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“Uh, yes. ……”

“I didn’t think he was going to have a child and raise it. Did he* have a woman?”

“No, I’m an illegitimate child.”

“Oh, that makes sense. Any alchemist born under that greedy man* would have grown up mostly trapped.”

(*Count Delight)

Elise said in a brighter voice than before. Valletta stood stunned and crept closer. She could tell by looking at Elise that she had been locked up for a long time.

“You know him well.” (Valletta)

“He was about the same age as us.” (Elise)

“Us?” (Valletta)

“…… Cainus, me and Lag, we met when we were young and were friends for a long time.”

The mention of Cainus seemed to be a reference to the Emperor. Elise was this beautiful person in front of Valletta. She didn’t know who Rag was.

After a brief moment of thinking, Valletta nodded.

‘The emperor must be in his early to mid forties….’

‘So this woman is also in her 40s with this appearance?’

Valletta was now bored with a different look. She was confined and not well managed, but how great could she really be if she looked like this woman even under stress?

“What else is Cainus doing?” (Elise)

“He wants me. I don’t know why……” (Valletta)

“…… You’re the interesting alchemist he mentioned, aren’t you?” (Elise)

Elise opened her eyes wide, as if she knew something.

Valletta nodded, “Probably so,” and she chuckled and nodded.

“Get away from Cainus right away. Run away.” (Elise)

“I’d like to do that, but….” (Valletta)

Valletta said, pointing to the choker on her neck. Elise narrowed her eyes and quickly pulled herself out of bed.

The sound of clanking iron came from somewhere, and Valletta’s gaze moved toward the sound.

Her brows narrowed as she saw the shackles around Elise’s ankles. It was very long, and walking around this room itself seemed to be no problem. However, the corridor she had just walked through seemed to be blocked.

“Can you come closer?” (Elise)

“Yes.”

Valletta approached and bent down. Elise sighed lowly as she slowly swept the choker.

“I made this.” (Elise)

“…… What?”

“This alchemy sealing formation, I made it before. Cainus asked me to arrest an alchemist criminal.”

Elise’s face twisted . . a look that said she did expect it to be used in this way. She sighed and wiped her face.

At Jin’s words, Valletta nodded lightly.

“There is also a sealing formation in this room. This was an attempt to seal me up. It’s useless now, after what happened to me, but I’m sure it’s still working.” (Elise)

“If you made the seal, you already knew how to disable it. Why didn’t you run away?” (Valletta)

Whenever you create a new alchemy, you must also create a way to undo it, because the founder of the formula also has the means to take responsibility for it if something goes wrong.

Elise lowered her head at Valletta’s question.

“I couldn’t……. Someone important to me is being held captive. Now, I’m off the path of alchemy and have no power.” (Elise)

This was definitely a part that wasn’t in the novel. The nuance that the emperor had some hidden agenda was mentioned several times, but the character Elise never appeared. This meant that the writer deliberately didn’t reveal it, or that it was literally “the villain’s inside story.” Because he wouldn’t write down the circumstances of the villain who must die in the story of the protagonist.

“Who is that important person?”

“I mentioned earlier, Lag. Lagris, my lover.”

“Lagris …….”

Valletta recited his name in a low voice. Lagris was a name she had heard somewhere before. It was not completely familiar, but it wasn’t unfamiliar either.

‘Where did I hear it?’

She had heard of it, but she couldn’t properly recall where she had heard it before.

“…. Perhaps you haven’t heard anything about it?”

“Yes, because I’ve never heard that name before.”

“Okay…”

Elise bowed her head, looking terribly disappointed. Valletta, who was staring at her face, which looked tired and weary, spoke up impulsively.

“I’ll check it out next time I’m here.”

“…..Really? But I’m afraid it’s not safe for you to come here again.”

“Don’t worry, Jin and Nerade will help me.”

Valletta shrugged her shoulders. It was not a problem as long as she didn’t get caught. The only thing she had to watch out for was that the emperor would notice if there was even the slightest disturbance.

“Do you know anything about a child named Milord?”

“Yes, he’s the Crown Prince. Lately, he seems to be swayed by the Emperor.”

Valletta said indifferently. The only thing she couldn’t do anything about was the bead necklace Milord was holding, and that was the problem. Literally, the only way to get it was to steal it or take it away, but he was wearing it on his necklace…..

“The mark of obedience is engraved on my heart, and the Crown Prince holds the medium. There are many people who want this trivial body.” (Valletta)

“…… that kid.” (Elise)

“Yes, the necklace is a problem, but the bead is a bigger problem. I have to go and get the necklace, but there’s no space.”

Valletta sighed and shrugged. There were several ways to do it, but the option that inevitably clashes with the imperial family. As for Valletta, she didn’t feel comfortable with it.

Elise, who was silent for a while as she listened to Valletta, suddenly burst into laughter. Valletta blinked at her refreshed laugh.

“Did you know that there is a ‘replacement alchemy’ in alchemy?” (Elise)

“The switching alchemy formula…..? How can that be alchemy?”

Is it a similar principle to the ‘mobile alchemy’ used by Carlon Delphine? Valletta tilted her head as she thought about it.

“I’ve actually studied it with Lagris to use it in magic. Excuse me, can you grab the pen from my desk?” (Elise)

Valletta tilted her head curiously, but brought the pen from the desk. It was a little odd why Elise didn’t go get it herself. Even though she was shackled, it wasn’t like she couldn’t move at all…

She acted like someone who couldn’t walk.

Taking a pen that was neatly placed on the desk, Valletta held it out to Elise.

Elise grabbed the pen with one hand, and with the other she grabbed Valletta’s hand and turned it over so that her palm was facing up.

“Lady Elise?”

“Hang in there, Miss Valletta. It won’t sound like alchemy if you listen to my explanation, but it is alchemy.”

Valletta leaned slightly as she listened to the softly recited voice as if singing.

Elise exclaimed, “Oh!” and pulled Valletta to sit on the bed. It was just a little force, but Valletta didn’t dare to hold back, and she was dragged to the bed as she was.

Elise began to draw something with the pen on Valletta’s palm. She drew a round circle and wrote a detailed alchemical formula inside it. Valletta tilted her head as she stared at it.

When she saw that it contained a decomposition formula, it looked like she was trying to take something apart. It was a really difficult alchemy formula. It was also the alchemy formula that Valletta saw for the first time. It was quite different from a typical alchemy, but it also looked like a magic circle.

“Now, it’s done. Any item that can be held in the palm of your hand is possible. Now, would you like to hold the pen?”

Valletta gripped the pen tightly.

“Now put it back.”

Valletta obediently followed Elise’s words. She put the pen back on the bed.

“Now, open your hand.”

“Yes, but what is this doing…….”

Valletta was about to make a ridiculous sound while imitating her, but surprised and let out a breath.

The same pen that she had just lowered onto the bed was again in her hand. Valletta looked at the bed with a hint of bewilderment on her face.

“I have the…. pen.”

What in the world is this evil?

Valletta’s eyes widened as she looked at Elise.

“Swap it with the new one you made. This is the one you made, and that’s the original pen. It sounds like magic, doesn’t it?” (Elise)

“…… Yes, but, what’s the price?” (Valletta)

“You don’t have to pay for it. It’s not even a perfect alchemy, and it’s not subject to the sealing process. There are not many types of this alchemy.”

“You can’t call it alchemy?”

Elise smiled silently at Valletta’s question, a little troubled, and put pressure on her lips.

“That’s a trade secret. Of course, it’s a kind of taboo that you shouldn’t do. It’s a bit of a trick. So this won’t last long.”

“Really?”

“So leave it at that and take this and see how long it takes to disappear. When this disappears, that’s the time when you can deceive others.”

Valletta put the alchemy formula that had been drawn earlier in her mind. If she had time, even just a few days, she could get out of here. It was just a matter of getting in touch with Reinhardt beforehand.

“What is your relationship with Milord?”

“We were forced to engage for a time. But I have no intention of marrying him. And now he wants to lock me up.”

“Perhaps Cainus encouraged him to do that. (The Emperor) He’s always been very good at dealing with people with his words.”

Indeed, that was something Valletta agreed with. The Emperor was a man who could say anything he wanted to say in a friendly way, a man who could make an impression with a single smile. And since he wasn’t lacking in looks, it would be even easier to make a favorable impression. He would be a man who could put a knife in someone’s back with a smiling face.

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