Secrets of the Afterlife [C.MY & K.MN]

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊

[THIS CHAPTER IS NOT EDITED]

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"Do you have everything ready?" Cho Miyeon asked her aide, her face hidden beneath the dark brown cloak. "Of course, Madam." The two had met up once the manor was completely silent. Sneaking away in the shadows and into the gazebo that leads outside. Everyone had fallen asleep except for the two of them. As of right now, the Duchess was planning on leaving to head toward Vena, the best information guild of the Minoan Kingdom. She just needed to slip through the gate where the rented carriage waited for her.

"What about the coachman?" The Duchess had told Lady Soyeon to keep her trip to Vena a top priority and without the knowledge of others. "He has already been informed and was delighted to see the gold coins thrown at him." Cho Miyeon kept a stoic face while beaming inside. "However I was not convinced to permit every knight of the manor to slumber. Two knights are in charge of scouring and maintaining the protection of the duchy for the night."

"Really?" Cho Miyeon did not anticipate the knights, and it made her trip to Vena a danger of getting caught. "I do know where these two knights are currently stationed, Madam." Lady Soyeon's eyes curled as she smiled knowingly at the Duchess. "I was the one who arranged where they would be stationed and had it timed." The aide did not have to ask to tag along because she knew this simple detail would be enough and Cho Miyeon knew well what her options were.

Now it was time for the Duchess to make a decision. Should she risk being seen and waking up the whole manor, possibly giving everyone the wrong assumption of fleeing or confirming that she has gone insane? Or should she just bring her cunning and intellectual aide with her? Both choices made Cho Miyeon's stomach hurt.

"Where are they?" she asked her aide. "If you had gone further ahead you would have seen the first knight." The Duchess almost fell to the ground while trying to duck behind a bush and soon pulled her aide down with her. "You-" She was cut off by Lady Soyeon placing a finger to her lips and pointing to her ear. As if on cue, they could hear someone walking. The sound of fallen leaves crunching from a distance. "Where is the other?" The aide did not have to ask who the Madam was referring to. "He is by the front garden, away from the water fountain." She whispered back.

"Will he see us if we turn left and continue our way to the gate?" Cho Miyeon asked as the pair waited for the footsteps to disappear. "No, Madam. He will not be able to see us as long as we are careful." That meant they had to be careful about any newly fallen leaf that had touched the ground throughout the night. If it was morning, the gardeners would have tried their best to clear the majority of them, but with the season of autumn, more leaves would be bound to continue falling.

"Should I lead the way?" Lady Soyeon asked while watching her every move. She could tell the Duchess was having a hard time considering the factors against them. It would be hard to avoid detection with the leaves giving her away, but there was no other way Cho Miyeon could have left without the former Duke knowing where she was going. She does not trust any of the people because they are not those she's familiar with. She could not ask her aide to lead them. "Come on," Cho Miyeon whispered as she crept in the opposite direction that the knight had taken.

After much hassle of staying silent, they reached the gate, and standing behind a couple of trees was the carriage that patiently waited for them. "If I catch wind of this being told to the former Duke, know there will be consequences Lady Jeon Soyeon." Cho Miyeon did not spare her aide a glance as she was helped onto the carriage by the coachman that had stepped forward. "The Madam does not need to worry," the aide replied as she stepped inside the carriage, this time without the help of the coachman.