Evil Duke, Please Be Gentle!

Evangeline had no cash to hire a carriage. All she had was a necklace, earrings and a hair pin that had rare gems. But she knew that she could not even peg them as it would be nothing but a way to find her.

So, she continued to hide inside the barrel of the dark alley which was on the opposite side of the window connecting to the store she had gone to. After hours, when the sky started turning dark and her consciousness started fading, she decided to come out and test her luck. She hid her face completely from the veil she had taken from the store. She took a breath of relief as there was no one out of the alley waiting for her.

"They must have gone till now." she murmured to herself as she took a long breath. Elizabeth and Evelyn were good persons, but she just did not want to be the part of nobles who are for no good except a few.

She started walking to the opposite of her town as she remembered the warning of Evelyn that they would check her house first. She would wait in a far away town for a few months until they forgot about her presence completely.

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Instead of taking the main route, she took the route of the forest as there was no one who could recognize her and inform the knight searching for her later. She knew that there could be a chance that she met bandits. So she took out all her jewels and knotted them in the corner of her veil, properly hiding their luster.

It's been the whole night as she crossed the forest in a straight path hoping that nothing would happen to her. But she jumped at her place or froze whenever she heard the sound of animals or the leaves move suddenly. Even the sound of crickets were unnerving to her.

Finally the night passed and she was far enough from the town from where she had run away. She saw an open carriage that was mostly used to carry animals or goods. The man was kind enough to let her sit on the sacks of crowns which he was going to deliver in the nearby town.

She thanked god that she crossed two towns and was far away from their reach now. Getting down from the carriage at the time of sunset, she thanked the kind man who had not asked her a single question even when she was wearing the dress made of finest silk, yet travelling like poor. Her stomach growled and forced her to take a break from her journey. Her body was tired too as it had been two days since she last slept.

Finding a nearby inn, she decided to spend a night there. She hired the smallest room and the cheapest food, but still she knew that she did not have money to pay. She plucked the smallest stone from her hair pin and walked towards the receptionist.

"Is the room up to to your liking. Or do you need anything else?" asked the old man who had shown her the room.

"I do not have coins to pay for the room." The old man frowned and was ready to throw her out as he often heard the stories of how people were in need and pleaded with him to stay there free of a night. But he was doing business, not charity. If he would help one the others would think it was ok to not pay too.

"But I have this. It is my mothers jewel and it is costlier than the rent for a week or so." she said hastily as she realized the intention of man. The diamond shone reflecting its brilliance in the dark room and so as the man's eyes.

He looked at the stone and then at the rich clothes of the girl who was looking no less than a noble.

"I was robbed in the woods. The stone was in my hairpin which was robbed too. Only this was left in my hands." she made the story that was easy to believe with the clothes she was wearing and her exhausted pale face.

Finally the man nodded. "I will go and sell the stone and then return the money once you check out the inn if you have any left. Now you shall go to the room and I will send the food." said the old man and she closed the door once he left.

Leaning on the door, she took a breath of relief. She closed her eyes and all the events passed through her brain. She could not believe how her simple life turned into an adventure, she often read in the books in the library.

She walked and looked outside the widow of the room. The night was dark and the sky was filled with clouds just like her life. Taking a sigh, she decided to take a bath when the door knocker and her body froze. Fear crept up as she could not believe that they had already found her.

Her hard work of two days went into the drain so easily. When she heard the voice of a young boy, "I have brought your meals, my lady." only then did she breathe again.

With a smile she walked to the door and opened it. A small boy with two large plates was standing there and he passed them to her as soon as he saw her and mumbled.

"Please open the door early next time. I will collect the dishes after an hour." with that he bowed and left her alone chuckling.

She walked to the small table with a single chair, near their bed. On the other side there was a small cupboard, and an adjacent washroom was all in the room.

She ate the food like a beast who was hungry for years and rubbed her stomach with content. Though the dishes were simple. She was free once again.

"Now all i have to do is to find some work without getting caught."