Chapter 718 – #143_My Kid Has Changed (5)
#718
1.
Lydia would have stayed glued to her bed if it were any ordinary guest, but not this time.
The original owner of Shin Siwoo, whom she had picked up from Rosie’s workshop.
The Sword Witch herself had come to visit the Almak Club.
If Lydia had stuck to her original plan of handing Shin Siwoo over to Duke Erelim, there would be no need to meet her.
She could simply play dumb, pretend she knew nothing, and send Siwoo to the Duke nicely packaged.
However, having chosen “secretly possessing Shin Siwoo” as another option, leaving Linne as she was would only increase the risk.
Rumors and numerous anecdotes proved how headstrong Linne was, and that once she was fixated on something, she would never stop.
How well Lydia could convince her and send her back would determine her future comfort.
“Hello?”
Lydia, with a business-like smile that was both friendly and not subservient, stepped into the VVIP reception room.
And she immediately understood why the witch who had just called Lydia was trembling.
As soon as she descended the open staircase, a sharp, blade-like energy grazed her skin.
Even though Linne was still more than 10 meters away, a fierce killing intent, as if declaring, “This is my territory,” was making the air in the room seethe.
Indeed, there was a reason why the 20th-tier witch had called as if requesting rescue.
“…”
Linne, without even touching the offered tea, stood in place, glaring at Lydia.
Next to her table was a strange object, whether it was a bundle or a lunchbox.
“I told you I was busy, but the fact that you came so urgently means you’ve decided to hand over Shin Siwoo, right? Good thinking. I’ll pay you handsomely.”
Lydia didn’t miss Linne’s fingers twitching the moment the name “Shin Siwoo” came out of her mouth.
Indeed, Linne’s purpose in coming was Shin Siwoo.
“Is it your doing?”
Despite the intense atmosphere, her voice, devoid of any inflection, echoed eerily.
But Lydia was also a veteran who had been through countless battles.
She was confident that she could subdue Linne with her skills if necessary, so she responded calmly without flinching.
“My doing?”
Lydia tilted her head as if she had no idea what she was talking about, blinking her eyes.
She was secretly pleased.
Linne, who had made excuses about him being her disciple and tried to inflate his value even though Lydia had asked her directly.
How worried she had been that the hardliners might make a move first because the neutral party was holding a politically important figure?
Now that the situation was reversed, she forgot her annoyance at being interrupted during sex and smiled with satisfaction.
“I don’t know why you’re so angry, but could it be…”
“…”
“Has Shin Siwoo disappeared?”
Lydia immediately crossed her arms and pretended to ponder.
“This is a problem. If he falls into the hands of the hardliners, things will get complicated…”
“…”
“I’ll help with the search. In return, would you give me enough information?”
It was an attempt to remove herself from suspicion by acting as she would have if she knew nothing.
Lydia showed no body language that would typically indicate a liar.
Even the most advanced lie detectors would not be able to detect Lydia’s flawless lies.
The reason she could be so brazen was because she was certain that Linne had come here based only on speculation without any evidence.
Lydia had thoroughly searched Rosie’s playroom and mansion from start to finish, eliminating any evidence.
Since the Solidus Merchant Group also shared the security duties of the Upper Town, it was not difficult to identify the locations of the surveillance crystals and exploit the gaps.
The fact that Linne had not yet presented any evidence in front of her face added weight to her certainty.
Moreover, even if there was evidence, she wouldn’t be able to say it outright.
She would also have to admit that her ‘disciple’ Shin Siwoo had committed murder within Hexennacht.
Even if the responsibility didn’t fall on her, the outcome would still be the same: losing her disciple.
Linne stared at Lydia with unwavering eyes before closing them.
“Hah.”
When she opened her eyes again, she had the gaze of a schemer who had begun calculating instead of being hostile.
Linne must have realized that questioning based only on suspicion was meaningless.
“So, it’s not your doing?”
“Of course not. I’ve been busy preparing for a secret auction for a while now. I don’t understand why you’re suspecting me instead of Cliffort.”
“If it were the hardliners, they would have already killed him and publicized it.”
“That’s not necessarily true. They might be adjusting the timing for a sufficient provocation and performance.”
“If anything you’ve said now is found to be different later…”
“I understand you’re upset about the risk of losing your disciple. But is it wise to turn me, Lydia, who could be your greatest ally at this point, into an enemy? This is also a crucial matter for me. I told you before what would happen if his custody falls into the hands of Cliffort, right?”
“…”
“I’ll cooperate too. In return, could we discuss the ownership again when we find him? I’ll even pay extra for the title of the Sword Witch’s disciple.”
The end was to show a hint of lingering attachment, a final act of deception.
If Linne agreed to cooperate, Lydia could also throw evidence to the hardliners at the right time and have Linne chase after them.
A conflict would naturally arise, and the only person who might suspect this incident would be eliminated, killing two birds with one stone.
“Fine. I accept.”
However, the expectation that she would back down easily at this point was wrong.
Linne glared at Lydia again and said,
“But first, I will search the Almak Club.”
“What?”
“I’ll believe you if you let me search your room right now.”
Linne’s request was, of course, an impudence that didn’t even qualify as a ‘request.’
Linne’s attitude in making such an impudent request was also far from polite.
Her words and actions showed a determination to push through by force if she was blocked.
“Witch of Gold, I don’t trust you.”
“Why?”
“It’s a gut feeling.”
“…”
“If you refuse, I will assume you are hiding him and act accordingly.”
Lydia’s reaction to her stubbornness, despite having no certainty, was…
“Ugh, I can’t deal with this.”
It was a sigh.
If one lacked witch sensitivity, they might not understand the nuances of Linne’s words.
So, to put it in a more everyday sense, it would be something like, ‘I don’t have any evidence, but I think you’re the culprit, so can I come into your house without a search warrant and look through all your important documents?’
She had crossed the line.
“You’re going to search my workshop?”
“Yes.”
Lydia, who had thrown away her business-like politeness towards a buyer, spoke coldly, and Linne, not flinching at all, retorted.
Lydia chuckled.
It was partly a part of her deception strategy, but it was also a genuine chuckle.
“There’s a limit to how much I can tolerate… These bitches who wouldn’t have even dared to look me in the eye when I was active are acting like this.”
Although she was currently taking a rather moderate path, Lydia was also a public enemy.
She was a member of the former Cliffort’s elite, reaching the 23rd tier.
“Do you think I’d be scared by such threats? Are you that confident?”
The atmosphere around Lydia grew heavy.
The magic power, so dense that it had mass, pushed against the air.
“How many witches who didn’t know their place and tried to challenge me do you think I’ve buried? Want to take a guess?”
“You talk too much.”
It was a tense, imminent situation that would make a weak-hearted person foam at the mouth.
Linne, who had raised her hand to the sword at her waist, paused and then quietly lowered her hand.
The clash of magic power between the two also gradually subsided.
“Good thinking. Don’t go after the wrong person, and let’s start being constructive from now on…”
Lydia hid a snort at Linne’s retreat.
Instead, she smiled sweetly and tried to bring up the business discussion again, but she was at a loss for words.
Linne, who had been so fierce just a moment ago, had knelt at her feet.
It was a shockingly quick change of attitude.
Linne’s shocking behavior didn’t stop there.
“If I was rude, I apologize.”
“What kind of joke is this…”
Linne’s dogeza, which left even the cool-headed Lydia speechless.
Linne, with her hands neatly folded, apologized with her forehead touching the ground.
“I’ll pay any price. If you tell me to lick your shoes, I’ll lick them, and if you tell me to serve you, I’ll serve you in any way.”
“…”
“If you are protecting him, please return him.”
Witches were known for their strong pride.
Among them, kneeling among the particularly arrogant public enemies was an act that would not happen unless it was an extreme situation where one was begging for their life.
It was akin to entrusting a part of one’s life and death to public enemies who might stab you in the back of the neck with magic if you looked away, and if the object of surrender was someone you had just been fiercely confronting, the humiliation would be doubled.
But Linne, who was unusually obsessed with strength and was a self-centered individual, was kneeling and begging?
Was calling Shin Siwoo her disciple not just a smokescreen?
Did Linne really cherish him as her disciple?
While feeling confused, Lydia carefully knelt down in front of Linne and spoke in a much softer tone.
“Linne. I’m really sorry, but I don’t have him.”
“…Is that so.”
She took Linne’s hand, who was still bowing her head, and helped her up.
Lydia bent down and patted Linne’s knees.
“I got a little worked up too.”
Of course, it wasn’t just an act of kindness.
“I thought you were just pretending he was your disciple to raise his value.”
“…No.”
“I’m sorry for doubting your sincerity and for not being of help right away. If it’s not rude, may I ask how you came to have a master-disciple relationship with him?”
If the Sword Witch was going this far, wouldn’t one be curious about the reason?
“…”
Linne looked at Lydia’s face for a moment before opening her mouth.
“He is not my disciple.”
“What?”
“He is my husband.”
“Ew?”
Lydia dropped her jaw, letting out a frivolous exclamation of shock.
There was almost no possibility that Linne, who was known for being a loner, would lie without a reason, let alone joke.
Only then did Lydia clearly understand why Linne had even knelt.
And also the reason why Shin Siwoo had avoided kissing during their relationship.
The two were already in a forbidden love.
