Chapter 20
20
"I will."
Interesting. He came faster than I thought.
Simone looked at Louisby as if amused.
"Employee. I will."
The Crown Prince will be an employee. Still, he's a Crown Prince, so I wasn't expecting much.
It seems the matter is quite urgent.
Anyway, it's a good thing to have a skilled employee who will work diligently.
I can give him some work to do and release him around the time the Demon King is resurrected.
Simone held out her hand.
"I look forward to working with you."
"……Yes."
Louisby reluctantly took Simone's hand.
He came all the way here saying he would do it himself, but seeing that annoying smile in person, he doesn't feel like it.
'But I have to do it.'
What's the point of asserting pride or anything in this situation? Even if he has to work under her for a while, he needs to stay by her side and build a relationship.
"I'll take care of telling Archduke Illestone so you can freely enter and exit whenever I call you."
"Yes, I understand."
After answering, Louisby hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"Now that we have a closer relationship, I would like to ask."
"What is it?"
Louisby looked at Simone's hair.
Today it's the same silver color as Archduke Illestone's. She probably dyed it with whatever she could grab in a hurry due to his sudden visit.
Louisby asked.
"What is your true identity?"
Simone stared at Louisby without a word. He probably already roughly guessed that Simone is a Necromancer, but he wants to confirm if his guess is correct.
'Well, we'll be meeting often from now on.'
It's not like revealing that she's a Necromancer would be dangerous to him.
Simone said nonchalantly.
"I'm a Necromancer."
In contrast, Louisby trembled greatly and stood up from his seat.
"So you were a Necromancer! Was there a Necromancer in the Ruan Empire?"
"Here I am."
"But why didn't anyone know?"
Well, everyone was keeping it quiet.
They brought in an abandoned baby, thinking it was a normal baby, only to find out it was a Necromancer.
There was no good reason to reveal that a Necromancer came from the orphanage, so her existence was kept strictly secret until she was handed over to the Occult Society.
Thanks to that, Simone was able to live without being executed until she was seventeen, but she had to endure harsh treatment throughout her life because of it.
Simone revealed to Louisby that she was a Necromancer, but she didn't want to reveal what happened at the orphanage.
Even if she didn't experience it directly, it was uncomfortable.
"Is there a problem with me being a Necromancer?"
Louisby paused, then sat back down.
"No."
Of course, a Necromancer being in the Ruan Empire was a big problem, but at least between Simone and Louisby, it wasn't a problem at all.
Louisby asked another question.
"What is your relationship with Archduke Illestone, Simone? It didn't seem like a simple employment relationship."
Simone's voice was too loud to be just an employment relationship.
The Archduke was swept away by what this young Necromancer said and granted her everything she wanted, giving her this large room and servants.
It was too lavish a treatment to be just a simple employment relationship.
Simone replied to his words.
"It's an employment relationship."
"It is?"
"Yes."
Simone answered briefly and added a word.
"I didn't say the Archduke is the boss."
"……Pardon?"
"I'm the boss. This is important."
What is she talking about? Louisby couldn't hide his bewilderment as he looked at Simone, who was speaking more passionately than ever.
Come to think of it, looking at the Archduke and Simone's interactions so far, anyone could tell that the Archduke was being cautious.
"In exchange for lifting the curse, I'm staying here for a while with proper treatment. It's a small price to pay for lifting a curse that tormented him for 300 years. Anyway, are all your questions done?"
She surprisingly didn't ask about my age. These kinds of questions are acceptable from a business partner's perspective.
He must be wondering if he can work in an environment where he can get paid well. Just as she was about to answer vaguely and change the subject, Louisby asked again.
"Don't you have any questions about me?"
Huh? Simone smiled. If she asks out of curiosity, will he answer?
"I know your skills and that you're quite tight-lipped. That's enough."
Simone said nonchalantly and removed the dyeing magic that had colored her eyes and hair.
Louisby's eyes widened as they returned to their original color.
Black hair and red eyes. He was wondering if he had seen it wrong, but it seems he wasn't mistaken. It's not the first time he's seen it, but it's still an ominous yet mysterious appearance.
Above all, those eyes.
'In particular, some of the previous emperors disliked Necromancers to the point of fearing them. I don't know the reason why, but I think it's because they handle Death Mana. It's said that just being near Death Mana gives off an unpleasant aura.'
That's what Louisby's tutor said when he was very young.
But now that Louisby has directly encountered a Necromancer, he could see that the tutor's speculation was wrong.
The previous emperors feared Necromancers not because of Death Mana.
It must be because of those red eyes that seem to see through everything.
Meanwhile, Simone was wondering how much she should tell Louisby.
'Since we'll be working together from now on, it's right to share about the curse.'
Simone asked.
"Will it take long to find the Saintess's Desire?"
"I can't guarantee it. I asked all the villagers if they knew about the red gem, but no one said they did. So now I'm searching the sea."
"Get it done within a week."
"……Pardon?"
Simone cocked her head at Louisby, who was speechless and looking at her as if dumbfounded.
So what?
Louisby's expression crumpled.
"Wasn't this a long-term request?"
"Is there such a thing as long-term or short-term when it comes to saving someone's life? You have to bring it as soon as possible. If you can't do it, add more people."
Louisby's expression crumpled even more.
"I can do it. Wait. I'll bring it within a week."
It seems Simone touched Louisby's pride. Simone nodded and said.
"Let's resolve it as soon as possible and discuss the work."
"You mean the work of lifting the curse that requires that gem?"
Louisby nodded casually, then tilted his head.
"Then what will you be doing until I bring the gem, Simone?
His eyes were filled with suspicion.
"You're not going to be playing around, are you? You said time is of the essence."
"Hey."
Simone shook her head.
"Me? Playing around? No way. What do you take me for?"
Of course, until a few days ago, she was planning to leave the gem to Louisby and play around, but not anymore.
Because she has something to do now.
"I have to lift other curses."
"Is that so? I understand."
Louisby stood up from his seat.
"Then I'll assume we've finished talking and I'll be on my way. My colleagues are searching the sea, and I slipped out alone."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"I'll see you again after I find the gem."
Simone nodded, and Louisby bowed and left the room.
After he left, the servants who had stepped aside returned.
They quietly continued their work with pale faces, and Anna approached Simone with a teapot.
"Simone."
"……."
"Why did Ren come?"
"……."
"Ah, Simone? Did I make you uncomfortable?"
"……Haa."
It's hard to ignore her constantly sticking to her and asking all sorts of questions.
Anna originally talked a lot or asked questions to keep Simone from being bored, but this time it's excessive.
She seemed to be excessively persistent in getting Simone's answer.
Simone sighed deeply and gestured for Kaylee and the other servants, except for Anna, to leave.
Yes, if Louisby jumped into the sea to find the Saintess's Desire, Simone also had something to do.
Facing the curse head-on once again.
That's the condition for Simone to be here.
The servants glanced at Simone and slipped out of the room.
And finally, Simone made eye contact with Anna.
Anna paused, then smiled at Simone.
"Simone, why did you pretend not to know when you could see?"
Looking at her, Simone asked.
"Who are you?"
The disappeared servant will return to work, but you must never answer when spoken to or looked at. Until it disappears.
Anna grinned.
How did she know?
The moment she broke the rules passed down among the servants, Simone faced the eighty-eighth curse head-on.
If she had been there a little longer, she could have completely devoured her.
Clang!
The teapot that Anna, or rather the fake Anna, was holding fell to the floor and shattered.
