Chapter 4

Fourteen days later. Today was the day Aina was to execute her plan. Aina replayed the memory of her conversation with Olivia fourteen days ago.

Olivia raised her index finger again in front of her face. "One month."

'One month? What's so significant about one month?' Aina wondered, but she waited for Olivia to continue.

"You have one month to escape. King Willise will arrive in Audellian next month. So, you must leave before next month comes."

Aina was just learning about the arrival time of King Willise, and it turned out to be next month.

"I suggest you leave two weeks from today. If you leave too soon, this plan is at risk of being discovered and failing because your guards are still very tight. But if it's closer to the time King Willise arrives, your security will be increased, and it will be harder for you to escape," Olivia continued.

Aina nodded, signaling that she understood Olivia's explanation.

*****

For the past fourteen days, Aina had stayed in her residence, accompanied only by Olivia. No one from her family came to visit her. Aina had no idea whether her grandfather would visit the next day or attend the farewell party when King Willise came to take her.

But there was no next day now because Aina planned to escape today. She would not meet her family again in the coming days.

Olivia, who initially only cared about the plan, had started to feel sympathy for Aina.

"Don't you want to meet someone before you leave?" Olivia asked her.

Right now, Aina was enjoying her last breakfast at her family's residence.

"No. There's no one I want to meet." Aina went back to focusing on her breakfast.

Olivia fell silent. She wanted to know what Aina was thinking. Aina had always remained calm, and the days Olivia spent with Aina began to feel dull. It didn't even feel like they had been together for two weeks, and today was the last day they would be together.

On the other hand, Aina was thankful no one came to see her other than Olivia. She didn't have to meet Rose or her grandfather.

"What's the matter?" Aina asked in return. Why was Olivia asking this?

"You're going far away and might never return to Audellian. Don't you want to say goodbye to anyone?" Olivia asked again to confirm Aina's answer.

Aina furrowed her brow, her mouth opening to respond, "If I do that, the plan might fail. If I meet someone, the guards might realize I'm doing something suspicious, because I haven't been going anywhere. Besides, there's no one I want to meet before I leave."

"Yeah, you're right." Olivia conceded, looking away.

"But actually, there is someone I want to take with me." Suddenly, Aina remembered someone.

Olivia quickly turned to Aina. "Who?"

"Vara, my maid." Aina replied.

Olivia understood the relationship between Vara and Aina. "Then why can't you?"

Aina could take Vara from Audellian. Olivia was sure Vara would comply and would even be happy to go with her lady.

"I can't involve Vara. If this plan fails and I get into trouble, I can't let Vara fall with me if we're caught."

"I understand," Olivia replied finally.

*

"Are you kidding?" Olivia asked in disbelief. "You're going for a picnic, even though you just finished breakfast a moment ago?"

Olivia looked back and forth between Vara and Aina.

"My lady wants to picnic, so why not?" Vara replied, returning Olivia's question.

"Let's go," Aina said, stepping out of her room.

Vara followed her mistress, carrying the picnic basket. Behind them, Olivia just shook her head and sighed.

"Alright, I'll go, but I'm just accompanying you both and not eating anything." Olivia quickly followed the two women.

Accompanied by several guards, the three women arrived at a lake. The lake was surrounded by trees, but the forest wasn't too dense.

After finding a suitable spot, Vara immediately spread a cloth on the ground for them to sit. They could see the tall palace building ahead of them. The palace was behind the forest surrounding the lake in front of them.

Behind them, on the other side of the forest, was the backyard of the White family's residence. The White family's residence was closer to the palace compared to other families.

After half an hour of chatting and eating snacks, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind them. They all focused their attention on the noise, and even the guards around them became alert.

A white rabbit emerged from behind a tree trunk and the bushes.

"A rabbit!" Vara approached the rabbit, charmed by its cuteness. She picked it up and brought it closer to the two women by the lake.

"Look! How cute!" Vara showed off the rabbit with a wide smile.

Aina, also taken by the animal's cuteness, extended a cookie toward the rabbit, seemingly wanting to feed it.

"Wait a minute, can rabbits eat cookies?" Olivia asked.

Aina paused for a moment, then responded with a sour face, "I don't know."

Aina's answer made the two women nearby laugh.

"Doesn't it matter?" Aina replied back.

"So there are things Lady Aina doesn't know," Olivia said with a small laugh.

An hour passed. They decided to return to the residence. While packing up their things, Aina slipped a letter into their picnic basket. It was a farewell letter she intended to give Vara.

Since Vara was always checked when entering and leaving her room, Aina couldn't give it to her until they were outside the residence. The guards didn't notice the letter Aina placed in the basket.

Aina was sure they wouldn't check Vara if she was outside because they could keep an eye on her directly. However, when inside the residence, the guards couldn't enter her room as it was her only private space.

Vara, seeing the letter, stared at Aina, who was also watching her. Vara understood Aina's intention; it was a secret letter meant only for her.

On the other hand, Olivia also noticed it, and like Vara, she knew what Aina meant. Olivia even guessed it was a farewell letter.

The three of them started walking back to the residence, with the guards following. Aina and Olivia entered through the side door of the residence, while Vara walked around to enter through the back.

As she turned the corner, Vara bumped into someone, causing her to drop her picnic basket. She quickly looked up to see who had blocked her path.

Vara couldn't scold the person who had stopped her and made her drop the basket once she saw and recognized who she had run into.

Who did Vara meet at that moment?