Chapter 11
‘Told you he was cute.’
At any rate, thanks to that, Sir Henry didn’t press me any further.
And, as a result, he arranged a meeting with none other than Lord Graham—someone people rarely get to see in person.
As I sat comfortably in the armchair, a few moments later Lord Graham’s secretary came by to serve refreshments.
“These were prepared for you to enjoy while you wait.”
I nibbled at the snacks while organizing my thoughts. I wanted to use this downtime to review the evidence I’d gathered so far.
First, the book that the “King in Yellow” ordered destroyed.
‘He said the spellbook The Book of Eibon, which contains methods to summon monsters, was here.’
Also, the Langham Hotel Code of Conduct for Employees that page boy Jimmy had delivered earlier was an important piece of information. Article 10 kept nagging at me.
[Even if not listed on the membership registry, guests who say “I know the wisdom of the stars” must be given Room 333.]
Something about that phrase stuck out to me.
‘Surely… could it mean the Cult of the Wisdom of the Stars?’
The Cult of the Wisdom of the Stars was a heretical church founded by Professor Enoch Bowen. Though their influence waned after a massive disappearance incident decades ago, remnants of the cult are still known to spread their doctrine across the world.
Above all else, these people are…
‘…followers of the Crawling Chaos!’
The Crawling Chaos—Nyarlathotep.
The King in Yellow, who chose me as his apostle, and Nyarlathotep are well known to be hostile toward each other.
Which makes me and the Cult of the Wisdom of the Stars natural enemies as well.
I bit my lip and sank into thought, when suddenly the secretary’s voice brought me back.
“Mrs. Carter, you may go in now.”
As I stepped into the executive office, a broad-shouldered, mild-looking middle-aged man greeted me.
‘So this is…’
An old-money gentleman in name only, he had built the Langham Group from the ground up with nothing but sheer grit and talent.
The uncle of Sir Henry Jekyll—Graham Langham.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Carter.”
“The pleasure is mine, Lord Graham. I’m Emily Carter.”
I shook the hand he extended and sat in the seat he indicated. In front of me was a cup of the finest black tea.
“My nephew has talked about you so much that I felt I simply had to meet you. I’ve been dying to have a proper conversation with you. However…”
Though his face was pleasant, his gray eyes glinted sharply. A gaze only possessed by those who’ve seen it all.
“Judging by your expression, you didn’t come for idle chit-chat. You seem to have questions for me. Am I right?”
…I do like people who are sharp. I’d been wondering how to get to the point, and now I could speak freely.
“You’re right, Lord Graham.”
As he met my gaze calmly, as if inviting me to ask, I continued.
“Since you’ve put it that way, I’ll be direct, Lord Graham.”
Looking into his calm, lake-like eyes, I recalled what I knew.
That Lord Graham might know about the entity possessing Sir Henry’s body—Edward Hyde. And also, that “Eddie” was a nickname for “Edward.”
“By any chance… do you know someone named Edward Hyde?”
The moment I mentioned that name, the serene eyes of the man before me rippled.
His once-healthy complexion turned pale in an instant.
“H-How do you know about that man…!”
Lord Graham shot to his feet in shock, but I looked up at him coolly and replied.
“If you’re willing, could you tell me everything you know about him?”
Though I didn’t show him, among the documents I’d brought were the Langham family genealogy and the Langham Hotel architectural report.
‘These two documents prove two things—’
First, that Edward Hyde is a relative of Graham Langham. Second, that Hyde was involved in the construction of this hotel.
But I didn’t even need to present them.
The moment I said Hyde’s name, Lord Graham admitted the truth without resistance.
“Mrs. Carter… you’re right.”
And then he began to reveal one shocking truth after another.
“Edward Hyde was involved in the construction of this hotel as part of the field team.”
“He was my sister’s husband. And, more importantly…”
“He is the biological father of my nephew—Henry.”
So it was true—Eddie the evil spirit’s real name was Edward Hyde, and he was none other than the real father of Henry Jekyll Langham.
Had I not asked, Lord Graham would probably have taken that truth to his grave.
“But now that it’s all out… I know this is shameless of me, but…”
Having finished his story, Lord Graham looked at me with a mix of relief and weariness, as though he’d aged ten years in the span of an hour.
His eyes were pleading, desperate for help from the pit of despair.
“Would you… be willing to help my poor nephew?”
He wanted the malevolent spirit of Edward to be exorcised from Henry’s body. He had tried several times, but nothing had worked.
And now, he was clinging to me like a drowning man grabbing at straws.
I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
“Very well. Then I’ll take care of it my way.”
Since he was the one asking for help first, everything proceeded smoothly.
When I asked for access to Room 333, he immediately gave me a spare key and promised to notify the staff.
He also gave me a direct contact number and said to reach out if I needed anything.
‘Glad he’s reasonable and quick to act.’
As I descended to the hotel lobby, the receptionist spotted me and called out.
“Mrs. Carter, just a moment.”
She handed me a telegram that had just arrived for me. Checking the sender, I saw it was from my associate.
[Emily, the train to London got delayed. I won’t arrive until tomorrow morning.]
Tomorrow morning… I just hope Eddie doesn’t do anything before then.
I had a bad feeling.
3 AM—when the whole hotel was fast asleep.
Sally Melbourne was on shift, covering for a colleague whose child had suddenly fallen ill.
‘Good thing there isn’t much to do.’
The night shift maid’s only task was to patrol the hallways and tidy up any disorder.
Still, most maids hated this shift—first because it messed with their internal clock, and second… because of the ghost of Room 333.
“It always feels like something’s gonna pop out at night.”
“Totally. That room is seriously creepy. Weird stuff has happened there more than once!”
Despite the maids’ complaints, Room 333 remained open.
Anyway, Sally had completely forgotten all that and was diligently doing her rounds. After tidying one messy corridor, she moved to the next floor.
“Wait, this is…”
She looked up absentmindedly and saw the number on the wall—she was on the third floor.
…The same floor as Room 333—where she had fainted after encountering Eddie’s ghost.
Remembering that gave her the chills, even though the hallway lights were on. It was still dimmer than daytime, and not a soul was in sight.
‘I should finish up here fast and head to another floor.’
She hurried to tidy the hallway, but suddenly—amid the utter silence—footsteps echoed behind her.
…Coming from directly behind her.
Sally flinched in fear, but reassured herself that it was probably a guest walking by.
But then—
‘Wait, come to think of it…’
She remembered what a coworker at reception had mentioned earlier—how all the guests on the third floor had checked out at once today. Weird.
‘Then whose footsteps are those… coming toward me?!’
A chill ran down her spine, and then—a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
“Kyaaaa!”
Sally screamed and jumped, violently brushing off the hand.
As she trembled and turned around, she saw a familiar face.
“Apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Her jaw dropped.
“…Sir?”
It was the hotel’s owner and director—Sir Henry Jekyll Langham—looking awkward as he peered down at her.
“I need a favor. Seems I frightened you.”
“N-No, I’m sorry… I just—”
“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate your help.”
Sally panicked—she’d just screamed at her boss and smacked his hand away.
But Sir Henry walked ahead as if nothing had happened. Sally scrambled to follow him.
In the silent hallway, their footsteps echoed ominously.
Finally, Henry Langham stopped before a room door. Sally’s eyes widened when she saw the plaque.
“This is…”
None other than Room 333.
Sally, who had never wanted to step foot in here again, turned to Henry urgently.
“Um, Sir, I heard Room 333 was completely restricted. Even employees are forbidden from entering…”
“It’s alright. I’m with you.”
“But still…”
Henry turned to look at her. Dark circles hung under his eyes—he looked exhausted—but his eyes were firm.
That look said: I’m the director, and you’re the staff. Just do as I say.
It wasn’t like the Henry she knew, but what could she do? With a deep sigh, Sally followed him into Room 333.
Even with all the lights on, the luxurious room felt eerie. Sally tried to brush off the unpleasant memory from earlier and turned to him.
“So… what is it you need?”
“…Ah.”
Under the bright lights, Sir Henry seemed a little out of it. He slowly turned his head toward her and murmured, almost in a daze—
“Could you… help me find a book?”
