Moreover, finding Ilyin’s whereabouts gave him an opportunity to start exchanging goods with the northern families by using the advantage of being a producer of carrots.

Then, when the monopoly of Acid ended the Viscount might be able to directly deal with northern families, which meant half the freight fee. Even better if Ilyin had married into one of them. Using the guise of being in-laws well, he could expand his connection to other families.

Even just with that, the profit was infinite.

He went to bed with such sweet plan but was jolted awake by a commotion happening in front of the mansion. He thought it was just a dream.

Dream, stupid dream! For 20 years he was sick of the word dream. Not once did he have good results with events that involved the word dream. Regardless of whether it was a good or bad dream, he couldn’t help reacting especially sensitively whenever someone had a dream.

“What is this?”

Infront of Viscount Arlen stood Ilyin. The Viscount was convinced that he was still half asleep but no matter how stupid he was, he wasn’t someone who wholly believed his imagination.

The Ilyin that was in front of him was wearing clothes he had never seen before. It wasn’t unfamiliar clothing; it just looked unfamiliar as it was on her. It was something a very noble youngling would wear so it looked very awkward on Ilyin.

The clothing Ilyin wore in the house were only the ones allowed and approved by Viscount Arlen. While all the clothes were tailored to fit the image of the Arlen family, it was never something this fancy. Not once did he let Ilyin wear something so decorative so much so that it looked frivolous.

“What are these clothes?”magic

Ilyin took in a breath as she faced him. It was just for a brief moment. She looked up at the full moon out the window and talked like she had just made up her mind.

“I came to see mother,” said Ilyin, blatantly ignoring Viscount Arlen’s question about her clothes.

The Viscount’s face hardened, but he found that he wasn’t able to say anything. The presence of a man standing behind Ilyin confused him.

Was he seeing Den? Den the Acid Merchant personnel that he met just a few hours ago?

“What is all this fuss you are causing at this hour?” he said, making the anger evident in his tone as he saw Den.

This was expected. Viscount Arlen thought. To come to a noble’s mansion at this hour without any appointment was very rude.

In that moment, in his conniving head flashed the deal he had made with the Acid Merchant. Maybe he could get a better deal using this as an excuse?

It was a nuisance to visit people at dawn, so he still was going to try to get whatever he could out of it.

“I will make sure that the Acid Merchant pays recompense for this disturbance,” he said sternly yet the glee in his eyes was undeniable.

Upon hearing the Viscount’s words Aden was about to say that it didn’t matter, Ilyin interjected.  She said the words she had in mind ever since she climbed up the stairs of the mansion up until she was standing in front of Viscount.

“I came here as a daughter to my mother.”

No matter who I married and whose family I joined, the fact that I am the daughter of the Viscountess doesn’t change.

That also meant that the Acid Merchant didn’t have to be responsible for them coming here at such odd hour. Her father had already recognized Den as an Acid Merchant personnel and now that Ilyin came with him, she couldn’t deny her relationship with the Acid Merchant, so this was the only way.

“As the daughter?”

Viscount Arlen snapped his head to the end of the hallway he had his back on upon hearing a loud noise. His expression was awkward like someone had put a handful of sand in his mouth.

Aden turned his attention to where the loud noise was coming from. The sound was coming from the Viscountess’s room, which was located right at the turn of the hallway if he remembered correctly.

The mansion was already in a chaotic state even before the group had arrived. There was almost no reason for a noble’s mansion to be so loud at such time.

It has already started. He was certain after hearing the commotion coming from the end of the hallway.

“Did you come… after seeing something?” said the Viscount wincing as he struggled to get out the words.

Aden’s eyes narrowed with displeasure. The Viscount didn’t even bother to try hiding his disapproval of Ilyin’s foresight ability.

Ilyin didn’t avoid Viscount Arlen’s gaze. “Yes. That is why I came.”

“Master!” At that moment, a maid came running from around the corner of the hallway.

“Mistress is-” she cut off upon seeing Ilyin. She gasped, forgetting to even report to her master. She saw someone she thought she’d never see again. She certainly remembered Ilyin. She was in charge of cleaning around when Ilyin stayed at the mansion.

That wasn’t all, she used to keep a watch on Ilyin so she knew her well and as she observed closely, she saw that Ilyin was not the same anymore. Ilyin’s eyes held a gaze like it was someone else’s.

It was the eyes of someone who was standing strong. It wasn’t the eyes of someone who was just going along with the people around her and accepting everything. Part of it could have been attributed to the fact that she was wearing much more ornate clothing than before. Her silver hair and the ornaments on her were shining brightly, she definitely looked like a different person.

“Mother called me.”

Ilyin was going to go to her mother even if the Viscount stopped her. Her violet eyes shone with strong will.

What is it that made someone who was so powerless hold such fierceness in their eyes?  The maid couldn’t believe that it was Ilyin that was standing in front of her.

Aden, who was standing behind Ilyin, put his hands on her shoulders. His gaze went to the end of the hallway where the maid came from.

“It’s already noisy,” he paused for a moment before continuing, “as you saw, it looks like it’s coming.”

How do you know? Ilyin remembered the question she wanted to ask but stopped before coming here. How did Aden know about the foresight when I hadn’t told him?