Chapter Three: Collaboration and Strategy

Only after she had left did Mary’s complexion soften. She crouched there, clutching a piece of bread in her hand, staring blankly at the doorway.

Louis shook his head without saying much. Good food and drink did not make this a home; they were, after all, kidnapped and trafficked children.

The reason Mary had been targeted by the woman was that, when she had first arrived a few days ago, she hadn't understood the situation and had thrown a tantrum, which enraged the woman. A slap had followed immediately; if Louis hadn't stepped in to block it, the swelling on her face might still be visible today. At that time, Emma, who was supposedly closer to her, had hidden away quite quickly.

At the moment, Emma was eating a blueberry soft roll and handed a fried chicken leg to Louis.

?

Louis did not stand on ceremony; he took it and began to eat. Indeed, a chicken leg seasoned with spices and soaked in oil was delicious.

Just then, a small hand holding half a slice of blueberry-jam-covered white bread reached out; it was Mary. Louis accepted that as well. In fact, Mary had been doing this for the past few days, perhaps as a way of thanking him.

"How has everyone’s reconnaissance gone these past few days? I’ll start first," Emma said, looking at the others.

"I’ve been observing. Lady Emilia loves to dance. Every noon, she dances with Noel before taking a nap, waking up around three in the afternoon."

"Noel spends almost every night in Lady Emilia’s room, so his own room is usually empty."

"Also, our outdoor time depends heavily on Lady Emilia’s mood..."

"Lady Emilia is particular about color coordination in her clothing... the vanity table is forbidden to touch..."

Emma reeled off the intelligence regarding their schedules, her logic so clear and structured that it was entirely unlike the behavior of a six-year-old child. If an adult were to see this on the outside, they would surely be astonished, but here, no one was shocked—there was only quiet listening.

Mary, who had been cowering, spoke up as well: "Lady Emilia’s room is at the very back of the second floor. Based on their stride length, running from the hallway to the stairs and then down takes fifteen to seventeen seconds, depending on the circumstances at the time; there will definitely be a margin of error."

"Also, there is a problem with the spatial dimensions of the main house. I have been to every room and calculated them; the area is wrong—it is much smaller than it should be..."

Calculating the floor area of each room, the running distance of the hallways... this power of observation, this capacity for calculation, this sense of space... Louis felt a bit of sour envy. If he had possessed these skills, his mathematics grades in his previous life would not have been so abysmal.

At this point, both girls turned their gazes toward Louis. This was their trio’s alliance.

However, the cold girl spoke up.

"The manor has no obvious gaps, and the surroundings are very desolate; there are no neighbors, but occasionally an old woman comes by with a fruit cart."

"Emilia and her son, Noel, are often in bed together—well, if you understand what those two words mean."

The three of them scrutinized the newcomer, understanding the implication of her speaking now.

A moment later, just as Emma moved, Louis stood up and reached out his hand. "Welcome to the group. I’m Louis, six years old."

The girl nodded stiffly. It was clear she was somewhat unaccustomed to social interaction. "My name is Hailey, eight years old. Thank you."

"I’m Mary..."

"I’m Emma..."

After brief introductions, Louis spoke to draw their attention back. "Alright, let me share my findings."

"That witch’s ability has a limitation; she cannot use it frequently."

"I have a theory about her and Noel’s objective. In all likelihood, they intend to perform some evil sorcery, and the purpose is nothing more than restoring youth or something similar. Her rate of aging and the things she said today prove this."

"And we are the ingredients."

At these words, the faces of the three girls turned grim. No matter how much of a genius they were, they were still children, and their families had told them stories about old witches; their impression of them was one of horror and evil! And now, they were apparently about to become dried frogs in the hands of old witches. How could they not be terrified?

They did not doubt Louis’s speculation. The facts were laid bare; they were all smart enough to see it.

Louis looked at the three of them. Emma, the one best at pretending, was actually the most emotionally unstable right now, her teeth gritted in a way that looked slightly ferocious. Mary, the little tsundere, was pale but clearly still calm, though she was muttering something under her breath. As for Hailey... her fists were clenched tight.

Based on their reactions, Louis gained a deeper understanding of their personalities.

"Alright, don’t be afraid."

"She has been acting these past few days, and the corpses we saw were all nine-year-old children. Very few are younger than that."

"So, we still have time."

As it turns out, as long as a terrifying crisis is not right before one's eyes, humans can easily comfort themselves and regain their composure.

"What do we do next?" Mary asked, her eyes fixed on Louis. In the face of a true crisis, Mary trusted him the most.

Synthesizing all the intelligence... Louis’s eyes flickered. "Two methods."

"First, prepare in advance. When we are let out for air, we climb the wall to leave, or we find a way to unlock the door and then climb the wall."

"Second, regarding what Mary said about the room dimensions being off—perhaps this house has a basement or a hidden room. Let's observe more closely before we make a decision."

With that, Mary nodded immediately. "No problem. Give me more time, and I will be able to find the missing sections and pinpoint their location."

"Let's prepare for both. Also, what can we do to climb the wall? We are all too short," Hailey said, pointing out the crux of the matter.

"Human ladders, and grappling hooks. I can make those. If possible, collect iron items like spoons, and also..."

"Come, let's practice for now..."

The four of them began to discuss the escape plan with great fervor. The details were rapidly refined.

However, among the four, Emma’s eyes flickered slightly. Besides those two methods, she had actually thought of a third, and, moreover, for the old witch to dare to capture her and force her to fawn over her all day—it was disgusting! How could she settle for mere escape?

She, and that Noel, must pay the price!

When night fell and the darkness crept in, and each had crawled into their own spots to drift into slumber, a stealthy figure quietly came to Louis’s side. She took the book he had placed by his head, flipped through it briefly, then quietly put it back and returned to her spot.

Moonlight shone through the boarded-up windows, illuminating the face of Louis, who was supposedly fast asleep. His two crystal-like eyes were piercingly bright and alert.