Certainly, if it had been the 'real' Isabella, she might have drank the glass of water prepared in that room without any doubt.
"You got the wrong person."
And that too for a while.
I felt nauseous as I remembered the face smiling sweetly at me and whispering kind words to me.
[Master?]
Windy, seeing that my steps had stopped, called out to me as if she was puzzled.
"Whoa."
As I took a breath and stared at the maze-like passages, the spirit warned me that the 'hunters' were gradually narrowing the distance as if searching for prey.
[Personnel were assigned to each passage. Everyone is quickly searching the hallway. We need to take refuge somewhere.]
It seemed like he was more serious about finding me than I thought. Well, at a glance, the number of men standing next to Eric was not small.
I listened to the signs felt from afar and gave an order to Windy.
"Let's go to the dressing room we were first shown to."
He probably searched that room first, like he was catching a mouse, so he probably wouldn't have thought that I would go back there and hide.
At my words, Windy flew up.
***
Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone else in front of the room where I returned from avoiding those who came looking for me.
As I entered the room, I saw traces of someone quilt on the damp floor.
There were large, unfamiliar footprints left all over the room, incomparable to the traces left by the glass shoes I wore.
When I opened the closet, where the doorknob had half fallen off, I saw that all the dresses inside were mangled.
'It's needlessly elaborate.'
Is this a ploy to eliminate the possibility of causing confusion in the search by changing my dress?
"I may not be able to wear it myself, but..."
If I wear something like this, I will stand out even more.
I took out a bright yellow dress that was all tattered and torn at the bottom and called out to Windy.
"Those who are looking for me wilI have their eyes lit up by now. Fly this dress so that it is visible from as far away as possible, at a distance where people cannot clearly see it."
It may have been a light trick, but it was enough to hint at the possibility that I had 'escaped'.
Someone will definitely be tricked and lured out, and the moment a hole is made in the tight siege, I will have a chance to escape.
After Windy left the room, holding the yellow dress that caught my eye the most, I hid in the closet and crouched down.
When I looked down due to the tingling pain, I suddenly saw a blister forming between my toes.
My delicate and soft skin couldn't bear to walk barefoot on the hard rough floor.
When I stretched out my hand and touched the swollen spot, I felt soreness. At times like this, I missed my old feet, which had calluses as hard as stone.
'With this body, it would be difficult to elude the pursuers.'
It was that moment..
I felt someone's presence along with a sound.
As I waited with bated breath, I soon heard footsteps walking in.
"Not a pursuer."
It was so quiet that the footsteps were too quiet.
As I slowly brought my eyes to the gap in the closet door, I saw an unfamiliar man looking around the room with a puzzled look on his face. A neat outfit with black hair and golden eyes that stand out even in the dark.
Although he wasn't particularly smiling, he was a man with a strangely gentle appearance.
He was looking at the rest of the dress that was mangled on the floor and the signs that someone had rummaged through it.
"What is this..?"
After checking the footprints on the floor, I saw him get up and slowly approach the closet.
I was leaning against the door, and when he got close, I quickly opened the door and jumped out.
Then, in shock, I was the first to cover his mouth with both hands before he could scream.
'If you look at the way we came in here, I guess there are no people in the nearby hallway.'
Fortunately, I got the idea right.
I opened the closet door and jumped out, making a loud crashing sound, but no one came running.
I got on top of the man and slowly lowered myself, covering his mouth.
Then I whispered in his ear.
"Shut up and listen quietly. If you scream and call someone, you will die first."
The man's round eyes, surprised by my words, stared at me.
"From now on, you will answer by nodding and shaking your head, okay?"
The man blinked a few times and nodded slightly.
"Are you coming from the ballroom hall?"
Nod.
"Did you see anyone on the way?"
Nod, nod.
"Does anyone in your group, even the employee who guided you, know that you are in this room?"
He was facing me quietly and slowly shook his head.
I reached out, grabbed a piece of the shattered glass next to me, and held it to the man's neck.
"If you lie and people flock here, I may not be able to escape, but I can at least take your life, got it?"
The man nodded his head again this time in response to the heavily threatening words.
He quietly put his hands on his head as if he had no intention of resisting and looked at me blankly.
Why is he so gentle?
Actually, it's worth twisting his body at least once.
The piece of glass held against his neck was not that big.
No matter how sudden the surprise attack was, I was at best a weak noblewoman, and this man, although not of sturdy build, was half a span taller than me. The strangely calm eyes were annoying.
He even pretended to take my hand off his mouth.
When I slowly took my hand away, he rolled his eyes and opened his mouth quietly.
"Could you please come down from above?"
"..."
"I won't do anything."
A low-pitched voice was pleasant to hear in my ears.
I was dazed by the voice that was as pleasant to listen to as my noble-looking appearance, and only then did I realize that I was sitting on him and got up.
It was then.
The moment I inadvertently lowered my gaze to the feel of the wet floor against my feet, I held my breath without realizing it.
I could see my feet covered in scars, with calluses firmly embedded in them as if they were representing my life up until now.
It was Rebecca's foot, not Isabella's.
After checking my wiggly feet again and again, I reached out and smoothed out my hair.
My hands were full of gray hair that was stiff from lack of care.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"My eyes. What color is it?
"... Yes?"
"My eyes. What color is it?"
The man, who was looking at me in confusion at my words, answered cautiously.
"It looks like orange."
"Again."
"So, a beautiful thing that resembles the glow of a sunset."
He must have thought that I wanted a 'different answer' when I asked him again, so I checked again by interrupting the man who continued to use rhetoric.
"You mean orange?"
I was shocked to hear the man nodding his head and stroking his hair.
"What the hell...."
Well, there are all kinds of idiotic cases like this.
Could it be that there was a problem with the contract?
I quickly lowered my head and checked the back of my hand.
'It seems like the color has faded.'
The seal of the contract, which had been bright black, was now turning gray.
'No. The contract is clearly upheld.'
Even at this moment, I could clearly feel the presence of a spirit that was connected to my senses.
I don't know the exact cause, but I had to assume that the power that turned me into Isabella had temporarily faded for some reason.
"Should I call Windy?"
While I was thinking about it, I heard several footsteps coming from a distance in the hallway.
I realized that I was tensed and flinched when I heard a rumbling sound that seemed to be heading somewhere in a hurry.
'If I look like Rebecca, I can avoid the eyes of those chasing me now.'
Of course, you will have to change your clothes.
The dress I received as a gift from Eric not only does not match who I am now, but it also stands out too much.
"If I just find a change of clothes, exiting the building might be surprisingly easy."
No one would suspect that I was the same person as Isabella, who attended the ball as Eric's escort.
'First, I need to find a lounge or warehouse that the employees use.'
Buuuuk-
As soon as I made my decision, the first thing I did was cut off the hem and puffy sleeves of the cumbersome dress with a piece of glass I had at hand.
I glanced at the man who was wearing clothes that made it easier to move around and was awkwardly looking down at the floor.
I don't know what he was thinking, but he didn't scream even when his hands and feet were free.
'Because he is a nobleman. Maybe it's a shame that he was subdued by me.'
They are a group of people who needlessly save face. In any case, it was true that he threatened and intimidated someone who was still, so I lightly apologized.
"Excuse me. My situation is a bit urgent. I will never see you again."
It was just as I was about to turn and leave the room.
When I turned around at the slight force pulling me, I saw a man timidly holding the hem of my dress with his fingertips and looking at me. His eyes, as gentle as a puppy's, were turned towards me.
"Are you saying just apologizing isn't enough?"
"No, that's not it."
I glanced at the man drinking water and then glanced down the hallway again.
I had to get out quickly when I couldn't see anyone.
"I'm sorry, but it's time to stay like this..."
"Are you planning on sneaking out of this building?"
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