He didn’t seem like a malicious spirit intent on harming anyone, but precisely because of that, wasn’t it more respectful to help him find peace and guide him back to where he truly belonged? I carefully chose my words, cautious not to upset him.
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
“Sure, ask away.”
“What year is it right now?”
“Hmm, my memories feel a bit fuzzy…”
“A rough guess is fine.”
“Maybe around 690?”
That confirmed it. It was currently year 794, meaning this man had lived in the castle over a hundred years ago. That must’ve been when Kalz Lion was still human, along with all the castle employees. It was tragic that he had died at such a young age, but it was time to gently share the truth.
“I have something important to tell you.”
“What is it? Did you figure out who I am?”
His expression brightened with expectation, and seeing him like this tugged at my heart. Accepting one’s own death wasn’t easy, and delivering the news wasn’t much easier.
“Um… I’m sorry to say this when we’ve just met, but considering all the details you’ve mentioned, I’ve reached an unfortunate conclusion. It appears you passed away long ago, and now only exist as a spiritual entity separated from your physical body.”
My attempt at courtesy made my explanation unnecessarily complicated. Thankfully, he grasped my meaning immediately, his eyes widening in shock.
“You mean… I’m already dead?”
“I’m sorry, but… yes.”
“No, that’s impossible. I can’t believe it. Besides, you said you don’t even know who I am.”
“I don’t know your exact identity, but I’m certain no humans have lived in this castle for at least a century.”
“A century…?”
“Yes, no humans live here anymore. Well… some former humans still remain, but…”
I hesitated, wary of activating any confidentiality clauses. However, nothing happened, further proof that he truly was a ghost—after all, ghosts probably weren’t included in contractual terms.
Seeing me nod with conviction, his already pale face turned even whiter. He clutched his chest as if in pain.
“This can’t be true… My heart is still beating right now. There’s no way I’m already dead.”
“That heartbeat you feel might just be your memory from when you were alive. Your heart stopped beating long ago—”
“Look! It’s clearly beating right now.”
“No, it isn’t beat—”
Wait… what? It really is beating?
Underneath my palm pressed to his chest, I distinctly felt a strong, steady heartbeat. His skin even radiated warmth—definitely the body temperature of a living person. Worried that I might just be feeling my own nervous pulse, I carefully leaned in, pressing my ear directly against his chest.
Thump, thump, thump.
A firm heartbeat echoed distinctly into my right ear. There was no doubt anymore. He stared down at me with a worried expression.
“Is it really not beating? Am I imagining all this?”
“Oh, no, it’s definitely beating. Very strongly, in fact.”
I managed to respond calmly, but inside I was utterly flustered. After confidently declaring him a ghost, this vigorous heartbeat was embarrassing proof to the contrary. I laughed awkwardly, glancing up at him—and noticed tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
Great, now I’d made a beautiful man cry. My conscience twisted painfully, but he didn’t reproach me or demand explanations.
“Thank goodness. I really am alive.”
He merely sighed in relief, grateful for this confirmation of his life.
“I’m so sorry—I jumped to conclusions about you being a ghost without properly confirming anything.”
“No, it’s okay.”
He smiled gently as he wiped his reddened eyes. That quiet understanding somehow made me feel even guiltier. Honestly, I’d rather he got angry at me.
But apologies aside, questions still lingered.
“If you’re alive, then where exactly did you come from?”
“I didn’t come from anywhere. I’ve always lived here.”
“But I’ve never seen you during the day. I work in the kitchen, and I’ve never prepared meals for you.”
“That… is strange.”
Could a ghost really have a heartbeat? Warmth, too? Then wouldn’t he just be a human? My head spun, caught in the sudden philosophical puzzle of what exactly defined a ghost.
“Oh, wait!”
Suddenly, I remembered something Kalz had mentioned: The castle’s inhabitants didn’t actually need food to survive, yet they continued eating due to lingering memories of being human. Could it be this handsome man was also one of the castle’s residents?
No matter how long I pondered this alone, I wouldn’t reach an answer. The quickest solution would be asking someone who might know—but the main issue was that it was already well past midnight.
Normally, I would’ve immediately gone to Kalz, but unfortunately, we were in the midst of a cold war. Pride wouldn’t let me be the first to give in over something trivial like this. I had no choice. With a deep sigh, I turned toward the handsome white-haired man who stood there anxiously, looking lost.
“If it’s okay with you, would you come with me?”
***
Knock, knock.
After two brief taps, I called softly through the door.
“Butler Squawk, are you awake?”
Eventually, I ended up at Almond’s room. When going to the easiest person—Kalz—was impossible, the next-best option was always the most reliable one.
“It’s me, Briel. Sorry for disturbing you so late.”
I kept my voice low, trying not to disturb anyone else, but there was no immediate reply.
“Is he not coming out?”
“Please wait a bit. He’s probably asleep and didn’t hear.”
The white-haired man still clutched tightly at my sleeve, his anxious face resembling a lost child afraid of being left behind. Thinking about it, he wasn’t exactly wrong—we both had no idea where else to go.
“…Briel?”
“Yes, Butler Squawk, it’s me.”
From behind the door came the rustling sound of someone moving, followed shortly by Almond’s sleepy voice. Soon, the door creaked open, revealing Almond dressed in polka-dot pajamas and a pointed nightcap, eyes heavy with drowsiness—a rare sight indeed.
“What brings you here at this hour? I hope nothing serious has happened.”
“It’s not exactly serious, but… something did come up.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. However, I’ve told you repeatedly not to wander around after midnight—”
Butler Squawk’s reprimand abruptly halted as soon as he noticed the handsome white-haired man cautiously peeking from behind me. I offered him an awkward smile.
“I, uh… happened to run into someone in the hallway.”
“I see.”
Butler Squawk’s eyes, previously half-closed from sleepiness, slowly shut completely. His reaction instantly told me that I’d chosen correctly. His calm response meant he already knew about the mysterious man standing behind me.
“Please come inside first. Let’s discuss this over a cup of tea.”
We sat awkwardly at the small table inside Butler Squawk’s room while he efficiently prepared some tea. After pouring each of us a cup, he sat down opposite us, now looking entirely composed.
“First, I’d like to hear the full story—how exactly did you two end up meeting?”
“Oh, well…”
I hesitated for a moment before recounting everything—from sneaking down to the kitchen due to hunger, to discovering that the supposed ghost had a beating heart and warm skin, leaving me thoroughly confused.
“…And that’s why I decided to come to you, Butler Squawk. I figured you might know something.”
Though I phrased it politely as a guess, deep down I was already sure. Butler Squawk nodded thoughtfully, then turned toward the white-haired man.
“So, you truly don’t remember anything about yourself?”
“I clearly remember that I’m not a ghost, and that I lived here once. But I can’t recall my name or what I’ve been doing all this time. Everything feels fuzzy, as if my mind is covered by fog.”
“I understand. I apologize, but would you mind waiting here briefly? I need to speak privately with Briel.”
“Yes, of course.”
He obediently nodded. Butler Squawk then signaled me to follow him into the hallway. As he quietly closed the door behind us, he murmured softly.
“I suspected a day like this would eventually come, though it happened sooner than I anticipated.”
“So, Butler Squawk, you do know who he is, don’t you?”
My eyes clearly demanded answers, and Butler Squawk let out a weary sigh before he finally spoke.
“Where to even begin… That gentleman’s name is Ian. He used to work here at the castle alongside us.”
“I suspected something along those lines. Was the ghost story you mentioned to me earlier also referring to Ian?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“But Ian isn’t actually a ghost, is he?”
“No, as you’ve just confirmed yourself.”
With his confirmation, conflicting feelings surged within me. Relief washed over me, knowing Ian wasn’t actually a ghost, yet unease lingered at the lengths Butler Squawk had gone to keep his existence hidden.
In a castle already overflowing with secrets, Ian clearly held special significance. Still, I couldn’t simply ignore it.
“You deliberately invented that ghost story precisely to avoid something like tonight’s incident, didn’t you? To prevent me from encountering Ian?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want apologies. I’m more curious why you felt it necessary to deceive me.”
“…This might take a while to explain.”
Butler Squawk released another deep, heavy sigh.
