The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 33: The Third Floor

The administrator's residence was originally a castle belonging to a noble family in Daliege, with a primary focus on defense. The windows were placed high up, narrow and small, making lighting very poor even during the day. Later, during renovations, the owner added several glass windows on the ground floor to make the place more suitable for living.

Through a patterned glass window, Lumian looked inside, only to see the hall used for banquets was empty and desolate.

"Indeed, there aren't many servants," Lia remarked softly.

Since it was daytime, many windows were open, allowing the fresh, flower-scented air to flow inside, creating an ideal opportunity for Lumian and his companions to sneak in.

Taking advantage of the lack of servants on the first floor, the four of them climbed into the hall one after another. However, they didn't immediately proceed further; instead, they found hidden spots nearby to take cover.

Lia turned her head and spoke to Valentine, who was hiding behind a decorative pillar:

"I'll scout ahead. Be ready."

Valentine nodded coldly.

Lumian was squatting behind a stone platform holding a porcelain vase. Hearing Lia, he poked his head out and reminded her:

"No need to explore the first floor.

"This area is often used to entertain guests, so there's nothing unusual."

Since Administrator Beost and Lady Pualis moved in, his sister Aurore had occasionally visited the castle to either attend as a guest or borrow a pony. On several occasions, Lumian had tagged along, enjoying plenty of cake, bread, and drinks.

When the administrator and Lady Pualis were away, he also occasionally visited the butler, Louis Lund, who had accompanied him on a tour of the first floor.

"I'll head straight for the staircase," Lia acknowledged.

Instead of taking a direct route across the empty banquet hall, she hugged the walls and circled toward the staircase.

The four small silver bells on her never made a sound.

As she passed by one of the rooms, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching the door.

From his vantage point, Lumian could see a male servant dressed in a red shirt and white trousers appear at the doorway, almost colliding with Lia. There was nothing nearby to hide behind!

Without panicking, Lia turned her body, placed a hand on the wall, and swiftly climbed onto a painting hanging two meters high.

She then stood on tiptoe, balanced herself on the frame, and managed to stand steadily against the wall without disturbing the painting.

Lumian felt like applauding; it reminded him of the acrobatics he had seen at a circus in Daliege last year.

The male servant left the room, instinctively glanced left and right, and walked toward the kitchen.

As soon as he had taken a few steps, Lia silently slid down from the painting.

Then, she did two rolls and hid behind a pillar.

When the male servant disappeared from the banquet hall, she resumed her wall-hugging approach.

Finally, she reached the staircase and confirmed there were no issues.

Seeing this, Lumian darted out from behind the stone platform, sprinting in a straight line to her side.

He moved swiftly, reaching Lia within two or three seconds.