"Xue? Miss Xue? Humph, since she is acting together with that guy, she must have escaped from Woolworth now."

"Why would they..."

"How do I know? After all, I don't even understand your complete plan."

Mr. Hammons spit the chewing tobacco into the spittoon.

"I hate people who change their minds at the last minute!"

"Oh, this is really unbelievable~~"

I sighed.

"However, perhaps Mr. Bradley encountered an accident and was forced to do so."

"Humph, thank you for defending him!"

"Mr. Bradley is my great benefactor, and so are you."

I think of what Xue told me.

If something happens that I didn't expect...do you mean now...

Then don’t I have to escape through the west city gate?

No, no, I don’t want to do anything I’m not sure about...

"I will never forget your kindness."

"I didn't promise to help you for free!"

"I understand, I will repay you someday."

I tried my best to sound sincere.

"I promise you."

"...It doesn't matter, I didn't expect it anyway. What are your plans for the future?"

"Hmm, is there any commotion near the West Gate?"

"Xicheng Gate? No. Why do you ask this?"

"I plan to rush out of the west city gate."

"Ridiculous! The number of troops there is the largest!"

Mr. Hammons seemed to take my joke seriously.

"We are in a critical period right now. Even nobles need to go through a lot of checks before they can leave Woolworth. Moreover, Bradley's incident will definitely make the security at the city gates even tighter. With your strength...

.It’s like throwing yourself into a trap.”

"Well...it's a bit difficult now."

I smiled bitterly.

"Actually, I have never thought about going against the military. After all, I have been beaten to death by the police officers."

"... Just stay in your room these days, Bei Lin'er will take care of you."

"Eh? Really?"

"Nonsense! Where else could you go? If the police catch you, who will compensate me for the loss?"

I didn't expect that Mr. Hammons would take the initiative to provide me with a place to recuperate. I was deeply surprised.

I thought I would have to spend a lot of words to convince Mr. Hammons, but I didn’t know he was so generous.

Beautiful.

"I admire your generosity~~ However, the police officers will most likely launch a new round of arrests soon. Can you handle it?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"I don't mean to offend you. As your collaborator, I just want to understand your plans."

Overwhelmed with joy, I came to my senses: Mr. Hammons had no reason to take me in for nothing.

In other words, to him, I am valuable.

Then I need to know Mr. Hammons's purpose as soon as possible to prevent accidents from happening.

"...I'll tell you later."

"Please tell me now."

"You...what can you do if you know?!"

Mr. Hammons glared at me, and then seemed to understand something, staring at me with incredible eyes.

"Are you worried that I will betray you?"

"Oh, how could I dare to doubt you? I just think it's better to be cautious. Look - I'm like this, what threat can I pose to you?"

I explained to Mr. Hammons:

"You might as well tell me your concerns. Although I can't solve your problems for you, I can at least be mentally prepared to help you more appropriately. My humble opinion... I hope you understand.

My difficulties."

"Glib tongue."

It's a pity that Mr. Hammons remains indifferent.

"Letting you get extra information is equivalent to creating extra trouble for myself!"

He shook off these words and walked out of the room with a swagger.

......

My physical condition is far worse than I thought.

The night I broke through the encirclement of the police officers, after having some exchanges with Mr. Hammons, I immediately closed my heavy eyelids due to fatigue.

I don't know how many days I slept. I often regain consciousness for a while and then fall into coma again. Sometimes I see the maid's face in front of me, sometimes it's a gorgeous chandelier, and most of the time it's pitch black.

I had a dream: Mr. Bradley killed Xue and led a group of people to attack the Earl's Palace. Then the army came, and a strong middle-aged man cut off Mr. Bradley's head and threw it towards

Throwing it in the distance, the head grew wings in the air, flying faster and faster, flying straight towards me lying down——

In order to avoid Mr. Bradley's head, I woke up.

"Danger..."

I muttered in confusion.

"Ah, I'm starting to talk nonsense."

"I'm not...in danger..."

"Oh? Can you hear my voice? It seems that you are finally out of danger."

"......?"

The maid's emotionless analysis made me give up the idea of ​​sleeping any longer.

My temples were so swollen and painful, and my body was covered in sweat. Fortunately, I could still feel my limbs.

"...How long has it been?"

"Two and a half years."

"Ha?!"

I was shocked and looked at the maid's face.

"I lied to you."

"I guess so."

"Including today, there are eight days in total."

"Well. Are you taking care of me during this period?"

"Yes, I am responsible for all aspects."

"Well, thank you for your hard work...the quality of the pillow is very good."

A trace of embarrassment crept into my brain, but then I remembered that the elderly in the nursing home seemed to have a dedicated caregiver, so I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't take it to heart, after all, I don't expect you to give me a reward."

Such a familiar speech.

"Haha~~I will put you on my 'creditor list'."

"I'm very grateful. With this money, my descendants should be able to buy me a nice coffin."

"I will definitely be able to put the money into your hands before you die..."

"Why are you forcing yourself?"

"Please stop being sarcastic...do you have any instructions from Mr. Hammons?"
To be continued...