Chapter 62

“Do you think those people will come and clean the century-old castle?”

“No. It’s better to hire some locals near the castle for a short-term contract.”

“Then, why not use the locals as permanent servants too?”

“No, we need people we can trust. Eloise, you and Mother will have to personally convince the servants. Please.”

“…Goodness.”

“……”

Eloise threw up her arms, sinking into the sofa, while her mother stayed silent.

I continued firmly.

“We’ll secure a house in Luden. I have other tasks to handle, so you must stay there and persuade them. If this succeeds… we’ll be able to return to our original duchy.”

“What? Is that really true?”

“…?”

It was half a lie, but I needed a little bait to convince these two hopeless people.

“So, can you both handle it?”

“……”

My mother-in-law avoided my gaze, elegantly lifting her teacup with her pinky raised.

Eloise, looking despondent for a long moment, finally raised her head.

“Then, can I be engaged to Harriet again?”

“……”

Now that I thought about it, I had seen Harriet at the tea room earlier.

He hadn’t even glanced at Eloise, and she was clearly devastated by it. Still, Eloise comforted herself, thinking Harriet had no choice because of royal orders.

I sighed deeply and said, “You’ll find someone better than Harriet to marry.”

“There’s no one better.”

“Of course there is. You just haven’t met the right man yet.”

“Louise?”

Before I could finish, my mother-in-law suddenly called my name.

I looked at her as she stood from the sofa, not even glancing my way.

“In any case, make sure to get the largest mansion in Luden.”

“…”

Of course…

Finding a house that would satisfy my mother-in-law wasn’t too difficult now. After all, we no longer had to worry about money.

***

Whoosh, whooosh.

The air was biting cold, as if it could slice through flesh.

This kind of chill was something he’d only felt when venturing into the gates where the Snow Ghosts appeared.

Standing on a mountainside, he looked down at Wiltsbrook Castle, scanning it from above.

He had arrived here alone while his family slept, under the cover of night.

Wind mixed with snow howled through the air, making eerie, ghostly sounds.

Beyond the wind, jagged spires stabbed at the sky like thorns.

“……”

It was an unmistakably foreboding sight.

Could anyone truly live in a place this cold?

Though it was colder now, being the dead of night, even during the day, this kind of weather would be difficult to endure.

Surrounding the castle were snow-covered cliffs, and the barren landscape seemed incapable of supporting any life.

In the original story, Aksen had sent countless nobles to Grand Cali.

But one by one, they all met their end—dying in tragic accidents, committing suicide, or falling to their deaths.

No one had even gotten close to the castle.

The remaining nobles lived in constant fear, dreading when their turn would come.

Yet Aksen kept sending them, driven by a cruel curiosity to see if anyone would succeed.

The northern lands were inconsequential, but too many lives had been wasted because of Aksen’s twisted whims.

Ultimately, no one succeeded in taming the North, and Aksen used his magic to conquer it instead.

It was during this time that Aksen discovered something unexpected inside Wiltsbrook Castle: a transcendent being.

It was none other than the vampire Count Cassdain Glenberry, sealed away.

Aksen absorbed the vampire’s power and vitality, strengthening his own magic.

For this very reason, Wiltsbrook Castle was a place worth Alec’s visit as well.

The reason he mentioned Grand Cali to the tyrant was the same as in the original story—to see if he might send Alec there as the northern lord.

This felt like a quest where Alec could gain experience points and perhaps even a new servant.

And just like in the story, Aksen had indeed sent Alec to this place, and Alec was now on the verge of securing a new servant for himself.

The exploration was complete.

[Specialized Skill: Don’t Touch My Husband]

Alec activated his specialized skill, ‘Don’t Touch My Husband’ which focused on resistance.

Whooosh.

As the warm feeling unique to the skill enveloped his body, the icy winds were entirely blocked.

“Skill. Swift.”

He used the Swift skill to approach Wiltsbrook Castle with feather-like speed, coming to a light stop in front of the grand gate.

At that moment, the quest began.

—

[Quest Activated!]

[~ Eliminate the creatures inhabiting Wiltsbrook Castle! ~]
[Various creatures live within the castle. Defeating them will increase experience based on their rank.]
[Quest Rewards: Experience (?), Reputation (?), Affection (?), Trust (?)]
[Time Limit: 1 hour]
[Only the experience gained within the time limit will be counted.]
[Defeating the final boss will automatically remove all remaining creatures!]

—

Alec climbed up onto the gate to get a clear view of the castle.

Thankfully, he had increased his mana to 3 circles before leaving home. While it was unusually high for someone of level 5, he had achieved it thanks to his past life’s experience. Progressing to 3 circles had been relatively easy, though reaching 4 circles was a more demanding challenge.

“Gideon,” he called.

*Growl.*

“Go in first and take a look.”

*Growl…*

Despite being slightly intimidated by the eerie atmosphere of the castle, Gideon couldn’t disobey Alec’s command.

The massive structure, untouched by human hands for over a century, spread out before him, resembling a relic from history. Alec had to tilt his head far back just to see the tops of the spires, faintly obscured by clouds.

*Grrrowl!*

However, Gideon jumped back, unable to pass through the building’s doors.

*Growl.*

Why couldn’t Gideon enter? Was it because of the quest?

Since Gideon was essentially part of Alec’s job skills, his participation in the quest shouldn’t have been an issue. Still, Alec decided to leap down from the gate to investigate the situation himself.

As he approached the door, his hand brushed against something cold and hard. He opened his palm to find an old key.

The key, with its ornate design, was clearly special—possibly gold-plated or even solid gold.

—

[You have obtained the ‘Key to Wiltsbrook Castle’!]
[The ‘Key to Wiltsbrook Castle’ allows you to enter any part of the castle.]
[Item Rank: Epic]
[Feature: Master key to all doors within Wiltsbrook Castle. A must-have for any lord.]

—

Ah, so a key was needed after all. Alec had been considering breaking down the door.

Approaching the massive wooden door, Alec first tried pulling the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge. He gripped it with both hands and pulled harder, yet it remained firmly locked.

Finally, he inserted the ornate key into the golden lock. The key slid in smoothly, and with a satisfying *click*, the lock released.

Pushing open the door, Alec entered the castle, with Gideon eagerly following him like a small puppy, wagging his tail.

Inside, it was too dark to make out much, but Alec could tell the place was enormous. The only light came from the high, shattered windows, where moonlight barely streamed through.

Alec knew the fastest way to complete the quest was to eliminate the boss. According to the quest details, defeating the final boss would automatically clear out all the other creatures.

The problem was finding the boss’s room.

The boss, a vampire, would likely be found in a room fit for a lord, but where could that be in a castle this vast?

He began walking deeper into the castle, trying to recall the moment when Aksen, the villain from the original story, encountered the boss. In the story, Aksen had torn through the castle recklessly until he stumbled upon the boss. Alec, however, had to be more careful—he couldn’t risk damaging the place since he intended to clean it up and bring Louise here someday.

“Where was Aksen breaking things again?” Alec tried to recall, but it wasn’t useful. Aksen had been obsessed with destruction.

Just then, Alec heard the sound of wings flapping. He turned and saw a group of bats flying away.

‘Ah, of course.’

Vampires often surrounded themselves with bats, a classic monster-hunting clue. Alec knew the bats would lead him to the vampire.

“Gideon,” Alec called.

*Grrrr…*

Gideon growled softly, still on edge due to the oppressive atmosphere inside the castle.

Alec reassured him, “You’re a summoned creature, so unless you reveal yourself, you can’t be seen. Don’t be scared. Let’s follow the bats.”

*Grr…* Gideon responded hesitantly but quickly grew in size, transforming into his full form.

*ROOOOAR!*

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories