The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 44: Dorothy

Chapter 44: Dorothy

Three days passed in a flash. Prince Edward was surprised that there was still no news of a rescue. He had to eat the tasteless food every day and had only gotten the opportunity to bathe once.

"Here." As he collected the warm water that morning, the young lady secretly gave him a small piece of bread. Over the past two days, she had been looking for opportunities to give him something extra.

"Are you not afraid of getting caught?" Prince Edward asked. Although he had not gathered any solid evidence, he understood that whoever managed this mine intended to keep the men alive. They were allowed to have just enough food each day—not enough to be full, but also not enough to starve. The person in charge had successfully kept all the workers under control.

"I am not afraid. Besides, what I gave you is my own bread," the lady responded shyly before turning to the next person in line.

Prince Edward looked at the small piece of bread, feeling touched. He never thought that such a small gesture would move his heart.

Silently, he took a small bite as he walked into the mine. There was no place for him to keep it, so he could only eat it before starting his work for the day. Somehow, the bread tasted better than anything he had eaten in the past few days. He wasn’t sure if it was made with better ingredients or if it was simply because the young lady had given it to him.

Later, during their lunch break, Prince Edward found a chance to meet up with her.

"These past few days, you have been kind to me. May I know your name?" he asked.

The young lady smiled shyly. "My name is Dorothy," she said in a small voice.

Edward felt that her voice sounded like music to his ears. Especially the was her face turned red from talking to him.

"My name is Edward," he said. Although he had taken a liking to the young lady, he did not lower his guard to reveal his true identity.

The girl smiled. "I know it is hard for you. Just follow the rules of the mine, avoid being beaten, and you will be fine," Dorothy advised.

"With the treatment here, how can I be fine?" Prince Edward frowned. He did not understand why it was taking so long for him to be rescued. He was beginning to wonder if he had been abandoned in the mine.

"Well, we can only do our best to stay alive," Dorothy said. She looked like she had no hope of ever leaving the place.

"How long have you been here?" Prince Edward asked. He began to wonder if she had been born in the mine.

"I have been here for over a year now," Dorothy answered.

"Over a year? How did you end up here?" Prince Edward asked. Many of the men were no longer sure how long they had been in the mine.

"My grandmother is skilled with herbs. She used to treat many people in our village. Later, due to a poor harvest, we moved to a new settlement arranged by the Duke.

I am the first daughter of my family, and my grandmother was fond of me, so I would always follow her to prepare medicine. I was quite smart, so I started learning. Seeing my interest, Grandmother was happy to teach me. I was happy too because it meant I wouldn’t have to work on the farm.

After a few months in the new settlement, Grandmother and I would enter the forest to gather herbs. We knew about the haunted stories of the forest, so we never went too deep or stayed out late. But one time, we wandered inside and could not easily find our way out. By the time we managed to do so, it was already late.

We were attacked and captured, then brought to this place. At first, the men wanted to force themselves on me, but fortunately, their leader was sick. Grandmother noticed and promised to cure him in exchange for my safety.

His illness was rare, and only a few physicians could treat it, so he agreed to give Grandmother a chance. She managed to cure him. That leader then allowed us to stay here and take charge of treating the injured. He said that since we had already been brought to this hidden mine, he could not send us back.

Grandmother agreed, and I helped her with the treatments. But a few months later, war broke out, and some guards on our side died. Some of the miners tried to take the opportunity to escape but were caught. Now, with a shortage of workers, I have to serve in the kitchen as well as help my grandmother," Dorothy explained.

Prince Edward frowned. "So the kitchen staff are also kidnapped?" he asked. He had thought that those who cooked were working for the mine’s owner.

"Yes. The only ones who truly work for the owner are the guards," Dorothy answered.

"Then, do you have a better life working in the kitchen?" Prince Edward asked. He felt that if he could get closer to the kitchen staff, an escape might be possible.

"What good life can we have? Although we are in charge of cooking, we are no different from the miners," Dorothy replied.

"If that is the case, then..." Prince Edward was still speaking when Dorothy cut him off.

"Cooperate with the miners and rebel to escape?" Dorothy asked.

"How did you know that was what I wanted to say?" Prince Edward asked. He was surprised that she could read his mind so easily.

"Is that not obvious? Anyone new who arrives here thinks of escaping. Half a year ago, when the war had just started, some women in the kitchen cooperated with the miners to feed the guards sleeping medicine.

Back then, my grandmother was also involved—she provided the herbs. The guards fell asleep, but we still didn’t manage to escape. Unfortunately, the women who helped my grandmother all died while trying to flee, so she managed to hide her involvement.

Since then, all the food sent to the guards is tested before they eat it," Dorothy explained.

"Then, do you know where the exit is?" Edward asked, feeling like he had made some progress in their conversation.

"The gate is not hidden. It’s on the north side, but there are always guards," Dorothy warned. She could guess that Edward was still planning to escape.

"Then, do you know how many guards there are?" Edward asked. Even after three days, he had not been able to figure out their numbers.

"What are you planning to do?" Dorothy asked. "Let me tell you—give up. No one can escape."

Before Edward could answer, she hurried away. It was as if she was afraid someone would overhear their conversation and get her into trouble.