Chapter 9
9
“‘Perhaps’? Does that mean I could get hurt?”
‘This is the face Abel hated.’
Louisby showing this side meant he really didn't want to do something, and Abel would always concede and find another way.
Seeing it in person, I can understand why the stubborn Abel had to back down.
He emanated an aura that made you feel like you shouldn't force him. It was dark, surpassing even the Power of Death.
But what can I do? This is the only way.
If Simone could quickly find another way like Abel, she wouldn't resort to this method.
There was a reason why they hadn't cut it down for 300 years, even though it could be done normally.
“Anyway, I'm counting on you.”
Simone didn't particularly feel like persuading Louisby. Whether he's a crown prince or whatever, she's clearly in a position of power right now. If he accepted the request, he has to do it, and even if he doesn't like it, he'll have to cut it down if Simone gets eaten.
“I can't leave my client in danger alone, so I'll follow, but if it seems dangerous, I'll quit immediately. I value my life too.”
“Sure.”
Honestly, Louisby was a bit disappointed.
The cursed Archduke Illestone family. Before their isolation, they were the family closest to the imperial family, assisting the emperor.
There's talk that they dabbled in black magic and brought the curse upon themselves, but Louisby recently thought that might not be the case.
He thought they might have their own circumstances, like him. That's why he took the risk and accepted the request.
But was he wrong?
Is the Illestone family really a family that kills people and uses them as sacrifices for black magic, as the rumors say?
‘To try to sacrifice these powerless people so carelessly.’
Louisby's grip tightened on the sword hilt. Then, with a long sigh, Simone's clear voice was heard.
“Then let's rest until dinner.”
Louisby's beautiful face didn't brighten up.
Seeing Louisby's expression, Anna fidgeted and timidly spoke.
“D-Does the meal suit your taste? Adventurer?”
“Food just needs to fill you up, why does it need to taste good?”
“Y-Yes……”
Anna stepped back. Louisby's gaze went to Anna, then back to Simone, who was happily eating alone in the distance.
“Please tell the cook it was delicious. Their skills are too good to be working in this isolated mansion.”
“……Yes!”
Then he continued eating listlessly.
What am I doing?
Louisby recalled the moment he first entered the back path of this mansion.
Until then, he was very nervous, thinking he would finally learn the secret of this mansion.
But it's already been eight hours since he entered the mansion, and all he's done so far is listen to explanations and eat.
The rest of the time, he spent looking around the mansion or resting.
“Haa.”
Louisby sighed once more. His client was cutting her steak without any tension.
Soon, he'll have to risk his life to remove a 300-year-old curse.
‘Is it not as serious as I thought?’
……But facing that monster tree is a daunting task just to hear about.
Night will come soon, but is it okay to be so relaxed and unprepared?
Can he really trust that woman?
‘She doesn't even seem to have much power.’
Everything began to feel unreliable.
At first, he thought she was a mage, but there are no research traces or related books in this room.
‘How can she lift a curse without any tension like this?’
But once he's come this far, he can't just leave. More than anything, if he leaves, Simone…….
‘Tonight, she will lift the family's curse. Cooperate with her.’
The head butler of the Illestone family said that and added one more thing.
‘If she fails to lift the curse, kill her on the spot.’
At first, he thought there was some kind of contract between the Illestone family and Simone.
Contracts involving risking one's life are more common than you think.
After actually meeting her, he suspected that Simone was being unilaterally sacrificed to the Illestone family's black magic.
She looked young and didn't seem to have the power to lift the curse.
But now he doesn't know anything.
Look at that face, happy while eating meat.
How can that be the face of someone about to risk their life?
“You're so relaxed because you're properly prepared, right?”
Simone smiled at Louisby's words.
“Of course.”
What kind of plan is there? Just get eaten and destroy it.
But Simone didn't tell Louisby about this plan.
If her flimsy plan was revealed, that rational and intelligent man would just run away.
Eventually, night fell.
After Simone finished her meal, Anna cleaned up and returned to her room early as always.
“Haa, until when……”
Do I have to sit here doing nothing like this?
There wasn't even any conversation between the two. Simone didn't even look at him, as if she would never form a connection with him, even while being in the same room.
Why is she doing that? Louisby couldn't understand Simone's actions.
Louisby, who had been looking out the window since Anna left, looked at Simone with a bored expression.
Then he widened his eyes and removed his hand propping up his chin.
Simone, who had been playing all day, was finally rummaging through documents.
“Hmm.”
Simone didn't answer Louisby and checked the documents. What Simone was looking at was the log of the mansion residents' bedtime hours that Anna had given her.
Looking at the week's worth of bedtime records, she could confirm that everyone had gone to bed early as she suggested, except for the first and second days Simone arrived.
And if their bedtimes are the same today, the tree will move within an hour or two.
“Are we moving now?”
Simone shook her head at Louisby's question.
“It's coming here soon.”
“What's coming? That monster?”
Louisby scoffed, looking at the tree blocking the entrance.
“How can that move?”
If something that big could move, the mansion residents would know. But Simone just glanced at Louisby and sat back down.
“If you don't understand, just sit still. You just need to do your job well, right, inspector?”
She noticed that Louisby wanted to investigate this mansion while they were together.
Investigating is fine, but she didn't want him to pry.
Simone took her eyes off the documents and headed for the door. Then she locked the door, windows, and terrace door.
“From now on, please say everything quietly.”
Simone brought her index finger to her lips with a serious expression.
Louisby, also serious at the sudden serious expression of the one who had been relaxed all day, nodded.
“I understand.”
The atmosphere in the air suddenly changed, as if she had never been relaxed.
The room was bright with moonlight, even without lighting a candle.
‘Oh, again…….’
Louisby quietly looked at her.
Her light brown hair seemed a bit darker. Is it just an illusion because it's dark here?
It was actually because the dyeing magic was wearing off, but Louisby couldn't know that.
Simone stared intently at the tightly closed door. Louisby also looked at the door. Then he looked at Simone again.
‘Seventeen, maybe the same age as me at most.’
Louisby, who was only nineteen and on a journey to save the empire, shouldn't be saying this, but Simone is too……. to kill someone or face a monster.
Knock knock
Louisby's gaze returned to the door.
Simone immediately brought her finger to her lips, silencing Louisby once more, and carefully approached the door.
“It's here.”
It's here. Did that strange tree really move and come to find them?
He brought his hand to his sword and looked out the window. Then he couldn't help but freeze at the sight.
The tree was still blocking the entrance. The only difference was that the middle of the huge tree trunk was torn away, as if it had been rounded.
“Be careful. It's fast.”
“Come behind me. Simone.”
Knock knock.
Simone shook her head at Louisby, who was trying to protect her.
“Let it catch me.”
“……Are you serious?”
“Would I be joking in this situation?I'm scared to death, where would I have the leeway to joke?
Simone pointed to the terrace.
“Hold out here, and if I get caught, jump off the terrace and wait.”
Of course, telling an ordinary person to jump from this high place is like telling them to die, but it's possible because it's Louisby.
Louisby bit his lip and nodded.
“The thing knocking on the door now will eat me and head to the Red Tree at the main gate.”
“What is that!”
“When the monster returns to the tree, cut it down whole with the tree.”
“So why does the monster return to the tree-”
Knock knock.
Bang!!!!
Rattling, rattling, rat, rattling, rattling, rattling, knock knock, rattling, rattling, rattling, rattling, knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock rattling, rattling, rattling!
Louisby couldn't continue speaking.
While Louisby and Simone were talking, it seemed to have finally reached the end of its patience.
“Damn it!”
Louisby drew his sword.
He saw it through the crack in the door. Red eyes filled with murderous intent looking at them from beyond the door.
Even Louisby was so horrified that his mind froze, but Simone was looking at the bloodshot eyes as if she was used to it.
The bloodshot eyes curved wildly.
You said you'd open it today.
“Ah- Did I say that?”
Louisby flinched at the teasing tone, looking at Simone.
Louisby tried to stand in front of Simone again, but Simone raised her hand to stop him.
“Stay still if you don't want to die.”
Heeheeheeheek!
Eheeheeek!
Bang! Clatter, clatter, clatter! Bang!
The door shook violently and impatiently with laughter. And after a while, the door, which had already been opened as much as possible, couldn't hold on and swung open.
I'm……. I'm Archduke, heeheeheeheeek!
Simone's eyes widened for a moment and returned to normal.
The appearance of the monster she saw for the first time was stranger than she thought.
“What is this……”
Louisby couldn't finish his sentence.
I'm Archduke
You said I could eat today
Bloodshot eyes.
Covering it were the rotten and twisted skin of a woman and disheveled hair.
Human bones and skin, and blood-soaked clothes were stuck all over its body, shaking without drying.
Today, today, you said I could eat, I'm Archduke, aaaaaack!!!!!!
The legs running were not legs but human arms, and the hand stretched out towards Simone was a tree branch with pieces of skin attached.
The bizarre thing puckered its lips and ran towards Simone at a fast speed.
