Raised in Dungeon

Felicia's head felt heavy and uncomfortable, probably because she wasn't sleeping on the luxurious bed she was used to at home. Half asleep, she remembered that she was already in her school dormitory, living in a small room without her expensive personal belongings.

But something was strange. Even though that room was small and ugly, her head at least could feel a bit comfortable because the pillow and mattress were items she chose to bring with her.

She then opened her eyes...

"You're awake."

Felicia's heart pounded in her chest as she sat up, her eyes wide with a mixture of relief and fear. She scanned the room, taking in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom.

"Rachel..."

She fell asleep on Rachel's lap, sitting on the edge of her bed, with a gentle smile on her face. The sight of her maid filled Felicia with comfort, but still, there is something odd that she had forgotten.

"Allen!" she shouted, "What about Allen?! Didn't that elf take him earlier?!" her voice quivering with a mixture of emotions. She remembered vividly the time when Allen was stabbed and the elf that had taken him earlier, the panic and desperate Allen's eyes, just like when Allen almost died in the castle.

"Worry not, Lady. Allen is in his room. Thanks to your help, Allen is fine now."

A single tear of gratitude welled up in Felicia's eye. Suddenly, she wiped her face before the tears could fall and said,

"Oh... I see... Well, it's not that I'm worried about him. After all, I've used my abilities on him, of course he'll recover."

'She really is so cute,' Rachel thought with a smile but a bit sad on her face.

"What about Miss Jane? Wait... What exactly is going on? Why are we suddenly in the room?"

"Miss Kethryllia put you to bed because she was worried you might get angry. She's helping us solve Miss Jane and Allen's problem."

"Really? I didn't know that they knew each other before."

"No wonder, that's because Allen is from the Barkaley region dungeon," Rachel's voice was hushed; her words felt heavy as she shared the unsettling information with Felicia. "I heard that after the soldiers discovered him, he was locked up in the dungeon of the Barkaley residence."

That is a one step forward for Rachel to reveal her lies. When she shares this information with Felicia, she will definitely know about Waldo if she tries to learn a little about it. But there is no other way to cover up the lie. Rachel had to give a little truth to cover up the lies.

Felicia was shocked with surprise. Her thoughts swirled like a whirlwind of confusion and concern. She recalled everything about Allen, and she realized one thing: she realized with a sinking feeling that she knew remarkably little about Allen's past.

"I apparently don't know anything about Allen."

She remembered that Allen once said he was raised by orcs in the dungeon. She certainly didn't believe that story; even now, she is still hard to believe.

"What happened between Miss Jane and Allen? Do you know anything about it, Rachel?"

Rachel's expression grew sombre, and her voice was heavy with the weight of the truth.

"Miss Jane was angry with Allen because... Allen was a murderer."

Felicia's heart skipped a beat at those words. The word "murderer" hung like a dark cloud, shrouding her imagination of Allen in a veil of uncertainty. She thought of their countless times together, his infectious smile, and his tender moments. How could Allen, who had always been so kind and gentle, be linked to such a heinous act? But no, that is the recent Allen. The past Allen she knows is gloomy, strong, angry, hateful, and has much negative emotion and aura overflowing from his body. She never believed and didn't want to consider it. But that Allen probably did that.

...

The morning sun cast a warm and golden hue over the bustling scene near the gate of the academy town, and a bustling scene unfolded as numerous horse-drawn carriages made final preparations for departure. These merchant carriages had been granted permission to enter Oxwade Academy and were exclusively reserved for human travellers. Among the commotion stood Rachel, diligently loading her belongings onto the Boldenville family carriage

With her preparations complete, Rachel turned to her young lady Felicia, and Allen, who had been standing nearby, watching the flurry of activity. A wry smile graced her lips as she told them, "Then I'll take my leave first," Rachel announced with melancholy in her voice.

Felicia and Allen were standing nearby. Overwhelmed with emotion, Felicia rushed towards Rachel and enveloped her in a tight embrace.

"Lady?!" exclaimed Rachel, taken aback by the unexpected display of affection

The hug persisted for a meaningful moment before Felicia eventually released her hold on Rachel.

"You've crossed the line between maid and master lately! I'll punish you when I get home!"

"I'll look forward to it... Lady too, don't forget to wash your hair, comb your hair, and tidy up your room-"

"Never mind! Did you still think of me a child?! I'm not some nobleman who does what his maid tells her to do! I'm an independent woman now!"

At that moment, Rachel remembered Lord Reynold's decision to separate her from Felicia.

It wasn't a punishment for Rachel at all. It was a test for Felicia. Reynold must have wanted his daughter to be independent, especially since she would be living without the Boldenville family name in the future.

'I see... Lord Reynold is also thinking about Lady Felicia,' Rachel thought.

Rachel raised her head, walked over to Felicia and bowed before her.

"Lady..."

She took off Felicia's shoes and kissed her feet.

"Take good care of yourself..."

"Of course... If anything happens, there's Allen here."

Just then, Rachel's expression changed; she glanced at Allen, which made him immediately bow his head, frightened.

"Rachel?"

"Then I'll leave first."

Rachel left the academy town together with the merchant carriage.