“I once secretly helped a young countess elope,” Mio confessed with a sly smile. “I arranged the carriage and found her a ship. Maybe that’s why I’m so confident – because I’ve done it before. And I didn’t get caught then either. I have a good eye for people and I keep things clean.”

Mio’s words sealed my decision. Over the past few days, I had seen firsthand how capable she was. She never did anything careless, and her attention to detail in the mansion left no room for doubt.

I needed a carriage and a ship, and even if I had the money, it wouldn’t be easy to find a trustworthy escape route. Mio was like a lifeline, appearing just when I needed her most.

I couldn’t keep drowning in fear, doubt, and hesitation. I had to make a decision. This was my chance and I had to take it.

“All right, Mio.”

Mio’s expression changed to something more serious and she nodded in understanding.

I found myself looking at her carefully, thinking about how much had changed since we first met. Back then, I hadn’t imagined that we would become so close. She had been sweet and cute, but that was all. Now she had become my true friend, to the point where her presence even made me think twice about running away.

“Mio, why are you helping me?”

I whispered, almost afraid to hear her answer. Her eyes flickered and I saw the familiar trust and affection she always showed me. She hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully, then finally spoke, her voice soft.

“Because… you said so, Miss Yuel.”

Her round, dark eyes looked directly at me.

“We’re friends, aren’t we? And friends help each other.”

***

“Friends help each other.”

Mio’s clear voice echoed in my mind, refusing to fade.

Her eyes, deep and dark as ripe berries, were still etched in my heart.

The events at the pool seemed like a dream as I lay on my bed staring blankly at the ceiling.

Mio had promised to let me know as soon as everything was ready. She estimated that it would take about a week to put the plan into action.

One week. It’s hard to believe. Things have happened so fast. After spending over two weeks on the first floor, I never thought an escape would come together so quickly. I’d expected to be here for at least a year, telling myself that it would be okay, that I’d have to wait for the right moment, even if it seemed impossible now.

But the impossible had become possible.

The fear hadn’t left me though. That was only natural. I was planning an escape – of course, I was afraid. It would be even odder if I wasn’t. Fear always brings new challenges.

I went over the plan again and again in my head. Everything depended on Mio now. I decided to give her some of my jewelry, one piece at a time. Mio had whispered to me that expensive items couldn’t be sold carelessly. There were secret ways of handling such things, discreet ways of selling them without arousing suspicion.

Mio, who had worked in noble households since she was very young, knew the ins and outs of Seyon’s high society better than anyone. Without her, this escape wouldn’t have been possible – something I realized now more than ever.

Knock, knock.

“Yuel?”

It was Noel. While I was lost in thought, the day had passed and it was time for dinner. Normally I would be sitting in the large living room at this time, so it had been a while since Noel had to come and fetch me.

Theo had been very busy lately and the demands of his work often kept him busy well into the afternoon and evening. When I had asked him if he was busy, he had simply replied, “A bit, yes.”

The more preoccupied Theo was, the better it was for me. The more I thought about it, the more I knew this was the moment I had to seize. It was the perfect opportunity.

“Are you in your room?”

Noel’s voice came from the door again. I couldn’t help laughing. He knew I was here, thanks to the mirror on the wall – a hidden camera watching my every move. His act of pretending not to know was irritating and absurd.

My feelings towards him were a whirlwind of contradictions. There was hatred, resentment, but also moments of pity and frustration, all intertwined with a strange attachment I couldn’t quite shake. It was as if I was trapped in a never-ending cycle of love and hate.

The question was ridiculous. If no one was in the room, who was going to answer it? Grumbling inwardly, I got out of bed and made my way to the door. When I opened it, Noel was standing there, looking straight at me.

“Noel.”

“It’s time for dinner.”

“I don’t have much of an appetite today.”

I knew Mio was in the kitchen now, preparing dinner. The last thing I didn’t want was to sit at the table with Noel and Mio. I feared that even the slightest strange expression on my face would give away everything. This plan couldn’t fail—if it did, Mio and I would be in danger.

If that happened, I wasn’t sure if I could bear it.

“Are you feeling all right?”

Noel asked, his voice full of concern as he gently placed his hand on my forehead. His large, warm hand covered my entire forehead and even part of my eyes. The touch was almost soothing, yet I felt an overwhelming surge of impulse rise within me – a primal need to alleviate this crushing fear, to find a way to survive. The idea of getting closer to the enemy, of blending in and lowering his guard, tempted me. If I could stay close to Noel, to Theo, I might be able to push this crushing fear away.

It was reckless, even dangerous, but in that moment I considered it.

I nuzzled my face into Noel’s hand and I could feel him tensing slightly.

“I’m not sick.”

I whispered. Noel slowly pulled his hand away from my forehead.

“I’m just not hungry, that’s all,” I added, my voice barely audible.

Noel nodded silently, his eyes never leaving my face. His expression was the unmistakable look of a man completely in love. A part of me wanted to mock him, to laugh at his foolishness, but I couldn’t. Wasn’t I just as foolish when it came to love?

I reached up and gently stroked the sharp line of his jaw. A faint shadow of stubble had begun to appear along his chin. As my fingers brushed his jaw, I saw his lips tighten, and his expression harden. The touch lingered between us, thick with tension, and in that moment I knew how much power I had over him.

My hand slid down from his jaw to rest on his shoulder, feeling the taut muscles under his skin. I spoke softly, almost teasingly.

“Hasn’t it been too long since we had s*x, Noel?”

***

Before either of us could fully process it, our lips met in a heated kiss. His lips captured mine and his tongue quickly sought entry, to which I eagerly responded. Our tongues intertwined, wet and warm, only parting briefly to catch our breath. Soft, contented sighs escaped from both of us.

Noel gently guided me to the bed, his hands working to remove my clothes as we moved. Each time a piece of clothing was removed, our lips parted for a moment, only to meet again, more hungry and desperate than before. Before I knew it, I was completely n*ked. As soon as our lips parted, Noel dove back in, his kiss ravenous, as if starved for contact.

The more active I became in s*x, the more my fear seemed to disappear. We were so close and he had no idea what was going through my mind.

I took his hand and brought it up to rest on my br*ast. His large hands cupped my full br*asts, squeezing them and pinching my ni*pples between his fingers. My n*pples tingled as they were squeezed between his thick, hard fingers.

“Ugh…!”

I moaned, pushing my br*asts further into him. My body slid down onto the bed. My legs were spread wide and Noel buried his face between my spread legs at the foot of the bed.

His pointed tongue licked my p*ssy. He circled my cl*t, licking it, pressing it hard with the back of his tongue, stimulating it. My juices poured out, wetting my hole, and he pushed his tongue in again and again as if he could lick it all up.

“Ahhh… Noel, hhhh!”

He gripped the sheets as he writhed in pleasure. My fear faded as the pleasure took over until it was gone.

I will succeed. When I get to Arkel, I’m going to report this poor man, have him extradited, and make sure his connection to Seyon is thoroughly investigated. I’ll make sure he continues to receive the mental treatment he needs. Everything will be back to normal.

I could feel Noel’s tongue licking my stretched p*ssy. I lifted my upper body and pulled him towards me. He lay down on the bed, drawn to my touch. He looked up at me with questioning eyes.

I smiled at him and reached down to take his hard, er*ect p*nis in my hand. The hot, hard shaft nodded in my hand.

“Ah, ugh, Yuel… you don’t have to do that.”

Despite Noel’s protests, I took his p*nis and swallowed it deeply.

“Hmph…!”

His p*nis got bigger. My jaw felt like it was going to fall off, but I s*cked his c*ck with more enthusiasm than usual. I stuck my tongue out, licking the bulging veins, licking the sensitive flesh beneath the gl*ns.

“Ahh… Noel, I want you to put this inside me.”