A morning no different from any other dawn broke.
He got up from where he was lying and walked toward the window.
He was strikingly tall. His shoulders were broad, and his exposed arms and chest were solid.
His bare feet touching the floor made no sound, yet his presence was unmistakable.
Three layers of curtains tightly blocked the window, but when he pulled back the outermost one, a dim light seeped into the room.
It was a sign that the long, suffocating night had passed, and morning had come again.
“@#$@!@#!@#”
“!@#ㅎㄹㅇㄹㄴㅁ”
Unintelligible voices came from outside the window.
As always, he showed no interest and ignored the sound. However….
“Lady Windsor!”
When an unfamiliar name reached his ears, he instinctively sensed that something was different.
Because the cursed ones almost never called someone’s name.
And even if they did, it would scatter into an incomprehensible, hollow echo.
“Why are they making noise?”
Since being consumed by an irreversible curse, the Belmond Ducal Castle had always been silent.
A space that breathed quietly, both day and night.
A place where even time had been lost forever.
While he was conscious, he had never once heard voices like this.
He briefly considered pulling back the curtains, but his red eyes quickly lost interest and cooled.
“No need.”
It was a scenery that would not change anyway.
Trying to search for something did not suit his nature.
Knock—.
At that moment, a knock echoed from beyond the door.
“Your Grace, Head Maid ■■■ here.”
“Come in.”
The door opened, and what entered was a nanny. No—more precisely, something that had once been his nanny.
A face with nothing left. A hollow void where features should have been drew the eye.
When he first saw it, he had thought it pitiful, but now he felt nothing.
Too much time had passed for him to be shaken by such things.
He no longer even knew whether he had any capacity left for sorrow.
“How are you feeling today?”
“I’m fine.”
If the one standing there had truly been his nanny, she might have looked hurt at such a distant reply.
But now, he did not think that faceless being could feel such emotions.
And even if it could, it would likely be nothing more than imitation.
In truth, keeping distance was also a way of protecting himself. Those beings were no longer the familiar people who had shared memories with him.
“That’s a relief. I’ve brought your meal.”
The head maid, unaware of his thoughts, entered the room casually and bowed her head.
“Today’s meal is freshly baked bread and…”
“That’s enough. Good work.”
Without even looking at the tray, he offered a polite dismissal.
Because he knew that one sentence alone would make that being slightly happy.
However.
“Um…”
A different reaction than usual.
At that hesitation, something he had never seen in all those long years, his eyebrow twitched slightly.
“Your Grace.”
“What is it, Head Maid?”
Unlike her usual self, she hesitated before finally speaking.
“Forgive me… but may I clean your room?”
For decades, perhaps even centuries, no one had ever said such a thing.
He looked at her with a puzzled gaze.
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, we are conducting a large-scale cleaning of the ducal castle. We thought it might be good to refresh Your Grace’s room as well…”
“Suddenly?”
“Your fiancée, Lady Nadia Windsor… said that the ducal castle is not being properly maintained.”
After a brief silence, the corner of his lips slowly curled upward in a mocking arc.
“Foolish work.”
“…Pardon?”
He shook his head and corrected himself.
“She must be going through quite a troublesome task. My new fiancée.”
Despite the soft wording, his voice was utterly cold.
It couldn’t be helped. Once “that thing” appeared, everything would be ruined anyway.
It would never leave anyone who influenced the ducal castle alone.
However, unaware of those circumstances, the head maid seized the moment and spoke again.
“Also… Lady Windsor wishes to meet Your Grace.”
“Tell her it is not possible.”
After the flat reply, a faint addition followed.
“…I’m sorry, but I am not feeling well today.”
“Then I will relay that, Your Grace.”
“And as for the cleaning, you may ignore it as well.”
After personally sending the head maid out, he reached toward the tray with a tired expression.
He intended to throw away what would surely be the same ruined meal as always.
After all, he was a being who could survive without eating.
However.
“……?”
The breakfast before him was different.
There were no traces of decayed flesh, teeth, or fingernails—those pitiful remnants that were usually there.
No—it was more than normal. It was too normal.
Properly cooked meat, fragrant herbs, freshly baked bread.
A warm meal that did not belong in this place.
“Why has it changed?”
As he struggled to accept the sight before him, a long-forgotten voice suddenly passed through his mind.
“Edwin. Someday, someone will come who will make all this misfortune disappear. When that time comes, you will be able to be happy too.”
Without realizing it, he let out a hollow laugh.
“There’s no way, Mother.”
This world would never allow him an ordinary life. If anything, it would only drag him into greater misfortune.
The years of despair were far too long to place hope in a slightly changed meal.
And yet, there was someone struggling to change this cursed ducal castle.
That… was somewhat on his mind.
He lowered his gaze to the loosened shackles.
“Is it Tuesday today?”
The day the curse sealed within him was released. The day “that thing” roamed the ducal castle as if it were its own home.
Every Tuesday, the violently rampaging being would quickly break free, no matter how many restraints were placed on it.
He had made minimal precautions, but if left as it was, that woman—“Nadia Windsor”—would likely soon lose her life at its hands.
“Haah…”
With a sigh heavy with meaning,
He—or rather… “Edwin Belmond”—placed layer upon layer of shackles upon himself.
*****
[Ⅶ. Silence must be maintained in the ducal castle library.
The librarian, who carefully organizes books, may become severely angered even by unintentional mistakes, and this may cause you irreversible mental and physical damage.
→ Ⅷ. If you need any books or materials, please visit the ducal castle library.
The devoted librarian will gladly extend a helping hand to you.
However, noise within the library, bringing in food, or damaging books is strictly prohibited.]
As the librarian, who had learned how to properly organize books, began doing her job, a direct result also appeared in front of me.
It would probably take quite a long time to organize this entire vast library…
“Hm?”
Looking more closely… maybe not?
Whether it was true that she had been here for a long time or not, the librarian moved through the library as if she knew the location of every book.
“Since Lady Windsor has supported us like this, I will make sure to systematically reorganize the library.”
“That’s good news! Good luck.”
“I will sort out the books requested by the advisor by tomorrow morning. Once again, thank you very much, Lady Windsor.”
After saying that the library would be opened once the organization was complete, she bowed deeply.
“It’s nothing. If you need help, please let me know. See you tomor—”
“W-wait!”
A hurried voice stopped me just as I was about to turn around and leave.
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