Chapter 166
Miya had inherited beastkin blood, but so faintly that she was unaware of it.
Then, by chance, she learned she was a beastkin.
And that she had the power to make potions.
With her deft hands, Miya secretly began producing potions and selling them one by one.
That’s when she got caught by Kierne.
At the time, Kierne had just developed an interest in beastkin potions.
After observing the potions from various beastkins, he confirmed that Miya’s were the most useful.
Thus, he decided to keep only Miya.
He eliminated the rest and brainwashed Miya to completely forget she was a beastkin.
And made her produce potions whenever needed.
Solely for the master.
But instincts etched into the body couldn’t be ignored.
Miya often mimicked beastkin behaviors.
However, since the underworld was full of even crazier folks, Miya had been able to run her boutique without much suspicion until now.
Only those around her who thought she was human recoiled at her actions.
Her blood was so dilute that it didn’t show outwardly, so even the seductress’s dog, a fellow beastkin, hadn’t noticed Miya’s true nature.
It was a perfect secret.
Though he hadn’t anticipated that Miya would end up handling the Basilian family’s wardrobe.
As Kierne checked each potion Miya had made, he asked leisurely.
“Has anything unusual happened in the underworld?”
He’d left Jahan and the three brothers there to handle tasks.
But Kierne didn’t fully trust even those closest to him.
Especially the three brothers, who carried Basilian blood.
They were children who could turn and bite him if things went wrong, so he made an effort not to let his guard down.
Thus, whenever he came for potions, Kierne would casually ask Miya various things.
To his subtle question, Miya replied brightly.
“There was something a bit strange at dawn on a rainy day not long ago.”
“What was it?”
“Lord Jahan cleared out everyone from a specific area.”
Suddenly evacuating an entire zone at dawn, leaving it completely empty.
The people chased out could only return to their area after a considerable time had passed.
“Ah.”
It was something Kierne hadn’t been informed of.
Fingering the glass bottle in his hand, Kierne smiled faintly.
It seemed his beloved sons were up to some mischief behind Dad’s back.
He didn’t know what their scheme was…
‘But maybe I’ll pretend not to know.’
The three brothers had suffered a lot lately because of Kierne.
Thanks to Kierne completely losing it after Cheshire left.
Secretly supporting the traitor Hailon, invading the fairy kingdom and taking all the fairies hostage—the cleanup from those alone was a mountain, but.
That was merely the beginning.
Kierne caused all sorts of incidents.
He hadn’t publicly revealed his identity as the underworld master, but by openly leaking the close ties between the master and the Basilian County, he seized control of the Palen Empire’s political scene.
Thanks to that, the Basilian County had the empire in its grasp in just over a year.
But such rapid growth came with its own side effects.
Kierne had charged ahead without looking back, so all the problems that arose in the meantime were handled entirely by the three brothers.
Then, when mania struck occasionally, contact would suddenly cut off.
His memories were always hazy during those times.
When he came to, he’d find himself holed up in the Black Forest for over a week, slaughtering monsters, or waking in some utterly unrelated place.
Usually spots holding memories of Rose and Cheshire.
Standing dazed in empty places, tormented by hallucinations and voices, before finally regaining his senses and returning.
Of course, the voids from Kierne’s mad disappearances were also borne by the three brothers.
If he weren’t their father, Belzeon would have long ago poisoned Kierne’s tea.
Kierne held the potion bottle up to the light.
He stared at the iridescent liquid and smiled.
“I don’t know what they’re plotting, but I suppose I should let them get away with it once.”
They were family, after all.
At Kierne’s murmur to himself, Miya tilted her head.
Wondering if there was something for her to do, she cocked her head curiously.
He waved her off lightly.
“Good work. I’ll come for the next batch in a month.”
“Yes! Master.”
It was as he prepared to brainwash the beaming Miya again.
“……”
Kierne suddenly turned around.
His long eyes narrowed slyly.
His gaze, sharp as a snake’s, slowly scanned the boutique interior.
Behind large furniture, in shadowy corners, between ornate clothes on mannequins—he examined each one, then hummed shortly in his throat.
Then he turned his attention back to Miya.
Snap, at the finger snap, Miya, who had been smiling brightly, slowly closed her eyes.
She slumped into the chair behind the counter, her head dropping forward.
She looked like she was dozing off while minding the shop.
Kierne, potion bag in hand, opened the shop door.
Ding, the bell chimed.
Kierne stood there for a moment, holding the door.
He remained like that for a while, expressionless, before finally stepping away.
The boutique door closed slowly.
Once the door was fully shut and Kierne had left.
“…Whew.”
Cheshire and Hata, their faces bright red from holding their breath, revealed themselves in the boutique.
She’d hidden with Hata and headed to Miya’s boutique.
The moment the boutique came into view from afar.
Cheshire flinched in surprise and froze in place.
She’d spotted Kierne standing in front of Miya’s boutique.
It had been a very long time since she’d seen him.
He seemed unchanged in some ways, yet much had altered.
His appearance, beautiful like a blood-red rose, and the thorny, dangerous aura remained the same.
His dizzyingly captivating beauty was intact, but the changes stood out too.
‘His eyes look even stranger.’
As if he’d smile and accept death tomorrow morning—no, right this instant.
He’d been unstable even when living with Cheshire, but now he seemed like a cracked glass doll.
Eyes so precarious they might shatter into pieces at a touch, yet Kierne was smiling.
Her chest stung at the crooked smile on his lips.
After hesitating, Cheshire somehow ended up following Kierne into the shop…
And saw everything.
‘Miya was a beastkin!?’
It was a truth she’d never dreamed of.
Cheshire and Hata stared at each other, speechless in shock.
‘Wow…’
He really was an expert at lying.
Cheshire was genuinely impressed.
When Miya had visited the Basilian County for clothing alterations, Kierne had perfectly pretended not to know her.
He’d even fooled the three brothers completely.
‘As expected, not just anyone can be the underworld master.’
Dazed as if struck hard on the back of the head, she suddenly snapped to attention.
“This isn’t the time.”
Cheshire quickly stuck flowers back on her and Hata’s foreheads.
“Let’s follow him!”
“Whaaat?”
Hata, who had been trembling in fear, jumped in place.
“I need to find out what Kierne’s doing in the underworld.”
Just how much was truth and how much was lie.
She’d tailed the three brothers and gathered some clues, but ultimately, the lord of the underworld was Kierne.
He was the beginning and end of everything.
The reason Cheshire had first decided to be adopted into the Basilian County was to investigate him.
This time, she’d uncover it all satisfyingly.
And perhaps, by secretly following Kierne…
‘Maybe I can learn a little about the Countess.’
She wanted to see even her portrait.
