Lily Emblem

Chapter 5

"What are you thinking about?" A clear voice suddenly rang out beside me.

“Ah,” I looked up at the priest and rallied myself, “I’m sorry, I… I’m just feeling really unwell.”

A calm and gentle light shone in his blue eyes: "I understand how you feel, Mr. Green. How terrible it is to watch your friend suffer misfortune."

I ran my fingers over the pistol's grip and hesitated before speaking, "Father...please forgive me...I don't know why, but I feel safe and secure with you at this moment.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Green."

"But...but Father...you must give me an honest answer: do you really think we can survive?"

He looked at me with a warm yet flickering gaze, then slowly curved his lips into a smile: "Of course, I think it's possible. But the condition is that everyone must be honest about the danger. Otherwise... it's hard to say..."

His ambiguous statement puzzled me: "What do you mean, Father? I don't understand."

“Mr. Green, I trust you as much as you trust me, so I think you should also sense that someone among us is hiding something…”

I suddenly felt a little guilty—I hadn't told him about seeing the ghost that night, but it wasn't intentional; a series of events that followed left me with no opportunity to talk about it.

"What do you mean, Father?" I asked cautiously.

He tilted his head and looked at me with a boyish expression: "What else could it be? Hans Luther, the venerable old butler, he has many secrets he hasn't told us!"

(9. Initial signs)

16:01:27

The priest's words carried an elusive obscurity.

I asked somewhat cautiously, "Why do you think that?"

"Would you believe me if I said it was intuition?"

I nodded without hesitation.

The priest laughed heartily. “You’re so charming, Mr. Green.” He shook his head. “Actually, I found something strange during our conversation after the discovery of the vampire. I’m a missionary priest, I travel around, and I’ve heard about or even encountered things related to demons. I think it’s abnormal for vampires to appear in a place without any rumors or clues, as it wouldn’t happen suddenly like a meteorite falling from the sky. Because vampires need a fixed ‘food’ and their range of activity doesn’t change much. But when I asked the old butler who supposedly worked here his whole life, he firmly said he had never heard any related legends. Clearly, he wasn’t telling the truth.”

I believe that. I told the priest that Mrs. Austin had told me about the ominous stories associated with the manor on our way here. The priest nodded—which confirmed his suspicions.

"Furthermore, what should be strange next is what happened when we went to investigate that swampy cemetery. I dare say that everyone was quite frightened after discovering that strange coffin, but the only person who didn't come over to investigate was him."

Let me think: The man who found the coffin was Mr. Carl Dewey, standing about five yards behind me. And who was next to him… Attorney Field… Mr. Austin to my right… We were all standing around the coffin, and the furthest away was indeed Hans Luther, who remained a bystander the whole time… Yes, I didn't hear him speak, I didn't see his surprised expression…

A complete bystander!

“Since he could act as a guide, it proves that he must have been to the cemetery, so it is difficult for us to be sure whether this butler knew about the coffin beforehand.”

I have to admit the priest had a keen eye for detail, and the points he raised were difficult for me to refute. The thought that some of my companions might be hiding secrets sent chills down my spine.

I lowered my head in frustration: "I really don't understand why it turned out like this? What bad luck! I just came here to try my luck. Loving money isn't a big crime, is it..."

“Of course not.” The priest, noticing my low spirits, asked again, “What exactly is this lily emblem you were asked to find? Attorney Field didn’t explain it to me in detail, and I assumed you all knew, but it seems that’s not the case. Mr. Green, you must have noticed the relief in the coffin, right?”

"Yes, Father." The two intertwined lilies seemed a little eerie to me, perhaps because of the location where they appeared.

Do you think this is what you're looking for?

“I don’t know, Father. But my aunt’s will said that the coat of arms should be in the manor, and I never expected to see it in a place like that. To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s what we’re looking for.”

"The heir doesn't even know what kind of thing they're looking for. Mr. Green, have you ever considered that perhaps this was a trap from the very beginning?"

"What?" I almost jumped up. "Father, what...what are you saying?"

A trap? What does that mean? My body stiffened—did he mean we were all brought here for a purpose? How could that be? Is that even possible...?

I tried to force a smile, but my muscles contorted like a clown's.

“Ah, relax, Mr. Green.” The priest seemed to notice my unease and waved his hand dismissively. “Please don’t take it to heart. I’m just guessing; it’s my habit to overthink. But I have this strange feeling… this feeling that the cursed vampire is very close to us. It’s so weird…”

Although he was talking to himself, his slow tone had a strange effect in the quiet, dimly lit corridor. My hair stood on end, and some words that could no longer be kept to myself welled up on my tongue. I finally couldn't help but tell him about the strange things that happened on my first night here.

The priest turned around solemnly, and I saw a sharpness in his eyes I had never seen before. He was clearly taking my statement seriously: "You said you saw... a ghost..."

“I think so, Father.” I told him the details, including the face floating outside the window and the white shadow in the air. I couldn’t accept it if someone said I was seeing things or that it was human.

Why didn't you tell everyone at the beginning?

"Who would believe that?" I said dismissively. "You know, some things are really too incredible to believe. Before the first victim was discovered, I thought people would just laugh at me if I told them. But after the vampire threat appeared, I didn't care about that anymore."

The priest nodded: "You are telling the truth. So now you can confirm the location where the ghost appeared, right?"

"Yes, I can do it."

"Perhaps this will be useful to us."

I pulled a piece of lace from my pocket and handed it to him: "And this... I found it on the first mate's paw; it was clutching it tightly. I don't know if this will help too."

The priest's eyes lit up, and he reached out to take it. He examined it carefully and said, "It looks familiar, Mr. Green. Have you seen anything like it before?"

"No," I shook my head, "but it looks like it's on a handkerchief or clothes..."

“Yes.” The priest smiled. “Absolutely right, but these are for ladies. Mr. Green, are you perhaps secretly keeping ladies’ clothing?”

My face flushed instantly, and I stammered, "Are you kidding me, Father! Really..."

He quickly coughed twice in a serious tone, "Ah, sorry, sorry. But it's really strange that it appeared there—" His clear voice turned low the next moment, "Mr. Green, what would you think if I said that vampires might be people we know..."

He swallowed the rest of his words, and I felt as if someone had choked me, making it hard to breathe.

What is he saying?

The raindrops pounded against the glass, and a gust of cold wind swept across my neck. I took a few steps toward him fearfully and forced a laugh, saying, "Don't joke like that, Father. This is too terrible."

The black-haired clergyman shrugged. "I don't think I'm joking. This is my... well, my feeling, or you could say speculation."

I was almost speechless, frozen in place with cold hands and feet. It took me a long time to finally manage to stammer out, "Why...why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'm a vampire?"

He gave me that pure, angelic smile once again: "How could that be, Mr. Green? The only animals that can get close to vampires are bats and rats, and you have the first mate by your side."

Strange logic!

All the patrol work was quickly completed, and as I looked at the darkening sky, a tightness gripped my chest. It was almost evening, and we had to hurry back to the small living room on the first floor, where everyone had agreed to meet. The priest told me to go down first, but said he needed to go to the kitchen to talk to Hans and the butler, Luther. I told him, somewhat worried, that it was too risky for him to go alone, and asked if I could come with him.

"No, no." He shook his finger. "Sometimes too many people are actually not good. Don't worry."

I thought for a moment, then pulled out my pistol: "Keep this with you."

His beautiful blue eyes stared at me, a hint of a smile flashing across them: "You're a very kind man, Mr. Green. But I think I can protect myself; don't forget, I'm a priest."

I think this reason is quite credible.

We went downstairs together and parted ways at the end of the corridor. His tall, dark figure disappeared around the corner, while I walked in the other direction. The light on the ground floor was even dimmer. Turning past the U-shaped corridor would have led to the small living room in the front yard, where a warm fireplace would surely be burning, and the place would be full of life. But now, looking out the window, all I could see was an abandoned yard overgrown with weeds, a thin mist hanging in the air. This was where the ghost disappeared, and where Alice's body was found. Walking here alone now, I couldn't help but feel uneasy, so I quickened my pace.

Just as I passed the last window, with a loud bang, a muddy hand slammed onto the glass.

I was so startled I almost jumped up, my eyes wide: the hand moved with difficulty, as if supporting its body, and then gradually stopped as my heart pounded. At the same time, I was surprised to see a familiar face slowly emerging from below—it was Miss Palmer!

Her face was covered in grass clippings and dirt, her wet black hair clung to her forehead, and her pale face was filled with fear and despair. When she saw that I was the person in the house, her eyes seemed to light up, and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She needs help!

I snapped out of my daze and quickly called out, "Stay there and don't move, I'm coming right away." Her expression relaxed, and then she slowly collapsed again.

I opened the window, used the windowsill for support, and jumped out, catching Miss Palmer, who was lying on the floor, in my arms. Good heavens, the girl was only wearing a thin nightgown, soaked through, and ice-cold. I quickly took off my coat and wrapped it around her, carefully brushing aside her disheveled hair.

"My God, what's wrong, miss?"

Her pale face looked like a dead person's, and her black eyes were unfocused. When she finally saw my face clearly, she let out a whimper like a kitten.

"Alright, alright, you'll be alright." I pulled her closer to me more carefully. "How did you get here? We thought you were already..."

She moved her purple lips and softly uttered a single word: "vampire..."

I tilted my ear: "What? What did you say?"

"She is... a vampire..."

"Miss?"

The poor woman didn't give me any more time to ask questions; she fainted as soon as she finished speaking. I called her name repeatedly, but received no response. I touched her forehead again: it was as cold as ice, and her breathing was so weak I could barely feel it.

After a brief moment's thought, I scooped up the unconscious Miss Palmer and strode toward the kitchen. She needed some warm milk or brandy. For some reason, I didn't consider taking her to the small living room, even though it was clearly warmer there at the moment.

Could it be that the priest's words from ten minutes ago had an effect, making me subconsciously feel unsafe even in crowds...?

(10. Lies and Truth)

16:01:54

Perhaps it was indeed very impolite to suddenly barge into the kitchen carrying an unconscious woman, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn't care less about that.

The priest and the old butler Hans were talking around the long table. Luther was startled by the loud noise I made when I slammed the door open, and turned his head with wide eyes.

"Quick, quick, help me!" I cried out. "It's Miss Palmer."

The priest's expression hardened, and he immediately cleared away the clutter from the long table, carefully laying the unconscious girl flat on it. Hans Luther quickly brought over a cup of hot wine made with boiling water.

I pulled Miss Palmer's clothes tighter around her, letting her lean against me. The priest took the wine and brought it to her lips, gently calling her name.

The poor girl's lips were turning purple, and she lay unresponsive with her eyes closed. The priest frowned and took her hand: "So cold... Mr. Green, where did you find her?"

“In the garden, right on the first floor, at the corner where you can see out,” I said. “She suddenly appeared outside the window.”

The priest felt her weak pulse, gestured for me to lift her up a little higher, and then pried open her lips to pour the hot wine down her throat. With a few soft coughs, Miss Palmer slowly opened her eyes. She looked around fearfully like a startled fawn, only calming down after seeing our faces.

“Don’t be afraid, miss, you’re safe now.” I reassured her softly. “It’s me… and the priest, Father Arsène Gadda. He’s here to help us.”

Perhaps it was seeing someone familiar that brought her back to her senses; Miss Palmer grabbed my hand and began to sob.

"It's alright, Miss...it's alright, please don't do this..." I'm not good at coaxing girls, so I could only turn to the priest for help.

The man calmed her down slowly with the gentlest of words, then had Hans Luther bring her a glass of milk: "Alright, miss, now you don't have to be afraid of anything... Here, drink this, you'll feel better. Can you tell me how you got to the garden?"

Fear resurfaced in the girl's eyes. She struggled to control her trembling hands and finally spoke.

“I thought I was going to die… God… It was so terrible, so terrible…” Her fingers gripped my sleeve tightly. “I never imagined I would encounter a vampire! A real vampire!”

The priest patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t rush. Come on, tell us everything you saw, starting from what happened that night.”

“God…” she choked out, “I never want to remember this again! All I know is… I was lying on the bed in a daze, and it felt like someone grabbed my neck… When I opened my eyes, I saw monsters covered in cloaks staring at me with blood-red eyes… It, it wanted to bite me…”

The priest gently patted her shoulders and asked, "When did this happen? Do you remember where you were?"

"It was in my room... last night..."

The priest quickly exchanged a glance with me.

“And then, miss?” he said. “We didn’t find you in the room later.”