Raised in Dungeon

'Lady will wake up soon,' was my hope.

Actually, I didn't know for sure if Lady would wake up, but lately she had been showing signs of movement, sometimes her fingers moved, sometimes her forehead wrinkled. Excitement came over me as soon as I realized it. I carelessly reported the ''uncertain information' to Lord Boldenville that she would wake up soon, even though I wasn't sure.

But, if Lady Felicia were to wake up, she would surely feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness and be forced to understand the changes around her. The loneliness she would feel would definitely lead her to sadness, making her think back to Mr. Waldo, who was no longer alive.

To avoid that happening, Allen had to be beside her when she woke up.

'It's been five days since Bedell's departure to Barkaley territory; what is he doing?'

A number of worries filled my head, although, with Lady Ayde's permission, I had just ordered one of Lord Reynold's soldiers for my selfishness. I told him to come with the merchant, but the possibility of him being attacked by bandits was inevitable.

"Miss Rachel! Mr Bedell is back!" one of the servants shouted to me in the middle of my daydream.

Surprisingly, as I know about it, the feeling I had was not one of happiness.

As I went outside, I could see Bedell in Boldenville's carriage, and behind him was some sort of item covered by a worn-out cloth. A profound sense of déjà vu washed over me. Intrigued, I looked at it intently, only to discover a young boy secretly concealed within its confines.

He would timidly cast furtive glances in our direction every now and then. As I focused on his ebony locks, a somber realization dawned upon me; the unsettling sensation coursing through my veins. When I saw his black hair, I was finally convinced that the feeling I had was a sign of bad news.

That is the same feeling before I know about Mr Waldo's death in Wolverlope residence.

...

Rachel approached the carriage, which had come to a halt in front of the grand Boldenville residence. Upon seeing Rachel's sudden appearance, Bedell looked at her with bewilderment. It took a few moments for Rachel to comprehend the confusion on his face before she realized that she should extend a greeting. She woke from her daydream, swiftly closing the distance between them and warmly greeting Bedell.

"Welcome back, Mr. Bedell. Thank you very much for your hard work; I will return the favor someday."

"E-eeh... then would you like to go eat together with me at the market district tomorrow-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," said the other maid, "you're getting paid on this mission, after all. Miss Rachel just said it to you as a formality; don't get chocky about it!"

"Sorry Mr. Bedell, I can accept your invitation, but I'm currently busy taking care of Lady Felicia's body and housework; maybe at other times."

'Miss Rachel, that is the same as saying no,' the maid thought. 'She never had time for a date, she always worked from morning until night.'

With a shameful and guilty face, Bedell said, "N-no need to force yourself! I'm just asking; if you don't have time, then it's no problem!"

"Alright, thank you very much."

Rachel glanced back, her eyes darting to the passenger sitting quietly in the carriage. With a hint of uncertainty, she softly called out, "Allen... isn't it?"

Bedell nodded, then called out to him, "Allen! Why are you just sitting there? Hurry down and say hello to Miss Rachel! Oh sorry, maybe he was asleep?"

"No, I saw him looking at us a while ago," Rachel answered.

'Sorry, Allen. I think I can't follow your request anymore,' thought Bedell, as Allen told him not to talk about him since he felt suddenly afraid when he arrived.

Allen stood with his back turned towards them, slowly descending from the rear. It was clear that he felt a sense of discomfort upon seeing the people in that residence. It was hard to see the people who used to know him since he was the edgy kid who hated everyone.

As Rachel laid her eyes on Allen's face, a wave of relief washed over her. Black hair, crimson red eyes, white skin, and especially that black scarf, and brown bandana.

'Maybe that bad feeling is just dejavu or my imagination,' she pondered.

To Rachel, the kid now standing before her was undeniably Allen, but more mature.

"Umm... Good afternoon," Allen said without making eye contact with Rachel.

'No... he's a little different,' Rachel thought. Allen really never looked at other people; his gaze was always downward, but when he did look up while speaking, his vacant red eyes seemed to penetrate right through the person in front of him. It felt as though he was studying their every move and analyzing them deeply.

"Allen... you..." Rachel paused, she seemed to want to ask something. Because of Allen's changes, he knew that Allen must have gone through a lot in the Barkaley region during these three years. but she aborted in the middle and said, "Welcome back, Allen."

In that moment, Allen's gaze finally fell upon Rachel. As he observed her standing before him, he was able to see her with newfound clarity. Her fair complexion, captivating blue eyes, and even the arch of her eyebrows 'Oh yeah, Rachel has always been this kind of person,' Allen thought, speaking as though he had never truly seen Rachel before.

As for Rachel, Allen's once daunting red eyes now appeared luminous and radiant in the sunlight, charming her with their beauty. This unexpected transformation sparked a sense of awe within her.

"I'm back..." Allen replied.

Rachel's face lit up with a smile as she suggested, "Would you like to look at Lady Felicia's condition? I'm sure she would wake up soon, even though I don't know when."

Allen hesitated briefly before uttering, "I am..."

"To proceed properly, you should meet Lady Ayde first," Rachel assured him.

"Bedell, does Lord Barkaley give you any?" asked Rachel.

"Right! I almost forgot he left the response to Lady Ayde's letter. What should we do? Lord Barkaley gives two letters; that one must be for Lord Reynold! Will we get fired if Lord Reynold finds out about this?!"

"No worries; I will try to talk with Lady Ayde."