Chapter 14: Awakening in the Cellar

Lucia’s head was spinning. She slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was a corpse, its eyes wide and unfocused, staring blankly at her.

Lucia jolted in fright, scrambling backward until her back hit something, startling her anew.

Only after realizing she had merely bumped against a wall did Lucia calm down. She curled her body tightly, her gaze fixed nervously on the deceased.

A broken sword hilt protruded from the corpse’s head, leaving no doubt as to its demise.

The fragment of the sword felt strangely familiar to Lucia. Searching her memories, she recalled a time when her sworn knight had wielded a similar blade, confirming the hilt belonged to her own protector.

Connecting the events, Lucia surmised that the deceased was her kidnapper, and the killer, none other than her sworn knight, Betty Lane.

‘Betty Lane must have won, then.’

‘No, that’s not right. If Betty Lane had won, I would surely have been returned to the palace. I wouldn’t be in this strange place, alone with a dead body.’

After a quick analysis, Lucia concluded she was likely still in danger. Holding her breath, she silently turned her head, observing her surroundings.

It appeared to be a cellar. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of sturdy brickwork, completely light-proof, making it impossible to distinguish day from night.

Light emanated from stones embedded in the walls, casting a soft, white glow.

Lucia had seen such luminous stones in her own room, magical artifacts she used as bedside lamps.

The confined space of the secret room was not large, and the dim light allowed her to survey it entirely. Here, there was only her and a corpse.

Thump!

Lucia’s heart seized. This was a common affliction for ordinary people in times of peace—a peculiar tension that arose when one realized they were alone with a dead body.

‘Well, at least I’m not some delicate noble. I can overcome this fear.’

Compared to waking up surrounded by a crowd, an isolated awakening was, in fact, the most ideal scenario.

Lucia had fully regained her composure, knowing she was temporarily safe, though her future remained uncertain. Her most pressing task was to acquire power.

‘If only I could harness the power of a dragon through the Dragon Blood Amber, I wouldn’t have to be a mere oracle, easily manipulated. I could control my own life and freedom!’

‘Uh, where is my Dragon Blood Amber?’

Lucia looked at her empty hands, her grand aspirations plummeting into despair.

She hastily crawled back to the corpse, frantically searching and exploring. She turned the entire cellar upside down but found no trace of her Dragon Blood Amber.

‘It’s over! My greatest reliance is gone.’

A surge of unwillingness washed over Lucia. Driven by this resolve, she performed her first-ever body search. She acquired a sheathed dagger and a pouch containing some unknown small items, but still, her Dragon Blood Amber remained elusive.

Staying here was not an option. She suppressed her visible frustration and, mimicking the long-legged heroines from spy films, lifted her skirt to strap the sheathed dagger to her leg.

‘Ugh, my thighs are so thin.’ It wasn’t the thinness of malnutrition, but rather the undeveloped thinness of someone who hadn’t fully grown yet.

Lucia adjusted the elastic band to its tightest setting, finally securing the dagger on the outer side of her thigh. She then tucked the pouch close to her body before turning her attention to the iron door leading out. Cautiously, she pressed against the door, straining to hear any sounds from outside.

No sound. It must be safe.

Lucia’s small hand found the doorknob, turning the lock. She peered through the crack in the door.

Beyond, the space remained devoid of natural light. It appeared to be a narrow corridor, with iron doors lining both sides. Luminous stones were embedded in the walls between the doors.

Lucia’s first impression of the place was that of an underground prison.

Lucia poked her head out to look around, but saw no jailers. This immediately aroused her suspicion.

If it truly was an underground prison, it seemed far too clean. Aside from the corpse’s scent, there wasn’t a single unpleasant odor in the entire space.

‘Are all prisons in this world so pristine?’

‘I’ve heard that medieval nobles received high-level treatment when imprisoned, staying in private rooms and eating aristocratic meals. If this is that kind of place, perhaps I’m in a limited-edition luxury prison specially reserved for nobles?’

Lucia left the room and stepped into the corridor. There were three iron doors on each side, totaling six rooms. She had emerged from the middle one.

She had no leisure to concern herself with those rooms. Trying to keep her footsteps as light as possible, she walked to the end of the corridor and saw an upward-sloping staircase. This was indeed a basement.

Lucia hugged the wall as she ascended, then twisted open another iron door, finally catching sight of familiar natural light.

Beyond the iron door was a study, clearly indicated by the densely packed bookshelves. The study was empty and quiet, its main door closed, though whether locked or not was unclear. Through the half-open curtains of the massive French windows, a faint, 황-colored sunlight slanted into the room, elongating the shadows of the furniture.

‘If I haven’t been unconscious for too long, this must be the sunset on the day of the Grand Ritual.’

Lucia boldly stepped out of the iron door, noticing that its exterior had been disguised as a painting. She realized she was standing on a desk.

‘Hmm… do all villains like to hide secret rooms in their studies?’

Just as Lucia was muttering to herself, she suddenly saw the doorknob of the study’s main door turn. Someone was coming in!

A jolt of alarm shot through her. She immediately retreated behind the iron door, closing it quickly.

“Clang!” The metallic thud echoed through the narrow basement.

Lucia’s heart pounded, fearing the sound might be heard by the person entering the study, who would then come looking for her.

Lucia was quite confident in her own weakness; being so small, she certainly couldn’t fight them.

She ran back in a panic, returning to the corridor with the six doors. Only after hearing no pursuing footsteps did she feel somewhat relieved.

Lucia listened cautiously for any rustle or stir, and faintly, she heard a muffled groan.

The sound was coming from the adjacent room.

It sounded like a girl, and her mouth seemed to be gagged.

Lucia frowned in thought. Combining all the known information, Lucia concluded that this place must be a secret room belonging to some noble.

A girl confined in a noble’s secret room, gagged and bound, must, of course, be a respectable woman who had been abducted!

‘That’s right!’

‘Just like myself. I must have been kidnapped by the noble of this place! The groaning girl should be similar to me, also a victim, and certainly a good person.’

Having reached this conclusion, Lucia, feeling more confident, opened the room door. Inside, she saw a disheveled, brown-haired girl.

The girl had a graceful figure, her hands tied behind her back. A short rope extended from her bonds, securing her left ankle, causing her left foot to be curled up behind her like a scorpion’s tail, unable to touch the ground.

In this humiliating posture, the girl was suspended from the ceiling. Only her right foot could reach the floor, struggling to support her weight.

Her eyes were covered by a black blindfold, and her mouth was stuffed with a porous ball. Saliva uncontrollably trickled down.

Judging by the wet stains on the floor, she had been hanging there for some time.

Lucia was in shock…

‘God, please forgive an inexperienced Lucia.’ When she saw this pitiful girl, her first thought wasn’t to save her, but rather, ‘How lewd.’