Aside from the guilt, I was able to sleep soundly that day without even dreaming with the relief that I had solved everything.
When I woke up, none of the three brothers called me or asked me not to leave the mansion. When no one was looking for me, I felt a little lighter. It seems that I am now free.
Now all that’s left is to get ready to leave.
I erased Isley’s face that kept coming to my mind and checked that I had properly packed my belongings with Yuria. It was perfect and nothing was missing.
After checking, I said goodbye to my close friends in advance. My friends Marie and Amy, with two other people, Bianca with her sister, and Emilia Pouch, who always took care of us.
They were sad that we were leaving, but they wished us luck.
Among them, it can be said that Emily was particularly regretful.
She was so upset that she burst into tears at the news that we were leaving.
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and said comforting words.
“Aunt Emily, don’t cry. It’s not like you’ll never see us in your lifetime. Even if we leave, we can always come to see aunt, and you can come to see us if you want. Don’t be too sad. As before, I will write you a letter.”
“I know, I know. I understand all the reasons you have to leave and the desire to do so. Still… It is so sad to say that I have to go away from you again.”
It was the first time I had seen her weep, when our parents died and after escaping from Count Nigor’s mansion.
As I wandered around to say goodbye, the sun was setting quickly and night came. Yuria and I went back to the room and got ready to sleep.
I changed clothes and lay down on the bed.
In the dark room, looking at the ceiling painted in pitch black, we talked about the future.
The conversation started with me.
“When we leave the mansion, I want to leave the Empire. A lot of things happened here. Really… There’s so much to do, I’m sick of staying here any longer.”
When I said that, Yuria burst out a small laugh.
“Then let’s go and live in a country far away from the Empire. Lala is fine wherever you want it to be. Instead, I want to live where I can see the sea. I’ve only seen it in books, never been there. Wait a minute! So what about our parents’ graves?”
“We can’t leave our parents behind. Dig a grave and cremate the bones. We can put the ashes in a small bottle and carry it with us.”
“Yes. great.”
“Yuria, because you like to make clothes… It would be a good idea to set up a clothing store where we settle down.”
“A clothes store? no! I mean, I’m not good at it yet. How can I open a store with my skills?”
“Then there is nothing you can do. Let’s make it small, very small.”
“How do we set it up first?”
“How about you? You also received a lot of money from Duke… Why don’t you use that money to open a store and hire a designer to teach you?”
“Maybe then…. No, though… A little….”
The more we talked, the less Yuria’s voice became. Suddenly, her voice faded completely. When I turned my head, I saw her sleeping soundly with her head buried in the pillow.
“… Good night.”
I gently stroked Yuria’s hair and closed my eyes.
And that night, I woke up to a rustling sound. When I woke up, I couldn’t hear the stinging noises in my ears anymore. What time is it now? It was still dark outside the window, and the clock on one wall was pointing to one in the morning. I lay on the bed and looked around, realizing a big change, I jumped up from my seat.
“… Yuria?”
Yuria, who was lying next to me, was nowhere to be seen.
I reached out and patted the seat next to him.
As if to inform that it had already been a long time since she had left, the place where Yuria was lying was cold.
“No….”
There is no Yuria, not visible. She must have been sleeping next to me a few hours ago.
Unexplained anxiety began to swirl as a soft, cold touch wrapped around my hand. Swallowing the fear of trying to come out of her mouth, I rose from my seat.
“She have nowhere to go… Did she go to the bathroom?”
The guest room was different from the room I used when I was a maid, and the bathroom was built inside the room. I got out of bed, crumpled my shoes, and went to the bathroom. I knocked on the door and called Yuria’s name, but there was no answer. As soon as I opened the bathroom door, the dark landscape of the bathroom greeted me.
Why?
Suddenly, I was short of breath and started sweating. I raised my hand and wiped the sweat from my forehead and went outside. A strange silence lingered in the empty hallway. A cool breeze blew from the open window and tickled my forehead. As the sweat cools, a cool breeze lingers. The energy made my heart tremble.
Why not? Why can’t I see it? Where did you go?
Maybe, maybe…
What did the young masters do?
Suddenly, a scene from the original came to mind.
Yuria, my loved one and only sister, and the young masters felt that Layla was like a thorn in their eyes. So she kidnapped Yuria and locked her up without my knowledge. She begs for forgiveness, begs for her life, and Rain plays with Layla as a toy, which they brutally kill. In front of Yuria, who was worried about her missing sister after doing such a thing, they just pretended not to know anything, and pretended to be worried about her sister.
Could it be that Yuria was also kidnapped? Unlike the original, young masters showed interest in me. Then there was nothing strange about Layla’s role being transferred to Yuria. I heard the rustling that I might have heard before waking up from my sleep. Was that a message of rescue from Yuria in danger?
As I thought about it, I shook my head.
“No. Don’t be anxious. The duke promised to get us out of the mansion safely. She said she didn’t do any damage. So until then we are safe. And Osses, Arthur, and Isley all solved. They have no reason to stop me now.”
The hand holding the doorknob is trembling.
“They won’t do that.”
But why am I so anxious? Why am I so scared? I already know why. Because bad things happen when I try to twist the story. As if the god who created this world is trying to protect the original. It’s like you’re angering me for trying to destroy the story you’ve made precious. What if something like this happens again? What if Yuria is stolen?
Yuria…
“Stop.”
I raised both hands and slapped them hard on the cheek.
I feel a tingling pain.
“Stop…. Stop thinking and first calm down.”
In an emotional state, judgment is clouded. Whether Yuria was kidnapped or not, nothing could be resolved in this state. I lowered his head and repeated deep breathing until my heart, which was beating at a high speed, returned to its original speed. When I calmed down, someone knocked on the door.
I slowly lifted my head.
“Who is it?”
“Lala, it’s me.”
“Amy? What happened all of a sudden?”
“I came here because I have something to tell you. Come with me.”
What happened to Amy all of a sudden? She should have said goodbye already. Yuria, who suddenly disappeared, and Amy, who unexpectedly came to the room. Feeling strange, I couldn’t open the door easily, but moved my hand at her prompt. As long as I stood still, I didn’t know anything. When I opened the door, I saw Amy holding a candlestick. A white flickering candle lit her face and pajama orange.
“Hello, good night.”
“… Yeah.”
Amy smiled brightly when our eyes met. And then she grabs my hand and leads me somewhere. As we moved, I heard the rustling of the carpet and crumpled shoes in her hallway. The empty hallway without a single person had the characteristic of resonating, so the sound of footsteps seemed louder than usual. I followed her and asked her questions.
“What’s going on? Didn’t you say you had something to say?”
“Well… that’s right. But now I can’t tell. I’ll let you know when we get to the destination.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“Secret.”
“When I woke up, Yuria suddenly disappeared. Maybe it has anything to do with you? Will she be there when I get there?”
“Well. There may or may not be.”
Amy spoke bluntly, but did not give a proper answer. But the answer gave me confidence that Yuria was in the place we were heading. If she hadn’t been with Yuria, she would have asked what I was talking about instead of saying that to my question. At least it was said that young masters did not take her. Realizing this, my anxiety slowly subsided and I was able to come to the conclusion that Amy was up to something with Yuria.
What are you doing this for? Why are you not telling me and keeping it secret? No matter how much I think about it, nothing is predictable. After walking for a while, I realized that we were going to the hostel used by the maids. Amy and I stopped at Marie’s room on the second floor of the hostel. A noise that was presumed to be the sound of laughter or conversation could be heard in the room.
Apparently, there were not only one or two people involved in this plan. Or, Amy blows through her mouth, blows out the candle she was holding, and opens the door. cackle… The old, stiff door opened with a loud noise. As soon as the door opened, a bright light poured in from within, and paper petals were scattered.
“Come on!”
As the petals subsided, I saw Yuria holding a whipped cream cake with two candles in it and the people around her. Marie and Yuria’s timid roommates, Bianca and Aunt Emily…. There was even Lemon.
In the middle of the room was a table that looked like it had been borrowed from somewhere.
Food other than cakes are lined up on top of it. It was bread that was often served in the dining room and fruits that kept freshness in moderation.
“Layla, surprise!”
Amy smiled broadly as I reached out towards the crowd.
