#115

Cersia spun around and gave Ella a bright smile.

“No, you had it harder than I did, running around in my place while I was stuck.”

“I’d do anything for you, Lady Cersia.”

Ella beamed as she shifted all the credit to Cersia.

After the Hebel Treaty was broken, Ella ignored Isaac’s attempts to contact her for a long time.

There was no longer any reason to remain in Hebel, where she had been treated worse than a slave.

But Isaac was not one to give up easily. His relentless attempts continued until a year ago, when Ella completed her maturation, and finally put an end to it.

Now that she was an adult, she stripped Isaac of his status as her guardian.

In preparation for this, she had already recorded evidence of his abuse, and Isaac backed off with his tail between his legs.

He must’ve sensed that pushing the issue would only damage his own reputation.

Someone so obsessed with appearances would fear social ruin more than anything else.

Of course, it was Cersia who had advised her to handle it this way. When it came to dealing with troublesome people, it was best to bring down the hammer with solid evidence and legal consequences.

Thanks to that, Ella was able to remain by Cersia’s side.

She had also taken on most of the external affairs outside the southern territories while Cersia was still undergoing her maturation.

As Cersia adjusted her earrings, she spoke.

“This time it’s the North?”

“Yes. We found a village that still passes down legends related to the Opal of Nothingness.”

“Let’s hope it’s real this time.”

Cersia muttered in a flat, disinterested voice.

For the past three years, she had been chasing leads on the Opal of Nothingness.

The Opal mentioned by Tabby was a mystery—aside from its name, almost nothing was known about it.

She had bought every opal she could get her hands on, but none of them were sentient stones.

Then, by chance, they discovered a village where a legend of the Opal of Nothingness still survived—but of all places, it was in the North.

Worse still, the village was within the Page family’s domain, making access incredibly difficult.

Ella, being registered as a southern beastman, couldn’t enter the territory unnoticed.

If caught, she could easily be taken as a hostage.

With no other choice but a frontal approach, the news of the summit had been a much-needed blessing.

At that moment, Tabby, floating in the air in the form of a fish, muttered,

—Well, it’s a relief your pheromones are still quiet. Still, you must be careful with them. You never know when a pheromone clash might happen.

—Indeed. A single misstep and you might leave this world before this old man does.

“There’s no order to who dies first anyway.”

—Watch your tongue, youngster! Show some respect for your elders!

“I don’t think the one who keeps digging holes through my palace floor is in any position to talk.”

Cersia narrowed her eyes into triangles and scolded Jonathan. Unlike the reserved Tabby, Jonathan was extremely active.

He had already created an elaborate network of secret tunnels beneath Jabis Castle. He was so enthusiastic, insisting they’d be useful in case she needed to escape in the future.

It seemed Cersia’s past kidnapping by Keinrich had left a deep impression on him.

Or maybe he just really hated being in Jabis.

—Tch, I’m only doing this for your own good, you know.

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t overdo it. I’d rather not fall into a sinkhole.”

—I guarantee their structural integrity.

That’s not what I meant, you old fossil!

Cersia had a lot to say but bit her tongue. She’d already had more than enough time in the past three years to understand how stubborn Jonathan could be.

“I’m sorry. If I hadn’t shown myself to the Page heir…”

Ella mumbled dejectedly. In truth, she had once tried to infiltrate the North.

Since she had no pheromones, it was easier for her to conceal her presence, and with the swordsmanship she’d mastered before her regression, she thought she could protect herself just fine.

But she had been caught by Hiscleif and nearly detained. Since then, she hadn’t dared approach the North again—largely because Cersia had stopped her.

“It’s okay. Hiscleif is sharp. Even if he didn’t know your face, he would’ve picked up on it.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Ella still wore a gloomy expression. At that moment, her flowing pink hair fluttered in a breeze that came from who knows where.

Beyond her gently drooping eyes, her pale blue irises rippled like a storm-swept lake.

‘Ugh, she’s too dazzling.’

Cersia unconsciously furrowed her brows. No wonder she was the heroine of the original novel—after her coming-of-age, her beauty had bloomed dramatically.

As her self-proclaimed protector, Cersia felt a deep sense of responsibility.

Lately, there had been a noticeable increase in lion boys around the castle eyeing Ella.

Honestly, it would be weirder ‘not’ to stare at that face.

Even with just a slight downward glance, it created the illusion of rain falling in the background. That sorrowful look made you want to beg forgiveness even if you’d done nothing wrong.

Unfortunately, Ella happened to have an ex-boyfriend: Hiscleif.

And from the looks of it, Ella still hadn’t completely let him go.

The problem was, said ex didn’t remember her at all.

So whenever Hiscleif’s name came up, Ella’s reaction turned sharp and guarded.

‘She’s been a wreck since nearly getting caught by him last time. Something must’ve happened between them.’

Cersia was sure there was more to the story, but since Ella wouldn’t talk about it, it was frustrating.

Letting go of the issue she couldn’t solve alone, Cersia moved on to the main point.

“Anyway, no matter how the negotiations turn out, we ‘have’ to go. It’s not every day we get a chance to enter the North openly.”

“Exactly. And we can’t even be sure the Page family proposed this summit out of genuine desire to avoid war. We need to get in while we can.”

“Right? Honestly, if they really wanted to stop the war, they wouldn’t have dragged things out for three years.”

“There’s definitely something else going on. But using that to our advantage—that’s our job.”

“Oh my, Ella. Who did you take after to be this sharp?”

“I learned it all from you, Lady Cersia!”

Ella answered with spirit, clenching both fists confidently.

It had been nearly three years since Cersia began educating sweet, naive Ella about the ways of the world.

‘Looks like it’s finally time to let the little bird fly.’

Feeling a strange sense of pride, Cersia rubbed under her nose in satisfaction. Just then, Ayla entered with a knock.

“Lady Cersia, it’s time for the family council.”

“Ah, right! I was waiting for that. I’ll be back, Ella.”

“Yes, good luck in there.”

“Of course! Who do you think I am?”

Flashing a wide grin, Cersia high-fived Ella before skipping off after Ayla.

The family council was a system Cersia had implemented to rein in Jabis’s growing recklessness. Any major decision required unanimous family agreement.

Typically, Zerakiel and Zakari were on one side, while Rahel and Cersia were on the other.

And this time, it was Cersia who had requested the meeting. She’d already submitted her proposal: to be included in the upcoming summit delegation.

She was expecting fierce opposition.

‘Don’t chicken out!’

Steeling her resolve, Cersia marched ahead with courage.

* * *

When Cersia arrived, the rest of the family was already seated around the table. Zakari spoke with a stern face.

“You’re late.”

He was probably trying to intimidate her. But did he forget who she was? Wasn’t she the famously crazy weasel of the Jabis family?

Mess with me and it’s game over—Black Lion or not.

Now known as the No. 1 unruly weasel—so much so that “crazy” sounded more like a compliment—Cersia stood her ground with confidence.

“Huh? I’m right on time.”

She blinked innocently as she pointed at the clock. It wasn’t that she was late—the others had just arrived early.

Zakari, who had been trying to set the tone, faltered slightly as his attempt to assert authority slipped.