Chapter 92
“What do you an by that?”
Ardion stared at intently. “Laila, there's sothing you've forgotten about .”
“…”
“No matter how much of it is drained, my mana regenerates on its own.”
“Then the temple…”
“Rowell doesn’t know. Only you and I are aware of this.”
I stared down at Ardion in a daze. At so point, he had placed my hand against his cheek.
eting my gaze, he smiled. “You know they can never completely extract all the mana from my body, Laila.”
“…”
“You were the first to realize that, back at that mansion.”
For a mont, I had forgotten. Ardion’s mana regenerated endlessly. No matter how much was taken, it replenished itself, which ant it was impossible to drain him of mana completely.
Still holding my hand, looking into my eyes, Ardion slowly stood up. “At the coronation ceremony, I’ll only pretend to have my mana extracted. There’ll be no risk to my health.”
Hearing that brought so relief. I let out a deep breath. But there was still one major hurdle left.
“Then what about this magical drug?” I raised my wrist.
Ardion gently took hold of my wrist. “Just the fact that you noticed the drug on your wrist ans we’re already halfway there.”
“But you still don’t know how to remove it, right?”
Ardion nodded, his expression grim. I’d hoped otherwise, but it couldn’t be helped.
Wait, did this magical drug even appear in the original story?
No matter how hard I tried, nothing ca to mind. Maybe it was because the plot had already started diverging. Life here was beginning to go far beyond anything I’d imagined.
Suddenly, Ardion softly cupped my cheek. I instinctively looked up, and he t my eyes.
“But I’m curious about sothing.”
“What is it?”
“How did you break the mana I had bound to your ankle?”
“Oh, that…” I trailed off. I couldn’t exactly tell him I broke it by thinking about kissing him. If I said that, he might just take things even further.
And then, considering what I said earlier…
“Did you… imagine or sothing?”
“Huh?” I flinched at his question.
Ardion’s eyes narrowed. “Apparently, it happens sotis. If the mana types are compatible, they can cancel each other out naturally.”
“…”
“So… what did you imagine, Laila?”
Still cupping my face, he leaned in slightly. His upturned lips, the graceful line of his nose, his sharply defined eyes, his erald gaze captured completely. If I said even a single word, it felt like he'd imdiately close the gap between us.
I was too flustered to respond.
That was when a squeak cut through the tension.
“How about capturing the mage who brewed the magical drug and asking them directly?”
Ardion and I turned our heads at the sa ti. It was such a clear and dangerously bold idea. But when I thought about it, it didn’t seem like a bad one. We had always been on the run, so maybe it was ti to take the offensive…
Ardion said, “No. Even if we capture Serina, there’s no guarantee she’ll tell us anything.”
I nodded in quiet agreent and added, “Serina’s not soone you can reason with. She’s the type to be single-mindedly focused on her goal.”
I glanced at Ardion. Serina’s goal was clear: she wanted to kill him.
He looked down at the table, deep in thought.
It was obvious now: this Ardion was very different from the one in the original story. His personality was similar, yes, but by now, in the original, he had already massacred countless people and turned this place into a bloodbath.
Including Rowell.
I used to think he hadn’t changed much, but now… Maybe he really had grown the way I’d raised him. Though sotis, his true nature did still peek through.
Just then, Ardion lifted his gaze. Our eyes t. He studied , then gave a soft smile. When I turned away awkwardly, his voice whispered close to my ear.
“Laila, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. I’m sorry for being selfish. But I can’t help it when it cos to you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve always wanted to have you, no matter what. That’s been my dream.”
I stared at him blankly, lost for words.
So much for raising him well. Ardion was probably just hiding his true self whenever he was around .
Derol looked at , a little gloomy. “Master, then… is there no way?”
“No, there has to be a way. And what you said isn’t necessarily bad either. It’s just risky and unpredictable.”
“Then… shouldn’t we try it at least once?”
Ardion shook his head. “No. Serina is targeting Laila right now. If anything goes wrong, she could be in real danger.”
Derol bowed his head and slowly approached . “If you might be hard, Master, I won’t be greedy anymore.”
I patted Derol gently, falling into thought. Co to think of it, even when Serina tried to kidnap , I managed to escape unhard. And then, a question popped into my mind.
“Ardion, the people who escaped the prison with , are they safe?”
“They’ve all been pardoned. They’ve returned ho, though they’ll stay at their residences for a while before heading back to the imperial palace.”
So that incident had just… faded away. Rowell had committed countless cris, yet instead of being held accountable, everyone was simply pardoned, with no one allowed to testify.
It felt like Rowell had orchestrated everything from the start, ensuring any loose ends were cut. If things continued this way, I’d end up being dragged along by him forever.
I glanced at Derol. “But thinking about it, maybe turning the tables on Serina isn’t a bad idea. She is the one chasing after all…”
“Laila.” Ardion’s voice was sharp.
But I couldn’t stop. I’d been through too much to stay quiet now. “Seriously, think about it. I’ve been running from Serina nonstop. Maybe this ti I can catch her and just ask her directly.”
“Laila, this…”
“I know it’s dangerous, but what else can we do?”
“… That’s true, but I’ve found out a few things about the magical drug.”
Ardion walked over to his desk. After flipping through so neatly stacked docunts, he pulled out a thick bundle of papers. “This drug uses ancient magical techniques. It rges specific types of mana and blood, binding them together…”
He turned the pages while explaining, “If the person who commissioned the drug applies it, it has to be placed near the heart for long-lasting effects. But there are side effects. So say it causes intense pain, like the feeling of the heart being crushed.”
I suddenly recalled the dream. Rowell had clutched his chest in agony.
So that was why he was in pain…
Derol jumped forward and squeaked, “I have a question. What does it an to ‘commission’ the drug?”
“It ans soone asked for it in the first place. Usually, they sacrifice their own mana or blood and infuse it with the target’s mana. The drug is then absorbed through the heart.”
The more I listened, the more my face hardened. Knowing that my mana was in Rowell’s heart made my skin crawl.
“Then… is there no effective way to remove the drug?”
Ardion didn’t answer right away. He closed the folder and looked at . “The only person who truly understood the potion… died a few days ago.”
“You an…”
“It was probably Rowell’s doing. The more people who know about the drug, the worse it is for him.”
Hearing that only solidified my resolve.
“Then all the more reason to capture Serina,” I said.
Ardion sighed and took my hand. “Laila, I don’t want to put you in danger anymore.”
“No, this ti could be different.” I smiled at him. Speaking informally ca naturally now. Honestly, it felt more comfortable this way.
Ardion gazed at silently, his green eyes shimring faintly.
I said with near certainty, “Ardion, you just have to protect from behind.”
“And then what?”
At least he wasn’t stopping , so he was willing to listen. That gave more energy.
“First, I’ll make myself visible: wander around so Serina can find easily.”
Ardion’s expression darkened, but I held his hand tightly and continued, “Then, when Serina tries to abduct , you catch her.”
Derol jumped and squeaked with excitent. “As expected, Master! Your intelligence is unparalleled!”
I laughed and gave him a pat. But Ardion still looked tense.
Furrowing his brow, he said, “Laila, what you’re saying… ans you’ll be the bait.”
“Exactly. Otherwise, how else are we going to find Serina? If anything, this might be our best chance. She’s actively looking for .”
“It’s still too dangerous…”
“Ardion, I trust you. You’ll protect , right?”
“Laila…”
“We have to try everything we can. Don’t you agree?”
Ardion stared at , then suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. Before I could react, his arms wrapped fully around my waist.
With his head nestled into the crook of my neck, he murmured, “Laila, there’s sothing you’re overlooking.”
“What is it?”
“What if… Serina isn’t the one who made the drug?”
“No way. In that dream, she knew everything about it like she created it herself.”
Then Ardion gripped my shoulders tightly. “Wait… that dream… when exactly did you have it?”
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