Lily Emblem

Chapter 3

Father Gada looked at us in surprise: "Aren't you all the owners of this place?"

“No,” Mr. Austin said with a smile, “but the master will be born from among us.”

Attorney Field explained the situation to the newcomer, and we were all happy to let him stay for a few days until the rain stopped and the swamp receded. The priest thanked us again and mourned his horse.

I was glad he was with us; it's so reassuring to have a clergyman around after all the fear of ghosts and vampires. The others obviously felt the same way, so we got along quite well with him.

Since cleaning the room was a rushed task, I agreed to Hans's request. Luther could squeeze in with me for the time being. Besides, we're about the same size, so it would be good for him to change clothes.

“I hope you don’t mind, First Mate, Father.” I found him a white shirt and trousers. “It’s very well-behaved, just a glutton.”

“Of course, Mr. Green.” The man smiled, took off his mud-stained coat, and looked at my friend in a friendly manner. “I think so. But I don’t think it’s very happy here. Most rhesus monkeys are quite lively little creatures.”

I never expected him to notice the first mate's unusual behavior so accurately. He's a very observant person. I told him somewhat hesitantly that the manor was indeed a bit eerie, and that someone had just died this morning.

"Ah," he asked, somewhat surprised, "could you tell me who the deceased was? Has anyone investigated the cause of death?"

I told him the deceased was a maid, someone no one knew well, but the cause of death was somewhat suspicious. The priest listened very quietly as I described the visible wounds and the results of the preliminary examination, then looked in the direction I was pointing at the rain-soaked weeds. When he turned back to me, I clearly saw a look of distress in his eyes.

“It seems I’ve gotten myself into trouble again.” His tone was somewhat helpless, as if he often encountered such situations. “Mr. Green, although you have only told me some facts, you must have many more guesses and inferences in your mind. I must say, if you have any ominous premonitions about evil creatures, they may very well come true.”

My heart sank, and I realized his implication.

“Well then,” he said, buttoning up his shirt, “I’ll go see the woman’s body tonight. Maybe that will help you solve some of your problems, and it will also be a way of repaying you for your kindness in helping me.”

He began to calmly dry his hair with a towel, and my heart calmed down a little; I sensed a calmness and a reassuring trust in this stranger, which somewhat offset the inexplicable fear. But I also noticed that he seemed different from ordinary priests. Although he was equally polite, there seemed to be something hidden within him—it was already unusual for him to be so nonchalant upon hearing of someone's death.

I hope these are just my wild thoughts...

At dinner, I was pleased to see Miss Palmer back with us. Although she was paler, she was at least able to eat, which was a good sign. This lifted the spirits of the others somewhat, and the priest greeted everyone and quickly integrated into our small group. Perhaps because he had no conflict of interest with us, even Mr. Brooks greeted him with a smile. In the after-dinner chat, he further stated that he would not help any of us search for the "Lily Emblem," preferring to remain neutral like the lawyer. He would leave once the rain stopped and the swamp receded.

Around ten o'clock, he came back to the room with me and began preparing for our agreed-upon operation. I strapped the first mate to the headboard, picked up a candlestick, patted the pistol in my inner pocket, and said to the young priest, "I think it's ready. Shall we go now?"

“Yes, Mr. Green.” He nodded. “But I hope you don’t mind if I bring this.” He took a small bottle of liquid from his bag and smiled. “Holy water, brought from the wedding.”

We went downstairs, bypassed the guest rooms, and went straight to the servants' quarters where the bodies were kept. A cold, damp air enveloped us from every corner, sending chills down my spine. I guessed everyone was resting in their rooms now, even the butler and maids had finished their day's work, but I still worried that if someone suddenly saw us walking so solemnly down the empty corridor, they might still have some unpleasant associations.

I wasn't particularly familiar with Florence Park, so it took us a while to find the locked hut. Just as I was getting frustrated about not having the key, I saw the venerable clergyman remove two pieces of silver wire from his crucifix chain, straighten them, twist them together, and then insert them into the keyhole. With a soft click, the heavy padlock opened.

The priest, meeting my astonished gaze, winked nonchalantly: "This is the only evidence of my mischievousness in my youth."

I forced a smile, grateful that he was deliberately trying to make me feel more relaxed at this moment.

We carried the candlesticks into the cramped space, and a strong smell of lime hit us. Good heavens, this season without ice is terrible; we couldn't find any other preservatives.

I resisted the urge to cover my nose and raised the candlestick to survey my surroundings: the furnishings were simple, and the place looked like it had been empty for a long time. Alice's body lay on the single bed against the wall, surrounded by lime. Her skin had turned indigo, her eyes were still wide open, and her hands hung limply at her sides like claws.

I quickly looked away.

The priest stepped forward, examined the deceased intently, and then gently lifted her clothes to check the two small wounds. I didn't dare make a sound, watching him use a small knife from his pocket to lightly cut the skin near the wounds, and then bent down.

When he looked up, I was horrified to find that his expression was so serious that it frightened me.

I moved my lips, about to speak, but he gestured for me to stop: "I know what you want to ask, Mr. Green. Although I can't guarantee it completely, I can't be sure right now, perhaps there really are vampires..."

The room suddenly became eerily quiet.

If someone else—like Mrs. Austin—had said this to me under normal circumstances, I would have laughed it off. But when the victim was right in front of me, and a priest told me this with certainty, I realized that I wasn't as brave as I thought I was.

Vampires? Do vampires really exist?

In those few seconds of my bewildered shock, a sharp scream clearly reached my ears. The sound was so tragic and terrifying that it almost froze my blood.

Before I could react, the priest had already rushed outside, yelling, "Quick! The sound is coming from upstairs!"

I quickly followed him up the stairs, not even feeling the pain when the wax dripped onto my hands.

The sound continued at first, but gradually subsided and eventually disappeared, lasting less than two minutes. However, this was enough time for us to determine our location. We rushed up from the first floor, circled around from the east side to the west side, and sure enough, we saw Miss Palmer's room door wide open. The light projected onto the mirror-smooth floor, clearly revealing two entangled figures.

We ran towards the room, and before we even entered, we smelled a strong stench of blood carried on the wind. Before I could figure out what was wrong, the priest suddenly grabbed me as I rushed inside and yelled, "Don't go any further!"

I paused abruptly at the doorway, and then witnessed a horrifying scene: a creature shrouded in a black cloak had pinned a woman in a white nightgown beneath it. Suddenly, grayish-white, bat-like wings unfurled from its back and began to tremble violently. Protruding fangs beneath the cloak were biting into the poor woman's neck, and I saw bright red blood flowing from it, staining the floor a gruesome mess.

6. (Full of doubts)

15:58:39

This was the second time I had encountered an unnatural creature. I couldn't even scream; I froze on the spot, my mind completely blank.

The priest reacted swiftly, tearing the cross from his neck and charging at the horrifying monster, shouting, "Get out of here, you devil! In the name of God, get out of here!"

The monster released its prey, letting out a hoarse cry, then covered its face with its sharp claws and retreated continuously, as if it had encountered the thing it feared most.

I suddenly mustered my courage, quickly pulled out my pistol from my inner pocket, and banged it open.

Unexpectedly, this only enraged it, and it struggled to charge at me. My hand trembled, and the gun fell to the ground. I stumbled back several steps and braced myself against the wall, where I was momentarily paralyzed like a log.

In desperation, the priest took out the small bottle of holy water and smashed it against the monster. The black cloak hissed and emitted wisps of smoke. The monster screamed and leaped out of the window, its fleshy wings suddenly spreading out before it vanished into the dark night sky.

I was still breathing heavily, shaken, and stared at the open window for a long time, unable to come to my senses.

The victim on the ground let out a soft groan. I picked up my gun, moved my stiff legs, and knelt down beside her. I took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound on her neck, anxiously calling out, "Miss Palmer... Miss Palmer... wake up... Palmer—"

I suddenly stopped; because when I parted her hair, I discovered that the unconscious face was actually Mrs. Austen's.

Good heavens! What is she doing here?

Where did Miss Palmer go?

I hurriedly looked around, but couldn't see the black-haired woman. The furniture in the room was covered in scratches, glassware and porcelain were shattered on the floor, and the feather pillows and blankets on the bed were torn. It looked like a fierce fight had indeed taken place here.

But I still couldn't find Miss Palmer.

The priest ran to the window and leaned out to look at the dark night sky. I picked up Mrs. Austin and placed her on the bed, tearing the sheets into bandages to temporarily bind her wound.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded near the door. Attorney Field and Mr. Carl Dewey rushed in first, followed by Mr. Brooks and Hans Luther. Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at the sight; the glaring bloodstains caused them to gasp in unison.

"What on earth happened?" the chubby lawyer roared at us in a trembling voice. I didn't know where to begin, so I could only weakly force a smile. He turned his questioning gaze to the priest by the window, who sighed and replied, "Gentlemen, I think there... there must be vampires here—"

"Martha!" A sharp cry suddenly interrupted the priest's words. Mr. Austin, the last to arrive, immediately saw his wife lying on the bed. He hastily wrapped himself in his pajamas, his face pale, and pushed past the others as he rushed over. His handsome face was filled with shock and pain: "Oh God, Martha... Martha... Wake up... It's me... Please, open your eyes."

I stepped back a few paces, feeling a pang of pity, and patted his shoulder, trying to calm the grieving man: "Don't worry, Mr. Austin, Madam only suffered shock. Judging from her complexion, she hasn't lost too much blood; she's not in danger—"

Suddenly, my arm tightened around my shoulder. I turned around and saw Mr. Brooks's bloodshot eyes. He demanded sharply, "What? The priest just said... what did you encounter? Vampires?"

His panicked appearance reflected everyone's shared fear. I glanced at the priest, who had turned his face to the window. I reluctantly looked back, slowly nodded, and then, unsurprisingly, saw everyone's faces turn ashen.

"Nonsense!" Attorney Field exclaimed, no longer maintaining his composure. "This is absurd! Did you see it with your own eyes?"

“Yes, sir,” I told him. “When we rushed into the house, we saw the monster sucking Mrs. Austin’s blood. If the priest hadn’t driven it away with holy water, I probably would have been dead too; and we still haven’t found Miss Palmer, who is probably in grave danger…”

“No, impossible.” Mr. Carl Dewey’s young face was filled with disbelief. He shook his head with difficulty. “Mr. Green, you…you mustn’t be trying to scare me…”

"I'm sorry, I wish this was just a joke..."

"Look!" the priest suddenly exclaimed, pointing down to the window. "Look! There seems to be someone over there!"

We were all stunned for a moment, and without prior arrangement, we walked to the window and looked in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, we found a white figure huddled in the weeds. The dim moonlight made it difficult for us to make out that it was a person. I suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Quick! Go check it out!"

It was a chaotic and terrifying night; each of us experienced one of the most shocking and horrifying moments of our lives.

Just as I suspected, the person lying under the window was indeed the unfortunate Miss Palmer. She was soaked to the bone with a few minor scratches, but thankfully nothing serious. However, the unusual heat on her skin told us that she had a high fever and was unconscious.

We carried her back to another room, and then had the remaining maid take care of her, while Mr. Austin stayed by his wife's side, never leaving her side.

The priest gestured for us all to go into the small room, saying he needed to discuss some things with us; naturally, we placed all our hopes on him. So, as the eastern sky began to glow with a pale, almost palloring light, we were finally able to sit together quietly.

Hans Luther, with his usual stiff expression, placed the candlesticks and drinks between us, then politely retreated to a corner. He and the priest seemed to be the most composed people in the house, I wondered if it was because of his advanced age or simply because he was slow to react.

The most anxious person was the very nervous Mr. Brooks. His face was pale, he hugged his arms, clenched his teeth, and nervously peered out the window. Mr. Dewey was also frightened, but he only frowned, pursed his lips, and said nothing. Attorney Field sat anxiously on the large sofa, fidgeting. When he saw the priest draw the curtains and sit down opposite him, he finally couldn't help but speak: "For God's sake, Father, you must tell us what's going on now."

The clergyman with long black hair dusted off his coat and sat down calmly. His leisurely demeanor made us think he was having afternoon tea.

“Yes, sir,” he said slowly. “I don’t think I need to repeat what Mr. Green just said. I must tell you all now that the one who attacked that lady last night was indeed a vampire, and the maid who died earlier was also its prey.”

"You saw it with your own eyes?"

The priest thought for a moment: "To be precise, we only saw it harming Mrs. Austin. The cause of the maid's death is my speculation. I was already a little worried after Mr. Green told me what happened here, so I asked him to take me to see the maid's body. I didn't expect to hear screams downstairs. We rushed upstairs and saw the monster, which completely confirmed my guess."

Attorney Field stared wide-eyed, gripping the sofa armrests tightly with both hands: "A vampire..." He looked at me in astonishment, "Did you really see it clearly? What... does it look like?"

“It’s very blurry.” I shook my head. “Except for its sharp claws, it was covered in a black cloak and had a pair of huge fleshy wings on its back, just like a devil in a book.”

Sweat beaded on the chubby man's forehead as he quickly made the sign of the cross on his chest.

“It has already hurt two people!” Mr. Dewey said in a low voice. “It’s terrible. Why would this happen?”

The priest didn't answer his question, but thoughtfully turned his gaze to Hans Luther, the old butler standing in the corner. I saw an indescribable look in his blue eyes.

“Excuse me, Mr. Luther,” he called out, “could you please answer a question for me?”

“Just call me Hans, Father,” the old butler said, standing ramrod straight. “Please feel free to ask me any questions.”

"Thank you." The priest stood up and lifted a corner of the curtain. "Have there ever been any vampire legends around here?"

My heart tightened, and I remembered the story I had heard on my way here.

The old butler calmly replied, "Never, sir. But uneducated old men in the countryside do tell these kinds of stories to frighten children."

“Ah,” the priest nodded, “then, is there a cemetery not far from the manor?”

"Yes. It's right on the edge of the swamp. It used to be the church's cemetery, but because the swamp was expanding, the church moved to Fabil Village, 20 kilometers away, leaving some old graves behind."

“Oh,” the priest’s eyes flickered, “where is the cemetery? How far is it from here?”

“Less than 4 kilometers, just to the southeast,” Hans Luther paused for a moment, “in the opposite direction from the main road.”

“I understand.” The priest nodded and sat back down on the sofa.

I glanced at the two men with some surprise. The priest’s question was puzzling, and the white-haired old man was clearly not telling the truth either—even Mrs. Austen, who rarely returned to Florence Manor, knew about the strange legends in the area, so how could the old butler, who had spent his whole life in the manor, be so oblivious?

I hesitated, unsure whether I should tell the priest about my doubts, especially since the ghost I saw that night seemed to be a problem I couldn't ignore...

Just as I was pondering this, Mr. Brooks, tormented by fear, finally snapped, "Fine! I don't care about those damn graveyards, I just want to get out of here!" He glared at us fiercely. "Since there really are vampires, I don't want to stay here and become their meal. I'm leaving! Right now!"

“But, sir,” Hans Luther reminded him, “the road is flooded by the swamp, you can’t—”

“I’m not going back to London!” he rudely interrupted the butler. “I can go in another direction, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham… anywhere is fine!”

“But we still have things to do…” Mr. Carl Dewey said hesitantly, “So, the search for the Lily Emblem…”

Attorney Field looked somewhat tired and troubled. He thought for a moment, pressing his thumb against his chin, then frowned and shook his head: "This matter cannot be stopped! I must fulfill the requirements my client made in the will: Mrs. Brooks said that once the search begins, it cannot be stopped, no matter what happens, and anyone who leaves midway will be considered to have forfeited!"

"This is ridiculous!" Mr. Brooks was even angrier. "What kind of rule is this? What is that old woman thinking? Damn it!"

“It is my duty to faithfully carry out the commission!” The lawyer was furious at his words. “Mr. Brooks, please understand this: I would say the same thing even if the devil himself stood in front of me.”