The capital of the Vernis Empire, Meltant.
Iris, returning from the imperial palace, had severe swelling in her face from crying so much.
“Huh, huh”
Who dared to publish such an article about her relationship with Karekin Pavel?
'I have been reprimanded by the Empress!'
By others' standards, that wasn't a real reprimand; The Empress was very lenient with Iris.
‘Iris, be careful with your actions for a while. There are many people who will be jealous of you because you will be related to my son.”
But for Iris, who grew up spoiled, it was very sad.
I, an S-Class Dominant, am subjected to such an ordeal!
Quirn, accompanying her in the carriage, patted her affectionately on the shoulder.
“Don't cry, Iris, hmm?”
“Yes, but... Grandpa is also angry because of the embezzlement issue.”
“Eh, can he really get mad at you? You know he's just irritable.”
Quirn gently soothed her: “One learns from one’s mistakes as one grows. Don’t worry too much, I settled things with Grandpa well.”
He meant that he killed Iris's nanny and her maids.
“Thank you.. you are the best, brother.”
“But, Iris.”
“Yes, brother?”
“How are the Control Stones project reports?”
“…….”
“I feel like it's a little late. Ah! I'm not urging you, I'm just asking if there is a part that is difficult for you to complete.”
“Eh, impossible! It's just because the quantity is large, you don't have to worry at all!”
“Indeed, Iris, you are always perfect, so there is no need to worry.”
Iris smiled brightly.
But when Quirn wasn't looking at her—
'Lillian...!'
She bit her lower lip hard.
She did not forget to do this carefully so as not to ruin her lipstick.
'Even if you went north, you should have finished your work first!'
The Teilhard family had two main businesses.
The first is to support the workforce of the controllers.
The second is an artifact project that uses control stones.
Since Iris is an S-Class Dominator, she naturally took over the second project.
But Iris did not have the natural talent for this.
“Brother, shouldn’t we get my sister back quickly?”
“I appreciate your concern for Lillian, but you should stay there a little longer.”
“Oh my God, and yet-”
No, you are the one who does not understand the truth. You stupid...!
Iris was secretly cursing Quirn.
Quirn never knew that it was Lillian who was handling all the groundwork for the project.
'Even if he knew, he would have sided with me anyway.'
How can I convince this stupid relative to bring Lillian back?
Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the main gate of Taillard Palace.
The butler, who had served the family the longest, rushed towards them with bated breath.
“Little Duke!”
“Why all this panic?”
“Urgent call from Young Master Ramyu, he is now on the contact stone.”
The butler quickly handed over the green contact brooch.
Quiren furrowed his eyebrows: “Ramio, what’s wrong? Haven’t you and Lillian arrived at the North Villa yet?”
- both!
Ramio was seething with anger:
- Lillian, do you know what that girl did!? You poisoned us!
"What?"
- She gave thirty knights sleeping pills and drugs -
“...what?”
- And inducers of vomiting, and inhibitors of stomach acidity, and then they disappeared!
Did he mean she killed them?
Quirn and Iris' faces turned pale.
Lillian was still a piece of paper that the family needed, even if their reasons differed.
“Ramio, find Lillian immediately. I will explain the matter to the knights of the Imperial Palace.”
-Huh, okay. But!
Ramio shouted before cutting off the call:
- Lillian, that scum. Don't expect it to ever come back intact!
* * *
With a woman whose psychological state became strange because of her fiancé, the fifth day —
Evren was watching Lilian carefully while folding his hands.
He expected her to collapse in the middle of the bumpy mountain road and pretend to be tired, but what a surprise.
Funnily enough, he couldn't find a single loophole to catch on.
“…And as expected, she is suspicious, Your Highness.”
Elias was stunned: “As she whispered ‘Very soon..’ she stared at the horizon behind the mountains in amazement.”
“…….”
“...and she continues to distribute...her property to the knights.”
“When do normal humans do something like this?”
“...when they describe their life accounts before leaving...”
Evren narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Didn't you try simply giving him the brooch too?
'I will live according to my destiny'
'I just brought it to see if it would be a little useful.'
He had the intention of using it to spite the Second Empress's family and the Taillard family.
But what was secretly unnerving his nerves wasn't just that.
Why don't you approach him?
His ability began to become more nervous.
Although Lillian is not in control, her ability insists that a beautiful scent emanates from her.
When he wakes up from his distraction, he finds his eyes unconsciously following her trail.
In the middle of the camp today, a fire was burning—
Evren stopped in the distance.
People with abilities have developed senses that enable them to hear conversations even from afar.
Zhan reached out for her bowl hesitantly.
She was the knight whose artifact Lillian repaired on the first day.
“Hey, Miss Tillard? Would you like some soup? I mean, would you have it? I mean, have it.”
The Balthazar family basically hates the Taillard family.
Because they monopolize the relationships of high-level controllers, and withhold support from Balthazar.
But —
“Thank you. But do we also add this while it's still hot?”
“But this…! Isn’t it black pepper?”
“Yes, that's right. I.. I took it with me from the main house.”
Lillian ground black pepper and sprinkled it generously in the camp pot.
The faces of the shadows turned pale.
Black pepper was a luxury commodity brought from beyond the Kingdom of Tenberen.
“Is...is it okay to use something this precious like that?”
"Yes..? It's okay. What's the use of saving it now?"
Lillian's voice was devoid of strength.
It wasn't a way to intentionally ask for affection.
Rather, it was just the tone of someone getting rid of an annoying burden.
Evren was feeling increasingly disturbed by Lilian's strange behavior.
And also —
It doesn't make sense that she intends to destroy herself first, right?
The voice of his ability, which had only motivated him to destroy, now became urgent.
'Not possible. It shouldn't crash. 'I don't have it yet'
I'm telling you, she's not in control!
'I'm going crazy'
His condition is driving him crazy, and Lillian Taillard, who is on his mind, is driving him crazy as well.
But regret came too late.
He called out to Lillian after she finished her soup and arranged her things.
Her features seemed more lifeless than they had been a few days ago.
“Miss Tillard, we will arrive at Aeterna tomorrow.”
And thus this companionship will end.
What will this woman do now?
But at that moment, Lilian opened her mouth: “Ah, right. I will tell you the ingredients needed to process the control stones.”
“Mmm?”
“First the tail of the fire rat, the roots of the star flower picked on the night of the full moon, and the ginseng...”
“Just a minute, Tillard.”
Evren interrupted Lillian: “Are you saying that you know the treatment method too?”
"Huh? Yes"
“Why are you telling me this...?”
This must be one of the sacred secrets of the Tillard family.
Evren was actually intending to extract this secret from her.
But he never imagined that she would reveal it so easily, even before he threatened her.
Lillian blinked slowly.
Her eyes, which used to shine brightly, were now cloudy.
“Because there is no longer a reason not to tell you... and because it is the last time.”
Last time?
Evren studied the color of Lillian's face.
His facial expressions disappeared; He felt very upset.
“Stop nonsense and go back to your tent, Tillard.”
Evren shouted coldly and turned around.
She said she failed in love once.
Do 'normal' humans act as if they have given up on life to this extent?
'Is it possible that she's really thinking about doing something...'
It is not possible!
His mind was a complete mess.
Evren turned around.
Lillian's scent that had entered the tent began to spread strongly outside again.
Evren ran; He started slowly and then gradually increased his pace.
outside the tents —
In the dark, under a tree from which the snow had not completely melted, she sat curled up in herself...
Lillian Tillard was gnawing and eating poisonous weeds.