CHAPTER 20
“Todd!”
Only then did Eva realize what had happened. She ran her hands over Todd’s shoulder area and the back of his neck. A much thicker and larger amount of blood stained her hands. Eva realized the blood had flowed from the back of his head. The edge of the candle holder had struck the back of Todd’s skull directly.
With a horrified expression, Eva collapsed backward onto the floor. A chilling tremor ran through her entire body, as if she had been struck by lightning. A thought she didn’t even want to consider crossed her mind—if Todd had died like this, what was she supposed to do?
“Nu-nurse, I—I’ll go and b-bring the baron—”
“Stay still.”
Cecile, who had been standing there in a daze the entire time, stopped Eva with a firm voice.
She quickly knelt beside Todd and placed her fingers under his nose. She checked repeatedly, then pressed her ear against his chest. As time passed, Cecile’s pupils widened and her expression stiffened. After a moment, she looked at Eva with a hollow expression and murmured,
“Todd… is dead…”
The moment Eva heard those words, it felt as if her heart had been split open by shock. She couldn’t believe there was no breath under his nose, no heartbeat in his chest. Fear and shock merged into one and pushed her into panic.
Todd is dead. I killed someone.
A ringing noise echoed in her ears. Eva’s mind felt completely blank, as if it had been thrashed empty.
“…Miss… Miss.”
“Nurse?”
Only when Cecile shook her did Eva finally regain her senses. It felt as though a hundred years had passed in that instant.
Then Eva’s dazed eyes slowly widened. She had noticed the candlestick that she had been holding moments ago was now in Cecile’s hand.
“I did this. Understand?”
“What?”
Eva, now slightly recovered, narrowed her eyes and asked.
“The baron and his wife will never leave this alone. This case will be handed over to the investigation office, and you’ll be arrested for murder. Do you understand, Miss? Murder is the heaviest crime of all.”
“But… but Todd attacked me first—”
Todd had come at her first. He had secretly entered her room at night, trying to assault her while she slept. If Cecile hadn’t helped, she would have been violated. If she hadn’t struck Todd’s head, Cecile might have been killed by his fist. She had only swung to survive—why should she bear everything alone?
“How will you prove that? They’ll definitely claim you seduced him. Even if we’re lucky and your argument is accepted, you’ll still go to prison.”
“Nurse!”
“Maybe in a thousand years things will change, but right now you know how the law favors nobles and men. And the Crocsfield inspector general frequents the same gambling dens as Todd. There are even rumors that Baron Beattie has been bribing them and they are close. We are at a huge disadvantage.”
Cecile spoke in a strained voice, holding back a cough. She had been lying helpless moments ago, but now she was sharp and energized, as if all her strength had returned for Eva’s sake.
“So what are you saying? That I should let you take the blame instead? I will never allow that.”
Eva was equally firm. The moment Cecile offered to take responsibility, she had already foreseen what would happen.
A charge of killing a noble was far worse than insulting one. Cecile, though of noble birth originally, was now considered a commoner since her parents had lost their title. If a commoner killed a noble, even mitigating circumstances wouldn’t save her from severe punishment.
“I can’t watch you live with the label of a murderer. If you insist… I’d rather bite my tongue and die here.”
Cecile grabbed Eva’s shoulder tightly, her eyes fierce. She looked like a warrior ready for her final battle. She was an immovable wall of ice.
Eva realized Cecile wasn’t speaking in emotion. But she had no intention of letting Cecile become the culprit either.
For the first time, they stared each other down, trying to overpower the other. Just moments ago they had wanted someone to hear the noise in the room—but now they were desperate that no one would hear them.
“Cecile.”
Eva grabbed her hand firmly.
“There’s no time to fight like this. If you insist on taking the blame and I refuse to accept it, neither of us will survive. So we need another way.”
“…”
“Let’s run away.”
“What?”
Cecile’s eyes widened in shock.
“Even if I die, I won’t let you take my crime. Either we confess the truth… or we run away together. We hide somewhere quiet.”
“….”
Cecile remained silent, shaken. After a long pause, she finally said,
“Very well, Miss. Whether we die here or get caught while running away, death is still death. Let’s run.”
Her decision made, Cecile quickly opened an old trunk and began packing clothes from Eva’s wardrobe.
“Only the essentials, Miss. Clothes for immediate use and necessary items.”
“Leave that to me. You pack your things too. I’ll call Paul.”
After Cecile left, Eva moved quickly. As Cecile was ill, Eva needed to prepare their escape route.
There wasn’t much to take—some old clothes, her parents’ keepsakes, and a few childhood diaries. That was all she had ever been allowed to own.
As she closed her trunk, Eva paused and looked at an open wardrobe. A coat Edward had once placed over her shoulders was hanging there, neatly cleaned. She hesitated, then carefully folded it and placed it on top of her things.
She dragged the trunk past Todd’s body and placed it by the door. Seeing his dark figure in the dim light sent another wave of fear through her. It felt like he might grab her ankle at any moment.
Shivering, Eva rushed out of the room.
The night was dark, clouds covering the moon. Moving carefully, Eva ran toward the stable where Paul stayed.
Cold wind brushed through her hair. The distant forest looked eerie, as if trying to pull her in. Her heart pounded violently.
After a long run, she finally reached Paul’s cabin. She called softly,
“Paul… wake up. Paul.”
No response.
She knocked again.
Finally, movement came from inside. A light was lit, and the door opened. A disheveled Paul stood there.
“Who is it…?”
Before he could fully wake up, Eva stepped forward.
“Paul.”
“Oh, Miss? Wha—”
“Shh. Come inside.”
She pushed him in and quickly shut the door.
“What is it? What happened?”
“Paul… please help me. Take me and Cecile to Father John.”
Her hands trembled.
“I killed Todd, Paul.”
She finally said it, covering her face with both hands.
