"How should I know?" the man said casually, leaning back against the cold stone wall as though the dungeon cell was a tavern booth instead of a prison. "I’m improvising here."

Yuto stared at him in disbelief.

The dim torchlight flickered against the iron bars of the cell, casting long shadows across the damp floor. Somewhere deeper in the dungeon, water dripped steadily into a puddle. The sound drove him crazy slowly.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

And now this idiot was telling him he had no actual plan.

Yuto exhaled slowly through his nose, trying very hard not to strangle the man with the rusty chains hanging from the wall.

"Wasn’t the breakout your idea?" he snapped. "Aren’t you a thief or something? Shouldn’t you at least have an inkling of how to get out of places like this?"

The man laughed quietly, completely unbothered.

"Calm down. You’re way too hot-headed."

He waved a dismissive hand before adjusting his sitting position on the pile of dirty straw he had claimed as his bed. Despite being locked in a dungeon, he somehow looked comfortable.

The stranger studied him for a moment, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Now I see why you’re in here for murder."

Yuto clicked his tongue and looked away.

He leaned back against the wall and folded his arms tightly across his chest. The stone behind him was freezing cold, but at least it kept him awake.

The man scratched the side of his jaw, his earlier joking tone fading.

"Alright. Listen carefully."

Yuto glanced at him again.

"The dungeon isn’t heavily guarded. Most people in this estate think nobody can escape from down here anyway." He smirked faintly. "Lazy rich people tend to trust walls more than brains."

He pointed toward the corridor beyond the bars.

"There are only two guards stationed nearby. One stays awake. The other spends half the time drunk out of his mind." The thief paused.

Yuto remained silent, listening carefully.

"If we get past them," the man continued, lowering his voice slightly, "there’s a narrow corridor connected to an old drainage route beneath the eastern side of the estate. It hasn’t been used in years, but it still leads outside the walls."

For the first time since this conversation started, Yuto felt a flicker of interest.

Outside the walls.

Freedom.

The words almost sounded unreal.

However, the thief rubbed his chin thoughtfully before adding, "There’s one problem."

"Of course there is."

"The drainage exit is sealed with iron bars. Thick ones. Old, but sturdy." He shrugged. "Can’t remove them. Can’t cut them. And breaking them would make enough noise to wake every guard in the estate."

The dungeon fell silent again.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Yuto lowered his gaze, thinking.

The thief watched him carefully now, likely expecting frustration or panic. Instead, Yuto simply asked:

"How far is the drainage exit from the outer wall?"

The man blinked. "About twenty steps."

"The bars won’t be a problem," he said calmly. "And the guards won’t be a problem either. As long as there are only two."

For the first time since they met, the thief’s relaxed expression cracked slightly.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Confident." He sighed and continued. "We’ll have to wait till night when we’re sure the guard is drunk."

"I can’t wait," Yuto replied. "If the head of the house returns before then, everything’s over. We need to move now."

The thief stared at him for a few seconds.

The playful grin he usually wore faded slightly, replaced by something more thoughtful. Then he leaned back against the wall again and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Straight to the point, huh?"

Yuto didn’t answer.

There wasn’t much left to say anyway.

The dungeon air felt damp and heavy, thick with the smell of mold, rust, and stagnant water. Somewhere nearby, chains rattled softly whenever the wind crept through the underground corridors. The torches mounted along the walls burned weakly, barely pushing back the darkness.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The silence settled heavily between them.

Not an awkward silence.

The kind shared by two people quietly wondering whether they were about to die.

Yuto lowered his gaze to the stone floor.

His heartbeat felt strangely calm.

That bothered him more than fear would have.

After a moment, Yuto exhaled sharply and pushed himself to his feet.

The chains around his wrists clinked softly.

The thief glanced up. "What are you doing ?"

Without giving a response, Yuto walked toward the iron bars and grabbed them tightly. The cold metal bit into his palms.

Then he shouted into the corridor.

"Hey! Anyone there?"

His voice echoed through the dungeon halls.

No response came.

Yuto clicked his tongue.

"Hey! I’m hungry!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Still nothing.

The thief watched from the corner of the cell with visible amusement.

"You know," he said casually, "I’m starting to think your plan might actually be stupid."

Yuto ignored him and shouted again, louder this time.

"I didn’t even finish breakfast before getting dragged down here! Is starving prisoners part of the estate’s hospitality now?"

A distant curse echoed somewhere down the hall.

Good.

At least someone was listening.

Yuto continued before the guard could respond.

"If you idiots want me alive for execution, maybe try feeding me first!"

Footsteps finally echoed through the corridor.

Slow.

Heavy.

Annoyed.

The thief’s grin widened slightly.

"There we go."

Yuto leaned closer to the bars

The footsteps quickened immediately.

A moment later, an irritated voice barked from the darkness.

"Shut your damn mouth!"

A guard emerged into view holding a lantern in one hand and resting the other near the sword at his waist. He looked exhausted, unshaven, and very close to losing his temper.

Yuto took one look at him and thought:

Definitely the drunk one.

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and the smell of alcohol reached the cell before he did.

Perfect.

Yuto crossed his arms.

"Took you long enough."

The guard glared at him with murderous irritation.

"You think this is an inn?"

"No," Yuto replied immediately. "An inn would probably have better service."

For a second, the guard simply stared.

Then his face twisted with rage.

Behind Yuto, the thief quietly muttered:

"Oh, you really are insane."

The guard stormed toward the cell door, keys jangling loudly at his belt.

"Enough!" he barked "I’ll teach you to behave—"

Yuto immediately backed away a few steps, raising his hands defensively.

"Honestly," he continued, keeping his tone mocking, "I can see why you’re stuck guarding prisoners. You’re clearly terrible at your job."

"Filthy thief," the guard snarled.

Then his expression darkened further.

"Murderer."

He lunged forward.

Everything happened at once.

The guard moved fast, boots slamming against the stone floor as he reached for Yuto’s collar—

—but another hand suddenly emerged from the shadows beside the doorway.

Fast.

Far too fast.

The guard barely had time to react before rough fingers seized him by the back of his collar and violently yanked him forward.

His eyes widened in confusion.

Shiny, still holding the guard, looked down at him with a plain look.