The Baron by Katherine Mansfield

An eccentric, reclusive man known only as “The Baron” lodges at a boarding house, where his mysterious manner and peculiar habits intrigue and unsettle the other guests. The narrator watches him with a mix of fascination and discomfort, gradually suspecting something tragic beneath his odd demeanor. The plot unfolds through small details and ambiguous interactions. Mansfield crafts a quiet study of loneliness, illusion, and hidden sorrow. It’s a haunting portrait of a man out of place and time.