Chapter 29

“You’re sleeping well.”

I heard a voice that seemed to sound like sarcasm. But there was a faint warmth like the spring sunlight beneath it.

I forced open my eyes that were hard to open. My head was heavy. A familiar figure appeared in the blurred vision. Mother was standing in front of me, with my vision was getting clearer.

With the window closed and her arms crossed, mother looked outside like a painting. But somehow, I feel like I can’t reach her even if I reach out my hand. Even though our distance is very close.

I stared blankly at mother and immediately turned my eyes around. Somehow the surroundings were familiar. Surprisingly, the place where I was lying was my room when I was in the capital before. The house back then when expensive dresses were worn in the morning and burned in the evening.

When did I get here?

“Mother…”

“Wake up. What are you doing there like a fool?”

Mother’s gaze was fixed on me. The red eyes are pressuring me.

“Ah.”

“Come on, get up.”

Staring foolishly, I forced myself up from the cold bed.

“That’s right. I must have fallen asleep.”

“You are my daughter, Carbella. Don’t forget that.”

I don’t know what her words mean. Then what am I if I am not her daughter? Of course, even if she adopted me, I must be her daughter.

“I know it well. Of course…”

Sriing.

Suddenly, I felt severe tinnitus. I crouched down with my hands wrapped around my head, feeling like my head was being ripped apart.

Gasp. Gasp. 

I felt out of breath. The words mother had just said a while ago often resonated with tinnitus. My head hurts. It’s annoying. I closed my eyes tightly in displeasure. Suddenly, I felt a damp feeling on my cheek. But it wasn’t just the feeling.

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a semi-wet bed. It seems that I was sweating non-stop while losing my consciousness. The unpleasant moisture that had escaped from my body pervaded the bed.

“…”

I forced myself to stand up. I wonder what happened while I passed out. When I looked at the place where mother might have been a while ago, there was only a wall without a window.

Now that I am already conscious, I should be aware that this was not a dream, but I was still confused. It felt more like a forced thought than a dream. So I thought it was really something I saw and felt.

But everything I see in front of me is unfamiliar, so even that must be my misunderstanding. This place, which was my subconscious room, was an unfamiliar room I had never seen before.

It’s clear that I was kidnapped, but I haven’t tied anywhere, and when I lowered my hand under my pelvis, the dagger I always carry was still there.

I got up from my seat and looked around. The fever was still bothering me. Strangely, I felt like there was a fog in my head. I don’t know if it’s because of the aftermath of the flu or if they’ve done anything to me.

But there was no time to waste. I had to finish catching up before anyone came in. A bed, a nightstand, two chairs, and a table. It was modest but luxurious.

I stared at them and looked at the door. I deliberately didn’t hold the doorknob because if someone was guarding outside, they would know I was up. I tore the hem of my dress with the dagger as quiet as possible until it revealed my knees.

Smiled bitterly at it, I tied my hastily cut dress into a long tie. Then, two chairs were crossed up on the table opposite the door.  The length was adjusted by tying it to the chair above the table. It wasn’t tight enough as I expected, but the length of it was quite long. There was plenty left right in front of the door.

After the preparations were made, a simple lamp from the nightstand and everything that could produce ambient sounds were placed on the top of the chair. Seeing that no one came even after I did this, I either woke up faster than they expected, they didn’t have any guards, or they were lazy.

I climbed onto another side table close to the door. It was the place where the vase had been raised a while ago. Then I tightened the dress string tied to the chair. On the other hand, I gripped the dagger.

One, two…

Three.

Kling. Klang!

The vase broke, and things poured down from the table, making a loud noise that hurt your ears. At the same time, the door swung open.

“What!”

The moment. There was only one chance.

I hit the back of his neck with the dagger as hard as I could before he noticed and turned around. The man who was hit at the vital point fell to the floor without making a sound.

I thought there would be about two people guarding, so I immediately removed the dagger sheath. Fortunately, there was only one man. I guess they thought one man could handle a skinny girl by himself. Still, I didn’t think they thought like that when they had already gone through all the hardships. Or maybe because of the lack of information?

When I slammed him with the determination that I would die if I didn’t succeed, I felt my arm tingling with tension. I lifted my tingling arm and swept my wet hair, drenched in a cold sweat, to the back. Taking a deep breath, I looked down at the fallen man.

“… it’s nothing.”

My hands trembled. I stepped on the man who had fallen before me and walked out the door. Unfortunately, leaving the room was not the end. When I left the room, the hallway wasn’t wide, but it was like a maze. There were hallways here and there in the front and back, and after that, there was another hallway.

Anyone who knows this road would have passed without hesitation, but I, as a first-timer, didn’t. Fortunately, the hallway in Bei is like this. Of course, it’s a little wider and more luxurious, and there are a lot more hallways. Those who went there for the first time couldn’t help but get lost. The door wasn’t the only one you had to open. There were more than ten doors in the hallway alone. Is there anyone else who is trapped like me at this moment? Thinking about it, I quickly shook my head.

What am I thinking about?

The damn fever doesn’t think about going down. It was so hot that I wanted to take off all my clothes, but it would make me get cold again. I have to hold on until Sir Shubart comes to rescue me. I bit my lips to the point of bleeding to make me come to my senses. Even after doing that, my mind was still not clear, so I opened the sheath again.

“Ah, I hate it.”

I closed my eyes tightly and held the sharp edge of the dagger. When I pulled the dagger slightly to the other side, I felt a different feeling and pain simultaneously. The blood from my palm fell on the hallway carpet.

It was then.

“A beautiful lady has a hot temper.”

“…”

With a sly voice, I stopped walking and raised my head. A slender man with gray eyes looked sharp, with long red hair, a slanted corner of the mouth, and smooth, slightly tanned skin.

“Well, why did you steal our children’s keys? Dear noble Lady.”

He said as he crossed his arms and leaned hard against the wall. I stared at him and took a deep breath.

“…Lady, who are you?”

What about the kidnapping and getting out of here? It would have been better to just send someone. Then the man looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t you get scared?” He asked sarcastically.

I approached him fearlessly. Of course, I know I’m a bit of a mess right now, but I don’t need to look good.

“You could’ve talked about it nicely.”

“You even talked informally now…?”

“Same age.”

“What?”

Whether he was surprised or not, I looked down at my body as I spoke. I think a beggar would be better than me now. I patted on my dirty clothes.

“You and I are the same age. So you don’t have to talk formally to me either.”

The man who had been staring at me like he was stunned suddenly grabbed his stomach and burst into laughter. He, who had been laughing like crying, wiping the corners of his eyes.

“Who are you?”

“First of all, I’m sorry I stole the key. I don’t know how to reach you because I don’t have a connection with you.”

I confessed frankly. Then he looked at me curiously, perhaps interested.

“So you stole the key to see me?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry for other things.”

“What?”

“Do you have any clothes for me to wear? I will pay for it.”

It’s hard for me to talk like this. Then the man laughed again.