The grand doors swung open in the hands of the attendants. In an instant, a wave of loud music and dense gazes surged forth, swallowing Ilus whole.
Ilus instinctively lowered her head, performing a flawless curtsy. At that moment, Lady Vanessa released her hand and whispered a reminder.
“Ilus, keep smiling. Remember your status.”
With that, she gracefully walked over to join the other noble ladies nearby.
With a heart full of reluctance, Ilus found herself at the center of the stage. Familiar and unfamiliar faces swirled before her eyes, offering words of congratulations.
She responded mechanically, a smile still fixed on her lips, but her eyes darted through the crowd like a frightened deer.
She was looking for Iliana.
The detestable demon was not shadowing her as usual. Instead, she had vanished into the sea of guests.
Though she couldn’t see where the creature was, Ilus could feel it—a sticky, cold gaze like spider silk, occasionally settling on the nape of her neck, her wrists, her tightly cinched waist.
That gaze carried an air of appraisal and amusement, causing her body to involuntarily tense up.
The lengthy speech segment began. Lady Vanessa stood on the stage, her voice steady and powerful as she recounted the family’s various achievements.
Of course, Ilus didn’t listen to any of it. Because this was an opportunity.
The guests were listening quietly. The soft chuckles and whispers they occasionally emitted were perfect cover.
Even Iliana would find it somewhat difficult to chase her down immediately.
Despite envisioning this exact scenario countless times last night, now that she was truly at this step, Ilus felt her heart pounding so fast she could hardly bear it. She took a deep breath to steady herself.
Then, she quietly retreated half a step, hiding behind a few tall nobles.
Her palms were slick with sweat, her fingertips icy. Through the thick fabric of her dress, she touched the small cloth pouch. The hard object inside gave her a sliver of illusory courage.
Now.
Taking advantage of a moment when Lady Vanessa reached a certain point in her speech, sparking a wave of hushed discussion, Ilus suddenly gathered her skirts, turned, and slipped out of the brightly lit central area like a startled fish.
Head bowed, she moved with hurried but carefully controlled steps toward the small door at the side rear of the banquet hall that led to the garden. This was the route from her previous escape attempt. Usually only servants passed through occasionally, and it connected to the relatively secluded stable and pathways at the rear of the mansion.
At this time, there would absolutely be no one here.
Breathing heavily, Ilus arrived at the storage area behind the stable. It was piled with discarded furniture and old items. Beyond the tall fence lay the woods on the outskirts of the Duke’s Mansion.
There was a gap in the fence, loosened by age and disrepair, which she had discovered by chance before.
She didn’t care if her dress got dirty. Using both hands and feet, she moved aside a few concealing planks of wood. There it was—the not-too-big, not-too-small gap. Freedom was right outside!
She glanced back. Behind her was silent. In the night, only the rustle of wind through leaves could be heard. Iliana probably hadn’t caught up yet.
Overwhelming joy and the urge to escape flooded her. Ilus hesitated no longer. She lifted her skirts, bent down, and tried to squeeze through the gap.
Rough wood splinters scraped her arms and dress fabric, but she paid them no mind. However, just as more than half her body was through the fence, and she could even smell the fresh, earthy scent of the woods outside…
Suddenly, a hand clad in a pristine white glove gently rested on her shoulder.
The action wasn’t even forceful, yet it felt like a cold iron shackle, instantly freezing all her movement and breath.
“Young Lady,”
A voice so familiar it chilled her to the bone, carrying a hint of surprise and mockery, whispered close to her ear.
“The banquet isn’t over yet~ What are you doing in such a dirty, messy place?”
Ilus’s entire body stiffened. It felt as if her blood froze in that instant. She turned her head, extremely slowly, bit by bit.
Iliana was crouched right behind her, so close. Her maid’s uniform was immaculate, her face wore an expression of utmost concern, but those pale golden eyes were filled with undisguised desire.
Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the two of them.
The hunter smiled, savoring the hope that had just shattered and the despair rising in the prey’s eyes.
“Alright, Young Lady, I won’t ask why you did this. But~ it’s time for us to go back~”
Ilus was pulled back inside the fence. Her legs gave way, and she almost couldn’t stand. Iliana promptly wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her, the action appearing incredibly intimate.
Ilus’s escape plan was utterly crushed at the very last moment of its near-success.
Despair filled her eyes. Ilus knew she was completely finished now.
“Did the Young Lady run away because she didn’t want to attend the banquet?”
Iliana asked, clasping her hands behind her back with a smile.
“Since the Young Lady doesn’t want to attend, then she doesn’t have to. Have pleasant dreams~”
This was the last sentence Ilus heard before losing consciousness. The next moment, the demon struck the back of her neck with a knife-hand chop…
*
When Ilus opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the all-too-familiar ceiling.
She threw off the covers and looked around. Wasn’t this her room? At this moment, she was alone. It was completely silent, with no one else around. Iliana wasn’t by her side either.
Strange. What did she mean by this? Ilus sat up, her mind involuntarily recalling the last words Iliana had said to her.
What did she mean? ‘Have pleasant dreams’? Was she letting her go?
Wait a minute!!!
Ilus suddenly realized something. If this was really her room, then what time was it? Today was her birthday banquet. The mansion couldn’t possibly be this quiet. Unless… it was already midnight? Her Death Night?
Her heart raced. She felt panic rising from within, those uneasy emotions swirling in her blood.
She stood up. A sense of foreboding made her feel like she was about to stop breathing. No, she couldn’t just sit and wait. Maybe she should take this chance to escape quickly.
She quietly pushed open the door. Though the sound of the door turning wasn’t loud, it now seemed piercingly sharp. Ilus had never felt the Duke’s Mansion to be so eerily silent.
To get out, she had to go downstairs and pass through the large living room ahead.
As Ilus descended the stairs, she sniffed the air. A nauseating smell instantly drained the color from her face. This scent was…
She had an inkling of the answer in her heart. But ahead was the only path out.
Ilus’s expression shifted constantly. Finally, as if having made a certain resolve, she gently pushed the door to the living room open a crack.
When she saw the scene in the center of the living room, Ilus staggered back a few steps and unceremoniously fell onto her bottom. At the same time, choked gasps of terror kept escaping her throat.
“No, no, no no no—!!!”
In the center of the living room, Iliana, covered in blood, turned around. Her lovely face, stained crimson, was brimming with eagerness.
“Young Lady, you’ve finally come~”