Killing the Possessor - Chapter 147

The moment she looked like she was about to mention Ren Abyss, I caught on and jumped to my feet, raising my voice to interrupt her. Thankfully, Yuli didn’t seem to have heard what Illui was about to say.

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, I glanced sideways at Illui, who followed me out with an innocent, trusting expression. She’d clearly been about to say something like how Sir Ren Abyss had shown interest, or something along those lines.

Good grief. At this rate, I’m going to die because of you before my residence permit even expires.

“By the way, Illui, how did you end up coming here with Miss Yuli and Princess Aveline?”

I decided to start with what had been bothering me the most. No matter how I looked at it, their traveling together didn’t feel like a coincidence.

“I met Miss Yuli at a dress shop! She seemed to be having trouble choosing a gown, so she asked for my opinion. I even helped her pick out a hat and gloves that day, and she said she loved them so much that she invited me to come here with her!”

“…I see.”

At first glance it sounded like chance, but to me it felt carefully orchestrated.

There was no way a woman like Yuli Langa, who only dealt in the highest-quality fabrics, would casually step into the kind of dress shop someone as financially strained as Illui frequented. Sure, it was possible that a relative or acquaintance had arranged clothes for her elsewhere, but even so, asking Illui for her opinion felt oddly deliberate.

What was she planning? Why did Yuli Langa bring Illui here?

Ever since I purified Aveline in the maze garden, I hadn’t been showing up at the imperial palace every single day like before. Still, I made a point of dropping by every few days—to keep an eye on Yuli’s movements and to stay mindful of the Empress’s scrutiny. And of course, it seemed she’d chosen to act on the one day I didn’t come.

“She’s such a wonderful person. I mean, it wasn’t even a big deal, but she gave me a gift!”

“…A gift? What kind of gift?”

My unease deepened instantly.

See? That’s weird, isn’t it? Who gives someone a gift over something like that?

“Do you want to see it?”

Illui’s eyes sparkled like a child eager to show off a new toy. When I nodded, she rummaged through her handbag and pulled out a small wooden box, opening it proudly.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“……”

I stared suspiciously at the jade ring inside, which gave off a strange, subtle sheen. One look at it was enough to make my skin crawl. It practically screamed ominous, as though it were hiding some elaborate scheme.

“I haven’t worn it yet. I couldn’t find an outfit that goes with it.”

Then why are you carrying it around in a box?

That was when I remembered that Illui was often looked down on by other noblewomen. In the original story, that problem gradually resolved as she became entangled with the male leads and their powerful backgrounds.

But right now, Illui was still in the middle of enduring quiet, persistent contempt.

So that was it. She wanted to show off that she was close enough to Yuli Langa to exchange gifts.

The thought was both endearing and heartbreaking. But no matter how sympathetic I felt, I couldn’t leave something that clearly reeked of trouble in Illui’s hands.

After thinking it over, I finally spoke.

“Illui… to me, that looks like an artifact.”

“…What?”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

That reaction made sense. Even the most basic artifacts were expensive. And if this ring was made of high-grade jade imbued with magic, it would be worth a small fortune. Giving something like that to someone you barely knew was the sort of thing that only happened in fairy tales.

“If my guess is right, she gave you something extremely valuable. I was just thinking that it might be more appropriate to express your gratitude properly.”

“Oh my goodness! I had no idea. Is it really an artifact?”

“I’m not completely sure. I just sensed a faint magical presence from the ring, so I thought it might be.”

I left myself an escape route in case my guess was wrong. Watching her expression closely, I made a suggestion.

“How about this, Illui? I’ll casually ask Ailrose about it a bit later. Why don’t you let me hold onto it for now?”

Illui hesitated.

Of course she did. She’d brought it all the way here because she wanted to show it off. Handing it over meant she couldn’t do that anymore. No matter how much she trusted me, entrusting something so valuable to someone else was bound to feel uncomfortable.