58 The Carnival 1 (1/2)

The maid winked as the other maids looked horrified.

”Martha, you know the masters of the house have strictly ordered-”

”Don't you think it's too pitiful that a small child has to miss the carnival that happens once every five years!” Martha defended herself.

'Yes Martha, continue!' My hopes went up.

The maids nodded as they agreed from their recollection of all their younger siblings that looked forward to the carnival for the past year.

”Don't think about it Martha,” the head maid warned her as she dismissed Martha from my room.

However, I secretly called for Martha back when I dismissed all the maids as they finished helping me to get ready for lunch.

”Is there really a way for me to go out?” I asked Martha very tearjerkingly.

”Yes there is lady Rika,” Martha smiled heartwarmingly.

That's how I met up with Martha after successfully sneaking out of my room in the dead night. Martha held a jar of sticky honey and some cups in front of the walls surrounding the castle.

”We can climb up the wall,” Martha winked as she spread honey on the edges of the cups.

”Here,” Martha passed the cups covered in thick honey.

”Will this really work?” I questioned Martha.

”I've done this before lady Rika!” Martha pretended to get mad when I doubted her.

Surprisingly, I found myself on the other side of the walls surrounding the castle with not much effort.

”It really worked!” I cheered.

”Unfortunately, I have to help my older sister with her restaurant so I'm afraid I cannot accomp-”

”It's fine!” I quickly refuted.

”If you really say so,” Martha looked like she was in a dilemma.

Martha hesitantly separated from me at the fork road not so far from the edge of the residential district where the nobles of the empire resided. I eagerly tried to convince her it was fine before she left.

'There's cotton candy here!' I thought as I looked around the busy night market.

The night market was filled with stalls selling candy, cute accessories, street food and games to play with to win prizes. The bright lanterns with tiny flames dancing around the candles lit up the space as if the darkness of the night was fictional.

”Hey young lady!” a merchant in one of the stalls called out for me.

”Would you like some cotton candy?” the merchant asked.

I apologized to the merchant as I didn't bring any money in the fifth district currency with me since I sneaked out of the castle.

”I forgot to bring some money with me,” I dejectedly answered.

”It's fine! You remind me of my daughter. So I'll give you one for free since you probably came from a faraway place to come to the carnival,” The merchant kindly offered me one of his goods.