Chapter – 36
Chapter 11. The Villain’s Castle
“Ugh…! Cough…!”
“You’re really lucky, little brother. You even managed to show up on a day when I’m in a good mood.”
You should count your blessings.
He wouldn’t even know that he’d survived thanks to Lillian.
“Go back and give my regards to the head of the Paville family—someone truly deserving of respect. Don’t forget to cry and say she’s ill, too.”
Kyle lifted his head, grinding his teeth in humiliation.
‘The head of the Paville family.’
That was referring to his mother, the Second Empress, Rovelia.
At first glance, it sounded like praise—calling her a leader.
But in truth, it meant he didn’t even acknowledge her as the Empress of Tarandia.
Which automatically meant Kyle himself wasn’t considered part of Tarandia either.
Just the son of Paville who hadn’t been chosen by the Ability of Annihilation.
Kyle’s body twitched as the “Dawn” knights around him vanished without leaving a trace.
“You damn monster! After doing this to my knights, how dare you—!”
“How dare I what?”
Evren replied with a bright, smiling squint of the eyes.
“Do you have proof?”
Unless he had a controller like Lillian who meticulously gathered evidence, there was nothing he could do.
“All that can be proven is this: you brought your knights here on your own accord… and sold out your own subordinates.”
“Ghk…!”
“I’ll make good use of your aide here and return him later.”
Evren turned around, still smiling with his eyes.
“If you’re going to try attacking me again next time, at least think about preparing some evidence.”
Leaving Kyle gasping behind him, Evren walked away—
Like death itself,
Like the god of winter returning.
* * *
Shadows that had accompanied them emerged from the dark forest.
“…Your Highness, are you all right?”
Elias approached him.
It seemed he had dealt with the Dawn knights as well; blood was splattered across his face.
Evren, unconcerned, spoke abruptly.
“Lillian worries about me.”
“…Pardon?”
“When we were together earlier, she said she was worried about me.”
In truth, he’d been getting slightly irritated because Lillian kept paying attention to others.
‘My head is already full just worrying about Your Highness.’
“That doesn’t make sense… I don’t even go berserk anymore. What is there for her to worry about?”
Lillian was doing something incredibly inefficient.
Yet for some reason, his heart felt pleasantly itchy.
He asked Elias again.
“Does she worry because I look weak? If that’s the case, it’s irrational.”
“…Well, it’s not quite that. I believe it’s because the young lady is simply kind toward Your Highness.”
“Kind.”
Evren rolled the word around in his mouth—a word he knew the definition of, but had never truly considered.
Lillian being kind… to him.
“Hah.”
He brushed his lips.
This time, he hadn’t meant to—but the corners of his mouth kept lifting.
Unfortunately, Elias failed to notice.
As usual, he added unnecessary commentary.
“Kind people tend to worry about the safety of those close to them.”
“….”
“Just as the young lady did for our group this time as well.”
“…Hmm.”
Evren’s good mood stalled.
So kindness was more… public than he’d thought.
Do normal humans scatter such feelings around freely?
‘Still, it didn’t feel bad when she did it.’
Then perhaps he should test it.
Under what circumstances would he receive Lillian’s kindness again?
* * *
A dark mansion on the outskirts of the capital.
Inside a room with windows covered by velvet curtains, a man sat in an armchair.
He had black hair streaked with long strands of white near his temples.
His wrinkled face twisted subtly as he looked at his familiar.
It was a stone dragon—one capable of moving freely beneath the earth.
“So the prince has found a controller.”
—Yes, Master.
“….”
—On the day he confronted Prince Kyle, his ability was stabilized by the controller’s power.
“…Who is it?”
—Lillian Tillard.
The man froze.
“That Lillian? The powerless granddaughter of Elric Tillard?”
—Yes. The energy around her is unmistakable.
“Hah!”
It sounded absurd.
But a familiar without human prejudice wouldn’t lie.
“…So you hid her from me quite well. And you intended to keep hiding her.”
—I apologize. Because of His Highness and the shadows’ vigilance, it took too long to discover her.
“That will do.”
Duke Baltazar murmured.
“When an opening appears, bring her to me.”
—Yes, Master.
“It would be even better if she’s already branded.”
It would make things much easier to deal with.
* * *
When they arrived near the capital, and Lillian no longer had to sit cramped in the carriage like a shrimp—
She stood before the First Prince’s castle gate, her mouth slightly open.
“Oooh…”
She knew it was undignified, but who cared?
The white castle topped with muted cobalt-blue roofs was simply too beautiful.
“Lillian. Your room is this way.”
“Yes.”
She followed the villain without much expectation.
At the Tillard estate, she’d lived in wildly inconsistent conditions—basements, rooms with silverfish, and everything in between.
Still, when she reached the room prepared for her, she was left speechless.
“…Your Highness, is it possible there’s been a mistake, and I should be in the room next door?”
“Hm? The next room is supposedly the wardrobe for this one.”
“…Oh.”
“Did you want to see that first?”
“N-no.”
Lillian cautiously stepped into the room decorated in pearl and blue tones.
It was so well-appointed it was overwhelming.
And even more overwhelming was—
“Your Highness, do you not decorate your interiors in black and white?”
Honestly… she’d been hoping, just a little.
“You’re oddly good at noticing strange things…”
“It’s because I’m a Tillard.”
Knew it!
‘But… why does all the furniture feel so rounded?’
She’d seen furniture like this in her previous life.
Stuff designed so babies wouldn’t hurt themselves—edges softened and smoothed.
As a result, the entire room felt cozy and cute.
…This was the villain’s taste?
‘Even the curtains are strange.’
Noble houses usually tied curtains with tasseled cords.
‘But these use buttons. That’s rare…’
What was this?
Once she noticed one oddity, more kept piling up.
A beautifully decorated room.
A terrace overlooking endless green hills.
And the fact that it was located deep inside, where security was tightest…
‘Structurally, this feels like a room meant for the lord’s spouse—?’
But the villain cut off her suspicions at just the right moment.
“You’re making artifacts. You need a workshop, don’t you?”
“…! Yes, if you could spare a space near the forge—”
“The forge is too far. See that spot in the garden over there?”
Lillian followed where he pointed.
In one corner of the garden stood a small white cabin.
No way.
“You said workshops are better when you can draw clean water easily, and test circuits directly on natural materials.”
“Yes… that’s right.”
“That room is close to everything you need.”
“…Ah.”
Well, building an artifact workshop was complicated.
“Let’s go, my lady.”
She followed him, forgetting all her earlier doubts.
‘Wow…’
The interior was perfect for working with a few people.
‘The workbenches are all set to my height.’
And then she saw the equipment—and nearly stopped breathing.
‘It’s more advanced than anything I own!’
The villain handed her a new torch.
It could reach temperatures up to 1,600 degrees, and even had new features installed.
As Lillian stroked the grip in a daze, he spoke.
“…Do you like this sort of thing?”
“Yes. Very much. It’s… it’s like art.”
“I don’t understand…”
Only now did it truly hit her.
Why people in her past life said that if you’re going to be a servant anyway, you should at least work for a major corporation.
‘I know this is bait… but my heart is still racing!’
Lillian beamed at the villain.
“Your Highness, thank you so much!”
“….”
“I really mean it. I’m so happy.”
At the Tillard estate, no one had ever even checked what kind of room she lived in.
“…You are?”
The villain slowly lowered his head.
To Lillian, he looked strangely parched.
Was he dehydrated?
Workshops were dry environments, after all.
That was probably it.
