Chapter 67
The complexity that Aseph was feeling right now was inevitable. There had been times he mentioned holding Bea accountable for any leak of the family’s secret out of concern, but it wasn’t said out of a real threat. It was merely an excuse to create more opportunities to beguile her.
But this was different.
If the alchemist Myron Devesis learned the secrets of Vilkanos, it would indeed be a threat.
What had Bea said to this man?
How much had she told him?
Why?
Yet, more tormenting than any of those concerns was the fact that he had come to doubt Bea herself.
A tense silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of rain against the window.
After a moment, Aseph spoke up in a somewhat weary voice. His query wasn’t directed at Myron Devesis but at Bea.
“Bea. What exactly… What exactly is going on here?”
Suppressing the budding feelings of betrayal, Aseph asked, his voice heavy.
Bea, who had been standing quietly behind Myron Devesis, stepped forward. Her expressionless gaze was not on Aseph but solely focused on Homun.
Aseph had never directly inquired about the exact nature of Bea’s research. He vaguely knew it involved saving lives and that it was thanks to her efforts that he was still alive.
He had no idea it literally meant resurrecting life.
Only upon seeing Myron Devesis alive and moving did Aseph realize what the research truly entailed, leaving him feeling devastated.
Myron Devesis represented the success of that research.
Homun was a failure.
A trial run.
Was the child, whom he had hoped would bring him and Bea closer, really just that to her?
“…Bea, why aren’t you saying anything?”
Instead of Bea responding, Myron Devesis sneered.
“Vilkanos treats even its slaves quite genteelly, it seems. Is it because the young master is involved?”
His mocking tone. The resurrected Myron Devesis seemed quite pleased with himself, a stark contrast to his notorious past known to those familiar with him.
Even if it meant negotiating using a dying child as a hostage.
Homun was not a child born of Aseph and Bea. The child didn’t even have a name.
Aseph had thought it might become a bond between them, but seeing Bea resurrect Myron Devesis made him question if it was all just his misconception.
Even if the child on the bed was truly of Vilkanos blood, the risk of a villain like Myron Devesis learning Vilkanos’ secrets and wreaking havoc again was present.
Letting the child die would be the rational decision.
The child was doomed from birth, destined to be discarded, and would have died if left alone.
And Bea saw the child, just…
Yet, Aseph was also puzzled.
It was due to Myron’s consistent reference to the child as the young master.
‘Hasn’t Bea told him that Homun is an artificial human? Or is he pretending not to know?’
Frankly, to an alchemist, Homun was an object to be fixed, not a young master to be healed. But there seemed to be a misalignment in what Myron Devesis knew.
And Bea’s reaction.
She seemed different from the person Aseph knew.
Her expression was cold, her demeanor silent as always. But she seemed like a different person.
If asked why she felt like someone else, Aseph couldn’t give a clear answer. It was just the animalistic intuition of the Vilkanos.
At least Myron Devesis didn’t know everything. At least for now, they had to probe him.
Aseph agonized over what to say before finally posing the question.
“…How did you know the child was sick?”
“My dear disciple told me. I understand you tasked my disciple with researching a cure for the young master. Isn’t that so? However, my disciple is loyal to me. It’s an unfortunate outcome for the young master, but since I have returned to life, I can offer you my grace.”
Aseph glanced at Bea sharply. As the corners of his eyes were raised, it seemed as if he was glaring at her.
“By the way, the world has changed a lot while I was lying underground. It seems you’ve made enemies with the mages. Vilkanos supports alchemists, does it? I didn’t know Zephyr was being sponsored by the very descendant of the man who put me six feet underground in the first place! Hahahaha!”
Myron Devesis burst into loud laughter, finding something immensely amusing.
“Now, if only I could solve what killed me, I would have no further desires.”
Aseph narrowed his eyes.
Vilkanos’s keen intuition was sounding an alarm that something was off, but Aseph couldn’t pinpoint what exactly.
What was certain was that Myron Devesis was hiding something, and he was boasting rather skillfully about misconceptions.
‘I’ll have to play along for now.’
Aseph gritted his teeth.
“Personal curiosity, huh. You’re quite versed in twisting your words.”
“Ahahaha! Yes, that’s right. Let’s drop the pretense, shall we?”
Myron’s eyes, sharp as a snake’s, cooled down. A contemptuous expression appeared on his face.
“If you fear that your family’s secrets will be revealed to me, you might prefer to let the young master die. I don’t mind.”
Myron Devesis was not a man known for his patience.
“Then, are you refusing? Well, I suppose the gratitude for the support you’ve provided to Zephyr can be repaid by me quietly leaving this mansion.”
“…Wait.”
Aseph stopped Myron Devesis, who was about to leave without hesitation.
“I ask for your help in treating the child.”
Then, for the first time, Bea’s gaze landed on Aseph.
It was a very brief moment, short enough that only Aseph, who had been talking to Bea rather than Myron, could catch.
As their eyes met, Bea quickly looked away.
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