Lily was deep in thought as she made her way back to the sprawling mansion to continue her work. Preparing each room to be ready for guests at a moment's notice might seem straightforward, especially with the place so empty, but in reality, it was a time-consuming process. Each unused room had to be carefully inspected – checking the water flow, testing the heaters, changing out the bed linens, and even fixing creaky floorboards. After all they could not have guests worrying about resident ghosts.
There was an endless list of small tasks that kept her hands busy and her mind grounded. Normally, managing and directing this routine work brought her a sense of calm, a comforting illusion of control over her world.
