As the three of them started their search, Anna, Livia's personal maid, paused for a moment, her fingers lingering on the tattered curse related book and scrolls.
Slowly she raised her head and looked at her mistress, who was carefully flipping through some old looking notes.
'Counter curse… could it be that she is trying to break the curse on her body?'
However, the person with strongest doubt about this situation was none other than Anna herself, who had served Livia for many years.
She knew, Livia Maren was under a powerful curse that bound her mind and actions to someone else entirely. And the proof was she had seen the two snakes etched on her body and when the curse activates what happens to her.
Anna was soo shocked when she first saw the snakes on Livia's body.
But what even shocked her more was Livia Maren herself because she took the curse for granted, as if it was something to be proud about. Even though this curse bounded her to someone else, she had never once felt wronged about her situation.
Anna had wondered many times if it was really okay to work in this house or work for Livia, but she couldn't quit because of many circumstances.
Anna couldn't help but wonder.
'Why?'
'Why? Why now, she was looking for a counter-curse?'
She really couldn't understand.
'What happened & What had changed?'
She couldn't understand, but Anna obeyed her mistress's order. She knew better than anyone that it was the best way to survive under Livia.
Anna clenched her fists lightly and turned back to the scattered documents. She wanted to ask but she couldn't.
Marisa, still confused but trying her best, picked up a thick book and blew the dust from its cover.
And just like that Livia and her two maids spend their all day locked away in the underground chamber.
---
"Sigh…!"
After searching almost all the important non-important books and documents, Livia slumped on the floor and let out a deep sigh.
Her whole body was covered in dust.
'Nothing'
Again She found noting.
"It's not here…"
She didn't know how many hundreds of books she had gone through, but she found nothing about "Two snakes" in any of those books.
They had come across the term "Binding curse" a few times, but whenever they did, all the materials related binding curse or pages were missing.
And this wasn't just limited to binding curses. As if the latter parts had been deliberately cut out, most of the materials lacked information about counter-curse.
A question suddenly came across Livia's mind.
'No"
Livia tried to deny it but she couldn't let go of her thought that Would a family that had only ever cursed others have even bothered to create counter-curses for those curses?
"No way…Right?"
Having come to this conclusion, the answer came quickly.
'Should I just give up…'
It was difficult enough to fully understand the materials in the basement in the first place.
Livia lacked the power to break the curse, let alone perform one.
'Was it even Maren family who cast the curse in the first place?'
'Don't tell…It wasn't even the Maren family?'
'What if it was someone from the Feliste family who learned how to curse and cast a curse on me?'
It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.
'If that's the case, it will be even harder to break the curse'
It was one of the possibilities she had been trying to avoid as much as possible.
She looked around her one last time at the piles of discarded scrolls, dusty books and the messy basement.
"I wasted all this time…" she murmured, her voice dry and strained.
"And I found noting, not even a single clue…"
Even anna and Marisa who had been searching wordlessly until now, stopped.
Her hands curled into a fist, trembling.
She didn't even know what she was feeling right now. Sad? Hopelessness? She had come this far, just desperately hoping that somewhere, somehow, there was something in this house that could help her.
"Hah"
Taking a deep breath Livia stood up, brushing the dust off from her skirts.
"Let's go back" She said quietly.
"Yes Miss" Anna and Marisa said in unison.
---
By the time they stepped out into the main hall, the sun outside had already had descended.
Just then, Lily the new maid, approached with hurried steps. Her eyes flicking nervously between Livia and the floor.
"M-Miss, Master and Madam have returned"
Just as Livia starting to feel overwhelmed, lily announced the return of the Baron and his wife. Livia looked up at Lily with dull eyes.
"Ah Lily, please greet them on my- No"
She had thought there was no need to see her parents. Livia came to her senses slightly and corrected herself in a hoarse voice.
"I will be up soon" She said simply and began walking.