Chapter 80. Dried

Ian paced back and forth in the room with his arms crossed, unable to gauge how the situation was unfolding.

Beric was half-unconscious, sprawled out, and Mrs. Mereloff, who was agitated, sat on the sofa, bound. She sat up straight, her determined expression unchanged.

"What is this...?"

Romand knelt down and examined the powder in the small box with a glass lid. Since Beric had fainted immediately after smelling it, Hana had hurriedly brought the lid from the kitchen.

"Madam, it seems we have a lot to talk about."

"......"

"I need you to explain everything clearly. Otherwise, it will be difficult for both of us."

"It's just a drug. It's not a big deal, so why go to such lengths?"

Mrs. Mereloff asked, showing her bound wrists. As expected, it was Hana's handiwork, with the ribbons tied firmly and neatly.

In fact, if it were really a drug, it wouldn't be a big problem. It was something that often appeared at parties among the dissolute and pleasure-seeking noble children, and it was even more accessible in such a remote area.

"This isn't a drug."

However, Hana, who had knelt beside Romand, immediately contradicted her.

"Drugs come in various types, but most of them have a yellowish hue or thicker grains. This powder is so fine and white that it could be mistaken for flour at first glance. Most importantly, I've never heard of anyone fainting just from the smell."

Ian looked at Mrs. Mereloff, as if to ask her to explain. She only glared at Hana with a look of disbelief.

"What is that child?"

"...As you can see, she's one of our family who knows a lot."

Hana smiled proudly at the mention of "family."

Mrs. Mereloff then closed her mouth again. Ian signaled to Romand and Hana to leave for a moment. The fewer people around, the easier it would be to have an open conversation.

"Then, I'll go get a damp cloth for Lord Beric."

"Huh? Oh, then I'll... go for a bit..."

The two quick-witted people hurried out of Mary's room. Once the door closed, only Beric's labored breathing could be heard. Ian pulled a chair in front of her and sat down.

"Mrs. Mereloff, the more I think about it, the more things don't add up."

"So, that is...?"

"Let's be frank. I'll go through each point as I remember it. You seem to know about the Dripper. Is that correct?"

"......"

"Specifically, its value."

Mrs. Mereloff bit her lip and swallowed a sigh. It was clear she was hiding something. Ian scrutinized her face and, on a whim, asked:

"Are you from Lajas?"

"...What?"

Lajas. The place where the Dripper was believed to have been first created. She glared at Ian with a look of utter disbelief. After all, being from Lajas meant...

"Are you a Dera?"

"You're crazy. Do I look like a mole?"

"Given that you know what a Dera looks like, it seems you are from there."

Lajas was a mountain on the opposite side of the central point from Brats. Before the various inventions, including the Dripper, gained attention, even the people of that region didn't know such a mountain existed. It was a place that someone who hadn't ventured far from the area would never know about.

"I am, I am..."

The lady hesitated, staring intently.

"I am their friend."

"Who? The Dera? No way."

The Dera were known to be a closed-off group that didn't interact with the outside world. They spent their lives in underground tunnels, assembling and disassembling inventions daily.

A race that lived the same day over and over but ultimately created a different future. That was the definition given by their descendants.

"...It's the truth. I was born and raised nearby. My mother was a Dryad."

Ian's mouth slightly opened in surprise at this unexpected confession.

"Dryad? The Dryad I know?"

"Yes, that's right. A being who shares her fate with a tree."

Mrs. Mereloff spoke calmly, stating that she inherited the blood of a tree spirit. From her unwavering expression, it seemed she wasn't joking.

"But I didn't follow my mother's fate. It's a real blessing. The life of absorbing and living off the body of a loved one, rooted in one place forever, is terrifying."

Dryads were known to be dangerous among the fairies. Perhaps because they had to protect the tree that shared their life, they were famous for their eccentric and cruel nature. The act of absorbing a loved one alive to be with them forever was proof of this.

"I couldn't understand my mother at all. So I cut down the tree and ran away. I didn't even have time to collect my father's body, which had turned to stone."

The lady suddenly looked out the window, recalling that day. Thud, thud, the forest echoed with each axe strike, and the ground trembled. Birds took flight, and the cries of beasts filled the air. Perhaps it was her mother's scream.

"Did you come all the way here?"

"Hmm. There's more to the story. I was captured by a slave trader and sold. Unfortunately, the first person I met after leaving the forest was a slave trader. At the time, I didn't realize it, but now I think it might have been my mother's final curse. Could you give me a cigarette?"

She raised her bound wrists and wiggled her fingers. Since Ian didn't smoke, he immediately opened the door to find Romand. The latter, who hadn't gone far, hurried over in surprise.

"Sir Romand, just one cigarette."

"Huh? Oh, sure, wait a moment, here it is."

"Thank you."

Bang!

The door closed again, harshly. Romand scratched his head and looked embarrassed, though Ian didn't know why.

"Here you go."

"Thank you, Sir Ian."

Mrs. Mereloff exhaled a wisp of smoke with a sigh.

"So, the answer to your earlier question is 'yes.' I knew about the Dripper's value. Even if I don't know what it's used for, the Dera never make anything useless. How did you know about it, Sir Ian?"

"I picked up bits and pieces here and there."

"You seem to know a lot for someone who just heard about it."

The decision to gift the Dripper was partly impulsive and partly intentional. The moment he saw it in the warehouse, he reached for it, thinking that anything made by the Dera must be useful.

"Madam, did you also spread the news of the merchant caravan's arrival throughout the estate?"

"Why? Is that important?"

"I have a suspicion that you were trying to help me."

"Sir Ian, you're being ridiculous. That's something to be grateful for, not suspicious."

"It depends on your intentions."

At Ian's words, the lady slightly lifted her skirt. From her bruised and swollen ankles to her calves that were falling apart and her knees covered in scabs.

Ian frowned and turned his head away.

"Would you like to show me more?"

"I'll pass."

"Lord Mereloff, our husband, is not in his right mind. To the point where he would make a woman he bought from a slave trader his lady."

That's why they never had a proper wedding, and she was brought in secretly. As he recalled Mary's subtle condescending behavior, it all started to make sense.

"Does the lord know that you have Dryad blood?"

"No. I resemble my father more than my mother."

The saying that blood is thicker than water isn't just a saying. Her beautiful appearance, slow biological clock, longer lifespan, and better physical abilities all proved that she was the child of a Dryad.

"There's no way I could divorce my husband, and I don't want to spend decades living in a place like this. Cutting down my mother's tree and fleeing the forest only brought me here."

"So?"

Mrs. Mereloff looked at the unconscious Beric instead of answering. That's why she needed this. Ian's expression changed instantly as he grabbed her wrist.

Zap!

"...Is it poison?"

"No. It's a new hallucinogen for sleep that's being distributed in the Havwan Kingdom. They say that if you take it consistently for a month, it can cause apnea during sleep. But I've never heard of someone fainting just from the smell."

"Reliable information, I see."

"Both I and Lady Mary took the powder without any issues. I assume she's having a good dream."

A new type of drug that caused hallucinations and ate away at the body from the inside. The reason she had brought the drug from outside was clear. If Lord Mereloff's death were to be suspected, they needed to avoid the autopsy potion.

"Unbelievable. Lady Mary was using this too?"

"Maybe. I don't know if she used it. At first, it was meant for Derga. But she must have realized that it would be better to use it on herself."

"Why?"

"Why? Sir Ian, your existence is the reason."

The illegitimate child brought from outside, Ian. The result of Derga's numerous indiscretions. Ian suddenly recalled Mary's haggard appearance in the secret underground room. It was clearly a sign of withdrawal from the drug.

"Sir Ian, I hate the name Mereloff. What's the difference between me and my mother, who was tied to one place?"

Even her attempt to kill her husband was similar to her mother's. A fate she wanted to avoid but couldn't escape.

"I just want the freedom to choose my own destiny. That's all I want."

"I know the lord has a younger brother."

Even if Lord Mereloff were to die, the next lord of the estate would be his brother, not her.

"It doesn't matter. As long as I can decide where I belong."

Moreover, if things continued like this, she might die before the lord did.

Ian looked at her thoughtfully. They were neighboring estates, but they were always eyeing each other's necks to expand their influence.

"I have a proposal."

Mrs. Mereloff took the initiative. She extended her wrists, as if asking to be untied.

"An enemy of my enemy is my ally. There's no reason for Sir Ian and me not to work together. If you help me, or rather, turn a blind eye, I'll provide the tribute, to the best of my ability."

"To the best of your ability. How much?"

"...It's hard to say exactly."

Outside, the sun had already set. The time for Mrs. Mereloff to return had long passed, and now the question was whether it was really in his best interest to send her back.

Bang! Bang!

At that moment, a commotion was heard from outside.

Ian slowly opened the door to assess the situation. A stranger was causing trouble with the servants.

"Are you kidding? Why can't I see the lady?"

"Sir, right now, Sir Ian is having an important conversation..."

"I have something to tell her. It's suspicious that you won't even pass a message. Move aside."

"No way!"

"Move! What did you do to the lady?!"

"Are you serious? You're the one who did something to her!"

The commotion was caused by Mrs. Mereloff's attendant. Since she had missed her return time and received no word, he had come to the mansion and barged in.

"Hey."

Ian called out to him softly.

"The lady is busy right now. Please wait a bit longer."

But the attendant, without hesitation, rushed towards Ian. Then, he noticed Mrs. Mereloff's bound wrists and his eyes widened in shock.

"What is this-!"

"Clark! Wait!"

Clark lunged at Ian. The servants tried to stop him in surprise but were a step too late. Ian grabbed Clark's wrist and released his mana.

Zzz!

Bang!

"...Huff!"

"Clark!"

Mrs. Mereloff rushed to the fallen Clark, letting out a shrill cry. She held him, trembling from the shock.

Everyone looked at her in disbelief, and then Beric mumbled in his sleep.

"Raving... and falling over..."