Chapter 59: The Secret Escape

“Come in!”

Having received permission, Nomnom opened the door and pushed in the dining cart.

“Here are your pastries and black tea. Please enjoy them at your leisure…”

She was about to take the tableware from the cart when Luluti raised a hand to stop her.

“Never mind those things. Where’s what I asked you to bring?”

“Ah, that… ahaha…”

Nomnom nervously twisted the cuffs of her sleeves, occasionally glancing at Yalin from the corner of her eye.

“Don’t mind him; just bring it out!”

Since the young lady had spoken, Nomnom no longer hesitated. She lifted the cloth covering the dining cart and retrieved a set of clothes from underneath.

It was an unremarkable outfit, neither plain nor lavish, the kind one might see anywhere on the street.

In addition, there was a slightly old cloak, its craftsmanship and material quite coarse, making it hard to imagine it had come from within the villa.

“These are the clothes the young lady requested. I’ve already washed them thoroughly and even altered them to fit, so they should be wearable…”

“Well done, Nomnom!”

Luluti exclaimed excitedly, eager to try them on and almost stripping off her clothes right then and there. However, remembering Yalin’s presence, she spun her head around fiercely and glared at him.

“What are you staring at? I’m changing, so hurry up and turn away!”

“Wait a moment,” Yalin interjected, raising a hand. “The young lady’s current attire is already quite beautiful. Why would you want to change into something so plain?”

“How can you be so dense? We’re sneaking out, so of course, we can’t be too conspicuous!”

Luluti rolled her eyes at him, pouting as she explained, “Once I’ve changed, I’ll hide beneath the dining cart, and Nomnom will push me out!”

“But she’s too clumsy; she’s bound to give us away. So, if we encounter any sudden complications, you’ll be on lookout, understood?”

Upon hearing this, Nomnom also became excited. “No wonder the young lady wanted the clothes I used to wear; so that’s what it was for!”

Her tail wagged incessantly as she looked at Yalin with sparkling eyes.

“Mr. Yalin, let’s work together and escort the young lady out!”

Yalin remained silent for a moment before speaking. “Are you sure about this? Secretly helping the young lady sneak out of the villa is no small matter. If you’re caught, you could face a minor punishment, or, in a more serious scenario, even lose your maid’s job, you know?”

“Eh? Is that so?”

Nomnom paused, then belatedly muttered softly, “Oh, right, according to the rules, the young lady isn’t supposed to go out freely…”

She bit her lip, pondered for a long while, then clenched her fists, her eyes gleaming with determination. “It doesn’t matter. If this is the young lady’s wish, then even if I’m thrown out of the house, I’m willing to do it! After all, the young lady was the one who took me in to begin with!”

“But for Mr. Yalin to be so concerned about me, you truly are a kind person… *sniffle*, I promise, even if we’re discovered, I absolutely won’t expose you!”

“You foolish cat!” Luluti grumbled, giving Nomnom’s ear a tug, which elicited a small meow from her.

“Do you really think he’s concerned about you? He’s clearly afraid of getting into trouble himself, using you as an excuse to warn me!”

“Ah, is that so?”

Nomnom rubbed her furry ears, speaking with a bewildered expression.

Luluti ignored her, instead turning a disdainful gaze towards Yalin.

“Rest assured, the situation you’re imagining won’t happen. My family already knows I’m going out; someone will be here to pick me up in half an hour. I’m merely slipping out before they realize, so you don’t need to worry about salary deductions or being dismissed.”

“Really…”

“Tsk, just tell me directly, do you still want your future wages or not?”

Yalin immediately straightened his back. “Since it is the young lady’s request, I naturally have no reason to refuse.”

He still understood what truly mattered; no matter how unpleasant Raymond the butler’s demeanor might be, Luluti remained the true authority in this household.

While he didn’t know her intentions, as an employee, his only duty was to honestly comply with his employer’s request.

He just wondered if Nomnom had any hidden agenda.

Yalin subconsciously glanced at the large thunder cat-girl.

“What are you looking at? Now that you know, hurry up and turn your back!”

Noticing Yalin’s gaze, Luluti shouted in annoyance.

“I understand… But aren’t you going to change? Perhaps I should step out for a moment?”

“No need. Your leaving would surely attract attention. Just stay here quietly.”

Having no other option, Yalin dutifully turned his back.

Typical of demi-humans, they certainly weren’t particular about such matters. It seemed they didn’t consider him an outsider at all.

Luluti changed her clothes with remarkable speed, entirely unlike the fuss other noble young ladies might make. Her dress and two white stockings were casually tossed onto the bed, and she slipped into Nomnom’s outfit. In mere moments, her transformation was complete.

“How do I look?”

Yalin turned back around to see Luluti standing with her hands on her hips, an expression of proud satisfaction on her face.

The clothes were slightly loose on her, and while the cuffs and hem appeared a bit long, they fit surprisingly well. With the cloak draped over her, she looked just like any common traveler.

However, this was only the case if her face remained thoroughly concealed by her hood.

Should the hood slip, revealing her fair and delicate face, coupled with Luluti’s unique haughty demeanor, even the simplest attire would instantly betray her extraordinary status.

“Alright, without further ado, let’s depart!”

With these words, Luluti crouched down and slipped beneath the dining cart.

Her body was already petite and remarkably flexible, so it required no effort at all.

“Please rest assured, young lady. Mr. Yalin and I will certainly complete this mission!”

Nomnom carefully covered the dining cart with the cloth once more, then nodded at Yalin.

Yalin sighed silently, for at this point, all he could do was pray that no unexpected mishaps would occur.

The process of leaving proved surprisingly smooth. Raymond and the other butlers were likely busy with their duties, leaving only a few maids bustling through the hall, each engrossed in their work.

No one would have imagined that the young lady of the Astria family was currently curled up obediently inside the dining cart Nomnom was pushing.

As for the gate guards, upon seeing Nomnom accompanied, they merely offered a routine nod, conducting no further inquiries.

After all, the guards on duty changed daily, and Nomnom, as the young lady’s personal maid, held a significantly higher status than them.

Thus, they simply couldn’t be bothered to thoroughly inspect what was inside the cart.

In this manner, Luluti effortlessly bypassed multiple layers of security and successfully slipped out of her family’s villa.

Yalin felt a wave of embarrassment. He had a strong premonition that the Astria family’s security guards were probably in for a world of trouble.