Chương 103: Chapter 98: Escape Plan

Lira let the silence linger for a few moments before raising one hazy hand and pointing toward the blonde girl still clutching the candle. Through the concealment spell, they probably saw nothing more than a ghostly outline drifting through the darkness.

"You." The girl flinched.

"What's your name?"

"Cosette..." she answered, swallowing nervously.

"... My lady."

"Cosette." Lira nodded.

"Congratulations. Until you leave Halthar, you are Lady Cosette." The blonde frowned.

"A... lady?"

"A lady," Lira confirmed.

"A traveling noblewoman will receive far less scrutiny than a group of frightened common girls." She clasped her hands behind her back.

"You'll wear the finest clothes among all of you. Let Mina and Eve do almost all the talking. Your job is to smile politely, complain about the state of the roads every now and then, and otherwise say as little as possible."

"Why me?"

"Because you already carry yourself like one." Lira tilted her head slightly.

"Your posture and mannerisms are almost perfect." The girl instinctively straightened her back even further. Yes... she would do just fine. Lira shifted her attention toward the mousy brunette who had spoken earlier.

"You." The girl immediately stood straighter.

"What's your name?"

"Hiba."

"Hiba." Lira studied the servant's dress she was wearing before giving a satisfied nod.

"You'll leave with Eve at first light." She pointed vaguely toward the western district.

"There's a secondhand clothing shop on Parker Street. The owner buys wardrobes from bankrupt nobles, dismissed servants, and traveling merchants. Purchase servant uniforms for everyone except Cosette." She glanced toward the blonde.

"She'll need a proper traveling outfit suitable for the daughter of a lesser noble or a wealthy merchant." Hiba nodded carefully.

"Take five silver from the pouch."

"So little?" she asked.

"The less money you appear to possess, the safer you'll be."

"Five silver should be enough," Eve said confidently.

"The noble clothes will cost the most, but I know how to haggle." Lira raised an eyebrow.

"I'll make us look like a family that's fallen on hard times," Eve continued.

"Plenty of lesser nobles have been losing their fortunes lately. Nobody will question servants wearing patched uniforms as long as the young lady still looks respectable."

"Make sure to hide behind Hiba when you speak to the merchant," Lira warned.

"Unlike her, your clothes are telling another story." Eve flushed, then nodded. Lira couldn't help smiling. She liked the girl's way of thinking. In another life, she would have gladly hired someone like Eve. If she had remained Pallan's apprentice instead of becoming a palace maid, someone with quick wits and practical instincts would have been invaluable in a criminal syndicate.

Unfortunately, there was no place for her within Castle Elthram, and besides, the rest of these women would need Eve's intelligence far more than Lira ever could. Her attention shifted toward Mina. The older woman's sleeves remained stained with dried blood, and beside her sat the injured girl with her arm secured inside the crude sling. The poor thing had barely spoken since Lira arrived. If only she knew a healing spell.

Watching Deren had given her several ideas, and she was confident she could eventually develop one herself. Unfortunately, creating healing magic from scratch wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. She lacked both the necessary books and the medical knowledge to understand precisely how the body repaired itself. She pushed the thought aside.

"And what's your name, sweetie?" The injured girl looked up timidly.

"... Yolanda, my lady."

"Yolanda." Lira smiled gently.

"You'll stay here until Hiba and Eve return." The girl glanced down at both her injured arm and the revealing dress she still wore before quietly nodding. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Once everyone has changed clothes, Mina will take you to a healer."

"There is one on Maple Street," Lira continued.

"Near the bridge crossing the river."

"I know the place," Mina answered quietly. That wasn't surprising. Someone who had survived the undercity for years would naturally know where to find competent healers.

"He's expensive," Lira warned, "but he's skilled. He'll set the bone properly and give Yolanda something to ease the pain." She pointed toward the pouch of coins.

"Take seven silver." Mina nodded.

"Before you leave, rub dirt over every coin." The woman blinked.

"Why?"

"So they look like they've been hidden away for years." Understanding immediately spread across Eve's face.

"Dirty coins mean old coins, and old coins could mean hidden family savings," the redhead said.

"Something buried under a floorboard or hidden in a wall somewhere."

"If they're too clean," Mina nodded thoughtfully, "people might wonder where they came from."

"Exactly." Lira turned back toward Eve.

"Once Cosette is dressed properly, the six of you will leave together." She deliberately excluded Mina and Yolanda.

"The servants walk behind the lady," she explained.

"Except for the head servant. She walks slightly to her lady's left." She looked directly at Eve.

"That's you." Eve nodded after every instruction.

"The lady speaks very little," Lira continued.

"The head servant handles every conversation."

"What if someone asks Lady Cosette a direct question?" Eve asked.

"Then you answer for her."

"Even if they ask her?"

"Especially then." The women exchanged puzzled looks. Lira smiled faintly.

"A shy young noblewoman who lets her trusted servant answer awkward questions isn't unusual. A peasant pretending to be eloquent is." That seemed to reassure them.

"When you reach the noble district," Lira continued, "visit one of the money changers." She pointed at the pouch of gold.

"Exchange only two gold coins for silver."

"Only two?" Eve asked.

"Only two." Lira's voice became firmer.

"If you exchange more than that, someone will remember you." She let the warning settle before continuing.

"The remaining coins stay hidden. Sew some into your clothes. Bury the rest beneath your luggage." She tapped the pouch lightly with the tip of her shoe.

"Whatever you do, don't carry them hanging from your belt." Everyone nodded.

"And whatever happens..." Her hidden face hardened.

"Never pay with gold." Silence filled the room.

"People might forget when someone is spending silver." Her gaze swept across each woman.

"They never forget someone spending gold." Finally, she pointed toward the eastern side of the city.

"Once you've exchanged the money, head to the eastern stables. Hire a mail carriage leaving Halthar." She looked toward Mina and Yolanda.

"By then, the two of you should have finished with the healer. You'll meet the others there before noon."

"And after that?" Cosette asked quietly. Lira smiled beneath the veil of mist.

"After that, you leave Halthar behind." She looked around the room one final time.

"Once you're outside the city, you may drop the lady and servant disguise." She smiled.

"And you will finally be free." Lira returned to the palace under the cover of darkness. By then, her mana had recovered enough for her to secure her paper rope simply by tying, then untying, the knot. She had to scale the wall without the help of magic before quietly slipping back into the servants' quarters. She entered an outhouse, deactivated all her magical obfuscation enchantments, then stepped back into her bed without attracting so much as a glance from the night watch.

Exhaustion caught up with her instantly, and she didn't wake up until a few hours after dawn. She suppressed a yawn and dressed in her maid's uniform before completing the few duties expected of her, like opening the library and setting up a few book recommendations on the table so that when the noble youths came, they would find them waiting. Then she quietly left the castle through the front door as the opportunity presented itself. She headed straight for Maple Street.

The healer's clinic occupied a modest stone building near the bridge crossing the river. Rather than standing nearby and risking attention, Lira chose a bakery across the street. She ordered a meat pastry and claimed a seat beside the window where she could observe the entrance without appearing suspicious. The pastry was surprisingly good. Lira decided to remember this place as she took another bite. Almost thirty minutes later, two familiar figures appeared at the end of the street.

Mina walked slightly on edge, like she was expecting trouble from every passerby, while Yolanda followed close behind. Just as Lira had instructed, both women had exchanged their revealing clothes for simple servant attire. The dresses were faded but clean, and they didn't have obvious patches, making them blend naturally among the city's working class. Yolanda, however, looked miserable. Even from across the street, Lira could see the strain in every step she took.

Her injured arm remained secured inside its makeshift sling, and she frequently clenched her jaw as though trying not to cry out. Without hesitation, Mina guided her through the clinic's front door. Lira smiled faintly. She had chosen to watch this spot, as the other girls would be heading to the noble district and would be safer overall. Besides, one does not attack a group of six, even if they were women. There is safety in numbers, after all.

She ordered another pastry along with a cup of fruit juice before patiently continuing her watch. Nearly forty-five minutes later, the clinic door opened again, and Mina emerged first, followed shortly by Yolanda. Lira immediately noticed the difference. The crude sling had been replaced with a properly fitted clay cast extending from her shoulder to her wrist. Her face still looked pale, but the constant expression of pain had disappeared, replaced instead by a sleepy, unfocused look.

Poppy extract, Lira concluded. The healer had done his job well. Yolanda even stumbled slightly before Mina caught her elbow with a patient smile. Lira remained seated until they disappeared into the crowd. Only then did she leave the bakery before taking a completely different route across the city. By the time she reached the eastern stables, the preparations were already underway. Eve stood beside a mail carriage, deep in conversation with one of the coachmen.

Even from a distance, Lira could tell she was haggling with remarkable confidence, gesturing animatedly as though every additional copper coin represented a matter of life and death. The coachman looked thoroughly exhausted. Hiba stood nearby carrying several travel bundles while pretending not to listen. The remaining girls waited a respectful distance behind them. Cosette stood at their center. Lira almost failed to recognize her. The secondhand traveling dress fit surprisingly well.

Combined with her posture, carefully arranged hair, and modest hat, she genuinely resembled the daughter of a prosperous merchant traveling with her household. She even fidgeted nervously with the brim of her hat whenever strangers walked past, perfectly portraying a sheltered young lady uncomfortable with public attention. She's a natural. A few minutes later, Mina and Yolanda arrived. The reunion was brief. They exchanged only small nods of relief before everyone quietly loaded their belongings into the carriage.

Eve finally shook hands with the coachman, apparently satisfied with whatever price she had negotiated. The driver climbed onto his seat, gathered the reins, and called for everyone to board. One by one, the women climbed into the carriage. Cosette entered first, just as a noblewoman should, her servants following after her. As the horses began pulling the carriage eastward toward the villages scattered along the slopes of the Holtarry Mountains, Lira allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.

For the first time in years... those women were finally free. Now she needed to head back and start working on that healing spell.