There was no doubt, this manor poem contained some information.
However, only fragments had been obtained before, allowing only a glimpse of the internal situation.
It could be known that each poem represented an experience and a past event. That is, their respective "themes." And this actually differed somewhat from the original poem of The Haunted House.
"This poem... is there a problem with it?"
Seeing Fran deep in thought, Davis asked curiously.
The previous scattered verses were filled with a depressing aura that chilled the heart, and this final stanza that concluded the whole... further deepened that earlier sense of eeriness. It was bone-chilling.
"In fact, the content of each individual piece isn't important. The key lies only in the final sentence."
Fran explained softly, her face illuminated by the flickering, dim candlelight of the lamp in her hand.
Compared to the meter of the original Haunted House poem, the final line of each stanza in this manor poem "has an extra sentence." Like a summary, an exclamation, or a pure commentary.
First stanza: [The filth and decay never seen, ultimately cautious and hesitant, pursuing relentlessly.]
Second stanza: [Seeing the deceased's ghostly nightmare again, confusion reignites like fire.]
Third stanza: [—This evening's feast is just like yesterday's, no different. No, different.]
Fourth stanza: [Completely unaware, the greedy devil is His robed confidant.]
Fifth stanza: [That deity brings iron law and blood.]
Sixth stanza: [Mask of joy, forgery of utmost delight. The wearer speaks no words, sorrow brings no tears.]
Hearing this, Davis also began to recall the final sentences of those earlier individual stanzas. Then his brow slightly furrowed, startlingly realizing these phrases indeed corresponded precisely to the abnormalities occurring in the manor.
"So then... what does this poem in Count Ferdinand's main bedroom represent?"
Since he had witnessed the other events personally, it wasn't difficult to find matching abnormal situations.
But this final stanza... seemed somewhat ambiguous, making it hard to form a reliable guess based on known information.
"A person's character and habits are very hard to change. It requires extremely significant upheavals, or the influence of external factors over many years."
Fran began explaining her understanding in detail.
"That is to say, the difficulty of Count Ferdinand suddenly becoming a 'monster' within a few months is very high, unless he originally was one but hid it very well all along."
"Perhaps he was influenced by something subtly over time, or perhaps... he has already been replaced by something."
Mentioning this, Themis seemed to remember something and spoke up.
"I remember the Count did indeed have a masquerade ball mask, but... I never saw him wear it."
"Could it be related to the 'forgery' in that line of the poem?"
In poetic form, "theatre mask" can be understood as a mask with sacrificial properties. So does it indicate that the change in the Count is precisely because he "put on the mask"?
Is it a mask in the literal sense, or a psychological mask in the abstract sense?
"Perhaps his abnormality stems from this, but before seeing him, nothing is conclusive."
Fran remained noncommittal on this.
Although she rather leaned towards this possibility, it would be quite rash to jump to conclusions before even beginning the formal consultation... The specific situation still needed careful confirmation.
As she spoke, she raised her hand and pushed open the thick door to the main bedroom.
Count Ferdinand's main bedroom was extremely spacious. The decor of the side hall could already be called magnificent and luxurious.
But the opulence of the main hall rooms surpassed that many times over, approaching the limits of what an ordinary person could imagine.
Carved silver ornaments were everywhere in sight, among them ritual vessels cast from gold.
"Oh... no wonder Krul wanted to come to the Count's manor to earn some extra money. The Count's bedroom has a Sassanid carpet that's an antique from nearly a century ago, worth more than selling me."
"Things like this should normally be kept in places without water or light, waiting to appreciate in value. The Count actually has it spread on the floor for daily use..."
Davis examined the carpet's obscure and complex patterns, his eyes slightly narrowing for a moment.
Fran, however, gave that ancient, intricately beautiful Sassanid carpet a rather serious glance, then subtly shifted her gaze away.
There were many ways to collect consultation fees, but taking someone's carpet was indeed a bit unbecoming... Most importantly, due to cultural differences, bringing it back to Norlington wouldn't hold its value.
Just then, the Count's weak voice sounded from the bed, muffled by the thick velvet curtains, hard to hear clearly.
"You've come, much faster than I expected."
"But none of you can save anyone, including yourselves. After putting on that mask, the former me had already died... it ate me... then it ate my beloved, my child..."
"What a pity..."
His voice was hollow and distant.
"If you had quietly waited for dawn, or come a bit later, entering this room just before daybreak... perhaps you could have survived."
Ferdinand's figure was hidden behind silk curtains, making it hard to see his specific appearance.
But judging from his slowly shrugging shoulders... he seemed to be laughing.
"Count, I suggest we don't waste time on such unimportant issues. The most important thing right now is the illness afflicting you..."
Fran slowly approached the bedside, her eyes holding a trace of amusement.
"My illness?"
The Count seemed to want to laugh, but he forcibly swallowed it, making his speaking voice extremely odd.
"No one can cure my illness, Fran... not even you. Because 'I' am no longer myself. I am just a monster wearing human skin, a malicious spirit wearing a mask..."
"Heh..."
Finally, this time Ferdinand couldn't suppress the desire to laugh, beginning to chuckle softly.
"Please stop these theatrics, Count Hanover."
While the two were talking, Themis had already come to the bedside and pulled back the curtains concealing the Count's form.
In the shadows was a gaunt, distant-looking middle-aged man. His eyes were sunken, his whole person listless like a ghost.
"Oh, Lawyer Themis, you didn't flee? So you came to the manor with some purpose too..."
Ferdinand looked at the person before him with some surprise.
"I'd like to advise you to flee. But the destruction you've left in the manor is too great. Now it's too hungry... Regrettably, no one can leave."
After saying this, he began to laugh uncontrollably.
Like a clown or jester in a satirical opera, mocking the whole world without restraint.
Ferdinand's face contorted violently, his mouth stretching nearly to his ears, the pupils in his eyes dilating almost deliriously.
"'Delusional disorder' can have symptoms like this... truly novel, worth studying properly."
Fran pursed her lips slightly, a gleam of excitement flashing in her eyes.
"Gag..."
Ferdinand vomited a pool of sludge-like putrid blood. It spread extremely fast, covering most of the main bedroom floor almost instantly.
After that, many fragmented humanoid figures rose from the pool of filth on the floor.
Their faces were twisted and fragmented, resembling faded, distorted old photographs. The manor's former chef Tom, the dismembered and consumed Countess, and... the "daughter," completely naked.
"What is this..."
The corner of Davis's eye twitched. If not for his inexplicable trust in Fran, he would have almost fled for his life.
As a folklorist, besides needing solid professional skills in secret history, one also needed to be able to keenly sense danger.
Detect the sinister and decisively withdraw, feel obsession and simply stop... Fleeing is not shameful; nothing is more important than staying alive.
"It's 'desire.'"
Fran let out a light breath, quickly explaining to him.
Because the situation was critical, she could only speed up her speech for a temporary lesson. So her words flowed without pause, like reciting a rapid monologue.
"All the abnormalities in the manor correspond to some dark desire of Ferdinand's... just expressed more blatantly, as if with a certain distortion."
"Krul's room corresponds to 'desire to consume people,' Davis's room to 'fear of the dead,' Themis's room to 'desire for judgment,' Father Gorn... probably lust or 'confession.'"
"As for my room, it manifested as possessiveness. Of course, one could also call it 'love.'"
The manor's bizarre phenomena originated from Count Ferdinand's internal projection. But these weren't normal human emotions; they were dark delusions that had undergone alienation.
"You... know?"
Hearing Fran's words, Ferdinand's nearly dissipated rationality seemed to have a final flicker.
Most of the psychologists he had sought before could try to understand, but most couldn't remain composed and rational after witnessing him in this state.
The luckier ones forgot everything; the less fortunate... completely lost their minds.
But this doctor before him seemed completely unaffected.
"Of course. It's all presented so clearly, almost without concealment... You're much easier to understand than patients with depression or autism."
The moist corner of Fran's lips curled up slightly, the light named excitement burning brightly in her eyes.
"Heh..."
Unable to suppress it, Ferdinand let out another low laugh.
"But what's the point? Your fates were already decided long ago... Or perhaps, are you willing to replace this man who has become boring?"
When he said this, his voice was sharp and piercing. As if pinching his throat to impersonate another person.
And the filthy humanoid figures around also began to swell and pulse, slowly surging towards the few of them.
Fran quickly spoke, cutting him off.
"Oh, riddles and threats have been tasted plenty lately. Please skip that old routine... Please prepare yourself; the treatment is about to begin."
She suddenly reached out, pressing her hand directly onto Ferdinand's face.
"What are you doing?"
Maintaining the clown's strange tone, Ferdinand spoke somewhat puzzled.
"Simple, just a mask. Take it off, won't that do? This is why I'm keen on treating exogenous diseases; isolating the source of infection can yield quick results."
"Fool, I exist on his psyche, you say 'take off'..."
Ferdinand frowned, letting out a scornful scoff.
At the same time, it suddenly felt its own spirit beginning to separate from its host body at an extremely fast speed. Tracing to the root, unraveling layer by layer.
"How are you... touching me?"
Its voice carried a tremble, but was then completely pulled out. Gradually materializing from an illusory state into something with physical substance.
For abstract concepts, stealing them with the current proficiency of [Crown-Thief] would be quite taxing. But this mask itself was in a spiritual state, which could be extracted via [Soul Sculpting], then completely stripped away.
The process of pulling off the mask proceeded smoothly, almost naturally.
It was a masquerade ball mask with a brilliant smile, expensive in design, intricate in pattern. Adorned on both sides with agate gems and peacock feathers.
"You're one of those people? But how is that possible? Gulinse doesn't have true priests devoted to gods..."
The mask's mouth wriggled quickly, as if in shock.
But Fran could clearly perceive it was quietly exerting influence on her mind. It seemed wearing it on the face wasn't necessary; mere contact could cause erosion.
"Hmm... liking to play these meaningless little tricks, how about I give you a hand."
As she spoke, Fran placed the mask in her hand onto her own face. The mask fitted itself seamlessly.
"Dr. Fran..."
This action caused even Themis, let alone Davis, to feel a flicker of unease.
If Fran were influenced by this mask, then judging by the precedent of Count Ferdinand, the situation would likely become terrifying...
Moreover, this time, there would be no one who could stop her.
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T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL