Lord: Starting with Biological Modification
Chapter 91 - 87: Caroline, You’re So Stupid
Velin felt the warmth by his ear and sighed inwardly.
’Here we go again. More time wasted on a tedious problem born from a simple misunderstanding.’
Considering their currently strong working relationship, Velin composed himself, then turned his head to look at Caroline, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.
He didn’t explain right away, preparing to let the facts speak for themselves.
But in Caroline’s eyes, that smile was a fuse that instantly ignited her suspicion and fury.
’That wasn’t an explanation or a confession. It was an admission, a provocation!’
It was a silent taunt that screamed, ’You guessed right, so what?’
SHINK—!
A soft but piercing scrape of metal.
Caroline silently drew an exceptionally sharp letter opener from her alligator-skin handbag and slammed it into a nearby supply crate.
The tip sank an inch into the wood, the hilt humming as the trembling blade reflected the cold sunlight.
"Lord Klein," she said, taking half a step back. The added distance amplified her intimidating aura. "It seems my investment has allowed you to live quite comfortably in this backwater. What, are the flasks and beakers in your laboratory no longer enough to satisfy you?"
Her tone grew colder with each word, her lovely brows knitting together as she glared at Velin.
"I truly never expected your tastes to be so... unique. To ignore so many mature, alluring women and dare to lay your hands on a little maid who’s barely weaned! Do you just love the type that knows nothing, that you can mold to your every whim?"
The smile on Velin’s face didn’t falter. He simply turned and gestured toward the Lord’s Mansion.
"Caroline, your imagination is impressive, but it lacks factual support."
He calmly retrieved the letter opener, his movements natural, as if Caroline’s anger had nothing to do with him.
"Please, come with me. Seeing is believing, and it’s more effective than a thousand of my explanations."
Caroline snorted, lifting the hem of her dress. Even with her high heels sinking into the muddy ground, she still walked with the air of a queen.
’She’d see just what sort of game Velin was playing.’
At the Lord’s Mansion, Velin pushed open the door to his office.
None of the scandalous scenes Caroline had imagined were there.
Inside the room, there was Xiaolan.
She had just finished a round of intense training and was leaning against the wall with one hand, gasping for air.
Sweat plastered the strands of her bangs to her pale little face.
The rough-spun shorts and tunic she wore for ease of movement were now completely soaked with sweat.
Her whole body was trembling slightly—the reaction of a body and mind pushed past their limits, now completely exhausted.
Hearing the door open, Xiaolan struggled to turn her head.
When she saw Velin, a light sparked anew in her weary and unfocused eyes.
"My lord!" She tried to stand straight and bow, but her legs suddenly gave out, and she nearly collapsed.
Caroline froze in the doorway. She stared at the nearly collapsed girl, at the exhausted yet pure look in her eyes, and her mind went blank.
The sordid images she had conjured stood in stark contrast to the reality before her.
She didn’t know what to do.
Only then did Velin speak, his voice even.
"Xiaolan has the potential to awaken her bloodline. All the training you see is laying the foundation to activate and stabilize it."
He paused, his gaze falling on the girl’s legs, which were trembling slightly from exertion. He added, "By the way, her village was purified by the Judicial Court. The only family she has left is a seven-year-old sister, who is currently under the care of the Klein Clan. She’s pushing herself this hard just so she can one day earn a salary to make sure her sister has enough to eat."
Velin continued to clear up the misunderstanding.
"The training I’ve tailored for her, every single movement, is designed to guide the activation of the power within her. This is an opportunity for her—a chance to gain the ability to protect herself and her sister in the future."
Caroline’s face flushed red, then went pale.
Her lips moved. She wanted to say something to save face, but couldn’t force out a single word.
The vicious words she’d spoken moments ago now felt like a series of poison-dipped daggers stabbing back into her own heart.
She bit her lip hard, squeezing the words out through her teeth. "So it’s... a very valuable body conditioning... experiment. Lord Klein, your research interests are quite broad indeed."
With that, she spun around and stalked away, her hasty exit almost a scramble.
The frantic, disorderly CLACK of her high heels on the floor exposed her chaotic state of mind.
...
「Midnight.」
In her temporary residence in Newly Town, Caroline shot up in bed.
Outside, the chirping of insects from the Swamp wove an endless net of sound, grating on her nerves.
"Damn it!"
She cursed under her breath, grabbed the silk pillow beside her, and hurled it violently against the wall.
The pillow slid silently to the floor, much like her anger—with no outlet, it could only fester in her chest, burning her up inside.
Caroline got out of bed barefoot and began pacing back and forth in the small room, replaying the scene from the office over and over in her mind.
Velin’s calm explanation, Xiaolan’s pure eyes, and her own... stupid, cruel, reckless words.
"Caroline Channing, you are an absolute fool!"
She buried her hands in her long, silver hair, scratching at her scalp in agony, her face a mask of self-loathing.
’That bastard... he wasn’t even angry. He probably just thought I was a nuisance, that I was making a scene for no reason. That look in his eyes was more humiliating than any counterattack.’
Dejected, Caroline leaned against the wall, her body slowly sliding down until she was sitting on the cold floor, her face buried deep in her knees.
Looks like someone wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight.
...
「The next day, in the conference room of the Lord’s Mansion.」
Around the long table, Chief Alchemist Valerius, the newly arrived Magic apprentice Ryo, Newly Town’s agricultural specialist Old Walker, and the garrison’s deputy captain Kolon... all the core members were seated, waiting intently.
Only one seat remained empty, next to the head of the table, reserved for the investor from the Origin Association.
Just then, the conference room door was pushed open.
Caroline walked in. She had changed into a conservatively cut, dark-colored long dress. Her eyes darted about, avoiding Velin’s gaze, her usual vibrant spirit replaced by a cold indifference.
Despite the meticulous application of makeup, the dark circles under her eyes were still visible.
She looked at no one, walking straight to the seat furthest from Velin.
Velin paid no mind to these minor details. He was looking at the large regional map in the center of the table, as if none of it had happened.
"Now that everyone is here."
His finger tapped the map, on the area labeled Gray Sea Marsh.
"Then, let’s begin the meeting. Today’s agenda is the next phase of the plan for Newly Town and the Origin Association. My target... is here."
"According to our intelligence, a new... intermediate-level aether-rich zone is forming somewhere in the Swamp."
The moment he finished speaking, varied expressions appeared on the faces of everyone present.
And Caroline finally lifted her head, her gaze falling upon the map.