MPAWD 10

Chapter 10

“You should count yourself lucky! If my right hand weren’t in this condition, you wouldn’t be walking away unscathed either!”

Thinking about everything the pre-possession Lucy had endured, she couldn’t help but feel furious.

But a moment later, when she entered the dressing room and saw her reflection in the mirror, Lucy felt the part of her rational mind that had been absent briefly return.

In the mirror stood a woman with messy hair, huffing in frustration, her face full of anger.

‘I haven’t even officially become the Duke’s mistress yet according to the original story, and already I feel like I’m turning into the villainess.’

Whether it was the situation changing her or this side of her had always been hidden, she couldn’t tell.

“I’ll go with a black dress.”

The owner of the dressing room looked perplexed at Lucy, who insisted on black despite the abundance of bright, cheerful colors.

But why go all out in a flashy dress for some celebratory occasion? After all, that day was destined to be a tragic one for Lucy.

She had no intention of clinging pathetically to Edwin like in the original story, nor did she want anything to do with him.

Thinking that way, she even briefly considered dressing as brightly as possible and smiling happily, just to appear cheerful.

‘No! My private life is already messy enough, and they’re already gossiping about me being involved with men. That would just fuel the rumors even more.’

Lucy merely nodded halfheartedly at the designs the shop owner suggested and got up.

“I’ll go back with Anna first.”

“Do as you wish. It’s better than bumping into you again on the way back. But send the carriage back to the shop immediately!”

Following Jessica’s instructions, Lucy quickly led Anna out of the shop.

“Anna, let’s go back first.”

Lucy spoke loudly enough for the guards waiting outside the shop to hear as she climbed into the carriage.

Once the carriage had started and had moved a fair distance from the shop, Lucy tapped on the side of the carriage to get the driver’s attention.

“Turn the carriage back into town. I just remembered I need to buy a gift for my fiancé, the Duke Baron.”

The driver hesitated for a moment, then turned the carriage around.

“Where are you headed, Miss?”

“Well… honestly, I don’t know. I’m not familiar with this city, so I want to take a look around the busy streets first.”

Though she kept thinking about escaping, she had no clear idea of where to go or how.

The biggest problem was that she had no money for her escape. The Baron, who treated Lucy as his asset, wouldn’t fail to come looking for her.

And judging by the greedy look in Duke Baron’s eyes, he didn’t seem like the type to give up easily.

Lost in thought, Lucy didn’t notice when the carriage stopped. She stepped down, told the driver not to worry and that she’d manage on her own, and sent the carriage back to the shop.

“Miss, are you sure about this? You’ve never gone out on your own like this before. If you don’t return quickly, the Baron will certainly scold you.”

“Anna, shall we escape somewhere far away, right now?”

Lucy asked Anna instead of answering. If she could, she truly wanted to run away right then.

“Miss, are you really thinking of running away? If you get caught, it could be disastrous!”

“So should I tell Father that I’m planning an escape?”

Anna shook her head firmly at Lucy’s question.

“If I did that, I’d be cursed! You were the only one who ever reached out to me when no one treated me like a human being. For you, Miss, I would gladly give my life!”

Anna’s sincerity shone through to Lucy. Her eyes and voice carried a resolute determination.

It must be because of Lucy’s memories. She felt a little emotional and forced a brighter smile.

“By the way, do you have any savings?”

Lucy asked half-jokingly to change the subject. To her surprise, Anna had saved most of her meager wages as a maid.

“Actually, I didn’t really have anywhere to spend it! Hehe.”

Anna grinned, and once again, Lucy felt a pang in her chest.

“So, if we were to escape, where do you think would be the safest place to go?”

Lucy figured that now, with just the two of them alone, was the perfect time to plan their escape.

“We need to go as far away from the capital as possible. The Baron employs mercenaries like knights, and with all his connections from running the trading guild, he knows a lot of people. We need to go somewhere he doesn’t know at all!”

Anna seemed to know quite a lot about Baron D’Rallo.

“If we take a ship, that should buy us some time. With the money I’ve saved, we can cover our expenses and live for a while.”

Hearing Anna’s words, Lucy felt a faint glimpse of hope for the first time in what had felt like a foggy future.

“Where should we go if we take a ship? Do you have a destination in mind?”

“Hmm… how about heading completely in the opposite direction from the capital? The capital is in the south of the empire, so we’d go north.”

Lucy had never even considered that. She was certain now that Anna had to be part of the escape plan.

“Since you don’t have memories of this place, I’ll look for a suitable region. Just trust me.”

“Then how about executing the plan on the day of the royal banquet? We could sell the jewelry and clothes we wear that day and make a little money.”

As they discussed, they soon found themselves in a narrow, secluded alley. Realizing they had taken a wrong turn, they tried to retrace their steps.

“Pretty ladies, where are you headed? Lost your way?”

Four young men suddenly blocked their path. Anna stepped forward, shielding Lucy behind her.

“We have an appointment nearby. Please move aside; our party is waiting!”

The men didn’t seem convinced, exchanging mischievous glances and giggling.

‘This feels so familiar… isn’t this usually the moment in a novel when a handsome man suddenly appears to save the day?’

Lucy glanced around for anyone passing by. That’s when it happened.

“Darling, what are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you since you didn’t show up.”

‘Wow! He’s handsome!’

A man appeared out of nowhere, wearing a bright smile, and naturally placed his arm around Lucy’s shoulder.

“Do you know these men?”

He gestured toward the four, who immediately looked embarrassed and fled.

Lucy stepped back a little, expressing her gratitude.

“Uh… thank you so much. We got lost and ran into some strange men, and it was really awkward.”

The man squeezed her shoulder slightly, a hint of regret in his expression, and let out a small laugh.

“A place like this doesn’t suit beautiful ladies. I’ll guide you somewhere more populated.”

Before she could protest, he strode ahead.

“You seem unfamiliar with this area, don’t you?”

He looked back at them with a playful grin, giving off the impression of a mischievous, cheerful young man.

‘Lucas aside, there really are more handsome men here besides Edwin!’

A dramatic encounter at a dramatic moment. And a strikingly handsome man at that.

‘Could he be the benefactor who’ll become my lifeline, like in all the novels?’

Lucy couldn’t help but think so, since this world seemed stitched together from every cliché in fiction.

“I haven’t had many chances to go out because of my strict household. Coming into the city after so long got me too excited…”

He looked at Lucy for a moment, then smiled broadly, eyes sparkling.

“Ah! Then, beautiful ladies, how about I be your guide for today? I actually know this city very well.”

With a playful grin and exaggerated bow, he extended his hand to Lucy.

Surrounded only by rotten options, why not? Lucy gladly took his hand.