The Strongest Daughter-In-Law Of The Black Lion Family [EN]: Chapter 89

#89.

Zerachiel’s gaze upon the slumped Ella was utterly cold. Caught trying to escape, Ella gasped for breath as she spoke.

“What on earth did you do to my body?”

“Let’s just say it’s a little measure in preparation for situations like this.”

“Nearly killing a perfectly healthy beastman is your idea of a measure?”

Ella rebuked him with bloodshot eyes, and Zerachiel merely shrugged. He was far too nonchalant for someone who had secretly implanted pheromone poison in her body.

Then, Zerachiel smiled shamelessly.

“Well, you’re not dead yet, are you?”

“Is that even something to say…!”

“Besides, it would be troublesome for me if you left right now.”

Zerachiel grinned and strode towards Ella, who was sitting down. Soon, he knelt on one knee and lifted Ella’s chin.

As their breaths mingled in the close space, Ella instinctively recoiled, and Zerachiel said,

“I’ll let you go once everything is done, so let’s not waste any unnecessary energy.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“Well, the reason is simple. I desperately need the power you possess right now.”

His bewitching gaze swept over Ella’s neck. An eerie sensation caused Ella to freeze.

“So, behave yourself. You might really die next time, you know?”

Ella despaired at his calm tone, as if he were out for a stroll. The excruciating pain she was experiencing for the first time made pheromone detoxification slow.

Ella loathed Zavis’s poison spreading through her body.

As long as she carried this, she couldn’t leave this wretched castle without Zerachiel’s permission.

The pheromone poison spreading throughout her body the moment she left would inevitably cause internal damage, no matter how much healing pheromones she possessed.

Traveling to Paige Castle with internal injuries was impossible from the start.

Yet, being trapped here like this was worse than death.

“I hate you so much.”

“Keep hating me. It’s not like I ever begged you to like me.”

“……”

“Besides, there’s nothing to gain from liking someone like me in this world, is there?”

“……Ha!”

“In a crazy world, it’s easier to survive if you’re on good terms with a madman, Ella.”

With those words, Zerachiel reached out to Ella. At that moment, the light in Ella’s eyes faded, and she fainted.

Shortly after, Zerachiel picked up the unconscious Ella and leisurely carried her to the bedroom.

I blankly stared at Ella and Zerachiel. It was a much milder atmosphere compared to the original.

For one, Ella hadn’t been forced to carry the pheromone poison, and Zerachiel hadn’t gone completely insane like in the original.

But I still felt uneasy. After all, Ella was now in a situation where she had to carry the pheromone poison, just like in the original.

Meanwhile, Ella, who had injected the poison, approached me.

“Lady Chercia, I have something to tell you in private.”

Her attitude was so resolute, as if she could only say it now, that I tilted my head in curiosity.

“What is it?”

I thought there couldn’t be anything more shocking than the pheromone poison, but I was wrong.

The moment Ella opened her mouth, not only I but even Zerachiel froze.

“I know who caused the Lord of Zavis to go berserk.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Zachari, upon hearing the news that Chercia and Zerachiel had headed to Hebel, found himself tied down by an unexpected event.

Erhaden had escaped from prison. To make matters worse, he had hidden himself in beast form, making the search difficult.

Normally, they would have quickly found him by his scent.

Zachari frowned as he smelled the fragrance spreading throughout Zavis Castle.

Erhaden was scattering scent pouches that numbed the sense of smell to avoid being tracked, causing a terrible odor to permeate the entire castle.

Moreover, he was turning every beastman he encountered into foxes and using newly created fox beads to cast illusions on everyone.

It was a devious act that combined the shapeshifting of a fox beastman with the power of fox beads [magical items that grant illusionary abilities].

As a result, lion beastmen turned into foxes were all over Zavis Castle, convulsing and fighting each other.

It was a very effective tactic if the goal was to buy time.

‘He’s just hastening his own death in various ways.’

Recreating the fox beads would be easy, but with this level of power, the backlash was only a matter of time.

He was clearly overexerting himself and would suffer the consequences.

Amidst the chaotic situation, Zachari kicked away a fox that lunged at him and blamed Ivan.

“Why haven’t you caught him yet?”

“How am I supposed to recognize him when there are foxes everywhere? It’s not like he has a unique fur color like you, Zachari.”

“Is that even something to say? If you hadn’t been distracted in the first place, none of this would have happened!”

“How am I supposed to stop a guy who breaks through his restraints and runs away?”

“And you still get paid?”

“Don’t touch my salary!”

Ivan and Zachari seemed to be arguing fiercely, but they didn’t neglect their surroundings.

If Erhaden hadn’t scattered the scent pouch powder, it wouldn’t have taken this long. The thought made Zachari feel irritated.

“Damn fox bastard. I should have cut off his legs to prevent him from escaping.”

Zachari growled and looked around. It was all foxes everywhere, as if he had entered a fox den. The problem was that there were more allies than enemies if he were to kill them all out of anger.

Ivan approached him and said,

“You usually have a nose like a bloodhound, but you’re slow today.”

“Should I cut off your smelly body first? It would be easier then.”

“I’ll pass.”

Ivan flinched and stepped back with a frightened look.

What should I do with that mouth that teases me even though he knows everything?

Zachari glared at Ivan as if to kill him and let out a shallow sigh.

He had broken through his restraints and ran away, so his body couldn’t be in good condition. Judging from the state of the severed restraints, it seemed he had used his life force to break them.

Why was he acting so recklessly?

He was going to die anyway, so it shouldn’t matter whether he died struggling or being tortured.

That’s when it happened. Zachari’s sense of smell, which was gradually returning, picked up an alien pheromone that was different from that of a lion beastman.

Zachari quickly began to move, having finally caught the tail, and Ivan followed behind.

They arrived at a dark corner of the basement, where a fox presumed to be Erhaden was panting heavily.

As expected, blood was dripping from his hind legs, where he had forcibly broken the restraints.

“Krrr.”

But Erhaden’s condition was strange. Wasn’t he drooling like a regular fox?

Zachari pointed at the fox and tilted his head.

“Why is he acting like that again?”

“I don’t know. Is he in heat? There aren’t any female foxes here, so it’s pitiful.”

“Stop talking dirty.”

“I’ll take care of it for now.”

As Ivan stepped forward as if doing a favor, Zachari interrupted.

“Are you planning to act like you’re doing everything now?”

Ivan stopped and said with a flustered expression.

“How did you know?”

“Ugh! I’m going to kill you!”

As Zachari burst into anger, Ivan approached Erhaden, fluttering with a sulky face.

Ivan looked down at Erhaden, who was still panting, and cooed.

“Now, let’s go back to your room obediently, shall we?”

Zachari stared at the crazy lion beastman who called the underground prison a room with a pathetic look.

Suddenly, a strange light flashed in Erhaden’s crimson eyes, and pheromones exploded around him.

“Ugh!”

Ivan reflexively stepped back but staggered, unable to avoid it completely. Then, he muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

“Wait, could it be, me too?”

Poof!

With an astonished expression, Ivan, who had turned into a fox, touched his cheeks with his front paws and screamed.

“Krrr!”

Zachari clicked his tongue at his reaction, as if he was saying, ‘I have to be in this annoying form!’

Then, Erhaden tried to shoot pheromones at Zachari as well, but Zachari’s actions were faster.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Zachari shot pheromones at him, and Erhaden, who had been frantically shooting pheromones while raving, slumped down.