Surviving in the Cursed Mansion

Chapter 21: Two Royals (1)

Rain poured down like a waterfall, relentless and harsh, just like the day that child was cast out. The heavy downpour showed no mercy as it battered her entire body.

“Move!”

I urged the horse desperately.

It had been ages since I last wore riding clothes. I had spent so much time indulging in social gatherings that I had neglected the basics of etiquette and refinement.

I was the complete opposite of that child, who had surprisingly been diligent in their studies and fundamental manners. Perhaps that was why Father favored them—because of their reliability.

If I had known such a situation would befall me, I might have taken things more seriously.

“Catch her!”

“We can’t show our faces to His Majesty if we lose her again this time!”

“Damn it…!”

The woman who let out a groan was Arsente Grancia, a former imperial princess.

Originally the First Princess of the Empire, she had been stripped of her royal title upon marrying the Marquis of Grancia. 

However, on the very night of their wedding, the marquis was poisoned, and under imperial law, she inherited his title.

Even as a new power arose in the empire, her situation remained precarious. 

Since she still retained her claim to the throne, she lived in constant fear of assassination attempts.

So she ran away.

To survive, she decided she needed to rally forces and strike back against the imperial power.

But her future of returning to her territory seemed increasingly out of reach. Escape routes were swiftly blocked, and the only haven left to her was the royal fief that had belonged to her youngest sibling.

“According to the rumors, they’re not dead… are they?”

Somehow, she needed to feign cooperation and gain control over her sibling. The more power she amassed, the better her chances.

That had been the plan. Yet, even before she could begin searching for her sibling, she found herself facing death. 

Lost in a forest so dense it was like a net covering the sky, her chances of being erased without a trace were high.

“Ugh…!”

Whinny!

Suddenly, her horse swerved sharply. If she hadn’t been holding the reins tightly, she would have fallen off.

“Now even the horse is acting up?!”

She felt indignant and was about to scold the animal when she realized the horse’s instinctive actions had shaken off the emperor’s knights pursuing her.

“Hah… Hah…”

Eventually, the canopy of branches and leaves gave way to reveal the cloudy sky. At the same time, Arsente was captivated by an unexpected sight.

An enormous mansion, rivaling the grandeur of the imperial palace, came into view.

Her horse, as if it had an agreement with the mansion, made its way toward it.

“A mansion like this, and no one knows about it? Even if it’s part of the royal fief, this is strange.”

A mansion of this scale could have been developed for tourism or used as an exclusive royal retreat.

Whatever the case, it was a stroke of luck.

At first, the horse guided Arsente, but now she was intentionally steering it toward the mansion.

“If it’s here… I might be able to fight back.”

Arsente was still a member of the royal family.

Although it had been a long time since she’d trained, the expansive grounds of the mansion could be used for an ambush, perhaps allowing her to deal with her pursuers.

Her horse didn’t have infinite stamina, and she would eventually be caught anyway…

“…Let’s go.”

After tying her horse nearby, Arsente opened the mansion’s door and stepped inside.

…

……

Later.

When her pursuers reached the mansion’s front gates, the sound of a scream—one that no one could hear—melted into the ground along with the falling rain.

***

“What… is this…?”

Just as I returned from the world of the painting, the butler froze at a sudden message.

[A new guest has arrived at the mansion.]

Just one line.

There were no specific guidelines or details included in the notification.

The butler, whose expression had been grave until just a moment ago, furrowed his brows even deeper. I tilted my head in confusion at his reaction.

“What’s wrong, Butler?”

“…A new guest has arrived at the mansion.”

“W-What? Could it be…?”

I had an inkling.

I thought the assassins had taken too long to show up, but perhaps they’d finally figured out the mansion’s location after wandering aimlessly.

Srring!

I drew a real sword from the leather pouch at my side. I swung it in the air a few times, almost like performing a sword dance.

“Alright… Just like last time.”

The physical enhancements from the painting world worked here too. With this strength, I could handle assassins as easily as twisting a child’s wrist.

“Let’s go, Butler!”

“As you wish, my lady.”

The portraits in the mansion followed us with their gazes as we descended the stairs. 

The countless unseen stares within the empty mansion created a strange sense of unease.

We ignored it and continued down.

“Ugh… Everything’s soaked. I hope I can find some dry clothes to wear.”

Drip. Drip. Drip.

At the mansion’s entrance, water dripped from the new guest’s clothes as she grumbled.

The woman had the same golden hair and red eyes as I did. If I still looked like a young girl, her appearance was that of a mature maiden radiating sophistication.

When our eyes finally met, we both gasped, freezing in place.

“…Sister?”

“You…?”

The guest was the first to break into a smile.

“Arschella!”

Hearing her call me that name, the butler was baffled. But then he recalled that it was the nickname Father used to call me.

In other words, Arschella was my real name.

“Sister Arsente… Why are you here?”

“Me? Well, probably for the same reason as you. That wretched brother of ours wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“I see…”

The butler couldn’t believe what he was seeing—me, using formal speech. As he stood there, still processing the scene, Arsente noticed him.

“Who’s this, Arschella?”

“…The butler.”

“Wait, is this mansion actually owned? What family does it belong to?”

“Arkaden.”

“Never heard of it. What kind of obscure family is that?”

“I wonder.”

I gave her a brief reply and turned my back.

“Let’s go, Butler.”

“Yes, Asche.”

The atmosphere was somewhat rigid. Each had their own grave circumstances, so the butler refrained from prying.

As they began ascending the stairs, Arsente’s sharp voice rang out from below.

“Hey, you there! The one called butler!”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Perfect. Bring me a dress to wear, will you? The size doesn’t have to be exact, as long as it fits reasonably well.”

Arsente and Asche had similar body types, as one might expect of sisters. Therefore, the butler turned to Asche.

“Asche, there are leftover dresses from Maid A’s room, correct?”

“There are.”

“Then it would be good to provide one.”

“…Fine.”

Asche pulled one of Maid A’s dresses from her leather pouch, which was much smaller in volume than the dress itself. Arsente’s eyes nearly popped out of her head in astonishment.

“Good heavens, Arschella. What sort of magic did you learn?”

“It’s not magic; it’s an artifact. If it works for you, go ahead and wear it.”

“Wow, it’s dripping with jewels. It’s heavy, too.”

Arsente gave a genial smile and then said, “Would you mind helping me put it on?”

“Alright.”

Guiding her sister, Asche instructed the butler.

“Go ahead to the second floor, butler.”

“As you wish.”

Asche entered one of the rooms with Arsente. Her demeanor was unusually calm and subdued.

***

Arsente discarded her soaked undergarments and changed into a fresh set. The fabric wasn’t of the highest quality, and her skin stung slightly.

Still, she made a point of not showing her discomfort.

“It’s nice to see you, little sister. Never thought I’d run into you in a place like this.”

“The same goes for me.”

“By the way, did you take care of the assassins who were after you? Impressive.”

“The assassins…”

Asche trailed off.

Now that she thought about it, the assassins hadn’t appeared. No matter how remote this mansion was, it was hard to believe it could go unnoticed for so long.

“Why did you stop mid-sentence?”

Arsente’s comment snapped Asche out of her thoughts.

“…If you haven’t heard anything about them, that must be the case.”

“Of course! There have been no reports for ages, and our brother was furious about it. So there was a reason, after all?”

“I suppose…”

She had deliberately tested her, but Arsente showed no signs of lying.

Assassins she had never encountered had disappeared—what a peculiar turn of events.

“By the way, why is this mansion so eerily quiet? It’s the middle of the day, yet there isn’t a single servant wandering about.”

“Before that.”

“Hm?”

“How did you end up coming to this mansion, Sister?”

Though her tone hinted at suspicion, Arsente brushed it off lightly and explained.

“The only path left open was the one that led here. On the way, my horse turned toward this place on its own. Smart creature, isn’t it? Truly like its owner.”

Asche resisted the urge to snap back, Just as clever as you, Sister—not at all.

She even considered applauding Arsente for the sheer stupidity of visiting a place she knew nothing about.

The pattern of arrivals to the mansion was always the same, so Asche refrained from actually voicing her thoughts.

“Anyway, that’s not important, is it? Why is it so quiet here, in a place this ridiculously large?”

“Because there are no servants.”

“Then what about that butler? Just an illusion?”

“He’s the only one here.”

“What did you say?”

Arsente’s face turned serious.

“Then this is just illegal squatting, isn’t it?”

“I wish it were that simple, Sister.”

With her body mostly dried and the dress fitted, Asche decided it was time to teach her foolish sibling the reality of the situation.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The help I just gave you was my last gesture of kindness. Regardless of our circumstances, we share royal blood, and I felt it necessary to preserve your dignity.”

“You… What kind of tone is that to take with your elder sister…!”

“Get a grip, Arsente!”

“…”

Arsente swallowed hard, startled by Asche’s forceful tone.

Asche, who had never once raised her voice to her elder siblings, had suddenly shouted at her. The shock hit twice as hard.

“This place. It’s not somewhere you can maintain the elegant composure you pride yourself on.”

“Arschella…?”

“Did you think I was oblivious, playing along like some pet for Father? I’ve known for a long time that he viewed me as a thorn in his side.”

Arsente struggled to process the change in Asche’s demeanor. Perhaps finding her sister’s disbelief ridiculous, Asche’s expression hardened further.

“Even knowing all that, let me give you some advice.”

It was her final act of sibling affection.

“Sister, you’re trapped.”