I Inherited It, and It Turned Out to Be a Ghost Story - Chapter 1

Poooot! Screeech. Screech, screech!

Clank, clank-clank.

A train rattled along the tracks, trailing thick black smoke like a tail.

“Whoops. Maybe it’s shaking more because we’re on a bridge.”

An elderly gentleman let out a chuckle, adjusted his disheveled hat, and spoke, but Ordelphia, seated across from him, didn’t respond.

She merely pulled her skirt a bit closer to herself and turned her head away.

Though it ended up sounding like he was talking to himself, the gentleman didn’t seem particularly offended. He opened his newspaper, and once she confirmed he wasn’t interested in her, Ordelphia let out a silent sigh of relief, expressionless.

She would’ve been at a loss for words if he started asking why a young lady was traveling alone.

No, wait. She could say it proudly. That her so-called mother tried to sell her off in the name of marriage to a man she’d never even seen, just to repay a debt—and she couldn’t bear it, so she ran away.

“You think a monster like you can go out into the world and live well?”

Even now, her mother’s shrill voice echoed sharply in her ears. Ordelphia gripped her bag’s handle so tightly her fingertips turned white.

Yes. There was no way she could marry a man she didn’t even want to meet while hearing things like that.

She had done the right thing.

Even though all she had on her was barely enough to cover the train’s additional fare and maybe one meal, with no spare clothes—it was still fine.

“What? You’re inheriting that scary woman’s hotel? You? Absolutely not. You can’t go there! You know what happened to your father! Wait, no. No. That’s not it. He just left. He abandoned us!”

She’d inherited a hotel from a grandmother she’d barely known. Her mother had made such a fuss back then that she kept putting it off and eventually forgot about it, but the day talk of an unwanted marriage progressed beyond her control, she finally said she would leave.

“If I leave, then you can marry him instead. Oh, wait, the groom’s gone, hasn’t he?”

“You think someone like you can just leave?”

“To the hotel. The one I got from Grandma.”

“What? What nonsense are you talking about? A hotel? No, wait. Don’t tell me—You!”

“Yes. That’s right. The Hillgrace Hotel.”

“No! Your father went there and never came back!”

“Father? Father went to that hotel?”

Her father, the only one who had ever embraced her and loved her unconditionally, had vanished one day—and he had gone to that hotel?

She had tried so hard to find him, but there had never been a single clue. Now, she finally got a small piece of information, coaxed from her drunk mother’s loose lips.

“Listen carefully. Never go there. And even if you do, don’t interact with the strange things there! Especially be wary of unfamiliar men!”

“That’s rich coming from a woman who got conned into marriage by a stranger.”

And with that, she left the mansion.

While Ordelphia was lost in her memories, the gentleman across from her said, “It’s about time for tea. Would you care to join me in the dining car?”

“No, thank you. I’m tired.”

“Hm. I see.”

The gentleman looked at her for a moment, then, instead of leaving, opened his newspaper again.

It would’ve been better if he left. No—actually, being with a stranger was better than being alone right now.

Yes. Because if she was alone…

Before she could fall into unnecessary thoughts, she recalled her destination.

Hillgrace Hotel.

The only place that might hold a clue to her father’s whereabouts.

A monster.

Something horrible that shares emotions uncontrollably upon physical contact.

She was born with that cursed ability, though she hadn’t known it until her father disappeared.

When she was born, having lost her birth mother, her father had raised her himself instead of leaving her with someone else. Only after he vanished did she come to realize it—and also that he was the only one who hadn’t seen her as a monster.

So she couldn’t give up. Not even on the tiniest fragment related to him.

“My treasure. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

After her father vanished, leaving behind only the voice she’d heard in her sleep and the touch that had stroked her hair, Ordelphia became a ‘monster’ to everyone.

Not just to others, but to herself as well.

Because of her ability to share emotions upon contact, she desperately avoided physical interaction with others. Her emotional regulation had long since collapsed.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Startled by the sudden cough, Ordelphia looked up. Flowing golden hair, green eyes the color of spring leaves, and pale, milky-white skin.

A beauty anyone would glance back at—but her emotionless expression made her look as if she were wearing a mask.

The gentleman struck up a conversation in a friendly tone, despite Ordelphia’s clear signals that she didn’t wish to be disturbed. It seemed he thought small talk was polite, since they were sharing the same train car.

“Where are you headed?”

“Hillgrace Hotel.”

“Ah. The hotel in that quiet place. I know it. I’ve stayed there once myself.”

“I see.”

Despite Ordelphia’s dry response, the gentleman continued talking about his impressions of the hotel.

“It’s a good place. Perfect for enjoying the surrounding scenery. The staff was friendly, too. It’s a great hotel for resting. You’ve made a good choice.”

Because he only said good things, Ordelphia—soon to become the owner of that hotel—felt somewhat reassured, though it didn’t show on her face at all.

Screeech!

As the train began to slow down, accompanied by the loud burst of black smoke, the elderly gentleman, who had been sharing peaceful memories of Hillgrace Hotel, tidied his clothes.

“I’ll be getting off here. It’s been a quiet ride. Haha. I hope you arrive at the hotel safely.”

“Yes. Goodbye.”

Despite her curt tone, the gentleman offered a polite farewell and left his seat, leaving Ordelphia alone.

Clatter, clatter.

The train resumed its motion, but no one else boarded the car. Ordelphia took off her stifling hat, held it in her hand, and opened her bag.

Hillgrace Hotel Rulebook

She had come across it while looking for hotel-related documents.

It was a small book, more like a notebook. As she opened it and focused for a while, she murmured to herself, “Why is it so long? And the content is kind of strange.”

Though she had inherited the hotel and become its owner, she knew nothing about its operation. She had hoped the latter part of the rulebook would include management know-how.

But such content was nowhere to be found. With a sigh, Ordelphia pressed her fingers against her brow and closed the rulebook.

“It doesn’t have the information I actually need.”

Screeech!

At that moment, the train’s horn sounded, and it began to slow.

“Time passed quickly.”

She returned the rulebook to her bag and soon forgot about it.

***

“Huff, huff. Huff, huff-huff.”

Ordelphia was breathing hard.

She had definitely gotten off the train and arrived safely at the hotel.

Hillgrace Hotel, nestled on a gentle hill, was smaller than she had imagined, but surprisingly well-kept for such an old building. It didn’t look worn-down, which reassured her.

She had just passed through a garden tidier than expected and was about to enter the front door leading into the lobby when—

She was caught up in something she hadn’t expected.

Not even imagined.

WEE-OOOH! WEEE-OOOOOH!

Ordelphia raised her trembling hands to cover her ears, eyes wide, exhaling in short bursts as thoughts raced through her mind.

What is happening right now?

Just minutes ago, it had been a fairly pleasant day under bright sunshine, and she’d been bracing herself for a fresh start.

Then, in the next instant, an intense alarm—strong enough to numb her whole body—blared, and red lights began to flash before her eyes.

WEEE-OOOH!

The fire alarm screamed right next to her ear. It was impossible not to hear. It rang through her entire body.

The shrill screech clawed at her eardrums. Grimacing, Ordelphia tried to steady her breath but resisted the urge to close her eyes.

What in the world is going on?

No matter how much she tried to remember, she couldn’t figure out how she ended up in this situation.

Her ears throbbed, her hearing muffled. Her eyes stung from the effort not to blink.

There was something.

Something was approaching, stepping closer—something beyond human perception.

Though it was simply moving along its own path, the moment Ordelphia sensed the presence of that “something,” her mind began to blur.

WEEEEEEEE-OOOOOH!