#90

Even in his collapsed state, Erhardin’s pheromones continued to rage unchecked. The chaotic overflow made Zakari’s expression turn serious.

Keeping a safe distance, Zakari crouched and scrutinized Erhardin’s condition. He pried open one of Erhardin’s eyes, finding it half-rolled back.

It was clear—symptoms of intoxication.

“Hmph, so it wasn’t just overuse of shapeshifting to escape,” Zakari muttered.

Whether Erhardin had taken the substance himself or been forced to, it required investigation.

A prisoner suddenly going berserk wasn’t something to take lightly.

Zakari’s unease deepened as he recalled his own inexplicable berserk episode just days earlier. He resolved to consult Duke for advice.

As he turned to Ivan, Zakari’s mood took a sharp dive.

Ivan, now in his fox form, tilted his head with an overly innocent look, his wide eyes glinting mischievously.

And then he did something truly unforgivable.

“Chichi?”

The blatant imitation of Cersia’s tone and mannerisms was appalling.

Zakari felt an immediate surge of fury at Ivan’s audacity. It was an attack so sudden and shameless that Zakari’s very soul recoiled.

If Zerakiel had witnessed this, Ivan’s head would have already been separated from his body.

Zakari found himself envious of those who hadn’t seen what he just had. Suppressing a sudden homicidal impulse, he grabbed Ivan’s scruff and growled menacingly.

“Who do you think you’re mocking? Do you have a death wish?”

“Eek!”

Ivan yelped, flailing his paws in panic before clasping them together in a mock gesture of pleading.

“Chuuu—!”

Even that was laced with mischief, pushing Zakari’s patience to its limit. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Oh, so you think this is funny?”

“Grrk.”

It didn’t take long for Ivan to face the consequences of his poor life choices. The future was clear: a bruised and swollen face awaited him.

His performance truly was horrendous enough to deserve it.

* * *

“What do you mean?”

Cersia couldn’t hide her confusion as she stared at Ella. She hadn’t expected the conversation to veer toward Zakari’s berserk incident, let alone Ella claiming to know the culprit.

The fact that Zakari’s berserk episode had been orchestrated was a closely guarded secret, even within the Jabis estate.

The sudden incident, which occurred while the Flower of Frenzy still had multiple petals remaining, was attributed publicly to an unknown pheromone imbalance to avoid outside scrutiny.

For Ella to claim she knew who was responsible meant she was aware the incident wasn’t natural.

Naturally, suspicion fell on her. Her affiliation with Hebel only added to the unease.

Cersia’s gaze hardened as she felt a dissonance she hadn’t noticed before in the seemingly innocent Ella.

Had she been too quick to trust her? Just as that thought crossed her mind, Zerakiel’s cold voice cut through.

“It was odd when you volunteered to take the poison. Was it your plan from the start? To avoid suspicion by feigning loyalty?”

“Yes, I thought risking my life was the only way you’d believe me. Of course, it was Lady Cersia’s trust in me that gave me the courage to decide so quickly,” Ella replied calmly, her tone steady as if she had anticipated this confrontation.

Her composure only unsettled Cersia further.

Why was Ella willing to risk her life to help them?

Cersia had extended goodwill to Ella because she knew her from the original story, but for Ella, this was their first meeting.

Ella met Cersia’s gaze and spoke, “That’s why everything I’m about to say is true. Please believe me.”

Her appeal wasn’t emotional but rational, her actions demonstrating her sincerity. It was a deliberate and strategic approach, knowing it would be more convincing.

Cersia stared at Ella blankly.

Zakari’s berserk incident had nothing to do with Ella.

Why would she risk her life to reveal the truth about something so dangerous?

Her sense of justice was almost overwhelming, reminding Cersia that she truly was the heroine of this world.

To be honest, Cersia might have ignored the situation if she were in Ella’s place. It was clearly a hassle, and the Jabis family’s reputation as being dangerously unhinged was no secret.

It was often safer to avoid getting involved, yet Ella had risked everything to share the truth. Cersia felt grateful but also uneasy.

“That doesn’t mean you should risk your life,” Cersia said sternly.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t think. It just felt like an opportunity,” Ella murmured, lowering her head with a dejected expression.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed to have been an impulsive decision.

That only made Cersia more concerned. Ella’s recklessness often led her into danger in the original story, too.

“Fine. Let’s hear it,” Cersia said finally.

Ella’s face brightened noticeably at the approval. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, neatly folded paper envelope.

“At the wedding, I saw someone secretly trying to leave the Jabis estate. I followed them because they seemed suspicious and found this.”

Ella handed over the envelope, which contained a small amount of powdered substance.

“It’s an illegal drug. I believe it’s what caused the head of the Jabis family to go berserk.”

“How do you know it’s an illegal drug?”

“Before I lost my memories, I saw a beastfolk go berserk after using this substance. The memory is faint, but it’s there,” Ella said, trembling slightly as if the memory was vivid.

“Thinking it might be a clue to my lost memories, I followed them and obtained it. I wanted to hand it over that day, but…”

Ella glanced at Zerakiel.

“The estate was in chaos after Lady Cersia summoned the Guardian. I couldn’t approach you.”

“I see.”

“So, I held onto it, thinking Lady Cersia would come to Hebel someday.”

Ella’s clear and thorough explanation left Cersia deep in thought.

If this incident was tied to Ella’s lost memories, it was understandable that she’d act impulsively. A lack of memories could severely undermine one’s sense of self.

Cersia had worried about Ella, fearing she was being mistreated like in the original story. But seeing her take such a bold and capable step was reassuring.

‘She seems so much like someone my age,’ Cersia thought.

Ever since she became a weasel, Cersia hadn’t given much thought to her age. She’d woken up in a beastfolk body, only recognizing that she hadn’t reached full maturity as a human.

In the beastfolk world, strength determined hierarchy, so age wasn’t particularly significant.

Still, immature beastfolk tended to think childishly. Yet Ella felt like someone from her own age group before her reincarnation, which was oddly comforting.

When Cersia unconsciously lowered her head to sniff the substance, Zerakiel blocked her.

“You don’t know what this is. Don’t smell it.”

“Oh.”

Realizing her near mistake, Cersia widened her eyes.

“Give it to me,” Zerakiel said, folding the envelope and tucking it securely into his pocket.

He had been watching Cersia the entire time.

The drug was dangerous enough to send the Jabis patriarch into a frenzy. The thought of Cersia even holding it had been nerve-wracking for him, let alone sniffing it.

“I’ll have my mother deliver this to Jabis Manor,” Zerakiel said.

“You’re not going yourself?”

“Why would I leave you here and go?”

But you’d send your mother?

Cersia let out a dry laugh at Zerakiel’s absurd response. For such an important matter, it would’ve made sense for him to go himself, but he refused to leave her side for even a moment.

It was obvious why.

‘He’s still worried I’ll run away, isn’t he?’

She had long since given up on fleeing, but it seemed her unilateral decision to come to Hebel had only deepened his suspicions.

As if to justify himself, Zerakiel added casually, “Besides, Mother seems eager to visit Jabis Manor anyway.”

Cersia suppressed a laugh at his feeble excuse.

‘Sure. It’s totally because she wants to go, not because you want to keep me here.’

 

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