TAVD 08
Chapter 3. Pepper! Pepper!
Those who had been with the Tillard family the longest burst into laughter.
Plans began spilling from their mouths about exactly how they were going to teach her a lesson.
A woman with no special abilities, no matter how loudly she protested, had no one in the family who would believe her.
Their ideas were so vicious that even the person who had asked what they were planning hesitated.
“…Is… is that really okay? What if His Grace the Duke somehow—”
“It’s fine. As long as we don’t leave any evidence. Lord Ramio already gave us permission—”
They never got to finish saying who had given them permission.
Evren signaled with his hand, and the Shadow Guards immediately leapt down the hillside.
“S-Stop them!”
The Shadows swung their swords, baring their teeth.
“You bastards!”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve talking trash with your master standing right here!”
“Eat this too! Choke on it!”
Watching the sudden melee unfold, one of the Tillard knights hurriedly retreated.
In his hand was an emergency artifact used to call for reinforcements.
“Reinforcements! Call for reinforc— Aaagh!”
But the knight who had escaped the brawl let out a scream.
In the blink of an eye, his wrist was gone.
Watching the scene, Elias quietly spoke to Evren.
“…Your Highness didn’t even need to step in.”
“It’s fine.”
There was no need to use his Ability of Erasure.
Evren already knew the Shadows alone were more than enough to suppress them.
But the moment he heard their filthy insults, a sharp ringing filled his ears.
Those bastards insulted what belongs to us!
Ever since his brief contact with Lillian earlier, his mind had been in complete chaos.
It had only been a fleeting touch.
He had clearly felt a refreshing sensation that neatly untangled the abilities raging inside his body.
But that harmless feeling had immediately been overwhelmed by something far stronger.
Soft.
Sticky.
A sensation that tightened every muscle in his body…
Then, little by little, the light faded from Evren’s green eyes.
The scent that had continued to provoke him was gone.
Lillian swallowed hard.
She was grateful she had fought so desperately to keep from losing herself to the fever.
“Ugh…”
Just moments ago, she had been staring at the ceiling inside the military tent.
The physician and several knights had been rushing around busily…
‘I was attacked.’
At the very last moment, she had managed to clutch onto the bag she always carried like a lifeline.
It had only been an instant, but it had been an incredibly fortunate decision.
And now…
She had blinked once, and in that brief moment, everything around her had changed.
‘Where am I?’
The scenery she had seen while eating had completely disappeared.
The tree where the commotion had happened.
The campfire they had lit to cook the soup.
Everything was gone.
Instead, she found herself surrounded by darkness without a single source of light.
‘Wait.’
This was an illusion spell used to capture prey.
And the voice coming from behind her…
“Ah, you were a real pain to find.”
Cold sweat trickled down Lillian’s back.
No way… already?
“You really enjoy making people’s lives miserable, don’t you, Sis?”
“…”
“Mind answering me?”
Lillian forced her stiff neck to turn.
A familiar platinum-blond man was approaching.
His face was twisted with irritation, wearing the expression of a mischievous delinquent.
“…Ramio.”
“Hah. When you agreed so easily to go north, I wondered what you were planning.”
“…”
“You were obviously planning to run away along the way.”
Ramio grinned.
“But I have to admit, I’m impressed. Who would’ve thought you’d hire mercenaries like that with that brain of yours?”
“…?”
“How much did you pay them? They were pretty skilled.”
Mercenaries?
Lillian narrowed her eyes.
‘This idiot… He doesn’t know they’re Prince Evren’s group?’
It was probably because everything was so dark and the prince’s group was dressed entirely in black.
‘Maybe that’s actually for the best.’
That meant she could keep her actions hidden for as long as possible.
And it would also help expose just how incompetent Ramio really was.
“Come on, let’s stop playing hide-and-seek. Since I’m being generous, come with me while I’m still asking nicely, Sis.”
Ramio smiled pleasantly.
The refined appearance everyone praised as that of a noble knight became even more dazzling with that smile.
Lillian had fallen for that smile every single time.
No…
She had wanted to.
Once upon a time…
When they were very young.
Back when they used to play together and share sweets.
Until the day Ramio decided to “grow up.”
“Don’t come near me. You’re disgusting.”
“Ramio… Wh-Why?”
“Sis, you’re powerless, remember? They said it spreads if you stay close to you.”
She hadn’t realized then that his cruel rejection had already marked the end of their relationship.
But now…
Lillian had abandoned that relationship as well.
Looking at the blood relative who still believed she was trembling in fear, she let out a small laugh.
“Why would I go with you? It’s not like I got shot in the head with an arrow.”
“…What?”
“Didn’t you hear me? You’re this young and your ears are already failing? Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Ramio’s face flushed with anger.
“So you’ve been wandering around outside so long you’ve finally gone insane? Get over here right now!”
“Why? So you can drag me back and use me as your maid again? Isn’t that the only reason you came to ‘take me back’—because your work is piling up?”
Was it only Ramio’s work?
Young Duke Kuern’s.
And Iris’s too.
The reason those three were praised everywhere as the “perfect Tillard siblings”…
Was because Lillian had been dying under the weight of running their errands behind the scenes.
They never treated her like real family.
Yet they thought nothing of using her as the family’s servant.
Why?
Because she was the only powerless member of the Controller family.
‘At least they dressed me nicely so I wouldn’t disgrace the family’s reputation.’
A broom.
A clock.
A tablecloth.
A candlestick.
And Lillian.
Within that family, her role was no different from a household tool.
But the current Lillian only sneered at the frozen Ramio.
“You know the Commander of the Imperial Knights? Our youngest knight? Without making his cousin do all his paperwork, that idiot can’t even read a single document properly.”
Ramio’s shoulders trembled.
“Shut up!”
“Well, your grandfather did donate quite a lot of money, didn’t he?”
Clap!
Lillian mockingly clapped her hands.
“Aren’t you lucky you were born a Tillard? If you hadn’t been born into a family that can solve everything with money, how exactly would someone like you have survived? Hmm?”
“Hah!”
Ramio let out a laugh like an enraged beast.
“No matter what, I would’ve never ended up like you, you filthy parasite.”
“That’s rich. You’re only one step away from being treated like trash yourself. You know that, right?”
Their argument exploded into a heated shouting match.
But inwardly, Lillian was beginning to grow anxious.
This Magic Curtain Bomb was one of Ramio’s favorite spells.
It was effective.
But naturally, it had its weaknesses.
‘It only lasts about five minutes…!’
She kept talking only to buy time.
Trying to escape this space was meaningless anyway.
Even attacking the caster wouldn’t help.
Once activated, the spell would continue until its duration expired.
‘I’ll only get one chance.’
The moment the spell finally began to weaken.
‘There’s my opening!’
Lillian instantly pulled a small glass bottle she had hidden inside her sleeve.
Ramio scoffed at first.
“What’s something like th—!”
But the instant the black powder flew into his eyes, a burning pain tore a groan from his lips.
It was pepper—
A precious spice imported from beyond the border.
