Noah froze for a second, processing what Aurora was trying to tell her.
It was only when Aurora silently mouthed the word "Run" again that Noah snapped out of her shock.
A flood of questions filled her mind. What was Aurora doing? Why did she want her to run all of a sudden? Was this just another one of her clever tricks?
Before Noah could think more about it, the ancestor's voice spoke urgently in her head:
"Listen to her, Noah. Run."
The ancestor's tone held a strange hurry, and even a flicker of excitement.
This time, Noah did not hesitate. She trusted the ancestor's instinct even more than her mischievous sister's warning. She turned and ran away fast.
Aurora watched her big sister flee. She felt a wave of relief and let out a quiet sigh. A satisfied smile returned to her face as she leaned comfortably against her parents.
"Everything is okay now~" she chirped.
"Are you sure you feel fine, Aurora?" Leon asked, his face still etched with worry.
"Yes, Dad. I'm all good now."
Leon carefully set her down on the ground. "That's good to hear. No more eating strange things for the next few days, understand?"
"Okay, Dad," Aurora replied in a bright, cheerful voice.
Now that his immediate concern for Aurora had passed, Leon's mind returned to his previous task. But when he looked around the courtyard to continue his search, the "target" he wanted was gone.
A sense of urgency settled in his chest. He immediately locked eyes with Rossweise.
The two parents shared a single, understanding look. Without another word, they hurried off to find Noah.
Aurora watched her parents rush away. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and let out another, more thoughtful sigh.
"What do they even want with Noah?"
Meanwhile, Noah had already run into the main building of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.
The backyard was too vast and open. No matter where she went, someone could spot her easily.
But the main building was a labyrinth of rooms. She could hide in one, and it would take her parents a long time to check them all.
Noah still didn't know why her parents were suddenly after her. But both Aurora and the ancestor had told her to run, so she had to trust them.
She found a dusty storage room, pulled the door open, and slipped inside quickly.
She closed the door softly behind her, not making a sound. She didn't turn on the lights, leaving the room illuminated only by a sliver of light from a small, high window.
Noah settled into a corner, crouching behind some large crates. She tried to steady her breathing, making it slow and quiet.
"Are you sure this place is safe?" the ancestor asked.
"Yes," Noah whispered back. "No one comes in here much. Even the maids only clean it once a week."
"Your Silver Dragon maids are remarkably lazy," the ancestor remarked in a dry, joking tone.
"If you're so good at cleaning, why don't you come out and do it yourself?"
The ancestor made a sound like a mental cough. Then her tone shifted. "Why did Aurora tell you to hide? Did she sense something?"
"I wanted to ask you the same thing," Noah countered. "Why did you tell me to run?"
Before the ancestor could answer, the door to the storage room was pulled open abruptly.
Bright hallway light flooded in, and a familiar, gentle voice spoke. "Princess? What are you doing in here? It's so dusty. Please come out!"
"Milan?"
Noah squinted into the light and saw her maid standing in the doorway.
She was about to invent a quick excuse, but then her father's voice echoed from down the hall:
"Milan! Have you seen Noah?"
Milan froze. Her eyes flickered towards the corner where Noah was hiding.
Noah curled into an even smaller ball, wrapping her arms around her knees. She pressed a single finger to her lips, her eyes pleading with Milan not to give her away.
Milan's expression softened. She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. Then she turned back towards the door.
"No, Your Highness," she called out in her usual, calm voice. "I haven't."
"Alright, thank you."
Noah listened as her father's footsteps faded away. She let out a huge breath of relief, feeling a wave of safety.
But when Milan turned back to look into the corner, Noah was already gone.
Only an open window remained, the curtain fluttering in the breeze.
"Of all the rotten luck," the ancestor grumbled as Noah climbed out the window.
"You've been with me long enough. You know my luck is always like this," Noah retorted, thinking of her past troubles. A familiar feeling of weariness and frustration washed over her.
She remembered the kids at school who used to pick on her. How she'd stumbled into ancient ruins during a simple perimeter check. How she'd gotten injured during her crucial promotion exam. And now, finding a perfect hiding spot only to be discovered by a maid almost immediately.
"Perhaps try hiding in a place no one would ever guess," the ancestor suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Noah ran down a hallway and ducked into another room, locking the door behind her. She tried to catch her breath.
But within moments, she heard footsteps approaching from the hall.
"She has to be nearby," she heard her father's voice say.
Noah's eyes widened in disbelief. "How do they find me every single time?!"
"I have a theory," the ancestor said. "Your father isn't nearly as bad at hide-and-seek as he pretends to be. He's been going easy on you and your siblings all these years!"
Noah didn't have time to argue. She was out the next window and running to a new room.
This pattern repeated itself again and again. Each new hiding spot seemed perfect at first, but her parents would always show up soon after.
"Noah, where will you hide next?" the ancestor asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"The safest place is the one that seems the most dangerous," Noah declared with sudden conviction.
"Huh?"
Without stopping to explain, Noah ran straight to her parents' bedroom. She slipped inside quietly and closed the door without a sound.
Inside the familiar room, she scanned for options. Finally, she settled on the large, walk-in clothing closet.
The subtle, elegant scent of Rossweise's perfume hung in the air. It was oddly comforting as Noah buried herself among the hanging garments.
Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, taking in the rows of clothes. There were the elegant robes and formal wear she expected. But some items were... surprising.
"What is this...?" Noah whispered, holding up a delicate piece of fabric edged with lace. "Mom wears this? With... lace on the sides?"
"And these red silk cords..." she continued, her voice a murmur. "Don't they look like the ones Aurora used to tie me up with that one time?"
"And... bunny ears?" she wondered aloud, picking up a headband with long white ears. "Since when did Mom like rabbits?"
The ancestor's voice sounded thoroughly exhausted.
"Stop that, Noah. You'll understand these things when you're older."
Noah put the bunny ears down, a confused frown on her face. "You still haven't told me why you wanted me to hide in the first place."
The ancestor paused for dramatic effect before saying:
"Because—" she drew the word out, teasingly, "—hide-and-seek is so exciting!"
"..." Noah stared blankly into the darkness, utterly unamused.
Sensing Noah's rising irritation, the ancestor relented.
"Alright, fine. I sensed traces of the Primordial Force on your father. That's why I said to hide."
Noah's face scrunched in confusion. "The Primordial Force? But only Mom studies that. Dad has never mentioned it."
"Exactly. It's strange. And combined with how Aurora was acting, I thought it was best to lay low until we figure out what's going on."
Noah opened her mouth to reply, but the ancestor cut her off:
"Wait! Your parents are coming!"
Noah froze. She peered through a narrow gap in the closet doors.
Leon and Rossweise entered the room. They searched under the bed, behind the curtains.
"She's here somewhere..."
"She's clever. She won't make it easy for us."
"Should we check elsewhere?"
"Yes, let's go."
Their footsteps retreated, and the bedroom door clicked shut. Noah finally released the breath she was holding. She carefully, slowly, pushed the closet door open and stepped out.
She didn't get far.
Leon and Rossweise were standing right there, arms crossed, wearing identical triumphant smiles.
"Noah," Leon said, his tone a mix of curiosity and victory. "Why are you running from us?"
Caught completely off guard, Noah's mind went blank. On pure instinct, she snatched the bunny ears from the closet, plopped them on her head, and said in the flattest, most unconvincing voice she could manage:
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a little white rabbit."