A maid vs the storm 2

****

A young maid with short curly bobbed blonde hair went around the large manor house of the fourth prince to the throne, going about her daily chores. Her days consisted of the similar set amount of chores and a similar schedule, there wasn't much for her to particularly comment on usually... However...

"Hi Sana, how are you today?" Came the voice of one of the maids behind her as Sana stopped washing the window to greet them.

"Morning, I am fine, thank you, how are you?" She returned the question back to them as the maids returned a familiar reply. She watched the two of them walk off as she overheard them talking to one another.

"I heard she hasn't been able to eat for two days now..." the one mentioned as the other gave a rather empathetic gasp.

"Poor thing... the prince is too harsh..." she mentioned back as Sana gave a troubled expression. However, it seemed her past two days were ones met with worry and now what appeared to be a somewhat unusual silence. Sana looked to the window watching the rain fall quietly.

"Though I guess that's whay you should expect for pushing royalty..."

*****

"Say, your highness..."

Within the darkened bedroom, Hugo sat mext to prince Dante who sat on his now none tea stained lounger, reading another book quietly to himself. "Forgive me if I an wrong... but wouldn't you say that this might be a bit too mean?" Hugo then went on as Dante for a moment didn't reply... before his eyes glanced up to his knight.

"You seem to be sympathising with the maid alot lately..." Dante commented as Hugo smiled whilst shaking his head.

"Not at all... rather, I just wonder what this going to do to your public image..." Hugo replied cooly to the prince as Dante simply turned over in his seat.

"I don't care for that..." he muttered as Hugo nodded.

"Ah, I see..." he replied as there was another small pause in their conversation before it seemed then that Dante's anger began to show up again after a whilst of it being contained. "Besides, any maid who doesn't know how to hold her tongue should be taught a lesson..." he went on, Hugo almost able to read 'royal jerkiness' and 'bratty kid' upon the young prince's scowl as he kept a placid smile on his face...

"Ah... I see..." he repeated, not really wishing to poke at that situation. He gave a small sigh staring at the door. It had seemed that the entertainment had gotten them self into alot of trouble.

****

And indeed I had...

Dearest mother and father in another world...

Forgive me, it seems your precious daughter has become a criminal.

I sat down, a washed out expression on my face as I drew circles within the dust of the jail cell I was stuck in. You know if you were to ask me in my past life or hell even a few days ago if I could ever imagine myself being in jail, I would have asked if you were joking- not because I couldn't see myself committing a crime, but simply because I was far too unwell to commit a crime to begin with... I'd be in even more disbelief if you told me it was because I pushed some bratty young prince...

"I despise everything about you!"

As I recalled his big announcement from the other day, my eye's became somewhat distilled as I looked to my left. As far as I was concerned, even if it got me in jail, he deserved to be pushed and snapped at... what did I even do to be hated so much...? Yeah, I may have made a mistake here or there, and yes I may have used his fear to his advantage...

I sighed a little- no thinking on it, that was a pretty valid reason to at least dislike me. But despise...? That was a strong word for somebody he didn't even know existed for a week... besides, for a moment there, it almost felt like we were able to talk level headedly with one another... or was I just letting my assumptions get the better of me...?

The sound of my thinking was interrupted by the sound of growling coming from my stomach as I curled up a little more where I sat. Not only was being in jail unimaginably boring, but also they had restricted my meals to a piece of bread a day- I was pretty hungry at this point....

Growl

How long was I going to be in here anyway...?

****

Hugo left the darkened princes bedroom, sort of wincing a little to be out in the light once more. Outside there was a distant but loud rumble of thunder as he looked at the rain sputter down the window pane. Though it was usual for storms in this world to last a week, he still wished that the rain would stop falling soon. Even something as at first interesting as a storm could eventually grow tiresome... The young knight grabbed out a pocket watch and checked the time with an uncertain expression. It wasn't really time yet huh..? He had to admit, though it was funny at first, even he felt a little bad.

Hugo turned his face and to be expected there wad the appearance of Felicia at the door, a deadpan expression on her face as she held dutifully held a plate of food within his hands.

"Ah... good afternoon Miss Verdate, you are here on time as usual..." he commented as Felicia simply nodded in his direction.

"I make a note on never being tardy..." she answered dully as Hugo simply gave a faint laugh.

"Is that so..." he replied, not really knowing how it was he should keep a conversation going with this monotonous maid. However it was after his brief and strained chuckle of a response, that it was then someone appeared from the other side of Felicia, that person being Sana.

"Hmm, another person- thank good- I mean how odd. Hello?" Hugo almost let slip his relief at having another person to talk to, going to take a closer look at the blonde haired maid who at first seemed a little nervous... before it was then that she seemed to gain some courage as she curtsied to the knight in training.

"Good afternoon, my name is Sana Rejoyce, it is an honour to meet you.... you... you are definitely Sir Hugo, correct?" Sana introduced herself in quite a fluster as Hugo gave his usual smile in response to this.

"Indeed I am, you are looking for me?" He asked as Sana then nodded to him, seeming to be relieved that she had the right person.

"Yes... you see.." she began, at first hesitating momentarily as she doubted herself... before she gained some courage to speak up. "Actually I was hoping that maybe you could talk to his majesty... or at least let me try have a hearing with him" she brought up much to Hugo's surprise. "It's about the maid Anntoinette Silverston- I think that she has been in the prison too long and that leaving her down there only with bread to eat is too cruel!" Sana then went on as it was then that Hugo understood her request- so the young maid seemed to have people who cared for in this manor now? "I- I know that she pushed his highness... but... but I don't think Annie would do that without good reason!"

"Look, I see what you are saying... and if I could let you have your request I would, but unfortunately his highness is not willing to listen to reason right now..." Hugo informed awkwardly Sana who seemed to be expecting a rejection right off the bat.

"Can't you even try to persuade him otherwise, you don't even have to say people asked..." Sana then pleaded as Hugo's expression became even more stiff.

"I'm sorry to say but I already tried. In all honesty I don't really agree with how Miss Silverston was punished myself..." Hugo began as it seemed that Sana's eye's lit up faintly.

"So you are on our side?" She jumped to conclusions as Hugo remained silent about his response to this... When he then backed up deciding it'd be better to not get their hopes up and end the conversation as it was there...

"I am sorry to say Miss Rejoyce though, I cannot do anything to persuade his highness, once he has made up his mind on something, he isn't one to change his mind..." Hugo reaffirmed to the desperate young maid, who upon being rejected so firmly seemed rather down trodden.

"Ah... is that so..." she muttered in disheartenment- Hugo wincing somewhat to this. At this moment i]he felt as though he was being more of a villain here than Dante...

Hugo decided to swiftly move topic, instead turning to Felicia, taking the food from her hands.

"I will try give this to his majesty... though I can't guarantee he will eat it, I'm sorry Miss Verdate..." he apologised to Felicia who seemed pretty unphased by his claim.

"It wouldn't surprise me..." Felicia answered as Hugo once more couldn't help but start to pity these poor maids. He looked to the tray of food he was holding. The prince had a track record of not eating whenever he was in a bad mood so it was no surprise that during the bad weather he was not touching his plate. That being said though, it had seemed that somehow, of all people, Miss Silverston herself had managed to get the rebellious young prince to eat an entire meal despite all this... Hugo turned around to the wall which opened up behind him, his eyes focused on the food... Indeed, Antoinette Silverston was an interesting person...

It was just as Hugo was going to walk back into the room tough, that he was suddenly jerked back, by Sana grabbing onto the back of his shirt much to his surprise.

"Sire Hugo, please wait, I just had an idea!" Sana stopped the young knight who seemingly had not expected to continue a conversation with her. "Even if we can't talk to his majesty or get Annie out of jail- would we not be able to sneak some extra food to her? You know if it was just us maids with some help?"

Hugo gave a rather tense face, she really wasn't going to give up was she. Nonetheless, as absurd her request was, it was actually alot more feasible than trying to convince Dante to change his mind at this moment.

"I mean... I suppose you could..." he began, as he tried to work out how that plan would pan out in his head. "Though there is a problem.... The maids are only given a certain amount of food themselves and unless you are miss Verdate, you can't access the kitchens that easy... and certainly not the prison..." Hugo started listing out the flaws in their plans when it was then, that of all people, Felicia then spoke up.

"You could always give her the meal I prepared his majesty, it will most likely go to waste anyway..." Felicia then brought up as neither Hugo or Sana expected her to have much to say on the matter.

"Are you also trying to get Miss Silverston out, Miss Verdate?" Hugo inquired.

"She did get herself into this mess and I don't want to compromise my job, however, her punishment was a bit too over the top..." Felicia put it bluntly as Hugo couldn't tell whether that meant she was overly fond of Antoinette or not...

"I see... though the princes's food-?"

"It is not like he will actually eat it..."

It was to Felicia's rather obvious statement that Hugo had somewhat been defeated.

"Well, you aren't wrong there...' he replied, not able to deny that yes, the food she had made would probably not be touched otherwise... it was them that Sana joined in.

"And about the food... wouldn't it be okay if you brought it to the jail cell?" Sana then questioned as Hugo's expression became rather dry.

"Ehhh...?" He responded in slight disbelief to this.

"Please Sir Hugo, I know this seems like a big ask, but this is the only way I can imagine her getting the food without any issues!!" Sana begged as Hugo appeared to become very very uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"You do realise if I am caught, his highness will have us all prisoned..." Hugo tried to suede her as Sana remained stubborn on the matter, pressing on more.

"I know, but what are chances of someone in your position being caught out or snitched on? We can even lie for your sake and say it was someone else as witnesses!!"

"..."

"Sir Hugo... you said you were on our side right? Surely you don't want Annie to starve down there all alone right?" Sana grabbed the low reaching fruit as it had seemed Hugo had took some deep momentary consideration on it... beofre he then took a deep breath...

"I'm only going to do this today, until we find a better method..." Hugo stated as Sana gave a small celebration to this fact.

"Sir Hugo, you are a hero, you know that?!" She exclaimed as Hugo strained a laugh to this fact.

"I wouldn't go this far... but if you really are grateful, you would find another way to go around this for tomorrow..." Hugo mentioned as Sana nodded her head firmly.

"Of course! Leave it to me, I am great at coming up with ideas!" Sana announced as Hugo gave her his usual indifferent smile.

"Is that so..." he replied, not really wanting to note that her ideas up until now had all been incredibly risky... nonetheless... Hugo grabbed out his pcoket watch and looked at the time... it wouldn't hurt for him to say he was just visiting early on a meal run would it? It was with this thought he gave a sigh and decided to get his part of this far fetched plan over and done with.

"I'll leave now... Try to keep out of trouble ladies..." Hugo told them, now walking down the hallway with the meal as Sana remained as optimistic as she had been since she had gotten her way with the plan.

"Of course, thank you again Sir Hugo!" She waved him off cheerfully as both she and Felicia watched him walk down the hallway.

It was with a passing few moments of seeing the knight vanish, that Felicia then looked upwards.

"I suppose I should work on his supper... or maybe I will remake his lunch on impossible the off chance he may really want it soon..." Felicia then muttered to herself dully as Sana gave a faintly awkward chuckle in response to this.

"Sorry Felicia... I really do appreciate how you helped me back there..." she told the maid, stepping back a little... before she then became aware of the hole in the wall behind her...

"It's no worries... Really this wouldn't make too much of a difference to my day anyway, and at least someone will be eating the food I make..." Felicia talked on to herself as Sana stared at the hole in the wall, seeming to realise something... Felicia looked back to Sana, going to head back to the kitchen. "Are you going back to your chores now...?" she inquired as Sana then flinched a little, looking back to Felicia with a distant smile.

"A-Ah yes, I will be... you go on ahead without me, I'm just going to try think of something new for our strategy..." Sana informed Felicia as Felicia blinked twice at her, a thought crossing her mind for a moment... before she then decided to continue back to her shift.

"If that is so... Speak soon Sana, good luck..." she siad her goodbye's nonchalantly, Sana also waving her off.

"Yes you too!" Sana watched Felicia walk away from her... before her eyes turned to that of the wall once more...

****

Meanwhile I now found myself staring upwards at the ceiling whilst lying on my back. I had to find ways to break out over the past few days but to no avail. I was hoping if I unleashed my inner chunibyou I might end up activating some magical power, but all it resulted in was me being caught by the guards mid pose and chat and their stares of concern at me for the remaining time I have in here. I thought maybe that I potentially could have been reborn in a situation where I had some hidden ability- but it was obvious to me now that Antoinette Silverston was indisputably human. I pouted to myself as I lay down. I wasn't entirely heartbroken by it, but I think seeing just how helpless I was in situations like this had now ultimately led to me giving up and accepting my fate inside of the jail cell for the time being as much as I begrudged it...

I wish the guards would stop trying to work out what the term "explosion" meant though, I don't think I'll ever live that down...

Being in prison gave you lots of time to think... I had thought over and over about what I really had done to trigger the verbal attack I got the other day, however I had thought about it so much at this point, that in all honesty my brain was going to fry... instead I found my mind drifting to my past life, reflecting on the memories I had back there. Things in this world were so different, it almost made that time in my past seem like a lucid dream... The hospital ward, all the children I used to share a room with... the sight of snow pouring outside my hospital window... the nurses that used to tend to me, my dear friend who used to play games with me before she also passed away... my parents... all of that now seemed like a distant dream. The bad... the good... I pondered to myself for only a brief moment whether or not I had actually lived through all that... It was as I stared at the ceiling that amidst these thought my begin was returning to the same question... Was my last life really a regrettable one? In comparison to this one anyway where already I had been sent to jail for a minor issue... In a way, prison was almost the same as being stuck in my bed being unable to move and yet somehow. I missed that hospital bed... my dearly departed friend... japan and my parents. In this situation I had finally been left alone to myself, I found that I had grown rather homesick.

'Hey ————— What are you doing crying again you baby, geez you really are a crybaby...' echoed the familiar voice of my friend in my mind as I could only just barely recall what she looked like in my hazy memories of my past life...

It was as I noticed that a tear had formed in my eye that I sat up, shaking my head vigorously. No, no, remember you are Annie now, there is no reason for me to be getting this sad already. I could still walk and move and though yes, I had found myself in a rather difficult situation. I took a deep breath and with that breath gave myself some much needed vigor. This would certainly come to pass and after that, I would find a way to escape the death flags in Dante's route, I was sure of it.

"You seem to be quite smiley for somebody in prison..." came a familiar voice that startled me.

"Wah- wha- huh, Sir Hugo?" I found myself spluttering in confusion as I saw the young knight approach with something in his hand draped over by a cloth. I found myself constantly shaken by just how this child could seemingly pop up out of nowhere- though aside from that, I was not expecting a visit from him any time soon. He had be instructed to give me some bread once a day for a few minutes but then he would have to take his leave. Though I suppose he was just early today.

"How are you doing today Miss Silverston?" Hugo asked me with his usual smile as I could only frown faintly to that statement.

"I mean... about as well as any person stuck in a jail cell for a few days would be..." I replied straight forwardly, Hugo giving a somewhat sympathetic laugh in my direction.

"Yes, well I guess that's a given..." he told me before he then approached the jail cell, holding the hidden item in his hand before me. "Well at the least, I can brighten your day with this..." he mentioned, raising the cloth off the item, revealing there to be food there- an actual plate of cooked food. A high quality looking plate of food! Just the sight of it had me salivating a little as I momentarily rejoiced at the sight of such a thing- before it was then that I froze where I stood, my brief joyful smile fading as quick as it had appeared. Hugo seemed a little surprised at my sudden hesitation as he tilted in his head.

"Miss Silverston?" He questioned as I looked up to him, a skeptical look in my eyes.

"What's the catch...?" I asked him seriously as Hugo seemed to only grow more confused at my question.

"Catch?" He returned my question as I nodded, backing away a little more.

"I doubt his highness would send anything down to me, not without there being something awful about it... is it poisoned?" I proceeded to ask with the uttermost caution as Hugo flinched at the idea.

"What- No! I can assure you, we definitely aren't going to poison you!" He exclaimed as I wasn't made any more assured by this statement. You couldn't really blame me for not being so trustworthy, this meal was better than what any normal maid would receive, hell, I would be lucky to eat like this ever in my normal life as a maid, let alone the life I had now claimed for myself in a jail cell. Plus anything this good that had to do with Hugo, despite him not being as bad as Dante, had a history of spelling out trouble. Hugo however, seemed to be genuinely surprised by my claim as he then pointed to the food. "Really, I understand your disbelief, but this isn't from his highness..." Hugo told me as this fact had caught my attention. "It's a gift from Miss Rejoyce and Miss Verdate..."

I found myself wolfing down a high premium steak, taking the moment to look up and savour it as I did so... above me I could see the heavens... the bright and sparkly nirvana I hadn't got chance to see upon transporting from my old life to another and in that heavenly apparition were two holy maidens... those two maidens looking exactly like the two maids I had befriended closely to in this manor... angels... Sana and Felicia were angels. I take back any sort of side comment to their obliviousness I had made before, truly I was unworthy of those two saints in my life.

I was stuck in my own world of pure bliss as Hugo watched me with a faintly stuff expression on his face.

"It's a bit cold... is it really that good?" He questioned as I found myself on the verge of crying tears of joy nodding.

"Meat... real meat... it's been so long since I had it" I muttered reminiscently.

"Is that so... well, I'm glad it has made you happy. Miss Rejoyce was incessant on giving you a proper meal so she'll be relieved"Hugo informed me as I only saw the apparition of angels before me grow stronger. Sana you are too good for me...

I finished off the meal I had been given graciously and as soon as I had put the plate down I places my hands together and bowed my head.

"I want to thank the two holy maidens and Felicia for this heavenly meal..." I muttered sincerely as Hugo could only watch baffled, it had seemed this was a tradition from Japan that had not been followed through to Isen.

"You... have some strange customs Miss Silverston, but I'll let the two maid know..." he told me as I laughed stiffly. Well in reality on part of that was customs, the rest was just the pure joy of eating. That being said, even being in jail I was still a person with manners. I turned to Hugo and place my hands together bowing my head.

"I have thank you for the food too Sir Hugo..."

"You don't really have to, I really only just brought the food down here, your friends put the plan together..." Hugo seemed to playing quite humble for someone who often admitted to finding my misfortune fun. Nonetheless-

"You still brought the food down regardless. You're a good person Sir Hugo!" I told him with a bright smile as Hugo stared at me for a moment, seeming to think a little on what I said. Before a very faint smile came to his face, as though he was a little uncomfortable with the sentiment.

"That's the second time I have been told that today. I wonder what everyone's original thought of me is..." he mentioned when he then shook his head. "Regardless, your welcome. I really think you should be giving all your thanks to Miss Rejoyce and Miss Verdate, it seems that you have friends that really care about you within this manner..." he mentioned as it was to this that I reflected a little on it.

I had honestly been so caught up on the prince recently that I had sort of neglected the fact that we were friends... no much rather, I guess the concept had become a little estranged to me.

"Having friends is a nice thing isn't it?" I told Hugo as he seemed to become a little intrigued by what I was saying.

"Indeed it is Miss Silverston... did you not have any friends before?" He decided to ask me as I looked down a little.

"I did... though she passed away a long time ago..." I mentioned recalling the friend I had in my past life. She was a little older than me and the one who would lecture me on my behaviour. The one who would play different otome games with me and even started to read them to me when my arms started getting too weak. Unfortunately her heart was too weak to last much longer than me... She was a good friend though, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have them in my final two years alive in my past life...

'Say ————— one day I know you'll be able to move again... and when you do you will meet friends who care for you just as I do...'

She was always a very motherly sort of person to me who would come out with stuff like that... I seemed to miss her quite a bit... who thought I would be looking back on her ramblings so fondly... For a moment I actually wondered if she had found herself in a similar situation as me... That was until I realised I had really brought down the atmosphere.

"I'm really sorry Miss Silverston..." Hugo apologised as I instantly began to panic. I seemed to be having a bad habit of bringing my old life into this one- maybe all the alone time had really gotten to me head.

"Ah- No, it's all in the past- besides, she'd be angry with me for dwelling on it too much!! She was all about looking forward rather than back so it's fine!" I spluttered as Hugo seemed to give a small smile to this.

"I'm glad, it seems you have good friends in this manor now, Miss Silverston" He told me as I seemed a little surprised by the sentiment of his words. Woah- I wasn't expecting this child who so frequently seemed to laugh at my misfortunes to suddenly get sincere about things, talk about a whiplash...Despite this however, It wasn't as though I disagreed with his sentiment. I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I am too, I really ought to give those girls my biggest thanks when I get out..." I agreed.

"So..." Since I had eaten my food it had seemed that Hugo hadn't bolted back upstairs like he usually used to. "Is there something else that you need?" I decided to ask as Hugo looked back to me.

"Hmm not especially" he replied before he thought on it more. "I just wanted to chat to the girl who had enough temper to push the prince!" He stated as it seemed the more empathetic Hugo who spoken to ne before had gone out the window again.

"I can assure you that though that did happen, I am not like that usually..." I muttered dryly as Hugo nodded with a laugh to himself.

"Yeah, I sort of figured, his highness does have a way angering any saint" he replied before he then tilted his head at me. "So in hopes that I can find a way out for you, why not tell me why you pushed him?" Hugo then suggested as I looked up at him shocked.

"Eh?"

"Hm?"

"You'd really try get me out?" I struggled to hide my inquisitiveness as Hugo simply nodded as though it was no big deal.

"Well, I do feel partially responsible for you getting this mess..." he noted... before he then shrugged with his usual smile. "Also again, I just find his highnesses reactions to you entertaining so it's of my best interest to ask you..." he went on as the state of disbelief I had seemed to hone back in- that seemed more like the Hugo I knew. I frowned a little, a brief hesitation coming to my mind as a reaction to Hugo's quote- though I suppose not only had he helped me before and with that this could mutually benefit us that I owed it to him a little. I sighed, feeling myself become sad and confused as I tried to explain it.

"Well I had managed to make him eat his food..." I mentioned as it was then Hugo nodded.

"Yes, I heard... Miss Silverston, are you sure you aren't some kind of witch?" He asked me with a simple smile as I spiked up at this comment.

"Is it really that hard to make him eat?" I questioned, not sure if I should take the title witch as a good or bad thing.

"Yep, it's something only a powerful hypnotist could do..." Hugo replied in a way that didn't make me sure whetger he was joking or not. Nonethless I sighed and shook my head.

"Well for the record I can't use magic. I tried to see if I could use mana to blow up the gate to the jail cell earlier, but nothing happened and the guards think I'm crazy..." I muttered gloomily as Hugo remained quiet for a moment.

"So what happened after that Miss Silvsrston?" He asked after that silence- Ah it seemed he wasn't even going to dignify my magic explanation with any curiosity...

"Well, that happened, and then we brought up his secret study and books..." I proceeded to tell him. "I thought it'd be a good way to try understand him better do I tried talking to him about how I also like reading since it calmed my nerves and might calm him down- but then he absolutely lost it at me and told me he hated my both me and my face and that they annoyed him- I sort of just snapped at him... so that's pretty much it." I finished off, every passing word in my mouth getting more and more strained. It dawned on me every time I recalled it that the situation was only making less and less sense... I looked over to Hugo... Hmm? I never knew there was a specific expression for the sentence 'yeah, I'm as lost as you are' but by the way it was practically written on Hugo's face I guess I just discovered it.

"So he told you he hated your face and you pushed him"

"He in general said he hated my everything, but yeah..."

"Yeah..." There was apparently an expression for I still don't get it too, you learn something new every day. Hugo seemed to be in deep thought over the matter.

'I seem to recall he mentioned that not too long ago too...' were Hugo's unheard thoughts to me, there child's face straining as he tried to work out just why that kept being brought up.

Hugo then sighed whilst shaking his head.

"I mean, can you actually read Miss Silverston?" Hugo then turned to me to ask as my response came almost involuntarily.

"Yes-" It was the instant that I replied to this that I froze up with a sudden realisation. I could read, of course I could... I could read Japanese that is... But Antoinette Silverston never went to school or was taught by anyone to read. I think I had seen some sort of a written language in this world that wasn't my own, but despite my ability to speak it, it seemed I had no idea on how to read it. Huh- wait? Doesn't this make me illiterate in this world?! I had no idea!! I never stopped to question the written language as the maids just tell one another what stuff is verbally!!

It was upon this realisation that my yes sort of turned into a confused-

"Well... sort of anyway..."

How depressing, it seems I wouldn't be able to read any books in this world like I had planned to.

"I see... well you may not know it Miss Silverston but young maids who can read in this country are considered pretty rare, pretty much impossible to find actually" Hugo began to explain- uh, yeah sorry, I had only realised that this second. "I can't explain why his highness seems to find your face annoying, however, I think maybe he thought you were lying and that annoyed him?" Hugo put forward before thinking on it more. "Maybe if you can prove you can read to him?" - No , I was just relying too much on my past life when I spoke about reading, it turns out Annie may actually be as uneducated as I keep accidentally making her look like. I decided to neither agree or disagree with that statement by changing the topic slightly.

"It's true I know stories though, there wasn't any need for him to blow up the way he did..." I mentioned in a sulk as Hugo nodded.

"Yes, but I guess I can sort of see where he is coming from..." Hugo then noted, sort of taking me by surprise- had I suddenly annoyed him too now?!despite his statement the young knight seemed quite reflective as he looked up. "His highness I guess often feels trapped by his position... I think most rich nobles do..." Hugo explained. "There are many people who try to lie and sympathise with him, usually because they want something in return for his trust, when I don't think they really understand at all..."

'What's your angle?'

I found myself recalling Dante's distrust from the other day. He definitely was tired of people using him that was for sure. As well of that...

People used to do the same out of pity for me when I was sick. Tried to understand what was wrong even though they didn't understand.

However...

"I'm pretty sure he would be skeptical given it was anyone though, not just you Miss Silverston so don't take it to heart, he has had to live like that his entire life"

Even so...

"He still shouldn't take that out on others..." I pointed out firmly. "Yes people can be untrustworthy, but if you assume that of everyone you are only isolating yourself... which can make you trust people even less" I noted as Hugo blinked twice to this. Before he seemed to laugh a little at this.

"Hmm, nothing really seems to get past you... though I agree... His actions are pretty self destructive" Hugo agreed with me as I didn't know if I should sympathise or feel nothing to that statement. Afterall, feeling trapped and as though people are being fake round you was something I could understand- but this guy also chucked me in jail.

"Though I really don't know why he hates your face..." Hugo muttered- hmm, seems that he was really caught up on that. Maybe it was significant?

I was going to ask more on the matter when it was then that we were interrupted by the scurry of feet, the instant us both hearing it, the two of us moving away from bear one another as Hugo hid the plate behind his back.

For a moment we were expecting there to be some sort of guard or one of the higher ups of the manor racing down to the jail cells, however a few heart stopping seconds would soon reveal it to be one of the maids.

"Ahh, you scared me..." I mentioned, finally able to take a breath as the maid didn't stop to acknowledge me, much rather she ran to Hugo. Wow, hey, rude...

"Sir Hugo, thank goodness I found you, I was looking everywhere for you!!" The maid tried to catch her breath as Hugo seemed a little bewildered by how frantic she was.

"Okay, okay I get it. But please calm down! Why were you looking for me?" He asked, putting on his usual plastic smile. It was sort of amazing how fast and naturally he could put that on. The maid took a deep breath before pointing at me, much to my surprise.

"One of Annie's friends, Sana Rejoyce is having an argument with his highness over Annie being in jail in the hall!!" The maid dropped the bombshell on us, the statement even getting Hugo to drop his act for a bit.

"Huh?" He asked as the maid only seemed more vexed by his questioning.

"You heard me! Sana went into his highnesses room and after the prince chased her out they started arguing in front of his room!"

I couldn't see Hugo's face from here, but I could tell that for a child it looked pretty worn out. Though that wasn't my main concern for the time. Sana... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! If anything, seeing what happened to me should set the example that you should not try to provoke the walking time bomb. She usually was very nonchalant about my circumstances as of yet... so why was she fight my corner now?! I felt a sense of guilt build in me at that thought. I didn't want my trouble to affect her!

"I-I see..." Hugo muttered, trying to fully process the situation. Before he then gave the plate to the other maid, much to her shock.

"You put that back in the kitchen and fetch the head maid... I'm going to try resolve the situation for now" Hugo started to walk off- when he found himself now stopped by me.

I was a person of many morals, and one of those was that if one was the reason a situation started, they should try to be there to see it out. I now had my hand firmly grasped on Hugo's blazer as I stared at him seriously.

"Sir Hugo, please let me out! I want to try fix this!" I told him as Hugo at first seemed quite surprise by my request... before the very expected initial denial came.

"Actually... miss Silverston I think this will just make things worse.." he mentioned as I frowned. That was probably true... but-

"That isn't really a bad thing!" I told him. "The prince is already angry at me... If he see's I've escaped then he'll be more angry at me then Sana, she might be able to get a lighter punishment!" I explained, Hugo's face twisting to my logic at the matter.

"Ehhh, you are a masochist Miss Silverston?"

"Of course not!" I snapped in retort, if anything I wanted to avoid getting hurt as much as possible!

"However- you said it yourself, I owe something back to those girls..." I pointed out to him, tightening my grip on his blazer. "Please Sir Hugo, I'm not one to sit by whilst people are fighting for me... I want to try to help in my own way..." I went on, looking down a little. However my proclamation was followed up by the sound of keys jingling.

"I'll have you know this is probably a very bad idea Miss Silverston..." Hugo told me, as following the sound of keys, there was the sound of the door opening. I looked up to Hugo swinging the key around his finger. Wait, he had they keys on him the entire time?! Wait no- my surprise should actually be at the fact my attempt of persuasion worked for some reason. Hugo stopped swinging the key before tilting his head at me. "If we are both going go get into trouble, at the very least make this something entertaining..." he stated as he opened the door.

I gave it a moment to look at him, a little taken back on that I was able to go so easily. When I then gave a smile, nodding to him as I ran out the cell.

"You can count on it!" I told him, heading fo the stairs.

***

As I ran off the maid beside Hugo looked to him cautiously.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" She asked Hugo who gave an uncertain expression.

"Definitely not, however..." he watched me run out the room, seeming to sigh as though giving up. "I think if it's Miss Silverston things will work out... somehow that is... she seems like the sort of person that can't die" Hugo noted.

"You say that but seem even more unsure than before Sir Hugo..."

"Hahaha..."