How much time had passed? When Yi Kyung suddenly opened her eyes, she realized it was already dusk outside the window.
‘It was just a dream.’
She looked up at the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling and closed her eyes again. The lingering glow from the bright lights left a dizzying afterimage in her mind.
Gradually, the afterimage faded, and a single hypothesis came to her mind.
‘Coma.’
People who have been on the brink of death often say they’ve experienced another world and returned. The afterlife, or perhaps a dimension no one has ever seen—these are all possible because the brain fabricates such illusions.
In the fragmented memories of her dream, she had been asleep alone in a deserted hospital room.
If that wasn't just a dream but a glimpse of the real world, and if what she was seeing now was a hallucination created by her brain, there was only one way to escape this strange world.
“My body regaining consciousness.”
Muttering softly, she opened her closed eyes. She had to find a way to regain consciousness and escape this place, no matter what.
But before that, she desperately wanted to soak in a bathtub. She didn't feel cold, but her hair and clothes were still caked with dried mud in places.
Yi Kyung got up and headed towards the bathroom. But as she walked, she heard the faint sound of running water from somewhere.
‘What is that?’
Listening closely, the sound of water was coming from inside the bathroom. Was someone in there? But for someone to be washing, it was too quiet; only a small, continuous trickle of water could be heard.
Knock, knock.
She knocked cautiously, but there was no answer from inside. Resigned, she gently gripped the handle and opened the door. The unlit interior of the bathroom came into view through the crack, and a rush of hot air hit her face.
It seemed someone had left the hot water running. But before she could even wonder ‘Why on earth?’, the thick steam filling the bathroom began to clear, revealing something hanging in mid-air.
Seeing that ‘something,’ Yi Kyung was so shocked she couldn’t even scream and collapsed on the spot.
She had always told herself that dead people weren't scary, that instead of being afraid, she would be someone who listened to their final stories. But Yi Kyung practically fled to the bedside and frantically pulled the cord.
“What is it?”
Not long after, the butler appeared. Yi Kyung slowly raised her finger and pointed towards the inside of the bathroom.
Soon, the thick steam that had filled the bathroom cleared, and the body of a man hanging in mid-air came into sharp view.
“What happened?”
"I-I don't know.”
Yi Kyung frantically shook her head. Another body, so similar to ‘that day’.
‘If I’m in a coma… why would my subconscious create such a hallucination?’
Yi Kyung squeezed her eyes shut. Even as she did, the butler approached the man's nose, checked for breath, then lowered the body and laid it straight on the bathroom floor. His reaction was so calm it was hard to believe he had just discovered a body.
A moment later, Yi Kyung asked in a trembling voice, “Is he... really... dead?”
"It seems so.”
“Then we should call the police right away...” She fumbled in her pockets for her phone, then paused and lowered her hand. Of course, she wouldn't have her phone.
“Forget what you just saw.”
“But...!”
“I said, forget it. It's nothing serious, so don't make a fuss.”
With those words, the butler began to handle the body with practiced hands. Yi Kyung couldn't say anything until he had finished tidying everything up and left the room.
***
One might think the dead tell no tales, but in a way, that was wrong. Because, just like now, they sometimes ‘spoke’ to the living in various ways.
Though it had been a very short time, she was certain. It was definitely a murder. Even if she was confused about whether this was reality or not, now that the situation had 'spoken' to her so clearly, she couldn't ignore it. That was why she had decided to become a forensic pathologist.
Having made her decision, she immediately got up and carefully examined the bathroom floor. Blue flower petals, missed during the cleanup, were scattered here and there. The murder scene was likely a rose garden.
It didn’t take long to find the butler again. When the cord didn’t bring him out, she went looking herself. Not long after descending the stairs, she heard the butler’s voice.
“It’s best not to notify anyone until the master returns.”
“You mean you plan to keep this secret from the master?”
“Not that we’re keeping it secret.”
He was talking to someone. Peeking down the stairs, she saw three men, including the butler, conversing with serious expressions. The butler continued.
“If we tell the security forces, they’ll want to start an investigation immediately. Even knowing the master is away, they won’t make exceptions.”
“Then are you saying we should just wait until the master returns? Leaving a corpse right here in the room?”
“Still, in this situation, we can’t let outsiders into the estate recklessly."
The butler’s firm voice silenced the others momentarily. Then another man suddenly interrupted.
“Anyway, he’s such a nuisance till the end.”
“How can you say such a thing? He was still our colleague. Please don't speak so carelessly.”
“Hmph, colleague, my foot.” Despite the rebuke, the man answered curtly.
At that, the man standing opposite clenched his fists and raised his voice. “Stop it already! How much must he have suffered to make such a choice! Are you satisfied now that it’s come to this?”
“Anyone would think I pushed him to his death, wouldn't they?”
“So you didn't? Are you going to pretend you don't know until the end?”
“What are you pretending not to know? Ruidel, you might as well have killed him yourself.”
“What? You...!”
“Enough.”
As the argument escalated, the butler’s voice cut between them.
“Reporting to the security bureau will happen only after the master is informed. Until then, keep quiet.”
“Then what are you going to do with the body?”
“For now, we’ll manage it until tomorrow.”
Yi Kyung listened silently, knowing the butler would be in trouble. But she could no longer stay quiet.
If they did nothing, even the traces of the culprit still lurking somewhere might disappear. To prevent that, an autopsy needed to start immediately, or the security forces had to be notified.
“Excuse me...”
Her unfamiliar voice echoed, drawing everyone’s attention. The butler’s face briefly showed dismay, and the other two men’s expressions revealed confusion about the strange woman and her attire.
Soon, the butler spoke in the calmest voice he could manage.
“There’s no need for a fuss. She got lost after attending the New Year’s ceremony and was allowed to stay the night.”
“You mean you gave permission?”