Next, Avril whispered to the woman sitting in front of her.

“Is it always like this here at night?” She pointed at Katie and the others.

“Yes. Some of the guards doze off when we sleep, but this room is locked tight, and those women are armed with guns. Even if they let their guard down, we’re too scared to do anything.”

“I see.”

In addition, some people there had probably been imprisoned there for longer than a week. Avril had only just arrived, so she was full of energy. Nevertheless, she could understand why the others had lost the will to escape after being held captive for a long time.

Avril was addicted to lockpicking for various reasons, so she could probably break free from there. But what about the rest? Also, it was a different story if they had guns.

I should try to look at it from a different angle.

“Uhm, the door behind the chair where the leader granny was sitting seems to lead to the engine room.”

 “… ‘leader granny,’ that’s quite a nickname. I don’t know much about the interior of a ship, but I’ve never seen anyone come in through that door. I’m sure it’s the back of the ship.”

After combing the woman’s hair, Avril braided the hair on top of her head and finished by attaching a hair accessory she happened to have with her. It wasn’t flashy, but it was a neat and elegant loose style.

“Done.”

“Wow, I thought villainesses only orders those around, but that doesn’t seem to be the case…”

Avril just smiled—neither denying or confirming.

Had Katie and the others not been convinced that she was a villainess, she wouldn’t have been allowed such a level of freedom.

On the other hand, if the women hadn’t realized that she wasn’t a villainess, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

By the time Avril finished styling everyone’s hair and gathering information, it was late. The atmosphere in the room had shifted drastically.

At first, the criminals had looked up to Avril and spoke to her in a friendly manner. They were wary of her, thinking that she was a horrendously wicked woman, and regarded her as one of their accomplices. But now, they were wondering, “Maybe this villainess is actually a good person?”

The atmosphere was one of confusion.

After doing everyone’s hair, Avril was getting a bit drowsy, but she couldn’t afford to fall asleep yet. They would reach the next port tomorrow. If Dylan didn’t come to help them, they would have to escape by blending in with the general passengers.

If we enter the foreign country, we will be left with no choice but to be sold.

Just then, Lynn, who had been dozing off next to Clarissa, seemed to have woken up.

Avril proceeded to ask her.

“How did you get to the first-class cabin, Lynn?”

“Hmm? I got out through the door over there.”

Lynn pointed to the door behind the chair where the old woman had been sitting.

“Does that lead to the first-class cabin?”

“Yes, something like that. There’s an engine room in the back. I noticed that if I climbed the emergency stairs there, I could get to the first-class cabin. That was how I met Avril. But it’s narrow, so only a child could get through.”

“I see. Before anything else, don’t the guards here carry guns? How did Lynn sneak out without being seen?”

“Hmm. I can’t speak their language, right? They don’t really keep an eye on me. Also, I’ve always lived alone in the back alleys, so I’m very good at slipping through people’s eyes. I slipped through when the door was left open. I’ve spoken to the old men in the engine room a few times. We couldn’t understand each other, though. Hahaha.”

She couldn’t believe they were so careless. It seemed that the wicked women here were confident that they had complete control over the women they captured.

If they’re that arrogant, we can be bold.

Lynn’s words cleared Avril’s head. This way, even if Dylan didn’t come to rescue them by dawn, they’d be able to escape as soon as they reached the port.

“Lynn, I’d be grateful if you could help me rescue everyone from here.”

“Yes! Of course. What should we do?”

“Well, you see…”

Avril cautiously began to whisper into Lynn’s ear.

---

Read a month’s worth of chapters ahead on patreon for $3~

***T/N: Thank god they are dumb

Please also consider donating to my ko-fi! It’ll greatly support me in action, no matter the amount!
https://ko-fi.com/antoinettevanessa

Have a Japanese story or the likes (Drama CD, etc.) you’d like to read? Want it to be translated? I’m open for commission!
https://www.fiverr.com/s2/aaab08c14d

<Previous chapter

Next chapter>