Chapter 4- Another escape plan

"B-but Young Master, n-now?" Her voice shook.

Xander threw her a weird look and continued removing his coat. He brought out a little bottle from his pants pocket and threw it at her. "Use this to tend to your wounds." He didn't wait for a thank you and picked a new coat from the bed and scrambled out of the window.

Ivanna quickly applied the medicine to her wounds before the young master changed his mind.

The day was dark yet again. And the thoughts of escaping hadn't left her head. What that blind man said to her still lingered in her mind. She needed to escape because he was never letting her go.

She just needs to find the perfect escape plan, and the right person to help her.

___________

"You're taking over the kitchen today, Ivanna, you'll be accompanied by Sarah. Not much chit chat girls."

Ivanna and Sarah nodded at this and walked along the path to the kitchen. It was a big kitchen where meals for the entire Mansion were prepared.

Ivanna has only ever been in the kitchen five times. The chief servant never allows her near there.

Sarah was also like her, brought as a pet by the first young master of the Breguet's family. Her story was different, her family was killed by rogues when they attacked her town. She was the only survivor in the entire town. And the First young Master took her in as his pet.

Ivanna cleaned the kitchen while Sarah prepared the food. Sarah's main work in the Mansion was cooking, which most times made the chief servant angry.

"How long have you been in this Mansion?" Ivanna finally asked as she glanced around to make sure the area was clear.

"Since I was four. Why?" Sarah asked and glanced at Ivanna with a clean expression.

"Twenty years? That's long."

Sarah nodded her head and tried to hide her pained-filled eyes.

"Have you ever thought of escaping?"

Sarah nodded her head with timid eyes. "Attempted five times and caught. And I'll tell you, it's no fun."

"But," Ivanna paused as a servant brought a few supplies to Sarah. She watched as the servant walked away. "What if we plan it together," She whispered, taking Sarah off guard. "We can walk out of this hell hole together and live a peaceful and wonderful life."

Sarah had a conflicted emotion in her eyes. She glanced around before settling her gaze on Ivanna. "But what if we get caught? Master Xander would kill me before the First young Master does for trying to run away with his pet."

"We won't get caught, I promise." Ivanna declared. She noticed the conflicted emotion in Sarah and felt sad.

Sarah wasn't thinking about her safety, but Ivanna's protection as she was older than her. If caught, they might be killed. And she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if Ivanna dies with her.

"I don't think we should run away. It's almost impossible to." Sarah tried to reason with Ivanna. "They'll find us and feed us to the sharky dogs."

Ivanna held her hand right to assure her. "We won't be caught. You know almost every corner of the Mansion, right?" Sarah nodded. "Then there it is. You know the nooks and crannies of the mansion, while I know the skills and ways to escape. That's the perfect combination."

Sarah gave some thought to it. But before she could disagree, a loud voice came from outside.

"Get those meals ready in nine minutes or you're gonna replace the meal."

That was the chief servant.

"Meet me at the water tower by midnight. Dress in black and pack lightly." Sarah whispered, and Ivanna's grin broadened.

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The clock struck 12 and Ivanna opened her eyes. The Young Master had permitted her to return to her room earlier that day, so she was in her room.

She only packed a light dress into her bag and some lightweight food. She didn't pass through the door like she did the last time she tried to escape, she passed through the window.

Her footsteps were light on the ground, and so also her breathing. She ignored the cold breeze fanning her face and made her way to the water tower.

"You're on time," Sarah whispered as she sighted Ivanna. They moved closer to the tower.

"Anything to get out of here."

They were both dressed in black attires. Their faces were also covered.

"This water tower has an underground tunnel that leads to the outside of the Mansion. But there are a few obstacles that can get you caught without you realizing it."

"What obstacles?"

"The grasses are moisturized with tracing powders. Once you step on it, it's impossible to hide your tracks, no matter how you try to wipe your feet or get rid of your shoe."

"How do we leave the Mansion when the entire ground outside these walls is coated in tracing powders?" Ivanna asked. She didn't see how their escape was possible anymore.

"The tunnel underneath this water tower has two holes that lead outside of this Mansion. One leads directly outside the walls, while the other leads straight out of the empire."

Ivanna was dumbfounded at how much Sarah knew that Mansion. "How do you know all this? Have you been out of the empire before?"

"No." She simply replied. "I've planned for an escape for a long time, but wasn't able to carry them out." She paused and thought of something. "Do you have a necklace?"

"What necklace?"

"Any necklace."

Ivanna touched her neck and shook her head. "I don't have one. Why?"

"I just wanted to make sure young master Xander didn't give you one. Because if he did, you'll have to drop it now. He can track you with it."

After several questioning and checkings, they finally entered through the tunnel as Sarah had said. The tunnel indeed had two paths, it was almost impossible to tell the path out of the empire as the two paths were identical, and the darkness wasn't helping. But Sarah seemed to know the path as she crawled into the one on the left.

It almost seemed like hours before they began to see the other end of the tunnel. Their body wasn't stinky and dirty like she had experienced the last time.

"Wait," Sarah whispered. Ivanna paused and glanced around the tunnel in alarm and confusion. "The tunnel is a long way through. Seeing the end this early is wrong. Something's wrong."

"Let's hurry out then," Ivanna suggested.

Sarah thought a little and agreed. They crawled closer to the end of the tunnel and crawled out of the tunnel.

But they didn't expect to see flashes of light and a pair of red glowing eyes.

"First Y-young Master…"

"Running with my brother's pet was a lame move, little Sarah," He cut her off and turned off the touch, and stepped closer to them. "Every time I tell myself to spare your life, you keep doing things that make me want to end it even more." His voice was low and deep.

Ivanna had never seen the first young master as he only appears at night time. And she wasn't looking forward to it.