17 Just as I planned

Butch left the room, leaving Johan and me alone, I tried to get closer to the door to hear what they were saying.

(Butch) What happened?

(Bully2) the idiot marquis refuses to pay the rescue.

(Butch) But then what are we going to do?

(Johan) Hey Leon, let's go play.

Johan was pulling me by the arm to go with him, but I was very concentrated in trying to listen to what they were saying.

(Leonora) wait for me for a moment.

I went back to the door.

(Bully3) we still have the other kid, if the marquis doesn't want to pay we'll just have...

(Johan) Leon! come.

(Leonora) You want to let me listen, your life is more at risk than mine.

(Leonora) Look, let's play hide and seek, I'll start counting.

(Johan) waaa I never heard of that game, how do you play it?

Shit, I forgot that game doesn't exist in this world, and I keep missing the conversation.

(Leonora) I count to 20 and while you hide, when I finish I look for you, if I find you you lose and if I don't find you you win.

(Johan) Sounds fun, I want to count first.

GOD, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU KID.

(Leonora) Alright, go to the corner and start counting.

He ran to the other side of the room, and started counting, I for one could finally hear the end of the conversation.

(Butch) then it's decided, we don't need the son of the marquis.

Silence came on the other side of the room, and then I heard people leaving the house, this is bad, but thinking about it was the only possible scenario, the marquis has a history of never bending to blackmail, and I have had the misfortune of knowing his wife, that woman would never agree to make a pact with criminals, it was obvious that they preferred to alert the guard or the king himself before paying the ransom.

I looked at Johan, he was trying to count but he was confusing the numbers, and sometimes he had to use his fingers to get his bearings, if the marquis did not pay the ransom he was no good to them, besides now they had another child to ransom.

I sighed, and considered my options again. I don't have to help him, I've thought it over, and in the long run it brings me more trouble than good but....

There was a time when he was my favorite, I wouldn't say something as silly as falling in love with a fictional character, but his routes always seemed the sweetest to me and his final resolution always appealed to me.

He finally made it to about 20, so I unwillingly hid under the table, when he finished counting it didn't take him long to find me.

(Johan) I found you Leon.

(Leonora) Yes, you are very good at this game.

(Johan) Wow what fun, now it's my turn to hide.

I went to the corner, and slowly started to count, out of the corner of my eye I saw him as he went from one side to the other looking for the best hiding place.

Johan has no friends so this must be the first time he plays with another boy his age, during all his childhood he has only been compared to his older brothers, and although it was never the intention of his parents, they have made him feel like an idiot for not being able to excel in anything.

I finished counting and turned around, it didn't take me more than 5 seconds to find him, he had hidden behind a curtain, but his feet were sticking out and I could hear him chuckling under his breath.

I slowly walked around the room as if I didn't know where he was hiding, every time I passed by him his laughter got louder.

They are going to kill you, you are no good to them, they will get rid of you so that your family can't have proof to find them.

(Leonora) I give up Johan, I can't find you.

He jumped out of his hiding place.

(Johan) I'm here Leon, you passed by me but you didn't see me.

(Leonora) You're very good at hiding.

(Johan) Come on, let's play again.

Again, he went back to the corner to count, and I took the opportunity to stare at him. You have killed me, you have been my executioner more times than I want to count, you have looked me in the eyes when I died but....

Well, on those occasions I did horrible things to you, I deceived everyone and took them to the limit, but even so you always tried not to make me suffer when I died.

Johan finished counting, but this time I didn't bother to hide.

(Johan) Leon! why didn't you hide?

I walked up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, I will do horrible things to you, if you get in my way you are going to wish you never met me, I will take it upon myself to break your spirit, to hurt your loved ones, to crush everything you love.

So please, don't get in my way.

(Johan) Leon, are you okay? Does your arm hurt again? What's wrong?

(Leonora) I'm fine, it just hurts more than I want to admit.

(Johan) Well ah this, if this game is too much let's play something else.

He went and started knocking on the door to call Butch.

I'll help you, for old times sake I'll give you a hand, but don't expect too much either, I haven't planned anything, and I'm not very good at improvising, I usually fail once or twice before I can get an event right.

(Johan) Mr. Butch are you there? Mr. Butch.

Johan kept playing, and Butch finally came back into the room.

(Butch) I apologize young Johansen, but a letter has arrived from your father.

(Johan) Wah! I'm sorry!

(Butch) That's right, it says he has finished his duties with the king, so he and the rest of his family will be arriving soon.

Johan looked happy, but I didn't like Butch's face at all.

(Leonora) speaking of letters, could you write one for my house?

(Butch) oh I thought I remembered that you mentioned that your father is not in town, isn't that right?

(Leonora) yes, and at the mansion there is only that incompetent maid, so I wouldn't mind staying here to wait for him, but I want some things from my house.

I just wanted a letter to alert Irma, I am not sure if they have already sent a ransom letter, but I told her not to act unless I ask her to.

(Butch) in case you need anything, don't hesitate to ask for it young Lazaruz.

You're not going to make it easy for me, are you?

(Leonora) well, I would like coffee, made of Arabic beans and not robust, otherwise I will spit it in your face, roasted cinnamon, cane sugar, and from a white porcelain cup WITHOUT DECORATION, elliptical in shape and a maximum of 100 milliliters.

Butch was confused, in this world it is believed that coffee was discovered in Tarrazzca and Count Lazaruz exported it to Karris, so it would be obvious to think that there the coffee culture is more advanced, but the truth is that I discovered the coffee, and I say that it is from Tarrazzca for the facade of the count.

(Butch) Excuse me young Lazaruz, but I don't know the types of coffee you are talking about.

(Leonora) I thought so, but what can you do, bring me some coffee and I'll make it myself, but I won't accept a substitute for the cup.

(Butch) Well, I'll be back soon.

He left the room, and I hoped that would keep him busy while I came up with a better plan.

When we were alone again, I started questioning Johan to get some information out of him.

In the end I found out the following, Butch started working in his house about half a year ago, he never liked it very much but he had the favor of his parents, and a week ago when his family was traveling to the capital to join his father for the king's birthday, Butch and Johan who were traveling in the same carriage at some point took a different path than his mother and brothers, Butch told him that his parents would make a trip to Quarel after the party, and as he might get bored, they preferred him to go ahead and choose the best places in Quarel for them to visit together.

After listening to their story I started to check the grounds, they kept us on the second floor, and the windows as I said were closed with bars, on the other side of the door from where we are there is a small room where the stairs to the second floor are, but in that place as I could see there are always a couple of thugs standing guard, the second floor I have not explored but I guess that's where the kitchen is and where the gang members sleep.

Complicated, if I were a couple of years older.

Before lunch Butch came back and strangely asked me to teach him how to make coffee, I didn't bother, in fact although I don't know the reason, I really enjoy making coffee, maybe it's due to something from my original life.

I taught Butch the correct way to prepare coffee, and to my surprise the smell caught the attention of the other members of the band, so I started to prepare more, which earned me a trip to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, after making enough coffee for everyone, I pocketed a small bread knife.

Johan tried to taste the coffee but I drink it with only one sugar, and it is too bitter for him, so he had to add milk and more sugar, maybe more than he should.

The afternoon continued and everything was still quiet, Butch was called by his colleagues but it didn't seem so urgent, maybe I was wrong and they won't do anything wrong to Johan, maybe this event is not so difficult after all, but soon after Butch returned.

(Butch) Young Johansen, would you be so kind as to accompany me please.

All right, I think I'll take this one myself.

(Leonora) Where are you going?

(Butch) oh young Lazaruz, I will take young Johansen to receive his parents, but don't worry, you can continue waiting here.

Shit shit shit shit, they are going to take him away, what do I do? Why don't I poison the coffee? I always have poison with me, why didn't I think of that?

Johan looked uncomfortable, he didn't trust Butch very much.

(Johan) Didn't my parents arrive tomorrow?

(Butch) Yes, it was supposed to be like that, but they will arrive earlier to surprise you, and don't you think it's a good idea for you to surprise them?

(Leonora) Can I come with you? I want to say hello to Johan's parents.

Yes, I can't think of anything, it's ok, I can only think of things I could have done before getting to this point, but these are not especially useful now.

(Butch) My apologies young Lazaruz, but it's not going to be possible.

(Leonora) Why not? Tell me Johan, don't you want me to meet your parents?

(Johan) I want Leon to come with us.

Butch was beginning to lose his patience.

(Butch) Young Lazaruz, I ask you not to insist, I don't know how the Marquis would react to that.

(Johan) Hmm, if so, I prefer to stay with Leon, and let my parents come to surprise me.

(Butch) Things are not going to be like that, you will have to come with me.

He took Johan by the arm, and I tried to resist, well Leonora this is your moment or everything or nothing.

I took out the knife, and cut him in one leg, while doing it I couldn't help thinking, why didn't I think of cutting myself first so that the blade would have my poisonous blood on it.

He let go of Johan and tried to go for me, I pulled the knife out of his leg and cut my palm making sure the whole blade was soaked with my blood, but he grabbed me by the neck and I let go of the knife.

He was strangling me but I managed to bite his forearm to get him to let go, as I did so I thought that if I bit my tongue to make me bleed it would also have been a good idea to poison him.

He threw me to the other side of the room, and I lost sight of the knife.

(Butch) you fucking brat, if your father wants you back he'll have to pay for you in spades.

Shit shit shit shit, he was coming for me and I had nothing to defend myself with, I just bit my tongue and tried to bite him again.

I tried to escape, but he grabbed me again, this time he immobilized me so I couldn't bite him, it's too much, I'm still a girl against an adult, I don't have much of a chance.

When I was about to lose consciousness due to lack of air, Butch screamed and I could notice how Johan had stabbed him with a knife, he threw me again and went for Johan.

(Butch) you fucking brat I'll teach you respect ....

At that moment he lost his balance and fell down, on the floor he started to convulse, and his veins started to mark, until he started to bleed from his pores.

When I said that my blood was poisonous I wasn't playing, I am horribly poisonous, it would have been over quickly if I had thought of poisoning him before.

He finally froze, and Johan helped me up, I'm someone who works on trial and error, I've never been particularly good at doing things the first time, I'm more about learning from my mistakes and trying again.

Johan was quite affected by everything that had just happened, but if we are going to escape I need him to listen to me, so tearing off a piece of my clothes, to stop the bleeding, I take Johan by the shoulders.

(Leonora) look Johan, you are kidnapped, these people had planned to ask for a lot of money from your parents to return you, but they preferred to warn the authorities, so they were going to get rid of you, I realized this yesterday when we met and tried to rescue you.

I didn't mention that things didn't go exactly as I planned, but that doesn't matter now.

(Johan) we... Well, but what are we going to do now?

(Leonora) Well, for now we have some time to think about how to get out of here...

At that moment they started knocking on the door.

(Bully) hey what the fuck is going on in there? Answer me!!!

I must stop saying that everything is under control.

Quickly with a chair he blocked the door, so the knocking intensified.

Little by little more people started to go up to the second floor, I could hear them calling the rest of their companions.

(Johan) What should we do Leon?

(Leonora) Shit shit shit shit, let me think.

Well, I can only think of how to fix all the events of the past, but nothing to do now.

The pounding intensified, and it looked like they were about to break the door, when suddenly everyone on the other side looked surprised.

(Bully1) Hey, who the hell are you?

(Bully2) answer at once if you don't want me to....

The next second, there was silence, and there was a light knock on the door.

(Irma) young master, are you there?

I sighed in relief.

(Leonora) Yes Irma, I'll open the door.

I unlocked the door and Irma made a little bow.

(Irma) excuse me young master, but you didn't return to the mansion since yesterday, and you didn't give me any instructions on what to do next, so I have found myself in the painful necessity of interrupting you.

(Leonora) Don't worry Irma, I was finished anyway, you're just in time, let's go home.

(Irma) understood young master.

I turned to Johan, who didn't know how to react.

(Leonora) Johan, do you want to come to my house? We'll let your parents know you're there.

(Johan) ah, nice!

We left the room, and saw 6 thugs lying on the floor unconscious.

(Johan) wow Leon, your maid is great.

(Leonora) she's a little weird, but yes, she is.

(Irma) thank you for the compliment young master.