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Chapter 34
“Sob, sob, sob, I can’t do it!”
Some gave up when they went inside, saying it was too scary, but most walked in with curious, determined eyes.
About five minutes after the lady in front of me entered, the butler pointed toward the entrance.
“You may go in now.”
He then handed me a small black gem.
“Hold this stone and shake it if you can’t find the exit. Then we will come for you immediately.”
It seemed to be the same kind of gem as the summoning bell Vivian had once given me.
He smiled kindly, and I gave a small nod before stepping into the maze one careful step at a time.
Though torches were placed here and there, walking inside made it feel darker and eerier than I expected.
I had laughed inwardly at the young ladies who came out crying, but now I thought perhaps it was understandable.
I shouldn’t have judged before experiencing it myself.
Rubbing my bare forearm with my palm, I tried to chase away the goosebumps.
A faint heat lingered in my body.
Am I catching a cold?
Since the path was still a single trail, I didn’t need the map yet.
But when I reached a fork, I stopped beneath a nearby torchlight and unfolded the map.
“This way’s blocked… then is it this way?”
I compared the map with the paths, fumbling along, and took the right side, but soon it led to a dead end.
“What? Did I see it wrong?”
Even after checking the map several more times, I kept running into different routes.
That was when I realised.
This map was a complete mess.
So this was their little trick?
The map had been handed out by the Rois family itself, but why?
It didn’t seem likely they would stoop so low just to play a petty prank on one young lady.
Was the butler in on it? Or… maybe the maps were swapped during distribution?
After all, the one who actually handed it to me was Lady Tilen.
“Ugh, whatever.”
The important thing was to find the correct way.
I lifted my head and looked up.
Beyond the tall hedges of the maze, a cloudy night sky spread overhead.
Truthfully, I wasn’t interested in winning or losing this little game.
Why should I be?
Winning and receiving a gift from the head of House Rois might be nice, but there was no way they would hand out anything valuable for something like this.
I have another way to claim something more worthwhile.
That was the only reason I joined this ridiculous event.
As I stood there thinking, the hedges around me began to shake.
Startled, I looked around, and suddenly a “Heh-heh-heh” echoed in the air.
The clumsy ghostly laughter made me snort.
They really went all out.
Oddly enough, that silly sound helped chase away the last of my fear, and I was almost grateful.
I tossed aside the useless map and lifted my gaze back to the sky.
It was around midnight.
A waning moon hung above.
A waning moon rises in the east.
Thankfully, the sun and moon rose in the same directions as in the world I came from.
I turned my body so my right side faced the moon, then tried to keep moving in as straight a line as possible.
Even though I was sometimes forced to change direction in the maze, whenever I reached a fork, I always used the same standard.
Because what I sought was in the north of the maze garden.
Along the way, I passed statues, though none were the one I wanted.
As expected, each statue had flowers laid beneath it.
I had heard the statues were modelled after ancestors who had brought glory to House Rois, and that it was tradition for servants to place fresh flowers at their feet every day.
This maze garden was, in a sense, a shrine for the family.
For the record, the Wentworth duchy had no such thing.
Their family tombs and ancestral halls were separate, and the capital mansion was nothing but glittering extravagance, grand and yet more grand.
But what I sought was just one statue.
The woman with the harp.
To be precise, what I wanted was beneath that statue.
It wasn’t explained why it ended up there, but…
Though the night air was far from warm, my body grew hotter with every step.
My legs ached, and my breath grew heavy.
Even with the moon as a guide, wandering without a proper map meant I often had to turn back and retrace my steps.
I broke branches to mark the paths I had already taken.
Ugh, that wine really must have been strong.
Not that I was drunk, but my throat and stomach still burned, and a faint nausea lingered.
Trying to find the exit under these conditions felt daunting.
Forget it, it’ll work out somehow.
I walked and walked until the moon’s position shifted, and finally, I found it.
“Ah, there it is. It really exists.”
The statue of the harp-bearing woman stood at the very north end of the maze garden.
I rushed over and stood before it.
A heap of baby’s breath flowers lay at its base.
But the flowers weren’t important now.
Dropping to my knees, I began digging into the ground to the statue’s right.
Before long, I realised my bare hands weren’t enough, so I picked up a stone and scraped furiously.
If anyone saw me, they’d think I’d lost my mind.
Rumours of me being a crazy woman could spread.
So I had to hurry before anyone came.
After digging for some time, the stone struck something hard.
Something glinted in the moonlight.
I had found it.
I reached in and pulled it out.
It was a brooch.
Though the dark kept me from seeing its exact colour, I recognised the flower-shaped design instantly.
It was exactly what I had been searching for.
“I can’t believe it. It’s really here.”
This was the brooch that the Duchess of Rois had lost.
It was precious to her, and I remembered how the heroine had once found it by chance, earning her favour.
That was why I’d decided to search for it myself.
Building goodwill with the Duchess of Rois wouldn’t be a bad idea.
I slipped the brooch into my clutch, quickly brushed dirt back over the hole with my foot, and set off to find the exit.
But suddenly, exhaustion overwhelmed me.
Feeling I might collapse, I slumped against the side of the path.
“Whew.”
As I caught my breath, something stirred in the darkness.
Another prank?
Or maybe I was just seeing things from fatigue.
I rubbed my eyes, but the writhing shape only grew clearer.
And then I recognised it.
Roven?
It was the old magician who had performed the magic show at the Rois dinner party.
What is he doing here?
Suspicion prickled, and the next thing he did sent chills through me.
Roven began frantically digging at the very spot I had unearthed.
I slipped the strap of my clutch across my body, instinctively preparing.
It was obvious that meeting him head-on would not end well.
I rose quietly, inching backwards.
But soon he realised the brooch he sought was no longer there.
His head snapped up.
His gaze swept the maze.
And locked with mine.
At once, I pulled out the black gem and shook it desperately behind me.
Don’t tell me this gem is fake too. That would be trouble.
Still, he was human, so maybe words would work.
“Hello? You’re the magician from the dinner party, right? Roven, was it? Your show earlier was truly amazing!”
“……”
Roven slowly straightened from his crouch.
I shook the gem again, harder this time.
It slipped from my hand and rolled across the ground.
I could feel his eyes follow it.
Damn it.
Now he knew I had been watching him.
I stared hard at him, and suddenly another image overlapped his face.
Then, as he raised his right arm, I didn’t hesitate.
I hurled myself to the left.
Boom!
An explosion ripped through the spot I had just been.
“H-hey! I didn’t see anything, all right? Please, just go on with what you were doing! Okay?”
Roven lifted his hand again.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
This time, I wouldn’t be able to dodge.
Boom!
Another explosion rang out, leaving my ears ringing.
