Protected

I yanked the door open and ran out into the corridor. I heard the light but fast pounding of someone's feet on the left side. I darted in that direction. A female servant flashed before my eyes and quickly disappeared behind the corner.

"Hey! Stop!" I shouted, but she ran downstairs into a dark, narrow passage. I followed her but couldn't keep up. "Please! I want to talk to you!" She didn't stop. She took turn after turn, and once I reached the end of the corridor, where it split into two, I finally lost her. "Damn it!" I looked right and left, but I could barely see anything in the space lit only by several faintly glowing lightbulbs.

I returned to my room, surprising myself that I didn't get lost on the way. I grabbed the note I had previously left on the table and sat on the bed. I looked at the message closely. The letters were neat, written in curled strokes more typical of a woman's hand. That had to be this girl servant who wrote it, but what did she mean? Was she trying to tel