Chapter 16:
In this way, there had always been an unseen contribution from “Hyde” in the life of Henry Jekyll Langham.
Jekyll and Hyde were inseparable, like light and shadow, or two sides of the same coin.
So while the “spirit of Hyde,” Henry’s biological father, may have been exorcised by Emily Carter’s hand…
The other self within Henry—“Hyde”—had never disappeared.
“…Emily Carter.”
Hyde recalled Emily, who had smiled down at him.
A slender neck, so delicate it looked like it could be snapped with one hand. A pure and innocent beauty that looked as though she might blow away with the wind—yet in stark contrast…
She had a strong will that didn’t waver even in the face of pure evil, and a calmness that remained unshaken even when her life was in danger. That left a strong impression.
‘Utterly tempting.’
Hyde unconsciously licked his lips.
Whenever he saw her, a raw, primal desire buried deep in his chest seemed to surge to the surface.
‘She even gives off an oddly dangerous scent.’
A powerful and destructive aura that even Edward, Henry’s biological father, could never possess.
She didn’t seem to be aware of it herself, but the spiritual or magical energy overflowing from her was something only fools could fail to notice.
‘That makes me want her even more.’
A woman who harbored a fatal secret not to be touched. But the more forbidden it was, the more irresistible the urge to conquer, wasn’t it?
“I’ll be seeing you again soon.”
But not yet. A little more time. Just a little more waiting.
Only when she finally gave herself to Henry—body and soul—would it be the right time for him to emerge.
His reflection in the mirror was smiling with anticipation.
“Well then, let’s get going.”
For the past few years, Hyde had developed a new hobby: impersonating “Jekyll” and pretending to be Henry Langham.
He used Jekyll’s usual tone, but added an undercurrent of authority. Most subordinates would be overwhelmed by an inexplicable pressure.
‘And that’s what makes it so entertaining.’
Seeing those who used to act disrespectfully toward the mild-mannered “Jekyll” turn pale with fear—what a delightful sight.
Humming to himself, Hyde left the room.
After finishing my talk with Sir Henry, I stepped out of the bedroom to find a familiar and welcome face waiting for me in the parlor.
“Emily, are you okay?”
“Helena!”
I immediately ran forward and hugged her.
Helena tried to pull away, but I held her tighter, making her smile.
“You’re still like this every time we meet? You’re not a child anymore.”
“I’m going to be like this until the day I die.”
Helena laughed.
“If you can joke like that, I guess you’re doing okay. Honestly, I’d love to chat for hours and catch up—but you wouldn’t have sent me an SOS if you had the luxury of time. Did things go well?”
Since she was the one who had originally connected me with Henry, no detailed explanation was necessary.
I shared what I’d seen in the hotel, the “dark secret” I’d heard from Sir Graham Langham, and the battle I’d had with the evil spirit.
Helena’s face darkened.
“One of the maids was directly exposed to the spellbook’s power?”
I could only nod with concern.
Just then, a hotel staff member arrived with good news.
“Miss Sally Melbourne has woken up.”
We headed straight to the staff break room where Miss Melbourne was resting.
My heart pounded nervously as we walked.
“Wow, I’m a fan of Miss Carter’s! I’m so excited to meet you!”
Just imagining such a bright, cheerful girl being reduced to a gibbering wreck because of this incident made me feel sick.
Helena must have noticed the guilt on my face, because she took my hand and squeezed it gently.
Drawing comfort from that warmth, I entered the room—and—
“So then, it was like BAM! The ghost just appeared!”
“Oh my goodness, really? That’s terrifying!”
Despite the words, the staff were all laughing heartily.
As soon as I walked in, Sally Melbourne—reclining against the headboard—jumped up.
“It’s Miss Carter!”
She looked perfectly fine. Not a trace of trauma—so bright and cheerful I was speechless.
“…”
What on earth is going on?
While I stood there stunned, the other maids quietly cleared out of the room.
Now alone with Helena and Sally, the latter spoke first.
“Thank you so much for coming all the way here, Miss Carter! You must be so busy!”
“Um, well… are you feeling okay, Miss Melbourne?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
Could it be that she was still under the spirit’s influence? That crossed my mind, but Sally’s expression was too relaxed to believe that.
“Well… no cold sweats, nightmares, or like… unbearable headaches?”
Those are common symptoms when normal people encounter the supernatural.
Honestly, this would be mild. Victims of occult rituals often ended up in psychiatric hospitals, consumed by madness.
That’s why I’d brought a small dose of a “forgetfulness drug” with me, in case her condition was serious. I had planned to secretly slip it into her tea.
“You might not notice now, but sudden panic attacks, phobias, or paranoia can develop—”
Sally cut me off with a light laugh.
“Oh come on, Miss Carter. I’m not that fragile!”
Seeing her laugh, it felt like I might be worrying too much.
She continued, giggling.
“Actually, I’ve experienced this kind of thing a lot since I was little.”
“…Really?”
She explained that her great-grandmother had been a firm believer in tarot, astrology, and the like.
“She always said the women in our family had the power to drive away evil. Though I never thought it applied to me.”
She said it casually, but I had a hunch.
If she was descended from a line of shamans, she might indeed have some resistance to dark magic.
As I listened to her chatter away excitedly, I realized I probably wouldn’t need to use the forgetfulness drug at all. In fact…
“Miss Melbourne, if it’s alright with you…”
On impulse, I made her an offer.
“Would you consider working as my personal maid and assistant?”
Thinking of what lay ahead, it wasn’t a bad decision.
When I quoted a salary far higher than what hotel maids earned, Sally’s eyes went wide.
“An assistant?”
…Though she seemed more interested in the role than the money.
“Wait—do you mean you’d take me with you for your research?”
Her eyes sparkled.
“Well… something like that.”
“That’s just like being a detective’s sidekick! I’m so excited!”
Sally Melbourne jumped up and eagerly accepted my offer.
“Oh wow, I’m so happy! This isn’t a dream, right? It can’t be!”
I had to stop her from repeatedly pinching her own cheeks to check if it was real.
Watching us, Helena smiled warmly.
“Miss Carter—no, I should call you milady now! Please just call me Sally, and speak informally.”
We spent a little more time chatting. Sally turned out to be even brighter and livelier than I had expected.
“Do you know how much I love your novels, Miss—er, milady?”
Apparently, she was a huge fan of my horror stories and read every chapter as soon as it came out.
Is that why she wasn’t traumatized by the encounter?
She said that even when she met the infamous ghost “Eddie,” it was scary, but bearable.
She almost cried at first from fear, but—
“Now that I think back on it, it was an amazing experience. Where else would I go through something like that?!”
…There was no way I could tell her she’d be experiencing such things all the time from now on if she became my assistant.
Two weeks after the ghost incident at Langham Hotel—
Thanks to tight-lipped employees and a shift in the media’s attention, the horrific deeds of the “ghost of Room 333” remained hidden from the public.
Sir Graham Langham, who had handled the whole thing from beginning to end, had granted Henry a long-term leave of absence.
Now, sitting alone in his office on the top floor of the Langham Hotel, Graham stared at a photo on his desk.
In the frame, a delicate-looking woman and a man with chiseled good looks stood side by side.
His younger sister Aria—and her husband, Edward Hyde.
‘That bastard didn’t even deserve to be called a husband.’
Good-looking, yes. But always with an eerie and ominous presence.
Edward had sweet-talked the innocent Aria, gotten her pregnant, and forced a marriage.
On the very night of their wedding, Edward had said:
“Ha. So I’m part of the Langham family now, huh?”
If only Aria hadn’t been so blinded by love. If only she hadn’t been carrying his child…
Graham Langham would’ve killed Edward ten times over.
Come to think of it… Aria’s death, too…
After giving birth, Aria’s health declined. Edward’s constant absences sent her into a spiral of depression.
Eventually, she wasted away and died two years later.
Sir Graham clenched his fist and muttered.
“…If not for Henry.”
His nephew, the child who resembled his beloved sister Aria in every way.
If not for that boy—
He never would’ve given Edward Hyde a chance in the first place.
