TPOTLPIM Chapter 7

"Ahem, to receive such a fervent welcome from the young lady leaves me quite at a loss for where to place myself."

At Hadel's natural response, Teros asked with a puzzled expression.

"Are you acquainted with the research official? I brought him here to request the healing magic that you require."

"Healing magic! I'm perfectly fine now!"

Cecilia deliberately rolled one shoulder vigorously to demonstrate her condition.

'I don't know what that bastard Hadel might do, using my healing as an excuse to approach Teros.'

Cecilia recalled the memory-erasing potion Hadel had offered her and glared at him with wary eyes.

"Cecilia, please sit beside me. I'll have the meal served right away."

At Teros's gesture for her to come over, Cecilia sat beside him. First, she needed to figure out what kind of relationship Teros and Hadel usually had.

"Lord Teros! Were you already acquainted with Lord Hadel?"

At her question about his relationship with Hadel, Teros fell into thought for a moment.

"We're bound to run into each other several times coming and going from the imperial palace. Personally, the research official came here for healing a few years ago when my horse was severely injured. It was the black horse you rode with today."

"That's right. That was about three years ago, wasn't it? His Lordship's horse was such a magnificent steed that I remember its name. 'Thunder' was a name that wasn't wasted on such a horse. You'd be hard-pressed to find such a fine horse throughout the entire empire."

Hadel, wearing a bright smile and eagerly playing along, seemed to be flattering Teros. Despite Hadel's smooth and high-toned fawning, Teros only nodded instead of responding. Compared to Hadel's attempts at acting familiar, the relationship between the two didn't seem particularly close.

The seemingly good-natured, gentle smile that Hadel showed only heightened Cecilia's wariness. How could she know what schemes he might be plotting behind that smile? For the sake of his family, he could try to erase Teros's memory. Without realizing it, she felt her grip tighten on her fork as she stared at Hadel's face.

With the unexpected guest's arrival creating a somewhat tense atmosphere, the maids began serving the meal.

Hadel sat with his back straight, cutting his meat with long fingers. His appearance with lowered pale yellow eyelashes looked quite haughty.

He was so completely different from the modest, unadorned Asen that you'd believe they were half-siblings from different mothers.

Hadel suddenly stopped cutting and looked back and forth between Teros and Cecilia.

"Seeing you two sitting side by side, you appear quite intimate."

"Well, as the researcher probably already knows. It might be thanks to the Odik family."

Teros took a sip of wine and replied curtly.

His blunt response made Cecilia feel both tense and somewhat relieved.

Teros seemed to think that since Hadel was Asen's older brother, he would know about the potion incident. In that case, Teros could also keep in mind the possibility that Hadel might try some foolish trick.

Well done, Teros!

Cecilia found herself strangely cheering for Teros.

"We'll be engaged very soon."

"Pfft!"

She should never have let her guard down. When Teros put one arm around the back of Cecilia's chair as he spoke, she nearly spat out the water she was drinking.

"Oh, is that so? You two will become the empire's finest couple. What a perfectly matched pair! It warms my heart just watching you."

Hadel's face lit up as he enthusiastically catered to Teros's mood.

Under the table, Cecilia stomped her feet and sent eye signals to Hadel to shut his mouth, but even seeing her gaze, he turned his head toward Teros with a seemingly innocent 'hmph' expression.

Cecilia forced her stiff facial muscles to form an awkward smile.

"Haha, Lord Hadel, really. Calling us a fine couple is quite an exaggeration! Lord Teros might qualify, but I'm far from beautiful. One cannot rashly form a marital bond. Please don't hastily pair us up."

Hadel lifted his glass and took red wine into his mouth.

"Beauty naturally spreads to those around it. Even if a crow can't become white by playing with a swan, it will naturally imitate the swan's graceful movements."

What! Did this person just call me a crow? Cecilia gripped her fork tightly in indignation.

"Of course, my fiancée will transform even someone like me into a swan."

If Teros hadn't dismissed Hadel's words from beside her, she might have gotten into a pointless quarrel with Hadel.

Cecilia felt Teros's gaze upon her and looked back at him.

Again, that unreadable, cold and rigid gaze. Unlike his words that had taken her side, she felt no affection from his eyes. It was a face that had rearmed itself with ice walls on all sides, making the expression she'd seen at the lake seem like it might have been a dream.

"The meal seems to be finished, so let's go to the reception room. Please take care of my fiancée's healing, research official."

Teros rose from his seat first and left the dining space. Cecilia also grabbed her dress skirts and followed him out, but then Hadel urgently caught hold of her from behind.

Being suddenly grabbed, Cecilia reflexively reacted with annoyance.

"Ah, what are you doing? Just in case you're wondering, don't try anything funny and just do the healing quietly before you leave."

When Hadel's eyes widened at her reaction, Cecilia involuntarily flinched.

Why are this man's eyes so unnecessarily pretty!

Hadel blinked his beautiful eyes once large, then whispered to Cecilia.

"The marriage. Let's proceed with it."

Hadel secretly slipped a round orb into Cecilia's hand.

"It's a magical communication orb. I have one as well. When it's urgent, I'll contact you through this."

"No! Why should I need to communicate with Lord Hadel?"

I don't want to get entangled with the Odik family anymore. Cecilia barely killed her rising voice as she whispered.

No matter what Cecilia said, Hadel only recited what he had to say.

"And proceeding with the marriage would be beneficial to everyone. Even if the marquis awakens from the potion's effects six months later, by then you'll already be the marquis's wife, so he won't be able to hold you accountable for your crimes. For the family's honor as well, they'll cover up this incident."

"Must you always use your head in such ways? You could also try relying on Lord Teros's ocean-deep benevolence."

"Benevolence? From that marquis? How can you be so ignorant of the world? How do you think he was able to achieve merit in war? By showing benevolence to enemies who begged for mercy? Don't talk nonsense. Right now, he's only looking down upon us with favor because of the potion's effects."

["I always repay debts to those who harm me, one way or another."]

When Teros's words from lunchtime came to mind, Cecilia unconsciously rubbed her arms where goosebumps had risen.

"In any case, let's hurry to the reception room. Since you're going to become a daughter-in-law of the Jeminick family, I'll heal you properly."

"Ha, daughter-in-law? Preposterous!"

Cecilia crossed her arms and stubbornly held her ground.

Hadel's emerald-like glittering eyes glared at Cecilia sideways.

"There's nothing good that will come from bickering with me here, is there? Let's go quickly before the marquis notices."

Hadel finally grabbed Cecilia's shoulders and pushed her forward as he spoke.

"If you really hate the marriage, I'll find my own way to handle it."

What? When startled Cecilia looked at his face as if to confirm his intentions, he gave a mysterious smile.

"I'll have no choice but to test the medicine I worked so hard to make myself. I'm just as inquisitive as Asen, you know. People in our family can't help but try any new magic if they see it. It's an incorrigible family trait, you could say. Hoho."

This man, really!

Cecilia moved toward the reception room while squabbling with Hadel.

"Cecilia, have you already become close with the research official? My fiancée is quite sociable indeed!"

Upon entering the reception room, Teros was sitting on the sofa in front of the table, waiting for the two of them.

Just like when they sat in the dining room, Cecilia sat next to Teros and Hadel sat on the sofa across from them.

"Well then, I'll begin the healing."

Hadel, who had been acting impudent all along, suddenly hardened his expression seriously and began chanting an incomprehensible incantation in ancient language.

Soon, a yellow light began emanating from Hadel's hands, and he extended that hand toward Cecilia.

"Come now, my lady, your hand."

Though it was a short instruction, Cecilia naturally placed her hand on top of Hadel's. The light emanating from Hadel's hand transferred to her hand, and her entire body warmed as if the light were circulating throughout her body.

Then vitality returned to her heavy body and her head felt clear.

From the side, Teros glared with displeasure at Hadel's hand clasped together with Cecilia's, but the two people concentrating on the healing didn't notice.

When the yellow light gradually faded, Teros asked Cecilia in a pressing manner.

"How is it, Cecilia? Has your body improved?"

"Yes."

The Odik family's healing magic was real. Even though she thought she had already recovered before dinner and there was nothing more to improve, her body felt much lighter.

"Thank you, Lord Hadel."

She had no choice but to express gratitude for healing her, at least for that.

"Think nothing of it. Since His Lordship specifically requested it, I paid extra attention. You know well that healing magic can only be used on knights."

What a show-off. Cecilia grumbled inwardly. While healing magic was restricted by imperial law to be used only on knights, it was an open secret that the Odik family would heal other nobles as well if they paid large sums of money.

"Thank you for coming such a long way to heal my fiancée, research official. We didn't eat dessert during the meal, so let's have it brought here."

Soon after, a maid brought a tray loaded with cookies and mini cakes along with a teapot.

Through the open doorway of the reception room, Rox followed the maid inside.

Having seen him only once during the day, Cecilia was glad to see Rox with his fluffy fur and pink tongue sticking out, panting heavily, and she unconsciously reached out her hand.

But suddenly Rox's face twisted ferociously, and he began making growling sounds through his tightly clenched teeth.

"Woof woof!! Woof! Woof woof!"

The sound of Rox barking threateningly while jumping up and down instantly filled the reception room. While he had seemed cute when running toward Teros and Cecilia during the day, the Rox now was a beast baring his large teeth.

When the flustered Cecilia rolled her eyes around and looked at Teros, his expression was surprisingly calm.

He simply watched the situation with his arms crossed, not even trying to calm Rox.

The enraged Rox charged toward Hadel.

"Kyaa!"

The screams of the maid and Cecilia tangled together and echoed to the ceiling.

Rox leaped onto Hadel's chest, knocked him down on the sofa with his front paws, then lunged with his mouth wide open as if to tear his throat out.

Hadel's usually haughty expression contorted with fear.

Clang—

Rox's fierce teeth were blocked by a protective barrier Hadel hastily created with magic. Hadel had created a barrier around the neck area that Rox was targeting.

"Rox, stop. Good boy."

It was Teros's subdued voice that sorted out the chaotic situation in an instant.

At his monotone, quiet words, Rox's growling breath calmed down, and he soon obediently came down from the sofa.

"Oh my, I'm sorry. Please forgive us, research official. This fellow is throwing a tantrum today."

Teros spoke with a bright smile and an expression that didn't look sorry at all.

It's deliberate! Cecilia thought, looking at Teros's nonchalant face. She became curious about his intention to let Hadel be frightened before stopping Rox, even though he could have calmed him sooner.

Hadel opened his mouth as if to make a complaint while breathing heavily, but he couldn't easily calm his startled heart and only opened and closed his mouth like a carp.

Teros continued speaking without caring about Hadel's attitude.

"But it's strange. Rox doesn't bare his teeth unless someone is suspicious. There's no way research official Hadel could be suspicious, so why did he act that way?"

It was clearly a question, but his expression didn't look curious at all. It was a question that had an answer.

"You've been continuously stroking your pocket with your right hand since earlier. Do you have something good hidden there?"

Teros smiled thinly and extended his hand. It was a wordless gesture telling him to take out what was in his pocket.

When Hadel maintained his silence while breaking out in cold sweat, Teros added one more remark.

"If you don't take it out yourself, you'll be forced to take it out."

At those words, Hadel moved with creaking motions like a broken wooden doll and took something out of his pocket.

'Ah!'

The moment she confirmed the identity of the object in Hadel's hand, Cecilia quietly let out a sigh inwardly. The brown medicine bottle she had seen before was placed on the table.

Cecilia unconsciously clasped her hands together, afraid of what would happen if Teros learned the identity of that bottle.

"What is this?"

Teros, who had been examining the medicine bottle, asked Hadel accusingly as he sweated.

"Well, that is... it's an antidote."

At the word 'antidote,' Teros's expression changed subtly, and he dismissed the maid who had been in the room.

After the maid left with quick steps, Teros gestured to Hadel as if telling him to continue.

"I knew that His Lordship was suffering because of the potion my sister made. Out of sympathy, I created an antidote to neutralize the potion's effects. I was wondering when to present it to you when His Lordship coincidentally summoned me here."

Cecilia's blue eyes glared at Hadel piercingly. This man is lying without changing his expression! He had definitely told her that he couldn't make an antidote until next spring, and that brown bottle was the one he said contained memory-erasing medicine.

Teros turned the medicine bottle this way and that, carefully examining the contents inside, then set the bottle down on the table with a thud.

"An antidote, how convenient. To disturb someone's heart and then solve it again with medicine. So, were you planning to secretly feed this to me like that day?"

When Teros's chilly gaze turned toward Hadel, he hastily made excuses.

"No, no. How could I dare do such a thing? I was planning to speak to His Lordship directly and recommend that you take it. I was looking for the right timing to mention it, but that damn— I mean, Rox, was it? Anyway, that thing charged at me..."

Cecilia clicked her tongue inwardly at Hadel's lies that flowed out as smoothly as if they were rehearsed.

Then Teros's gaze turned to Cecilia as if seeking an answer.

"What should we do with the antidote? I'll follow your wishes."

Cecilia's eyes grew wide at the unexpected question.

'He's asking me what I think should be done with the antidote. Is it alright to entrust such an important matter to me?'

"If you tell me to drink it now, I'll drink it. If you tell me to dispose of it, I'll dispose of it."

Cecilia studied his expression to grasp the intention behind those words, but she couldn't sense what intent was hidden behind that face devoid of emotion. It was difficult to find any other meaning besides that he would literally follow her wishes.