Naturally, there was no response to Themis’s question. Elodie was unconscious, after all.

A shock, too great to continue speaking, had struck Themis.

Even thinking that what she was recalling might not be true, she couldn’t stop the negative flow of thoughts.

Themis looked around the room, laughing emptily.

At first, things that she hadn’t seen due to surprise, now became clear to her eyes.

‘That familiar bottle. It’s an antidote.’

There were bottles of antidote that Elodie always brought, both empty and full, sorted out.

There was nothing else. Nothing needed to make an antidote.

Only Themis’s poison, empty bottles, and antidote.

Seeing the situation, the doubts she had felt all along were unraveled one by one.

“It seems like the ability to ‘destroy’ the toxicity of the poison.”

Themis recalled Elodie’s confident claim that this time, Ferdia’s ability had awakened.

“I don’t want to be misunderstood.”

“So, you don’t have to worry.”

The appearance of her, fearing her ability manifestation might threaten Yanshi and Carlott.

“Yes. I would like to buy the method of making an antidote, but would that be difficult?”

“Uh ……. Yes. It’s a trade secret.”

When asked to reveal the method, Elodie’s reaction was strange.

The child who swore to be a good partner desperately hid it only in the method of preparation.

Even so, the way she avoided eye contact and fiddled with her hands bothered her, but she trusted and left it alone.

This situation was the result of that trust.

‘She had to poison herself to have that ability.’

Stupid. She felt empty, foolish, and even stupid.

Themis couldn’t understand what Elodie was thinking.

Why are you so desperate?

What drove this child to do this?

Themis Ferdia was a skilled poison maker.

As such, she knew better than anyone how strong and vicious the toxicity of the poison she made was.

Seeing Elodie’s unconscious state, she could guess that the toxicity was replaced by pain, proportional to its strength.

Among them, there was a poison that would lead to death within minutes with just a small amount consumed, and she drank that.

Heh.

The more she pondered, the more baffling it was, and instead of calming down, she became even more excited.

When Themis was controlling her emotions, unfortunately, Elodie’s eyelids trembled, and soon her pink eyes revealed themselves.

“Lady ……?”

What, what is this? Is this a dream?

Elodie, who was still drowsy from the poison and sleep, could not immediately grasp the situation.

‘It seems the Duchess is in front of me ……?’

The Duchess would have no business coming to the headquarters of the Falcon mercenaries, so it must be a dream, but it strangely felt real.

What’s more surprising is.

“Elodie Ferdia!”

The figure of Themis, looking at her coldly and calling her name.

Elodie shivered and clumsily raised her upper body.

Her spinning head, or her still heavy body, proved that this was not a dream.

What exactly is going on?

Seeing the Duchess shouting at her for the first time, she was even more startled.

Themis asked sharply.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Huh?”

“That you have to poison yourself to make an antidote.”

“Oh, that’s ……!”

Trying to explain that it was a misunderstanding, Elodie bit her lip and choked on her words when her eyes met the confident Themis.

The things in this room made it all too clear. She could not deny it.

“The reason I didn’t tell you was …….”

Lest her ability attribute of ‘purification’ rather than ‘destruction’ be found out.

Then it would be revealed that I am not the real daughter of Duke Ferdia.

That was all.

But she couldn’t explain that to the Duchess. That fact must never be revealed.

‘I just wanted to leave quietly …….’
Elodie bit her lips tightly and bowed her head deeply. Her hand trembled slightly with the fear that she might get caught.

Themis stared down at Elodie, even at her trembling hands.

Elodie’s face, still tinged with poison, was pale.

What Elodie had wanted, enduring the pain of taking a strong poison, was money.

An amount that seemed too insignificant to be money to Themis.

Taking poison just to get that money?

The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

And yet, Themis had said to Elodie,

“You seem to need a larger amount, is it possible?”

……like that.

Had she not indirectly encouraged her to take the poison, though unintentional?

After brief consideration, Themis declared with a sigh,

“Our deal ends here, Elodie.”

“……!”

Elodie’s eyes widened as she lifted her head.

“But you need a competent pharmacist.”

“Of course, I do.”

“If you cut off the deal like this, you will lose the pharmacist; are you really okay with that?”

Though Elodie desperately tried to prove her usefulness, Themis was adamant.

“I don’t have a hobby of feeding my child poison.”

“Child……?”

“……Elodie, you may think you have no right to me.”

What on earth does that mean?

Elodie tried to ask, but Themis spoke faster.

“Elodie. Don’t use your power from now on.”

“But[Dash].”