It was a morning no different from any other.
“Simone, did you sleep well?”
A morning when no one wakes her up. When Simone wanted to wake up to the warm sunlight, she opened her eyes as she pleased.
“Uh... Woke up. Good morning."
A quiet and peaceful morning that she couldn't have imagined when she was living as Seo Hyeon-jeong. She slowly got off the bed, answering Anna's friendly greeting in a subdued voice.
When she woke up, a sumptuous feast was prepared for her, and after finishing her meal, warm and fragrant bath water was prepared, after she finished her bath, a beautiful garden was waiting for her.
This luxurious life is her life.
These are all things that were achieved through hard work.
Simone was very satisfied and headed to the table.
Now, there is already a splendid feast laid out on the table...!
“...”
A feast of blessings.
Why is there no feast?
“...What? Why isn’t it there?”
When Simone stopped in bewilderment, Anna fidgeted and lowered her head as if she knew this would happen as well.
“I’m sorry, Simone! Didn’t you like your breakfast this morning? Ugh! I’m so sorry!”
"...Uh?"
Anna, why is she crying again? She has an earnest look in her eyes as if she has something to say.
“Well...There are circumstances here..."
While Anna cried, almost complaining, Simone looked around the table.
No. She wasn't surprised because the meal was so bad. Of course, it wasn't the usual sumptuous meal, but there were light side dishes and steak on the table.
This was also a fairly luxurious menu for breakfast, but at the same time, it felt strange.
“Why steak in the morning?”
The chef of this mansion always serves stew for breakfast.
They avoided meat as much as possible and prepared a variety of light stews, salads, and breads until the table was full.
Of course, the steak served today is a bit heavy for breakfast, but it still looks delicious and she can eat it with satisfaction. Isn’t it a steak? However, it was not a breakfast worthy of being prepared by the chef of this mansion.
“Has the chef changed to someone else today?”
Simone sat on the chair, pretending not to notice Anna's crying. Anna shook her head and said.
“He hasn’t changed... No, it has changed...”
“...What does that mean?”
What do you mean by saying it has changed but it hasn't changed?
Simone looked at the hesitant Anna for a long time and eventually put down her fork and knife.
The fact that Anna is crying like this and looking at herself with pitiful eyes means that something has happened.
“What’s going on?”
It's really sad to lose your appetite when there's delicious meat right in front of you.
Anna hesitated and then finally opened her mouth.
“Simone, that’s... Something is strange today!”
"Uh?"
Anna rolled her eyes, signaling her to look around.
Simone looked around.
Uh? Come to think of it.
The room is quiet.
Other than Anna, there are no other employees in sight.
“Ugh...”
Anna, who had been sobbing, now began to sob.
“What about the other employees?”
“I don’t know either... I woke up like usual and went to the meeting, but there were no people there...”
“Did you hear anything about yesterday?”
Anna shook her head.
“Because the chef wasn’t here... The remaining employees made the food using the ingredients they had.”
Simone looked at the well-prepared food on the table. She wondered why there was steak so early in the morning, but it seemed that Anna and a few servants, not the chef, had hastily prepared it.
It's definitely a strange situation.
From the chef to the staff who looked after Simone and her room, they all disappeared without a message.
'Is this the beginning of another curse?'
“Simone, I’m so sorry to say this to you so early in the morning. I just feel strange...”
"No. It's natural to say that. I’m here to solve this strange problem.”
“Well, first of all! Eat first! You may not have an appetite because I’m saying this, but...”
Simone picked up her fork and knife again.
She definitely lost her appetite because she thought something had started again, but she still had to eat.
“Then what about the servants in the other rooms?”
“It’s the same there... There are a few servants left, but they are few, and I apologize to Lady Simone, but I think I’ll have to be away a lot today.”
“Okay, I get it. You have to take care of other things too, right?”
"Yes..."
If you have to prepare meals without even leaving the mansion, there must be a serious shortage of workers in the mansion.
After receiving Simone's permission, Anna left the room with an extremely apologetic look on her face.
An empty room. A room with no one in it except Simone.
What on earth happened?
She had read the instructions several times during the last Ghost incident, but there was no instruction regarding the phenomenon of all employees disappearing.
'Let's investigate the inside of the mansion first.'
Where did all the people who disappeared go, and what is different about the servants who remained?
Was there any premonition phenomenon?
She will have to check that first.
***
Simone finished her meal and left the room to go to Grand Duke Illeston's study.
On the way to the study. There were always servants walking around, and the sound of laughter could be heard from the garden outside the window.
But now it was quiet with no one around.
Most of the people who passed by Simone had truly disappeared.
'It seems serious.'
It was clearly different from the curse that was usually cast on a small number of people.
As the lively people disappeared, this place finally became a space worthy of the name Cursed Mansion.
Simone arrived at the study and knocked on the door.
Knock knock
"Come in."
Anna or the housekeeper Kelle would always open the door for her, but today Simone opened the door herself and went inside.
“...You’re here.”
Grand Duke Illeston's expression as he greeted Simone was also not very good.
Simone looked around in silence.
Kelle, who always looked at her with a disapproving expression, was not by Duke Illeston's side today.
He too seemed to have disappeared.
Grand Duke Illeston said as soon as she sat down on the sofa.
“The servants who were in charge of me have disappeared. Kelle too.”
“Are they all gone?”
Grand Duke Illeston shook his head.
“A very young servant woke me up. The meal was also different than usual.”
“Anna, according to the person who lived in my room, most of the people, including the chef, did not participate in the morning meeting.”
“Hmm...”
The Grand Duke of Illeston let out a sigh.
The manual doesn't say anything about this anywhere.
“This time too, there is a possibility that it is not the curse written in the instructions. It’s either a new curse or a strange phenomenon brought in from outside like last time.”
"Ha..."
Simone wonders why this headache keeps happening.
At first, she thought she just had to solve the curse in the manual.
Even if she looks at the instructions, things that she doesn't know about keep coming up.
... Is this really a strange phenomenon in the first place?
“...A group strike or something.”
"What?"
"No."
Isn't it a pretty plausible theory that they ran away as a group from this cursed mansion to commemorate the lifting of the curse on the red tree at the main gate?
Actually, sh know that's not possible.
The people who used this mansion seemed to have a lot of affection and loyalty, even though they came in as if they were forced to work there.
She just wanted to deny this incomprehensible strange phenomenon in some way.
When the Duke of Illestone looked at Simone with a questioning look, she quickly changed the subject.
“Then, is Prince Jayce okay? Without servants, there would be no one to take care of him.”
“Fortunately, the healer did not disappear.”
“Is it because he's an outsider?”
"Well..."
Duke Illeston hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, saying he didn't know.
“Anyway, right now, Florier and one of the servants who didn’t disappear are taking care of Jace.”
“Are you the servant of Young Master room?”
“Yes. Her name is Claire.”
Ah. Her.
Simone remembered how she had been scared, sobbing, and making it clear that she didn't want to do it the last time Simone had asked for help to break the curse on the portrait on the stairs.
She's probably still trembling, not knowing when she might disappear.
"Anyway."
Grand Duke Illeston broke off the conversation and looked at Simone.
“Let’s find out separately whether they quit their jobs and ran away.”
“...Really?"
“You need to find out if this is a curse or a strange entity from outside. I don’t want to drag this situation out for too long.”
When Simone nodded, Grand Duke Illeston picked up the quill that he had put down for a moment.
“Kelle and the servants have disappeared, so I can’t contact the Adventurer’s Guild. If you need that inspector’s help, I’ll do it myself-”
“No, it’s okay.”
Simone got up with a sly smile.
“Wren is an employee who comes even if you don’t tell him to.”
He'll probably come soon even if she doesn't call him.
“Then I’ll come back when I have something to report.”
“...Be careful.”
Simone took one last look around the quiet and desolate study before heading to her room.
Anna or the housekeeper Kelle would always open the door for her, but today Simone opened the door herself and went inside.
“...You’re here.”
Grand Duke Illeston's expression as he greeted Simone was also not very good.
Simone looked around in silence.
Kelle, who always looked at her with a disapproving expression, was not by Duke Illeston's side today.
He too seemed to have disappeared.
Grand Duke Illeston said as soon as she sat down on the sofa.
“The servants who were in charge of me have disappeared. Kelle too.”
“Are they all gone?”
Grand Duke Illeston shook his head.
“A very young servant woke me up. The meal was also different than usual.”
“Anna, according to the person who lived in my room, most of the people, including the chef, did not participate in the morning meeting.”
“Hmm...”
The Grand Duke of Illeston let out a sigh.
The manual doesn't say anything about this anywhere.
“This time too, there is a possibility that it is not the curse written in the instructions. It’s either a new curse or a strange phenomenon brought in from outside like last time.”
"Ha..."
Simone wonders why this headache keeps happening.
At first, she thought she just had to solve the curse in the manual.
Even if she looks at the instructions, things that she doesn't know about keep coming up.
... Is this really a strange phenomenon in the first place?
“...A group strike or something.”
"What?"
"No."
Isn't it a pretty plausible theory that they ran away as a group from this cursed mansion to commemorate the lifting of the curse on the red tree at the main gate?
Actually, sh know that's not possible.
The people who used this mansion seemed to have a lot of affection and loyalty, even though they came in as if they were forced to work there.
She just wanted to deny this incomprehensible strange phenomenon in some way.
When the Duke of Illestone looked at Simone with a questioning look, she quickly changed the subject.
“Then, is Prince Jayce okay? Without servants, there would be no one to take care of him.”
“Fortunately, the healer did not disappear.”
“Is it because he's an outsider?”
"Well..."
Duke Illeston hesitated for a moment and then shook his head, saying he didn't know.
“Anyway, right now, Florier and one of the servants who didn’t disappear are taking care of Jace.”
“Are you the servant of Young Master room?”
“Yes. Her name is Claire.”
Ah. Her.
Simone remembered how she had been scared, sobbing, and making it clear that she didn't want to do it the last time Simone had asked for help to break the curse on the portrait on the stairs.
She's probably still trembling, not knowing when she might disappear.
"Anyway."
Grand Duke Illeston broke off the conversation and looked at Simone.
“Let’s find out separately whether they quit their jobs and ran away.”
“...Really?"
“You need to find out if this is a curse or a strange entity from outside. I don’t want to drag this situation out for too long.”
When Simone nodded, Grand Duke Illeston picked up the quill that he had put down for a moment.
“Kelle and the servants have disappeared, so I can’t contact the Adventurer’s Guild. If you need that inspector’s help, I’ll do it myself-”
“No, it’s okay.”
Simone got up with a sly smile.
“Wren is an employee who comes even if you don’t tell him to.”
He'll probably come soon even if she doesn't call him.
“Then I’ll come back when I have something to report.”
“...Be careful.”
Simone took one last look around the quiet and desolate study before heading to her room.
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