“Collateral family?”
Simone tilted her head and looked at Count Chaylor.
He was a man whose attire was extremely extravagant, even compared to other nobles, or even the Emperor.
Unlike the Illeston family, who had been neglected for a long time, his appearance seemed to suggest that he enjoyed extravagant luxury.
"Hmm..."
The first impression is bad.
Simone thought quietly.
As Jace said, it's not that there was no significant contact, but she understands that during the 300 years that the Illestons were cursed, all contacts, direct or collateral, were cut off.
Simone saw in novels and with her own eyes that no one reached out to him.
During her stay at the Illestons' mansion, no one except those with a purpose expressed concern for them out of goodwill.
Betrayal by the most trusted vassals, and isolation.
This must have been the reason why not only the Grand Duke of Illestone, but also the servants of this mansion were wary and did not easily trust outsiders.
“Why did the collateral family come here?”
Why is the head of one of the families that has so coldly ignored the Illestons only visiting here now?
At Simone's question, Jace shook his head with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, Lady Simone. I don’t know for sure, but he said she came to visit because he had something to propose to my father. All they said was that Count Chaylor was coming..."
"Yes."
Jace said he didn't know, but Simone felt like she knew why Count Chaylor was visiting.
'I guess he came here to tell the Grand Duke to join the meeting.'
By now, the rumor that Grand Duke Illestone had been invited to the Emperor's banquet had probably spread throughout the nobles
'The rumor that all curses have been lifted has been spreading for a long time.'
Rumors began to spread from the village of Hertin that the curse on the Illeston family had been lifted, even though the tree monster that had been occupying the entrance to the mansion had disappeared.
With the curse that had plagued them for so long lifted, Grand Duke Illeston began rebuilding the village as if he had been waiting for it, and recently even received an invitation from the Emperor.
Knowing that communication with the Emperor has resumed, Count Chaylor must be trying to rub up against him at an opportune moment.
But that's something she can only do because she doesn't know Grand Duke Illeston very well.
The head of the Illeston family has endured through both evil and brute force. Despite having one shoulder that cannot move, he has mastered swordsmanship at a high level and carries a sword without even a scabbard to quickly kill monsters that may appear at any time. He is a character possessed by evil.
Would he enjoy such treacherous behavior?
To Simone, it seemed clear that the Grand Duke of Illeston was not welcoming of him.
There's no reason to invite the welcomer to this cursed mansion.
Simone stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go now. I need to dye my hair since we have guests.”
"Yes!"
Simone waved her hand in surprise as Jace got up.
“No, separately...”
Because he can't get a gift set of curses when she goes to dye her hair.
“The air is stuffy.”
Count Chaylor frowned faintly and took a deep breath.
The Grand Duke of Illeston's residence. It was his first time here, but it was as gloomy as the rumors said.
A large mansion, a rose garden that was carefully tended, and yet a strangely gloomy sight.
As if to show that it had been neglected by the empire for a long time, the sunlight did not shine through and it was shaded, and this mansion had a somewhat chilly feel to it.
A colorless mansion with no color except for beautifully blooming roses.
This was the first impression of the mansion that Count Chaylor had seen.
'The Grand Duke must be in a similar mood.'
Like this mansion.
“Count Chaylor?”
He must be a very dull and unglamorous person, like this old butler who leads the way ahead of others.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just taking a moment to admire the beauty of the mansion. Let’s go.”
The boredom in the face of Count Chaylor, who was saying things he didn't mean, grew even more evident.
Count Chaylor, is a young 27-year-old head of the household who loves parties and gatherings and adores glamour and beauty.
Even though he was in his late thirties, Grand Duke Illeston was considered young.
The reason why the younger head of the family, Count Chaylor, was able to become the head of the family at a young age was because of the previous head's accident.
Although he had not yet entered the military, he was forced to take over as head of the household because he was the eldest son.
'I didn't want to come because I was scared.'
Count Chaylor did not come here of his own accord. As the youngest head of a noble family in the eastern region, he was simply pushed here by the heads of the same collateral families.
There was only one goal: to invite the Grand Duke of Illeston back to the Eastern Region meeting.
Count Chaylor's sighs, which had been giving off the feeling of wanting to run away since a while ago, became even worse after entering the mansion.
"Ha..."
Actually, he's not interested in such boring gatherings.
In the end, he ended up coming in. In this mansion. Although the curse was gone, it was still here where the curse existed.
Why did he come here now when he didn't even care? He'll get cursed at and kicked out.
“What is it, Your Grace? Is there anything that is bothering you?”
“...No. Nothing.”
How many people would want to go to a ruin that was said to be haunted just because the ghosts have disappeared?
In fact, Count Chaylor was a man who was terribly afraid of ghosts, curses, and such things.
The old butler looked back and worriedly observed Count Chaylor's actions as he sighed repeatedly.
At that moment, he noticed those people beyond the Count and bowed his head respectfully.
“Young Master, and Lady Simone.”
"Master?"
Count Chaylor turned his gaze to follow his butler.
A silver-haired man and a light brown-haired woman were slowly approaching Count Chaylor while looking at him.
They looked like they were still students rather than young.
“Who are you? Oh, are you by any chance Young Master?”
In response to Count Chaylor's question, the silver-haired man smiled and held out his hand to him.
“Yes, sir. Nice to meet you, Count Chaylor. My name is Jace.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve heard a lot of stories.”
Count Chaylor took his hand. He looked quite frail. Prince Jace, was so sickly that he could not even attend school.
Count Chaylor nodded to him and then turned his gaze to the brown-haired woman.
“Then, is this the lady of the Prince”
"Yes?"
A light-hearted joke. When Jace looked at Simone in confusion, Simone frowned and said.
“I am someone hired by the Grand Duke, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. It suits you-”
“Your Grace.”
While Count Chaylor was making jokes that one would only hear at a social party, his old butler Kelle, who had been guiding him until then, interrupted.
"...What? How dare you interrupt a nobleman.”
Despite the unpleasant face of Count Chaylor, Kelle smiled with age and said what he wanted to say.
“Your Grace, she is my master’s guest. She is a noble person to us, so please refrain from using rude language.”
Oh, Simone let out a sigh. For some reason, Kelle was there to protect Simone.
In a way, it was natural. Simone was now a fully-fledged member of the manor, but Count Chaylor was a complete outsider.
Given the close bond between the people of Illeston Manor and its inner circle, it would be impossible for an outsider to mess with Simone, an insider.
“...Phew.”
Chaylor exhaled, trying to suppress his anger.
“I see. You are His Highness’s guest. I apologize for this. I have been rude. What is your name? The butler just said the lady’s name, but unfortunately, I did not hear it properly.”
Instead of answering Count Chaylor's question, Simone looked him over from top to bottom.
“Your attire is very flashy.”
"... Yes?"
Count Chaylor looked embarrassed for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and touched the hem of his clothes.
“Haha, I do care quite a bit. After all, a good impression comes from splendor and beauty. So, your name?”
Simone ignored him again and said:
“You seem to care a lot about your appearance, so it would be best not to look in mirrors in this mansion.”
“What... are you talking about?”
As expected, Simone nodded her head slightly in greeting without answering, then turned around and headed to her room.
There's no need to be kind to a rude person.
Count Chaylor's eyes darkened as he watched her back.
“...Who is that person? I’ve never seen Young Lady before.”
Then Kelle said, still smiling.
“This person has no connection to Your Grace. I will be leaving now.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now...!”
Jayce also quickly greeted Kelle and the Count in turns, then hurried to Simone.
“Really... there’s nothing I like.”
The grumbling of Count Chaylor was also heard by Kelle, who was guiding him.
But Kelle knew.
Even though he was rude, what Simone had just said to him was truly meant for his benefit.
Twenty-third, don't make eye contact with yourself in the mirror.
Simone tilted her head and looked at Count Chaylor.
He was a man whose attire was extremely extravagant, even compared to other nobles, or even the Emperor.
Unlike the Illeston family, who had been neglected for a long time, his appearance seemed to suggest that he enjoyed extravagant luxury.
"Hmm..."
The first impression is bad.
Simone thought quietly.
As Jace said, it's not that there was no significant contact, but she understands that during the 300 years that the Illestons were cursed, all contacts, direct or collateral, were cut off.
Simone saw in novels and with her own eyes that no one reached out to him.
During her stay at the Illestons' mansion, no one except those with a purpose expressed concern for them out of goodwill.
Betrayal by the most trusted vassals, and isolation.
This must have been the reason why not only the Grand Duke of Illestone, but also the servants of this mansion were wary and did not easily trust outsiders.
“Why did the collateral family come here?”
Why is the head of one of the families that has so coldly ignored the Illestons only visiting here now?
At Simone's question, Jace shook his head with a troubled expression.
“I’m sorry, Lady Simone. I don’t know for sure, but he said she came to visit because he had something to propose to my father. All they said was that Count Chaylor was coming..."
"Yes."
Jace said he didn't know, but Simone felt like she knew why Count Chaylor was visiting.
'I guess he came here to tell the Grand Duke to join the meeting.'
By now, the rumor that Grand Duke Illestone had been invited to the Emperor's banquet had probably spread throughout the nobles
'The rumor that all curses have been lifted has been spreading for a long time.'
Rumors began to spread from the village of Hertin that the curse on the Illeston family had been lifted, even though the tree monster that had been occupying the entrance to the mansion had disappeared.
With the curse that had plagued them for so long lifted, Grand Duke Illeston began rebuilding the village as if he had been waiting for it, and recently even received an invitation from the Emperor.
Knowing that communication with the Emperor has resumed, Count Chaylor must be trying to rub up against him at an opportune moment.
But that's something she can only do because she doesn't know Grand Duke Illeston very well.
The head of the Illeston family has endured through both evil and brute force. Despite having one shoulder that cannot move, he has mastered swordsmanship at a high level and carries a sword without even a scabbard to quickly kill monsters that may appear at any time. He is a character possessed by evil.
Would he enjoy such treacherous behavior?
To Simone, it seemed clear that the Grand Duke of Illeston was not welcoming of him.
There's no reason to invite the welcomer to this cursed mansion.
Simone stood up from her seat.
“Let’s go now. I need to dye my hair since we have guests.”
"Yes!"
Simone waved her hand in surprise as Jace got up.
“No, separately...”
Because he can't get a gift set of curses when she goes to dye her hair.
***
“The air is stuffy.”
Count Chaylor frowned faintly and took a deep breath.
The Grand Duke of Illeston's residence. It was his first time here, but it was as gloomy as the rumors said.
A large mansion, a rose garden that was carefully tended, and yet a strangely gloomy sight.
As if to show that it had been neglected by the empire for a long time, the sunlight did not shine through and it was shaded, and this mansion had a somewhat chilly feel to it.
A colorless mansion with no color except for beautifully blooming roses.
This was the first impression of the mansion that Count Chaylor had seen.
'The Grand Duke must be in a similar mood.'
Like this mansion.
“Count Chaylor?”
He must be a very dull and unglamorous person, like this old butler who leads the way ahead of others.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just taking a moment to admire the beauty of the mansion. Let’s go.”
The boredom in the face of Count Chaylor, who was saying things he didn't mean, grew even more evident.
Count Chaylor, is a young 27-year-old head of the household who loves parties and gatherings and adores glamour and beauty.
Even though he was in his late thirties, Grand Duke Illeston was considered young.
The reason why the younger head of the family, Count Chaylor, was able to become the head of the family at a young age was because of the previous head's accident.
Although he had not yet entered the military, he was forced to take over as head of the household because he was the eldest son.
'I didn't want to come because I was scared.'
Count Chaylor did not come here of his own accord. As the youngest head of a noble family in the eastern region, he was simply pushed here by the heads of the same collateral families.
There was only one goal: to invite the Grand Duke of Illeston back to the Eastern Region meeting.
Count Chaylor's sighs, which had been giving off the feeling of wanting to run away since a while ago, became even worse after entering the mansion.
"Ha..."
Actually, he's not interested in such boring gatherings.
In the end, he ended up coming in. In this mansion. Although the curse was gone, it was still here where the curse existed.
Why did he come here now when he didn't even care? He'll get cursed at and kicked out.
“What is it, Your Grace? Is there anything that is bothering you?”
“...No. Nothing.”
How many people would want to go to a ruin that was said to be haunted just because the ghosts have disappeared?
In fact, Count Chaylor was a man who was terribly afraid of ghosts, curses, and such things.
The old butler looked back and worriedly observed Count Chaylor's actions as he sighed repeatedly.
At that moment, he noticed those people beyond the Count and bowed his head respectfully.
“Young Master, and Lady Simone.”
"Master?"
Count Chaylor turned his gaze to follow his butler.
A silver-haired man and a light brown-haired woman were slowly approaching Count Chaylor while looking at him.
They looked like they were still students rather than young.
“Who are you? Oh, are you by any chance Young Master?”
In response to Count Chaylor's question, the silver-haired man smiled and held out his hand to him.
“Yes, sir. Nice to meet you, Count Chaylor. My name is Jace.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve heard a lot of stories.”
Count Chaylor took his hand. He looked quite frail. Prince Jace, was so sickly that he could not even attend school.
Count Chaylor nodded to him and then turned his gaze to the brown-haired woman.
“Then, is this the lady of the Prince”
"Yes?"
A light-hearted joke. When Jace looked at Simone in confusion, Simone frowned and said.
“I am someone hired by the Grand Duke, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I offended you. It suits you-”
“Your Grace.”
While Count Chaylor was making jokes that one would only hear at a social party, his old butler Kelle, who had been guiding him until then, interrupted.
"...What? How dare you interrupt a nobleman.”
Despite the unpleasant face of Count Chaylor, Kelle smiled with age and said what he wanted to say.
“Your Grace, she is my master’s guest. She is a noble person to us, so please refrain from using rude language.”
Oh, Simone let out a sigh. For some reason, Kelle was there to protect Simone.
In a way, it was natural. Simone was now a fully-fledged member of the manor, but Count Chaylor was a complete outsider.
Given the close bond between the people of Illeston Manor and its inner circle, it would be impossible for an outsider to mess with Simone, an insider.
“...Phew.”
Chaylor exhaled, trying to suppress his anger.
“I see. You are His Highness’s guest. I apologize for this. I have been rude. What is your name? The butler just said the lady’s name, but unfortunately, I did not hear it properly.”
Instead of answering Count Chaylor's question, Simone looked him over from top to bottom.
“Your attire is very flashy.”
"... Yes?"
Count Chaylor looked embarrassed for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and touched the hem of his clothes.
“Haha, I do care quite a bit. After all, a good impression comes from splendor and beauty. So, your name?”
Simone ignored him again and said:
“You seem to care a lot about your appearance, so it would be best not to look in mirrors in this mansion.”
“What... are you talking about?”
As expected, Simone nodded her head slightly in greeting without answering, then turned around and headed to her room.
There's no need to be kind to a rude person.
Count Chaylor's eyes darkened as he watched her back.
“...Who is that person? I’ve never seen Young Lady before.”
Then Kelle said, still smiling.
“This person has no connection to Your Grace. I will be leaving now.”
“Then I’ll take my leave now...!”
Jayce also quickly greeted Kelle and the Count in turns, then hurried to Simone.
“Really... there’s nothing I like.”
The grumbling of Count Chaylor was also heard by Kelle, who was guiding him.
But Kelle knew.
Even though he was rude, what Simone had just said to him was truly meant for his benefit.
Twenty-third, don't make eye contact with yourself in the mirror.
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