Slowly, Marilyn walked toward them and stopped directly in front of Teresa.
She tilted her head and looked deeply into the young woman's eyes before speaking:
"You seem more upset than he is about the fact that I am not going to tend to either of you. Are you his girl—"
Teresa cut her off with a scoff, turning her head away in disbelief before looking back at her and pointing at herself.
"No, obviously. I am not yet worth— I mean, of course I am not. Stop saying that."
Oliver nodded in agreement. Despite noticing the initial slip, he chose to ignore it. It was irrelevant, and he already understood what lay beneath her words.
Marilyn smirked.
"What a shame. You two look good together, but well… I still am not going to defy the rules. I only helped your friend over there because he was on the brink of death, and it would have been inhumane not to intervene. However, you…"
She glanced at Oliver's swollen shoulder and the wounds along his arm, then shifted her gaze to Teresa, tracing the bruises on her exposed skin.
"…the both of you will survive. Your Blessings have evolved, and so have your physical capabilities. Your wounds will heal at least twice as fast as those of a normal human, even if you are Unranked. You should regain full use of your shoulder in about a week, perhaps less."
Oliver blinked twice.
'I do not know much about her life before this, as it was never mentioned, but it appears she possesses some degree of medical knowledge. Waiting a week is not an option, obviously, so I will have to rely on whatever leverage I have. The story is already derailed, just a reminder to myself.'
The healer turned her back to them with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Go away, newbies."
Oliver bit his lip in restrained irritation and said flatly:
"When was the last time you heard from your twin sister?"
Marilyn paused mid-step as a cold shiver coursed through her body. She slowly turned toward Oliver, her gaze unsteady.
On the other hand, Teresa was completely lost, unable to comprehend that the healer even had a sister, and more so that Oliver somehow knew of her existence.
Should that even be possible?
"…How did you know about my sister?" Marilyn asked, urgency threaded with confusion.
There was no conceivable way anyone in the castle knew about her sister, except for one of the Four Dogs, who had promised to keep her frail twin safe as long as she cooperated with the Settlement. So how had that information reached a newcomer?
In contrast, Oliver was fully aware of how reckless the card he had just played was. If he handled it correctly, he would secure treatment while simultaneously nudging Teresa toward the rebellion she had only begun to contemplate.
However, if he mishandled it, everything would collapse. Of course, it all depended on how he chose to answer Marilyn.
Ignoring her question entirely would only worsen the situation, as her suspicion would escalate significantly. He needed to construct a convincing lie, one that could function as a twofold advantage, even if it failed to fully quell her curiosity and suspicion, as well as Teresa's.
The situation was already precariously balanced, and since he no longer had any reason to adhere strictly to a storyline that had been derailed from the outset, Oliver was prepared to act without restraint from this point forward.
The story might diverge, unforeseen dangers might emerge, and unrecorded events and individuals might surface, but all he had to do was become stronger than the original Oliver and confront everything head-on.
Not to mention, he possessed three Hues, two of which he had yet to fully understand. In truth, he could examine their descriptions whenever he wished, so there was no urgency on that front.
Right now, he had to convince two people as effectively as possible…
With unsettling composure, Oliver spoke:
"I actually encountered a woman around your age when I was brought into the castle. I had been captured by slavers from here and confined in a prison chamber. She was held in a separate cell, but I was able to catch glimpses of her from where I was, and, to be honest, the resemblance between you is striking…"
Teresa glanced at him with a furrowed brow as her mind was immediately inundated with questions.
'He was captured as a fugitive? So that means those people who were locked up in that area of the palace, he was among them…? Come to think of it, I did feel a strange sensation while passing by there, could that have been Oliver's? It seems we are soulmates! Ha, no, no, do not be foolish, Teresa.
'You cannot simply fall for someone just because you feel strangely drawn to them. I still do not understand… wait. Now that I think about it, why was that woman trying to kill him? He never told me why, and she mentioned something in particular… but I just cannot recall it. I need to sleep.'
On the other hand, Marilyn was not even remotely convinced by the young man's words.
She frowned.
"And so? Is that all? Do you expect me to—"
"I was not finished. I am having considerable difficulty thinking clearly because of my injury. Care to notice that?
"Anyway, we had a brief conversation, and she mentioned having a sibling who was a healer here, within the Settlement. However, our exchange was abruptly cut short when we were both taken from the cells by different individuals. I do not know where they took her, but I was nearly killed by the one who took me, for no apparent reason. Perhaps mere bloodlust, or an execution attempt. This young lady saved me." Oliver fabricated smoothly, his expression blank as he gestured toward Teresa.
The young healer shifted her gaze to the girl beside him, but there was a lingering fear in her eyes. Her pupils trembled, and her entire body followed suit.
"My… my sister… she has to be alive, right? Glassy of the Four Dogs promised to keep her safe as long as I worked for them, but… but… No, she has to be alive. She has to be."
Teresa felt a surge of sympathy for her situation, coupled with visible resentment toward the castle, especially after hearing how they had allegedly attempted to kill Oliver without cause.
Of course, she knew that was not entirely accurate, as the female slaver appeared to harbor a personal grudge against him, yet she chose to believe it regardless, largely because the castle had already demonstrated its cruelty and indifference toward human life.
With the mention of someone named Glassy, one of the Four Dogs, her curiosity deepened, and the faint ember of rebellion within her mind flared more intensely, fueled by the attempted murder of Oliver, the captivity of the healer's sister, and the pervasive brutality of the Settlement.
Oliver lowered his head and allowed a faint, calculating smile to form.
'It worked.'
He looked back at Marilyn, who remained visibly shaken by the implication that her sister might have been executed. She was compelled to believe him, if only partially, as there were fragments of plausibility within his account.
"Let us make a deal, then. I will find your twin sister, but first, I need to be treated so I can function at full capacity, and—"
Teresa cut in, a dangerous undercurrent already threading through her presence.
"No. We will dismantle the castle and bring down everyone involved. Then your sister will be freed from all of this, and so will you, and every innocent person here. In that case, we will also require your assistance beyond healing."
Oliver struggled to contain his excitement at her words.
'It has begun. Yes. Even though Kaden is not part of this conversation, I am certain he will join the cause. That cold bastard is obsessed with justice. He would destroy his own House if it threatened the world's safety, and since Teresa saved him, he will undoubtedly feel indebted to her and support her.'
Marilyn flinched.
"…What? Do you truly believe you can oppose the Settlement?"
Oliver answered curtly.
"Yes."
Out of nowhere, he heard a sharp rustle and the swift unsheathing of a blade, and in the next instant, its edge was pressed against Marilyn from behind.
"Who are you people?" a young man with a deep voice demanded.
Oliver rolled his eyes.
'Excellent. He is awake and acting exactly as expected.'
***
If you're enjoying the story so far, please support. 50 Golden Tickets, +2 bonus chapters; 100 Golden Tickets, +4 bonus chapters; 50 Power Stones, +1 bonus chapter; 100 Power Stones, +2 bonus chapters.