The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 166

#166.

Who on earth would do something like this?

Jerachiel tugged at the collar irritably. But no matter how much force he used, the collar wouldn’t break.

It seemed to be specially made to hold beasts like him. The fact that it vaguely resembled Hebel’s energy made it even more unpleasant.

He didn’t know why he suddenly regained consciousness, but he knew he had to escape now or never.

Just then, a voice came from somewhere.

“I see it comes undone easily.”

“!”

Jerachiel turned around, sharply on guard, and saw a black-haired woman.

A familiar dark gaze.

Jerachiel stared at her, narrowing his eyes as he noticed the bell in her hand.

He belatedly realized that the masked woman who had rendered him helpless was this woman.

Unlike before, she wasn’t wearing a mask, so he hadn’t recognized her right away.

“You.”

She must have been watching him all along.

His eyes turned cold. His voice was as icy as a glacier.

His gaze was fixed on the bell in the woman’s hand. The red bell, with its embedded red gem, was eerie to look at.

Yes. It was because of that.

That was why he had lost his mind.

“Are you going to control me again? With that strange power?”

The first time he heard the sound of the bell, Jerachiel instinctively felt a strong aversion. He tried to cover his ears belatedly, but it was already too late.

‘How much time has passed?’

While he was focused on thinking, the woman spoke.

“Not yet. As long as you have that collar on, you won’t be able to attack me anyway. So don’t bother wasting your energy.”

“Who are you to order me around?”

The woman smirked at Jerachiel’s growl.

“I am Larien. Your mate.”

“I’ve heard all sorts of ridiculous things. My mate is Cherchia, not some outdated name like that.”

“An outdated name, huh? Larien would be sad to hear that?”

The woman chuckled and then stared into the air.

“It seems your mate has arrived. Can you feel it?”

“!”

Jerachiel’s eyes widened at the word ‘mate’. He had already noticed it. Cherchia was quite close.

“Are you using me as bait?”

“Well, something like that. I need both you and that child.”

“Don’t you dare touch Cherchia.”

Jerachiel created a sword with his pheromones and shot it at the woman. At that moment, a man appeared from somewhere and blocked the pheromones.

However, some of the pheromones that he failed to block grazed the man’s cheek.

*Thwack.*

With a chilling sound, the mask the man was wearing fell off. Jerachiel’s eyes widened.

The face was all too familiar.

“Page family head…?”

“Oh dear. I’ve been found out.”

Devon wiped the blood flowing from his cheek with a troubled expression. Jerachiel’s gaze sharpened.

“So, Page has been backing the Navi all along. …Is your son in on this too?”

“If he were, things wouldn’t be so twisted.”

Devon frowned as if he had encountered an unpleasant topic. He was already frustrated that he couldn’t easily win over his son.

Not only had he failed to win him over, but he had become an enemy. Devon gritted his teeth and said.

“I never thought my son would side with you.”

“The young lord of Page is better than you. What’s so lacking in Page that you’re backing such a shady woman?”

“To gain great power. From the start, Jabishi’s power was too much. It was too much power to give to someone who didn’t deserve it.”

It’s that power nonsense again.

Jerachiel didn’t even bother to stop the sneer that was creeping out.

“Pfft.”

Devon’s face turned fierce at once, and he asked.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“No. It just seems like you think it’s too natural for you to have that power.”

“…”

“Wasn’t it the same for you that you didn’t deserve it? Who gives that qualification in the first place?”

Devon was speechless at the piercing words. Jerachiel added.

“We never wanted this power. It’s a power we wanted to throw away if we could. If you want it so badly, should I give it to you now?”

Devon clenched his fist at the obviously sarcastic tone. Just as he was about to pounce, Ebensebe chided him in a low voice.

“Devon, I told you not to step forward.”

“Your Eminence.”

“I told you not to reveal your identity yet.”

“But Jabishi is a dangerous beast. You would have been hurt if I hadn’t stopped him.”

“It’s okay. I don’t plan on staying in this body for long anyway.”

Ebensebe said with a faint smile.

“Actually, I was surprised too. To be able to use this much pheromone even with that collar on.”

“We should tie his hands and feet too.”

“Yes, we should. We should make him a little more docile before that.”

With those words, the woman approached Jerachiel. The closer she got, the thicker the unpleasant pheromone scent became.

It was unpleasant in a completely different way than with Cherchia. She was so sweet that she caused confusion just by being near, but this woman was no different from a stench.

It smelled like something rotten.

It was the moment Jerachiel covered his nose.

“This face, doesn’t it look familiar?”

“…”

“It’s me, Larien. Have you forgotten me, Bobby?”

As if those words were a signal, Jerachiel’s pupils dilated. It was a different feeling than before. Jerachiel shouted at the unfamiliar sensation.

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

*Thud!*

He then slammed her against the wall.

Ebensebe was calm even with the force choking her. She caressed Jerachiel’s cheek and whispered.

“Don’t you remember? That power, I gave it to you.”

“Kuh…”

Jerachiel swallowed a groan without realizing it. A chilling sensation as if someone was forcibly rummaging through his head.

After that, someone’s voice seemed to be heard.

‘Did you sleep well?’

A longing voice. But it was a voice he couldn’t recognize at all.

In the end, Jerachiel, unable to withstand it, fainted into Ebensebe’s arms. It was the first time he had felt so helplessly defeated.

“Yes. Have plenty of dreams of Larien, whom you love. When you wake up, your mate won’t be here.”

Ebensebe smiled seductively and handed Jerachiel over to Devon. Now it was her turn to fulfill her grand desires.

* * *

The place I headed to was Larien’s room hidden in the vault.

I immediately looked for the jewelry box left by the Divine Beast.

“I knew it was here.”

I checked that it contained the pheromone fruit and the insulator and breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, I was embarrassed because the insulator I had put in my arms when I came here had disappeared.

But seeing that it was back here, it was clear that this insulator had a similar function to a sacred object.

The difference from other sacred objects is that there is no guardian, so the contract itself is impossible.

So I had no choice but to risk going directly to this place to get it.

“I have to take good care of it this time.”

I took the green pheromone fruit and the insulator.

Then I went straight to the secret chamber in Namaan’s prayer room.

I thought Jerachiel would hide it here if he was in Hebel.

But contrary to expectations, the secret chamber was empty. Was I too late? I rummaged around looking for a possible secret space, but it was in vain.

‘Oh dear. Did I bark up the wrong tree?’

I pressed my forehead, feeling empty.

If not here, where did Jerachiel disappear to?

It was not easy to read Jerachiel’s pheromones because it was inside Hebel and the day before the Divine Beast Descent Festival.

It’s certain that he’s in Hebel. Is it impossible to go easily after all?

I was about to turn around to go to the next expected place when I suddenly discovered my figure reflected in the circular space. Originally, the cave where Ebensebe’s body was should have been reflected, but it was strange.

“Huh.”

I was startled and looked at my hand, but Kirin’s power was still there. When I looked into the water again, my figure was still reflected. After confirming that transparency didn’t work at all, I sighed lowly.

‘Ah, it’s Mishr’s water, so it shows the essence.’