25 Chapter 25 - First Tale XXV

"Do you need some time to think what you are going to tell me?"

At the question from the person sitting near me, I shake my head. Although a little embarassing, I have my mouth full of cookies. But I am very hungry right now, and I can fill my belly with tasty cookies. Ah, happiness. Hmmmm, no good. I almost made an embarassing face just now, I am a young lady already, yes, a young lady. I have to act like one. I must keep a calm face on the outside, if possible a smile too. My mother used to tell me that I should act like that but I am not good at smiling so I can only keep acting calm.

Anyways, to tell him what happened today huh. Indeed, things were not always normal, but today was much worse. Since he is the first person to actually want to lend me hand, I would like to trust him. Yes, that is why I will tell him. Not because I was bought after he gave this many snacks to eat. Not because of the snacks. It is important so I said it twice.

"I will tell you then..."

Not sure what he expects from what happened to me, but it is nice to have someone interested in my problem. No one here cares so this is nice.

Now then, where should I start? I guess it has to be from...

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After parting with the Mister, I started to feel a little somewhat thristy so I decided to go the kitchen for some water. A guest or member of the Kingwood family would easily be able to call for a employee to do that for them, but I am neither of those. Because of that I to take such a long walk to the kitchen if I want drinkable water for me. It is pretty inconvenient but my situation is bad enough. If I were to complain I will get scolded and talked behind my back even further.

With that thought in mind I was planing to go down the stairs when I heard a voice talking just bellow. One I don't really like. I did not even bother to try to listen to the contents of whatever that voice was saying so I took off. I had no other choice, lately I have been relying on this method too much but it is the best way to avoid people looking for me. I was taught when I was younger from my mother. Not sure how she found out this, but apparently inside this manor, there a good number of hidden door that lead to hidden corridors. It is the perfect way to avoid people. Because it seems that no one else knows of this hidden corridors. Although... even knowing would make it hard for people to enter here. At the beginning when I heard about I did not paid it much attention but after years of using them, I noticed that they are not very wide, an adult might fit in here but they can't be too fat. Otherwise they will get stuck.

The hidden doors are everywhere, well, I mean in a lot of places. To open them you need to find something called 'trigger' or so my mother said it was called. This 'trigger' puts 'into motion the mechanism to open the hidden door' or so my mother said. Those were her words. Although I don't really get it. When I said that to her she just smiled and gave me a pat on my head, she then told me that I would understand when I grow up. I have grown up a lot since then but I still don't get it. Does that mean I need to get even bigger? How complicated.

These days I ended up relying on them pretty often to avoid bumping into people I don't like. But my mother said I should not show it to anyone so I had to be very careful when using them. Somehow I learned how to do it without others noticing. When my mother taught it to me at first I used to play around too much and she scolded me for it but I wish I could still get scolded for using them too much to play around at this point. The number of people I don't like have increased lately so I ended up relying on these corridors everyday.

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I did not wait to see if someone would come up, I just used the hidden door and got away from that place. I am tired of hearing them talk of stuff I don't understand. They say my name a number of times during their talk but I am not doing anything bad. I don't understand why they sometimes start following me either.

I guess today won't be a good day.

While thinking that on my mind, I continued walking down the corridor. They are connected at every part of the manor, but there are places I have not gone to. It is not because I am scared or such a dark place. No, Sir. I am not a kid, I am certainly not scared. I just did not feel like going to that place.

I am wondering what to do right now. If they are actually looking for me again then they will continue to follow me for a long time. But, I did not pay attention to what they said. So I can't tell what to do.

Maybe I should've stayed there to hear what they were saying. One of the good points of this corridors is that it hardly leaks sounds outside but at some points there places I can move parts of the wall to hear at the other side. The bad thing about it is that they probably will hear me as well, but everything is ok as long as I am silent. Unfortunately I can't hear them if they start whispering. But I guess this is good enough. I should go back and take a look. I don't want to spend all day hiding. Last time they were really persistent, they only stop when there are a number of people around but... Maybe they are tired too since they are being more forward by not minding following me if there few people only.

I also get tired by moving around so much. I might be hard to spot at times but it is not always perfect and they find me if I am careless.

Maybe because I doubted what to do for too long or something, but I could not find the person I was planing to listen. Hmmm. That still leaves me with questions and most importantly, without something to do.

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I recalled that they are used to hanging out in number of particulars rooms so I went there to try my luck. Should I call myself lucky I wonder? I found a few people having a reunion there, it happens often so I was not that surprised.

I decided to pay attention to what they were saying...

There were three people talking in the room. But none of them was the owner of the voice from a while back.

Two of them wear an uniform like the guards of the manor but... they are not guards. I can tell because the old mister of the guards once questioned them about it and they answered that they were invited by one of the Kingwoods. They were still taken for questioning since they had those uniforms while they followed me for some time and that old mister happened to see. He is one of the good people that has never treated me badly, although I can't tell whether he is angry or not sometimes. His expression hardly changes.

Hmmm, the remaining one is... wearing something different than the other two.

The other guy was wearing the clothing as the people I see taking care of the gardens, they were called... called... Hmm... Gardeners, yes, gardeners. I did not forget the word, I certainly did not.

"We spent such a long time looking what you asked of us, but we don't have a clue where it is. Are you sure that it's here?"

One the guards(fake) started talking with an annoyed tone of voice all of sudden so I paid extra attention. Extra attention indeed.

"It is indeed around here. There easier way to access is in the manor, but I am wouldn't mind if you wish to try your luck on the rest of the property. There are other places we could try to access from... Although we have no idea where those are"

The gardener(probably) calmly replied.

"Urgh...."

The same guard(fake) as before could only grunt in response to that.

"Let's just leave it at that. While I think we shouldn't be complaining that much about it. But it's been months since we came here for that porpuse. We have not found a single clue to where that 'access' is. I am aware that we were not the first ones at this so it means the difficulty of this is not that easy"

The last guard(fake) who remained silent used this chance to talk and say what was in his mind. A similar thought as his guard(fake) friend.

"...I understand what you mean, but the pay is already pretty good even if we don't complete the job"

The gardener(probably) seemed to think before saying that.

"Still, they orders us like they please. Even we have to look for that... They suddenly ask us to watch that little kid. What's up with that?"

The first guard(fake) seemed angry at the mention of them ordering him as they please.

"Who knows, I don't even understand what is that kid doing here. From what I heard she is no family of any of the Kingwoods nor the guests that sometimes stay here. As for the employees... There is no conection at all"

The gardener(probably) answered in response to the other guy question.

"I am also wondering about that. We are just acting like some creeps, chasing after little girls. Urgh, I have to endure the judgmental looks the workers here give me"

The other guard(fake) added.

"...I really don't know. But the madam says we should keep her between our sights. The details are apparently not something we need to know. But, even though she is a kid we sometimes lose trace of her so you guys better don't go easy on her. Last time it happened the madam was not amused and I was the one who got scolded"

The gardener(probably) was trying to tell them that with a really serious look.

The other two seemed to understand the seriousness of what getting scolded meant.

The conversation was cut short after that because someone called at the door. Apparently it was someone that came to clean the room. They each went their own ways.

Leaving me alone(or not since the person who came to clean was there) here, those three did not plan to continue talking I guess so there is no point in following them.

From what they said, they probably will follow after me if they see me. Moving around will be hard today as well.

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I had nothing to do in that place anymore so I just started to wander with no destination in mind.

Think about what I just heard, I don't want get out of here because I will get them to follow me if I am not careful... how troubling.

"I don't want to hide in my room right now, they will only make it unlikely for me to come out if they wait for me outside my room... It happened before"

Mumbling such a thing I went to one of the few places inside these corridors where I could take a rest.

With a little more of walking I arrived at a room connected to three corridors, even when you count the one I came from.

It is an interesting place because I can not tell where exactly I am. Even though I am familiar with most of the corridors and where they lead to, I am not sure where this room is in the manor. It is slightly small room when compared to the rooms at the manor, but it is still a rather open space when I recall the corridors. I can get here from two of the three corridors connected to it. Making only two corridors the way to the manor. Leaving the last one that leads somewhere. To enter it you need to open the doors that lead here.

That corridor is... darker than the rest I usually move around. The ones I use have some lighting but I am not sure where it comes from. That dark corridor is cold and it goes down, not sure where but the lack of light makes it impossible for me to go there. It is not because I am scared of dark places, not at all. I most certainly did not try to explore with a lantern just for it to stop working and leave me at the middle of the dark corridor. I am not scared because that happened. That is only something a child will do. I am a young lady. A young lady indeed. I won't continue this topic because it is useless, not because my legs started shaking a little bit just remembering what happened.

Forgetting about that corridor, I turned my focus to... the room itself.

This room is the only open place I can hang out without other people bothering me. I have brought here a few things to make this place more comfy. A few cushions, pillows and blankets to lie down, getting them was rather easy since there are a large number of rooms in the manor with sofas and beds that no one uses so I had different places to choose. Although I think people got scolded because of it. But they were bad people who liked to talk bad about me so there is no problem.

Thanks to my efforts, I have turned this place into a good hideout in case people start bothering me. But the only downsides are the lack of food and water. I need to go and get some sometimes. Although getting here is only possible if they are not after me. I can't enter the corridors through the hidden doors while being watched because it is suppose to be secret... or so I was told. Not like I would like to tell anyone. Since I have not friends, I can't even play here with someone else.

I walked to one of the corners of the place where I made a small bed and took a seat there. But I might've understimated my status because... I am actually a little tired so I think I will take a nap... just a little... nap... just... for... a... bi..t.

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"Hmmmm?"

I... think I felt asleep. Lately I can't sleep well at night.

While thinking that I should try to get a better sleep at night, I heard something.

"What's that?"

I feel like I can hear something, but that is absurd. This place does not allow sounds from the outside to be heard here. Then, how....?.

I usually close the doors when I enter this room and leave them open when I go out. A little something I began to do after those people started to follow me around. The lock on the door would keep them from following me to some rooms that I could use to lose them. Although, I don't recall when I started to do it here as well.

I got close to one of the doors, this one being near the corner where I made my bed. I did not want to believe it but I can hear some faint sound coming from behind the door.

My first thoughts were about how this was impossible, but that is a voice. I can only barely heard whispers so I can't make out what it's being said.

With that happening...

My heart rate went up at once, and fear started to take a hold of me. How could this happen? This is bad, bad, bad, bad. Calm down, I need to calm down. But, it is not easy. Breath, breath... In and out, slowly, and silently. I don't want to attract the attention of whoever is at the other side of the door. Breath, breath... yes, I am calming down.

Endure the fear, it has never helped you once. For now, think, think. What happened?.

I don't think that the sound that woke me up is the voice of someone. I barely heard the whisper after getting close to the door so it could not be that.

Hmmm, I heard knocks? What is that?. I... should leave... before that, checking the other door first should be good idea right?.

To do just that I walked to the other door but there was no sound coming from that place. By now, the noises made by knocking or maybe hitting the door were a lot higher. So I had no time to consider, or at least I felt that way. Quickly removing the locks of the door, I finally opened the door and started running. Luck was probably on my side because I heard the other door opening as I stepped out of the room. Along with the voice of the person I hate to see.

"Finally open huh, took you long enough.."

"The lock was pretty sturdy even though it was pretty old"

"Whatever, not my problem, you should do as you are asked.."

I did not stay to peak at the intruders at all, just hearing that voice was enough for me to want to run away. Without caring about the sound or how I looked at that moment, I ran as fast as my small legs allowed me to. Although my stamina was pretty good for walking a lot, it seems that running was a different business all together since I quickly tired out. But I still did my best to move and found myself outside the corridors.

But my luck seemed to have ran out because as I came out I found myself in front of... a maid.

Why did it have to be now?.

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Taking a rest from my story, I drank a good amount of juice.

It is a little tiresome to tell him what happened, but he made no moves to make finish faster. Instead, he took it easy and calmly heard me out. He even used a handkerchief to wipe my mouth, it seems the juice spilled when I drank just now. Embarrassed as I was for acting unlike a young lady, I decided to not say a thing and obediently let him do it. It has been a while since someone has done that for me after all.

In case you guys found it difficult to tell whose point of view was this, well, it was Noir's point of view. Hopefully I was able to express that through the chapter without you guys having to read this note. Either way, I might've confused you... Yeah.