Chapter – 08
Those who had been at the Tillerd household longer laughed.
Plans for how to give her a proper scolding leaked out in their words.
A woman with no special abilities, no matter how loudly she cried, who nobody in the family would believe…
Even those who asked what they intended to do had hesitated in fear.
“Th…this is okay? What if the Duke—”
“It’s fine. As long as it’s discreet, it’s already been approved by Lord Lamio—”
They didn’t even finish saying who had given the permission.
Evren gave a signal, and immediately, the inspectors ran down the hill.
“Stop them!”
Shadows swung their swords, grinding their teeth.
“Bastards!”
“Talking crap about our master!”
“Take this! And this!”
The Tillerd knight watching the sudden skirmish quickly stepped back.
In his hand was an artifact for calling reinforcements in emergencies.
“Reinforcements! Call reinforcements…! Aagh!”
But the knight who had tried to escape the melee screamed moments later.
In the blink of an eye, his wrist vanished.
Elias, witnessing this, quietly reported to Evren.
“…Your Highness, there’s no need for you to intervene.”
“Good.”
There was no need to use the “Ability of Annihilation.”
Evren knew by now that just the shadows were enough to suppress them.
Yet ever since he had heard their lewd insults, a ringing in his ears persisted.
They insulted what’s ours!
After a brief contact with Lilian earlier, his mind was running wild.
It had been just a short contact.
There had been a refreshing sensation, as if the tangled ability inside his body had been perfectly cleared.
But that harmless feeling was overpowered by something much more intense.
Soft, sticky, and tensing his muscles…
Yet Evren’s green eyes darkened with shadow.
The scent that had been provoking him vanished.
Lilian swallowed hard.
She didn’t even realize how lucky it was that she had tried to keep her wits while in feverish heat.
“Ugh…”
She had been looking at the ceiling of the barracks.
Several medics and knights were bustling about…
I’ve been attacked.
At that moment, she barely managed to hold onto the bag she carried like a lifeline.
It was an instant decision—but a very fortunate one.
And now.
Just one blink, and the scenery around her had completely changed.
Where am I now?
The familiar surroundings from mealtime were gone.
The troublesome tree, the campfire used to heat the soup—all gone.
In their place was complete darkness, not a single light.
Wait.
This was an illusion magic used to capture prey.
And the voice coming from behind her…!
“Ah, you’re so damn hard to find.”
Cold sweat ran down Lilian’s spine.
No way, this quickly…
“Is messing with people fun, sis?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
Lilian stiffly turned her neck.
A familiar platinum-haired man was approaching.
His face twisted into that mischievous, infuriating expression.
“…Lamio.”
“Hah. I wondered what you were thinking, saying you’d go north quietly.”
“…”
“Of course, you thought about running off on the way.”
Lamio grinned slyly.
“But I’m surprised. You actually hired mercenaries with that head of yours?”
“…?”
“How much did you pay them? They were pretty skilled.”
Mercenaries?
Lilian narrowed her eyes, realizing something was off.
This brat… doesn’t know that this is Prince Evren and his party?
It was probably too dark, and the prince’s party wore black.
Maybe that’s for the best.
She could keep her movements hidden longer.
And it would help expose Lamio’s incompetence.
“Now, let’s stop playing hide-and-seek. Follow me while I’m in a good mood, sis.”
Lamio smiled pleasantly.
That smile highlighted his appearance, which others often praised as noble knightly beauty.
Lilian had always been deceived by that smile.
Or rather, she wanted to be deceived.
Once… in her very early childhood…
They had played together, shared snacks.
Until one day, Lamio decided he “needed to grow up.”
Don’t come near me. You’re filthy.
Lamio, why… why are you like this?
Sis, they said you’re incompetent. If I stay close, it’ll rub off on me.
That cruel rejection had already ended the relationship, though she hadn’t known it then.
Now, Lilian had abandoned that bond herself.
She smirked at the thought of her relative still trembling in fear.
“Why would I follow you? I wasn’t hit by an arrow in the head.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t understand? Are your eardrums already fried, kid? Making me repeat myself.”
Lamio’s anger surged, raising his voice.
“Are you crazy from running around outside? Come here right now!”
“Why? So you can make me your servant again? Even now, weren’t you ‘coming to get me’ just because you’re busy?”
Was it only Lamio?
The younger duke Quern, and even Iris.
Those who were revered outside as the “perfect Tillerd siblings”…
Inside, they were dying from being made to run errands. Thanks to Lilian.
Not considered real family, yet using her as a household servant—without a second thought.
Why?
Because she was the only incompetent member of the controlling family.
They dressed me nicely so I wouldn’t disgrace the family’s honor.
Broom, clock, tablecloth, candlestick…
And Lilian.
Her role in the family was no different than any tool.
Yet now, Lilian taunted the frozen Lamio.
“Does the commander of the royal knights know? That our youngest knight can’t even see one document without making his cousin his servant?”
Lamio’s shoulders twitched.
“Shut up!”
“By the way, didn’t your grandfather donate a lot of money?”
Clap! Lilian clapped her hands mockingly.
“Aren’t you lucky to have been born a Tillerd? If you weren’t in a family that could pay for everything, how would you have lived, hmm?”
“Hah!”
Lamio laughed like an angry beast.
“No matter what, I wouldn’t have lived like you, you filthy worm.”
“Funny. You barely escaped being treated like a nobody yourself, you know that?”
It was an explosive confrontation.
But inside, Lilian was growing anxious.
Lamio often used this “magic smoke bomb.”
Effective, yes—but it had obvious weaknesses.
Its effect lasts about 5 minutes…!
He had been talking to stall for time.
Escaping from this space was meaningless anyway.
Even attacking the caster wouldn’t work, because the magic took the full time to operate.
There’s only one chance.
As the magic was about to end, Lilian immediately took out a glass bottle she had hidden in her sleeve.
At first, Lamio laughed.
“What’s this supposed to do…!”
But the moment the black powder hit his eyes, a sharp, stinging pain made him groan.
It was a very rare spice imported across the border: pepper.
