100CIM - Chapter 50

“Do you want me to go out and talk? Uh, with Simone? Uh, that’s...”

Claire, who seemed to have made up her mind to be solemn, seemed to be scared again when she was told that she would have to meet Simone alone.

From Simone’s perspective, it was a very unfair situation.

'What did I do?'

What kind of rumor is going around in the mansion? What does Claire think of me?

Of course, she was planning on making her do hard labor, but she felt a little upset when she started to scare her when she told her to come out.

Because it's not very pleasant to be an object of fear or to be treated as a monster by someone.

Simone snorted and motioned to Claire.

“Come out, quickly.”

“Yes, yes!”

Fortunately, even though she was scared, she followed Simone along obediently.

As she took Claire out into the hallway, the cool breeze that came through the window passed by Simone.

Mmm - this refreshing air.

Jace had been with an animal corpse covered in blood for several years, so the stink had not completely subsided, so it was a bit difficult to bear.

As she was taking in the fresh air with both hands on her hips, Claire, who was standing behind her, hesitated and opened her mouth.

"Excuse me... Simone, I...What can I say...”

“Tell me briefly what it was like when you saw the portrait on the stairs.”

“Ah, then...”

Claire stopped shaking, thought about it, and after a while timidly spoke.

“Nothing... There wasn't... I just have to climb the stairs to get to work... So I went up the stairs and saw a portrait, so I quickly went down as written in the instructions...”

“Is that it?”

"Yes? Yes, yes. That's it... Really.”

“...”

Anna, who had been watching the two from a distance, looked at Simone with concern.

Even though she didn't know much, Claire's answer didn't seem like it would be of much help to Simone.

Simone was silent for a while, then smiled prettily at Claire, as if to reassure her.

“I can’t help it. Let's go."

“Yes, yes? Where... I have to take care of Master Jace!”

Claire seems to be as timid and kind as Anna but without any tact.

Simone asked with a tired look on her face.

“Where are the stairs? Where did you see it?”

“Uh, uh... It must have been the back stairs leading down to the second floor...”

“Back stairs?”

Anna quickly added an explanation.

“These are stairs that only people use! I usually use it when the owner is asleep or to move smelly things or cleaning tools.”

"I see. Let’s go then.”

“...Yes, yes? Let's go? Now? Are you going to look for a picture??”

Simone did not bother to reply to Claire's words and walked on.

“Hey Claire... Let’s just go.”

In the end, Anna, who was worse off, pushed Claire's back and followed Simone, who was ahead.

Claire's complexion turned pale again, but no one paid any attention to it.

The place where Simone dragged Claire was in front of the back stairs leading to the second floor.

Simone smiled and said to Claire, who was contemplating, even though it was a route she always took.

“We go up and down these stairs from now on until we get to the picture.”

“Uh, when you say us...”

“You, me, and Anna.”

Claire was startled and shook her head. 

Are I going to face that strange picture again? I absolutely hate it!

“I-I’m going to take care of Master Jace-”

“The Grand Duke gave permission. You have to climb the stairs today.”

...I said let's see this.

She says she will lift the curse on the place she lives in, but she just keeps avoiding words and thinking of running away?

Simone laughed and spoke firmly.

“I’m a bit sorry for forcing something on a child who doesn’t like it, but-”

“It’s not that I don’t like it...”

“But you still have to do it. Let's finish it as quickly as possible. Think carefully about what the situation was like back then. Be as specific as possible.”

There will be conditions for any curse to appear. The reverse ghost, which was a strange phenomenon brought in from outside, made its sounds and appeared to everyone without any special rules, but the curse of the mansion was not like that.

A guideline was created, and by following it, there was enough regularity that it was possible to avoid it.

Condition met → Curse activated.

Most of the guidelines were written to prevent conditions from being met without one's knowledge.

Although the portrait on the stairs only had instructions for avoiding it after encountering it rather than establishing a condition, that is only because the conditions for seeing the portrait are very routine and extensive, and there is always a condition for this to be activated as well.

Claire just kept thinking about what happened that day and didn't seem to open her mouth.

Simone asked.

“Did you see it alone that day? Or with someone?”

“I saw it alone! But it seemed like I heard someone talking somewhere else..”

“Do you usually climb these stairs alone often?”

This time, Anna answered Simone's question instead of Claire.

"No! We usually use it to lift heavy cleaning tools or throw away trash, so we often carry two or more of them together!”

The activation conditions may not really be that big of a deal.

‘Climb the stairs alone’ or something like that.

Then let's give it a try. Simone took a step forward.

“I’ll go up first.”

“... Yes?"

“Let’s go up one by one in turns. It would be difficult to keep climbing without stopping.”

If you repeat this three times and nothing happens, consider other conditions.

“Do I have to go up alone too?”

Simone started climbing the stairs, ignoring Claire's words.

Stairs leading from the 1st floor to the 2nd floor. The owner of the mansion has no use for it at all and the people who use it mainly use it to dispose of dirty things, so it is very dark and crude.

The height of the stairs was jagged, and there were sometimes high and narrow steps that would cause serious trouble if you fell.

'But there's a window.'

Maybe it's for ventilation purposes, but it's not that big, so it doesn't get a lot of sunlight.

Simone carefully climbed the stairs and looked around.

The wall surrounding the stairs. You mean the portrait is hanging on the wall, right?

The middle floor between the first and second floors, where Claire saw the portrait. Unfortunately, there were no portraits.

Simone pursed her lips and came down the stairs.

It would have been great if she was lucky enough to succeed at once, but unfortunately, it was a failure.

When Simone comes down the stairs, Anna jumps! Raising her hands up, she started walking.

“Simone! I’ll go this time!”

“Do you want to?”

She thinks Anna plans to do it first on behalf of Claire, who is scared.

“Thank you, Anna. If you see a portrait, don't come down, just shout loudly. If it’s not possible, it’s okay to hit the wall.”

"Yes!"

Anna is a very timid and fearful child, but this time she is very brave.

Anna hesitantly looked at the top of the stairs and slowly began to climb them.

Simone approached the scared Claire and tapped her on the back as if to relieve her tension.

“It’s just a picture. You said nothing happened after seeing the portrait.”

“Yeah, that’s true. Still, it's scary! A picture that looks ordinary is actually a ghost....”

If you're so scared, how are you doing in this mansion? Simone gave up and shook her head.

“If you’re that scared, think carefully about what you did back then.”

Claire tried hard to think about the events of that day, praying that the turn would not come back to her, but unfortunately, it was a very ordinary day until she saw the portrait, so she couldn't think of anything really special.

In the end, Claire had to go up the stairs in tears.

So the three people's first search of the stairs ended without much result.

“It’s quite difficult to forcefully summon a curse that hasn’t been activated.”

Simone looked up the stairs with a confused look on her face.

If you actually encounter it, it would be a really trivial curse to exorcise. Simone sighed and resumed her steps.

"Again. I’ll be back.”

"Yes! Have a safe trip!"

“Oh, I’ll think about it some more until you come. What did you do? Nothing happened, though.”

Simone nodded to the two people and went up the stairs. Stairs that are tall and difficult to climb.

She gives in a lot and says it's okay up to three times, but after that, she doesn't want to do it physically.

It seems like she's doing something quite ignorant.

'My body suffers because I don't want to move my head.'

Simone was sighing and slowly climbing the stairs.

“Are you really so annoyed that I’m dying?”

“She did that once or twice? You endure it...”

“What are you doing out of your mind and looking at me so proudly? Don’t interfere with the curse-removal process and just mop!”

Stand tall.

Simone stopped walking. Someone was having a conversation at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

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