The Maid and The Usurper - Chapter 56
“What is he gathering?”
“He was hiding things from me and moving in secret. I thought it was odd, so I followed the Count today.”
Leopold, no matter how skilled he was in swordsmanship, would have a hard time against the three of them, and more importantly, he was still far and away from actual combat experience. So she had to somehow shake them off. Layla racked her brain. She needed to get them away from the cabin.
“So? Do you know where the Count is?”
“Yes! I know!”
Layla brightened up and clasped her hands, pleading with them.
“I’ll tell you everything, but please spare me, please spare me.”
The three exchanged glances. It was difficult to guess what their silent exchange meant. Layla anxiously watched the three. First, she had to get them away from the cabin.
“Can we really trust her?”
“Even if we trust her, it’s a lost cause, isn’t it? How far do you think that young master can run? How far could a clueless nobleman possibly go?”
Another knight laughed, his mocking tone echoing through the forest. Layla gritted her teeth, swallowing her frustration as they ridiculed Leopold. Now wasn’t the time to react—she had to endure it.
* * *
“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
Layla had been leading them in circles, skirting around the cabin. Her hands trembled as she guided them. For now, she had managed to lead them away from the cabin, but she couldn’t think of the next step. If they all focused on her, there wouldn’t be a way out. Her limited magical abilities were only useful for survival, not combat. She cursed her inability, feeling helpless.
“Y-yes, this should be the right way, but soon the path will split. I’m not sure which way the Count went from there.”
“The path splits?”
Layla nodded with her best innocent eyes. She looked up at them with teary eyes. The knights scratched their heads, looking annoyed.
“If the path splits, doesn’t that mean he’s already escaped?”
“Not much time has passed since he left, has it?”
“No, wait. Was she even telling the truth from the beginning?”
Andre’s gaze turned to Layla. Layla continued to watch them anxiously with an expression that showed she knew nothing. She hoped their suspicion wouldn’t turn to her.
“Time is on our side anyway. They said this girl did a good job.”
They discreetly glanced at Layla for a moment before huddling together and whispering.
“I did notice she seemed a bit reluctant to kill.”
“So you think she’s trying to deceive us?”
Andre asked Bern. Bern nodded.
Max crossed his arms and glanced back at Layla, whispering even more softly.
“We need to deal with her, too. You know, the Archduke wants all loose ends eliminated.”
“We don’t necessarily have to eliminate her, do we?”
The compassionate Andre looked back at Layla with a pitiful expression. She was just a poor girl who unluckily got entangled in the affairs of their superiors. Bern glanced back.
Layla perked up her ears and eavesdropped on their conversation.
“I’ll take her in as a maid caring for my mother. We’ll report her as dead and have her monitored from my side.”
“You?”
Max scoffed as he looked at Bern. Bern shrugged.
“How many maids have you taken in for your mother again?”
Bern ignored the mocking words. Andre, impatient, urged them on.
“Okay, you’ll take her in, Bern. So what now? Do we keep searching?”
Max looked at Bern. Bern’s brow furrowed in thought. Catching a nobleman from behind a desk wasn’t that difficult, and wandering the mountains was pointless.
“Let’s split up. I’ll take her with me. You two keep moving together at the fork.”
“Might as well. If we search separately, we’ll find him faster.”
Max and Andre chose to agree rather than object. Bern strode over and yanked Layla’s arm.
“You’re coming with me. I think I’ll need you until we find the Count.”
Layla steeled herself. This was her only chance.
“Me?”
“Yes. Guide me to where the Count is suspected to have gone.”
Bern urged Layla on. Many plans raced through her mind. She had to shake off the knights somehow. She had to escape without raising their suspicion and meet up with Leopold.
