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Chapter 71
“You’ve got the wrong person! I said, you’ve got the wrong person! Later, the Duchess of Ashilonia will be coming—kidnapping her would be way more helpful!”
Maybel shouted, but all that returned was an echo.
It seemed that there was no one else in this cave besides her.
“Damn it…!”
Her cheek, scratched against the rough floor, throbbed, and her tightly bound hands and feet tingled painfully.
Maybel wanted to curse loudly if she could, but her mouth wouldn’t move.
‘I should’ve learned some curses!’
Why did the memories she could recall so clearly never include curses? Aluminum oxide, calcium bromide, and other complex concepts all came to mind without effort!
She huffed and puffed in frustration, but she wasn’t scared at all. That was the one small relief.
Soon, Maybel flopped about like a fish out of water.
“Ugh… ugh… huh!”
After several attempts, she finally managed to sit upright—just like Kellic had once done in the underground prison.
Indeed, every experience has its lessons.
‘Let’s see… is there anything here to cut these ropes…?’
She didn’t cry, but instead carefully surveyed her surroundings with a clear head.
Crying never solved anything—she’d painfully learned that during her time as the ghost princess.
The only light in the dark cave came from a nearly burned-out, cheap candle.
Its flickering flame cast trembling shadows of stalactites on the ceiling, like the pointed claws of some demon.
‘Ugh…’
Feeling a shiver down her spine as if something were behind her, she shuffled backward on her butt.
But then, something cold and hard touched her back.
“Ahh!”
Startled, Maybel bounced up and spun around.
Something lurked in the darkness that the candlelight hadn’t reached.
‘What… is that…?’
Squinting to adjust to the dark, she realized it was a small iron cage.
She had seen something like it once at a market inside the inner castle.
‘Pretty sure it was used to hold chickens…’
Why was it here?
She reached forward with her bound hands to touch the cage.
“The door’s open?”
So maybe there was nothing inside.
Curiously, she extended her hand into the cage.
“Kyahh!”
“Eek!”
With a roar of anger, something inside clawed deeply into her hand.
The pain far surpassed the scratches on her cheek.
Maybel hurriedly checked her hand.
Blood streamed down the deep gash on the back of her hand.
Even when she’d hurt herself before, the wounds were never this bad.
“O-oh…”
The pain was one thing, but she also cried from shock.
“Ugh… at least say if you’re in there! It hurts!”
She scolded the curled-up figure inside the cage while tears poured from her eyes.
She had assumed there was nothing inside because it had been so quiet.
At least a warning growl would have been nice!
Even after some time, she had to tightly close her eyes to calm herself.
Still, thanks to the claws, the ropes were loosened—a small relief.
“Ah… it hurts.”
Shaking off the ropes, Maybel examined her hand.
Blood had gathered along the red gash.
She tore at her dress to wrap the wound and stop the bleeding.
Clink… clink…
The small chains inside the iron cage rattled, and a soft groan echoed.
The pitiful sound made Maybel’s eyes widen.
She abandoned checking her own hand and looked back inside the cage.
“Haaah!”
A tiny kitten appeared.
Its gray fur was scruffy and dirty, but its sky-blue eyes glared sharply as it hissed with all its strength.
It was clearly the one who had scratched her hand.
Yet instead of getting angry at the small creature, Maybel checked its legs.
Clink… clink!
The noisy sound had come from the chains around the kitten’s hind legs.
Even though the cage door was open, the chains kept it from escaping.
But the angle of the chained leg looked wrong.
“You… you’re hurt!”
Maybel’s tear-soaked eyelashes glistened as she exclaimed.
The chains had likely caused the injury.
Its fur was tangled with blood and dust, even on the front paws.
It must have hurt itself trying to free the chains.
“Wait a moment. I think I can fix this.”
Determined to help, she searched the floor and found the best small rock she could use.
Luckily, the chains holding the kitten were thin.
They might be too strong for an adult, but a child could break them.
“Good… stay still…”
Maybel slowly reached into the cage, careful not to startle the kitten.
“Hiss!”
The kitten arched its back and hissed, pressing into a corner of the cage.
“See? It’s okay. I’m not using this on you… just here…”
She tapped the chains with the rock.
Clang, clang!
The cave echoed with each small strike.
Startled, the kitten puffed up its tail and leaped toward Maybel.
“Kyah!”
“Ah!”
It scratched her hand again.
“I’m trying to help you…!”
More tears sprang from the deeper wound on her hand, and a warm sweat broke out over her body.
But she didn’t pull her hand back and continued striking the chain.
After only a few hits, the chain began to weaken.
Just a little more, just a little more!
Clang, clink!
The kitten, unable to bear it any longer, lunged at her hand again—
Snap!
The chain broke.
Immediately, Maybel pulled her hand back, and the kitten landed outside the cage.
“Phew!”
It had been a close call. She nearly got bitten by a kitten with surprisingly sharp teeth.
Maybel quickly scooted backward away from the cage.
The kitten froze, looking puzzled, as if some tape had been stuck to its back.
“…? …?!”
No matter what it tried, it couldn’t leave the cage area.
The humans who had trapped it had even left the cage door open as if to taunt it.
After twisting its leg, it hadn’t even tried to escape.
Now, the kitten stood firmly outside the cage.
It turned its head toward the girl who had freed it.
In her hand was the same rock that had caused it pain before—but this time, she had used it to help.
This girl… was different from the others.
“…Mew.”
The tiny kitten limped forward toward Maybel.
“Hick?”
Maybel, still crouched and wrapping her wounds with part of her torn skirt, flinched.
“No, I’m helping you! Are you going to attack me?!”
What a naughty kitten!
Apparently, gray-haired creatures aren’t supposed to be tamed so easily!
Even with claws out, Maybel felt betrayed seeing it.
‘It’s going to scratch me again…!’
She squeezed her eyes shut—but no pain came.
Instead, the blood circulation in her previously numb feet seemed to return.
“Ah…?”
Cautiously, she opened her eyes and saw the rope binding her ankle was gone.
“Meow~”
The kitten sat quietly at her feet, mewing softly.
It seemed to understand she hadn’t hurt it and had actually helped.
Still stunned, Maybel stayed crouched, watching.
The kitten stretched its chained leg toward her hand holding the rock, as if asking her to finish breaking the chain.
