My Unrestrained Lives-Chapter 56: The Escape

Now walking alone, with Lady Thalia in her arms, Silas felt slightly nervous, unsure if she would be able to act her role properly.

But when she thought of Ellis, her master, watching them from some distance away, she felt herself gaining some courage, and so she continued walking.

Before long, she finally came across two knights, one of whom said, "Stop, in your place."

Silas naturally didn’t try to resist and simply did as they asked.

Fortunately, they were knights who knew her, which made the situation slightly easier to manage.

Doran gave Silas a brief glance before his eyes settled on the woman in her arms.

A woman who, despite her weak state, clearly looked like a noble. But she was unconscious, dressed in a nightgown, and covered with a robe that did little to hide how strange the whole scene looked.

Even though Doran knew Silas, not just as someone who served the so-called talentless prince, but also from their shared days at knight training, he still narrowed his eyes and asked sharply, "Who is the noblewoman you’re carrying? Explain the situation."

Faced with his pointed questions, Silas didn’t back down. Instead, she took a steady breath, forced a panicked expression onto her face, and said,

"She is actually Thalia Solvaire, the mother of Prince Adrian, whom I serve."

"When I went to check on her, we were suddenly attacked by a strong enemy."

"The guards couldn’t hold on at all, and frightened, I took Lady Thalia, who was already bedridden, and ran away."

"Luckily, while they were held down by the guards and other servants, I managed to slip out... but you need to go there immediately and check what the situation currently is."

Be it Doran or his more experienced colleague, both of them were stunned by what they heard.

An attack? And inside the royal grounds, no less? Who would even dare to try such a thing, and more importantly, who had the power to pull it off?

No, even more than that... what could anyone possibly want with Lady Thalia, a woman who had already lost everything?

Many questions ran through the knights’ minds. They even considered the possibility that Silas was lying.

But if she wasn’t, and they ignored her warning, the consequences could be dire.

They couldn’t afford to take that risk.

The older, more experienced knight beside Doran finally spoke. "You accompany the maid on her way. I’ll go and check the situation myself."

Doran gave a solemn nod, and just like that, they separated... his senior heading toward the palace, while Doran followed Silas in silence.

Not far away, Ellis, who had been watching everything unfold, felt that the situation was progressing well.

So, without hesitation, he circled around them and made his way back to the abandoned palace, where he intended to wait for Silas and his mother.

He didn’t stray too far, making sure he could still intervene if anything went wrong.

And soon enough, Silas appeared with his mother still in her arms, the knight following close behind.

Ellis didn’t intend to continue the act any further... what had already been done was enough.

But Silas thought differently.

The moment her eyes landed on him, she quickened her steps and lowered her head, bowing deeply in shame.

"Master," she said, voice trembling slightly, "the Nore Palace was attacked... Madam Thalia had already lost consciousness when I found her. I—I was unable to fight back. All I could do was carry her away and flee..."

She paused, then lowered her head even further.

"I beg your forgiveness for my incompetence."

Ellis blinked, caught off guard by her tone and choice of words, before his eyes shifted to the knight observing him silently.

So, he decided to play along... for now.

"You can atone later," Ellis said, his voice quiet but firm. "Right now, Mother needs rest."

"And we need a priest, immediately."

He deliberately mentioned the priest loud enough for the knight to hear, hoping the man would take the hint and move.

But Doran, as if deaf to the instruction, remained where he stood, unmoving.

Ellis decided not to press further. He turned and stepped into the palace... but then paused, feeling the man’s presence close behind him. He looked over his shoulder.

His eyes met Doran’s with a silent warning. A gaze that dared him to cross the threshold.

Perhaps Doran felt it. He stopped, and after a heavy pause, finally spoke.

"Then... Your Highness, I’ll stand guard here. So that no one dares to enter."

Ellis studied him for a moment, then gave a small smile. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"Would you?"

Without hesitation, Doran straightened his back and struck his fist to the left side of his chest... a traditional salute of loyalty and respect among knights.

"Yes, please leave the guarding duty to me, Your Highness."

"Very well, I’ll thank you in advance."

With that, Ellis turned away and disappeared inside the palace, where Silas had already gone ahead. Outside, Doran exhaled deeply and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

It felt as if he had just survived a dangerous battle... and he couldn’t help but wonder what on earth was going on with this little prince.

...

Inside, the atmosphere was still and silent. Silas had already reached Ellis’s room and was carefully laying Lady Thalia onto his bed. She adjusted the pillow beneath her head and gently pulled the robe tighter over her still form.

Ellis entered behind her, and she turned toward him, her expression mixed with guilt.

"I’m sorry for earlier, master" she said quietly. "I... thought it was better to keep playing the part. In case he was still suspicious."

Ellis walked to the bed and glanced down at his mother. Then, without looking at Silas, he replied, "You did well."

Silas straightened at that, but said nothing. And so, it was Ellis, who talked again.

"There’s no time to rest. Go. Try to find a priest."

Silas gave a sharp nod and then, swiftly left, her footsteps fading into the quiet of the hallway.

And Ellis, now alone with his mother, sat by the bed in silence.

He looked at his mother’s face, pale, faintly drawn, and for a moment, his eyes softened.