The Villainous Noblewoman Is About to Be Forced into Love, Isn’t This Wrong?

Chapter 97.2: Iron Pot Stew Liana (2)

"There’s no particular reason. What you need to do is tell Aust that I can’t use magic, that I’m beyond saving," Liana said calmly.

"Prince Aust III worries about you so much... why deceive him?" Sybil asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It’s the classic dilemma," Liana replied. "If given a choice between two options, people rarely choose Liana."

"You are... my mother’s student, aren’t you?"

"Of course," Sybil said solemnly. "Lady Anbis was an outstanding priestess.

If not for her, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I am deeply grateful to her,

and I have never given up searching for ways to find her."

"Mepeilu helped me solve this issue," Liana said, "but for now, I don’t want them to know.

So doing this favor for me shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

All you have to do is hide the fact that I can use magic."

Liana had not fully trusted Sybil.

If anything about the forbidden drug leaked, her own life could be in danger.

"Everyone looks down on me, don’t they?"

"Now that magic can be created anew," Liana said, "what kind of expressions would those scornful people wear

if I created an incredible magic spell?"

"I understand," Sybil nodded.

It wasn’t such a difficult request anyway.

Moreover, the fact that Lady Liana could use magic was already very good news.

"Then... do you still need a full examination?" Sybil asked.

"Of course," Liana said. "If we can perform a full inspection, why not?

Oh, by the way—who’s paying for the materials?"

"They’re not particularly expensive."

"Good. Let Aust pay for it," Liana said cheerfully.

"Prince Aust III already told me," Sybil replied. "He will cover all the costs this time."

"Then use the best of everything!"

Liana was determined to squeeze Aust dry.

【Water of Purity】

Sybil poured water into the bronze cauldron, filling it halfway.

"...Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with this water?"

Liana looked suspiciously at the strange purple hue swirling in the cauldron.

"Don’t worry, Lady Liana," Sybil said. "This method was taught to me by Lady Anbis herself. There’s absolutely no problem."

"Alright... Could you close your eyes for a moment?" Liana asked.

"Of course," Sybil said, shutting her eyes obediently.

Liana reached down and untied the straps of her sandals, stepping barefoot onto the cold stone floor.

She removed her outer coat, unbuttoned the shirt underneath, unzipped her skirt,

and finally undid her white bra and close-fitting underwear, neatly folding everything and placing them on the table.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she climbed up the small ladder beside the cauldron.

She looked at the purple liquid below, hesitated for a moment, then slowly pressed one hand against the cauldron’s edge and dipped a foot inside.

There was no strange sensation.

On the contrary—it actually felt... kind of pleasant?

Splash!

With a light sound, Liana jumped into the cauldron.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now," she said.

【Flame】

Sybil snapped her fingers, and a roaring magical fire ignited beneath the cauldron.

"Hey—what are you doing?!"

Liana suddenly panicked.

"You're not trying to stew me alive in here, are you?!"

"Please bear with it for a moment, Lady Liana," Sybil said gently, as if calming a frightened animal (or food).

Thanks to the magical flames, the cauldron’s water began to bubble and boil rapidly.

However, despite the bubbling sound, Liana didn’t feel the water getting too hot.

Sybil then began adding various medicinal herbs.

If Liana hadn’t recognized them as real herbs, she might have genuinely thought Sybil was preparing to cook her.

【O Life-Giving God, who nourishes all things...】

Sybil began chanting spells in an incantation language that Liana couldn’t understand.

【Bloodline as the string, pain as the melody, triple harmonies reflecting the path of scars.】

Liana’s body was healthy.

No particular abnormalities were found.

⋯⋯

Suddenly, Sybil noticed something strange.

"Lady Liana... why have you ingested forbidden drugs?

Is that why you were unable to use magic?"

"Huh? You could tell even after all this time? It’s already been two months!"

"Wait—"

"You mean... I still have forbidden drug residue inside me?!" Liana asked urgently.

This was serious.

She had long suspected it—how could someone take medicine for three or four years without any side effects?

"So it really was the forbidden drug..."

Sybil hadn’t been completely certain until now.

If she hadn't had prior experience with it, she wouldn’t have been able to distinguish it.

"Lady Liana," Sybil asked gravely, "what exactly happened to your body?"

"Will this... have any effects on me?"

That was Liana’s greatest concern right now.

Sybil shook her head.

"There’s no significant harm.

It seems you have already taken the antidote, correct?"

"Yes," Liana nodded.

"With Mepeilu’s help, I fully cleared it from my body."

"That's why I’ve regained my ability to use magic."

"But just who..." Sybil began.

"Hold on. I’ll explain everything properly later," Liana said.

She decided to wait until Mepeilu arrived to ensure her own safety before revealing more.

"Hmm."

"Besides that... does my body have any other problems?" Liana asked.

"Your body is very healthy, Lady Liana," Sybil said.

"Just... you might need to exercise a little more. Your physical strength is a bit lower than average."

"I know that already!" Liana snapped. "No need to announce it like that!"

"Understood," Sybil said tactfully.

Liana placed her hands on the rim of the cauldron, preparing to get out.

"Wait—!"

Sybil stopped her.

"Even if you have a special constitution protecting you," she warned,

"the outside of the cauldron isn't the same!"

Just as Liana touched the rim—

"Ouch!"

The heat made her flinch immediately.

Lady Liana really can be a bit clumsy sometimes, Sybil thought wryly.

She quickly cast a healing spell on Liana and also used magic to lower the cauldron’s temperature.

"It’s alright now, Lady Liana."

"Close your eyes—I'm getting out!"

Liana said, a little embarrassed.

After dressing herself neatly, she stood before Sybil once again.

"Since you can tell that my strength is a bit lacking..." Liana said, fidgeting slightly,

"um... can I ask a slightly embarrassing question?"

Her face turned a little red.

"Is there... still a possibility for my body to develop further?"

"Can I still grow taller?

In all... areas?"

"You will continue to grow," Sybil said reassuringly.

She could easily read Liana’s emotions.

In fact, Liana’s body wasn’t bad at all—perfectly fitting in one hand.

It was only because everyone around her was better developed that she felt so dissatisfied.

"Good... wait, wait! I’m just a little short, that’s all!"

Liana's face was burning red now.

"Yes, yes, I know," Sybil said in an overly casual tone.

Frustrated, Liana pushed open the door and walked out.

"Lady Liana, why is your face so red?" Loraviel asked.

Liana glared at Loraviel’s—well—"superior proportions."

Damn these stat monsters!

"It’s nothing," Liana said coolly. "It was just a little stuffy inside.

Now I need some fresh air."

"Please wait a moment, Lady Liana," Loraviel called after her.

"Your hair is still damp."

Sybil snapped her fingers, conjuring a soft, warm wind that gently blew through the room, drying Liana’s hair completely.

"Thanks," Liana said instinctively.

Olivia gave her a look as if she'd just seen a ghost.

They all moved under the pavilion outside.

"I apologize, Prince Aust III," Sybil said, bowing slightly.

"I could not find the reason why Lady Liana cannot use magic."

"Perhaps..." she hesitated, "Lady Liana simply was never able to use magic in the first place."

Was everything I did meaningless?

Was Liana never capable of using magic at all?

Was her previous magic use just a fluke?

"It really was a complete waste of my time," Liana said darkly.

"I apologize for my poor judgment," Aust said, but who could he complain to now?

It wasn’t his fault he hadn’t realized that Liana had read the script.

"Wasting so much of my time—shouldn't you compensate me for that?" Liana asked coldly.

Deep breath, Aust. Stay calm.

"Of course, Lady Liana. What kind of compensation would you like?" he asked stiffly.

"A piece of clothing imbued with spells that can be worn for a week straight," Liana said cheerfully.

"But Liana, aren’t you unable to use magic?" Aust asked.

"Mm-hmm. That’s why I’m going to gift it to Mepeilu.

She’s the star of the show right now—naturally, I want to get closer to her," Liana smiled.

Mentioning Mepeilu meant Aust wouldn’t be able to tamper with the gift.

"...Understood," Aust said grimly.

His face darkened completely.

Liana, this unreasonable little witch.

Clothing embedded with high-level spells was so valuable that even Aust only owned two ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) sets himself.

The cost would be astronomical.

"I feel like I just heard my name," Mepeilu’s voice suddenly rang out.