# 24
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That night.
“Are you saying you want me to look after the baby just for one night?”
“Yes, just for one night.”
Elinor caught the maid who was returning to her room after finishing her work.
The maid was using a room on the first floor, right next to the main door, as her quarters.
Although there were empty rooms on the second floor, the first floor was being used.
The room was chosen to monitor Elinor's exit from the building.
“Will it be difficult?”
“No, no. It's not difficult, but… are you sure you want me to take care of the baby?”
The maid asked again, very surprised.
This was to be expected, as Elinor had always taken care of the child herf.
“The child’s mother has a strong attachment to the child. So do not try to take him by force, and let her do what she wants.”
Matthias had already warned her about this.
Elinor nodded.
“Since evening, I have been feeling cold symptoms. I feel like my fever will rise tonight...”
“Ah.”
“If the baby was next to me, he might catch a cold. Especially since the baby had a fever all night last time, and that was hard… cough.”
"Are you okay? If you need medicine, I'll get it for you."
“Is there medicine? I would appreciate it if you brought it.”
The maid brought a cold medicine and a cup of lukewarm water for Elinor.
After taking the medicine, Elinor handed the baby to the maid.
“Sorry for asking this.”
“It's okay at all.”
"I'm just asking you tonight. The baby now sleeps five to six hours straight at night, but he might wake up sometimes. When he does, he's hungry, so make sure you feed him milk."
“Yes, don't worry.”
The maid, who was carrying the complaining child, left after wishing Elinor comfort.
Elinor went out into the hallway to bid farewell to the child.
When the maid completely disappeared from view, her expression hardened.
Pulse, pulse.
Her heart was beating nervously.
Thinking about it, this was the first time she had been separated from the child of her own free will.
This was something she wouldn't normally do, but there was a reason for that today.
'If I move with the child and he suddenly screams, I will definitely be exposed.'
Elinor's nephew was very quiet, but still a child. He expresses his needs by crying.
It was almost impossible to move secretly at night with a crying baby.
“Besides, they won't expect me to run away without the baby.”
She was exploiting her image as someone who would never let a child off her lap.
Maybe the maid will think she's really sick.
This will be reported to Matthias in the morning.
Click.
Elinor returned to her room and closed the door first.
She was not planning to move abroad.
If Matthias had kept her on purpose, there must have been knights watching her outside the building.
Instead, she examined the walls.
According to her memories, there was a secret passage in the room where Charlotte was kept, leading directly through the wooded garden.
‘There is no guarantee that the room I am being held in is the same room in the original story…’
But if the goal is detention, it will likely be the room itf.
Even if he was evil, it was unlikely that he would have multiple detention rooms in the palace.
After inspecting the room thoroughly for thirty minutes.
"Ah...! There's something!"
Click.
Rattling.
She finally found what she was looking for.
There was a device behind the desk that opened a secret passage.
When she touched it, a hidden door appeared behind the carpet.
When the door opened, the corridor was completely dark without any light.
Even though she knew it was an escape route, she felt nervous.
gulp.
She swallowed, gathered her courage, and stepped into the corridor.
Knock, knock.
The trail was wet and narrow.
The sounds of her footsteps were echoing, making her feel a little creepy.
She was glad she didn't bring the baby.
If he had cried here, she would undoubtedly have been arrested.
But as she walked, she saw the end.
There was a door at the far other end.
Elinor gently pushed open the unlocked door.
Squeak-
“Where is this place...?”
The place looked like a warehouse.
There were large wooden boxes scattered everywhere.
While inspecting the place, she discovered a pile of swords stacked to one side. And next to it are shields.
“Is this near the training ground?”
She did not know the internal structure of the palace, so she could not determine its location.
If possible, she needed to find a map before returning to her room tonight.
I approached the door opposite the corridor.
When she put her hand on the closed door, she heard a strange sound from the other side.
“Heck, heck.”
Elinor froze.
There was someone outside.
There was only one exit door, which made the situation awkward.
After turning her eyes for a moment, she carefully touched the small window in the door.
When I lifted the curtain covering the window, a faint light filtered in.
“Haaa.”
As I expected, the place was an open indoor training ground behind the door.
The problem is that there is an unidentified person as well.
“What should I do? If I fail tonight too, I will definitely be scolded...”
A hunched figure muttered hoary.
There were stacks of parchments scattered in front of him.
Who is this?
He doesn't look like an adult, is he an apprentice as a knight?
Elinor tried to appreciate the opportunity to leave the room without being seen.
“He seems distracted, that might be possible.”
It was a shame to come back like that.
Requesting daily childcare would be suspicious, so the opportunity to explore an escape route was limited.
Therefore, she had to gather as much information as possible tonight.
Elinor stood on her tiptoes, stalking the person and waiting for the opportunity.
But perhaps she was reckless, so he pushed the door open.
Squeak-
“From there...!”
The person was surprised and jumped up.
He pulled out his sword.
The sharp blade glistened in the moonlight.
Elinor didn't expect him to have a sword, so her heart jumped violently.
“I heard your voice.”
The person rubbed his eyes, red from crying, and said:
“If you are a ghost, come out, and if you are a human, show yourf now.”
In a short moment, endless thoughts ran through Elinor's mind.
Can I escape if I hide?
But the only place to escape is the corridor you came from.
If you reveal the secret passage to a stranger...
“I'll count to three. One, two...”
The person started counting.
There is no longer any place to escape.
Elinor finally pushed open the door and showed herf.
"Who are you?"
The person frowned upon seeing Elinor. But Elinor knew immediately who he was.
Luxurious blonde hair, blue eyes, and a striking appearance even from afar.
The person was so similar to a certain person that not recognizing him would be disappointing.
‘…No.’
Maybe it's just someone who coincidentally looks like him.
Elinor decided to test it.
“I am a maid from the laundry department. I was transporting the washed clothes to the storeroom and accidentally fell asleep.”
“Did you sleep during the organization?”
“Yes. I am very sorry to disturb you so late, sir.”
“Hmph.”
The person crossed his arms and made a mocking sound. He seemed accustomed to the title “sir.”
Elinor's heart was beating hard.
The place where she was detained was actually Hilliard's mansion.
Here she encounters a member of the Duke's family by chance.