The degree of excitement experienced during the heatwave varied greatly from person to person. While some lupus sufferers barely felt its effects, others found themselves unable to function or even committed crimes because of it. This was precisely why people despised and shunned those with lupus.
However, Shed was one of the rare few who seemed entirely unaffected by his condition. In fact, he was so unaffected that rumours spread that he might be a eunuch. Because of this, Shed had managed to gain entry into noble society as a lupus sufferer.
His adoptive father, Duke Josef Lester, had certainly taken this into careful consideration when he took Shed into the family.
If word got out now that Shed was seeking sedatives, it would cause quite a stir among the nobility.
“I’d like the Vitel Company to handle a few personal matters in exchange for exclusive business rights.”
Shed had proposed, knowing Eclace well enough to trust him with such a deal. It was all about the business permits for Ideana.
‘I made sure I was well compensated for my silence and the arrangement…’
Eclace rolled the gold coin in his hand, a habitual gesture. For Shed Lester to suddenly request a sedative he’d never needed before—it was strange, to say the least.
Of course, Eclace was clever and perceptive. He had a good idea what might be behind this odd change.
It had to be that woman.
Ever since Liana Serpens reappeared, Shed Lester seemed more prone to impulsive actions, quicker to lose his composure.
Even if it wasn’t the heat, it was still something different. It was a known fact that changes in environment could influence a Lupus’s cycle.
As always, Shed seemed to sense it on instinct. That something inside him was changing, something he could no longer control.
‘If that’s really the case, it could get complicated…’
Eclace was determined to find out exactly what was happening to the cold-hearted man. However, prying into a noble’s secrets was forbidden — getting involved could jeopardise a valuable business partnership.
Instead of interfering, Eclace raised a few important concerns.
“As you know, sedatives have improved significantly, but they still have side effects.”
He made sure to outline everything that Shed would need to know in case he ever chose to use the medicine.
It was true that the status and treatment of the Lupus had improved following the invention of the sedative. Such societal changes had partly enabled Shed to inherit the dukedom.
However, the sedative had only been around for just over a decade. There were still frequent reports of adverse effects and incidents related to its use.
“You must never take it before battle.”
“I know.”
Shed nodded without much interest, as if he’d already heard it all before.
As a lupus patient, he had seen first-hand the consequences of using sedatives, such as other patients dying or being injured as a result.
After all, sedatives are designed to suppress intense arousal, which saps the body’s strength and impairs movement.
If you took a sedative before going into battle, you wouldn’t even be able to draw your sword before an enemy’s blade found your throat.
For this reason, it had already become a fundamental rule of military science that anyone with lupus deployed for combat must stop taking sedatives at least three days in advance. A man with the title ‘Undefeated Hero’ would not be foolish enough to forget something so fundamental.
“Of course, I’m sure you know better than I do. But just one more thing. I’m not afraid to take on high-risk ventures. But I don’t like unpredictable or capricious business partners.”
He rolled the coin across the back of his hand, then closed his fist around it. Shed’s eyes narrowed—the intent behind Eclace’s words was obvious, and he wasn’t trying to hide it.
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
He had never once gone through a heat. The medicine was only for precaution’s sake.
🌺⟡───⟡🌺 🌺⟡───⟡🌺
As Liana stepped out of the tent, she was greeted by the cool spring air. She took a deep breath, allowing the cold air to fill her lungs. It felt refreshing and invigorating. When she was with Shed, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe freely at all.
Of course, being outside didn’t mean she could do much else. She could only stand quietly beside the knights and wait for Shed to call her back in. Still, she felt as if she had briefly escaped the prison of his gaze.
“You.”
Just as she was enjoying her brief taste of freedom, she heard a deep voice nearby. Turning her head, she saw a tall man standing among the knights. His stubborn gaze shone with a violet glint — the same colour as Shed’s eyes. In other words, he was of Lupus blood, too.
“Did you call for me, Sir Carlisle?”
Carlisle was Shed’s closest confidant, always by his side — especially when it came to military matters. Shed discussed strategy with him more than anyone else.
As Liana was close to Shed, she had crossed paths with Carlisle several times recently. But this was the first time he had ever addressed her directly.
Whenever their eyes met, he would usually frown — and today was no different. This would seem intimidating to most people, but Liana simply waited for him to speak, her eyes steady and unflinching.
After a moment’s silence, Carlisle finally spoke, his words laced with thorns.
“Don’t expect anything from my lord. Don’t even dream of it.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected warning, Liana froze, unsure how to respond.
“I… I’m not sure what you mean…”
“It’s best you don’t entertain any foolish notions about rising in status or squeezing money out of him.”
Suddenly, heat flared in her chest, and her face burned. It wasn’t embarrassment—it was anger.
She already had a sense of what people thought about her and Shed. Now and then, those who brought food or documents would shoot her a glare as she stood silently in the corner of the room.
Liana understood their scorn. There was the business with Caroline, the head maid, and the fact that her escape had delayed the journey to Ideana by two days. And yet, here she was, always at the master’s side—of course no one would see her in a favorable light.
Still, she had chosen to ignore their gossip, not wanting to waste her energy on what servants whispered among themselves. But hearing such a warning directly from Shed’s closest aide—that was different.
“My lord is nothing like that worthless Baron Godwin. No matter how hard you try, it won’t work.”
His so-called advice was really an insult, and the contempt in his voice was unmistakable. Knowing how Shed had brought her here, he was aware of the rumors from the Godwin household. And he believed everything that had happened with Baron Godwin was her fault—something she must have wanted.
Liana pressed her lips together.
‘He thinks I wanted Baron Godwin? That loathsome, filthy man?’
She had chosen to work for the Godwin family for one reason only: to find a way to break her curse. All knowledge of forbidden sorcery had been burned and erased, but she had heard that a copy of those books might still exist somewhere inside the Grand Temple. This was why she had taken a job with Baron Godwin, the former Grand Temple librarian.
However, all she had learned from the Baron was that he was a vain, lecherous fool. He didn’t know as much about doctrine as she did; his words sounded impressive, but were empty. What he really wanted was fame and young, pretty women he could control.
For a simple maid like Liana, forced to hide her true identity and keep her head down, there was nothing she could do to refuse him. When the master called for a maid to serve him tea at night, who could say no?
All she could do was push him away in the mildest way possible—enough that he’d see it as her “acting coy” or “playing hard to get.”
But the baron’s advances only grew more overt and filthy. Sometimes, Liana even wished the baroness would interfere so she’d have an excuse to escape. But the baroness, lacking both wisdom and courage, chose instead to unleash the hounds.
‘And yet… why are they looking at me like that after I was bitten by those hounds?’
“For your own sake, you’d better know your place.”
Liana stifled a laugh.
“Then, would you help me keep my place, Sir Carlisle?”
She looked up at him, meeting his eyes with a defiant glare.
The rebellious glint in her gaze made Carlisle’s brow furrow.
Liana drew a steady breath and lowered her voice, returning to her usual calm tone.
“If you could transfer me to another department, it would surely put your mind at ease as well, wouldn’t it?”
She spoke with the same gentle manner as always, but the meaning was clear.
Carlisle scowled in response.
“I am a knight sworn to my lord. I have no authority over decisions made within the Lester household.”
“And what about me?”
Liana tilted her head slightly, asking softly.
“…What?”
“Sir Carlisle, the duke’s right hand—a strong and renowned knight—if even you can’t do anything about it, then how could I, a powerless maid, possibly have any say at all?”
She looked up at him with calm, steady eyes.
Liana’s boldness made Carlisle’s expression twist with frustration. He searched for a rebuttal, but found nothing logical to say. His lips curled as he forced out a harsh response.
“Insolent wretch…!”
“Sir Carlisle.”
Just as Carlisle was about to unleash a torrent of insults, the door to the tent swung open. Both of them turned to look at once.
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pickle3
This guy is a idiot, she literally just tried to run away and he thinks she wants to get something out from his Lord?
Guy is just proving the point they make about lupus