‘Even so, these people don’t seem completely normal either.’

From how they were overly suspicious of a lost child, giving sleeping pills, and talking about whether to kill someone who might be sent by the guards — it was clear they weren’t normal people either.

‘Still, if they properly built up their forces to oppose the Emperor, I might consider helping them……’

But their current actions were too amateurish to expect much. They were at a level where one swing of the Emperor’s sword would annihilate them if discovered. Getting involved with such people might lead to meeting underground friends in the blink of an eye.

‘I should escape when I see an opening.’

Being suspicious people, they definitely wouldn’t let her go if she simply asked. So it seemed better to escape however possible.

‘I should leave once I figure out which direction to go.’

Whether going back into the forest or finding another path, she needed to determine a direction before moving.

‘If I have to go into the forest, I’ll need to gather herbs that repel animals.’

Reibella thought idly, remembering the wolf howls heard throughout the night.

Then suddenly a new question arose.

‘Even if I decide on a direction…… what then?’

The Emperor and knights had abandoned her, and her family had long since fallen.

Reibella’s mind went blank as she suddenly realized she had nowhere to go even if she successfully escaped from here.

What should she do?

Reibella’s face froze cold as she newly realized her situation. 

 * * *

 Three days had passed since she stayed at Tom and Jessie’s house.

During that time, while staying with them, Reibella learned who they were and how this village had been formed.

Located deep in the forest where there were no people, this village was created by those who had nowhere else to go in the Empire. About twenty people lived here, each with their own story.

For example, Tom and Jessie had arrived here after fleeing from Tom’s forced conscription, and the unfamiliar man who had visited this house a few days ago was a deserter who had fled during the war.

There was even someone who had once been a famous furniture maker who supplied to the imperial palace. He had lost his family business after being punished because the princess got a bump from hitting her head on a desk, then turned to loan sharking and ended up hiding here unable to pay back massive debts.

The circumstances were truly varied. The common thread was that their lives had started going wrong because of the Emperor and princess, leading them to commit minor crimes after being driven into corners.

Of course, they didn’t tell these stories to Reibella directly. She had to take sleeping pills every evening, but while pretending to sleep, she overheard the stories people gathered at Tom and Jessie’s house poured out like confessions.

And today.

Reibella decided to escape.

‘Today Tom is supposed to be on guard duty with Billy.’

From observing over several days, she learned the villagers patrolled in pairs every day. It was both to protect the village together and build solidarity, and to prevent anyone from escaping alone to report to the imperial palace if they had a change of heart.

A few days ago, Tom being the first to find her was possible because it had been his day to patrol with Billy.

‘Jessie should be sleeping, right?’

Carefully putting her ear to the door, outside was quiet. With the stars that had been near the horizon now high in the sky, Jessie would surely be wandering in dreamland by now.

Whew.

After taking a small breath, Reibella bunched up the blankets to make it look like someone was sleeping in bed and opened the window. Peeking outside, fortunately there was no one guarding nearby.

It had paid off to keep pretending to sleep after taking sleeping pills over the past few days to make people lower their guard.

‘When the tree shadows were shortest, no one passed by.’

Reibella checked the shadow of the tree closest to the window and carefully climbed over the windowsill to jump down.

And as she tried to hide in the darkness…

“Emergency! Suspicious people have appeared!”

Along with the booming shout, the surroundings suddenly brightened.

In this unexpected situation, Reibella tried to immediately return to her room, but with a clunk, Jessie opened the door and entered Reibella’s room.

“Little one……?”

Biting her lip, Reibella hid her body in a nearby blind spot.

‘Please leave. Don’t go to the bed.’

If she went to the bed and discovered she wasn’t there, all her lies would be exposed. That the sleeping pills didn’t work, that she had been listening to their conversations all along.

If that happened, there were only two possible outcomes. Either she’s trapped here forever, or killed.

So she prayed they wouldn’t go to the bed, but.

“……She’s gone?”

Damn it.

In this situation, all she could do was run away hoping not to get caught.

Reibella moved her short limbs with all her might. 

 * * *

 “Here?”

“Not here.”

She could hear people’s restless voices. Reibella curled up into a ball as much as possible, covering her head with both hands while hiding deep in the bushes, afraid her body would be discovered.

“That tiny thing is playing with us.”

“That kid must have contacted outsiders. She must be with those bastards who appeared earlier.”

“How could a child who took sleeping pills escape? Was she really a trained spy?”

“Damn bastards.”

Grinding his teeth, he continued speaking.

“It was suspicious from the start. A child suddenly in the forest? Saying she doesn’t remember anything? Does that make any sense?”

“What happened to those guys who appeared earlier?”

“They seem to have come near the village. That kid must be with those guys searching around the village. Still no contact with the ones who went to check who they were?”

Listening to the conversation, they seemed to be making unreasonable misunderstandings.

‘I’ll really die if they catch me.’

First they misunderstood her as being with the guards, and now she didn’t even know who they thought she was working with. She had come too far to clear up the misunderstanding.

‘Need to get out quickly.’

Since they knew the geography better, escaping wasn’t easy.

Maybe she should have pretended to wake up and go for a walk when Jessie burst in.

‘Plus I’m out of raffle now.’

At first she had worried whether the antidote herb would work on sleeping pills, but fortunately it properly neutralized them. However, there was a limit to how long she could hold out that way. She had run out after taking the antidote herb every time they put sleeping pills in her food.

In this situation, if they gave her truth serum, there would be no going back, so escaping as soon as possible was the best option.

‘Why did suspicious people have to appear today of all days.’

At this point, she wondered if the gods were cursing her to have such terrible luck.

‘I should visit a temple sometime.’

To curse at those damn gods.

But first she had to survive and escape this place.

Just days ago she had felt completely lost about where to go, but thinking about it rationally, the choice wasn’t difficult. Reibella planned to go to the Kingdom of Baribe.

‘Since I have ways to make money, earning travel expenses shouldn’t be too hard.’

Though being in a child’s body would be quite disadvantageous, going to information brokers should work somehow. After all, she could give them any information that would make them drool.

‘The imperial palace won’t look for me anyway. I can escape.’

Given there had been no news at all, it was clear the princess wasn’t looking for her either. If the princess gave up, the Emperor would also move on thinking ‘Reibella Felicity’ was dead.

So this was her chance. A chance to escape from under the novel’s influence. The perfect timing to break free from this damn country.

Reibella had no intention of missing this opportunity. If the gods gave her a chance, she planned to take it.

‘……Are they gone?’

The voices of people talking near the bushes had faded away, and the surroundings grew quiet.

She needed to leave without missing this moment.

But something felt ominous. Though it was quiet, it felt like the calm before a storm.

As chills ran down her spine, something felt wrong……

“Little one. How long are you going to stay there?”

Damn it.

Looking up at the adults’ voices pouring down from above, a man was looking down at her with cold eyes. As Reibella raised her gaze, his eyes seemed to smile slightly before he immediately snatched up her body.

“Who are you.”

“……Ugh.”

“Who sent you? Hm? Tell me.”

As his grip on her shoulder strengthened, Reibella dug her sharpened fingernails into his arm and scratched hard. When she scratched him forcefully, he let out a loud sound and loosened his grip.

Soon seeing his scratched skin, his brow furrowed deeply. His expression was terribly fierce.

“You……!”

His voice rose as high as his hand in the sky. And that hand came down toward Reibella.

Reibella tightly shut her eyes to endure the pain that would soon come.

But……

No matter how long she waited, she felt no pain.

When she carefully opened her eyes, the man was kneeling in front of Reibella with his head hanging down.

Soon he collapsed, crumbling.

And behind him, one person.

“……Calyx Benya Trishein.”

A boy with red eyes.

“Don’t forget. It’s my name.”

He carved his name into Reibella’s heart along with the color of blood.