"Can we really escape from this place?"
Diana's voice doubted our chance of escape.
I guess she really believes that this place is already a prison where one cannot escape.
But….. That's a foolish thought.
["Nonsense.. I told you that we will get out of here."]
"Unnnn….."
She was still a bit unconvinced by it but I could see her hand clenching as if she was still trying to convince herself.
…
Seeing her still trying to hope made me feel a bit relieved. Who won't smile seeing a little girl like her still finding the courage to believe in something?
I patted her head.
["Don't worry silly."]
She hugged me again and covered her face on my chest. I just smiled again seeing how adorable she is right now.
But still….What she said is really concerning.
Right now, we still don't have any escape plan, and I still haven't discovered any path that we can take without anyone noticing us.
Our only option right now is to find a ladder and climb up the wall that I saw earlier. But to do that, I must go to a tool shed or storage room for tool materials and hope to find a ladder there.
Hmmmm…..I hope this world has invented a ladder.
There should be, right? I mean it will be stupid if there is none…. But again, a what if is still a what if.
"Doll-san.'"
Diana called out to me from below so I looked at her.
"What are you going to do now?"
...
Let's see.
I still have some rooms that I want to go to…..And those rooms are the food storage room, weapon storage room, materials and tools storage room and lastly the one I think I should also consider is the treasury room.
I want to collect some loot before we escape. I think it might be greedy of me but, when presented with a choice like this where me and Diana will travel and live somewhere far away, we should have at least some things to bring right?
Food is a must no matter where we go, Next is a weapon for us to arm ourselves, and then of course, Money.
Don't underestimate the power of money. From one of my philosophies in my past world. I could agree with the sentence 'Money makes the world go round'.
In fact, money plays a big part in life. It's true even if it sounds bad and barbaric.
Money enables access to many good things….Food, education, medicine,clothes, shelter, tools, materials and entertainment.
We need all of that, especially for Diana who is a human who needs those basic necessities. And right now, we are at a noble's house so they should surely have a large amount of money or currencies for us to loot and use.
If you all say that stealing is a crime right now, I believe that it is our right to steal it for us to live better. Not to mention, they already stole Diana's freedom in the first place, so stealing from them is pay back and retribution.
This is not wrong, It's a matter of survival….yes, it's not greed. It is just necessary.
Once convinced, I then finally thought of my next move.
["Hmmm, I am planning to go back outside and loot some materials for us."]
"Again? Are you going out again????"
It really seems she doesn't want me to go out. It's understandable.
Right now I am the one who she can speak to, the only one beside her. It's nor strange for her to be clingy.
But…..I still need to go. I already made some progress so it's a waste to just stop suddenly.
Right now…..All of my actions are not yet caught like the two bodies I just hid. If I waste time and those bodies get discovered then we will have a hard time going out.
Wait….Come to think of it…..What if I bring Diana out now?
And when I bring her out I can just make her hide in a spot outside?
Yeah it may still be risky but at least we are already outside. There is no need for me to return here and come get her.
All I need to do now is just find a spot for her to wait and hide and once i am done doing my business here and also getting a ladder, then we can just slip outside.
Before, I really didn't want to bring her out since if I go with her without any prior information about what I can see outside then it will hinder our progress and that we are prone to being caught quickly. And if we panic then, yeah. Game over.
But now. I already scouted outside. I have discovered some areas that I think are very covered. All I need to do now is hide her there.
And if we manage to escape later then at least, I won't need to worry about the dead bodies I hid if they were discovered. I mean, we've probably escaped by that time.
Yeah, A change of plan. Let's do that.
["Diana Let's go out."]
"Ehhhh?."
By seeing Diana who was looking surprised and confused. I couldn't help but find it funny. I chuckled inwardly and smiled.
["I decided…. I can bring you outside but we need to hide okay."]
"Whaa? Huh? But. ehhh?"]
Diana seemed to want to say something more but she couldn't find the words to say.
[" I changed my plan. While I am looting some things for us, I will find a place for you to hide and I want you to wait for me. And when I come back then we will climb the wall and escape."]
"I-is it okay?"
["Yeah no worries. "]
I just reassured her and began thinking of places where I can hide her.
First is that I could hide her inside the room where I first hid. It seems untouched and I think there won't be people opening that room.
Next is outside. Maybe behind the trees. the darkness of the night can cover a little figure like her easily and also more closer to the wall. It will surely take some time if I do that.
But the problem is.
I cannot guarantee that no one can find her there. There are still chances of guards patrolling that place and if she gets caught then it will be troublesome.
If she is caught then she will be captured and brought somewhere that I don't know.
And since I was not there, tracking her down will be difficult.
....
Also,
Bringing her along with me to the storerooms is automatically a no.
I still need to sneak and disguise myself going there. And so if I got caught with Diana it would really be suspicious.
Hmmmmm…..
okay.
I guess that room where I first hid is the most appealing option for both of us.
Now that I decided what to do, I then thought that it's time to go now.
["By the way, Diana. Although it is kind of dumb for me to ask this ... Do you have things that you want to bring along?"]
"What do you mean?"
["Uhmmm like anything. Something that feels ummm important for you need to bring."]
Honestly ... given how this room doesn't really have anything worth bringing like important stuff like valuable objects or like heirlooms. I don't think Diana will have anything to bring from here….. Well maybe the books that seem boring.
"Ummm... I think… none?"
Ahhh…. Guess so. It's obvious.
"Uhmmmm…I don't know. Do I need to bring something?"
Well honestly no…. There are no things worth bringing.
So….. I think we can go now.
["No, if there is none then it's fine….anyways, let's go "]
She then looked up to me and tilted her head.
"Now? Already?"
["Yeah, the sooner the better."]
"Ohhh, okay…."
She then let go of me and fixed her clothes.
And after looking at me with the look that she is now ready, I turned to the door and opened it.
Once I opened it I walked outside first and she followed while hiding behind my back.
Her hands held the hem of my clothes and she walked nervously behind me.
She really seems scared. But, I don't blame her. It's normal to feel scared and nervous when facing a situation like this.
...
We walked more and more until we finally reached the stairs.
And after that, we passed through the door with many locks.
And then we finally find ourselves in the long, wide, dark and eerie hallway.
"Doll-san... "
Diana was fidgeting behind me as she looked around.
["You scared?"]
"Unnnn."
...
Fine… I don't know if this will work in calming her down but. It's still worth a try.
=====================
(Diana P.O.V.)
I nervously followed behind Doll-san who confidently walked before me.
This is the first time I walked in this hallway during this time.
Not only is it dark, it is also very quiet.
But not only that... I am so scared….
I am scared of us being caught. I know that there are many people in this place, I know that father has some people going around and watching this place.
I tried hiding and sneaking when I first tried to escape but the people here were too quick to find me.
So…..
If we fail….. What would happen?
Will we be separated? Will they capture Doll-san and kill her?
No…..
I don't want that.
...
I don't want to be caught. Not anymore.
I want to escape but it's scary.
All that I can do now ... .Is to rely on Doll-san.
"Doll-san….."
???
Because of my nervousness. I didn't expect my mouth to call Doll-san's name.
What am I doing???
Even though I know that we should be quiet.
Ughhhhhh.
I clenched my fist for being such an idiot.
["You scared?']
She answered and she knew what I was feeling…..
And since it's true all that I could do is nod my head.
My legs are still shaking, and it feels so weak. My heart is beating fast and I can't help but feel weird.
["Here."]
Suddenly, she took my hand and held it gently. She looked at me and smiled faintly.
["Don't worry."]
She looked back ahead and we continued walking.
And while I was gently being pulled by her and while also looking at her hand.
I feel comforted by her.
My body begins to calm down and I breathe a sigh of relief since I feel more safe now.
....
Doll-san is really amazing isn't she….She is so kind and strong.
Even though we just met a few days ago….She always helped me and took care of me.
She is confident like now where she is guiding me…..
Unlike me...
...
….
I am so weak…..
All I could do is depend on her.
If I never met her, maybe I would not be here doing something like escaping anymore.
….
I don't like this feeling…. Doll-san is doing everything for me….
But about me? What am I doing?
I am fidgeting, being nervous, being scared. I am just being a person who is dragging Doll-san down.
She kept comforting me, reassuring me like just a while ago.
She is always trying to make me happy.
So, what about me?
...
…
I am so bad... I feel so useless.
I don't like it.
...
I need to be stronger. I need to be confident.
But….
Can I do that?
I looked towards Doll-san.
The kind person who is willing to face danger to save me and escape with me. The kind person who hugged me and told me that I am not alone anymore.
Doll-san…..
Please….
Tell me…..
How do I become a person like you?
How do I become a person who can stand up on my own and save people like you?
How do I become a person who is brave and confident like you?
Can I also….be a person like you?
...
As another wave of sad thoughts is consuming me again, I once again call out to Doll-san in a quiet voice that only both of us could hear…
"Doll-san…."
Hearing her name. She stopped walking and looked towards me
["Yes?"]
...…
"Can I also be strong like you?"
...
It was a long silence before she replied before suddenly.
["...Pffft."]
Doll started chuckling all of a sudden.
Did I say something weird?
"Doll-san?"
["Sorry sorry, I didn't expect that."]
She then smiled before bending down. She raised her hand and caressed my hair gently.
["I am not a strong person like what you think I am, I am also like you. Nervous, scared, terrified…"]
Huh?…..
What do you mean by that? you are strong…confident. You are so different unlike me.
["It's normal to feel weak sometimes. I am not a superhuman who could do everything and so are you. But rather than me, isn't the one who is stronger is you? You are nervous yet you are here. Still trying to find hope and escape, even after all the years of pain that you endured, you still didn't give up…"]
She then turned around and pulled me into walking again.
["If you think I am strong and that you want you to be like me then….you could…. wait no."]
She then corrected herself.
[" You already are. You are stronger than what you think of yourself. And I truly believe that."]
.....
Me? Strong? But…
Before I started thinking again she spoke in a serious voice.
["Trust me."]
After she said that in a voice as if she really meant it. It made me feel a bit confident and relieved.
Honestly…..Doll-san….
You are really amazing.
=========
And not before long, after walking quietly and carefully, we finally reached the room where Doll-san would hide me.
She then opened the door and guided me inside. She looked for a spot and then saw a table with a tablecloth on top that covers the whole table and its underneath.
["Wait here okay? I will be back quickly."]
She guided me under the table and used the tablecloth to hide me.
After hiding me, she stood up and walked away.
And not before long….She is gone.