Lira glanced at the door once more, her blue eyes sharp and focused in the fading sunset light that filtered through the narrow window. The room felt smaller now, the air thick with the faint, acrid scent of Murkfang's filth and the lingering lavender replaced by the putrid smell of shit that was now smeared on the bedsheets.

She stepped closer to Byung and Maui, her bare feet making no sound on the cut-up rug that covered the cold stone floor—its edges frayed and torn from years of heavy boots and careless dragging. Her voice dropped to the barest whisper, barely louder than the distant, rhythmic snore of the guard outside the front door—a sound that reassured them he was still deep in his natural evening doze.

"The servants' tunnel," she said, her words precise and urgent.

"It runs under the east wing of the manor. It leads straight to the old laundry yard, and from there, to the outer wall's drainage grate. Rodell thinks it's sealed tight—he gave the order himself last year after a sneaky thief used it to slip in and steal silver from the kitchens. But I... I helped the mason who did the work. I carried his tools, mixed the mortar. I made sure he left one stone loose, just in case," Lira spilled the secrets to these two. It was too easy and this made Byung even more suspicious.

"You know this for sure? The tunnel's still open?" Byung asked the all-important question.

Lira nodded firmly, a small, knowing smile tugging at the corners of her full lips. Her blonde hair, still tousled from sleep, caught the last golden rays of the sun, giving her an almost ethereal glow in the dimming room.

"I know it better than anyone. I carried laundry baskets through it every week for months—heavy loads of sheets and gowns for the lord's guests. The tunnel's narrow and low in places, dusty with cobwebs and smelling of damp earth, but it's clear of blockages. No one uses it anymore. Maui will have to crouch low and move carefully—her shoulders might brush the walls—but she'll fit. I've seen bigger servants squeeze through," Lira reassured him.

Maui shifted her massive weight slightly, the wooden chair creaking under her. Murkfang remained hidden snugly between her chest, his frail body rising and falling in shallow, feverish breaths. The orc's leather top, retied securely, showed no sign of the goblin concealed in the deep valley between her enormous breasts. She grunted softly, her green eyes narrowing as she assessed the plan.

"Narrow for me, yes. But I'll fit. I've crawled through worse in cave fights. You lead the way, human." Maui was down because they had no other option.

Lira's gaze flicked briefly to the window, where the sunset was rapidly giving way to twilight shadows, then back to the heavy wooden door that separated them from the outside and the sleeping guard beyond.

"We need about ten minutes to prepare. I'll grab a dark cloak from the chest to cover my gown—it's too revealing. If anyone spots me outside, I'll pretend I'm fetching fresh water from the well or checking on the evening meal. No one questions a servant girl at dusk," Lira was on their side and there was a chance her lips would be tight if the other man was here.

Byung's mind raced ahead, mapping the route in his head like one of his invention blueprints. The manor was a maze of corridors and hidden passages, but a servants' tunnel? That was perfect—underground, unseen, away from prying eyes.

"Risky if the guard wakes early or if a patrol passes the laundry yard," Byung whispered, his voice steady but laced with caution.

"One wrong move, and we're trapped like rats," Byung added.

"He's dozing off on his own," Lira assured him, her tone confident.

"Evening shift always makes him lazy this time of day. The ale makes them sluggish, and he's been yawning since sunset. His snores are proof enough—he'll be out for sometime," Lira tried to reassure them but they needed to move now.

Maui let out a low, approving grunt, her tusks flashing in a brief grin. The massive orc adjusted her hold on the hidden Murkfang, ensuring he stayed secure without waking.

Byung stared at Lira, genuinely impressed. This wasn't the pampered lord's plaything he'd first assumed. She was clever, resourceful, with a sharp mind hidden behind her beauty. Dangerous, perhaps. She had access, knowledge, and now seemingly alliance.

"You've thought this through," Byung revealed, this wasn't something one would think of on the spot but of course, Byung only told her what she wanted to hear..

Lira draped the cloak over her shoulders, fastening it at the neck to hide the revealing gown beneath. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink, remembering the passionate sex they had—the moans, the touches, the thrill that had bound them in ways words couldn't.

"Why? Because you showed me more than this gilded cage ever did. Freedom tastes sweet, even if it's just a glimpse. Rodell sees me as a toy, a decoration. You... you treated me like a person. And I'm tired of being trapped here," Lira showed him signs of vulnerability but Byung knew there was a chance everything was a lie.

"The tunnel entrance—where is it exactly?" Byung questioned. Lira pointed toward the door with a slender finger.

"In the main hall, just past this room. Behind the large drapes on the wall—the third panel, the one woven with a mighty stag in the forest. Push firmly on the left antler of the stag. The stone panel slides aside quietly—it's on hidden hinges, oiled last month. Stairs lead down into the dark. Take a candle from the table; the tunnel has no light," Lira spoke with great detail but the level of vocabulary was too high for Maui to understood but Byung didn't have this problem.

"I see and you are sure of everything you have said?" Byung wanted to reconfirm. Lira nodded.

"Yes, like old earth and forgotten water. The floor is uneven stone—watch your step, or you'll twist an ankle. It's about a hundred paces long, curving slightly to avoid the foundations. At the end, a ladder up to the laundry yard. The grate is iron, rusted but loose. Lift it together, and you're out by the riverbank. The woods are fifty paces north—dense enough to hide in before full night falls." Lira revealed and once again, there was no way this was thought about on the spot.

She had rehearsed this before even coming here, Byung squinted his eyes in suspicion but didn't say anything that would spook her.

Byung memorized every detail, drawing a mental map. Riverbank meant water for Murkfang, woods for cover.

Byung knew he might be walking right into a trap but unlike Mukrfang, he thought like a human.

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