‘Hmm? Could she have realized I was peeking at her?’ Ilus’s heart tightened, her pulse quickening significantly. However, looking at the maid’s expression, it didn’t seem to be because of that.
As Eliana turned around, the sunlight happened to illuminate half of her face through the window. That smile appeared so gentle and pure within the halo of light that it made all the previous gloom feel like nothing more than Ilus’s illusion.
“Something interesting?”
‘Could it be another of the demon’s little tricks?’ After her previous experiences, Ilus felt the need to doubt everything Eliana said.
A warning bell rang softly in the young girl’s mind, but she forced her shoulders to relax. She turned to face the maid, wearing a perfectly crafted expression of curiosity.
“Let’s hear it.”
“I heard it while I was out at the market for supplies this morning,” Eliana said in a cheerful tone as she skillfully fluffed and arranged the pillows.
“In the Royal Capital West District, near the Old Bell Tower, a new street has been opened. They say many new Magic Merchants have gathered there, selling all sorts of strange and wonderful Magic Items. For instance, there are pens that can write forever and flowerpots that keep flowers in bloom indefinitely. In short, there must be many magical things there.”
She looked up, her pale gold eyes shimmering with a childlike, excited glow. She walked over to Ilus and leaned in slightly.
“My Lady, you haven’t seemed to be in the best of moods lately. How about I accompany you for a stroll?”
‘Forget it. Aren’t you the main culprit behind my bad mood?’ Ilus rubbed her small nose, feeling a bit depressed.
If Eliana followed her, wouldn’t she be even more miserable?
Still, it had to be said that Ilus’s interest was piqued. Having been transported into this world full of magic and mystery, she felt a natural curiosity toward such things.
More importantly, if she could leave this occasionally suffocating mansion and go somewhere crowded and lively, it might allow her frayed nerves to relax for a while. Perhaps… she might even find something that could help her deal with Eliana.
Despite the anticipation in her heart, Ilus simply shook her head calmly.
“I’m not interested. I still have the tasks Mother assigned to complete. Eliana, you should just go by yourself.”
“That really is a pity, My Lady.”
The maid wore an expression of regret, which made Ilus want to complain out loud.
‘She’s a pretty good actress. As expected of a demon. Hmph, I’m definitely not going with a demon. I’ll just sneak out on my own.’
In the game, the original Ilus used to climb over a dilapidated low wall to get outside. That information would come in handy right now.
The girl made her calculations and decided to go see the place tonight.
***
As the sky grew dark and the time for rest arrived, Ilus’s heart had already flown out the window.
Using the excuse of feeling unwell, she returned to her room early and specifically instructed that no one was to come in and disturb her rest.
After returning, Ilus frequently pressed her ear against the door to listen to the sounds outside. Once the footsteps finally faded away, the perfect time to sneak out arrived.
She changed into an inconspicuous dark gray cloak and pulled the hood low. Relying on her memory, she bypassed the patrolling maids and guards. In the abandoned small garden on the west side of the mansion, she found a section of the low wall where the stones had indeed loosened.
Ilus carefully moved a few stones aside, revealing a gap just wide enough for her to squeeze through sideways.
‘It seems I didn’t remember it wrong.’ A smile flickered across the girl’s pretty face. She took a deep breath and nimbly crawled through.
When her feet landed on the stone pavement outside the mansion, and the air—mixed with the scent of distant cooking smoke and light dust—filled her lungs, Ilus felt a long-lost sense of freedom mixed with the thrill of adventure.
This was the kind of life in another world she wanted, not being shut up in the Duke’s residence all day like a caged bird waiting to die.
Following the directions Eliana had described, she passed through streets lit by magical lamps and headed toward the Old Bell Tower in the Royal Capital West District.
The closer she got to the West District, the more the scenery changed. Glowing vines climbed up the ancient brick buildings. The shop windows no longer displayed ordinary goods but instead featured floating crystal balls, books that turned their own pages, and even strange-looking creatures kept in cages.
The sight of all this made Ilus’s eyes widen involuntarily.
The pedestrians included many people dressed in long robes and wearing strange badges, and the scent of unknown spices drifted through the air.
The dark silhouette of the Old Bell Tower appeared nearby, and beside it, a brand-new street emitted a dreamlike glow.
The entrance to the street had no traditional archway. Instead, it was marked by two intertwining spirals of soft, flowing light, as if offering a silent invitation.
Ilus suppressed her racing heart, pulled down the brim of her hood, and stepped into the light spirals.
In an instant, the clamor and brilliance surged toward her. Both sides of the street were lined with an array of shops and stalls. The light from the various commodities reflected off one another, making the night as bright as day.
Not only were there the things Eliana had described, but there were also many even more miraculous items.
She lingered curiously in front of stall after stall, temporarily tossing the troubles Eliana caused to the back of her mind.
Perhaps because she was so engrossed, a single strand of silver hair slipped out from under her hood.
As the girl went deeper, the shop lights became more eerie, and the writing on the signs seemed to squirm slowly. The items for sale became increasingly bizzare, but Ilus’s eyes only grew more fervent.
‘Maybe there really is a Magic Item here that can help me deal with Eliana!’
Just then, an unknown chill suddenly washed over her, completely dousing the excitement that had just flared up.
Her body instinctively looked toward her front and side, and Ilus’s pupils suddenly dilated. There stood a figure she was all too familiar with. Even though the person was completely wrapped in a black cloak, Ilus could recognize her at a single glance—it was Eliana!
‘She… why is she here?!’
Eliana’s pale gold eyes calmly scanned the street, seemingly looking for something. After a few minutes, she began walking in the opposite direction from where Ilus was standing.
‘This… she isn’t here looking for me, is she?’ Ilus swallowed hard. It shouldn’t be possible. She had already given all the maids a “warning” beforehand. In their minds, she should still be sleeping.
Was Eliana’s presence here a coincidence, or… The girl’s face paled. ‘Could she have some means of monitoring me? But it looks like she hasn’t discovered me yet.’
Doubts swirled in Ilus’s mind. To make matters worse, the direction Eliana was heading was exactly where she had planned to go.
‘Since that’s the case, I have no choice.’ Ilus gritted her teeth and quietly followed. As long as she kept a distance, Eliana wouldn’t be able to detect her, right?
The girl thought this while lightening her footsteps. But who could have known that before she had gone very far, Eliana would suddenly stop, turn her head, and look directly toward where Ilus was hiding…