After finishing her meal, Simone headed to the study.
“...You’re here.”
“Sorry, I'm late.”
Simone bowed her head slightly and apologized.
Actually, she didn't feel guilty about being late, but looking at the situation in the study, she felt like she should apologize.
So instead of greeting, Simone came into the study apologizing.
‘Why are you all gathered so early...’
The Grand Duke of Ileston, Jace, Kaylee, Jane, Anna, and even Crown Prince Louis, who had come for some unknown reason, were all looking at Simone expressionlessly.
These many people had gathered solely at Simone's request and were waiting for her.
'But why did that person really come?'
Simone sat down on the sofa and stared at Louis, who was naturally sitting among the people.
Then Louis said affectionately with his usual sly smile.
“It’s been a while, Simone.”
“Yes, it’s been a while. What brings you here?”
Louis had thought that Simone, given her personality, would not care about his presence and would get straight to the point.
He smiled awkwardly at the gazes pouring in on him.
“Is it strange? I came to work as Simone’s employee.”
Yeah, it's really weird.
But Simone swallowed her words and said, not wanting to engage in a banter with Louis in front of people.
“Then let’s hear His Highness’s business later, and first I will explain why I have called you all here. Is that okay?”
Simone looked at the Grand Duke of Illeston and asked for permission.
The place where everyone is gathered now is actually the study of the Grand Duke of Illeston.
As this is the Grand Duke's personal space, the amount of time spent interrupting his work will increase.
It was late, but she thought she would ask for permission now.
I think the conversation will be long, is that okay?
Then, Grand Duke Illeston nodded silently and gestured for her to continue her story.
Simone opened her mouth again.
“Before we begin the story, I would like to first check the manuals in this mansion.”
Simone put the manual she was holding down on the table. Then she nodded at Kaylee, whose face was somehow pale.
“Kaylee, did you hear from Anna? The instructions.”
“Yes, yes...”
Kaylee glanced at the Grand Duke of Illeston and placed the manual she was holding down next to Simone's manual.
“This is a guide for employees to read...”
It wasn't the usual dignified Kaylee. She seemed very nervous in front of her master, the Grand Duke of Illeston.
“This is my guide, Simone.”
Jace also took out his manual and looked at Simone with a shy face. Grand Duke Illeston frowned and waved at Kelle, perhaps not liking the look on his son's face.
“It’s a guidebook kept in the study.”
Kelle also put down the instructions.
There are four sets of guidelines in total.
“Are these all the instructions?”
Grand Duke Illeston shook his head at Simone's words.
“No. There’s more. Do you need it?”
“No, four is enough. I was just asking in case you needed it.”
Simone opened the last page of the manual nearest to her.
Then Louis, Jace, and Kaylee, knowingly, opened the last page of another manual.
Simone looked over the contents of the four volumes of instructions.
'Hmm... As expected.'
All four guidebooks contain new instructions.
However, the content of the instructions is the same up to the 101st instruction. The contents added on the second and third days are strangely different in each book.
Some books didn't have the hundredth and second instruction, and some didn't have the ugly words to strike through and cut off the leg.
'It may be different since it is a handwritten guide, but this is...'
She felt like she didn't have time to fix it.
It's as if someone was scribbling these instructions while being chased by something.
Simone finished thinking about this and looked at the people.
“I want to hear from you guys about last night.”
“Last night?”
“Yes, last night I went to the fourth floor with Prince Jace.”
Simone said this and glanced at the Grand Duke of Illeston.
Taking Jace along to help resolve the curse was something he had never been permitted to do.
She was worried that he would be angry at her for taking his son to such a dangerous place, but fortunately, he didn't seem to think much of it.
Grand Duke Illeston pretended not to notice Simone's gaze. In fact, he had already discovered that Simone was using Jace to attract the curse.
But he had no intention of stopping her.
Rather, he had told Jace to help Simone as long as his life was not in danger.
...The problem is that he would be willing to give up his life for Simone.
Grand Duke Illeston sighed softly and focused on Simone's words again.
“Then I said I came down on my own two feet and went back to my room.”
“...Yes?”
Louis tilted his head.
“You speak as if you were talking about someone else.”
“Yes, because it really is true.”
The expressions of the people listening to Simone's words changed from moment to moment.
“What... does that mean? I don’t know, Simone.”
Anna said as if she didn't understand.
“Anna, I told you that I came into the room on my own feet last night, right?”
“Yes... That’s right.”
“Can you tell me what the situation was like back then?”
“Huh? Even in that situation...”
Anna's expression turned bewildered.
Was there anything particularly strange enough to talk about?
“Well, just... When evening turned into night, Simone came back to the room.”
"And?"
“When I told you I would prepare a meal, you said you were tired and wanted to just sleep. So I quickly made your bed and left the room. Is that all?”
“That’s it. That’s the problem.”
The problem? It seemed like no one here, including Anna, understood what Simone was saying.
Simone said.
“I never went back to my room yesterday.”
This time she looked at Jace.
“Master, how did I wake up and return to my room yesterday?”
Jace, who was with her, must have seen Simone wake up and get up to go back to her room.
Jace also looked at Simone with a puzzled face and spoke in a small voice.
“I noticed that Simone fell asleep while I was talking about school. After that, I was guarding the fourth floor alone, in case something suspicious happened. Ah.”
Jace let out an exclamation as he continued speaking.
Unlike Anna, he thought that Simone, whom he had seen yesterday, was a little strange.
“Come to think of it... When evening turned into night, Simone woke up. And for a long time, you looked down the stairs without saying a word.”
He tried asking her if she was tired or if she was cold, but she just looked down the stairs with a blank expression and didn't respond.
“I thought something was strange, but I thought it was because you were tired.”
Originally, Simone was the type of person who would always answer Jace's questions, even if it was dry.
Because such a person is speechless...
But in fact, Jace didn't find it strange, but rather just let it go, thinking she didn't want to talk about it.
“And?”
When Jace stopped talking, Simone, who had been quietly listening to him, spoke as if telling him to continue.
“So I asked, ‘If you’re tired, should we stop here for today?’ You got up without saying a word and went down the stairs.”
“...You put Young Master on the 4th floor?”
“Ah, that, that... I quickly followed after her, so Simone took me down.”
Jace defended Simone.
Simone put her index finger to her lips as if to say that it was okay to stop, and Jace stopped talking abruptly.
Seeing this, Grand Duke Illeston sighed deeply once again.
Simone said.
“It’s really strange. I don’t remember anything that the Young Master said or what Anna said. My memory is that I fell asleep on the fourth floor. That’s all.”
Like looking down the stairs without saying anything, not responding to Jace, and then suddenly jumping up and going down alone, or skipping meals and falling asleep.
It wasn't all Simone's doing.
Grand Duke Illeston, who was listening to their conversation, said suddenly.
“Suspicious.”
“Yes, that’s right. This is a very suspicious situation. However, Your Highness, I think I know who tampered with these instructions.”
Simone got up from the sofa.
Every day, creepy instructions are added to the manual. She'll have to dig a little deeper to find out more, but she thinks she knows who wrote the manual.
“The culprit is inside.”
The Grand Duke of Illeston's expression grew more grim. Kaylee, Jane, and Anna looked more frightened, and Jace seemed very curious about what Simone was saying.
“Oh, who is the culprit?”
At Jace's words, Simone raised her hand and pointed at herself.
“It’s me. I am the culprit.”
“...”
There was silence in the room.
Simone noticed that the atmosphere was becoming strange and quickly changed the subject.
“To be more precise, it’s Simone, but not Simone-”
“Speak clearly, Simone. So who is that?”
At the Grand Duke's words, Simone lowered her hand and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m going to find out about that from now on. As I said, I’m the one who artificially created the curse on the 4th floor by messing with the instructions.”
Something may be using Simone's body in the form of a spirit. But that's not certain.
“I want everyone in the mansion to watch over me tonight.”
What Simone does, is how she gets up and moves.
Someone other than Simone must assess the situation and report to her the next morning.
Kaylee, who had been listening to Simone, hesitated and spoke carefully.
“Be careful.”
Everyone's eyes turned to Kaylee.
“It wasn’t just one... It wasn’t just Simone on the fourth floor... There was something else too.”
“That’s why I called you, Kaylee.”
Simone sat down on the road.
“Can you tell me about Simone on the fourth floor that Kaylee and Jane witnessed?”
Kaylee and Jane are the only witnesses who have seen the true form of something that took on Simone's appearance, and not Simone herself.
Their eyewitness accounts will be of great help in understanding this curse.
“...You’re here.”
“Sorry, I'm late.”
Simone bowed her head slightly and apologized.
Actually, she didn't feel guilty about being late, but looking at the situation in the study, she felt like she should apologize.
So instead of greeting, Simone came into the study apologizing.
‘Why are you all gathered so early...’
The Grand Duke of Ileston, Jace, Kaylee, Jane, Anna, and even Crown Prince Louis, who had come for some unknown reason, were all looking at Simone expressionlessly.
These many people had gathered solely at Simone's request and were waiting for her.
'But why did that person really come?'
Simone sat down on the sofa and stared at Louis, who was naturally sitting among the people.
Then Louis said affectionately with his usual sly smile.
“It’s been a while, Simone.”
“Yes, it’s been a while. What brings you here?”
Louis had thought that Simone, given her personality, would not care about his presence and would get straight to the point.
He smiled awkwardly at the gazes pouring in on him.
“Is it strange? I came to work as Simone’s employee.”
Yeah, it's really weird.
But Simone swallowed her words and said, not wanting to engage in a banter with Louis in front of people.
“Then let’s hear His Highness’s business later, and first I will explain why I have called you all here. Is that okay?”
Simone looked at the Grand Duke of Illeston and asked for permission.
The place where everyone is gathered now is actually the study of the Grand Duke of Illeston.
As this is the Grand Duke's personal space, the amount of time spent interrupting his work will increase.
It was late, but she thought she would ask for permission now.
I think the conversation will be long, is that okay?
Then, Grand Duke Illeston nodded silently and gestured for her to continue her story.
Simone opened her mouth again.
“Before we begin the story, I would like to first check the manuals in this mansion.”
Simone put the manual she was holding down on the table. Then she nodded at Kaylee, whose face was somehow pale.
“Kaylee, did you hear from Anna? The instructions.”
“Yes, yes...”
Kaylee glanced at the Grand Duke of Illeston and placed the manual she was holding down next to Simone's manual.
“This is a guide for employees to read...”
It wasn't the usual dignified Kaylee. She seemed very nervous in front of her master, the Grand Duke of Illeston.
“This is my guide, Simone.”
Jace also took out his manual and looked at Simone with a shy face. Grand Duke Illeston frowned and waved at Kelle, perhaps not liking the look on his son's face.
“It’s a guidebook kept in the study.”
Kelle also put down the instructions.
There are four sets of guidelines in total.
“Are these all the instructions?”
Grand Duke Illeston shook his head at Simone's words.
“No. There’s more. Do you need it?”
“No, four is enough. I was just asking in case you needed it.”
Simone opened the last page of the manual nearest to her.
Then Louis, Jace, and Kaylee, knowingly, opened the last page of another manual.
Simone looked over the contents of the four volumes of instructions.
'Hmm... As expected.'
All four guidebooks contain new instructions.
However, the content of the instructions is the same up to the 101st instruction. The contents added on the second and third days are strangely different in each book.
Some books didn't have the hundredth and second instruction, and some didn't have the ugly words to strike through and cut off the leg.
'It may be different since it is a handwritten guide, but this is...'
She felt like she didn't have time to fix it.
It's as if someone was scribbling these instructions while being chased by something.
Simone finished thinking about this and looked at the people.
“I want to hear from you guys about last night.”
“Last night?”
“Yes, last night I went to the fourth floor with Prince Jace.”
Simone said this and glanced at the Grand Duke of Illeston.
Taking Jace along to help resolve the curse was something he had never been permitted to do.
She was worried that he would be angry at her for taking his son to such a dangerous place, but fortunately, he didn't seem to think much of it.
Grand Duke Illeston pretended not to notice Simone's gaze. In fact, he had already discovered that Simone was using Jace to attract the curse.
But he had no intention of stopping her.
Rather, he had told Jace to help Simone as long as his life was not in danger.
...The problem is that he would be willing to give up his life for Simone.
Grand Duke Illeston sighed softly and focused on Simone's words again.
“Then I said I came down on my own two feet and went back to my room.”
“...Yes?”
Louis tilted his head.
“You speak as if you were talking about someone else.”
“Yes, because it really is true.”
The expressions of the people listening to Simone's words changed from moment to moment.
“What... does that mean? I don’t know, Simone.”
Anna said as if she didn't understand.
“Anna, I told you that I came into the room on my own feet last night, right?”
“Yes... That’s right.”
“Can you tell me what the situation was like back then?”
“Huh? Even in that situation...”
Anna's expression turned bewildered.
Was there anything particularly strange enough to talk about?
“Well, just... When evening turned into night, Simone came back to the room.”
"And?"
“When I told you I would prepare a meal, you said you were tired and wanted to just sleep. So I quickly made your bed and left the room. Is that all?”
“That’s it. That’s the problem.”
The problem? It seemed like no one here, including Anna, understood what Simone was saying.
Simone said.
“I never went back to my room yesterday.”
This time she looked at Jace.
“Master, how did I wake up and return to my room yesterday?”
Jace, who was with her, must have seen Simone wake up and get up to go back to her room.
Jace also looked at Simone with a puzzled face and spoke in a small voice.
“I noticed that Simone fell asleep while I was talking about school. After that, I was guarding the fourth floor alone, in case something suspicious happened. Ah.”
Jace let out an exclamation as he continued speaking.
Unlike Anna, he thought that Simone, whom he had seen yesterday, was a little strange.
“Come to think of it... When evening turned into night, Simone woke up. And for a long time, you looked down the stairs without saying a word.”
He tried asking her if she was tired or if she was cold, but she just looked down the stairs with a blank expression and didn't respond.
“I thought something was strange, but I thought it was because you were tired.”
Originally, Simone was the type of person who would always answer Jace's questions, even if it was dry.
Because such a person is speechless...
But in fact, Jace didn't find it strange, but rather just let it go, thinking she didn't want to talk about it.
“And?”
When Jace stopped talking, Simone, who had been quietly listening to him, spoke as if telling him to continue.
“So I asked, ‘If you’re tired, should we stop here for today?’ You got up without saying a word and went down the stairs.”
“...You put Young Master on the 4th floor?”
“Ah, that, that... I quickly followed after her, so Simone took me down.”
Jace defended Simone.
Simone put her index finger to her lips as if to say that it was okay to stop, and Jace stopped talking abruptly.
Seeing this, Grand Duke Illeston sighed deeply once again.
Simone said.
“It’s really strange. I don’t remember anything that the Young Master said or what Anna said. My memory is that I fell asleep on the fourth floor. That’s all.”
Like looking down the stairs without saying anything, not responding to Jace, and then suddenly jumping up and going down alone, or skipping meals and falling asleep.
It wasn't all Simone's doing.
Grand Duke Illeston, who was listening to their conversation, said suddenly.
“Suspicious.”
“Yes, that’s right. This is a very suspicious situation. However, Your Highness, I think I know who tampered with these instructions.”
Simone got up from the sofa.
Every day, creepy instructions are added to the manual. She'll have to dig a little deeper to find out more, but she thinks she knows who wrote the manual.
“The culprit is inside.”
The Grand Duke of Illeston's expression grew more grim. Kaylee, Jane, and Anna looked more frightened, and Jace seemed very curious about what Simone was saying.
“Oh, who is the culprit?”
At Jace's words, Simone raised her hand and pointed at herself.
“It’s me. I am the culprit.”
“...”
There was silence in the room.
Simone noticed that the atmosphere was becoming strange and quickly changed the subject.
“To be more precise, it’s Simone, but not Simone-”
“Speak clearly, Simone. So who is that?”
At the Grand Duke's words, Simone lowered her hand and shrugged her shoulders.
“I’m going to find out about that from now on. As I said, I’m the one who artificially created the curse on the 4th floor by messing with the instructions.”
Something may be using Simone's body in the form of a spirit. But that's not certain.
“I want everyone in the mansion to watch over me tonight.”
What Simone does, is how she gets up and moves.
Someone other than Simone must assess the situation and report to her the next morning.
Kaylee, who had been listening to Simone, hesitated and spoke carefully.
“Be careful.”
Everyone's eyes turned to Kaylee.
“It wasn’t just one... It wasn’t just Simone on the fourth floor... There was something else too.”
“That’s why I called you, Kaylee.”
Simone sat down on the road.
“Can you tell me about Simone on the fourth floor that Kaylee and Jane witnessed?”
Kaylee and Jane are the only witnesses who have seen the true form of something that took on Simone's appearance, and not Simone herself.
Their eyewitness accounts will be of great help in understanding this curse.
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