Chapter 4
4
"Get that child a room and see that they are fed."
"Yes, Master."
Immediately after Archduke Illestone and Simone concluded their negotiation, Illestone handed Simone over to Kelle.
"And you."
The Archduke's cool gaze landed on Simone.
"Come to me as soon as you've finished your meal."
He spoke with a deep frown, clearly displeased, and then left the study.
"……."
Wow, scary.
Only then did Simone breathe a sigh of relief.
She had acted confidently, but even for her, dealing with an Archduke who was both a villain and had a foul expression was not easy.
He had been isolated for a long time and was extremely wary of outsiders. He was someone with the power to kill Simone if he really wanted to.
Every time his gaze fell on her, she felt breathless.
'Still, he wasn't as ferocious as I thought.'
From what she could see, the servants weren't afraid of him, and even though it was a special case, the Archduke listened to Simone, who had trespassed, quite calmly.
He didn't draw his sword on her for talking back or punish her excessively, even though she was an unknown child being presumptuous.
Honestly, even though he was scary, he was a pretty decent person.
'So, he wasn't just making excuses to Abel to save his life, but he really did commit the kidnapping for the sake of the family.'
Well, if it had been an excuse, Abel would have noticed and killed him.
"What are you doing? Don't just stand there, follow me."
The head butler snapped at her, grabbing her wrist with a sharp voice.
His hand on her wrist wasn't rough despite his tone, so Simone followed him to the dining room without a word.
After finishing her meal, Simone washed up and headed to the reception room where Archduke Illestone was waiting.
"Come in."
His voice was still cold and stiff. As Simone entered the study, the Archduke, with a suspicious look as expected, approached and sat on the sofa opposite her.
"……The clothes."
"Clothes I brought from where I lived."
They were the headmistress's clothes she had stolen from the orphanage, so they were uncomfortably large for Simone.
"I see."
"Yes."
And then silence followed.
"……."
'What is it? If you have something to say, say it.'
Judging by his eyes, he looked like he had a lot to say?
Simone was frustrated, but she didn't bother to say it out loud and waited.
She had achieved her purpose in coming here, so she didn't want to provoke Archduke Illestone any further.
And after a long time, Archduke Illestone opened his mouth.
"You're a Necromancer."
The terribly foul smell had turned into a fragrance, and now that she could no longer sense it, the face that had been hidden by her messy hair was properly revealed.
He could see the color of her hair and eyes. Only now could Archduke Illestone grasp Simone's identity.
'There was a reason why she confidently said she would lift the curse.'
Blood-red eyes, black hair with the color of death.
She was undoubtedly a Necromancer, who was said to have disappeared from this world.
At Archduke Illestone's words, Simone smiled calmly, yet confidently. Knowing that Necromancers were immediately executed in the Luan Empire, she didn't seem to have any intention of hiding her identity.
She seemed to know about the Illestone family's secret.
Simone said.
"Is there anyone in this world who can lift this family's curse better than me?"
"Huh!"
She really knew the secret of this family.
Watching Simone speak with eyes that seemed to see through everything, Archduke Illestone couldn't help but chuckle. And he replied.
"No, there isn't."
The doubt about how Simone was able to break through the Red Tree and come here, and how she would lift the curse, was resolved.
If she was a real Necromancer, Simone would be helpful to this mansion.
Archduke Illestone's gaze softened slightly.
"Family?"
"I don't have any."
Probably not.
Simone was already an orphan, so even if her parents were alive, they were already irrelevant to Simone.
Archduke Illestone nodded without much interest and handed her a thick book.
"Originally, I was going to investigate you a little more, but if you're a real Necromancer, there's no need for long words."
Simone's gaze swept over the book once and then returned to Archduke Illestone.
With a look that seemed to ask what it was, Archduke Illestone returned the silent question with a silent answer.
'Read it.'
At the gesture that seemed to say that, Simone pulled the book towards her.
It was a very thick, large, and old book, heavy enough to be difficult to lift with one hand.
"This is?"
"This is a guide passed down through our family for generations. Not only family members but also the servants who work in the mansion must read it to live here."
It was a book that had never been mentioned in the novel.
Of course, the description of a one-off villain family in the novel wouldn't be specific.
Archduke Illestone raised his eyelids and looked at Simone.
His deep blue eyes were demanding some kind of reaction from Simone.
Therefore, Simone instinctively realized that this book was deeply related to the Mansion's Curse.
Simone silently opened the guide. And the moment she read the first sentence, her body stiffened without her knowing.
First, entry through the front gate of the mansion is prohibited. Do not approach it, and use the back road when going out.
Failure to comply will not guarantee your life.
The Illestone family's secret guide.
This was a list of curses that had been written down one by one over 300 years so that the people and servants of the mansion could avoid the curse even a little.
Even when she turned the pages, it was full of dense writing.
There were more curses than she thought.
"I heard that Necromancers have levels, right?"
While Simone was turning the pages of the book with a stiff face, Archduke Illestone smirked.
"I need to check if you have the ability to lift all these curses. If you're a real Necromancer, you should be able to, right?"
Prove that she was a real Necromancer by lifting the curses in the book.
It was Archduke Illestone's test to complete the contract.
"Let's start with the very first one."
Simone's gaze returned to the book.
The first one.
It was a prohibition against entering the mansion's entrance, but it must mean to be careful of the Red Tree.
He told her to get rid of the tree that had blocked the Illestone family for 300 years first.
"I told you, if you can't do it, you die."
"I know."
Thud-
Simone answered without hesitation and put down the book, smiling like Archduke Illestone.
She knew that the Archduke would test her.
Rather, Simone was relieved.
The Red Tree, which was the biggest headache from the Archduke's point of view, was the easiest thing from Simone's point of view.
If she could gain Archduke Illestone's trust with just this, wasn't it a pretty good test?
"Then, Archduke, I have something to ask in order to get rid of the tree at the entrance."
"Speak."
"First, I will lift the curse in a week. Second, everyone in the mansion, including the Archduke, must go to bed early from tonight until I say I'm done."
"Why is that?"
Since explaining was annoying, she pretended not to hear.
"Third, in a week, I need a skilled person who has no connection with the Illestone family. Someone who is good with a sword."
"……Why does it have to be an outsider?"
Caution began to creep back into Archduke Illestone's eyes.
As a place where visits from outsiders had been prohibited for a long time, they were very reluctant to bring someone who was not a member of the Illestone family into the mansion.
The disclosure of the family's secrets was also a problem, but the visiting outsider could be in danger.
Simone understood his caution.
"Because I need a skilled person to cut down the tree. Of course, I can cut down the tree by myself, but this is a curse that cannot be solved by one person alone."
"Then there's no need to call an outsider. If you need a skilled person who uses a sword, I'll do it."
"Ah."
Simone's gaze went down to Archduke Illestone's waist.
He was always wary of the curse and carried a sword even in the mansion, and he was said to be quite skilled.
But no matter how skilled Archduke Illestone was, he couldn't do it.
Simone shook her head firmly.
"The Archduke can't do it. No, no one from the Illestone family can."
The Archduke frowned.
"Why?"
"Because this curse was placed on the Illestone mansion."
Simone smiled as if to appease him.
"The Archduke must go to bed early from tonight."
The people of the Illestone mansion were the targets of the curse.
The targets of the curse must not see the essence of that dark red tree.
"The Red Tree moves secretly when all the targets of the curse are asleep."
"Moves…you say?"
"Yes, and those who are awake when the tree moves are eaten."
"Such nonsense-"
"Archduke, don't you think it's a little strange?"
Simone interrupted the Archduke and asked. Her red eyes sank a little darker.
"The tree was discovered by the previous head of the family 300 years ago. And since then, no one has approached it."
Archduke Illestone listened to Simone's words, holding his temple with the back of his hand.
He still didn't seem to grasp what Simone was trying to say.
Simone said.
"But why is the tree still alive?"
It had been 300 years without getting any nutrients.
"How can it still sprout leaves so vividly?"
It had been completely separated from people and shouldn't have been able to eat anything. Archduke Illestone paused, then widened his eyes and muttered.
"It's even getting darker and redder……."
His eyes trembled.
How was that possible? Because it was a ghost born from a curse?
Even so, does it make sense for a plant to live without nutrients for 300 years in this Archduke's residence, where there is not much sunlight?
Simone nodded.
Archduke Illestone seemed to understand the situation now.