EHM 17

Chapter 17:

Of course, it was all for nothing.

‘You quit again, Edward?’

‘Why should I, a member of the Langham family, lower myself to work under such pathetic people?’

No matter what kind of job was arranged for him, Edward would quit and storm out within days.

Then came the days of idleness, during which he squandered the Langham family’s wealth like water.

One day, while loafing around:

‘Brother, I heard you’re building a new hotel…’

Edward suddenly expressed a passionate desire to learn about construction by shadowing the workers at the site.

Thinking it was a rare and commendable initiative, he was immediately put on-site. But in the end, that turned out to be a mistake.

‘Who would’ve thought he used that opportunity to create a secret space in Room 333?’

According to Emily Carter, inside that secret room was a copy of a magical tome revered by the occult sect he was involved in.

A few years after the hotel was completed, Edward died under mysterious circumstances.

Even though he was a disgraceful father not worth having, when his nephew mourned him, Graham reached out to the boy and said:

‘Henry, from today, consider me your father.’

And it wasn’t just words.

Graham Langham, the man who built the Langham Hotel empire from scratch, made Henry his official heir.

Not only that, he even gave him the Langham surname.

Henry Langham grew into a young man who truly lived up to that heartfelt affection.

Diligent, upright, and considerate of those around him.

But there was one unusual thing about him.

‘Uncle, this might sound strange, but… have you ever felt like you’re not yourself?’

Since childhood, Henry would sometimes act as though possessed by something. Then, upon regaining his senses, he’d say things like:

‘Someone was controlling my body from inside. The real me just watched helplessly from deep within.’

Graham initially thought his nephew was just spiritually weak.

He had him work out to build stamina, and even brought in a renowned priest for an exorcism, but nothing worked.

The possessions became more frequent, and worsened after the death of Edward Hyde, his father.

But then, the truth turned out to be far more disturbing…

‘It wasn’t an evil spirit trying to possess Henry’s body—it was Hyde’s consciousness.’

According to Emily’s investigation, Edward Hyde had been a follower of the cult Wisdom of the Stars, a heretical church that worships a dark god.

That bastard had been slipping in and out of his own son’s body since the boy was young.

‘Remember that magical book I mentioned? …He used its power to complete a wicked ritual, intending to permanently inhabit Sir Henry’s body.’

Emily said that the higher the compatibility rate between the bodies, the more successful such rituals would be.

‘But why would he do that?’

‘Because he probably guessed that, after his death, Sir Graham would name Henry as his successor.’

That was Hyde’s one and only goal—

To become “Henry Jekyll Langham” and inherit all of Graham Langham’s wealth.

‘What a vile, unforgivable creature!’

Even now, a month later, Graham’s hands trembled with anger.

Thinking that this might have been why Hyde had gotten involved with his sister in the first place, he couldn’t contain the rage and resentment toward the dead man.

“But I still have Henry.”

To him, Henry was no different from a real son.

It was Graham who sought out Emily Carter after hearing of her reputation.

‘She wants to investigate places with spiritual activity?’

The moment he heard the rumor, he contacted Madam Blavatsky, a well-known figure in high society, and arranged for the two to meet.

After Emily successfully exorcised Hyde’s spirit, Graham knelt in gratitude.

‘Please rise, Lord Graham. Banishing that spirit was beneficial for me too. Ah, and one more thing.’

Right before she left the hotel, she told him to inspect the wine barrels in the underground cellar.

As advised, when they checked, they found one barrel emitting a foul stench.

‘Never open it carelessly. If you’re not careful, you could be consumed by what’s inside. So be sure to…’

Following Emily Carter’s instructions, a respected exorcist was summoned to open the barrel. And inside—

“Aaaahhh!”

“A s-skull…!”

A human skull surfaced from the thick, dark red liquid filling the barrel.

Now, the letter on Graham’s desk was Emily’s reply to the news he had sent her.

[It’s something called Gu poison, a variation of an ancient, sinister Chinese spell.]

A spell that amplifies grudges by using the caster’s life and body as the offering.

Edward Hyde had used the Langham Hotel as his altar and sacrificed his own body.

[After completing the ritual, Edward was consumed by The Book of Eibon and became a malevolent spirit.]

The spirit of Edward attempted to possess his son, Henry Jekyll’s body.

However, the ritual failed because the chosen offering—Sally Melbourne—snapped back to her senses at the last moment.

Hyde had chosen Sally for a specific reason:

“Because her body could hold enormous magical power.”

Such a vessel, once awakened, becomes highly resistant to magic.

That’s why he planned to use her as a pure, unawakened offering—to feed to the magical tome.

But when Emily, an Apostle of the Yellow King, appeared, all his plans unraveled.

[And about that other request you made… shall I consider it a formal job? I’ll choose the location.]

Just remembering Emily Carter, who had stared him down with unwavering eyes, made Graham feel a bit lighter.

“To ask her for another favor after all she’s done… I truly am a shameless, rotten old man.”

But for his nephew, who was like a son to him, he was willing to become as selfish as necessary.

That’s what all parents in this world are like.

Graham looked over the latest telegram Emily had sent.

[Lord Graham, this is Emily Carter. I’ll be departing on the 9 a.m. train tomorrow.]

Before Emily left the Langham Hotel, Graham had pulled her aside for a private conversation.

‘I plan to tell my nephew everything soon.’

‘…That will be difficult for both of you.’

‘If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind spending some time with our Henry afterward?’

Given the circumstances between a man and woman, he knew it might be an uncomfortable request.

Aware of this, Graham had been quite nervous. But Emily had simply smiled and answered:

‘If I have the time, I’ll consider it.’

Her calm reply made him smile involuntarily.

* * *

A month had passed since the incident in Room 333.

Now, Helena, Sally Melbourne, and I were on a first-class train heading to the countryside.

“I’ve always dreamed of riding in first class… These seats are so soft!”

“Look! London’s already so far behind!”

“Wow, the Thames looks beautiful from here! Though up close, it’s basically a filthy sewer with a terrible stench.”

Sally had been chattering nonstop since we boarded, and Helena and I watched her fondly.

‘She said she was the eldest child of a poor family and had worked herself to the bone.’

It was her first time leaving London, so her excitement was understandable.

We were currently headed to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.

“Sally, you do realize this isn’t a leisure trip, right?”

“Of course, ma’am! We’re going to conduct your research, thanks to Lord Graham’s generous support!”

Helena chuckled softly at Sally’s eager response.

“You’re lucky to have such a loyal assistant, Emily.”

At that, I just smiled faintly.

The “research for a horror novel” was only the surface-level excuse. The real reason was Lord Graham’s request.

“Miss Emily, I truly thank you. I’ll never forget this kindness.”

The stern businessman and I had developed a rapport—not only had I exorcised the spirit of Henry’s real father, Edward Hyde, but I had also uncovered his true identity.

Remember clause 10 of the Langham Hotel employee handbook?

[Even if not on the membership list, if a guest says they “know the Wisdom of the Stars,” assign them Room 333.]

That was the clue that led to my investigation, which revealed that Edward Hyde was a member of the heretical Wisdom of the Stars cult.

Thanks to that, I earned Graham’s full trust.

Even after the incident, he sent occasional letters.

[I finally told Henry the truth. But the poor boy’s totally crushed…]

[Miss Emily, if you wouldn’t mind, could you spend some time with him on vacation?]

[Just tell me where you’d like to go—I’ll cover everything!]

I told him I’d like to visit Edinburgh.

And Graham went so far as to purchase an entire country house there for me.

‘What a lavish man.’

There was a reason I specifically chose Edinburgh.

While staying at the Langham Hotel, I met a young bellboy.

Seeing the full name Jimmy Barry on the card he handed me stirred a memory from a past life, so I asked Helena—who had connections in all social circles—to investigate him.

The results were surprising:

[Jimmy Barry, real name: James Miranda Barry.]

That was the real name of the young bellboy from the Langham Hotel—and he had actually graduated from the University of Edinburgh’s medical school.

‘No wonder he was so skilled at first aid.’

He’d been an exceptionally bright student who had caught the attention of his professors, and was backed by a prominent political figure—the Earl of Buchen.

Why someone like him was working part-time at a hotel remained a mystery…

“You’re planning to meet that young man in Edinburgh, aren’t you?”

Helena’s offhand remark went unanswered—I merely nodded.