The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 54: Escape plan

Chapter 54: Escape plan

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Duchess Anita swept all the ornaments on her dressing table to the floor. She was furious. Not only had she failed to make Anastasia barren, but she had also lost her most trusted maid.

"Lady Anastasia will stay in the palace from now on to continue her treatment. The poison is very potent, and only Royal Physician Nicholas can treat it."

Duchess Anita recalled the Queen’s words.

There was no longer any chance to harm Anastasia. She hated the fact that she would have to bow to Anastasia in the future.

"How can she be so lucky?" Duchess Anita frowned. She knew the Queen might also suspect her involvement in the poisoning. That was likely the reason why Anastasia was not allowed to return to the Duke’s residence.

"How did she gain the Queen’s favor in just one day?" Duchess Anita wondered. She had always felt that Anastasia was not likable.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" the Duchess snapped, irritated and unwilling to speak to anyone.

"Mother, it’s me," Elizabeth answered.

"Come in," Duchess Anita said, taking her seat and trying to compose herself.

The moment Elizabeth stepped inside, she run into her mother’s embrace and she asked, "Mother, are we really going to stand by and watch her marry the Crown Prince?"

Duchess Anita took a deep breath and gently pat her back to comfort her. She hadn’t expected all her plans to fail so miserably.

"Let me think of something," Duchess Anita said. As long as Anastasia wasn’t married yet, there was still a chance.

Elizabeth frowned. She knew that unless Anastasia returned to the Duke’s residence before her marriage, there would be no opportunity to stop the wedding.

"Alright, I’ll wait for Mother to come up with a plan," Elizabeth said. Even though the chances were slim, she still hoped something could be done.

---

Hidden Mine

Prince Edward grew more anxious as time passed. The sun was already setting, yet there was still no news or fighting. Inside the room, hurried footsteps echoed now and then.

His attempt to convince the men to seize the opportunity to escape had been ruined when a guard entered earlier, warning everyone to remain silent.

"If anyone dares step out of this room or even thinks of escaping, they will be killed without mercy," the guard had said coldly.

This warning crushed any thoughts of rebellion among the prisoners. Some who had considered Edward’s words abandoned the idea completely.

Edward knew he couldn’t just sit and wait. He walked over to the door, and the other men watched him in disbelief, but no one spoke.

He tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. Pressing his ear against the wooden surface, he listened closely. His hearing was sharp—he could detect breathing or footsteps if anyone was nearby. After all, the guards never walked quietly.

After listening for a while, he realized there was no one outside.

Since he had always planned to escape, he and his men had studied the locks on the doors carefully. He immediately pulled out a small hook he had hidden and began to pry the lock open.

The other men in the room watched him but did nothing to stop him. In their eyes, as long as he didn’t implicate them, it didn’t matter if he wanted to risk his life.

Once Edward had forced the door open, he cautiously poked his head out and scanned the area. There were no guards in sight—the entire place seemed eerily empty.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the men, who immediately pretended to be asleep the moment he looked at them.

"This might be our only chance to escape. Are you sure you don’t want to take it?" he asked. If he was going to succeed, he needed help.

"If a real opportunity presents itself, we’ll take it. But right now, none of us have weapons. If we just walk out, what’s the difference between that and a sheep walking into the slaughter?" asked the man who had been in the mine the longest.

Seeing that no one was willing to take the risk, Prince Edward decided to move on his own. Stepping out of the room, he carefully made his way to where his men were being held. He unlocked their door and motioned for them to come out.

He tried to ask the others minners in the room with his men if they were willing to escape but like the minners in his room they all refused.

"Your Highness, now that we’re outside, what do we do?" one of the guards asked in a hushed voice.

"We find our way to the storeroom. Those digging tools can be our weapons in case we run into guards," the prince said.

"But there are only four of us. We can’t defeat them," another guard said.

"Your Highness, I heard there are skilled assassins lurking in the dark. A person could be killed without even realizing how they died," the third guard whispered.

"Why are you so fearful? You are trained men," Prince Edward said, irritated.

The three guards immediately fell silent.

"We’re not here to fight the guards. Since the army is waiting outside, we just need to find the kitchen and get fire. If we can set this place on fire, the army will notice the smoke and might be able to find the entrance," Edward explained.

"Then, Your Highness, return to your room. It’s too dangerous out here. We’ll find a way to start the fire," the first guard suggested.

"Let’s get weapons first," Prince Edward insisted.

Although the workers’ area seemed unguarded, Edward and the others moved carefully. When they reached the storeroom where the mining tools were kept, they noticed two guards stationed there.

"These two don’t look very skilled," one of the guards whispered to Edward.

Edward nodded. Taking them down wouldn’t be difficult—the real challenge was doing it without making noise or drawing attention.

The four men crouched and observed the guards for a long time. Then, one of the guards felt the urge to relieve himself.

"I’ll be right back," he told the other before walking toward a corner; coincidentally, right behind where Edward and his men were hiding.

Edward seized the opportunity. As soon as the man began urinating, Edward covered his mouth and knocked him out. He quickly dragged the unconscious guard to their hiding spot.

"You have a similar body to him," Edward whispered to one of his men. "Exchange clothes with him. That way, you can approach the second guard without raising suspicion, making it easier to take him down. Remember, no noise."

They quickly swapped clothes.

Worried that the unconscious man might wake up and cause trouble later, Edward immediately twisted his neck, sending him on his way.