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Chapter – 12
The night in which many things had happened had passed.
With a clearer gaze, Eleanor looked out the window where sunlight was beginning to stream in.
“Scoring points, huh.”
The reason given was hard to accept, but thanks to it, one troublesome problem had indeed been solved.
After glancing around the spotless room — as if nothing had happened last night — Eleanor let out a sigh.
“Thanks to that, the absorption of demonic energy sped up too.”
Another person’s death was excellent nourishment for taming demonic energy.
If Eleanor had to tame it alone, she would have been locked inside this tiny attic room until tonight.
But now, Eleanor was no longer dominated by killing intent, and the demonic energy was completely under her control.
Her thoughts soon turned to the intruder who had made that possible.
“Most likely Zekiel’s doing.”
Sending an intruder into her room to threaten her.
Looking only at the incident, it might have relieved his anger, but it was a scheme with too many risks afterward.
Even if Eleanor killing the intruder was unforeseen, he still should have considered the possibility of her being killed or gravely injured.
No matter how much Eleanor had been cast aside by the family, she was still the legitimate daughter of the Hildet family — a position that attracted attention.
If something happened to her just days before the healer entrance exam, Jules Hildet would never accept it.
Once people’s eyes gathered, rumors would inevitably spread, and then things could not be cleaned up neatly.
“A sloppy aftermath isn’t Jennifer’s style.”
When Jennifer plotted something big, she meticulously planned even the smallest details.
If she had intended such a thing, she would first have persuaded Eleanor not to attend the healer entrance exam.
Only after the world learned Eleanor Hildet wouldn’t attend — and attention left her — would Jennifer make a vicious move against her.
“And Trisha or Roser couldn’t have obtained a potion like that.”
The opponent had looked like a yellow-horn goblin, but it was probably human.
A potion that transformed a human into a goblin wasn’t something easily obtained.
However, senior healer Zekiel, as a member of a subjugation squad, would have relatively easy access while hunting monsters.
After reaching that conclusion, Eleanor smirked.
“Did he get angry just because I scratched at him a little?”
The one who should be angry was Eleanor.
Zekiel had stolen her power during the special healer grade evaluation and quickly climbed to his current status.
Yet instead of guilt, he tried to harm her.
Eleanor’s eyes grew cold.
“Good. It’ll go according to plan.”
As she murmured softly and lowered her gaze, an eerie aura flowed around her.
She would participate in the healer entrance exam as planned.
But before that, she needed everyone to know that Zekiel Hildet’s plan had failed.
The weather was nice. If her memory was correct, today was the day they would visit.
Bang.
Eleanor carelessly opened the attic door and stepped out.
* * *
“Damn it — he dared to run?”
Zekiel slammed his desk. After facing Eleanor Hildet leaving her room with a calm face just moments ago, his insides churned.
The weak Eleanor should have been sobbing and screaming miserably after what happened last night.
Yet this morning, she looked even more at peace than yesterday.
He recalled her conversation with the maid Laura:
“Nothing happened, miss?”
“Right. I feel better than expected, so I think I can move around right away.”
Veins bulged on Zekiel’s forehead.
No one who suffered something terrible would react like that.
He quickly searched for yesterday’s guard, but Odell had been missing since last night.
The leather pouch, gold coins, and potion Zekiel had urgently sent were all gone.
“Or did that bitch Eleanor conspire with him?”
He had thought it impossible, but now he suspected she had persuaded the guard.
Since he wasn’t found anywhere in the mansion, if he was hiding, Eleanor’s room was most likely.
“…Annoying…”
Zekiel immediately left his seat and headed to her attic room.
The fact that he personally had to visit a place he never imagined entering sober until yesterday made him furious.
Bang!
Unable to hide his emotions, Zekiel flung her door open.
“Oh my.”
Though she made a surprised sound, Eleanor’s expression was indifferent.
Her pitch-black eyes stared straight at him.
“Something unpleasant this early in the morning?”
“Come out.”
“This is my room. The one who should leave is you, brother.”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Your comprehension seems lacking.”
A faint, cold smile touched Eleanor’s lips.
Zekiel’s face flushed red. Not only had she refused, she mocked him for not understanding. The Eleanor he knew was never like this.
“Who do you think I am?”
“Zekiel Hildet. And I’m Eleanor Hildet.”
She didn’t avert her eyes even as he glared threateningly.
Zekiel believed he could dominate with his gaze, but Eleanor had already endured the presence of the three-eyed golem king Kautcher — his stare meant nothing.
“Does a daughter of Hildet not even have rights to her own room?”
Zekiel grew more convinced watching her argue back.
Normally she couldn’t even meet his eyes — now she defended the room desperately. That meant the guard was hiding inside.
He grabbed her arm roughly.
“Come out.”
“I don’t know why you’re treating me like this. I am a legitimate daughter of Hildet. You can’t do this to me.”
“You’re trying to protect what’s hidden inside — stop your tricks and come out!”
“I’m hiding nothing. You shouldn’t behave so violently.”
The commotion had grown large enough that passing servants were watching nervously.
Technically, Eleanor was right — they were both merely children of Hildet; he had no authority to command her.
But Zekiel was certain.
She would’ve stepped aside normally. The fact she’s resisting means something is inside.
Once revealed, dragging her out wouldn’t matter. Instead, she’d be the one in trouble.
By now the potion’s effect must’ve worn off — I can accuse her of hiding a man in her room.
Her reputation would be finished.
“I told you to listen, Eleanor!”
He forcibly dragged her outside. She could have resisted, but she deliberately went along.
The thin girl with long black hair was dragged by a grown man — even the servants who once treated her coldly looked uneasy.
“You don’t consider me a daughter of Hildet, brother!”
Eleanor cried out, her voice trembling as if in tears.
Seeing her panic, Zekiel became even more convinced.
“We’ll talk after I check the room.”
Certain the guard was inside, he entered.
Soon only Laura remained beside Eleanor.
“Are you alright, miss?”
Laura had rushed back worried after hearing the news.
But she soon realized her instincts had been right.
“Of course I’m fine.”
Moments ago, Eleanor had sensed a presence approach and disappear within the mansion.
Everything was going according to her plan.
Her lips curved lazily upward.
A predator’s smile.
* * *
“Young master, we confirmed the disturbance just now.”
A man with dark-green hair and a monocle reported to a young man wearing a deep coat.
He was Alex — eldest son of the Merey family.
“Yes, I saw it too.”
Alex clicked his tongue lightly.
“I thought Zekiel Hildet was gentle and considerate… seems I saw an unexpected side.”
“Shall we intervene?”
“No. Let’s observe a bit longer.”
His aide nodded.
Among the successors of the Four Great Families, Zekiel was reputed to be the most humble and kind. Seeing him act violently toward his powerless sister was shocking.
Publicly, Zekiel was said to encourage Eleanor, saddened by her weakness and reclusion — which made it worse.
Alex wasn’t shocked, but his crooked smile showed clear displeasure.
“That can’t be a method to give her courage.”
“They say Miss Eleanor made some mistake. He dragged her out to search.”
“That would make sense.”
His reply carried a strange implication.
“If a rolling stone tries to displace a rooted one without reason, we cannot join hands with him.”
He thought of his half-brother Arden.
Once the greatest disgrace of the Merey family — born from their lord Midel’s affair — Arden washed it away by becoming an excellent mage.
But Alex could never forgive him, especially now they competed for succession.
He had always disliked Zekiel’s origins too — yet partnered with him due to his character.
If Zekiel disappointed him today, Alex would never support him again among the Four Families.
Soon, a conclusion came.
“Young master. It seems nothing was found.”
At the aide’s words, Alex smiled coldly.
