It's morning because the sun is shining.
Simone opened her eyes, which were not very open, and looked at the ceiling.
Even though she had just woken up, she didn't seem to have slept much. Simone knew why.
'I knew it so early.'
It's been a week since she first saw the strange instructions added to the original manual, and now she's finally getting a clue.
Simone laughed out loud.
In fact, the clues she finally found weren't perfect, because her memories of last night were vague and sporadic.
To be exact, she only remembers the moment when she came to her senses because the nine-foot ghost was pressing down on her shoulder.
Perhaps the reason she had no memories from before was because she had not received help from the old ghost or because she had never been of sound mind?
If Simone had tried to write instructions not to go to the fourth floor with that spirit in mind, she would have had to endure considerable pain.
She must have had a terrible headache and barely managed to write it down while enduring the interference of countless soul fragments inside Simone.
"Ha..."
Simone sighed deeply and ran her hand over the bedsheets she was lying on.
Anyway, she thinks she now knows why her shoulders hurt when she woke up, even though she slept in a good bed.
Simone frowned at the pain she felt in her shoulder and sat up with her heavy body.
It hurt even more because her shoulder had been crushed for two days in a row. It felt like a bruise.
Simone pressed her fingers against her throbbing head. Then, a crowd of servants gathered around her.
“Hey, are you awake, Simone?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I was really surprised!”
“What the hell is going on...”
Simone smiled at them as if to reassure them.
She guessed they must have been hiding yesterday and watching Simone's antics, so they must be really worried.
“We were scared because we suddenly saw you running around? By the way, how did you deal with the legless ghost? It came down the hallway.”
She remembers following her, but Simone's memories after that are vague.
She was worried that someone might get hurt by it right up until the moment she collapsed, but judging from the mood of the employees, although it was chaotic, it didn't seem like anyone was hurt or killed.
Everyone's expressions are a bit strange though.
Yeah, everyone had a strange expression.
Simone tilted her head.
The expression on the servant's face as they looked at her did not show any fear of what had happened last night.
It was clear that something had happened yesterday, as they were just looking at each other without answering Simone's question.
"What's the matter?"
“Uh, that’s...”
“What happened yesterday?”
Time continued to pass without anyone answering Simone's words.
As the awkward silence continued, Kaylee finally stepped forward hesitantly.
“Something happened. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“What happened that made everyone look so unhappy?”
“...First, the Master told Simone to come to the study as soon as you wake up. He will explain.”
Simone smiled.
If even Kaylee is avoiding talking, then something serious must have happened while Simone was down.
After finishing her meal, Simone headed straight to the study of the Grand Duke of Illeston.
The faces of Grand Duke Illeston and Jace, as well as the expressions of Grand Duchess Florier, who heard the news from them, were just as bad as those of the servants.
What the hell happened to cause this?
As Simone waited nervously for the Grand Duke of Illeston to speak in a solemn atmosphere, the Grand Duke of Illeston asked her with a calm look in his eyes.
“How much do you remember?”
“I remember running around trying hard to avoid the legless ghost.”
“Do you remember what was on your shoulder?”
What was on my shoulder?
"Ah."
It seems to be referring to the old ghost that was pressing down on her shoulder the whole time she was up.
'But did you see that?'
Simone has been out and about many times, and each time she has been followed by the ghost of the nine-footed woman, but no one has ever found her.
Are you saying that you saw it yesterday?
...That means that the nine-year-old ghost showed strong emotions last night.
Just as the ghosts in the orphanage temporarily appeared to those who held a grudge.
Simone's eyes deepened.
'I'd rather die than live like that.'
The old ghost seemed to have said so.
The old ghost, who was thought to only wish for Simone to die, actually felt sorry for Simone and tried to protect her.
'Why on earth?'
She suddenly wondered why, but she didn't have time to think about it in this atmosphere.
Simone answered.
“I know that much. It’s a ghost that followed me from the orphanage. It’s not dangerous... It probably isn’t dangerous, so that’s okay.”
"...Yes."
“How about the legless ghost? No one was hurt?”
The expression on Grand Duke Illeston's face, which had been relieved for a moment by her question, turned sour again.
He said.
“You got rid of that. I guess you don’t remember this.”
“...”
Me? When?
She never thought that Simone herself would handle it.
However, Simone, who had been speechless and dumbfounded, soon nodded in understanding.
“That may be true.”
Of course, who else but Simone could handle a legless ghost that came down the stairs and into the hallway?
She may have dealt with this unconsciously.
“How did I handle it?”
“...That’s the question.”
Grand Duke Illeston, like his servants, seemed to have difficulty answering.
What on earth did Simone do that makes everyone hesitate to answer? This time, she'll hear the whole story.
Simone waited silently for the Grand Duke of Illeston's answer.
Then the Grand Duke of Illeston told her what had happened the night before.
“Yesterday you seemed to absorb ghosts.”
“Absorption?”
He nodded.
The sight was such that Simone could only describe it as having sucked out a ghost.
“Your eyes glowed red in the darkness and ghosts reached out to you.”
Then as if it were dust, it disappeared, slowly disappearing from Simone's fingertips to her body.
As if absorbed by her.
The Simone of that time didn't seem to be the Simone that the people of Illeston Manor knew.
'...'
Simone was silent for a moment after hearing what Grand Duke Illeston had to say.
She doesn't know why her eyes glow or how to absorb ghosts.
Introducing a ghost into one's body was not something Simone could do.
And the red eyes shining like that are...
'Anasis.'
Isn't this reminiscent of the traitor Anasis?
'But no.'
Anasis couldn't possibly have taken over the body. Considering all the things the Occult Society has done for Anasis so far, it's unlikely that they would take over Simone's body so casually.
Above all, there is no way Simone would give up her body obediently.
So what on earth is going on here? And where did the absorbed ghost go?
At that moment, Simone's thoughts turned to what had happened the night before.
As she moved, she felt as if her soul was being separated, becoming larger and being re-established.
If it has anything to do with it...
While Simone was deeply troubled, the Grand Duke realized that she too was unaware of the situation and silently placed the instructions on the table.
“And I found instructions for the legless ghost.”
“Oh, was it there?”
Simone looked at the instructions that the Grand Duke of Illeston was pointing to.
[Sixty-sixth, Do not follow the path made of blood.]
“These are the instructions for the legless ghost?”
“I’m not sure, but as of now, it’s most likely that these instructions are about that ghost.”
I'm not sure, but as of now, it's most likely that this guide is about that ghost.
Last night, blood flowed from the severed body of the legless ghost, forming a pool and a path of blood.
This was the guideline she barely found while looking at it.
“...I see. Yes, I understand.”
Well, she knows the general story of what happened last night.
“Then I solved the legless ghost problem by getting rid of it, and I guess you’ll have to stay another night to find out if the problem of me going to the fourth floor every night has been solved.”
Simone got up. Then the Grand Duke of Illeston asked.
“Simone, what are you going to do now?”
The question was how to move forward to resolve this issue.
This was because Simone, who had been faster than anyone else at solving problems by finding clues, still had an expression on her face this time as if she didn't know what to do.
Simone said to him,
“I’m thinking of getting some help from someone else. I think I’ll have to go to the capital for a while. Would you allow me to do so?”
“In the capital?”
"Yes."
Simone nodded. She felt she needed to meet El as soon as possible.
Originally, she would have simply asked to meet him to interpret the contents of the forbidden book, but a more urgent reason arose to meet him.
“Why?”
The Grand Duke of Illestone asked with a reluctant expression. Simone answered.
“It seems like this isn’t just a curse on the mansion, but something strange is happening to me as well.”
A terrible pain that occurs as the soul is torn, glued, and swelled.
If El, the fairy who has lived for a long time, is like that, he might know about this.
Simone opened her eyes, which were not very open, and looked at the ceiling.
Even though she had just woken up, she didn't seem to have slept much. Simone knew why.
'I knew it so early.'
It's been a week since she first saw the strange instructions added to the original manual, and now she's finally getting a clue.
Simone laughed out loud.
In fact, the clues she finally found weren't perfect, because her memories of last night were vague and sporadic.
To be exact, she only remembers the moment when she came to her senses because the nine-foot ghost was pressing down on her shoulder.
Perhaps the reason she had no memories from before was because she had not received help from the old ghost or because she had never been of sound mind?
If Simone had tried to write instructions not to go to the fourth floor with that spirit in mind, she would have had to endure considerable pain.
She must have had a terrible headache and barely managed to write it down while enduring the interference of countless soul fragments inside Simone.
"Ha..."
Simone sighed deeply and ran her hand over the bedsheets she was lying on.
Anyway, she thinks she now knows why her shoulders hurt when she woke up, even though she slept in a good bed.
Simone frowned at the pain she felt in her shoulder and sat up with her heavy body.
It hurt even more because her shoulder had been crushed for two days in a row. It felt like a bruise.
Simone pressed her fingers against her throbbing head. Then, a crowd of servants gathered around her.
“Hey, are you awake, Simone?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I was really surprised!”
“What the hell is going on...”
Simone smiled at them as if to reassure them.
She guessed they must have been hiding yesterday and watching Simone's antics, so they must be really worried.
“We were scared because we suddenly saw you running around? By the way, how did you deal with the legless ghost? It came down the hallway.”
She remembers following her, but Simone's memories after that are vague.
She was worried that someone might get hurt by it right up until the moment she collapsed, but judging from the mood of the employees, although it was chaotic, it didn't seem like anyone was hurt or killed.
Everyone's expressions are a bit strange though.
Yeah, everyone had a strange expression.
Simone tilted her head.
The expression on the servant's face as they looked at her did not show any fear of what had happened last night.
It was clear that something had happened yesterday, as they were just looking at each other without answering Simone's question.
"What's the matter?"
“Uh, that’s...”
“What happened yesterday?”
Time continued to pass without anyone answering Simone's words.
As the awkward silence continued, Kaylee finally stepped forward hesitantly.
“Something happened. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“What happened that made everyone look so unhappy?”
“...First, the Master told Simone to come to the study as soon as you wake up. He will explain.”
Simone smiled.
If even Kaylee is avoiding talking, then something serious must have happened while Simone was down.
***
After finishing her meal, Simone headed straight to the study of the Grand Duke of Illeston.
The faces of Grand Duke Illeston and Jace, as well as the expressions of Grand Duchess Florier, who heard the news from them, were just as bad as those of the servants.
What the hell happened to cause this?
As Simone waited nervously for the Grand Duke of Illeston to speak in a solemn atmosphere, the Grand Duke of Illeston asked her with a calm look in his eyes.
“How much do you remember?”
“I remember running around trying hard to avoid the legless ghost.”
“Do you remember what was on your shoulder?”
What was on my shoulder?
"Ah."
It seems to be referring to the old ghost that was pressing down on her shoulder the whole time she was up.
'But did you see that?'
Simone has been out and about many times, and each time she has been followed by the ghost of the nine-footed woman, but no one has ever found her.
Are you saying that you saw it yesterday?
...That means that the nine-year-old ghost showed strong emotions last night.
Just as the ghosts in the orphanage temporarily appeared to those who held a grudge.
Simone's eyes deepened.
'I'd rather die than live like that.'
The old ghost seemed to have said so.
The old ghost, who was thought to only wish for Simone to die, actually felt sorry for Simone and tried to protect her.
'Why on earth?'
She suddenly wondered why, but she didn't have time to think about it in this atmosphere.
Simone answered.
“I know that much. It’s a ghost that followed me from the orphanage. It’s not dangerous... It probably isn’t dangerous, so that’s okay.”
"...Yes."
“How about the legless ghost? No one was hurt?”
The expression on Grand Duke Illeston's face, which had been relieved for a moment by her question, turned sour again.
He said.
“You got rid of that. I guess you don’t remember this.”
“...”
Me? When?
She never thought that Simone herself would handle it.
However, Simone, who had been speechless and dumbfounded, soon nodded in understanding.
“That may be true.”
Of course, who else but Simone could handle a legless ghost that came down the stairs and into the hallway?
She may have dealt with this unconsciously.
“How did I handle it?”
“...That’s the question.”
Grand Duke Illeston, like his servants, seemed to have difficulty answering.
What on earth did Simone do that makes everyone hesitate to answer? This time, she'll hear the whole story.
Simone waited silently for the Grand Duke of Illeston's answer.
Then the Grand Duke of Illeston told her what had happened the night before.
“Yesterday you seemed to absorb ghosts.”
“Absorption?”
He nodded.
The sight was such that Simone could only describe it as having sucked out a ghost.
“Your eyes glowed red in the darkness and ghosts reached out to you.”
Then as if it were dust, it disappeared, slowly disappearing from Simone's fingertips to her body.
As if absorbed by her.
The Simone of that time didn't seem to be the Simone that the people of Illeston Manor knew.
'...'
Simone was silent for a moment after hearing what Grand Duke Illeston had to say.
She doesn't know why her eyes glow or how to absorb ghosts.
Introducing a ghost into one's body was not something Simone could do.
And the red eyes shining like that are...
'Anasis.'
Isn't this reminiscent of the traitor Anasis?
'But no.'
Anasis couldn't possibly have taken over the body. Considering all the things the Occult Society has done for Anasis so far, it's unlikely that they would take over Simone's body so casually.
Above all, there is no way Simone would give up her body obediently.
So what on earth is going on here? And where did the absorbed ghost go?
At that moment, Simone's thoughts turned to what had happened the night before.
As she moved, she felt as if her soul was being separated, becoming larger and being re-established.
If it has anything to do with it...
While Simone was deeply troubled, the Grand Duke realized that she too was unaware of the situation and silently placed the instructions on the table.
“And I found instructions for the legless ghost.”
“Oh, was it there?”
Simone looked at the instructions that the Grand Duke of Illeston was pointing to.
[Sixty-sixth, Do not follow the path made of blood.]
“These are the instructions for the legless ghost?”
“I’m not sure, but as of now, it’s most likely that these instructions are about that ghost.”
I'm not sure, but as of now, it's most likely that this guide is about that ghost.
Last night, blood flowed from the severed body of the legless ghost, forming a pool and a path of blood.
This was the guideline she barely found while looking at it.
“...I see. Yes, I understand.”
Well, she knows the general story of what happened last night.
“Then I solved the legless ghost problem by getting rid of it, and I guess you’ll have to stay another night to find out if the problem of me going to the fourth floor every night has been solved.”
Simone got up. Then the Grand Duke of Illeston asked.
“Simone, what are you going to do now?”
The question was how to move forward to resolve this issue.
This was because Simone, who had been faster than anyone else at solving problems by finding clues, still had an expression on her face this time as if she didn't know what to do.
Simone said to him,
“I’m thinking of getting some help from someone else. I think I’ll have to go to the capital for a while. Would you allow me to do so?”
“In the capital?”
"Yes."
Simone nodded. She felt she needed to meet El as soon as possible.
Originally, she would have simply asked to meet him to interpret the contents of the forbidden book, but a more urgent reason arose to meet him.
“Why?”
The Grand Duke of Illestone asked with a reluctant expression. Simone answered.
“It seems like this isn’t just a curse on the mansion, but something strange is happening to me as well.”
A terrible pain that occurs as the soul is torn, glued, and swelled.
If El, the fairy who has lived for a long time, is like that, he might know about this.
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