Resourceful Victoria ~Former Operative Rebuilds Her Life~

Chapter 27 Nonna’s home alone (2)

Translator: Tseirp

Second day of Nonna’s home alone.

In the evening, I went to see the man, and as soon as the jailer left and we were alone, I entered the cell and started cutting the bars.

Since the window was high up, I cut the bars while sitting on his shoulders. I covered the saw with a thick piece of leather to erase the sound. It was difficult, but if I didn’t cover it with leather, the jailers would hear a sound that they don’t usually hear.

The tool I used was just a coping saw meant for cutting metal. The kind used by inserting fingers into rings on both ends. I hid it in a secret compartment of my attire. The same for the unlocking tools.

Considering the length of visiting hours and the frequency of outside patrols, even if I did my best, I could only cut one location a day. The limit was to cut either the top or bottom of the iron grate. There were five iron bars. I was thinking of finding out the exact date and time of the execution, but that would take a lot of time, and I didn’t want them to be extra cautious because the civil servants in charge of the castle are exceptional.

While using the saw, I asked where the man’s sister was.

“My sister is at home. I’m worried about how she will eat after I’m gone. She no longer dares to meet people. A sickness in the heart.”

I see. I could only hope that his sister was alive.

I sandwiched a small piece of black leather between the cut iron grate and fixed the bars in place. You couldn’t tell that it has been cut just by looking at it.

The man asked many times.

“Why are you, a total stranger, helping me? Did my sister ask you?”

I was in disguise, and at the evening party I quickly knocked him unconscious in the dark, so he didn’t recognize me.

“I’m doing it for me. Don’t worry about it.”

I answered simply. The man will not understand why, but that’s okay.

I left the prison cell a little early and locked it back up. I called out to the prison guard’s room.

“Thank you very much. I will come tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow I’ll do a physical examination again.”

When the prison guard said so, the other prison guards laughed vulgarly. You can laugh as much as you like.

After leaving the castle, I visited a shop selling wagons.

I bought a wagon and attached it to the horse. The horse I borrowed from the rental stables was not only meek, but also smart, and it listened to what I said and pulled the wagon.

Manipulating a horse, I searched for and visited a farmhouse near the outer gate of the southern district of the royal capital.

“Excuse me, hello!”

When I raised my voice, a lady with a good physique came out.

“I will pay for it, so could you please safe keep this wagon for a few days? I will deliver this horse later too. I would be glad if you accept this amount for the horse care fee. I will pay you in advance.”

“Why do you want me to safe keep this wagon?”

The farmer’s wife asked doubtfully.

“My father won’t allow my younger brother to marry. My brother is afraid that he will be taken back home, so he says he will leave the royal capital. And he wants to go far away such that our father can’t find them. When I heard that, I wanted to at least give them a wagon as a wedding present.”

The lady was convinced after I explained with teary eyes.

“Okay, okay. I’ll take care of it. I’ll take good care of the horse too. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you! My brother should be coming in a few days. My brother’s fiancée will arrive before that so please allow her to stay in the barn.”

“Sure. You have a hard time too with such a stubborn father.”

“Thank you, miss. I will be in your debt for life!”

“Hah, you’re over-exaggerating.”

I returned the horse to the rental stable and hurried home.

“I’m home!”

“Welcome back, Vicky!”

“Come, let’s have dinner. I happened to find this on sale let’s try making this.”

Today Nonna was home alone for four hours. I came back yesterday and today, so Nonna seemed reassured.

That night, I left home after confirming that Nonna was asleep. From there I ran.

When I visited the house that the man told me about and knocked on the door, I heard the voice of a frightened young woman.

“Who is it? What do you want at this hour?”

“Quiet. A message from your brother.”

I was glad his sister was alive and well.

I had her open the door, and gave her a message from her brother and a request from me. I asked her to repeat it to ensure she understood what I told her.

“Okay? Do not write this on paper or tell anyone.”

“Of course. Um, what’s your name?”

“Kate.”

“Kate, why are you doing this? Could it be that Maria asked you?”

“…Who is that?”

“They are the people who experienced the same thing done to me by the Marquis. I heard later that Maria, Luna, and Eliza shared the same fate. Do you have anything to do with those people?”

“No.”

The sister gave a skeptical look.

“From now on, if you don’t have enough strength, everything will be for naught. Whether people are watching or not, get some food and eat well. Do you have money?”

“I do.”

The sister’s eyes watered a little. Maybe she doesn’t.

“Here’s some money, don’t hesitate, use it all to buy food. Eat, sleep, and move your body. All right? Make sure you have the strength to run when someone wants to catch you.”

I left the nodding young lady and ran back home. I have to forge IDs for them as soon as possible.

The third day.

As soon as the jailer left, I picked the lock and entered, and had the man carry me on his shoulders. I devoted myself to cutting the bars of the high windows. There were five iron bars after all. It went on like that for several days.

On another day.

When only two iron bars remained, I visited Hector again.

“I want to specify the date and time. At this time on this day.”

“You’re specifying the date and time at this stage? It’s going to cost you a little extra.”

“Eh? You keep adding more and more fees. Already… I understand. Then, this is all the money I have!”

“Oh, well, that’s enough. I’ll send a pick-up at that time in three days, and the destination is just after the outer gate of South Ward, right?”

“Yes. Please.”

I was cutting the last bar.

My arm trembled from working in an unnatural posture every day. But I ignored the screams in my arm and just cut the iron bars.

The man spoke to me while I rode on his shoulders.

“Hey Kate, why are you helping me? Is my sister really okay?”

“Your little sister is safe. I’m helping you guys for my own sake. I can’t say more than that…. Alright, it’s done. That’s enough for today, I’m leaving. Put me down.”

I became a lot quicker at cutting iron bars.

The next day they just have to run away.

As soon as I met him, I removed the iron grate, which was held in place by small scraps of black leather.

I lent a hand and got the man out of the high window first. Then, I jumped up and climbed through the window. The window was wide and short vertically. It was really good that the man was thin.

The two of us changed into clothes that had been hidden in the shrubbery beforehand. While conversing with a smile, I walked leisurely near the patrolling guards and boarded the wagon of the uniform vendor waiting at the wagon yard.

In the roofed wagon, there were large empty boxes that contained military uniforms and maids’ uniforms. Each of us quickly entered the box.

The coachman was following Hector’s instructions and thought he was just helping us elope. Perhaps because of that, even when he left the castle gate, he talked to the gatekeeper and was really confident.

By the time the prison breakout was discovered more than an hour after the visit started, the wagon of the uniform company had already arrived near the outer gate in the South Ward of the royal capital.

I got off the wagon just before the outer gate and guided the man to a place where I could see the farmhouse where I had left the horse and wagon.

“Talk to the farmer over there. Don’t forget to pretend to be your sister’s fiancée. Your sister should be waiting in the barn.”

“Thank you very much for everything. I will never forget your kindness!”

“It’s fine, forget about it. Here is money for accommodations and your new life. Please divide it up into smaller sums to prevent it from getting stolen.”

“Kate…”

“Don’t cry and go quickly. Enjoy your life. Also, take care of the horse.”

I pushed the man’s back and saw him off.

As I watched the situation from a distance, two people changed into peasant clothes and left the outer gate in a wagon.

Nonna’s home alone which lasted for ten days ended that day.

I went to the rental stable and went through the procedures to buy the horse.

“It was a good horse so I’ve decided to buy it.”

I did some shopping on the way and hurried home.

“I’m home!”

“Vicky! I’m hungry!”

“Me too. I bought some good meat on the way home so let’s grill it with butter~”

“Yay! It’s meat!”

I’m glad it ended safely.