A beautifully sad story, almost like a painting. The cover art fits the atmosphere of the book perfectly. The writing is elegant yet natural, making it very easy to read. I think the theme—that each character carries their own version of “truth”—is handled really well.
As I read, I grew attached to the people in the mansion, but for some reason, I couldn’t warm up to Nishinomori. Maybe it’s because he pretended to be a detective and pried into the ex-servants’ lives. It felt like he was stepping a bit too intrusively into other people’s pasts.