Xion had no idea how long he had been staring out the window in a daze. It was the sharp cry of a blackbird perched on the branch just outside that jolted him out of his tangled thoughts.
His gaze drifted to the shallow reflection in the windowpane. There, he saw a blurry silhouette of a familiar yet strange face.
The person had the same-colored hair as him, but those dark blue eyes somehow haunted him.
It gave him the illusion of being sucked away from his existence. The tears he had pushed down earlier threatened to surface again, but Xion shook his head violently. No. Crying won't help. I have to think...I have to figure out a way to survive this madness.
Still, as much as he tried to focus, his thoughts kept drifting back to the taller male he had earlier bumped into. The man's piercing green eyes had held something more than just annoyance for being disturbed.
They were calculating, yes, but also... curious. Like a predator sizing up prey, but with a flicker of recognition that left Xion deeply unsettled.
"Ray's master... His Grace..." He seemed to be the person he did not want to have any contact with. That warning to avoid making His Grace angry still echoed in his ears.
Suddenly, the idea of taking Knight's help did not sound that thrilling anymore. If he received Ray's help, that would mean he owed him a favor.
With the authority of His Grace, Xion could simply say goodbye to his freedom if that master was even a little bit like Soren Vaelis or Caspian Halos.
"Forget it. Let's run away now." Xion walked toward the small sack in which he had collected the basic necessities for an emergency. Tossing out the extra utensils, he slung the bag over his shoulder.
The rope was long enough for him to cross it over his body. He tugged at the strap on his left shoulder while adjusting the bag on his right side to the comfortable position before wearing his hood back on.
Xion carefully peeked out of the small crack in the door. His heart thudded in his ribcage as he scanned the hallway, ensuring that no one was nearby.
Satisfied with the silence, he slipped out. Xion tried to keep his steps as light as possible. Keeping his head low, he made his way toward the back.
The mansion had three main kitchens, but he chose the least frequented one. The fourth one.
That extra kitchen would be slightly busy tonight. However, during the day, it was still relatively barren than any other place.
When Xion managed to sneak near the back kitchen, he found a shadowy corner behind the building to hide.
No, he was not going to use the vegetable cart like last time. For that, he would have to wait until evening, and Xion did not have such luxury at the moment.
His goal was the empty space, big enough to be considered a football playground, behind the kitchen.
Xion had marveled more than once at the sheer size of the whole estate that covered nearly the entire cliff of the mountain.
During his stay here, he had mapped it with his own eyes. So, he knew this empty place would be used as a parking lot for the lesser-known nobilities as this was near the back gate of the estate, unlike the grand main entrance.
There were often such occurrences where the lesser-known guests would get angered by the higher nobility. Xion's plan hung on the humiliation of such people.
Now, he might sound like a scum, but he was not intentionally cursing anyone. He was just using all of his resources to stay alive.
That thought made Xion realize that he was very just a normal being.
Even after being thrown into a new world, he did not become the holy hero. He remained the flawed human who was more afraid of his own pain, than other's survival.
Crouching low, Xion watched the carriages and the servants tending to them. His pulse quickened when he spotted a red-faced gentleman storming toward the parking lot with unconcealed rage.
Xion's eyes remained on the gentleman as he climbed into a modest-looking carriage while his horseman scrambled to ready the reins.
The gentleman's arrival had already caused the commotion among the servants looking after the horses.
Xion pitied the poor horse feeder, who ended up getting the brunt of the gentleman's anger.
Ignoring all the yelling and cursing in the vicinity, he crawled toward the carriage's underside. There was a small, reinforced compartment that was usually reserved for heavy luggage.
While holding his breath, he waited for the perfect moment.
As the horseman hopped onto the front seat and cracked the reins, Xion darted forward. The creak of the reins masked the sound of his heavy movements.
His petite frame did him a favor as he easily curled his body into a small grill-like space. The carriage jolted forward, and Xion gritted his teeth as it picked up speed.
The rough cobblestone road sent vibrations through the compartment. He winced as pebbles kicked up by the wheels struck him through the gaps.
The pain of small stones hitting his body was still bearable.
That was until one sharp stone nicked his forehead. He hissed, but due to cramped space, he could not even cradle his painful forehead to nurse it a bit.
After a few minutes, another sharp stone hit his left eye. It nearly pierced right into the bone under his eyebrow. The huge impact made his eye swollen in an instant as the blood dripped down his temple.
Xion bit down hard on his lip to stifle a cry. The throbbing pain was too sharp. Despite that, he did not dare make a sound.
Every bump in the road jostled him further, making his head ache even more. He held his breath, focusing on the rhythm of the wheels as they carried him farther and farther away from the mansion.
When he finally dared to peek through a crack in the woods, he saw the familiar outline of the forest surrounding the Marquis' estate at a distant cliff.
The towering trees blurred past as the carriage gained even more speed.
Xion breathed a sigh of relief as he waited for the carriage to move a bit further away from the dangerous place.