"Yes, Master."
Immediately after the negotiations between Duke Illeston and Simone ended, Illestone handed over Simone to Kelle.
"And you."
The Grand Duke's cool gaze fell on Simone.
"Come to me as soon as you finish eating."
He said with a frown, wondering why he was so dissatisfied and left the study.
"..."
Wow. I'm scared.
Only then did Simone breathe a sigh of relief.
Although she acted confidently, it was not easy for even her to deal with the Grand Duke who was a villain and even had a dirty look.
They have been isolated for a long time and are extremely wary of outsiders. A person who has the power to kill Simone if she is truly wrong.
Every time his eyes landed on her, she felt like she couldn't breathe.
'Still, he wasn't as ferocious as she thought.'
From the looks of it, the employees were not afraid of him, and although it was an unusual case, the Grand Duke quite calmly listened to what Simone had to say about trespassing.
He didn't point a sword at his waist or take harsh action against an unknown child because she was being arrogant.
To be honest, although he was scary, he was a pretty nice guy.
'Did he really carry out the kidnapping for the sake of his family, rather than making an excuse to beg for Abel's life?"
Well, if it had been an excuse, Abel would have noticed and killed him.
"What are you doing? Don't stay still and follow me."
The butler shouted sharply at her as she stood there in a daze and grabbed her wrist.
Compared to his tone of voice, even the hand holding his wrist was not harsh, so Simone followed him to the restaurant without saying anything.
After finishing her meal, Simone washed her body and headed to the reception room where Grand Duke Illeston was waiting.
"Come in."
The voice is still cold and hard. When Simone entered the study, the Grand Duke came over with his eyes full of suspicion and sat down on the sofa opposite her.
"The clothes."
"Clothes I brought from where I lived."
It was the director's clothes stolen from the orphanage, so they were too big for Simone to wear.
"Right."
"Yes."
And silence followed.
"..."
'What is it? If you have something to say, say it.'
Looking at your eyes, it looks like you have a lot to say?
Simone was very frustrated but did not dare to say it out loud and waited.
Now that the purpose of coming here had been achieved, she did not want to offend Grand Duke Illeston anymore.
And after a while, Grand Duke Illeston opened his mouth.
"You are a necromancer."
The unbearably bad smell changed into a fragrant scent, and the face which was now a mess of hair that had not been washed was fully revealed.
He could see her hair and eye color. Grand Duke Illeston was finally able to figure out Simone's identity.
"There was a reason why you promised to lift the curse."
Blood-red eyes, black hair the color of death.
She was definitely a necromancer who had disappeared from this world.
Simone quietly but confidently smiled at Grand Duke Illeston's words. Even though she knew that in the Ruan Empire, a necromancer would be put to death immediately, she seemed to have no intention of hiding her identity."
It seemed like she knew about the secrets of the Illeston family.
Simone said.
"Is there anyone in this world who can break this family's curse better than me?"
"Ha!"
She is also someone who knows the secrets of this family.
Grand Duke Illeston burst out laughing as he looked at Simone talking about everything with observational eyes. And he answered.
"Nothing."
One of the doubts about how Simone was able to cut down the tree and come here, and how she was going to break the curse, was resolved.
If she were a true necromancer, Simone would be someone who would be helpful to this mansion.
Grand Duke Illeston's eyes softened slightly.
"What about your family?"
"No."
Probably not.
Simone was already an orphan, so even if her parents were alive, they would already have nothing to do with her.
Grand Duke Illeston nodded without much interest and held out a thick book.
"Originally, I was planning to question you a little more, but if you are a true necromancer, I don't think there's any need for further discussion."
Simone's eyes glanced at the book and then turned to Grand Duke Illeston.
With a look in his eyes that seemed to ask what this was, Grand Duke Illeston returned the silent question with a silent answer.
"Read."
With a gesture that seemed to say so, Simone pulled the book towards her.
It was a very thick, large, and old book that was difficult to hold with one hand.
"This?"
"It is a guideline passed down through generations in our family. It is a guide that not only the family members but also the employees working at the mansion must read if they want to stay here."
This is a book that has never been described in a novel. This is natural since the description of a one-time villain family in a novel cannot be specific. Grand Duke Illeston lifted his eyelids and looked at Simone.
His dark eyes were demanding a response from Simone.
Therefore, Simone instinctively realized that this book was deeply related to the mansion's curse.
Simone opened the instructions wordlessly. And the moment she read the first sentence, her body froze without realizing it.
First, entering through the main gate of the mansion is prohibited. Do not approach too close and use the back road when going out. If you do not follow them, your life is not guaranteed.
A secret guidebook exclusive to the Illeston family.
This was a list of curses that had been written down one by one over the course of 300 years so that the people and users of the mansion could avoid the curse even as little as possible.
No matter how many times she flipped through it, it was full of dense writing.
There were more curses than she thought.
"I heard there are levels of necromancers, right?"
While Simone was flipping through the book with a stern expression, Grand Duke Illeston raised his eyebrows.
"I think we need to check if you can lift these many curses. It would be possible if you were a real necromancer, right?"
Prove that you are a true necromancer by solving the curse in the book.
It was a test for Grand Duke Illeston to complete the contract
"Let's start with the very first thing."
Simone's eyes turned to the book again.
First.
Although it prohibits entry into the mansion entrance, it no doubt means to be careful of the red tree.
The first thing he said was to destroy the tree that had been blocking the Illeston family for 300 years.
"I told you, right? If you don't do it, you die."
"I know."
Simone answered without hesitation, put down the book, and smiled, just like Grand Duke Illeston.
He knew that the Grand Duke would test her.
Rather, Simone was relieved.
The red tree, which would have been the most troublesome thing from the Grand DukeGrand Duke's point of view, was the easiest thing from Simone's point of view.
If you can gain the trust of Grand Duke Illeston with just this, isn't it a pretty good test?
"Then, Grand Duke, I have a favor to ask you to remove the tree at the entrance."
"Say it."
"First, the curse will be lifted in a week. Second, everyone in the mansion, including the Grand Duke, must go to bed early from tonight until I say so."
"Why is that?"
The explanation is annoying, so she pretends not to hear it...
"Thirdly, in a week, we need someone skilled who has no ties to the Illeston family. A person who is good at using a sword."
"...Why does he have to be an outsider?"
Grand Duke Illeston's eyes began to become wary again.
As it was a place where outsiders were prohibited from visiting for a long time, he was very reluctant to let anyone who was not from the Illeston family into the mansion. Not only was it a problem for the family's secrets to be leaked, but it also meant that visiting outsiders could become dangerous. Simone understood his boundaries.
"It takes a skilled person to cut down a tree. Of course, I can cut down a tree by myself, but this is a curse that cannot be solved by just one person."
"Then there is no need to call an outsider. If you need someone skilled with a sword, I'll do it.'
"Right."
Simone's gaze went down to Grand Duke Illeston's waist.
He was always on guard against curses, so he wore a sword in his mansion and was said to be a man of considerable skill.
But no matter how talented Grand Duke Illeston is, he cannot do it.
Simone shook her head resolutely.
"No, Grand Duke. No, not everyone from the Illeston family."
The Grand Duke frowned.
"Why?"
"Because this curse is a curse placed on Illeston Mansion."
Simone smiled as if to comfort him.
"The Grand Duke, you should go to bed early starting tonight."
The people of Illeston Mansion are subject to a curse.
Those subject to the curse must not see the true nature of that dark red tree.
"The red tree moves secretly when all those subject to the curse are asleep."
"To move... You said?"
"Yes, and those who stay awake when the tree moves are eaten."
"That's ridiculous-"
"Grand Duke, don't you think it's a little strange?"
Simone interrupted the Grand Duke and asked. Her red eyes sank a little deeper.
"The tree was discovered by the ancestral family 300 years ago. And no one approached it after that."
Grand Duke Illeston listened to Simone's words with the back of his hand resting on his temple.
It seemed like he still had no idea what Simone was trying to say.
Simone said.
"But why are the trees still alive?"
300 years have passed without any nutrients.
"How can it still be sprouting leaves so vividly?"
Since it was completely separated from people, it would not have been able to catch or eat anything. Grand Duke Illestone paused, then opened his eyes wide and muttered.
"It's even getting darker and redder."
His eyes wavered.
How is that possible? Because it's a ghost born from a curse?
Even so, does it make sense for a plant to survive without nutrients for 300 years in a place like this where there is not much sunlight?
Simone nodded.
It seemed that Grand Duke Illeston had finally understood what was going on.
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