131 – EP.6 When spring comes when flowers bloom -2

***

The funeral began the day after her master’s death.

The distraught maid cried all day long beside the bed where her master died.

If the general store owner’s son, who felt strange at the sound of screams from the mansion, hadn’t called someone to open the door, the maid would probably have cried to death next to him.

The people of the village were sincerely saddened by the death of the once famous writer.

It was because he remembered the warmth of the words he had written, even though his performance was declining and his exit was terribly lonely.

Everyone worked hard to prepare for the funeral.

His name appeared in the obituary column of the daily newspaper.

His body went to the mortician, and the mortician carefully cleaned the body of the artist whose spirit had left.

After putting the clothes he liked to wear and his identity, the pen and notebook, into the coffin, the full-fledged funeral began.

The only people present at his funeral were the villagers and his maid.

The mourners who visited one by one placed flowers in front of the coffin.

Since the season is seasonal, most of the flowers bloom in winter.

Some even stole tears remembering him who was as gentle as the spring wind.

Someone bit his lower lip in regret and went to a far corner to light a pipe.

After three days, the coffin was buried in the cemetery.

A majestic song played while the soil fell over the graveyard.

The funeral was conducted quietly and solemnly.

And throughout all of this, the maid stayed by the owner’s side and didn’t say much.

“……”

People went back to my house.

Kang In-ho’s maid, Emma, stared at the coffin where the owner was buried.

For hours and hours she stood still.

In that immobile posture, there was neither a momentary shaking nor a momentary sound.

Silence was silence again.

It was when the sun was setting that she staggered back home.

***

Opening the tightly locked iron door, Emma shuffled into the mansion.

– skeet skeet skeet

The sound of the wooden steps was sad.

– smart

Emma, who came up to the second floor, habitually knocked on the owner’s door.

“Ahh….”

I even felt it.

what she left behind.

“Ahh….”

She sat down on the floor as if sliding, sobbing with tears like chicken droppings.

Only the sound of air leaking from her throat, which had already rested, but no sound came out properly.

She raised her nails and scratched the bedroom door.

Fingernails running down the grain of the wood rattled and made an unpleasant noise.

It should have been opened at this point, but the door was firmly closed and would not open.

“Aww…”

Emma pounded on her chest.

Rather than the pain of hitting with my fist, the lump of sadness that was stuck in her throat and couldn’t get out of it tormented her more.

I was out of breath and terrified that I was left alone in this spacious mansion.

She grabbed the doorknob and barely got up.

Then he staggered down the stairs again. The destination was the kitchen.

She sought a knife that was comfortable to hold and had a sharp edge.

Grasping it with both hands, Emma widened her eyes and pointed the blade at her neck.

The hand wielding the sword oscillated in all directions, whether it was fear of imminent death or the hope of seeing its owner again.

“Whoa…”

The moment she took a deep breath, hardened her heart and was about to stab the knife.

– Geeeing

Suddenly the bell rang.

“……”

Emma was troubled.

Should I stab the knife I’m holding right now into my neck without hesitation, or should I greet the person who came to the mansion tonight.

Perhaps, it could be an old friend of the owner who heard the news of the obituary late.

She put the knife back in place and straightened her clothes.

Even when In-ho died, she was his maid.

Showing a dirty look to others is dishonoring the owner.

***

The visitor was Mr. Ricardo of the ‘Lohid Bissen Weekly’, whom Emma had also seen several times.

Emma greeted him with a grim face, and Ricardo was escorted by Emma to the parlor.

“Is this letter from Miss Emma?”

He took a letter out of his pocket and showed it.

It was a letter the owner asked her to send before he died.

“Yes. It’s probably a letter from the master about the new work.”

Even though I couldn’t serialize the new work.

“I was dubious because the letters were so messy and there were a few mistakes in grammar.”

At her words, Ricardo nodded and said.

“I see. But for some reason…”

“Ah, that’s what I mean, according to the letter, it says that Inho’s work is there.”

“Yes. But the manuscript…”

“Is it written in illegible characters?”

“How did you know that?”

“Look at this letter.”

Ricardo handed the letter to Emma.

With trembling hands, Emma examined the last traces left by her master.

The content of the letter was simple, but bizarre.

When Emma finished reading the letter and looked at herself, Ricardo opened his mouth.

“Sensei Inho said you could decipher it.”

Emma remembered the note In-ho had given her, but remained silent.

“Actually, I don’t care if the last work you left behind is a masterpiece or a bad one. I just want to publish that work as a last courtesy to the deceased.”

“Can you decipher your last piece…?”

“But I didn’t hear anything right.”

She averted her gaze as if she was not confident.

Ricardo said with a sad expression at her voice, which had been completely hoarse.

“I’m not asking for it right away. Teacher Inho said it would take some time. Here’s the next page of the letter.”

Ricardo pulled out another letter from his bosom and handed it to her.

It was a piece of paper with a lot of places written on it.

“This?”

“Well… I heard it’s the place I stopped by to learn the letter. There must be some clue.”

“……”

Emma wordlessly ran the paper in her palm.

“Oops, it’s already time.”

Ricardo pretended to look at his watch and stood up.

Putting on his coat, he emphasized to Emma once again as he left the mansion.

“As I said, no matter how long it takes. Please decipher your work. For your honor.”

“…I’ll try.”

The owner’s honor was at stake. Emma had no reason to refuse.

“Ah, because you wrote that you can use it as much as you want to go to the area written there. Don’t save your guard for nothing.”

Ricardo left the mansion as it was, and Emma, unable to bear the thought of seeing him off, fell into thought.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

An unknown letter written by the owner.

and.

His own words, [When spring comes when flowers bloom.]

She looked back at the letter from Ricardo.

Names of various districts and accommodations.

She didn’t know what this meant, but it was clear what Emma had to do.

“Master, I will present your work to the world.”

The next day, the door to the mansion was firmly shut, and the maid suddenly disappeared somewhere.