TAVHAAN 05

5

Day three of traveling with the villain’s party.

Lillian was still turning crisis into opportunity and living well.

A freelancer knows how to secure customers in any situation.

Although the Shadows hesitated at first, they came to her one by one, carefully holding their Artifacts.

“By any chance… could you fix this for me too?”
“Of course.”

They must have been treating them quite roughly, as there were many minor breakdowns.

‘They probably left them as is because they knew it’d be a big problem if they tried to fix them themselves?’

So, even treatments that were merely ‘stopgaps’ were immediately noticeable.

“Wow, it’s like new.”
“No wonder it felt like my ability output was weaker. It was because of this!”
“The circuit was about to break, but it’s saved!”

The ones who had only been wary at first now cautiously bowed their heads in gratitude.

‘As expected, one needs manual skills.’

Not just in the previous life, but the world from now on will be an era of craftsmanship. Definitely.

For reference, it wasn’t just Artifact repair.

Lillian sold out her family with all her soul.

Specifically, to Elias Baltazar, who was the villain’s right-hand man in the ‘original work.’

“There is a hidden shortcut to the mine over here. A straight path so you don’t have to go around the valley.”
“…How do you know about a path like this—”
“That’s because I am a tiller.”

Actually, it’s Iris who finds this out.

“Besides the Aetherna region, more Control Stone veins are scheduled to be developed. Derby in the south, Rencal in the west…”
“…How do you know such—”
“Haha, it’s the Tillard family’s latest secret.”

When it comes to safety, family secrets are nothing.

Elias regarded Lillian with great suspicion.

“…I hope you don’t expect us to clean up the mess after leaking such Tillard family secrets.”
“Oh my, of course not.”

Better to think of it as a safety fee and forget it.

She had learned it bitterly after dying in the hospital in her ‘previous life.’

Lillian gazed vaguely at the northern mountain range.

Once I cross just over there, I’ll be free.

Farewell for now, you crazy empire.

“It’s fine. This will be my final journey anyway…”
“…”
“It’s good to leave lightly when you go.”

Wouldn’t I feel lighter if I screwed over my family one last time?

Returning to the tent in the camp, Lillian took out her sketchbook from her bag.

It was to record designs to sell in the kingdom.

But as soon as she picked up a pencil, a languid voice came from across the way.

“What are you doing, Miss Tillard?”

Lillian hurriedly closed the sketchbook.

The back lit villain was looking down at her.

“I didn’t know you had a hobby of drawing.”
“Yes. Inspiration comes along with running away.”
“Hmm.”

Only a smile that showed no particular interest returned.

Beautiful, as befitting one of the male leads of this world, but Lillian felt a chill down her spine.

Why on earth.

‘He’s looking for an angle to kill me, isn’t he?’

Right now, she wasn’t sure if the man himself knew his own condition.

‘A mark has appeared under his left eye…!’

It was a translucent, red, spider-web-like trace.

She unintentionally recalled a passage from the original work she had read long ago.

<……It was a spell left by the 1st Empress.
A measure to make it manifest on the skin if her son ever intended to harm another.
She hoped that seeing it would make people notice and avoid him…….
But that mark appearing was extremely rare.
Unless it was a considerable destructive impulse.>

‘Why is he showing that to me?’

I told you the way to the mine.

I fixed your subordinates’ Artifacts!

Even if it wasn’t a grand gesture, wasn’t that okay? Honestly, more than being scared, she felt a bit wronged and heated.

But the early bird catches the worm.

So perhaps there’s a reason for the mad dog to diligently go mad.

Anyway, there’s one way to suppress that destructive impulse right now.

‘I need jerky to throw to the mad dog!’

Silently, very quickly, Lillian slid her hand into her bag.

How strange.

EBren stared at Lillian without even blinking.

Right now, his ability was practically dying with excitement.

I’m going crazy because of this scent.
I like it so much I could die.
I like it so much I want to break it right now.

It’s literally chaos, utter chaos.

To react to a powerless person, did I lose my taste because of the monster cores?

‘And she’s a woman of the Tillard family.’

Then Lillian covered one cheek and smiled brightly.

“Your Highness, I offer my thanks now, even if belated, for allowing me to join your party.”
“Hmm? A hypocritical member of the Tillard family thanking me? Is it an anniversary?”
“Oh my, you jest.”

Lillian took out a brooch from her bag.

The brooch boasted a subtle luster in her seemingly white, soft hand.

“Do you recognize it, perhaps? It’s a brooch-type Artifact that aids an Ability-user’s recovery.”
“I remember. This is the one you bought at an auction five years ago.”
“That’s correct. I’m honored you remember—”
“You spread false rumors in advance about another auction item having recovery effects, and then tormented the people trying to buy this by raising the bid by 10 gold each time in front of them.”
“…”
“It was impressive. I got goosebumps back then.”
“Ohohoho. The family budget was tight.”
“Hmm. The great noble house of Tillard was peculiarly humble only at that time.”

EBren narrowed his eyes and smiled.

The instinct in his ear kept chattering.

Can I break it now?

Hold on a bit.

I’m starting to feel like making that smoothly smiling face cry a little too.

“Owning a gem for Ability-users is said to allow even Controllers to heighten their abilities.”
“…”
“You bought it because of that superstition, didn’t you? Since you’re powerless.”

He waited for Lillian’s next reaction.

‘If she gets scared or cries…’

…Just imagining it made his interest cool right off.

If it’s an obvious reaction, maybe I’ll just find out what I need to know and discard her?

But then, Lillian smiled vaguely.

“That’s right. There was originally someone else who should have had it, but I was overly greedy.”
“…?”
“I won’t make such a mistake in the future. I intend to live according to my station.”

Lillian continued holding the brooch and waited.

“And since this is of no use to me either, please accept it.”

The silence lasted longer than expected.

Ebren slowly turned his back.

“Put it away.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s already a meaningless piece of stone.”

Ebren coldly rebuked her and left.

It was too late for an item of that level to have any effect.

‘More than anything, why do I feel so foul?’

That woman said she’d give it voluntarily.

But it feels like she told me to eat this and go away.

Besides, wasn’t she the one who desperately clung on at every auction?

Did she not even know people were laughing behind her back?

‘How truly vulgar.’
‘To hang on so vulgarly, like a merchant, even at an auction.’
‘So different from Miss Iris.’

He spoke to his aide who had approached him.

“Elias. What do you think it means when an ordinary person does something they normally don’t do?”
“…?”

Elias pondered for a moment before answering.

“Well, the first thing that comes to mind is… thoughts of death.”
“Hmm? Even if it’s Lillian Tillard doing it?”
“Huh? Ah…!”

Elias grew more perplexed.

“Actually, I was also a bit puzzled about Tillard.”
“Why?”
“I’ve confirmed that all the information she provided so far is accurate, but if that’s the case… it wouldn’t end with just running away from home.”
“That would be so.”
“She also said this would be her final journey… That might be a metaphor for intending to die.”

At that moment, Ebren frowned.

Strangely, hearing those words made him feel genuinely foul.

Lillian watched the villain go to his subordinate and then smiled vaguely.

Hmm..

“I survived…!”

She had to thank her past self who had meticulously read the ‘original work’.

And herself, for bringing that trinket with the intention of selling it off!

‘Be useful, but never show greed. However, don’t be too servile either.’

It was a response method akin to a warm iced American.

But what could she do, given that the man was like that from the start?

‘Alright, so I just need to throw him one piece of jerky at a time like this, right?’

I should throw one whenever the villain shows destructive impulses, like today.

‘Just please don’t overturn everything like a madman even if a war breaks out.’

The conflicts of the powerful affect other countries too.

‘I want to live a comfortable life from now on.’

Not striving to be loved, but wanting to become more at ease by being discarded.

However, after talking with the prince, somehow.

“Ugh…”

She felt a creeping fever rising.

She needed to cross the border quickly.