Chapter 4: The Nun and the Bird

Outside, wind and rain blew into the corridors, and the white gauze curtains on both sides swayed like dancers in fluttering white skirts.

Little maid Vivian leaned against the wall, waiting for the conversation inside the study to end.

Before receiving instructions, she was not allowed to leave her post.

But the wait was getting long, and even Vivian began to feel bored.

So she leaned near the windowsill and lightly tapped the floor with the tip of her shoe to entertain herself.

“Tap, tap…”

The sound of her black patent shoes echoed hollowly on the floor, spreading farther and farther into the empty corridor until the darkness at the end swallowed it.

Creak—

The tapping was suddenly overwhelmed by the sound of the wooden door opening.

Vivian immediately straightened up, placing both hands neatly over her abdomen, showing proper maid etiquette.

“Sister.”

She bowed when she saw Evelyn walking out of the study, lit by the dim hallway lamp.

Noble households always valued etiquette.

Even though the Gryan family had fallen long ago, even a lowly maid must stay elegant and polite at all times.

“You’re still here?”

Evelyn looked at her as she approached with gentle steps, disguised as the perfect refined nun.

“Before I receive my master’s orders, I must stand guard at the door.”

Vivian replied timidly, freckles glimmering in the moonlight from the window.

“I think your master should be proud to have such a competent maid.”

Evelyn smiled softly.

“Earl Gryan said you would accompany me to take a look around.”

“O-Oh!”

Vivian blinked blankly for a moment, then nodded.

“Then let me guide you.”

“Thank you.”

Evelyn responded.

The two of them walked along the corridor into the depths of the manor.

Their footsteps were cut into fragments by the century-old hallway floor.

Vivian carried a kerosene lantern in her hand, its faint warm yellow glow struggling to push back the darkness, gilding the walls with a soft outline.

“Most areas of the manor have been abandoned.”

“To restore electricity, we’d need to unlock the breaker gates.”

“So for now, we’ll have to make do with the lantern…”

Vivian shrank her shoulders.

“The light is a bit dim… Sister, you’re not afraid of the dark, right?”

“No.”

Evelyn shook her head.

A Sin-Sister who fought demons and dealt with corpses every day—how could she possibly fear darkness?

Though judging from Vivian’s shivering posture…

The one afraid of the dark was clearly her.

Evelyn could practically see the hairs standing on the girl’s neck.

“Can you tell me about this manor?”

Evelyn asked suddenly.

She didn’t expect this timid maid to provide anything valuable.

The Gryan family had declined for over forty years—what secrets could a sixteen-or-seventeen-year-old maid know?

“Hmm…”

Vivian pinched her chin and rolled her eyes a few times before speaking.

“I don’t know much… just that these places weren’t abandoned before.”

“That was when the old Lord Gryan was still alive.”

She meant the previous Earl—who had died of some inexplicable illness.

“When he was alive?”

Evelyn frowned slightly.

She had always assumed the abandoned areas were shut down gradually starting from the decline of the Gryans.

But Vivian’s tone implied something else—

“Mm, after the old Earl passed away, the young master abandoned almost the entire manor.”

Vivian nodded.

“And he dismissed most of the servants.”

“I was on the dismissal list too… but Sister Sera pleaded for me, so I stayed.”

She patted her chest, still shaken.

“Sister Sera is the head maid—she watched the young master grow up.”

“He values her advice a lot.”

“Dismissed?”

Evelyn echoed.

She already knew the Gryans had let go of most servants—fallen nobles couldn’t afford large staff.

But from Vivian’s explanation… there was another reason behind it.

“I don’t know why the young master chose to dismiss everyone.”

Vivian said.

“Even if the family declined, they could still afford a few maids… Ah—here we are!”

They arrived at a stone staircase leading downward.

Darkness pooled below the steps like a gaping mouth waiting for prey to fall in.

The breaker room was likely beneath.

“‘The Veil of Light’… such a fancy name… it’s just a dirty old breaker room…”

Vivian muttered under her breath.

She stood on tiptoe, raised the kerosene lantern, and barely reached the wall’s candle holder to light the candles.

Evelyn glanced at the gold-plated sign on the wall—dust piled thickly over the letters spelling Veil of Light, cobwebs tangled across them.

A breaker room with such a pretentious name.

Old nobles really loved masking crude functionality with elegant terminology.

“Sister, please wait here.”

Vivian said as she closed the lantern and gathered up her long maid skirt.

“It’s filthy down there, so you should stay above.”

“I’ll be right back!”

With that, she stepped nervously into the darkness.

Evelyn watched her silhouette swallowed completely by the stairwell shadows.

Afraid of the dark, yet insisting on going alone.

What a strange little maid.

The candlelight flickered, stretching Evelyn’s shadow thin and twisted across the floor.

A sudden gust blew the curtains up.

A blue bird fluttered in from outside and landed on her shoulder.

It was Pudgy—the dumb crow—who had been circling above the manor since earlier.

“Well? Find anything?”

Evelyn asked casually.

“There is definitely a demon here.”

Pudgy’s childish voice echoed through the corridor.

“The demonic smell is strong—I’m about to sneeze feathers.”

That was one of the few useful things about this stupid bird—

It could accurately confirm whether demons existed nearby.

Not because of keen senses…

But because it was allergic to demonic aura.

“Can you pinpoint its location?”

“Nope.”

The bird tilted its head.

“The strongest scent… seems below.”

“But also… above.”

“It’s weird, like the whole house is alive…”

“So I can’t tell where the demon is exactly.”

As it spoke, it took time to tidy its wings with its beak.

“What use are you again…”

Evelyn pressed her fingers to her forehead.

Useless in a fight, and now couldn’t even locate the target.

Why had she contracted such a lousy familiar?

“I am useful!”

Pudgy puffed up like a pompous rooster.

“I discovered traces of little demons!”

It flapped a wing toward the corner of the corridor.

“Little demons?”

Evelyn rubbed her chin.

Little demons weren’t true demons—more like minions before a boss room in a game.

Which meant:

Where there were little demons…

There was either treasure…

Or the real demon.

Either way—investigation necessary.

“I found the little demon signs!”

Pudgy bragged.

“What about you?!”

“Me?”

Evelyn chuckled lightly.

“I also discovered something suspicious.”

“This manor is… far stranger than we thought.”

Vivian’s information confirmed her suspicion—

This place was definitely not the “peaceful” home Cyril claimed.

Abandoning most of the manor, dismissing staff—those were understandable given the family’s decline.

But why do it right after the old Earl’s death?

Why the urgency?

Why seal off the house… as if… dealing with a crime scene?

“Let’s start by checking the place you mentioned.”

Evelyn said—

Before her voice even faded, the corridor lights crackled and sparked.

Bright electric light burst alive, instantly banishing the darkness.

Then footsteps echoed from the stairwell—familiar tapping of little shoes on stone steps.

Vivian had restored power.

She was coming back.

Evelyn quickly flicked a finger at Pudgy’s head.

Only then did the stupid bird realize it should flee, flapping out the window.

Even if she came under the banner of exorcism—

No one could be allowed to see her familiar.

People believed in demons and the Church’s power to purify them.

But a familiar was still a demon—bound by contract.

If the public saw the Church using demons to fight demons…

Their faith would collapse overnight.

And Sin-Sisters?

Even their existence was forbidden knowledge to most.

Holy Church represented radiance and divine authority.

Sin-Sisters, however, were the Church’s hidden butcher’s knives—hands soaked in blood.

“Kept you waiting!”

Vivian returned with the extinguished lantern.

She tilted her head, freckles seeming to dance—clearly relieved now that the lights were back.

“Sister, where would you like to start?”

She leaned forward curiously.

“You have a feather on your shoulder—did a bird fly in? Birds are everywhere around here, even flying in the rain…”

“A stupid bird did sneak in just now.”

Evelyn brushed off the faintly glowing blue feather before Vivian could notice its oddity.

“Let’s start over there.”

Evelyn pointed toward the corner Pudgy indicated.

“What’s that place?”

“There?”

Vivian paused, glancing over.

“That’s the conservatory.”

“But no one’s tended it in ages…”

“The flowers inside are probably all dead by now.”

“Do you want to take a look?”

“Yes.”

Evelyn nodded.

“Let’s begin there.”