“But this is still improper, Administrator. What if someone unknowingly went in without realizing there was such a dreadful curse?”

Benjamine raised her voice, then quickly glanced at Cecilia.

When Cecilia frowned, Benjamine blinked and lowered her voice.

“If something were to happen…”

Hoffman was now certain.

The control between the Madam and the Elder Missus clearly lay with the Madam.

‘There’s no need to concern myself with the Elder Missus.’

Hoffman mentally revised the relationship map in his head.

“There are safety measures in place, so nothing of the sort will happen.”

Benjamine asked with a slight smirk.

“Are you saying there’s absolutely no chance of anyone accidentally entering?”

“Yes. There have been no victims of the curse for decades. The curse exists, but it is thoroughly managed.”

Cecilia found it strange.

‘I don’t recall hearing anything like this from Hoffman in my previous life.’

Had her nanny kept Hoffman from visiting her?

‘Maybe I was the one who ordered it.’

She usually left minor matters to her nanny, saying things like, ‘Nanny, you should just handle it’ or ‘You should just meet them on my behalf.’

‘Either Nanny didn’t pass on the information, or she mentioned it in passing, and I missed it.’

For Cecilia, who had spent all her time in her bedroom, it wouldn’t have mattered whether there were restricted areas or not.

“You mentioned a red door. Is that a symbol of some kind?”

“No. There really is a red door.”

“Have you seen it?”

“As I said, no one is allowed to go near it. If I had seen the red door, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

‘Surely it can’t be the door I saw.’

Cecilia had approached the dark red door, almost close enough to touch it.

She had felt a strong curiosity.

But she didn’t think that level of curiosity would be called being ‘enchanted’.

‘I didn’t see any safety measures. Besides, that man also came right up to that door.’

“There’s something I don’t quite understand.”

“Please ask.”

“How can you know there’s a red door if you’ve never seen it, and who would have seen the bodies of those who entered, if no one can go inside?”

“Ah… well…”

Hoffman hesitated for a moment before responding.

“Only the Lord of Lagos Castle is immune to the curse, passed down through generations.”

Cecilia’s eyes wavered.

‘Ah…’

She remembered what that man had said.

 

⌜How did you even get in here?⌟

 

Cecilia had felt as though he was interrogating her.

To be honest, she had been offended at the time.

She thought he was being petty, blaming her for making him go through the trouble of looking for her.

But what if he had genuinely wanted to know how she had entered?

‘Could that red door really have been the one he was talking about?’

She somehow felt that saying, ‘I went right up to that door,’ would not be a good idea here.

From what she could tell, the lord hadn’t told Hoffman about it.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

“You’ve done well. If I have more questions, I’ll ask His Lordship.”

Hoffman’s eyes widened.

“Ah… Yes, His Lordship … I understand.”

“And this afternoon, I’m planning to tour the castle, so I’ll need someone to guide me.”

“Yes, Madam.”

After Hoffman left, Benjamine spoke up in a dissatisfied tone.

“Do you really believe all that talk about curses, Miss? It’s too far-fetched. It just sounds like a made-up story to keep people out. Don’t you think so, too?”

The maids nodded.

It wasn’t a forced response.

Their faces also showed disbelief.

“And on top of that, only the Lord is immune to the curse? It’s all too… obvious.”

After she spoke, Benjamine looked quite pleased with herself.

She thought her deduction was rather impressive.

If Cecilia had only heard the story, she might have thought the same as Benjamine.

But she had seen that door.

Even if she hadn’t been ‘enchanted’ as Hoffman described, she had sensed that there was some significant secret beyond that door.

‘I even heard strange sounds there… Was that just my imagination?’

“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter, Nanny. The restricted areas are part of the rules of Lagos Castle. We must follow them. That goes for you and the maids. Understood?”

Benjamine and the maids answered.

“And Nanny.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Make sure to pass on what you heard today to the servants and knights from the grand ducal estate who aren’t here. Be very clear. If they enter a restricted area and get into trouble, they are responsible for it.”

“Yes, Miss.”