Chapter 17
The knotted rope left by the woodcutter and the off-key melody, like a torch lit in the darkness, dispelled the despair that had lingered in Serena's heart for days. But she knew all too well that hope was often accompanied by danger. Lucien's net might be lying nearby, waiting for her to walk right into it.
She didn't immediately follow the woodcutter's tracks. Instead, she became even more vigilant, like a startled wood mouse, further narrowing her movements to the most secluded area near the burrow. She needed to observe and confirm whether this was the only, safe sign.
Her patience paid off. Two days later, at dusk, upstream from the stream where she usually drew water, the distinctive knot reappeared on a conspicuous, smooth stone, along with several pieces of hard but filling rye bread wrapped in clean leaves and a small piece of salt.
food!
Serena's stomach clenched with craving. But she forced herself to remain calm. She carefully surveyed her surroundings, making sure no one was watching, before quickly taking the food and the knotted rope that served as a signal. The bread was rough and chewy, the salt bitter, but to her it was a delicacy, not only relieving her hunger but also conveying a clear message: the other person knew her predicament and was trying to help her, while remaining cautious.
This is not a trap. The Norton family, or at least those connected to her mother's family, are indeed nearby and have noticed her!
Over the next few days, similar "gifts" appeared intermittently—sometimes food, sometimes a worn-out, warm coarse cloth cloak, and sometimes even a small jar of ointment for treating scrapes. The locations varied, but the knotted rope was always left as a guide. The other person was clearly extremely familiar with the mountains and forests, and like her, was cautious and unwilling to reveal their whereabouts.
Serena didn't attempt direct contact. She simply accepted the help silently and tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible. It was a silent understanding, a fragile trust built amidst the dangerous pursuit.
Finally, on a drizzly morning, when she found food and a newly left behind piece of bark with a simple map drawn on it at the agreed location, she knew that the next instructions were coming.
The map points to a place deeper in the mountains, marked by a small symbol representing a "safe house." Next to it is the same knot drawn in charcoal.
Serena's heart pounded. She carefully memorized the map and destroyed the bark. Back in the cave, she hid the badge close to her body, put on the coarse cloth cloak, and donned the hood, disguising herself as an ordinary person making a living in the mountains as possible.
Following the map she remembered, she set off towards the unknown "safe house" under the cover of rain, mist, and dense forest. She took each step with extreme caution, constantly watching for any movement behind her.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Duke of Wilde's study in the Imperial Capital was even more somber than before.
The Duke had just concluded his meeting with Field Marshal McLean. The old marshal's attitude was ambiguous, and his words were watertight, but the Duke still gleaned some key information: at least a portion of the military had begun to lean towards Lucien, or was taking a wait-and-see approach and would certainly not easily oppose him. The marshal himself also seemed to have some affection for this eldest son of the Emperor, who shared his sister's blood.
What alarmed the Duke even more was that the information he pieced together after using his family's secret agents to investigate revealed that Lucien's "attention" to Serena was far from ordinary. Combined with Lucien's ruthless methods and enormous ambition, the Duke could almost foresee that once Lucien truly took power, Serena's fate would be dire, and it might even implicate the entire Wilder family.
He could no longer wait, nor could he place his hopes on vague political speculation.
"How many of our people have been planted in the Southern Territory?" the Duke asked the head of the secret guards in a deep voice.
"Reporting to the Duke, we have seventeen men at our disposal, but the Southern Territory is now His Highness Lucien's territory, which restricts our manpower and makes it difficult for us to approach the core area of the manor where the young lady is located. Moreover... according to the scattered reports we've received, the manor is extremely heavily guarded, almost like an iron fortress."
The Duke slammed his fingers on the table, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Don't approach the manor! Focus your search on the area surrounding the manor, especially the remote, mountainous regions! Use every means to spread the word and offer a reward for finding Serena! Remember, it's 'find,' not 'capture'! Let her know that it's the family looking for her, and that they're here to help her!"
He had to take a gamble. He gambled that Serena was still alive, that she had a chance to escape, that she could see or hear the news of her family searching for her! This was currently the only way to bypass Lucien's surveillance and contact his daughter directly! Although doing so was extremely risky, and could very well alert Lucien and anger him, he had to take the risk rather than watch his daughter fall into the tiger's den and face the potential reckoning for his family in the future!
“Also,” the Duke lowered his voice, “find a way to send a message to the Norton family. Don’t say it outright, just mention that Serena may have run into some ‘trouble’ in the Southern Territory.”
He thought of his deceased wife's family, who had some influence in the southern border. This move might be useless, but having another path always meant having more hope.
After the head of the secret guards left, the Duke stood alone by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky over the capital. A massive political storm was brewing, and his daughter was on the very edge of its eye. For the first time, he felt how utterly powerless his power and wealth were before fate and another, stronger, more insane will.
All he could do now was pray, pray that Serena was smart enough and lucky enough to seize that glimmer of hope.
Meanwhile, in the southern mountains, Serena finally arrived at the location marked on the map—an extremely secluded crevice behind a waterfall. Passing through the curtain of water, she found herself in a dry and cramped space, with dry grass in the corner and even a bowl filled with clear water.
This is the "safe house" that the Norton family prepared for her.
The rocky crevice behind the waterfall isolated her from the outside world's noise, leaving only the perpetual roar of the flowing water. Serena huddled on the hay, the rough fabric rubbing against the still-healing wounds on her skin. This place was drier and more secluded than the previous cave, and the water in the bowl was clearly changed regularly. The Norton family's silent yet effective help warmed a sliver of hope in her cold heart, but her long imprisonment and escape made her wary.
She waited there for three days. Each day, new food and water would quietly appear, sometimes accompanied by a small bundle of calming dried herbs. The other party never showed itself, like an invisible guardian spirit of the forest.
On the fourth day at dusk, beyond the sound of the waterfall, came a very faint whistle, like the call of some nocturnal bird. This was not a sound commonly heard in the mountains and forests.
Serena tensed instantly, her hand gripping the small knife hidden under her cloak.
The light at the entrance to the crevice was blocked by a figure. It was a woman, also dressed in the dark, coarse cloth of a commoner from the Southern Territory, but with a tall, upright posture and sharp, calm eyes that seemed out of place with her attire. She appeared to be around forty years old, her face bearing the marks of years of hardship, yet still retaining a few delicate features.
The woman didn't speak, but simply watched Serena silently, her gaze lingering for a moment on Serena's pale, haggard yet undeniably beautiful face and her wary blue eyes. Then, she slowly raised her right hand, palm up, upon which rested another bronze badge—a nightingale and an olive branch, exactly the same as the one Serena held.
Serena's breath hitched.
The woman spoke, her voice low and steady, with a distinctive Southern accent, yet her words were clear: "The nightingale sings in the darkness."
These are the words from her mother's lullaby! Serena almost instinctively continued in a hoarse voice: "...only to find the shade of an olive branch."
The code was matched.
The woman's taut jawline seemed to soften slightly. She put away the badge and stepped into the crevice, her movements swift and silent. "You can call me Mara," she said succinctly. "I am here on the orders of Calhoun Norton, the current head of the Norton family and your uncle, to meet you, Miss Serena."
Uncle… Calhoun Norton… a name her mother had vaguely mentioned. A mixture of bitterness and excitement welled up in Serena's throat; she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a sound.
Mara seemed to understand her emotions and didn't urge her, but calmly continued, "We know about your situation. Duke Wilder's men are searching for you everywhere, making quite a fuss, which is dangerous. And His Highness's search net has never been withdrawn, but has tightened even more." When she mentioned Lucien, her tone was undisguisedly cold.
"I...I can't go back to the capital." Serena finally found her voice, dry and urgent.
“We understand.” Mara nodded. “The Norton family’s territory is not within the capital’s sphere of influence. The patriarch hopes you can come back with us; it’s relatively safe there.”
Safety… such a distant and alluring word. But Serena didn’t agree immediately. She looked at Mara and asked the most crucial question: “Why? Why now…? After Mother’s death, the Norton family almost completely cut off contact with us.”
Mara's eyes darkened, a complex emotion flashing across them. "The family... has been preoccupied with internal affairs, leaving no time to consider anything else. Besides, the threshold of Duke Wilder's mansion is a bit too high for the Norton family now." A hint of sarcasm lingered in her words, but she quickly concealed it. "Until recently, we heard some rumors about you, and that song circulating on the border. The patriarch believes that you cannot allow your mother's only bloodline to be left to wander and suffer misfortune."
Serena fell silent. The Norton family wasn't entirely devoid of kinship, but they clearly had their own considerations. However, at this moment, she had no other choice. Going to the Norton family's territory was her only, and best, way out.
“What do I need to do?” she asked, her voice regaining its composure.
A hint of approval flashed in Mara's eyes. "I will take you away from here at 11 p.m. tonight. We need to hike through a forest to a secret ford, and then take a boat south along the river. It will be a difficult journey, but it's the safest route to avoid being hunted. You need to stay close to me, and no matter what happens, don't make a sound or look back."
Serena nodded emphatically.
At 11 p.m., the moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and the mountains and forests were pitch black. Mara, like a ghost familiar with the terrain, led Serena through the rugged and dense forest. Serena gritted her teeth, enduring the pain and extreme exhaustion throughout her body, and followed closely behind Mara, each step teetering on the edge of life and death.
Several times, the distant barking of hunting dogs and the glow of torches reached them. They immediately lay prone, disappearing into bushes or crevices, holding their breath until the danger had passed. Serena could feel the tension in Mara's body and the sharp edge of the short sword she always gripped, hidden beneath her sleeve.
As dawn approached, they finally reached a small river hidden in the mountains. An inconspicuous little boat was concealed among the reeds, and on board was a taciturn, dark-skinned boatman.
"Get on the boat," Mara whispered, helping the exhausted Serena onto the small boat.
The boatman skillfully steered the oars, and the small boat, like an arrow released from a bow, silently glided into the river, quickly heading south under the cover of the morning mist and the winding waterway.
Serena looked back, and the forest that had imprisoned her, tormented her, and also given her a chance at survival gradually blurred and faded into the distance in the brightening dawn.
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