Chapter 3: Cooperation Plan

After he left, Mary’s expression softened slightly; she squatted there, clutching a loaf of bread, staring blankly at the door.

Louis shook his head without saying more; good food and drink didn’t make this a home—they were all kidnapped and trafficked children!

Mary had been targeted because, when she first arrived days ago, she didn’t understand the situation and threw a tantrum, angering them—so they slapped her straight across the face. If Louis hadn’t stepped in to block it, her face might still be swollen.

And back then, Emma, who was relatively closer to her, had fled quickly.

At this moment, Emma was eating a blueberry soft bread and handing a fried chicken leg to Louis.

?

Louis didn’t refuse; he took it and ate. Hmm, the chicken leg, soaked in oil and sprinkled with spices, was delicious.

At that moment, a small hand holding half a white bread with blueberry jam reached out—it was Mary.

Louis took it without hesitation; in fact, Mary had been doing this every day lately, probably as thanks to him.

“How have everyone’s observations been these days? I’ll go first.”

Emma looked at the others and spoke.

“Over these days, I’ve observed that Lady Emilia loves to dance; every day at noon, she dances with Nuel before taking a nap, and wakes up around three in the afternoon.”

“Nuel spends nearly every night in Lady Emilia’s room, so his room is usually empty.”

“And our outdoor time depends heavily on Lady Emilia’s mood…”

“Lady Emilia is particular about clothing color combinations… she forbids touching the dressing table…”

Emma listed these time-related observations clearly and logically—nothing like the behavior of a six-year-old child.

Outside, any adult seeing this would be utterly astonished—but here, no one was shocked; only silent listening.

Shivering, Mary spoke up: “Lady Emilia’s room is at the far end of the second floor. Based on their stride length, running down the hallway, to the stairs, then downstairs takes fifteen to seventeen seconds—depending on the moment, there will be some error.”

“Also, the main house has spatial anomalies—I’ve been in every room and measured them all; the areas are wrong, much smaller than they should be…”

Calculating the area of every room… the distance to run through the hallway…

This observation, this calculation, this sense of space…

Louis felt a sour taste in his mouth—if he’d had this ability, his math in his past life wouldn’t have been so terrible.

At this moment.

Both turned their gazes toward Louis—they were the trio’s alliance.

But then, the cold girl spoke.

“The manor has no obvious weaknesses; the surroundings are desolate, with no neighbors, but occasionally an old woman comes by with a fruit cart.”

“Lady Emilia and her son Nuel sleep together often—yes, if you understand what those words mean.”

All three now studied each other, understanding the implication of her words.

After a moment, as Emma stirred, Louis stepped forward and extended his hand: “Welcome to our alliance. I’m Louis, six years old.”

The girl nodded stiffly; clearly, she was uncomfortable with social interaction: “I’m Haley, eight years old. Thank you.”

“I’m Mary…”

“I’m Emma…”

After briefly introducing themselves.

“Alright, now I’ll share what I’ve discovered,” Louis said, drawing their attention.

“The witch’s ability is flawed—it can’t be used frequently.”

“I’ve guessed at the purpose of her and Nuel: they’re likely performing some dark sorcery, probably to regain youth. Her accelerated aging and today’s remarks confirm this.”

“And we are the ingredients.”

At this, all three girls’ expressions darkened.

Even if they were geniuses, they were still children, still in childhood—family stories had taught them about old witches, and their image was one of terror and evil!

And now, it seemed they were about to become frog legs in the old witch’s pot…

How could they not be afraid?

They had no doubt about Louis’s theory—the facts were clear, and they were all smart enough to see it.

Louis looked at the three.

Emma, the most skilled at masking emotions, now showed unstable feelings—her teeth clenched, her expression slightly grotesque.

Mary, the slightly prideful girl, though pale, remained clearly calm, muttering something under her breath.

As for Haley… her fists were clenched tightly.

From their reactions, Louis gained a deep understanding of their personalities.

“Alright, don’t be afraid.”

“The ones she’s killed so far, and the corpses we’ve seen, were all nine-year-old children—fewer below that age.”

“So we still have time.”

As proven, when a terrifying threat isn’t right before you, humans easily comfort themselves and regain calm.

“What should we do next?” Mary asked.

Her gaze fixed on Louis.

In the face of real danger, Mary still trusted Louis more.

Synthesizing all their information…

Louis’s eyes flickered. “Two options.”

“One: prepare in advance, and escape over the wall during outdoor time, or find a way to open the door and then climb over.”

“Two: Mary just mentioned the room’s space is wrong—perhaps the house has a basement or hidden chambers. We observe more closely, then decide.”

Upon finishing.

Mary nodded immediately: “No problem. Give me a little more time—I’ll quickly find the missing parts and pinpoint their locations.”

“We should prepare both options. But how do we climb the wall? We’re all too short,” Haley spoke, cutting straight to the point.

“Human ladder, and grappling hooks—I can make them. Collect spoons and other iron items when possible…”

“Come on, practice first…”

“…”

The four began enthusiastically discussing their escape plan.

The plan’s details were rapidly refined.

Yet among the four, Emma’s gaze flickered slightly—beyond those two methods, she had thought of another. And the old witch dared to kidnap her, forcing her to flatter the witch daily—it was disgusting!

Escaping alone wasn’t enough!

She and Nuel must pay!

When night fell, darkness spreading, each lay curled in their place, sinking into sleep.

A stealthy figure crept to Louis’s side, took the book beside his head, flipped through it briefly, then quietly returned it and went back to her own spot.

Moonlight filtered through the boarded-up window.

It fell upon Louis’s face—his eyes, like crystal, gleamed brightly.

(End of Chapter)