Jax writhed his body, trying to get away from the poison ivy with bloodshot eyes.

“Brody, if you intend to deal with him, I will……”

Aidan whispered in her ear. Brody frowned slightly and shook her head.

She had no real intention of killing Jax. It wouldn’t do to leave a corpse in a place where many showed interest.

Of course, Brody, who had never killed anyone, found it hard to bear such thoughts, but she decided not to voice them in order to survive in this harsh world.

Brody gestured to Aidan. Aidan understood her meaning and lowered his body, holding her, so that Brody could easily converse with Jax.

“Well, Your Grace. What do you think? How about making a deal for your life?”

Staring anxiously at the plants continually encroaching upon him, Jax gestured for her to speak.

“Tell me how you cast the magic.”

At those words, Jax and Aidan’s bodies stiffened.

Brody thrust the poison ivy into his face when Jax hesitated and failed to make an easy decision.

“Eeeeeeek!”

Jax was startled and jerked his head violently.

“Three, two,”

“Uugh!”

Before the words were finished, Jax nodded violently.

Brody shrugged her shoulders and removed the plant binding his mouth.

Of course, the poison ivy remained close to his face.

Brody gestured for him to speak.

He caught his breath, his eyes fixed on the poison ivy, and finally opened his mouth.

“The…the magic uses an artifact as a medium. The, the power is from Her Highness’s magic……”

“Where is it, the artifact?”

Jax hesitated again, biting his lip.

But his hesitation didn’t last long. The poison ivy touched the corner of Jax’s eye.

Although the venom hadn’t seeped into his bloodstream, the toxic fumes were enough to sting his tender eye.

Jax, unable to control himself, shed tears from the eye the poison ivy had touched, and opened his mouth again.

“The…necklace.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Aidan’s hand flew in.

Aidan, with a disgusted expression, searched Jax’s belongings and pulled out the necklace.

‘Phew, is that it then.’

Now there would be no more of that nightmarish incident. Brody shook her head, trying not to recall the sensation of that time, and sighed in relief.

But the child checking the necklace spoke.

“It doesn’t seem like it’s a oneofakind artifact. If identical artifacts exist, the magic will still be activated. It seems to be possible only for you since it has no effect on me… I don’t know how that’s possible.”

At his accurate judgment, Jax flinched.

“Aha, then you’ve given me half the information. Then shall I take one of your eyes in return?”

Brody immediately snapped her fingers as if to poke out an eye.

Jax shut his eyes in fear and shouted.

“I must… I must undo it.”

“Undo… it? Are you saying that something has affected me?”

Aidan seemed to grasp the situation and heavily explained.

“You must have been given a potion that could make you the target of a specific magic.”

Brody tilted her head in puzzlement. She first met Jax after coming to this world and heading south.

She had not come into contact with him or even shared a meal with him before the magic had been cast.

That meant…

“Are you saying you had already fed it to me…? Even before I left the duke’s residence?”

Brody’s hand gripping Aidan’s shoulder tightened.

It wasn’t something she had personally experienced, but nevertheless, she had ‘Brody’s’ memories.

To Ayhan, who followed him and gave him everything, you would drug him sneakily?

“Ah, it was my father’s wish. You never know what people will become. But Brody, I really didn’t think I would have to use this on you. To think that you would betray me like this…”

Ha, who’s talking about betrayal to whom?

Brody was taken aback.

She wanted to poke out both his eyes right then.

But not yet.

She opened her mouth, trembling with rage.

“This is your last chance. Tell me the type of potion and how to undo it.”

The poisonous plant branched in two directions, reaching both his eyes.

He sobbed and begged, tears being sucked out by the poison.

“Th…there’s none. Really. Oh, Brody, are you really going to blind me? Good you wouldn’t do that, right?”

“None?”

“Yes, even if there was, I wouldn’t know. I really don’t know. His Highness only told me that it would not wear off in a few years, or even in death… There’s no need to know since knowing it won’t help.”

Brody, her face pale, saw Aidan nod slightly with a dark expression.

It meant that Jax was not lying.

That came more desperately to Brody.

She had hoped that perhaps she could resolve the issue immediately, but now there might be no end, not even in 3 years.

To continue living with a threat to her life and identity.

So, if she couldn’t subdue the caster of the magic. That’s what it meant.

‘So, I have no choice but to subdue the empress.’

Brody frowned, and the plant that had wrapped around Jax’s body squeezed him even tighter.

“Eek… Croak…!”

Jax writhed in agony, feeling the plant stems digging into his flesh, unable to even open his eyes.

“Brody, hu, huh, I, I’m, aren’t I your ally… You put me as your enemy, that, really. You, my br, brother…”

Brody, as if she didn’t want to hear his words, blocked his mouth again with the plant.

“Farewell, Your Grace.”

“Uh, uh!”

Jax crumpled with a muffled scream.