmother, sitting in front of the table, ordered Tan to step outside the tent for a moment.
“I’ve listened to your explanation. I’m sorry.”
The chairs and tables were all sticky from the damp moisture rising from the ground.
“My child isn’t that bad, but as you can see, our circumstances are like this.”
Living in ostracism, the Shartins formed small groups and helped each other.
Those who could earn money would support the elderly and children, and when the children grew up, they would earn money to support the elderly and other children.
As a result, although most of the time they were blood relatives, even if they weren't, everyone in the group was like family.
“As you’ll learn when you meet the pharmacist, Veitch, he can be an apothecary because he looks like an imperial citizen. Children who don’t can’t deal with people.”
Whether they like it or not.
“The people of the Empire believe that all Shartins are born with spiritual powers, but that is not true. Many children are born with yellow eyes but do not have spiritual powers.”
“Then what do those people do?”
“Do the work that the imperial people don’t want to do, for cheap.”
Sewer cleaning, chimney sweeping, garbage disposal, gravedigging, etc.
Even if you are lucky enough to become a servant in the mansion, it is said that you are only made to do hard work in the stables or behind-the-scenes tasks such as laundry and dishwashing.
“Still, the group with many young people is a little better off than us. As you can see on your way here, we have many children, old people, and sick people.”
So, young Tan had no choice but to pretend to be an adult and work as a medium.
“Tan is still lacking in training. However, we need money. That’s why we had no choice but to send him out into the world, but I didn’t know he would commit fraud. This old man will apologize on his behalf.”
“I already received an apology from Mr. Veichi, so there is no need to do anything else.”
Judith waved her hand.
“We came because we had something to ask you.”
“I will answer as I know.”
“I opened a store.”
When Judith went to sign the contract, she was fine, but when she tried to start the business, she started to smell bad. Her godmother let out a short sigh.
“I think I have a rough idea.”
“Are you sure?”
“It looks like someone has put a curse on that store. I’ll have to go and check for myself, but I’m sure it’s true.”
“Is there any way to solve this?”
“Yes. Could you please call Tan?”
Judith and Erne went outside the tent and called Tan. While Tan spoke to his godmother inside the tent, Erne and Judith watched the children playing from afar.
It seemed like they were playing house, but it was more like a game of listing the foods they wanted to eat rather than a family game. One child in particular kept scratching himself.
If you live here, that's just how it is.
“It’s humid.”
A thick moisture rose from the damp soil, making them feel damp even when they were standing still.
“It’s so humid here, there’s no way you won’t get sick.”
Judith muttered as if sighing. The moment she entered the tent and took a breath of the damp air, memories she did not want to recall came to mind.
A moldy basement room. Humid and stuffy days spent sweating profusely in the sweltering tropical nights without air conditioning.
When her father's business failed and they were living in cheap motel rooms, it was the worst. Her father ran away somewhere, her mother went out to earn money, and her older brother wandered around, leaving the room empty at every opportunity.
Young Yu-Jin lived alone in a room that didn't even lock properly. At night, she could always hear drunken men fighting. But the scariest thing was the sound of someone trying to open the door.
It's not clear whether it's because they know the girl is alone and tries to come in, or because they mistakenly think it's the wrong room, but there have been many instances where a stranger has tried to open the door.
Every time that happened, Yu-Jin would turn over the blanket and cover herself in the corner of the room, shivering. Her heart was pounding, and time passed slowly in fear...
So why was a cursed mansion so scary? It was nothing to Judith.
“Please come in.”
At Tan's call, Judith and Erne went back into the tent.
“Take Tan with you for now. I have a guess, but I still need to check.”
"Thank you."
Judith took out the two gold coins she had received from Veichi from her bosom and placed them on top. Both thr godmother and Tan were surprised, but Erne was the most surprised.
“What’s wrong with you?”
He grabbed Judith's cheeks and turned her towards him, examining her eyes and complexion.
“You breathed in so much humid air. What happened to your head?”
"No."
“That’s not true. You’re giving up gold coins, and two of them at that? Miss Harrington, tell me what’s wrong with it.”
He crushed Judith's cheeks even further, and her expression became more and more distorted.
“Ah, don’t be so shy, okay?”
Judith pushed his arms away hard. Erne still looked as if he didn't understand the situation.
Well, I'm indeed strong, but I'm embarrassed in front of others.
Judith coughed in vain and pushed the two gold coins closer to the godmother.
“If you ask for something, you have to pay for it. I don’t feel sorry for you.”
“We are in no position to refuse either. Thank you.”
The godmother fumbled with the gold coins with her fingers.
“We used to have more people than this. I’m not bragging, but we actually have a history and tradition. We lived together the longest and had our own system. But ten years ago, those guys showed up.”
The godmother's voice trailed off as if her throat was choked.
“Those guys?”
“Yes. The same clan that led the rebellion and made things more difficult for us.”
“Are you talking about followers?”
“I told you that he would start rotting tomorrow and then I tried to run away. I’m sorry.”
Tan glanced at Judith and Erne, then shrugged his shoulders.
Judith burst out laughing in shock, and Erne had an expression on his face that made it impossible to tell what was going on.
Tan was both scared and amazed by Erne. The magic he performed that day, which was supposed to be a heavenly ritual, was nothing.
After witnessing Erne come back to life, Tan went into hiding for a while. It was so scary that he kept it a secret from anyone.
But when he saw Erne again, curiosity rose between his fears.
“But how did you really come back to life?”
How would I know that? Erne looked at Tan with a bewildered expression.
“But why do you talk so childishly? If you’re trying to get sympathy, it’s no use.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I usually speak in a mature tone when I’m working, but I guess I was surprised and spoke in my usual tone.”
Judith, who had been quietly listening to Tan's words, asked him his age as if something was strange.
“How old are you?”
“Me? I’m seventeen.”
What? Seventeen? Seventeen? Judith studied Tan's face carefully. No matter how young he looks, he's in her mid-twenties, and at first glance, he looks thirty, but he's seventeen.
“If you keep lying, I’m going to make your feet burn like I did before.”
“I’m not lying!”
Tan felt wronged. He had been misunderstood countless times because of his face which looked older than his age, but he felt wrong every time.
“You may not believe it, but I’m seventeen. What good would it do for me to lie about my age?”
“If that’s true, I’m sorry.”
Judith's face turned pitiful at Tan's words. 'But how did it come to be like that...' It seemed as if she was saying exactly that.
“It’s okay. People used to say that a face like mine would look younger when I got older.”
You're such a positive kid, aren't you? It's not easy to be seventeen and look like you're thirty. Judith looked at Tan with a proud expression.
“Don’t feel sorry for me.”
Tan snapped back, his expression was even more unpleasant. His slurring tone was exactly that of a teenager.
“Anyway, we're here.”
“We're here? I can’t see the village. And it doesn’t seem like there’s a village in a place like this.”
Judith looked around in confusion. As expected, Erne, who was looking around, frowned.
“I told you I’d get in trouble if you kept talking nonsense. Guide me straight.”
Tan sighed and raised his finger as if he had expected that after seeing Judith and Erne's reactions.
“I’m not talking nonsense. Don’t you see over there? That tent over there is where I live.”
Judith and Erne were speechless when they saw where Tan's finger was pointing.
It was not a place fit for human habitation. The floor was wet mud in a shady place where not a single ray of sunlight reached.
“It’s brother Tan, brother Tan!”
“Brother, Brother, why did you come so early today?”
Children were running around happily on the ground, which was damp and had an unknown musty smell.
All of them were children with strong characteristics of the Shartin tribe, and it was obvious that they were not in good nutritional condition.
“I brought a guest. You must behave properly.”
Even though he was only seventeen, Tan was able to teach the children with dignity.
The children did not approach Erne and Judith, even though their innocent eyes were filled with curiosity. Instead, they seemed frightened and wary and took hesitant steps back.
“People living around here don’t like us very much. That’s why the kids are cautious. Over there, over there is where their godmother lives.”
Tan, who spoke casually, took Judith and Erne to a shabby tent. It had chairs and a table, indicating that it was a place where people lived.
“Godmother.”
After telling Erne and Judith to wait a moment, Tan approached the old woman lying on the cot. He shook her gently, and the old woman's eyes opened slightly.
Tan knelt down in front of her and whispered in her ear the reason why he had brought the guest. The old woman frowned and sighed, then slowly got up from her bed.
“Please sit down.”
The old woman’s eyes were as clouded as if covered with a white film. Judging from the way she walked with Tan’s help, it seemed that she had difficulty seeing. The godmother, sitting in front of the table, ordered Tan to step outside the tent for a moment.
“I’ve listened to your explanation. I’m sorry.”
The chairs and tables were all sticky from the damp moisture rising from the ground.
“My child isn’t that bad, but as you can see, our circumstances are like this.”
Living in ostracism, the Shartins formed small groups and helped each other.
Those who could earn money would support the elderly and children, and when the children grew up, they would earn money to support the elderly and other children.
As a result, although most of the time they were blood relatives, even if they weren't, everyone in the group was like family.
“As you’ll learn when you meet the pharmacist, Veitch, he can be an apothecary because he looks like an imperial citizen. Children who don’t can’t deal with people.”
Whether they like it or not.
“The people of the Empire believe that all Shartins are born with spiritual powers, but that is not true. Many children are born with yellow eyes but do not have spiritual powers.”
“Then what do those people do?”
“Do the work that the imperial people don’t want to do, for cheap.”
Sewer cleaning, chimney sweeping, garbage disposal, gravedigging, etc.
Even if you are lucky enough to become a servant in the mansion, it is said that you are only made to do hard work in the stables or behind-the-scenes tasks such as laundry and dishwashing.
“Still, the group with many young people is a little better off than us. As you can see on your way here, we have many children, old people, and sick people.”
So, young Tan had no choice but to pretend to be an adult and work as a medium.
“Tan is still lacking in training. However, we need money. That’s why we had no choice but to send him out into the world, but I didn’t know he would commit fraud. This old man will apologize on his behalf.”
“I already received an apology from Mr. Veichi, so there is no need to do anything else.”
Judith waved her hand.
“We came because we had something to ask you.”
“I will answer as I know.”
“I opened a store.”
When Judith went to sign the contract, she was fine, but when she tried to start the business, she started to smell bad. Her godmother let out a short sigh.
“I think I have a rough idea.”
“Are you sure?”
“It looks like someone has put a curse on that store. I’ll have to go and check for myself, but I’m sure it’s true.”
“Is there any way to solve this?”
“Yes. Could you please call Tan?”
Judith and Erne went outside the tent and called Tan. While Tan spoke to his godmother inside the tent, Erne and Judith watched the children playing from afar.
It seemed like they were playing house, but it was more like a game of listing the foods they wanted to eat rather than a family game. One child in particular kept scratching himself.
If you live here, that's just how it is.
“It’s humid.”
A thick moisture rose from the damp soil, making them feel damp even when they were standing still.
“It’s so humid here, there’s no way you won’t get sick.”
Judith muttered as if sighing. The moment she entered the tent and took a breath of the damp air, memories she did not want to recall came to mind.
A moldy basement room. Humid and stuffy days spent sweating profusely in the sweltering tropical nights without air conditioning.
When her father's business failed and they were living in cheap motel rooms, it was the worst. Her father ran away somewhere, her mother went out to earn money, and her older brother wandered around, leaving the room empty at every opportunity.
Young Yu-Jin lived alone in a room that didn't even lock properly. At night, she could always hear drunken men fighting. But the scariest thing was the sound of someone trying to open the door.
It's not clear whether it's because they know the girl is alone and tries to come in, or because they mistakenly think it's the wrong room, but there have been many instances where a stranger has tried to open the door.
Every time that happened, Yu-Jin would turn over the blanket and cover herself in the corner of the room, shivering. Her heart was pounding, and time passed slowly in fear...
So why was a cursed mansion so scary? It was nothing to Judith.
“Please come in.”
At Tan's call, Judith and Erne went back into the tent.
“Take Tan with you for now. I have a guess, but I still need to check.”
"Thank you."
Judith took out the two gold coins she had received from Veichi from her bosom and placed them on top. Both thr godmother and Tan were surprised, but Erne was the most surprised.
“What’s wrong with you?”
He grabbed Judith's cheeks and turned her towards him, examining her eyes and complexion.
“You breathed in so much humid air. What happened to your head?”
"No."
“That’s not true. You’re giving up gold coins, and two of them at that? Miss Harrington, tell me what’s wrong with it.”
He crushed Judith's cheeks even further, and her expression became more and more distorted.
“Ah, don’t be so shy, okay?”
Judith pushed his arms away hard. Erne still looked as if he didn't understand the situation.
Well, I'm indeed strong, but I'm embarrassed in front of others.
Judith coughed in vain and pushed the two gold coins closer to the godmother.
“If you ask for something, you have to pay for it. I don’t feel sorry for you.”
“We are in no position to refuse either. Thank you.”
The godmother fumbled with the gold coins with her fingers.
“We used to have more people than this. I’m not bragging, but we actually have a history and tradition. We lived together the longest and had our own system. But ten years ago, those guys showed up.”
The godmother's voice trailed off as if her throat was choked.
“Those guys?”
“Yes. The same clan that led the rebellion and made things more difficult for us.”
“Are you talking about followers?”
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