Chapter Seventeen
‘Calm down, I told myself, calm down. There was still some time before my invisibility spell would dissipate. If I were to panic now, everything would truly be lost.’
It had to be said, for a hero, Lisbeth’s mental fortitude was truly commendable. Despite the utterly desperate situation, she managed to suppress the overwhelming urge to smash through the wall and flee, choosing instead to regain her composure.
She stood perfectly still beside the bathroom door, silently observing Hilda and Kristia as they luxuriated in the bath.
“Ah… soaking in a bath before bed truly is the most comfortable thing…”
“Indeed, Demon Lord. However, I’ll make sure to dry your hair thoroughly before you sleep, so please don’t rush to slumber.”
“I know, I know.”
It appeared that with Kristia now settled in the bath, Hilda’s vigilance had plummeted significantly. Witnessing this, Lisbeth saw a faint glimmer of hope.
‘Good, that old hag’s attention is completely captivated by Kristia now. This is my chance to subtly open a crack in the door, then shrink my body and slip through.’
While shrinking her body would exhaust her last opportunity to do so for the day, the urgency of the moment clearly outweighed any need for conservation. With this thought, Lisbeth gritted her teeth, slowly and cautiously inching towards the bathroom door.
Ah, she had reached it.
In an instant, Lisbeth’s fingers brushed against the doorknob. She drew a deep breath, then meticulously pulled the bathroom door open.
‘Please, please, please, don’t look this way!’
As Lisbeth gently pulled, she nervously fixated on Hilda and Kristia, terrified they would turn their gaze towards her the instant she moved the door. Fortunately, both Hilda and Kristia seemed utterly absorbed in their conversation, their attention fixed elsewhere.
“Speaking of which, Demon Lord, what exactly did Lisbeth do to provoke such anger that you had her thrown into the dungeon?”
“Hmph, it’s all because that damned big-breasted fox was spouting nonsense! She dared to say that even after two hundred years, my chest wouldn’t grow. Then she had the audacity to flaunt her useless fat right in front of me! How could I possibly not be furious?”
‘No, no, I wasn’t spouting nonsense at all. In fact, even two hundred years from now, your chest would still be as flat as a board!’
If Kristia had overheard Lisbeth’s thoughts at that moment, she would undoubtedly have thrashed her without a moment’s hesitation. Meanwhile, Kristia dejectedly touched her own chest, then turned to Hilda.
“Hilda,” she asked, “is it true that I truly have no chance of growing larger? Everyone says that when Mother was my age, her chest development was already quite impressive.”
“It’s alright, Demon Lord. Your chest will absolutely grow larger. From now on, you must make sure to go to bed early and wake up early, do you understand?”
“Mm, that’s certainly no problem at all!”
Listening to their conversation, Lisbeth’s expression twisted into one of profound grief, and she helplessly shook her head at Kristia. Yet, she no longer had the luxury of dwelling on Hilda and Kristia’s discussion.
Her focus sharpened once more on the delicate task of opening the bathroom door.
Good, just a little more.
As the moments ticked by, a small gap soon appeared in the bathroom door. Just a fraction more, and she could shrink her body, slipping directly through.
However, precisely as her meticulously laid plan was on the cusp of success, Kristia’s next words instantly drenched her in a cold sweat.
“Speaking of which, Hilda, did you place a listening stone in the dungeon cell where Lisbeth is imprisoned?”
“Eh? Demon Lord. How could such a sophisticated stone possibly be placed in a common dungeon cell?”
“What did you say?”
The moment Hilda’s words faded, Kristia abruptly shot to her feet, glaring furiously at Hilda. “Hilda,” she raged, “how could you possibly leave her alone! Who knows what that hero, brimming with secrets, might do by herself! Did I not explicitly order you to keep her under absolute surveillance?”
“Y-yes, it was my oversight. So, what should we do now?”
It seemed Hilda finally grasped the full extent of her oversight. After admitting her mistake, she turned to Kristia for guidance. The Demon Lord, Kristia, immediately waved a dismissive hand, her voice ringing with renewed fury.
“Why even ask?” she demanded. “Of course, we rush to the dungeon and see what she’s doing! Hilda, quickly help me dry off. We’re going to the dungeon right now to see what that big-breasted fox is scheming!”
“Yes!”
Upon hearing her Demon Lord’s command, Hilda swiftly rose to her feet and strode purposefully towards the main door. Witnessing this, Lisbeth hastily cleared the path, effectively allowing Hilda to open the bathroom door for her.
While having someone assist with the door was undeniably convenient, Lisbeth gritted her teeth, and without a moment’s hesitation, bolted out of the bathroom.
‘Damn it! I didn’t expect her to catch on so quickly! No other choice then; I’ll have to finish this swiftly!’
In the end, while Lisbeth had successfully escaped the bathroom, she was now truly in a desperate race against time.