Beast Castle

“Episode 41”

Philip casually tried to shake the door, which never opened in his lifetime. It felt as cold and ruthless as necessary. He covered the candle struggling against the wind with his hand. The incessant rummaging through the past in his mind probably began after he saw his master staring at him.

Every time he woke up from nightmares, he inevitably remembered the day he first came to the mansion.

The beginning of his distant memories was blurry. His parents, who struggled in poverty, sold him off to a noble family, and he wandered from place to place, worn out. He settled down in one place only in his late thirties. It was Castilia, and he visited the mansion clutching his former master’s letter of introduction. He had no choice but to visit, as he would be helpless on the streets if rejected.

The young lord who received the letter of introduction was dignified enough to bow deeply with his greased hair. He was similar in age to Philip, but his attempts at conversation were awkward and clumsy. Moreover, Philip, who had no one to turn to for advice, had expected rejection.

“Start working today.”
“What? Do you not like it?”
“No, no.”

Despite being a young lord, he had lost his parents early and was a man who longed for a family. But perhaps because he still didn’t have a child, he frequently left the mansion empty. He married a woman through strategy, but after she gave birth to their first child the following year, he became very affectionate. Perhaps the influence of the newborn child was significant. Even in Philip’s eyes, the remarkable son brought unprecedented peace, and he even carefully clung to the footsteps of the young lord who used to roam outside.

The lord who had experienced his parents’ life wanted a second child, but things didn’t work out well. The mistress was too weak to conceive anymore, and the couple, who had barely started to be affectionate, were disappointed. Nevertheless, their disappointment washed away when they saw their son, who became the heir, an exemplary figure.

The son, who had achieved excellent academic results in the capital, became a source of pride, and even the engagement with the woman chosen by his parents was completed. The eyes of the couple, looking at their grown-up son, were filled with overflowing affection.

“No, thank you.”
“Edmond!”
“I’d rather die.”

However, things changed. He openly introduced a woman who was not the promised fiancée to his parents. She was the daughter of a poor painter, not even a noblewoman. At that time, unless it was a strategic marriage, it was a time when people would be criticized. As expected, the heir who faced intense opposition fled, and the couple, who had extraordinary love for their son, had no choice but to approve their marriage.

Whether the parents were pleased or not, the son had a happy married life. It was when Philip, who had gained some trust in the mansion, was in charge of managing groceries. The young lord had already prepared to become a father, and the child was born in August, a difficult month during the rainy season.

“I like Clothan. He inherits the name of my late grandfather.”
The lord was pleased with his son’s words. The wealthy couple, who had been uncomfortable due to marriage issues, quickly cleared up. At the same time, Philip received the key to the annex and was given the task of taking care of the new member, Clothan. The child, with pumpkin-colored eyes resembling his mother’s, was adorable for no reason.

But the joy was soon erased. Clothan’s grandparents, who always smiled, fell victim to the prevalent epidemic. It was a sudden change. Since there was no cure, the doctor speculated that the couple had contracted the disease while traveling to the west.

In the face of such a devastating death, there was no time for despair, and even the wealthy couple who attended the funeral of their parents faced a tragedy. The sight of Clothan, who stared intently at his grandparents’ graves, was so sad that everyone at the funeral shed tears.

But the protagonist of the tragedy, Clothan, remained indifferent. Philip tried his best to take care of him like his grandson, but it was clear that he couldn’t match the affection of his biological parents. Despite being a teacher as well as a father, he felt inadequate as a father. It was unfortunate, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Young Clothan grew up day by day, while Philip, who had been a quaint young man, grew old enough to have white hair. Marriage was an unfulfilled dream, but life wasn’t bad. He simply thought that there must be another path for himself.

Clothan, who became a lord earlier than his grandfather, was mature beyond his years. He praised every teacher he invited until their mouths dried up, and he even handled musical instruments skillfully with his delicate hands. As proud as everyone in the mansion was of their young master, the guardian, Philip, was no exception.

“Oh, sir.”

However, Philip felt a slight sense of unease. Of course, the young master was sufficiently clever and talented, but there was a lack of moderation in some aspects. Philip had seen it at least three times.

Once, the maid who cleaned the room without a word frequently asked who she was and the young master’s belongings were often left untouched until dust settled. Even though Philip or the close nanny sometimes tidied up the room, it seemed that the young master disliked the very act of someone else touching his belongings.

Furthermore, he only ate snacks that suited his taste for a month or insisted on his favorite items, which was not usual behavior. Still, Philip didn’t take it seriously and thought it was just a phase of adolescence. Looking back now, perhaps he should have been more thorough even then. Such trivial obsessions only spread further over time.

Recollection was always meaningless. Even if he were to go back to that time, Philip didn’t think he could change the young master. He probably wouldn’t be able to do something he couldn’t do now even if he went back. He would just continue to treat him the same way and expect the same outcome.

“Sigh…”

Today, Philip’s interrupted and long-forgotten sigh was poignant. The reason he was overwhelmed by frequent memories of the frustrating past was probably because of what he saw in the morning. He clearly saw him tied up at the master’s command. However, the master who was tied up with chains disappeared without a trace, and a while later, he walked out of Lady Ray’s bedroom.

Philip wondered what had happened, but the master was unharmed. To make matters worse, he even apologized to Philip. Since Philip had never experienced such a thing in his lifetime, he was on the verge of mistaking the master in front of him for an illusion.

“Philip.”
“Are you really the master?”

The warm smile in response to the rude question was also not normal. Fearful, Philip glanced at Lady Ray’s closed room. He worried if there was something wrong with her well-being.

“Why is Lady Ray…”
“Yes?”
“Continuously being watched.”

His lips were smiling, but his eyes were elsewhere. Philip swallowed his saliva with a scratching throat.

“Do you want to go in?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just… because of the timing, sir.”
“Oh, right.”

Suddenly, Clothan seemed to be planning something enjoyable. Even though everything around them was joyfully bustling, Philip’s mind was still in the deserted night.

“I’ve got good news.”
“Sir, what…”

“Now you don’t have to worry about that kind of thing anymore.”
“If you mean that kind of thing.”

“Lady Ray found out about everything.”

While each word left Philip feeling distant, Clothan seemed as light as if he were preparing for an outing. He smiled liberatingly as he gazed out the window at the sunlight. Philip, feeling blue, feared that Lady Ray might have died.

“So, what will happen to Miss now…?”
“What do you mean?”
“Her treatment.”

In response to Philip’s worried question, Clothan tapped his chin. He seemed more thoughtful than weary.

“I was already worried about it.”

Now even more afraid to reply, Philip remained silent.

“It’s too cramped here.”
“Cramped? How so?”
“We need to build a separate annex.”

At the unexpected topic, Clothan’s face, already beaming with excitement, drew closer.
“What do you think?”

It wasn’t a subject Philip could easily comment on, and outright refusal was even more unthinkable. In the end, he awkwardly nodded, but the master seemed satisfied with just that.

At first, the vague talk gradually unfolded. Murmurs about building an annex. A master who was more emotionally invested than practical. And indeed, there seemed to be a real intention to build the annex.

Thanks to that, Philip felt thoroughly perplexed. Following the master who went out to the vacant lot behind the mansion, he became even more distressed when he considered offering some advice. No matter what he said, the master only seemed interested in expressing his own desires.

“Should we make it a bit larger, or add another floor?”
The construction of the annex seemed to be driven not by human assistance, but by an eerie force. If there had been a nanny present, she would have had something to say, but timid Philip only mumbled with his lips.

So, the evening passed in this state. Seeing the master effortlessly leveling the land without a single pebble, Philip sighed. He looked as if he were searching for a grave site. If Lady Mary knew about this, it would be a cause for celebration. Regardless, Lady Ray accepted the master, and as everyone in the mansion had hoped, the master became more generous and affectionate.

However, as Philip looked at the site where the annex would stand, he was lost in thought. No matter how he thought about it, the master’s condition seemed to lean towards the worse rather than the better. Even his excited eyes, which were once filled with anticipation, now seemed momentarily dull. He found himself constantly going back and forth between the mansion and the outside, worried about when Lady Ray would wake up. Even after confirming that she was asleep and coming out, he would become restless again after a few minutes, and before he knew it, he would enter the room again without being able to move a single brick with his strength.

He had shown interest in Lady Ray before, but this was excessive. This led his mind to naturally drift back to the past. How he used to assertively seize what he wanted once he decided to possess it. Despite becoming more secretive and cunning as he grew older, his character hadn’t changed much.

It was good that Lady Ray had accepted the master. However, contrary to his and Lady Mary’s expectations, the master’s behavior was different. The expectation of finding stability and softness was like reaching for a duck’s foot, and the master’s attitude, which had become even more intense, could be observed from morning onwards.

Furthermore, since entering the mansion, he hadn’t come out at all. Philip wanted to peep in to see if Lady Ray was safe, but at this rate, he would only be able to see her after the annex was completed.

Philip cast a glance at the spot where the annex would be built with a candlelight. The dense trees that had greeted him on his first day were being uprooted, leaving behind a lonely field.

He no longer had the energy to think. He just hoped that the master hadn’t made a lonely choice like that barren field. If it weren’t for that, Philip had nothing more to wish for.