"Come here," Hans murmured.
As Barbara caught sight of him gesturing for her to take cover in a dilapidated wardrobe, she gazed at the cramped space and pondered whether it could accommodate them. With the approaching footsteps of the men, she swiftly ushered Greta inside, and the three of them squeezed into the wardrobe, their diminutive forms filling the already confined space.
Hans closed the creaky wooden door gently, raising a finger to his lips to signal for silence. Barbara, standing on the other side, let out a quiet sigh of relief as she saw the old wardrobe fit them all. She couldn't help but chuckle softly, realizing that if it were her real body instead of this one, she would never have been able to squeeze into such a tight space.
After all, she had been accustomed to a life of luxury and pampering for so many years, and she knew that once this game of hiding was over, she could return to the comfort of her own home.
As soon as the men entered, Barbara held her breath and hugged Greta who shivered. The sounds of searching and moving furniture were loudly heard.
"Search inside the wardrobe."
"Yes, master."
Barbara's body trembled. Tears swelled in her eyes and her heart thumped restlessly. knowing they would catch her soon, she wished her parent would reach out to help her. The men's walking steps echoed through the room. With every step they did, her heart would thump furiously.
As one of them stopped in front of them, Barbara closed her eyes and waited for what would happen next. The men were looking for her so she must protect the children. With a firm gaze, she waited, but the door was never opened.
"What are you doing in my house? Who are you? Go out. Get out of my home."
Barbara strained to hear over the clamour as a man's voice rose in angry shouts, giving the impression that he was the homeowner. She let out a heavy sigh when the men's attention shifted to the owner, but her anxiety persisted knowing that they would likely return to her soon.
"We are searching for someone; we will leave after finding her."
"No, leave my house now."
"I am talking nicely with you. Stop shouting."
"What do you think yourself as? A ***** man with a *****"
Barbara frowned hearing the cursing words. Her heart jumped from its place when she heard a groaning sound, she assumed the voice belonged to the homeowner who yelled for help soon after, his voice stopped.
'Did they ki—kill him?' the thought brought dread to her, pondering on her and the children's fate. Those bandits would turn to them when they handled the man.
"Master, I saw someone running in that side."
"Go after her."
Barbara heard the muffled footsteps of the men as they hurried out. Cautiously peering through a tiny hole in the wardrobe, she caught a glimpse of the man's back, deducing that he must be the master or the crazy man Hans told her.
He stood tall, with a robust and imposing frame. His jet-black hair cascaded down to his shoulders, adding to his commanding presence. As he turned his head to the right, Barbara managed to steal a fleeting glance at his face. A sense of familiarity washed over her, but try as she might, she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.
The man eventually departed, yet Barbara found herself lingering, fixated on the spot where he had been standing. A hazy image fluttered into her consciousness, teasing her head, but frustratingly refusing to fully remember.
She snapped from her thoughts when Hans grabbed her robe. Barbara looked at him and signalled to him what was the matter.
"They are gone," he murmured. His expression reeked of fright. Although he appeared fearless and strong, he was still a kid so feeling afraid was normal.
"Yes, they are gone," she said, patting the kids' hair in a reassuring manner.
After a while, and after making sure the men were no longer there, the three of them came out of the wardrobe. "Let's go before they return," Hans said, taking his sister's hand and rushing out.
Barbara followed but stopped when she saw the man lying on the floor. Blood oozed from his unrecognized face after being beaten by those men. Her body went cold, staring at the man.
"Big sister, are you okay?" Hans said, noticing her weird expression.
"Did he die?" she asked, her lips trembling.
With furrowed brows, Hans grabbed her hand, leading her and Greta outside. Barbara followed the kids walking for a long time, hiding and stopping many times to evade their stalkers.
The sky turned dark. The three of them sat over a large tree limb. Their expression looked tired Barbara rubbed her hungry tummy. The cold weather made her shiver. Her body was still recuperating from the illness so she felt weak.
"Where to go?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse, and her throat parched from not eating or drinking for hours.
She gazed at the kids but found them much better than her facing the same consequence. She felt a pang in her heart thinking that two young kids must have faced this situation many times to get used to hunger and coldness.
"I do not know. That man circulated every hideous Big Sister had stayed in. If we stayed in this state, we would die from freezing or hunger as winter was close. The sky has been clouded since evening and should rain at night," Hans responded. His voice carried a hint of sorrow and fatigue.
Seeing the kids pouting their lips and lowering their shoulders, Barbara voiced out, "I have a new place to stay in, where that crazy man would never find us."
"Where?"
The kids' sad eyes glistered. They looked at her as if she gave them candies. She smiled and the only answer she could think of was Marquis Reylson's manor.