Chapter 226
Chapter 226
“Ah… but…”
I glanced at Julius, unsure of what to say next. The woman before us was the candidate for the female lead in the original work, and though she was no longer connected to us, she still carried a strange air about her. If we protected and treated her, we could benefit greatly from future exchanges with the Suran Empire.
But as much as I wanted to reveal this information, my top priority was still Yanghwa’s drug treatment. “Is there any way to cure her here?” I asked, hoping for a solution.
Julius shook his head. “Is there any reason to treat her here? It will only be a problem.”
I argued, “The people of Suran suffered damage in our country. We need to investigate and hear more about it. If someone forced her to take drugs–”
Kaichen interrupted with a sigh, “Drug treatment is different from detoxification of poison. I’m confident in making an antidote by analyzing the ingredients, but breaking down the drugs’ substance itself in the body and getting rid of it immediately isn’t in my field.”
I was disappointed, but not surprised. “Anyway, since they were both addictive, I thought they were similar, but it seems to be different.”
Julius stroked his chin in thought. “Yes, so there’s something even you can’t do.”
Kaichen bristled at the implication. “It’s not that I can’t do it, but because I don’t care.”
Julius nodded, conceding the point. “Yes, because you couldn’t do drugs.”
“I’m not doing it,” Kaichen affirmed, his voice stern.
Kaichen remained adamant in his refusal, but Julius brushed it off, saying he knew a little about the matter. Kaichen’s expression grew even more grim, but Julius, being higher in rank, suggested they ask their Master for help.
“Why would you say that?” Kaichen asked skeptically.
“Since things related to the Suran Empire are Master’s specialty,” Julius explained. “If I told him that a person from the Suran Empire is addicted to opium and that we needed urgent help, he would surely come running right away.”
I blinked in surprise and sidled up to Kaichen’s side. “Master’s master… does this mean the great sage is coming?”
“If he’s interested, he’ll come,” Kaichen replied evenly.
I couldn’t help but imagine the great sage Hamal, who had been introduced as Julius and Kaichen’s teacher at the beginning of the original work. Like Kaichen, he was deeply immersed in the study of magic, particularly in deciphering ancient texts and uncovering the truth of the world and the history of the continent. He was also known for having a sharp eye for people, and it was said that if someone caught his attention, they could become anything.
“He could definitely fix Yanghwa,” I murmured.
Julius suggested they move Yanghwa to her mansion in Heulin instead of Acrab so that Hamal could find her more easily.
I instructed Julius to head back first and then called Haram to provide detailed instructions on how to develop the road beyond the mine. I asked him to keep it confidential as much as possible so that rumors wouldn’t spread. Although it would be revealed someday, I wanted to keep it hidden for as long as I could.
When I returned to Heulin, Yanghwa was sleeping peacefully on the bed in the guest room.
“She woke up for a while, but had a seizure, so I put her back to sleep,” Julius said, looking slightly embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head.
I checked the back of Yanghwa’s neck, relieved to see that she appeared unharmed, thanks to Julius’s careful work.
After closing the bedroom door, I sat next to Kaichen on the sofa, while Julius sat in the main seat, looking troubled.
“You met the lady at Sharatan, right?” Julius asked.
“Yes, that’s correct,” I replied.
“Did you notice their hideout there?”
“I’m not sure if it was the enemy’s hideout… but I have a feeling this incident was part of a plan,” I said.
“There must be a reason why they sent this woman to us,” Julius said, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
***
Exchetra reviewed the documents piled up on her desk and signed them absentmindedly.
“As the princess predicted, they took her,” Asta said.
“Yes, she’s a shameless b!tch,” Exchetra replied, feeling irritated. It was nice to drug and control the incompetent emperor, but it was also irritating to do all his work.
Exchetra had been juggling the responsibilities of both an emperor and a princess since childhood, but others believed the emperor was perfectly fine and thus couldn’t distribute her workload.
“Why wasn’t she killed like the other women?”
“Dalia Alshine could rewrite her destiny if she didn’t die, but not all fates are malleable,” was the reply.
“Is she the one with an unchangeable destiny?”
“Yes. She’s not like the others who were killed.”