Chapter 004
The villains of romance novels and the capitalists of my past life share one thing in common: an absolute obsession with human utility.
‘As long as you are useful, they keep you alive; once your utility fades, they discard you.’
In fact, didn’t the Creator say this in ancient times?
“The Tarandias have no hearts, the Balthazars are easily deceived, the Pavils are greedy, and the Bolivars are wild. As for the Tillards, they are that pretentious family that flutters between them all like a butterfly…”
That was how the five families favored by the Creator were described.
Ah, and by the way, that truly is “love”—the Creator loved His children so much that He started criticizing them on the very first page of the Holy Scripture.
In any case, the temperaments of the five families were inherited and remained incredibly potent. The people of the Imperial Tarandia family were born without hearts, so do not expect blood or tears from them.
…And that is why I am currently kidnapped by this villain, dragged behind him like a canary in a coal mine.
“Do not be so afraid, Lady Tillard.”
The villain wore that beautiful, refreshing smile that reached his eyes.
“Since we are heading to the same destination, we shall go together. My presence doesn’t bother you, does it?”
“Hohoho, impossible, Your Highness. I am so happy that we are together like this.”
“I’m glad we agree, my lady. Let’s use this opportunity to become close.”
The life of nobility is no different from the complex social life of a freelancer. Both share the reality that a single mistake can cost you your life.
‘I’ve survived for now, but if I don’t prove my utility properly, I might be killed.’
But one cannot stake their life on a madman. Thus, Lillian stole a glance at the black-clad knights guarding him.
The ‘Shadows.’
The special task force belonging to the Balthazar family, the First Prince’s maternal relatives. They were a group of supernatural users who took orders from the First Prince alone.
The First Empress loved the Emperor deeply. But here too, the Tillard family played a prominent role; they allied with the Pavil family and worked tirelessly to plot against the First Empress until she died of a broken heart.
And the First Prince—this villain—naturally found himself in a weak position in the power struggle.
‘It’s only natural for him to hate me because I’m a Tillard.’
But?
As the Creator said, the ‘Balthazars of the Earth’ are famous for being easily deceived.
‘In other words, they are soft-hearted toward others.’
Therefore, I might be able to gain their trust a little.
And what is the primary trait of a noble lady and a freelancer? It is clever observation to seize opportunities for survival.
As evening approached, the first opportunity appeared—
One of the Shadows grumbled while setting up the camping tents.
“Ah—!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Damn it, my artifact broke.”
A female knight of the Shadows, with black eyes and dark blue hair tied up, was complaining as she removed her ring.
“Blast it, that monster must have scratched it.”
Lillian’s eyes gleamed.
‘That’s Xan Balthazar.’
From a branch of the Duke Balthazar family, isn’t she the famous powerhouse of this group?
Lillian took courage and approached her. Remember: a crisis is an opportunity.
“If you don’t mind, may I take a look at it?”
The moment Lillian finished speaking, the Shadows pelted her with hostile glares.
Shring— shring—
Some even began to partially draw their swords from their sheaths as a threat.
Incidentally, Lillian was quite happy.
‘Ah! Everyone really relies on them.’
In truth, it was hard to trust mercenaries in terms of either morals or skill. But this! Having the protection of knights with guaranteed competence for free until I reach the border?
That is wonderful, and worth the effort to lower their guard. Lillian pulled a magical torch and a bottle of resin from her bag.
When she produced a torch that reaches 1,400°C in an instant without needing a charge, the Shadows were slightly taken aback.
“Do things like that usually come out of a noble lady’s bag?”
“She is from a Holy House.”
“No, but she’s a Tillard anyway.”
Yes, that is Tillard. The pinnacle of the control artifact industry. And ironically, Lillian is the direct daughter of that family.
No matter how much the Shadows showed their disgust, they couldn’t ignore the words of a daughter of that elite (and trashy) family mentioned on the first page of the Scripture.
In the end, Lillian took the ring from the hesitant knight.
“You’re using an artifact ring, aren’t you?”
“Ah… yes, more or less.”
“There’s a crack, but fortunately, the inner circuit is intact.”
Is the circuit broken? If it were, I would have asked for money to fix it. A broken circuit could cause a power backlash and lead to the owner’s death. But this level of damage is minor.
Lillian’s hands began to move rapidly.
‘First, I’ll coat it with resin.’
That transparent adhesive prevents accessory parts from falling out.
‘Next, I’ll use the torch to heat it slightly until it hardens.’
This first aid is the most that can be done for now.
“This is all I can do here, but you should have it repaired properly in the city later.”
“Huh… ahem, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lillian smiled gently.
“Anyway, this is the limit of what I can do…”
Based on this, I trust they will share their dinner with me. At that moment, Lillian heard a resonant voice from behind her.
“Hmm, it seems you have a talent like this?”
He arrived. The passive-aggressive question, the trademark of this villain.
The captivatingly beautiful man tilted his head while smiling.
“Wasn’t your sister Iris the one who ran the artifact business?”
“That’s true. I only possess some very basic skills.”
Lillian lowered her eyes and smiled ruefully.
This was the pattern Lillian would follow until she reached the border.
I am useful, but not too useful.
Because if I am too useful, I will be exploited; if I am useless, I might be killed.
“Hehe, nonetheless, it is impressive. Why don’t you come to me instead of running away from home?”
“My goodness, Your Highness. Why do you say that? My heart flutters even if it’s just passing words.”
Do you think I’ll be fooled?
Romance novel protagonists show no mercy to any woman except the “heroine.” And this man, in particular, hates those who overreach their ambitions more than anything.
‘If I told him we hate the same people so let’s be allies, he’d kill me instantly on the grounds that I’m suspicious.’
I must endure a little longer. My bag is still full of sleeping pills!
* * *
Late at night, after the lights in the camp had been extinguished—
“Hmm. Hmm.”
Evren was humming in a low voice.
At his feet lay the remains of an assassin’s clothes that had vanished due to his ability. At that moment, Elias Balthazar, the black-haired swordsman and his right hand, emerged from the darkness.
“…Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I was just having fun with the guest the Empress sent.”
Isn’t it cruel to monopolize the control stones like this?
“Your Highness, do you really trust Lillian Tillard?”
“What’s the problem? She says she knows a vein of control stones.”
“But—”
“I lose nothing by watching her for a few days.”
And if she’s lying, I’ll give her time to settle her affairs before her end.
And by the way—
“Does one usually do such things if their fiancé cheats and messes around with another woman?”
—Evren had possessed no human emotions since birth.
He knows how to smile charmingly, but… mmm. He doesn’t know the difference between humans and objects. Thus, when it comes to understanding the human psyche, he relies on his assistant, Elias.
“…Isn’t she famous for loving her fiancé for ten years?”
“And what of it?”
“When the person you love falls into a scandal with your cousin, it’s very likely you’d lose your mind.”
Evren smiled and narrowed his eyes. Indeed, he did not understand.
“Oh, right… this time, you moved the Guides to the rear, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I’ve secured enough distance so you won’t be bothered.”
“…….”
“Your Highness—?”
“Hmm… nothing.”
Evren shook his head briefly.
‘Annihilation’ was the most destructive among all abilities. But a moment ago, his instinct was whispering to him.
…There is a beautiful scent.
There is a Guide I like.
I want to touch her. I want to possess her.
I want to break her.
Every time he sees Lillian Tillard, he seems to hear this voice.
It makes no sense.
‘Shall I try testing her a little?’
