The back stairs are where the owner and employees of the mansion rarely go.
Is that why it has become the main place for employees to gossip behind their backs?
'Ohh.'
Simone listened to the conversation between the two men while looking around for the portrait.
They don't even know who came under them because they are swearing at someone.
'The Duke of Illeston? Florier? Me? Or Kelle?'
As expected, even in a mansion that seems so united, gossip still occurs.
It seems that things between people are the same everywhere.
“Oh, I found it.”
When Simone arrived at the middle floor from the first to the second floor, she saw a large portrait of a woman hanging on the wall.
The portrait was quietly rolling its eyes and staring at Simone.
Once activated, it doesn't seem too difficult to find.
“But I’m telling you, it seems like you secretly want to get involved in that?”
"Really? I told you not to be foolish and worry about things that are unbecoming of you!”
"Therefore. I'm so angry! It's been like that for a long time. It seems like I'm the only one who hates it? I thought I made some mistake, but it seems like he’s just acting hysterical for no reason.”
“What do ghosts do? Get that person! That person should have been captured and killed instead of Anna!”
Simone glanced up the stairs and then looked at the portrait again.
If you gossip behind someone else's back, instead of alleviating the resentment, it will get worse and even create hatred that didn't exist before.
Their conversation was becoming increasingly harsh.
'I don't want to hear it, so let's do it quickly.'
First of all, this portrait only moves its eyes following Simone, and it doesn't seem to be a very dangerous curse.
Simone took out the amulet and stuck it on the painting. Then, the portrait slowly disintegrated and disappeared without any resistance.
'It's simple.'
The moment she was about to come down the stairs, smiling faintly at the lifting of the curse that had gone as planned.
“Why do you ignore people like that? I’m having a hard time...”
“What should I do? Should I tell the chief? Ask him to put me in charge.”
“No matter who goes, it won’t last! How do you handle that temperament? Simone ignored me like that at first, but after being scolded so harshly, she couldn't even say anything. Honestly, how refreshing I felt!”
Simone's steps stopped.
'Me?'
Was the person they were talking about the person in her room?
Simone's expression hardened.
Simone naturally crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
Let’s listen to who is talking.
“Whoa.”
They continued speaking without even hearing Simone's deep sigh.
“So I’m going to try that.”
"That?... No way!"
“Yes, that’s right. The bottom line is the bottom line! Especially in a place like this!”
That? What is that?
What, is there something like a report on this mansion?
When someone very angry spoke solemnly, the other person sighed as if they were scared.
“...Is it okay though? It seems like it will definitely come true in this mansion... If something really goes wrong with Kaylee...”
Huh? Kaylee?
Simone stood up straight, startled by the unexpected name.
“I will do it anyway. I can't possibly work under that person! They have been monitoring me for years and scolding me, very! I will do it.”
If it's about Kaylee, the person talking there must be a servant in Simone's room. Huh? This is not good.
'Aren't you trying to do something strange?'
As soon as the thought crossed her mind that 'someone is trying to do something weird to Kaylee', Simone stomped her feet loudly.
Hit the button!
"OMG!"
“Ahh!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!!”
Two people were heard running up the stairs, startled by the sound of footsteps.
"oh my……."
Simone sighed and came down the stairs.
She made a noise, thinking that she should just end that conversation, but then she overheard some very disturbing stories about discord among the servants who looked after her.
When Simone came down the stairs, Anna and Claire approached her as if they had been waiting for her.
“Simone!”
“Simone...”
“Did you find the portrait? If it wasn’t there this time, I-”
Before Simone could hear the answer, she caught Anna trying to climb the stairs.
“It was there. I found it and got rid of it. It was easy.”
"Really? What a relief."
“Well, I don’t have to go up the stairs anymore? Hmm!”
Simone's words brought joy to both of their faces. Claire was especially pleased, even to the point of tears.
It seems she was truly afraid of encountering the portrait again.
Simone reassured Claire and sent her back to Jace's room.
On the way back to the room, Anna looked at Simone's serious expression and spoke to her with concern.
“Hey, Simone, did something happen while you were getting rid of the portrait earlier?”
Simone shook her head.
“No, nothing happened with the portrait. It was a masterpiece. It would be a waste to send it as a curse to whoever drew it.”
“Huh? Oh, ah... I see. It must have been a good painting. It could have been an actual painting that was cursed.”
The conversation between the two stopped. Anna looked at Simone's expression again. She had a very disapproving expression.
“After all, isn’t something going on? Is this something I can’t help?”
Simone stopped walking and smiled at Anna. Anna is a really kind and good friend.
“Then shall we talk in the garden for a while?”
Originally, Simone was going to ask Kaylee directly what was going on with the employees.
But if she thinks about it, there's no way she'll just answer that something's going on, so it might be a good idea to ask Anna first.
Anna sat across from Simone and watched the birds fluttering excitedly among the water streams of the fountain.
A peaceful and quiet garden. It was the most beautiful part of the mansion.
"Anna."
Simone, who was staring blankly at the stream of water with Anna in front of her, called out to Anna in a low voice.
"Yes?"
“Is something happening in my room?”
“...Yes?"
Anna tilted her head as if she didn't understand. Simone asked again to make it easier for her to understand.
“Do you not get along very well with Kaylee and the other employees?”
Anna flinched, then smiled awkwardly and avoided Simone's gaze.
"That is...”
“It’s okay, so tell me honestly.”
Anna fretted and desperately delayed her answer, but when Simone waited silently for a long time for an answer, she reluctantly nodded.
“Yes, actually... It's not my place to tell Simone because it's a matter between employees...”
"Come on."
Here, it seems like it's taken for granted that employees' work is resolved among employees.
As Simone nodded, Anna looked at the people around her and spoke.
"That is... I guess... Because Kaylee gives us a lot of instructions, we become increasingly dissatisfied...”
Anna spoke as vaguely as possible, but Simone understood her words right away.
Among the employees, Kaylee is a middle manager who connects the chamberlain with the general employees.
Simone already knows from experience how sharp and irritating Kaylee's speech is, and unlike Simone, the servants have to follow her without saying a word, so she must have been very stressed out.
"I see."
So, they was talking behind her back on the back stairs when she wasn't coming.
“But why are you asking that...??”
Anna asked cautiously. It was a very cautious story and not something that Simone would know, so I wondered why she was asking about it.
“I heard the workers talking about Kaylee on the back stairs earlier.”
Anna's eyes widened in an instant.
“What about Kaylee?”
"Yes. It was about how they couldn’t tolerate Kaylee’s tyranny.”
"I see. You were worried because Simone is a caring person.”
Detailed? Where is the detailed part?
Simone pretended not to hear Anna and asked.
“I heard something while eavesdropping on a conversation. What was that?”
“...That?”
“I don’t know who it was, but was it the person who cursed Kaylee? I’m going to do ‘that’ for Kaylee.”
In any case, she's not saying she's going to do anything good for Kaylee.
But Anna shook her head as if she had no idea.
“I’m sorry, Simone. I don’t know that much. I don’t know who said that, but they probably didn’t tell me.”
Anna said with a very sorry expression.
“I haven’t been here for long either... so I haven’t had many opportunities to talk to my sisters.”
"Yes...”
Come to think of it, Anna was such a newcomer that when Simone first came to live in the mansion, she was pushed by the servants to take care of her.
Relationships with other employees may not have been formed to a large extent yet.
'I'll have to ask Kaylee about this first.'
Simone got up from her chair and continued walking back to her room.
Fortieth, do not curse others.
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