Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

“Miss, did you get your work done?” “Ah, yes.” 

The work was so thorough that not an ant passed by the window while Eileen was talking to the Viscount.

 “This is quite a busy street, what on earth have you done?” 

Respectable fortune quickly turns to frustrating fortune, and Eileen’s plan is foile

d, and she is carried

back to the duke’s house with a pile of grapefruit pies.

 “Eileen, you were right, it’s delicious.” “Damn!” “??” 

Since then, Eileen has tried a few times to get a taste of the shop’s grapefruit pie. But after being escorted out, or even having to call the pastry chef herself, she finally gave up on the whole thing.

 

‘I’m not going! I’m not going.’

 

Well, she didn’t really give up. Indomitable will was one of Eileen’s strong points.

 

‘I was going to do it like a gentleman.’

 

In the end, Eileen’s choice was escape.

 

One afternoon while the Duke was away. Having spent the morning faking weakness with all her might, she skipped lunch and convinced everyone that she wanted to sleep until dinner. She also made sure to tell them not to wake her.

 

‘Nighttime escapes are garbage. Real escapes happen in the sun.’

 

Eileen changed into her training clothes, a simple shirt and pants. It was the one Walter had tossed her sometime ago, telling her to come to the training grounds whenever she was ready.

 

It’s perfect for one use and then thrown away.

 

It was a phrase Walter would have squeezed ten times over if he had heard it, but alas, he was not here.

 

Eileen glanced out the window. There was no sign of the garden, even through the stars.

 “Okay, let’s dig a tunnel and escape.” 

She had seen the show

“Shock Escape”

in her previous life. Today, Eileen was going to be possessed by the main character.

 “Okay. Let’s go.” 

Eileen was about to jump out the window.

 “I knew it.” “……!!!” 

Cordelia’s voice came from behind her. Eileen’s body stiffened at the eerie sound. She whirled around, shaking with the stuttering frame. Cordelia was standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

 “…How did you know?” “Ha. Eileen, don’t you think I know you?” 

Eileen, who was now frozen and sweating profusely, changed the subject.

 “Uh, it’s hot, and I’m trying to ventilate!” “Then you shouldn’t have asked how I knew.” “Damn.” 

Cordelia looked at Eileen impatiently, then sighed heavily as she ran a hand through her bangs.

 “If you’re going out, I’m going with you. We’re going to that dessert place, and don’t ask me how I know, not after the way you gave it away.” 

It was obvious. Eileen hesitated, then said,

“But it could be dangerous.” “You know that, and you’re going out there alone?” “…I wouldn’t get hurt.” “Stop.” 

Trudging into the room, Cordelia put a hand on Eileen’s shoulder as she leaned against the window. She stood a head taller, which made her look even more intimidating, and Eileen swallowed hard.

 “You look so much like the Duke at times like this, I’d believe you were his real daughter.” 

Cordelia spoke in a firm, serious voice as Eileen’s eyes fluttered with nervousness.

 “Eileen, if you die, I’ll die with you.” 

‘…Yes?’

 “I’ll never let you go alone, so decide now if you want me to come with you or stay home.” 

Cordelia smirked.

 

The smile was brilliantly beautiful in the sunlight, but Eileen broke into a sweat before she had time to appreciate it. 

 

Where had the innocent childhood Cordelia gone, she wondered, and it made her tear up a little.

  

* * *

  “We’re finally outside!!” “Ugh. Never again!” 

The two children crawled out of th

e crypt in raggedy little bundles. The plan to escape underground was a good one.

 

However, to avoid detection by the knights, the tunnels were made deeper and narrower than they should have been, and the tight space was unfortunately lacking in oxygen.

 

‘Escape works in books and movies!’

 

Not realizing that it was literally only possible in books and movies came at a high price.

 

After moving forward for some distance and realizing that they were suffocating, they panicked. They would have been in danger if Cordelia, whose endurance had been honed by years of training, hadn’t come to her senses and summoned Lynn to lead them out of the passageway in one fell swoop.

 “Eileen…” 

She didn’t say anything else, but the words were laced with rebuke,

“Did you really think you could go off on your own like this?” “Sorry…” 

‘How am I going to get home?’

 

 

Frustrated, Eileen grabbed the wandering Star and shook it loose. Watching her, Cordelia spoke firmly.

 “Let’s get back to the ground, even if it means kicking our ass.” “Okay.” 

Nodding obediently, Eileen dusted off her clothes and stood up. It was an hour’s ride by carriage, but as they rode into the sparsely populated woods, Lynn quickly came into view.

 “Glad I came with you.”

Cordelia said to Eileen, who scrunched her nose in thought.

 “So. What’s with your obsession with that dessert shop? I know it’s not the grapefruit pie, and you barely ate any of it.” 

Eileen, who had gotten her point across, replied obediently.

 “I’m looking for someone, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find her, but that pie is the only clue I have.” 

‘Why am I looking for her? What am I going to do with her? How do I know?’

 

There were a lot of missing answers, but Cordelia didn’t probe further, just nodded in agreement.

 “Then let’s go find her.” 

With a wave of her hand, droplets of water gathered from the air and clung to their bodies, washing away the dirt. Soon they were clean, and they were walking down the street.

 

Cordelia led the way, and Eileen watched the back of her head. It was odd how she’d stayed by her side without ever really explaining why.

 

Maybe someday she’d be able to tell her the truth.

 

The thought crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. It was a future that didn’t matter, a future that hadn’t come and would never come. A future that was gone and only Eileen herself needed to know. Or so she thought.

 

Concluding her thoughts, Eileen quickened her pace.

 “Come with me!” 

The two children walked side by side down the street. The commotion passed them by, but they were both a little excited to be outside alone after so long. They chatted and people-watched, enjoying the diversion.

 “Hey, ladies.” 

Someone called out to them as they walked along. Eileen turned at the sound of the husky female voice and saw a woman sitting in front of a ramshackle stall, her face covered by a thick robe.

 “Why don’t you go check your divination, I’ll make it cheap.” 

A round crystal ball was visible above the worn keyboard. The fortune teller. As soon as she realized who it was, Eileen reflexively screamed.

 “I’m not buying!!!!!” “Eileen?!” 

She grabbed Cordelia’s hand and ran.

 

Rofan’s regular, NPC fortune teller. Years of experience as a reader set off the emergency sirens.

 

The dubious soothsayer was a master of twisting and flagging plots under the guise of offering solutions. Avoiding a prophecy could get you caught in one.

 

The last thing Eileen needed was a confirmation flag on her already sensitive personality.

 “Eileen! Eileen!” “Sorry, Cordelia, I’ll tell you why later. Let’s get the hell out of here!” “No, not that, she’s following us.” “Huh…?” 

Eileen turned around, wondering what she was talking about.

 “Ow!” “Girls! I’m sorry, I’m not selling, I’m not taking your money, stop!” 

The fortune teller was running after them in a hurry. In her haste, one of her shoes had come off, leaving her barefoot, and her  robe had fallen off, exposing her tousled, wavy hair, which was flying free and slapping her cheeks.

 

The running fortune teller staggered back, weakened, and finally collapsed to the ground and began to vomit.

 

Passersby turned away from her with cloudy eyes. After a while, still out of breath and with tears welling up in her e

yes, Eileen stopped running, feeling pitiful. It was ridiculous now.

 “She’s crying.” “But she’s a grown woman.”

Cordelia whispered in Eileen’s ear.

 

Adults can cry, Cordelia, and she could cry right now. Swallowing the words that didn’t come out of her mouth, Eileen crept closer to the fortune teller. If she was that desperate, she figured she might as well find out what was going on.

 “Do you know us?” 

The fortune teller was a freckled woman with bushy red hair who looked to be in her late twenties at most. She had just wiped away a tear and nodded grimly.

 “I’m not a weirdo, I just wanted to look presentable on our first meeting.” “Who the hell are you?” 

Eileen was confused, the woman’s words unclear, her intentions unclear.

 

At Eileen’s question, the fortune teller lifted her head and locked eyes with Eileen. Despite her loose demeanor, her light greenish-blue eyes were clear.

 “I am Rosalia Felze. You found me first.” 

Eileen’s face went cold. She swore to the heavens that she had never uttered Rosalia’s name before. In the chilled atmosphere, Eileen spoke up.

 “Shall we move?” “Fine!” 

The red-haired woman, Rosalia, rose from the floor with a giggle.

Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advance chapters!!