Chapter 216

The interrogation of Jeral, Captain of the Imperial Guard, was over. Aseraian had managed to learn several things from him, starting with the missing children.

They’re already dead, apparently.

The children Ceres had rescued were the only ones who survived. He said there were no other abducted children left.

What Jeral said next was enough to shock Crown Prince Aseraian.

The children... are used to make chimeras?

And they could only be used as material if they had died in the Black Forest.

“Who gave the order?”

“......”

But in the end, Aseraian never got the answer he wanted most. Who was behind all of this? Whose orders had Jeral followed when he abducted the children and tried to kill them?

Even under torture, Jeral refused to say a word.

Seeing this, Crown Prince Aseraian casually threw out a name to see how he would react.

“Was it Veilks?”

“—!”

Jeral had clearly reacted to the name Veilks, but he still refused to reveal who he served.

In the end, I had to finish him myself.

Aseraian decided there was nothing more to be gained from him.

“What a shame. I thought we’d have a little more time together.”

“.....!”

Jeral had trembled violently at the thought of death. Aseraian had personally cut him down with his sword.

After dealing with the Captain of the Imperial Guard, Aseraian had come to meet Veilks in person today. It seemed he was finally going to settle the matter of Veilks once and for all.

But then... he discovered something he hadn’t expected.

The Marquis’s household had changed drastically since the mining accident, and Veilks stood at the center of it all. The way he had been acting was nothing like the man Aseraian had known for so long.

I had my suspicions, but I never thought they would actually be true...

Crown Prince Aseraian’s eyes grew colder than ever.

Who are you?

***

“Hmm.”

Veilks’s eyes curved as he gazed out the window. Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, he clicked his tongue quietly.

“It seems I’ve been found out.”

What had given him away?

“Should I have devoured more of his memories?”

When he first entered this body, he hadn’t managed to consume all of the original owner’s memories. It seemed Crown Prince Aseraian had noticed something was off.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

With a chuckle, Veilks glanced at the small glass vial in his hand. Black liquid sloshed inside. It was the medicine Prince Alex always took.

“It’ll be finished soon.”

As he slipped the vial back into his robes, a bright smile spread across his lips.

The door flew open.

“Veilks!”

Marquis Merial hurried into the room.

“What did His Highness say?”

His face was filled with anxiety. The confidence he had carried as a ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) marquis was nowhere to be seen.

“We didn’t talk much. He just stopped by to ask how I was doing.”

“H-He came all the way here... just to ask how you were?”

“Yes.”

Marquis Merial’s face twisted as he stared at Veilks, who smiled faintly. A long, weary sigh escaped him.

“How’s the thing I asked you to handle coming along?”

“Just wait a little longer.”

“How much longer?!”

Marquis Merial’s voice rose. Fear filled his eyes, and he looked utterly worn out.

“You know what we’re dealing with right now!”

Veilks gently patted the back of the agitated Marquis.

“Everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

“......”

Marquis Merial trembled and fell silent. At this point, Veilks was the only person he could trust.

Click.

Veilks watched the Marquis leave the room, looking completely drained. He scoffed.

“I think it’s about time I let them out.”

Alone now, Veilks’s lips curved into a beautiful smile.

***

[Buu!]

[Pii!]

[.......]

Whitey looked bored as the two little creatures clung to his tail, pestering him to play.

Whoosh!

He swung his tail to shake them off, but...

[Buu~]

[Pii~]

[.......]

The two only clung tighter, giggling as they found it all the more fun. In the end, Whitey gave up and sprawled out on the floor.

“Everyone, snack time.”

Ceres’s voice rang out.

[Kiuung!]

Whitey came running to her faster than anyone else, as if he had never been bored at all.

[Bu!]

[Pi!]

Sooty and Airien followed close behind, still hanging onto Whitey’s tail.

“I really did make the right choice building this place.”

Ceres smiled with satisfaction as she watched the three of them come running toward her. It had definitely been worth creating a warm place where the children could run around and play to their hearts’ content, even in the middle of winter.

Ceres and the three creatures were currently in the new greenhouse. It was absolutely enormous...

“But why did he have to make it this big?”

Kainel was the one who had built the greenhouse for her.

“A building?”

“Yeah.”

“...You want me to manage it?”

“It’s yours, so you have to manage it.”

“...Didn’t something like this happen a long time ago, too?”

“Something like this?”

“You bought me a three-story building back then, remember? What did I do?”

“......”

“Smack!”

“Ow.”

“I hit you just like this, you hopeless idiot! I already don’t want to manage the stew shop. Why would I want to manage a whole building?”

“.......”

“Sell it right now!”

“...Okay.”

Ceres smacked Kainel before turning him down. He had used the money she’d paid back to buy a building and then dumped it on her.

He didn’t even ask me first!

To be honest, she had been tempted for a moment. A building? With just one, her younger siblings would never have to worry about money again. The thought had crossed her mind, if only briefly.

But if she started accepting things from Kainel one after another, there’d be no end to it. Before she knew it, one building would become ten. A relationship where only one side kept taking wasn’t exactly normal, was it? No matter how long they’d known each other.

Still, seeing him look unusually dejected, she made a suggestion.

“If you really want to do something for me, how about a small greenhouse?”

“A greenhouse?”

“Yeah. Julia likes flowers.”

Construction began the very next day. When the greenhouse was finished a few days later...

“...I said it should be small.”

“It is. A small greenhouse.”

“...How?”

The greenhouse was built by clearing out the entire space behind the mansion, and it was enormous. From the entrance, the far end wasn’t even visible.

“Whoa! It’s a flower garden!”

...Well, Julia absolutely loved it. That was what mattered.

Just like that, the Drow household ended up with a lavish greenhouse that couldn’t have been more out of place. It was filled with all kinds of flowers and trees.

“Why are there so many flowers?”

“If you’re going to give someone flowers, this is how you do it. Not like some stingy person who gives them a single bouquet.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Anyway, the three little creatures became the greenhouse’s main occupants.

They hated going outside in the cold, but ever since the greenhouse was built, they had been running around and playing there every day.

[Buu!]

[Pii!]

[.......]

...Well, two of them were usually the ones running around. The third seemed to find it all rather bothersome.

“It’s peaceful.”

As Ceres sipped her tea in the warmth of the greenhouse, she couldn’t help thinking how peaceful it was for once.

Something had been happening almost every day, but the past few days had been quiet. Even the Black Forest hadn’t appeared.

But why?

...Something about this feels off.

“Is this some kind of illness?”

Why was she so uneasy when things were this peaceful?

[Meow. Illness? Are you not feeling well?]

Elliet the cat suddenly appeared and hopped onto the table.

“What have you been up to?”

Ceres hadn’t seen her around for days. Did she go to that other world again?

[I’ve just been a little busy with this and that.]

Whoosh.

Elliet shifted into human form and stared intently at Ceres.

[Ceres.]

“.....?”

What is it? Why are you calling me so seriously all of a sudden?