Chapter 161
“Where… am I? Why am I in a place like this?”
Evi’s breath became shallow and uneven all of a sudden.
Long ago, when the innkeeper couple were irritated, they often took out their anger on Evi for no reason.
Being struck or kicked wasn’t particularly frightening.
What truly terrified Evi was being locked in the underground barn storage.
During the day, at least a sliver of light would filter through the wooden door, but at night, the darkness was absolute, utterly devoid of even a single ray of light.
Being still in that darkness, a sudden fear would surge—the fear that the entire world might forget her.
Alone here… with no one to remember her, no one to look for her… forever.
“Ugh…”
Instead of a cry, a suppressed moan escaped her lips.
Evi lay face down, trembling.
It’s scary.
It’s so scary here.
She wanted to call out for help, but she didn’t know who to call.
“M-Mom…”
She wanted to say “Mom,” but the words wouldn’t come out easily—it was something she had never properly said in her life.
Then she remembered the words she had practiced for countless nights:
“Dad.”
“….”
But that word wouldn’t come out either.
The “Dad” she wanted to call belonged to another child, not her.
So she couldn’t say it.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Suppressed sounds kept escaping as Evi shivered violently.
I want to get out of here. It’s scary.
Where is everyone?
Why am I here?
Please, Principal… save me…
Just as the unbearable fear threatened to drag Evi’s consciousness under again,
“Evi!”
A familiar voice made her open her eyes once more.
“Evi, are you okay? Are you conscious?”
A voice filled with genuine worry and concern.
The voice that had held her when she was terrified in the dark.
“Ar…sel?”
Evi called out to the owner of the voice that was always by her side.
“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
Even though the darkness remained, just hearing Arsel’s voice miraculously made the fear that had engulfed her moments ago retreat instantly.
“Arsel! Arsel!”
Evi scrambled toward the voice.
Soon, her hands touched Arsel’s warm body, and she clung to him desperately.
“It’s… it’s so dark here…”
“Yes, it’s really dark. Are you okay? No injuries anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine.”
It was a lie.
Her shoulders hurt, her legs hurt.
Her head felt like it was splitting, yet Evi couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.
Arsel’s voice, repeatedly asking if she was okay, was terribly strained.
“Do you remember what happened?”
Evi nodded, burrowing deeper into Arsel’s chest.
Bit by bit, her last memories began to surface.
They had been talking about roasting chestnuts over the campfire together.
Irene had secretly promised to give her the biggest marshmallow.
Ruska had been explaining that the chestnuts wouldn’t burst if cut before roasting, and Arsel had been scolding Ruska, asking how many chestnuts he intended to eat.
Everyone had been so excited…
Evi swallowed dryly, her mouth so parched it ached.
After eating the candy Eve had given her, she had no memories.
“Where… is this place?”
“Sorry, I don’t really know. I just regained consciousness not long ago myself.”
As Evi spoke with Arsel, her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.
Though underground, light seeped in from somewhere.
Looking back, she saw a small window near the ceiling, out of reach.
Through it, faint starlight revealed the night sky.
Realizing this place wasn’t completely sealed off, Evi breathed a little easier.
After clinging to Arsel for a while, as her eyes slowly began to make out the surroundings, she lifted her head.
At that moment—
“…!”
Seeing Arsel’s dim figure, Evi’s eyes widened in shock.
“Arsel…?”
Since meeting him, she had never seen him disheveled.
The only exception might have been when he faced Ruska at the marquis’ estate.
Even then, his hair had only been slightly messy.
Now, the Arsel Evi saw was a complete mess.
Puffy eyes, a face covered in wounds, and even in the darkness, the deep bruises on his neck were visible.
Having been constantly injured in her childhood, Evi could tell what the marks on Arsel’s body meant.
Someone had hit him or strangled him.
“Ah… Arsel…”
Evi’s voice quivered as she confirmed his condition.
“It’s okay. This kind of thing heals quickly. But are you really unhurt? Any pain?”
Despite looking like this, he was worrying about her.
Evi quickly shook her head.
His eyes weren’t swollen, and nothing seemed terribly hurt.
Though she couldn’t check without a mirror, she was certainly in better shape than Arsel.
“Good. Then, sorry, but can you try to untie the rope on my hand?”
At his words, Evi hastily felt for Arsel’s arm, finding the thin rope binding his wrist.
It had been tied so tightly that her fingers kept slipping while trying to untie it.
Finally, after biting and tugging at it with her teeth, she managed to loosen the rope.
As she did, a metallic taste hit her mouth.
She thought the rope was wet from water…
“Arsel, this is… blood…”
“It’s fine. It’s loose now, so it’s okay.”
There was no way it was fine. The rope was soaked with blood, likely from him moving to free it, causing more wounds.
Once freed, Arsel tossed the rope Evi was holding aside and pulled her into his embrace.
“Evi, are you cold? Let’s stay like this for a bit.”
Thanks to him, Evi realized she was still shivering.
Arsel patted her back gently, and her tremors gradually subsided.
Knowing she wasn’t alone and that Arsel was with her, her fear slowly dissipated.
After calming Evi, Arsel reached to untie the rope around his legs.
“Wait a moment.”
He then set Evi down, felt around, and grabbed what he was searching for, hitting it with loud thuds.
“Get up, Ruska.”
Evi recalled that other children had been present when she fell.
“Ruska? Are you here? Then what about Irene? And Eve and Izriel…?”
At that moment, Ruska regained consciousness.
“Ugh… what… why is it… so dark… ow, stop shaking me…”
“Ruska!”
Evi grabbed him firmly.
Perhaps because of that, Ruska coughed a few times, then managed to stand.
“Evi? Where’s Arsel?”
Hearing their voices, Evi and Arsel each replied.
Ruska sighed in relief once he recognized both voices.
Evi asked, “It seems like it’s just the three of us here. What about Irene or Eve…?”
“Oh, right. Irene should be fine. I kicked her onto the carriage. Since she fell from the carriage, someone else must’ve found her.”
Ruska recounted events that Evi didn’t remember.
“When we get back, I doubt a finger wagging will be the end of it. I think they’ll try to strangle me…”
Ruska shivered, truly scared.
Even in this situation, his usual humor made Evi and Arsel snicker.
Meanwhile, Arsel untied Ruska’s hands and feet, finally freeing the three of them.
The children groped along the walls to find the room’s door.
Seeing that the handle was broken, they realized it could only be opened from outside.
Arsel and Ruska checked the door, then returned and leaned against the wall.
“No need to knock,” Ruska said.
“Yeah, it would just waste energy,” Arsel agreed.
There was no need to announce their awakening. No one could hear them anyway.
“Evi, come here.”
The two boys, covered in wounds and bruises, had Evi sit between them.
They removed their coats to cover her, easing the chill.
Evi finally spoke.
“But where’s Eve…?”
“Who knows,” Ruska’s voice grew harsh at the mention of Eve.
If Eve were in front of him, he wouldn’t leave her be.
“Let’s rest a bit. Seems like no one’s outside, and no one’s coming for us.”
Evi and Arsel nodded.
Though freshly awake and scared, Evi slowly closed her eyes again between them.
Arsel and Ruska quietly held her hands, lost in thought.
They had to figure out a way to leave this place.
Soon, the two boys’ eyes drifted closed as well.
Only the faint sunlight from the high window illuminated them.
When the three children awoke, strong sunlight streamed in through the small ceiling window.
“Ahhh, slept well.”
Ruska stretched lazily.
Evi’s face fell as she saw him.
“Are you both… really okay? You’re not hurt?”
In the bright light, Ruska and Arsel looked even worse.
“Pfft, this much? When sparring with the older guys, we get hurt worse than this. Right, Arsel?”
“Yeah. Our first spar was even worse than this.”
Trying to seem casual, they spoke cheerfully.
But Evi still looked grim. She had been hit like that before. It had hurt badly, so there was no way Arsel and Ruska weren’t in pain.
Time passed as the three remained awake.
The sunlight through the small window grew stronger, nearing noon.
“I’m thirsty…”
Ruska murmured, and Evi instinctively nodded.
They didn’t know exactly how long they had been held, but it was at least a full day without food or water.
Plus, her injuries made her thirst worse.
She hoped someone would come and give them water.
Just then, the sound of a door opening and voices came from outside.
Moments later, the door to the room where the three were opened.
“Come on in!”
The men who entered shoved someone in front of the children.
“Ah!”
The person rolling on the floor screaming was…
“Eve?”
Evi called out in surprise.
It was Eve, her hair chopped roughly, brought in by the men.
