All the lights have gone out, and the sun has not yet risen.
The chef's steps as he walked through the dark underground hallway became faster and faster.
“Huh... Huh... ”
The chef, who was almost running down the hallway, looked increasingly worse.
He heard a sound.
It was a sight he saw all the time, so the darkness and silence were familiar. But this sound, a dull sound comes from somewhere through the silence.
Thump, thump, thump-
That showed up today too.
Recently, that sound was said to disturb employees' sleep every day.
The first thing he heard.
In fact, he's been listening to it every day since he first heard it.
As a result, the initial fear has now disappeared, and every time he hears the sound, he feels like it is annoying.
But now, he began to feel the fear that had subsided again.
The difference between yesterday and today was that back then he was able to hold his breath in the safety of the galley, and now he was standing in the same space as the source of that sound.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
It was slowly, slowly coming towards him.
The chef quickened his pace to get even a little further away from the sound.
Tap-tap! Crack! Bang!
The chef didn't realize that the more he hurried, the louder his footsteps became.
At that time...
Thump, thump, thump... Thump thump thump thump thump-
The dull sound that had been heard at regular intervals gradually began to match the sound of the chef's footsteps, or rather, faster than the chef's footsteps.
“Huh...”
Only then did the chef find out. Something was definitely coming towards him.
And it will soon catch up with him.
“Huh... Oh, no."
If it catches up with him, he will definitely die.
Like Anna, who almost died after her fingernails were eaten by a rat. Of course, Anna lived, but that was because Simone cared especially for Anna and did not give up.
If he hasn't even spoken to Simone a few times, he will die without even knowing.
The chef started running like crazy, determined not to be caught.
But unfortunately, the chef was quickly caught up by the being of sound.
Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump-
To make matters worse, his impatient foot got tangled and he ended up falling over.
“Huh... Ugh...”
The chef crawled and crawled without even feeling the pain in his legs.
He didn't want to be caught and killed here like this.
But right behind him struggling desperately.
Heeheehee! Hehehehe!
Found
A creepy sound was heard.
His movements suddenly stopped.
It was a woman's voice that he heard every night.
“Ooh, uh!!! Save, save... Huh!”
He turned around to beg for his life but then froze.
He couldn't get any words out.
There was no face where there should have been a face.
Instead of a face, her pale, swollen feet stood stiffly.
The chef's gaze naturally turned downward.
“...Ugh!”
There wasn't even a scream.
Thump, thump, thump, thump-
Hehehehehehehe-
Her pale blue face was covered in blood and she was standing upside down, smiling from ear to ear.
She seemed so excited that she pounded her head repeatedly, and every time her head hit the floor, blood, flesh, and an unknown liquid flowed out.
It was a strange and disgusting thing that could not be explained or defined.
The woman came forward, banging her head upside down, standing at attention as if her body had stiffened, then made eye contact with the terrified chef and stopped tall.
Then she wiped her smile and looked at the chef.
Uh?
Nope
Then he passed by the chef and disappeared to the end of the hallway.
“...What?”
The chef was relieved that it had passed, but he sat down for a while and couldn't move.
He didn't understand anything, what on earth had happened to him, or why that ghost had passed him by and disappeared.
Nothing much happened for a few days after that.
As usual, the woman standing upside down was walking around the hallway, pounding, but as long as he was holding his breath in the kitchen, nothing happened like that day.
But even so, the chef could not sleep easily.
When he lay down to sleep, the smiling face of the woman he saw that day kept coming to mind, and he thought of her running around excitedly, splashing blood everywhere, so he ended up waking up with open eyes and going to work.
This was why the chef's complexion became paler day by day.
***
"...I brought this up for no reason. That face came to mind again!”
Simone said as she looked at the chef who was in pain and was pulling out his hair.
“She looked at the chef and said ‘No’?”
“Yeah? yes... I may have misheard because I was so scared, but that’s what I said.”
“Then that means there’s someone else she's looking for.”
Louis came up with an inference. Simone nodded her head.
“If everyone in the mansion hears the sound and there are no victims yet, it means that the ghost is only targeting the person it is looking for.”
Whether or not the ghost has a purpose will be confirmed when Simone meets her in person tonight.
And one more thing. After listening to the chef, she became convinced.
“That ghost is not a curse that came from the mansion.”
"Yes? Then...”
“Do you know anything?”
Simone nodded to Louis' question.
A bloody female ghost standing upside down.
It matched the appearance of the female ghost that Simone had seen when she went down to the village.
The ghost probably followed Simone.
"Ha...”
Simone washed her face dry.
Why did she look at that? Isn’t there a saying like that?
If you see a ghost, pretend not to see it. Never make eye contact and ignore even when spoken to.
She never thought she would find out the reason directly.
“Why are you doing this? If you know anything, please tell me.”
“Let’s go to my room first. I don’t think it’s a story to be told here.”
Simone gestured to Louis. If she says in front of the employees that she brought in a ghost from outside, it may come to the ears of Grand Duke Ileston and cause some trouble.
Louis obediently followed Simone, and Simone headed to the room prepared by the servants.
"Hmm."
...Are you arguing now?
The moment she saw the location of the prepared room, Simone's eyebrows furrowed reflexively.
“Hey, that’s...”
Anna fidgeted and looked at Simone.
At first glance, Simone looked clearly offended, so even Louis couldn't say anything and just looked at Anna and the neatly organized room in turn.
Simone asked calmly.
“Who on earth chose this room as mine?”
Then Anna was overly surprised and struggled.
"That! Uh, well, Simone, that’s...”
She never thought she would find out the reason directly.
“Why are you doing this? If you know anything, please tell me.”
“Let’s go to my room first. I don’t think it’s a story to be told here.”
Simone gestured to Louis. If she says in front of the employees that she brought in a ghost from outside, it may come to the ears of Grand Duke Ileston and cause some trouble.
Louis obediently followed Simone, and Simone headed to the room prepared by the servants.
***
"Hmm."
...Are you arguing now?
The moment she saw the location of the prepared room, Simone's eyebrows furrowed reflexively.
“Hey, that’s...”
Anna fidgeted and looked at Simone.
At first glance, Simone looked clearly offended, so even Louis couldn't say anything and just looked at Anna and the neatly organized room in turn.
Simone asked calmly.
“Who on earth chose this room as mine?”
Then Anna was overly surprised and struggled.
"That! Uh, well, Simone, that’s...”
Looking at Anna, who looked like she was going to cry if she was touched, Louis shook his head quietly.
Since she couldn't speak, it seemed like it was Anna herself who decided that this room was Simone's.
Louis sighed and signaled to Anna, who looked like she was about to suffocate, that she didn't have to say anything.
“I guess this was the only empty room. It doesn’t matter where.”
The room that Anna prepared as Simone's room was the room at the end of the basement.
It was an old room that had recently been cleaned up, that is, the room where the black sorcerer had stayed seven years ago.
Anna knew that Simone would find this place quite uncomfortable, but there was nothing she could do. Because this was the only room left.
Anna spoke with a still thoughtful expression on her face.
“Simone, if you don’t like your room, you can try renting another room...”
“Should I?”
“...”
Ah, so this was the room Anna chose.
Simone, who was about to complain honestly, kept her mouth shut.
"No. There’s no need for Anna to go through any trouble.”
“I’m sorry, Simone... This was the only room left in the basement... It’s narrow, there’s work, and you’re uncomfortable, right?”
Anna was really afraid of Simone getting angry, so she couldn't bring herself to admit that she had done it, but it was evident in her face and actions. She's probably the type of person who won't do anything bad no matter where she goes.
'It's a mistake.'
At times, Anna seemed to be afraid of Simone as a necromancer, and she even got angry at that.
“Hmm!”
Simone cleared her throat and entered the room and hurriedly spoke.
“It’s clean and nice. This is enough for a one-day stay.”
If she thinks about it, it might be nice because it's a small room in the corner, so she doesn't have to worry about someone hearing the conversation in the room.
"Sorry... But Simone, since the room is so small, is it okay if I prepare the meal in the original room?”
"Then! Please. Then will you please leave your seat until mealtime?”
Anna was pleased with Simone's invitation to welcome guests. He seemed relieved to be able to leave the room without being scolded.
“Then I’ll be back around dinner time! Simone, please call me whenever you need it!”
"Thank you."
Anna left the room and Louis came inside and closed the door.
Because the room was so small, Simone was stuck on the bed and Louis was stuck against the door.
“I think the ghost that the chef said he saw came after me when I went out to town.”
Simone briefly explained the situation to Louis.
“Wren, go into town and get information about ‘someone’.”
Simone instructed him.
“...”
Ah, so this was the room Anna chose.
Simone, who was about to complain honestly, kept her mouth shut.
"No. There’s no need for Anna to go through any trouble.”
“I’m sorry, Simone... This was the only room left in the basement... It’s narrow, there’s work, and you’re uncomfortable, right?”
Anna was really afraid of Simone getting angry, so she couldn't bring herself to admit that she had done it, but it was evident in her face and actions. She's probably the type of person who won't do anything bad no matter where she goes.
'It's a mistake.'
At times, Anna seemed to be afraid of Simone as a necromancer, and she even got angry at that.
“Hmm!”
Simone cleared her throat and entered the room and hurriedly spoke.
“It’s clean and nice. This is enough for a one-day stay.”
If she thinks about it, it might be nice because it's a small room in the corner, so she doesn't have to worry about someone hearing the conversation in the room.
"Sorry... But Simone, since the room is so small, is it okay if I prepare the meal in the original room?”
"Then! Please. Then will you please leave your seat until mealtime?”
Anna was pleased with Simone's invitation to welcome guests. He seemed relieved to be able to leave the room without being scolded.
“Then I’ll be back around dinner time! Simone, please call me whenever you need it!”
"Thank you."
Anna left the room and Louis came inside and closed the door.
Because the room was so small, Simone was stuck on the bed and Louis was stuck against the door.
“I think the ghost that the chef said he saw came after me when I went out to town.”
Simone briefly explained the situation to Louis.
“Wren, go into town and get information about ‘someone’.”
Simone instructed him.
Thanks for the chapters!😄
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