I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 127

In the uninhabited mountains, amidst ruins shrouded in the shadows of the forest even during the day, the appearance of this unimaginable Western-style mansion filled many with fear.

This is the main building, which is rather narrow as an apartment but unbelievably large as a home, equivalent to three times the size of a normal residence, and the courtyard surrounding the main building.

The courtyard is surrounded by tall iron fences, which are covered with thorny vines. The annex is located on a high platform far from the main building.

Behind the iron fence surrounding the mansion was a grassy area covered with weeds, and as expected, the iron fence was also covered with thorny vines. The trees in the courtyard were also gloomy and shrouded in a misty mystery.

Like the Black Forest where medieval witches dwell, it is mysterious and awe-inspiring.

Japan is a country that loves to spread urban legends, and the legend of the haunted house sitting on the hill in Misaki Town has been passed down since ancient times. With the development of modernization, it has gradually developed and revived into a new legend.

For example, a dilapidated house that had been decaying for years suddenly had its lights turned on one night.

For example, countless pieces of glass were collected on the mountain, but one day they all suddenly disappeared.

Also, on foggy days, children sometimes get lost there and then "disappear."

Furthermore, late at night, even though no screams can be heard, strange noises echo in that house. Also, occasionally, suspicious-looking luxury cars drive onto the road.

The variety of rumors is increasing daily.

It felt like a Western-style mansion that had been decaying on the mountain for a long time had been resurrected years ago.

Although urbanization has already begun in the city, it is still impossible to transform Misaki Town into a modern metropolis with towering buildings in a short period of time.

So this Western-style house located on the hill gradually became known as a haunted house, and eventually even the surrounding area of ​​Misaki Town knew that there was a strange Western-style house on the mountain. All of this was because Alice moved back into this Western-style house a few years ago without greeting the residents of Misaki Town.

So, in the end, the mansion was surrounded by all sorts of rumors, which was inevitable.

"Young Miss, we've arrived at Shiroi Inuzuka." The servant opened the car door and said softly as the luxury RV drove up to the foot of the mountain where the mansion was located.

"I understand." Lydia's impatient voice came from inside the car, revealing her current mood. After all, she was the one who came here first, which in Lydia's mind meant that she had to admit defeat.

With this answer, a silken foot stepped out of the car and onto the gravel road.

Lydia looked up at the hills shrouded in thick fog as she followed the mountain path. Alice's home was just behind this long slope, the most precious relic left to Alice by her parents.

Lydia was glad she was wearing boots instead of high heels today, since she knew the Aozaki family's workshop was in the mountains, and coming to find Alice meant continuing her climb.

Even so, she already foresaw that her legs would be so sore that she wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow.

Following the winding mountain road to its end, Lydia finally saw her destination: the mansion belonging to her friend.

The old iron fence is entwined with thorny vines, behind which is a group of buildings with a dark theme. The whole mansion exudes an unusual atmosphere, just like the mansion of the black witch in a fairy tale.

However, Lydia, who was also a witch, liked this atmosphere. She walked to the iron fence with light steps and pushed it over by herself.

After passing through the gate, several small birds flew away in the distance, and Lydia knew that the people inside the mansion already knew that someone had entered the mansion's premises.

Arriving at the ancient and weathered wooden main gate, Lydia took a few deep breaths, then reached out and knocked lightly on the door a few times.

"Bangbangbang"

Although not much force was used, the wooden door made a heavy and loud thud, as if to announce to the people in the building that a guest had arrived.

Before long, Lydia heard hurried footsteps coming from inside the house. She frowned and realized that things were not quite as she had imagined.

You see, Alice, like herself, was a young lady who had received strict etiquette education since childhood. This kind of rude running style was completely impossible for them.

Sure enough, when the door was flung open, a completely unfamiliar face appeared behind it.

Today is a day off, and Qingzi is going to take a nap. A week ago, after someone very important woke up, she, Youzhu, and her sister took turns staying by his side in three shifts just in case.

After finishing breakfast, Youzhu went to the hospital. Her sister had just returned from her shift, which meant it was her turn to keep watch tonight. So, after lunch, she and her sister planned to take a nap to conserve their energy for the night.

Actually, she envied her older sister who seemed to never need to sleep. A week ago, after performing that horrifying surgery on Ling, her sister moved in here with the "parts" taken from Ling's body and borrowed Yuzhu's backup workshop to start making dolls.

Although she was allowed to watch from the side, Aoko, who couldn't understand what her sister was doing at all, lost interest after watching it once.

However, she knew that her sister had become so engrossed in making this doll that she had forgotten to eat. If she hadn't reminded her sister to eat, she thought her sister would have stayed in the workshop forever.

Just now, after finally managing to get her older sister to have lunch with her, Aoko watched her go back into the workshop.

At the same time, she heard a knock on the door of the mansion.

Having lived here for almost a year, this was the first time Aoko had heard this voice. As a native of Misaki Town, she certainly knew how outsiders viewed the place.

Legend has it that long ago, people believed that Misaki should not live in a high place, so there were no people at a certain altitude. Therefore, this White Inuzuka is no exception. Apart from Misaki and herself, there are no other residents on the hill.

Running hurriedly towards the gate, Aoko was excited to know who dared to come here.

When she opened the door, a girl who looked to be about her age appeared outside. The girl looked at her with an arrogant expression and asked, "Commoner? Never mind, whatever. Where is Alice?"

Looking at the pink-clad girl with pigtails, Aoko felt a strange emotion welling up inside her. Her eyes darted around, and she replied in a very calm tone, "Alice? There's no one here with that name. You've come to the wrong place."

Ignoring the other person's bewildered expression, Qingzi slammed the door shut after she finished speaking.

This completely unexpected development left Lydia momentarily at a loss. She took a few steps back to the courtyard and examined the mansion again. "Isn't this Alice's house? Have I made a mistake?"

However, she quickly dismissed the doubt, because there was a familiar magical fluctuation here. She would never mistake Alice's magical fluctuations, so she walked back to the door and knocked on it again.

"Open the door for me, you inside!"

The door was opened a crack again, and Aoko looked at Lydia with a wary gaze. "I already told you there's no one named Alice here. Please leave."

Lydia frowned as she looked at the girl with the Japanese face. Although Westerners often see all Easterners as looking the same, she vaguely recognized the girl's features. Then, remembering the person she lived with Alice, Lydia finally realized who the girl in front of her was.

Lydel glared at Aoko, whose identity she had already guessed, with intense hostility, and said crisply, "You're Aoko Aozaki, Aoko's sister, right? The Alice I mentioned has a Japanese name, Kuonji Aratsume! And I'm from the Archerlot family, one of the twelve monarchs of the Clock Tower, and the next head of the Archerlot family, May Lydel Archerlot!"

At this point, Lydia looked down at Aoko with the air of a victor, "I am not only your sister's strongest ally, but also Alice's childhood friend. You, who don't even know Alice's real name, what right do you have to live in this mansion?"

Feeling bewildered by the other person's logic, Aoko glared at Lydia outside the door. She finally realized what that strange feeling in her heart was—the feeling of encountering her destined nemesis.

Aoko chuckled, then slammed the door shut again.

"???" Lydia looked bewildered again. She had made herself so clear, so why was the other person closing the door? Completely baffled by Aoko's actions, she was left outside the door for quite a while before she came to her senses.

Disregarding her composure, she pounded on the door, shouting, "Open the door! Aozaki Aoko, open the door! This isn't your home! Why are you locking me out!"

Standing behind the door, Aoko sneered. Hearing this, Lydia knocked even harder. "Alice! Alice, can you hear me? Someone's not letting me into your house!"

"Don't waste your energy, Yuzhu isn't home." Aoko said to the door, knowing that Lydel outside could hear her. "Since the master isn't here, as a guest, I certainly can't let strangers in. Who knows if they're just liars?"

"Liar? You actually said that I, a super popular British idol, am a liar?!" Lydia screamed furiously from outside the door, as if Aoko's words were a great insult to her.

“I’m not referring to you, so don’t take it personally,” Aoko replied sarcastically. “After all, Yuzhu isn’t here, and this mansion usually doesn’t have any guests. Now you suddenly show up claiming to be a relative of Alice, but I don’t know if this Alice is actually Yuzhu. To be on the safe side, of course I can’t let you in. You should come back when Yuzhu is home.”

"Very good! You're very good! Aozaki Aoko!" Lydel was so angry that her face turned red. She wanted to leave, but before she could turn around and leave, the door of the mansion was reopened. Behind the door was Aozaki Touko with a gloomy expression, and Aozaki Aoko squatting on the ground with her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Lydia, my sister is an idiot." Orange rubbed the furrowed brow and apologized to Lydia.

Lydel, who was initially furious, temporarily suppressed her anger upon seeing Aozaki Touko and walked through the door without saying a word.

After entering the room, she lowered her head and glared at Aozaki Aoko, who was crouching with her head in her hands, and snorted coldly: "Now do you know who I am!"

Aoko, who was clutching her forehead and gasping for breath, also looked up and glared at Lydia defiantly, "What do I care about your identity?!"

"Vulgar! Rude! How can someone like you stay by Alice's side!" Upon hearing Aoko's words, Lydel's anger, which she had managed to suppress, surged up again.

"Ha! What right do you have to interfere in what's between me and Ayumi!" Aoko sneered as she stood up again. She had been furious when Lydel called her "commoner" and "this kind of person" all along.

"Because I am Alice's closest friend!" Lydia said, her head held high and her right hand pressed against her chest, displaying an arrogant and superior demeanor.

"Your closest friend? You?" Aoko raised her head, covering her mouth with her hand and laughing arrogantly. "I'm Ariel's roommate! My roommate who lives with me day and night! What makes you think you're Ariel's closest friend!"

"I was first! Whether it was getting to know Alice, renaming Alice's fairytale monster, or growing up with Alice, I was first!"

"What a joke! I'm a close friend who has the permission of Yuzhu to freely reside in this mansion that holds such great significance for her! You, who appeared out of nowhere in the past, are completely incomparable to me!"

Orange stood aside, watching the two who had started arguing for some unknown reason. Suddenly, she felt an urge to smoke a cigarette because the content of their argument made her feel a bit lactic acid-laden.

Chapter 280 The Witch's Mansion (Part 2)

In Orange's eyes, this pointless argument was as childish as a three-year-old fighting over a toy. After all, if the most important person involved, the head of the household, Kuonji Yuzu, wasn't there, it would be meaningless for the two of them to prove how sufficient their reasons were.

Orange, who had been silently observing, watched as the two finally stopped arguing, their faces flushed, but still glaring at each other without giving an inch. She rubbed her temples, coughed lightly twice, and then said, "Alright, you two stop for now. I don't think you have much time left, Lydia. And Aoko, have you finished the homework I assigned today?"

Hearing Orange's words, Aoko reflexively shrank back, then realized her action was a bit weak, so she immediately snorted and said, "I can finish that simple task in half an hour. Let's deal with this uninvited guest first—"

"Oh, then today's homework will be tripled. I won't make it too hard for you. I'll check it in two hours." Orange silenced her sister before Qingzi could finish speaking.

Aoko turned her head and looked at her sister with eyes full of deep hatred. "You, are you a demon?!"

"Didn't you say those assignments were a piece of cake? Then to get the training effect, it's the right thing to do to increase the workload. If you don't want to double the workload, do it right now." Orange looked at the indignant Aoko with a stern gaze.

Aoko chose to follow her heart, so after glaring at Lydia, she ran back to her room.

Lydel snorted as she watched Aoko's retreating figure, "Your future heir to the Aozaki family is nothing special in my eyes. I think it's better for you, Orange, to inherit the Aozaki family."

Orange shrugged noncommittally, then turned around and said, "I don't think you like talking in the entryway either. Whatever, since you're here, come on in."

From what the other person said, Lydia could tell that Orange wasn't very welcoming to her either, but she didn't think it was a big deal, because her main purpose in coming here was to find Alice, and the attitude of the Aozaki sisters towards her was not important.

Moreover, Lydia had just obtained an important card from the Aozaki mage, and was already in an advantageous position. As long as this card was played, the Aozaki sisters would have no choice but to submit—at least that's what she thought.

Therefore, Lydia followed Orange with a strange confidence, looking around at her best friend's residence.

It must be said that, whether viewed from the outside or the inside, the building gave her an unusually desolate first impression.

The hall was gray, and there wasn't even a light at the entrance. The high ceiling reached all the way to the second floor, and all the light sources came from the sunlight shining in through the windows.

Perhaps due to the designer's whims, the possibility of lights being installed at this staircase has been ruled out. From here, one can see directly into the second-floor atrium, and the staircase leading up the wall leads directly to the second-floor lobby. Sunlight streams down from the ceiling, making the wooden floor shine brightly.

The walls were all pure white, without a single stain, and the tall walls gave a sense of solidity.

The lobby alone gives one the illusion that someone actually lives here.

The staircase leading to the second floor, the fireplace that hasn't been used in a long time, the landline telephone casually placed to one side, and the huge clock that stands alone, marking the passage of time.

The atmosphere of this hall is exactly the same as that of the courtyard, as if time has been pushed back several centuries.

It's more like an ancient city than a Western-style mansion.

However, for Lydia, who was used to European-style architecture, this layout seemed exceptionally reasonable.

The hall has four doors. Looking from the entrance, the door on the east side seems to lead to the living room. The door on the west side opposite leads to the left wing of the mansion. The door on the south side leads to the entrance. There is another door on the north side, next to the fireplace.

Orange pushed open the door leading to the living room from the stairwell, and Lydia followed her into the living room.

Unlike the hallway, the living room had a more modern feel than I had imagined. It featured carpeted floors, leather sofas, and a large 30-inch color TV.

"Have a seat first, I'll go make some tea." Orange pointed to the green living room sofa, then pushed open the door to the sunroom on the other side, where the tea set and tea leaves used for drinking tea were kept in a small cabinet.

Lydia didn't stand on ceremony and sat on the sofa on the left, waiting quietly.

When Orange returned to the living room with a tray in her hand, she saw Lydia resting her chin on her hand, watching the TV program with great interest.

Orange put down what she was holding and sat down opposite Lydia, pouring tea while watching TV.

The TV was showing a Japanese-style comedy talk show, but Orange, who had been trained as a magician since childhood, couldn't understand what was so funny about it, let alone Lydia, who had grown up in Europe. So Orange thought the other person was just curious.

"Is there something you need today?" Orange asked Lydia, who was still watching TV, after taking a sip of the black tea she had brewed.

Lydia didn't look away from the screen. She first gave a casual "hmm," then reached for her teacup to moisten her throat.

“Before coming here, I visited Aozaki-o.” Turning her gaze away from the television, Lydel looked at Orange, whose expression had changed because of her words.

"I bet you haven't gone back even once since you came back, Orange, have you?" Lydel looked at Orange with an expression of complete control. "Guess what I saw at Aozaki's place, and what we talked about?"

Lydia didn't intend to keep them in suspense and said directly to Orange, "I saw Aozaki Oki's corpse inside."

Upon hearing this, Orange's hand trembled uncontrollably, and then she revealed an expression that was both unexpected and reasonable.

Just as Lydia was about to say something more, the two heard a strange noise outside the door. Orange frowned, sighed, stood up, opened the door, and said to Aoko, who was tiptoeing up the segmented stairs, "Alright, come down here!"

In fact, right after Lydia and Orange entered the living room, Aoko, who had been pretending to go upstairs, came back down and was eavesdropping at the living room door.

Although the building materials used in the Kuonji Residence are all high-end, such as the door which is made of thick mahogany, this does not mean that its sound insulation is particularly good.

When Aoko heard Lydel mention that she had visited her grandfather before coming here, she immediately focused all her attention. However, it was precisely because of this that she was distracted by Lydel's next words and was discovered by the two people inside.

Standing on the stairs, Aoko looked embarrassed and said to Touko, "Sister, what's wrong? I just came down to get something and I'm going back to my room now."

Orange's expression turned serious. "I think you heard what Lydia just said. Now get down here right now."

Knowing that her actions had been discovered, Aoko had no choice but to get down as instructed, and then, in a fit of despair, walked into the living room.

Seeing Aoko walk in, Lydia wanted to make a sarcastic remark about her upbringing, but when she saw Aoko's serious expression, she hesitated and ultimately didn't say anything.

Orange sat down again, leaned forward slightly, rested her chin on one hand, crossed her legs, and looked at Lydia. "Could you explain what happened in detail?"

On the other side, Aoko took her own teacup from the sunroom, poured herself a cup of hot water, and came out. Then she sat next to Orange and watched TV as if it were none of her business.

Lydia was a little confused by the two sisters' attitude, so she said again, "I said, I saw Aozaki Oo's body."

Orange's expression remained unchanged, while Aoko gave her a strange look before refocusing her attention on the television.