Chapter – 07
The right moment to slip away to the border checkpoint was approaching.
In terms of geography, Lilian had the advantage over the villain’s group, who were unfamiliar with the area, thanks to her “knowledge of the original story” and a month of preparation for escape.
“And I even went so far as to teach her how to refine the control stones.”
At the very least, she wouldn’t do something that could split the empire in half because of a rampage. Not like in the original story.
“Please don’t let the effects reach the Kingdom of Tenebrin, either.”
However, she started to worry a little about her physical condition.
“Why do I feel a fever and nothing tastes right?”
She had even added the most expensive pepper she had stolen from the base. Yet, it did nothing.
“The villain’s group is surprisingly polite….”
Asking if they had any antipyretics might make them suspicious. Sneaking away would become much more troublesome.
“Ugh, why did I forget to bring fever medicine?”
Lilian got up from the corner of the barracks where she had been crouching. There was a place she had noticed while drinking soup earlier.
It was a field where snow lightly covered the ground.
She remembered a flower growing at the base of a tree there. It looked like a dandelion but had fever-reducing properties from root to flower.
“Jackpot.”
She confirmed it wasn’t a poisonous flower similar to it.
Lilian wiped it with water from the melted snow and began chewing from the roots.
However, when the flower touched her lips, she tilted her head.
“Strange… usually this works immediately.”
Ever since her parents had died because of her as a child—
“You were supposed to be brought to the temple…! My heir died because of a worm like you!”
—her grandfather had once ordered the whole family to abandon her. Those were times when even basic food and shelter were difficult.
When she had a fever and felt weak, she would eat medicinal herbs she had read about in books.
It was only after her engagement to Karkin that such treatment finally ended.
Lilian suddenly thought: the fact that she had liked her fiancé for ten years…
“Was it really because I liked him, or because Karkin Pavil gave me better treatment?”
Had she clung to him purely out of survival instinct…?
She feared returning to the days of being abandoned.
If that were the case, had she ever truly known what “love” was? Even once?
“Not really, even in my previous life.”
In her previous life, Lilian had no family. She had been found in a baby box and grew up alone. She had to handle everything by herself. She had to be strong.
But Lilian realized she actually preferred her past self. Even if she was alone, she had never grovelled pitifully to others.
She planned to live from now on with that same steadfast spirit—even if she were alone…
“Lilian Tillard!”
The sudden shout startled her.
Lilian was surprised, still holding the yellow flower in the center of her lips.
The villain from the original story approached, his face tense and almost running.
“Ha… you.”
“…Eh?”
“Spit it out immediately!”
“Ptooey.” Lilian obeyed, confused by the command.
Ability-users have a higher chance of going berserk when emotions surge. This man had to stay normal at least until they reached their destination. Please.
“Your Highness, what are you—ah.”
Lilian asked, then objectively reflected on herself. Holding a flower in her mouth might have made her look unwell to others. She needed to clarify: I’m not crazy.
“Your Highness, there are circumstances here—”
“You, open your mouth wider.”
“Eh? W-what?”
“Hurry!”
She couldn’t understand what was happening.
The villain removed a black glove from his mouth and then grabbed Lilian’s jaw…
Wait, why is he touching another person’s skin? Bare-handed?
“Wasn’t he avoiding trouble because of his ability?”
If it was to avoid dirt, thanks… but no.
He pressed the center of her parted lips gently with his right thumb.
“Stay still, Your Highness.”
Lilian grabbed his hand.
“I-I think you’re misunderstanding—”
At the same time, the tip of his small thumb brushed against her lips.
“What… is this?”
Her vision suddenly blurred.
The villain from the original story had seriously misunderstood something.
She wanted to shout, “Please don’t go berserk in surprise!”
But the moment her lips touched his hand, an even more intense heat surged than when she chewed the flower.
This was no ordinary fever.
“Am I… touching the First Prince…?”
Yet she was originally powerless. Even touching an ability-user shouldn’t change her physical state…?
Lilian felt dizzy.
“Tillard…!”
She could hear the voice calling her, but she couldn’t endure the heat and collapsed forward.
The First Prince picked her up, but it was far from relieving. Her whole body felt like a greater fire now.
It was ominous…
In her half-conscious state, she vaguely felt him carry her into the barracks.
“Medic! Over here immediately!”
But before the medic could rush over, Elias came running in urgently.
“Your Highness! I have a report—”
Lilian only caught a few words.
Under the hill, suspicious people…
“Why now of all times?”
If it had been a monster, it would have made sense. Outside civilization, the empire was full of dangers.
But suspicious humans?
The First Prince gave instructions to someone.
“Miss Tillard will be watched inside the barracks.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Wait…? He’s leaving me behind…?
Lilian gritted her teeth against the fever and her ominous premonitions. She felt the plan unraveling.
She refused to admit it. No, this couldn’t be happening.
How much effort had she put into preparing to cross the border? Even if she was cursed with bad luck from birth, this one time, luck should favor her!
The medic approached Lilian.
“Miss, focus. Can you hear me?”
“I—”
“Miss?”
“I’m… doomed…”
The original villain…!
At first, Ebren’s group suspected assassins.
Perhaps the Second Empress had sent them alone, or the Pavil family, or… in the worst case, the Emperor himself.
“Everyone, put on masks.”
Ebren endured the fever rising up to his chin. His mind and body were in chaos because of Lilian Tillard.
Now was the time to focus.
Soon, when only their silhouettes could be seen in the moonlight and the bushes trembled, knights holding torches appeared on the hill below where they lay in ambush.
Elias soon signaled via hand gestures.
-They are Tillard’s knights.
They wore the teal family crest, and he could recognize some of their faces. He could even hear what they were saying.
“…Ugh, what a nuisance.”
“They plan to slip away after drugging her with a sleeping potion—”
“Just wait till we catch her. That girl will pay dearly.”
A shadow slowly fell over Ebren’s eyes. His subordinates had similar expressions.
They despised the Tillard family.
They had been involved in the death of the First Empress, colluded with the Second Empress, and kept pressuring them.
Yet their conversation was something no normal master-servant relationship could ever have.
Low and crude words followed.
“Haha! How come she’s older than us?”
“Oh, don’t you know? This is the first time guarding Lilian.”
