X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the Server“Senior Jeanne… thank you, truly, thank you…” Leah stammered, overwhelmed with emotion.
“Leah, honestly, I can’t promise anything,” Jeanne replied, her voice gentle. “All I can say is I’ll do my best. You wait here for now.”
Jeanne patted Leah’s shoulder.
Then, turning to Captain Demes, she added, “This child is in your care for now.”
Captain Demes nodded. “Understood. Rest assured. I’ve already sent someone to request backup. Please, don’t push yourself too hard.”
Jeanne nodded and left the guardroom. Captain Demes then arranged for someone to escort Leah to the girls’ dormitory to wait.
Watching the others depart, Alice Liddell emerged from the shadows and stepped into the guardroom.
“Ah, Duchess Liddell,” Captain Demes acknowledged, recognizing Alice Liddell and greeting her politely.
He was about to inquire about her purpose, but Alice Liddell spoke first. “Has Senior Jeanne already left?”
“Yes, she has. You must have some understanding of the situation; it’s rather… delicate,” Captain Demes confirmed, nodding. “I must ask you to return to your room and rest.”
“If Senior Jeanne isn’t here, may I return to my own residence?” Alice Liddell asked.
She needed to leave the academy and rush to the scene as quickly as possible. However, if she were to disappear from the academy abruptly, being discovered later would undoubtedly cause significant trouble.
“This…” Captain Demes hesitated, a troubled expression on his face. “It’s too late now. It wouldn’t be safe for you to return alone.”
“It’s fine,” Alice Liddell insisted. “My place is very close to the academy. Besides, if the Ripper is in the outskirts, isn’t there nothing to worry about?”
The Captain sighed inwardly. ‘What an innocent young lady,’ he thought. ‘The dangers a girl faces walking alone at night aren’t limited to just a killer.’
“The security in the Imperial City isn’t particularly good, to be honest,” Captain Demes said in a low voice. “Since a dormitory has already been arranged for you today, please bear with it and stay for the night.”
Alice Liddell realized it would be difficult to persuade this knight captain if she continued this approach. The more reasonable and accommodating she appeared, the more the Captain would insist on his stance and try to dissuade her.
However, she had little time. The future where Jeanne Decker died, possibly at Martha’s hands, could materialize at any moment. She had to reach the scene as quickly as possible.
Logic was on his side, and polite persuasion would be useless. But what if… she did the opposite?
Thinking quickly, she began to recall a familiar face in her mind: Camilla, the spoiled young lady. How would that girl treat these knights if she possessed the influence of the Liddell family?
With that targeted imagination, she immediately drew upon the acting skills the Duchess Liddell had taught her, furrowing her brows tightly and adopting a sharp, disdainful expression. “But the conditions in this dormitory are far too rudimentary, aren’t they? I only grudgingly agreed to stay out of respect for Senior Jeanne. Now that she’s gone, you actually expect me to remain here?”
Captain Demes’s eyes widened. He had not anticipated such a drastic change in the Duchess Liddell’s attitude once Jeanne Decker was absent.
“Don’t think that just because I was once a commoner, I’m willing to stay in such a place,” Alice Liddell continued, her complaints incessant. “I am now the Duchess Liddell of the affluent province. Things are different now, alright? Do you have any idea how much it cost to redecorate my apartment room? Besides, if there weren’t suitable housing options nearby, who would willingly live in an apartment?”
“And you actually expect me to stay in this dilapidated dormitory? Do you truly believe you have the same standing as Senior Jeanne?”
“Alright, alright, I understand! I’ll arrange for someone to escort you back immediately,” Captain Demes said, shaking his head repeatedly, a headache forming from Alice Liddell’s incessant scolding.
Such arrogant noble students were not uncommon at the Sanctum Academy; he had seen plenty of them and thus didn’t feel particularly offended.
However, a student who could execute such a stark contrast between their public and private demeanor to this extreme was truly a first.
‘It seems this Duchess Liddell was only feigning a friendly and approachable attitude to maintain good relations with Jeanne Decker,’ he mused. ‘As for us knights of noble standing, she might be tolerable when in a good mood, but when displeased, her true imperious nature reveals itself.’
‘The situation is urgent right now, and I have many other things to do. I don’t have time to get entangled with this willful young lady.’
“That’s more like it!” Alice Liddell snorted, though inwardly she gave a wry smile. Adopting such an obnoxious attitude was not her intention, but at this moment, it was the simplest way.
Captain Demes immediately arranged for a knight to escort Alice Liddell from the academy and all the way back to her apartment.
“Alright, this is far enough,” Alice Liddell said, standing at the apartment entrance and waving to the knight who had escorted her.
The knight silently nodded, not even taking the time to bow before turning and rushing back to the academy. The unexpected events of the day had left the academy somewhat short-staffed.
Alice Liddell feigned entering the apartment building, but a few seconds later, she quietly peeked out, looking around.
Once she confirmed the knight had left and there were no other passersby, she immediately set off, taking a shortcut and sprinting away.
Before leaving, the Duchess Liddell had helped her secure many connections, one of which included escape routes for emergencies.
Near this residence was a small, privately run waystation that dealt in underground smuggling. It also offered horse rentals and sales to unregistered clients. The Duchess Liddell had anonymously purchased a horse here, and Alice Liddell could retrieve it with a token whenever she needed to make a quick escape.
“Please, madam, this is the horse you entrusted to us,” the owner said, leading a fine horse over shortly after Alice Liddell arrived at the waystation. “And these are the documents for leaving the city. You just need to say you’re going to the eastern village to collect an urgent item.”
“Can this operation truly continue indefinitely?” Alice Liddell asked.
If a fugitive were to escape the city using these means, and they were traced even once, the waystation would be finished.
“You jest, madam. Of course, we have backing, which allows us to operate,” the owner said, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “There are always important figures who occasionally need to move people or goods discreetly in and out of the city, avoiding scrutiny from the guards. We don’t accept just any client.”
Alice Liddell then realized she had underestimated the connections of this place. People and goods that couldn’t be scrutinized by guards… for goods, it could be smuggling, or perhaps stolen items, illicit funds, or contraband. For people, it was much more serious.
Fleeing the city after committing a crime was minor; from the owner’s tone, the business they handled might even be related to the s*ave trade, which was explicitly forbidden by the Empire.
This waystation’s services were exclusively for influential figures. This seemingly small, private waystation also had powerful protectors behind it. For the Duchess Liddell to find a way to use their services could only mean she had extraordinary connections.
“Do you plan to ride alone, or will you use a carriage? A carriage requires an additional deposit,” the owner asked, unconcerned by Alice Liddell’s questions.
“No, I’ll ride myself.” Alice Liddell, her face obscured by the Witch’s Gown, reached out to pat the horse’s neck and looked into its eyes.
She had not practiced horsemanship with the Duchess Liddell, but in the past, when she worked her way through the Southwest Sanctum Academy as Levi, she often cared for horses and occasionally rode them to run errands for the school.
Moreover, the ‘Witch’ class’s Charm could affect animals. With the power of a ‘Sorcerer,’ it would be effortless to tame this horse and make it fond of her.
The horse nudged Alice Liddell’s hand with its nose, appearing exceptionally docile.
Alice Liddell mounted the horse and immediately urged it to gallop out of the city.
Loving this chapter? You'll be hooked on Not Me, The Fans! Click to explore more!
Read : Not Me, The Fans
