Chapter 273: A Night Of Fear PT 2

The entire ball had turned into chaos.

What was supposed to be a celebration of the betterment of education in Svetlana had become a night filled with fear and confusion.

No one was allowed to leave the palace.

No one was allowed to enter either.

Guards had been placed at every entrance, while others searched the palace from room to room.

The guests had no idea what was happening.

They stood in small groups, whispering among themselves.

"What happened?"

"Why have the gates been locked?"

"Did someone attack the palace?"

"I heard the Grand Duchess is missing."

"Missing?"

The whispers only made everyone more nervous.

Ivan barely heard any of them.

He had searched the ballroom.

He had searched the garden.

He had searched Lydia’s chambers.

He had even checked places where he knew she might have gone to get away from the crowd.

Nothing.

She was nowhere.

His heart refused to calm down.

He kept thinking about the night before.

Lydia had been frightened.

She had been in his arms, crying, and he had promised her that he would never leave her alone again.

And now she was gone.

Ivan clenched his hands.

He should have stayed with her.

He should never have left her alone.

Boris stood nearby, watching him carefully.

Katherine and Anna were equally worried.

Then the guard Boris had sent to the gates returned.

He quickly approached them and bowed.

"Your Highness."

Boris turned toward him.

"Report."

"The lockdown has been carried out. All entrances have been closed. No one is allowed to leave the palace."

Ivan stepped closer.

"Good."

The guard hesitated.

Ivan immediately noticed.

"What is it?"

The guard swallowed.

"The guards at the gates said that two people had already left before I arrived."

Ivan’s face changed.

"When?"

His voice was filled with panic.

The guard looked nervous.

"They said it should have been at least twenty minutes ago, Your Highness."

"Who?"

"We don’t know."

Ivan’s eyes narrowed.

"How did they leave?"

"A carriage went through the servants’ entrance."

Ivan’s heart dropped.

"A carriage?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

The guard continued.

"And a man on a horse left shortly after it."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Ivan looked toward Boris.

Boris understood immediately.

"They may have taken her out of the palace."

Ivan’s jaw tightened.

"Which direction?"

"We don’t know."

Boris turned to the guard.

"Find out."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The guard hurried away.

Ivan remained still for a moment.

Twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes was enough time for a carriage to travel far from the palace.

His mind raced.

He had to find Lydia.

He could not lose her.

Not again.

---

Lydia remained still inside the cottage.

She could hear the men talking outside the room.

They sounded relaxed.

They were drinking.

Their voices came through the closed door.

Lydia listened carefully.

"I told you, women always complain too much."

One of the men laughed.

"That’s because you don’t know how to treat them."

"And you do?"

"I know more than you."

Their laughter filled the small cottage.

Lydia kept her eyes closed.

She did not care about their conversation.

She only cared about getting away.

This was her chance.

The men were distracted.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Her heart was beating hard.

She looked toward the window.

It was her only way out.

Lydia carefully crawled toward it.

She reached for the window and tried to push it open.

Nothing happened.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

Her heart sank.

She looked closer.

The window had been sealed shut.

The men had nailed it closed.

Lydia took a slow breath.

She could not panic.

Whoever these men worked for wanted her dead.

If she stayed there, she might not survive the night.

She thought about Ivan.

She thought about the baby.

Her hand moved to her stomach.

She could not die.

Not now.

She had finally decided to tell Ivan the truth.

She had barely gotten the chance.

She could not let everything end like this.

"I have to get out," she whispered.

Lydia looked around the room.

There were crates and boxes everywhere.

She carefully searched through them.

She had to make as little noise as possible.

Her fingers moved over the wooden boxes until she found something.

A metal tool.

She picked it up.

It was not much, but it was enough.

Lydia returned to the window and carefully began working on the nails.

She moved slowly.

Every little sound made her stop and listen.

The men were still talking.

She continued.

One nail came loose.

Then another.

Lydia’s hands began to hurt, but she did not stop.

She kept working.

The last few nails were harder.

She pressed the metal tool underneath one of them and pushed with all the strength she had.

Finally, another nail came loose.

Only one remained.

Lydia looked at it.

She was almost there.

Then her hand slipped.

The metal tool struck one of the crates.

A loud noise filled the room.

Lydia froze.

The men’s voices outside stopped.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah."

Footsteps approached.

Lydia quickly dropped the tool and hurried back to where she had been lying.

She closed her eyes.

She forced her body to relax.

The door opened.

One of the men entered.

Lydia could hear his footsteps coming closer.

She did not move.

The man stood there for a moment.

"She’s still asleep."

Another man appeared at the doorway.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The first man walked closer.

Lydia kept her breathing slow.

She knew that if he came any closer, he might notice the window.

She silently begged him not to.

Then suddenly, something moved across the floor.

A large rat ran out from behind one of the crates.

The man jumped back.

"Damn!"

The other man laughed.

"It’s just a rat."

"I hate those things."

"It’s a storage room. What did you expect?"

The man looked around one more time.

Then he turned away.

"Come on."

They walked out.

The door closed.

Lydia kept her eyes shut.

She did not move.

Not yet.

She waited.

She listened.

The men returned to their conversation.

Their voices slowly became louder again.

They were drinking and laughing as though nothing had happened.

Only then did Lydia open her eyes.

She carefully sat up.

Her heart was still beating quickly.

She looked toward the window.

One nail.

Only one.

She picked up the metal tool again.

This time, she worked even more carefully.

She pressed it against the final nail and slowly pushed.

The nail moved.

Lydia paused.

She looked toward the door.

The men were still talking.

She continued.

The nail finally came loose.

Lydia caught it before it could fall.

She placed it quietly on the floor.

Then she pushed the window.

It opened.

Cold night air entered the room.

Lydia looked outside.

Trees surrounded the cottage.

The ground below the window was not too far.

She could escape.

She slowly moved toward it.

Her hand touched the window frame.

Then she heard footsteps.

Lydia froze.

The door opened.

She turned around.

A man’s voice filled the room.

"If it isn’t our precious Grand Duchess."

Lydia’s blood ran cold.

She knew that voice.

Her eyes widened.

She slowly turned toward the doorway.

The man stood there, looking directly at her.

Lydia stared at him.

She knew him.

And suddenly, the fear of the unknown became something much worse.

She knew exactly who had come for her.