Chapter Three: The First Step

“First of all… I need to get out of this room,” she whispered, glancing toward the locked door.

Normally, she would be forced to clean fireplaces, scrub halls, and polish boots from sunrise to nightfall—under the sharp eyes of the other maids. But today was different.

“They’re too busy preparing for the party,” she muttered. “That’s why they just locked me in here like some unwanted thing.”

She paced quietly across the cracked floor, her bare feet making soft taps on the cold wood. “I have to get out… I need to look around, figure out the layout again. Find a way to escape this place for good.”

But then she paused.

“No—if I try now, I’ll get caught. The maids will still be running around the halls. I should wait a little longer. Around three… the party should begin. Everyone will be inside the ballroom.”

Her ruby eyes narrowed in thought. “That will be my best chance.”

She turned her attention to the room. The door was locked, and the windows were too small to crawl through. But this mansion was old—and old places always had cracks.

After a few minutes of inspecting every wall and corner, she spotted something—a narrow gap between the wooden panels along the far wall. She knelt down and carefully brushed aside a pile of cloth and dust.

“A crack…” she whispered.

It wasn’t big—but neither was she.

She dropped to her hands and knees, wriggled carefully forward, and tested it with her shoulder. The wood groaned quietly, but gave way.

“Great,” she breathed. “I never thought I’d be happy that my room is this broken.”

She waited patiently for the right time. The light filtering through the cracks shifted slowly as afternoon arrived.

“It’s time,” she whispered. “The party should’ve started.”

She slipped through the narrow opening and quietly crept into the hallway, making sure no one saw her. Her heart pounded as she tiptoed from shadow to shadow, the massive size of the mansion suddenly pressing down on her.

“It’s so big…” she murmured. “No wonder I always got lost when I was little.”

Sure enough, within minutes, she had turned into a wrong corridor. Then another. The hallway looked unfamiliar—bright and decorated, filled with flower garlands and flickering lanterns.

She froze.

The ballroom.

Music echoed faintly from beyond the grand doors.

“No, no, no—this is too close,” she whispered. “If anyone sees me, I’ll be caught… and punished.”

She turned to retreat, but a sweet aroma stopped her. Her nose twitched.

Roast meat. Pastries. Cream.

Her stomach growled loudly.

She pressed her hands over it, eyes widening in horror. “Not now,” she hissed. “No. If I go in, I’ll get caught. I haven’t eaten since last night, but What if they find me—will they kill me again?”

Her voice faltered as another wave of hunger twisted her gut. She leaned weakly against the wall.

“If I keep going like this… I really might die of hunger,” she whispered. “No one will notice if I’m quiet… right?”

Steeling her nerves, she crept through a side opening, slipping into the edge of the ballroom where no one was paying attention. Laughter and music echoed through the large space, drawing all attention to the center.

She slid under a long banquet table draped in thick cloth. There, in the shadows, trays of untouched food sat temptingly close to the edge.

Trembling, she reached out and snatched a small piece of bread, then a slice of fruit. She stuffed them into her mouth quickly, chewing as quietly as she could.

It was the best thing she’d tasted in years.

She swallowed hard, and a tiny, almost broken laugh escaped her lips.

“Happy birthday… to me,” she whispered.

Just then, through a gap in the long tablecloth, she saw movement. Her cousin Liliana stood in the center of the ballroom, surrounded by guests and nobles.

She wore a beautiful pink gown adorned with delicate lace and ribbons, her golden blonde hair glittering with tiny jeweled pins that sparkled under the chandeliers.

She smiled sweetly, the very image of a beloved young lady basking in attention.

“She really is treated like a princess,” the girl muttered bitterly under her breath.

Suddenly—

Bang!

The doors to the ballroom burst open.

The music stopped.

All heads turned.

The Countess’s face went pale. Her eyes widened in horror.

“W-what…?” she gasped.

That look on her aunt’s face… it wasn’t just shock—it was something deeper, something she couldn't see just yet.

The girl under the table froze. Her heart jumped into her throat.

“Did… Did someone see me?”