"You''ve seen him recently?" Gilbert asked.


    Eliza shook her head. "No. But he stole something very important from me. I''m tracking him down."


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    П


    Gilbert let out a mocking short. "Let me guess-Sophie''s behind it? That whole group''s like smoke and shadows. Even I''ve only seen Nomus a handful of times, and as for the rest! Never. Not once."


    "They keep themselves that well hidden?" Eliza frowned.


    "Finding them won''t be easy" Gilbert said with a shrug. "But I have a feeling Nonus will be surfacing soon."


    Eliza narrowed her eyes. "Because I''ve got Sophie?"


    "Exactly. They won''t sit back while Sophie''s in danger. So you''d better be careful-


    if you die before brewing the antidote. we''re all screwed. Gilbert grinned like the idea entertained him..


    Eliza, unbothered, said coolly, "Then you''d better be careful too."


    "Me What for?" Gilbert spread his arms dramatically. "I was Sophie''s puppet before, and now that she''s captured, I''m yours. What can they me me for? Being a puppet isn''t a crime.


    He gave her a wide-eyed look of mock innocence


    Eliza smiled faintly. You''re not wrong-you are my puppet now. And just so you know, after reviewing the form on Sophie''s body, I can say with confidence that no one else in Bortend besides me can make antidote.


    your


    Gilbert''s eyes widened. "You destroyed the original form?"


    I did. Eliza confirmed. "But that''s not why I say I''m the only one left who can recreate it. The real reason. I''m not ready to tell you yet. What you do need to understand is this-if I die, your cure dies with me


    "Ruthless, Gilbert sighed, dramatically clutching his chest. "We''re allies now, aren''t we? Allies should at least share some secrets. Friends, even


    "Sorry Eliza said with a chilly smile. "You''re not my friend. Allies can be enemies overnight. Friends don''t. You may be on my side for now-but that doesn''t make you safe."


    Gilbert gasped, hands to his heart. "Ouch. That hurt a little."


    "Good" Eliza replied without flinching. "Now can we get back to business?"


    "Everything you know about Nonus Ophidian


    "I won''t pretend I know much. Gilbert said. "But the few times I met him, I did sense something, familiar. Like he was one


    ? of us"


    "One of us?" Eliza raised a brow


    "Yeah. A poison user N


    Maybe even more skilled than I am. But the real danger isn''t his poison. It''s his snakes." Eliza visibly stiffened. "Snakes?"


    Gilbertughed the moment he saw her flinch. "You? You''re afraid of snakes?


    After handling centipedes and spiders like they''re pets?


    "Snakes are snakes. Hugs are bugs. They''re not the same, Eliza muttered. She''d been bitten by a snake as a child, and the


    11:45 Fri, 18 Apr


    memory had never left her. Just the thought of it still made her skin crawl


    Alone, Eliza sat by herself, one hand idly resting beneath her chin as she stared off into the distance.


    Nomus... a poisoner, like Gilbert, And yet, Gilbert imed they''d only crossed paths a few times.


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    Still, Eliza coulhyt shake the odd sense that the two were almost too simr-one controlled insects, the other, snakes. It was as if they''de from the same lineage... the same master.


    But Gilbert''s casual demeanor didn''t seem faked. If he did know Nonus better than he let on, he was either hiding it well-or genuinely unaware.


    Still, it was just a hunch. And Eliza didn''t have time to waste chasing shadows. She returned to her pocket farm.


    If Nonus wasing for her... she''d be ready.


    After returning from the graveyard, Benedict, disgusted and disillusioned by their father''s reaction, had gone straight to his two younger brothers and told them the truth their mother''s body had been stolen.


    Their reactions were intense-but not in the way he''d hoped.


    Does it matter who''s using who?" Benedict said, trying to stay calm. The point


    is, Mother''s body is missing. Shouldn''t wel be focused on finding her?"


    "I am concerned!" Mathew shot back. "But I won''t just stand by while Eliza nders Sophie."


    Benedict''s expression darkened. "You think Eliza would lie about something like this? She''s our mother''s daughter, just like


    We are


    Matthew stared at him in disbelief. "What''s that supposed to mean? That because Sophie isn''t our blood sister, it''s okay to suspect her? To assume she''s the one who desecrated our mother''s grave?


    "When did I ever say that? Benedict snapped. "Stop twisting my words, Matthew."


    Twisting your- Matthew let out a bitterugh and turned to Anthony. "You heard what he said. You tell him. Wasn''t that exactly how it sounded?"


    Both brothers turned to Anthony


    Anthony''s voice was calm as always. "Benedict, I know you''re upset about what happened. We all are. But what you said earlier it was harsh. If Sophiees back and hears you talking like that, imagine how much it''ll hurt her."


    Matthew''s face lit up with vindication. "See? I''m not the only one who thinks so." Benedict inhaled sharply, trying to rein in his rising frustration.


    These two w


    were impossible.


    Or maybe they''d always been like this when it came to S But now, standing here, sering their reactions-it was like waking up from a dream and realizing the whole world had been


    Sophie. It was just that he used to be on her side too, blind to it a


    all.


    upside down.


    "I didn''te here to argue about nonsense," he said coldly. "I only came because I thought, as your elder brother-and as the eldest son of the Stonor family—I had a duty to tell you what happened. But clearly. I was wrong


    11:45 Fri, 18 Apr


    85%


    His voice grew colder with each word. Do whatever you want. Look for her-or don''t. Either way, I will bring Mother back."


    With that. Benedict turned and walked away from the Stonor estate without another word.


    Matthew scowled "Unbelievable. Eliza''s poisoned lus mind too


    Anthony remained expressionless. "It''s no surprise. Benedict always had a soft spot for her. He''s doted on Eliza for over a decade of course his bias would retur


    "But that doesn''t mean he can use Sophie like that Matthew snapped. "This can''t go unanswered. I''m going to get to the bottom of this."


    “I may not be able to go in, Matthew said with a smirk, “but I have ways of getting Eliza toe out."


    "I may not be able to go in, Matthew said with a smirk, "but I have ways of getting Eliza toe out."