I Got a Job as the Demon King's Plaything - Chapter 37
She had to escape as soon as possible and head to the Temple of the Maiden Goddess. The potion from the Maiden’s Temple was said to be potent enough to rid her of an unwanted child. She recalled what Milia, the priestess, had said: no temple would turn away a woman who fled from the Demon King.
Tonight was her only chance. For once, she’d returned to her room early enough to still be in her right mind.
After her bath, a maid brought in her dinner. Bonita tried her best to act as if nothing was wrong.
“I heard there’s a banquet tonight?” she asked.
“Oh, don’t even get me started. It’s been so hectic. Bringing you dinner was my only chance to catch a breath,” the maid replied.
“Then, why don’t you rest here while I eat? You’ll have to come back for the dishes later anyway.”
“Well… should I?” The maid hesitated before sitting at the edge of the bed. Bonita stabbed her fork into the food, taking small bites as she asked,
“What’s the banquet for? Are there many guests?”
“They’re not guests, just the knights and soldiers from the Demon King’s castle. Even the lowliest soldiers get wine and meat tonight. I bet the place will be full of drunks causing trouble. We’re the ones who have to deal with the mess, though.”
Bonita was relieved she hadn’t been summoned to the banquet. The thought of being harassed by rough soldiers, having her b*****s and legs toyed with in front of them, made her feel faint.
Today, by some stroke of luck, she had been sent back to her room, but there was no guarantee that it would happen again. Teshiel didn’t care whether others were around or not.
Bonita, trying to remain composed, casually asked Hana a few more questions, just enough to avoid raising any suspicion. After she finished her meal, Hana jumped to her feet.
“Oh my, look at the time. I’ll get in trouble if I stay any longer.”
“Go ahead. Thanks to you, I had a good meal.”
“Rest well then.”
As soon as Hana left, Bonita pulled out the knife she had discreetly taken. She hoped Hana wouldn’t get punished for losing it.
She reached for a small box in the drawer next to the bed. Inside was the only possession she had—an opal necklace. Every time she saw it, it reminded her of her reality as a mere plaything, so she had kept it stored away, never once taking it out.
“I was really going to give it back. It was the Demon King who took it from me,” she muttered, placing the necklace into her pocket.
Wearing only her nightgown and slippers—the only clothes she was ever given—Bonita slipped her feet into the slippers. She was ready. Sitting on the bed, she waited until the moon rose.
Once she felt the night had grown deep enough, she cautiously opened her door. The hallway was empty. No soldiers or servants in sight—everyone must have been distracted by the banquet. She’d never been to the banquet hall, but from Hana’s earlier comment, it was on the opposite side of the building. Holding her rapidly beating heart with one hand and clutching the knife in her pocket with the other, she slipped out of her room.
She avoided the servant corridors and headed towards the main hallway. Her hunch that it would be deserted was correct. Although she got turned around a bit, her memory of walking to the same room every day helped her navigate down to the first floor. But there, guarding the main entrance, stood soldiers.
‘What do I do now…?’
While hiding behind the staircase, her eyes caught sight of a window at the far end of the corridor. Moving as quietly as possible, she made her way to the window. It was locked, but thankfully, the latch was weak. Bonita carefully opened the window and jumped out. The fall was higher than she expected, and her ankle ached slightly. Still, she wasn’t seriously hurt.
This was where the real challenge began. Except for the one time she had gone to the greenhouse, she had never been outside the building. She had no idea how to get through the castle gates or even how to reach them. Her only hope was the words of the guard who had harassed her before—the one who said that one woman had managed to escape. That was all she had to go on.
‘I can do this.’
