Chapter Four: Terror in the Basement

A week passed, and everything progressed smoothly.

Emma and Mary, due to their charm, were still often summoned by Lady Emilia to serve her, while Louis and Hailey took advantage of their outdoor breaks to secretly observe the estate’s layout.

After returning at night, they would gather to review their findings.

Over the days, Emma somehow obtained a large number of forks and clearly scavenged iron utensils. Using these, Louis quickly fashioned tools resembling iron claws. Thanks to various short videos from his past life—though he often collected them without watching—they left a wealth of miscellaneous knowledge in his mind.

“We’ve examined the courtyard. The northeast corner has sparse tree cover and the lowest walls, making it the best choice.”

“Good. Let’s practice the human ladder a bit more, then wait for the right moment.”

One must admit, a group of children forming a human ladder was no problem in terms of flexibility and weight, but it did look somewhat comical.

Hailey, the oldest, stood at the bottom, followed by Louis, then Emma, with Mary at the top. The four swayed and frequently tumbled, yet not once did Mary cry out.

They had grown somewhat since the ordeal of kidnapping and brutal beatings.

Time passed quietly and steadily, and the plan proceeded smoothly. Occasionally, Emma and Hailey would notice Louis glaring fiercely at the base of a wall, snarling curses in a language utterly different from their own simple swear words...

Their limited vocabulary made it impossible to imagine the venomous curses—those extending from the opponent’s mother to eighteen generations of ancestors—that Louis uttered. It was terrifying beyond belief.

Especially little Mary, who looked at Louis with a hint of fear at those moments.

...

Something unusual happened that night.

Shortly after the four had fallen asleep, Hailey, closest to the door, suddenly woke, rousing Emma, Louis, and Mary. They tiptoed to the door, pressing their ears to listen.

Clack... clack...

Click!

The bolt turned.

Creak...

The sound of the door latch was right opposite them.

Then came faint footsteps, barely audible, quickly fading away.

“The Carollas on the other side tried to escape.”

“They actually picked the lock?”

“What do we do now?”

“That’s good news,” Emma said suddenly, a strange shadow flickering across her otherwise sweet face.

“No matter how much we plan, it’s better to have someone else try first. If they succeed, they’ll leave traces. If they fail, it’ll teach us valuable lessons.”

“Now, we go back to sleep and wait for tomorrow.”

Louis stared at Emma in surprise but nodded without hesitation. “You’re right.”

Hailey hesitated briefly but then nodded as well. Only Mary remained worried about the Carollas’ fate but said nothing and could do nothing.

Fifteen minutes later.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the entire estate, waking everyone instantly.

Louis and the others shot open their eyes—they had not been asleep.

Soon, doors opened one by one. Noel, with a grim expression, led the children out. Louis caught sight of fresh bloodstains on Noel’s sleeve, and his heart sank.

In the hall, oil lamps burned brightly.

At the center, four curled-up children emitted low moans, their heavy breaths like a struggle for air, like a broken bellows.

Lady Emilia, dressed in a nightgown and furious, rolled her eyes sharply when everyone had gathered.

An unseen force manifested.

Boom!

The tearing moans ceased instantly, replaced by the fine, harsh sound of an oil press squeezing.

Oil, blood, fat...

Ugh!

Sounds of vomiting, crying, and screaming rose and fell in a dreadful chorus.

“This is what happens to those who try to run away. At nine years old, if anyone meets my standards, they live. Otherwise, they end up like these.”

“Let’s go, Noel.”

Noel helped Lady Emilia slowly ascend to the attic and toward a room.

After a while, everyone surprisingly returned to their rooms on their own.

Sitting on the sofa, Louis’s face darkened.

What they just did was truly terrifying—there was no way to confront that head-on! And how had they discovered the Carollas’ escape attempt? Without figuring that out, the next steps in their plan couldn’t proceed.

Damn it. Why are my skills only these petty tricks?

Forget it. Thinking about it is useless. Since their power is so formidable, when attempting to escape, we can’t consider the possibility of pursuit. We must be even more cautious.

“Mary, how much longer until you find the hidden room?”

Startled out of her daze, Mary answered immediately, “Almost done. I’ve calculated most of it. The approximate location is confirmed.”

“Good. Then suspend the first plan and move on to the second.”

Seeing Louis still able to make decisions and remain composed, the others finally calmed down somewhat.

That entire night, none of them slept well.

...

The next day.

While Louis and the others cleaned the hall and the remaining mess with mops, Mary suddenly tugged his sleeve.

Using the excuse of cleaning and with Emma and Hailey’s cover, Mary led Louis to a corner of the attic and cautiously entered one of the rooms. “Here it is. I calculated the location of the hidden room here, but I can’t find the door.”

Louis’s eyes swept quickly as he said, “You go back. If you and Emma aren’t around, the old witch might call you away. It would be troublesome if you’re found missing.”

“Alone? That’s too dangerous,” Mary worried.

“Enough,” Louis frowned.

Mary reluctantly nodded and tiptoed out.

The room was ordinary, with a framed oil painting, a bed, a wardrobe, and a dressing table.

Space was limited, and so were hiding places.

Louis narrowed his eyes, opened the wardrobe—nothing. Felt under the bed—nothing.

Moving the painting aside revealed a rough single door.

Louis smiled. “There’s definitely something wrong here.”

He then took out a candle, lit it, and stepped inside.

The candle was one of the many things prepared over these days. As for venturing inside, that had been considered before the search; when the moment came, hesitation was not an option.

The stairs led downward into darkness, the faint candlelight barely illuminating the way. Soon, the faint glow of electric lights appeared ahead, dim but enough to light the path.

Following the stairs down and turning a corner,

Louis finally saw the end: a small basement filled with various items!

More importantly, opposite this basement was another stairway, faintly lit!

It was very likely another exit.

Before Louis could proceed further, a hand suddenly reached up from the floor at the basement entrance.