When Simone came out of the study, Anna, who had been waiting with an anxious face, came up to her in a huff and stood next to her.
“Lord, Master...Did he say anything?”
"What?"
“Ah, well, I wonder if Simone can continue to stay in the mansion...”
"Of course! I successfully passed the test given by the Grand Duke?”
“Thank goodness!”
Anna smiled broadly. At first, she was afraid of Simone, but during their time together, she discovered Simone's affectionate nature, and Anna said that she was afraid of Simone. She had no one who treated her as kindly as Simone did.
So, every time Simone was summoned to the Grand Duke, Anna was full of worry that she would be kicked out like this.
Passing the test meant that Simone would no longer have to be kicked out, so it was really good.
“Anyway, now let’s get started with the instructions-”
Ttogak-
Ttogak- Ttogak-
The clear sound of shoes was heard in the ears of the two people as they walked towards the room.
Simone stopped walking and turned her head as she heard the sound approaching slowly, without any difference in stride length.
“...Oh!"
At that time, Anna hurriedly pulled Simone away from the center of the hallway and lowered her head.
“Simone, she is the Grand Duchess...”
Anna whispered softly.
The sound of shoes got closer and closer, and finally, the silhouette of the owner appeared.
“Oh, Simone... Turn your head-”
Simone stared at the silhouette without hearing Anna's voice.
'This smell...'
Her frown naturally frowned.
Florier, wife of the Grand Duke of Illeston.
A woman with pale skin and a terrible smell approached Simone, glanced at her with dry eyes, and then disappeared into the Grand Duke's study.
She looked as stiff as a dead person.
***
For the hundredth time, never enter Grand Duchess Florier’s room. Do not knock on the door or pass by.
Additionally, the Grand Duchess must prepare two people's meals for each meal.
"Hmm."
Simone glanced over the instructions and fell into a deep sleep.
The rules for Grand Duchess Florier, written on the last page of the manual, were the most recent curse among the 300-year-old curse.
And in fact, Simone knows the secret of this rule.
This was because, in the original work, it was the biggest reason why Grand Duke Illeston kidnapped Simone.
Therefore, of course, Simone cannot break this curse as in the original work.
That was true even if she knew the secret of this passage.
"Why... Is that so, Simone?”
Anna asked with a worried expression.
“Umm... No...”
After all, she has to find it, right? She has no choice but to find it, right?
“Is that so?!"
Simone looked very bothered at first glance.
"Ha."
The symptoms of this curse become even stronger as the protagonist, Abel, arrives in the Ruan Empire.
No matter how much they postpone it, by the time Abel arrives in the Ruan Empire, Simone will have to prioritize lifting this curse under the orders of Grand Duke Illeston.
'But...'
[For the hundredth time, never enter Grand Duchess Florier’s room. Do not knock on the door or pass by.
Additionally, the Grand Duchess must prepare two people’s meals for each meal.]
This rule, which at first glance appears to be a curse placed on Grand Duchess Florier, was actually a curse placed not on Grand Duchess Florier but on their son, Jace, who had been forgotten by the world.
***
Just a year ago, there was an attendant named Rie at Illeston Mansion.
“This is the study where the Master usually stays. When you pass by this place, you must always keep your mouth shut and keep your footsteps quiet.”
“Yes, Chamberlain.”
Rie, a young servant who had just entered Illeston Mansion today, answered with a more relaxed expression.
'The atmosphere is brighter than I thought.'
When she first heard that the orphanage had sold her to Illeston Mansion, she thought she would die the moment she entered the mansion.
That's because there were rumors throughout the territory that Illeston Mansion was an uninhabitable place, and even the main gate of the mansion was unusable due to a man-eating tree wiggling around.
She doesn't know how much she resented the director of the orphanage who sold her here right before.
But when she actually entered the mansion, the atmosphere was very different from what Rie expected.
Except for the tree blocking the mansion and the indescribably strange user's manual, this place was no different from any other large ornate noble mansion, even if it was ordinary or old.
'You're saying I just have to lock the door while I sleep and follow the instructions carefully?'
The thought that she might die if she made a mistake had long since disappeared from Rie's mind.
People tend to be easily deceived by what they see rather than what they think.
No matter how dangerous this place was, right now, to Rie's eyes, it just seemed like an ordinary mansion, very peaceful and friendly.
That was when she went up the stairs, listening to the chamberlain's explanation for each room in turn.
“Stop walking.”
The Chamberlain, who had been walking confidently without any hesitation, suddenly stopped, looked back at Rie, and said.
Rie was startled and went down the stairs and looked up at the chamberlain.
The chamberlain, who had had a gentle expression just a moment ago, had a face so stern that it gave her goosebumps.
“The room directly visible from these stairs is the Grand Duchess’ room.”
"Ah...”
It was in the last chapter of the manual.
Rie glanced at Grand Duchess Florier's room on the third floor, visible beyond the Chamberlain.
As the instructions said not to go too close, the area near the Grand Duchess's room was full of dust, as if it had never been cleaned.
‘But isn’t that a bit harsh?'
Still, it is the room where the Grand Duchess lives. If the Grand Duchess is sensitive to noise, etc., wouldn't it be right for her to clean her room even when the Grand Duchess leaves her room briefly for a meal?
Rie's questioning gaze was stopped by the chamberlain's actions of blocking her view with his body.
“Rie, the area where you are standing is the area you need to clean.”
"Yes? Ah yes!"
“Never pay attention to Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s room or go near it. You just do what you have to do.”
“...”
“Unless you want to die.”
The chamberlain's words were not simply a warning. It was a tone of sincere concern for Rie.
“Answer me. Hurry."
So Rie couldn't even respond to the chamberlain's words.
It was because she felt fear for the first time since she came to the mansion, seeing the chamberlain's face turn pale and his face stiff and forcing her to say yes.
“Let’s go back.”
The chamberlain hurried down the stairs with her without further explanation.
It was as if he was running away from the unpopular Grand Duchess Florier's room.
***
After that, Rie gradually adapted to the mansion.
She followed the rules of the mansion well and got along well with residents in similar situations.
But no matter what they did, she couldn't escape one curiosity.
“...”
Grand Duchess Florier's room, which she sees every morning when she mop the stairs.
Rie would always stop mopping at a place where there was a lot of dust.
'Are there really people here?'
Employees are always careful about their movements so as not to be noticed by their employers, but even so, does it make sense that they have never seen Grand Duchess Florier?
She heard that she often came out of her room, but Rie never felt the Grand Duchess' presence, let alone her presence.
Rie, who swept and cleaned this place every day, couldn't help but be concerned.
Not only was it visible to her eyes every day, but there was so much dust that she felt uncomfortable every time she mopped.
'But what can I do?'
If they say you shouldn't do it, you shouldn't do it.
It was when Rie was about to go down the stairs with her eyes set on Grand Duchess Florier's room.
"Live."
Stop.
A woman's voice coming from Grand Duchess Florier's room.
Rie stiffened and turned her head.
Kill him alive!
Don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget, don't forget.
...Why is it bleeding again?
A breathtaking voice, as if she would stop breathing at any moment, was constantly heard from Grand Duchess Florier's room.
"...Blood?"
Without realizing it, Rie's feet crossed the border and headed toward Grand Duchess Florier's room.
She had no choice but to go.
The voice that sounded like that of the Grand Duchess Florier was said to make people bleed. Moreover, she was stamping her feet in the room as if she were in pain.
‘Think, think, think, think, think!!!!!!!’
Bang! Quang!
Rie’s shoulders shrank.
There was a sound so loud that it was threatening.
The place where Rie was currently was quieter than anywhere else in the mansion, so the sounds in the room were even louder.
The air becomes heavier quickly.
Normally, she would have been so scared that she would have run away, but Rie couldn't overcome the curiosity she had been feeling since she first came here.
Strangely, she couldn't resist the urge.
She slowly, slowly headed towards Grand Duchess Florier's room.
“Um, Your Highness? Ho, is there anything that makes you feel uncomfortable?”
As one of the lowest servants, Rie had no authority to ask about Florier's discomfort, but she wanted to use that as an excuse to open the Grand Duchess' door and check.
It was truly a strange impulse, uncharacteristic of her.
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
The door that had been locked was somehow left open, so when Rie pulled down the doorknob, it opened immediately.
'I can finally find out the secret of this room!'
Rie, who opened the door a little more and smiled brightly, soon came to her senses and stopped moving due to the foul smell coming from the room.
"Ah...”
It was only after Rie opened the door that she realized what she had done.
A stench that you can't breathe and darkness where you can't see anything even though it's broad daylight.
Ttogak ttogak-
Rie was startled at the sound of shoes and raised her head.
A woman's silhouette emerged from the stench. And another shadow visible beyond the woman.
Dark red blood pooled beneath the dried black shadow.
'...Huh!'
[The Grand Duchess must prepare two people for each meal.]
Only then was Rie able to recall the last verse of the manual.
The woman approached Rie without hiding her bloody hands.
"Haha... Jace, someone who recognizes you has entered the room again.”
“Save me...”
“Look at this. You are not forgotten by anyone, baby.”
Florier's eyes were excited and his breathing was heavy.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn't look normal. Rie backed away, shaking her tears in horror.
"Ah... Ah... Aaaaaaaah!!!!!”
If you stay here, you will die.
As soon as those thoughts filled her mind, Rie ran away. She hurried out of the room and closed the door before Florier could get close.
Boom boom boom!!!!!!!
Kwasik-
“You saw it! Why don't you remember! You are bad!”
With Florier's sharp voice, the door shook so hard that the entire large mansion shook.
However, Florier did not open the door that Rie had closed even though it was unlocked and did not come out.
“Huh!!!!”
The moment Rie turned pale and hurriedly took her steps to go down the stairs.
“...Uh?"
Was fear and impatience the problem? Just like that, her foot slipped and Rie's body tumbled down the stairs.
Pow!
Rie, who fell to the ground after rolling for a while, groaned.
"Ah...”
it hurts.
Something was broken and somewhere was twisted.
“Save me... Save me...”
She raised her voice with all her might, but no one helped her.
After a while, Rie, who had been screaming and writhing in pain, gradually stopped moving.
She didn't shout anymore.
"Ha... Ha... Come back! Come back! Argh! Come back and call Jace’s name!!!!!”
All that could be heard was Florier's screams from inside the door, shaking the doorknob.
And soon Grand Duchess Florier's voice stopped.
The chamberlain, who was watching the situation from down the stairs, spoke without emotion.
“...Another trainee acolyte lost her life because she did not follow the instructions. Handle it secretly and report it to Master.”
Lieutenant, an attendant who worked at the Grand Duke's residence, disappeared from him.
Morning came again at Illeston Mansion as if nothing had happened.
It was one day, seven years after the guidelines for Grand Duchess Florier were created.
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