Chapter 108

She didn’t mean to teleport directly to the Baldwin estate. Laila took Keith to a restaurant in the city center.

“Order whatever you want.”

“You’re paying?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“I never turn down free food.”

“I know. You’re in debt, right?”

“…”

Keith opened the menu, looking a little shy. After six days of being stuck in a safehouse underground, eating bland stored food, even thinking about warm food made his mouth water. He told the waiter to bring everything on the menu, then grinned at Laila. Laila chuckled.

“What, you think I’ll go bankrupt from this?”

“…Why do you have so much money?”

“Already forgot what kind of shop Florence came to find me in?”

“…”

“That’s how it is. A life can be pretty expensive.”

If you give up being human, making money is easy. Keith narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve killed plenty of people, but you hate that woman for letting your friend die? Isn’t that hypocritical?”

“…”

“Well, it’s not like you’re in a position to be proud either.”

It was meant to provoke her. Laila smirked crookedly.

“You weren’t understanding me—you were angry, Keith.”

“If I’m chained up, I can’t heal Enoch. And like you said, getting angry won’t change what’s already happened.”

But it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

“This is what they call a brother complex, right?”

“Call it whatever you want.”

“It’s venting, admit it.”

“You’re jumping around in conversation.”

“Everyone dies eventually.”

“Do you even remember my question?”

“They either die worthless like trash, or they die with meaning.”

“The people you killed probably didn’t want to die for nothing.”

“If someone came to take revenge on me, I’d gladly fight them.”

“Who could beat you…”

“Alex got to die with meaning. That woman threw it in the trash. Even if you question my right to take revenge, I won’t argue.”

Fine, call it her fault. Call it taking anger out on the crazy woman. Laila didn’t care. She didn’t need justification or moral high ground.

What she needed was a death.

The table was covered with food. Keith happily picked up his fork. He wanted to fill his stomach with warm food and forget everything else. But before he could take a proper bite, knights surrounded them. Laila greeted them with a bright smile.

“Long time no see, Jules.”

“Laila Green. You are charged with attempted murder of the marchioness—”

“You’re still hopelessly devoted to that man, I see?”

“How arrogant, Laila Green! Use proper titles.”

Keith took the chance to shove food into his mouth.

“Damn—hot!”

“You vulgar man.”

He spat a chunk of meat onto Jules’s boot. Jules recoiled in disgust. Keith gave Laila an awkward glance.

“Take them away!”

Jules shouted, but no one moved quickly.

“Touch me and you’ll regret it. Same goes for him.”

“You threatening to kill us? Even you can’t take us all at once.”

“If you really think so, go ahead and try.”

Laila slowly looked over the knights.

They were familiar faces—some had trained with Alex since their early teens. Most were young, early twenties, maybe late twenties at most.

“Only foolish kids left. Jules, where are the seniors?”

“You think I’d tell you? You’re not one of us anymore.”

“Poor Gerard… he really cared about you.”

“Shut your mouth, criminal!”

Laila took a sip of water, then stood.

“Don’t lay a finger on me or my companion. If you do, I’ll take it as you asking me to kill you. But I’ll play along—take me to your commander. The headquarters, right?”

“To the Baldwin estate.”

“When did the Blue Dawn become the marquis’s private army?”

“Shut up. We follow orders.”

“Weren’t you under the royal family? Strange…”

Laila laughed loudly, saying she was glad she quit early. Keith had no choice but to stand, leaving the half-eaten steak behind, and whispered to her,

“Couldn’t you have just teleported to the Baldwin estate?”

“Noble estates are big. How would I know where she’s hiding?”

And it probably wasn’t Linus’s idea to find Laila just to lift his curse.

Most likely, the woman who had taken Florence’s body had asked him.

When they arrived at the Baldwin estate, they weren’t locked up as expected, but escorted to a reception room. Jules insisted on guarding them, but the butler sent the knights away.

They were even served tea and cookies.

Keith ate the cookies and gulped down tea like beer. For a criminal, it was a generous welcome.

“What if they’re poisoned?”

“I know Cure magic.”

“You really can do anything with healing magic.”

There are limits even to skewed talent. Keith was more like a doctor than a mage. He shrugged.

Footsteps ran down the hall outside. Keith lost his appetite and dropped the cookie he was eating.

“Laila Green! What did you do to me?!”

“Well, if it isn’t the Baldwin Marchioness. Hello.”

“You—!”

Jang Hyunji, wearing Florence’s body, grabbed Laila by the collar. Laila almost instinctively struck her arm away but stopped herself, clenching her fist instead. She looked down at the woman standing close to her.

So a person can really become this different.

The brown hair, slim face, light blue eyes, cute nose, full lips, and rosy cheeks were exactly the same. Only six days had passed—of course she looked the same. But she was so different that Laila almost felt sorry she hadn’t recognized her.

Keith thought the same.

Enoch had said he knew instantly it wasn’t Florence without even speaking to her.

I get it.

It was impossible not to know. The eyes, expressions, movements, even the atmosphere and warmth around her—none of it was the same. You’d have to be blind not to notice.

Jang Hyunji shouted furiously.

“Tell me what you did to me! Lift this curse right now!”

“What curse are you talking about…?”

Laila tilted her head. Keith gave her a look.

“When did you even curse her?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Laila smirked and pushed Hyunji away.

“Commander, take this woman away. If you leave her here, I might do something.”

“If you wanted us dead, you would have done it already.”

It was Linus, walking slowly behind Hyunji. Keith tensed up, but Laila stayed relaxed.

“If I didn’t want to negotiate, I wouldn’t have let myself be caught.”

“So you do know me a little.”

He even mentioned negotiation. Keith was surprised—he had thought Linus was just a madman blinded by love for a woman. He’d expected rage, not calm recognition.

“Laila Green, did you curse Hyunji?”

“I don’t know anything about curses.”

“Answer me.”

Hyunji let go of Laila’s collar. Keith tilted his head. Linus knew Laila was dangerous, yet allowed contact without him there.

I thought his overprotection was as strong as his obsession… maybe not.

At this rate, Enoch’s overprotection was worse. And strangely, Linus wasn’t hostile to Laila at all—even though she had supposedly cursed him and tried to kill Hyunji.

Laila thought she knew why.

He knows she’s powerless now, even if he doesn’t fully realize it.

Linus had no understanding for the weak. He only recognized the strong as equals. He was a pure meritocrat.

The way he looked at his wife was clearly different now. His eyes were colder, though he might not even realize it himself.