Chapter 123
Even Eugenie snapped at Cassius.
“How could you not realize it during the entire journey here? After what happened to you!”
“Hey, I was only thirteen when I got trapped here.”
“Sigh…”
“Cut me some slack for being a minor, okay?”
Sometimes forgetting what you had for lunch two days ago is what makes you human.
Cassius used that as an excuse for not recalling where he was rescued. Up to that point, fine—but then he added,
“I want to come inside with you, Lady. I’ll be the most useful down there, won’t I?”
Originally, Magnus and Alfred were supposed to wait outside, but plans changed. Several people tried to object, yet in the end, the final group entering the underground with Eugenie was democratically decided once again.
“…Cassius, did you happen to use black magic during rock-paper-scissors?”
“Hehe, no way.”
Literally, the younger husband boasted an almost unbeatable winning streak in that game.
So the four descending underground were Eugenie, Percival, Carter, and Cassius. Thanks to the Duke’s staff repairing the elevator and rails inside the mine, they were able to descend more comfortably than expected.
One floor, then another. As they inspected the sealed-off areas and moved deeper down, Eugenie whispered to Cassius.
“Since we’re this far in, I’ve got to ask.”
“Yes, Lady?”
“Before Mother helped you, what happened?”
“I was being experimented on.”
“Oh. I thought so.”
Eugenie knew the Sabnac family specialized in human modification magic, but hearing it firsthand still gave her a bit of a shock.
Yet she remained composed because the person being modified answered with the same tone as, “The cave air is so fresh.”
“So what kind of modification experiment was it? Do you remember?”
“They were trying to turn me into a flower.”
“Why a flower?”
“I’m pretty. Like cherry blossoms.”
“…”
Eugenie stared quietly at her younger husband.
Sure, all five husbands were exceptional in their own ways, but across genders, no one fit the description “fairy-like pretty” quite like Cassius Lysander.
Though the beauty of his face was inversely proportional to his g******s.
‘Still, with that kind of look, I’d be curious what kind of flower they’d turn him into.’
What kind of grand purpose could those madmen have had for modifying humans? Eugenie accepted it as just how things were.
Meanwhile, Carter frowned, as he was more grounded in common sense.
“But why experiment on someone from your own family? Surely they’d be short on manpower if they considered family.”
“Ah… haha, that’s a very noble perspective.”
Cassius gave a dry laugh at Carter’s comment.
“Respected priest, wizards did not consider kin the same way. They’re not exactly ‘family,’ nor are they resources to be raised and sold through marriage.”
“So then?”
“Survival of the fittest, plain and simple. You raise the strong, and use the most readily available materials.”
Cassius explained nonchalantly. Even if Percival Troys frowned bitterly, so what?
He felt no shame or bitterness in stating this fact.
“Unfortunately, I was the latter back then. They brought me here as ‘material’ for experiments, but I didn’t realize it was in Troys territory.”
“I don’t get why our family never noticed such things.”
“Nothing’s impossible with black magic.”
Percival muttered, still frowning.
“I’m the lord of this land. If it happened while I was head of the family, of course I would take responsibility—”
“Come on, Duke Troys. How can you take responsibility for something from a hundred years ago?”
“…”
Ding!
Just then, the elevator reached the next underground level with a cheerful ding. Eugenie, Percival, and Carter all turned to see a smiling Cassius.
“…A hundred years ago? Cassius, did you say a hundred years ago?”
“Yes, a hundred years ago.”
“What? But you—”
“I was sealed during the modification experiment, so my biological age stopped at thirteen.”
“What?!”
“Why? Is my age a problem? I’m definitely not a minor anymore!”
“Of course…! Wait, now that you mention it, you never—”
Somehow, the idea that Cassius was the youngest, a younger husband, had firmly taken root, so no one had asked his exact age.
While Eugenie and Percival silently looked embarrassed, Carter snorted incredulously.
“A pervert like that managed to sneak in here.”
Cassius tilted his head, looking unfairly treated.
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