"I understand," someone said, their voice calm, carrying a soothing tone. "Of course you can do so—you didn't even need to ask for my permission."
The one who had just spoken was a breathtaking woman with stunning red hair, tied into a high ponytail that cascaded like liquid fire down her back.
She sat cross-legged on a luxurious-looking couch, her posture composed and meditative. As she finished speaking, her eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of mesmerizing blood-red irises.
The aura that emanated from her at that moment was so intense and otherworldly that her interlocutor blinked several times in confusion.
'It feels like she's right here in front of me… and yet, as if she's not entirely present either,' the interlocutor thought, her mind reeling. 'It's such a strange feeling.'
Still in her meditative position, Lilia stretched her arms lazily before fixing her gaze on the one in front of her.
"I've already told you, Anita," she said with a small, teasing smile curling her lips, "you're free to do whatever you want here. There's no need to ask me for permission—especially for something like this." Her smile widened, almost playfully. "After all, you are my husband's fiancée."
Anita's cheeks flushed crimson, and her pale blue eyes began to glow softly. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered.
"For what?" Lilia asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"For... for..." Anita's words faltered, and she closed her mouth, too embarrassed to continue. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' she wondered, irritated by her own reaction.
She was usually outspoken and unafraid to speak her mind, but ever since she had entered the Eswald household, something had changed. No—everything had changed the moment she first met Alex, when he and his wives had come to rescue her. Since then, she had found herself becoming strangely shy, a transformation that still left her father speechless to this day.
Thankfully, she remained her confident self around others, but whenever she was faced with one of Alex's wives, something in her wavered. She often felt like a homewrecker—an intruder. She had expected coldness or indifference the moment Alex wasn't around. Yet ironically, the warmth and kindness his wives continued to show her only made things more difficult. In a way, their acceptance felt… overwhelming—and harder to respond to than rejection.
As she was thinking this, a knock resounded at the door, and as Lilia gave them permission to enter, the person on the other end immediately pushed the door open.
A woman with nut-coloured hair and hazelnut eyes then stepped inside the room, her footsteps practised and precise, making no sound whatsoever.
The one who had just entered was none other than Anna, but unlike before, she wasn't wearing her maid outfit. Instead, she was dressed in a tight-fitted training suit that clung to her figure and accentuated her curves while not vulgar or indecent.
She approached Lilia and offered a respectful bow in greeting.
Seeing this, Lilia let out an exaggerated sigh. "You two are really stubborn, you know that?" she said, casting a glance toward the two women before fixing her gaze on Anna. "How many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me anymore? You're Alex's wife, just like I am. What do you think people will say if they see you treating me like I'm above you?"
"I apologize, but Lady Lilia, you can't expect me to treat you as if we were equals. That would be—" Anna began, but Lilia raised a hand, cutting her off.
"Lilia. Just Lilia," she snapped, barely restraining herself from cursing.
She took a deep breath and shook her head. 'Ah, I miss him,' she thought, exhaling slowly. 'If he were here, the atmosphere wouldn't be so heavy all the time,' she mused, her heart briefly drifting toward thoughts of Alex.
She didn't quite understand why, but lately, nearly everyone around her seemed too stiff, too cautious—except for her daughters. Everyone else acted like they were walking on eggshells around her.
What Lilia didn't realize was that the cause of this tension was the wild, oppressive aura that now clung to her like a second skin. Ever since awakening Zid, she had been training to control the chaotic energy coursing through her. And although she had made progress, she still hadn't mastered it. Whenever she was in a bad mood, some of that power leaked out, suffocating those nearby. People had started avoiding her, and when they couldn't, they did everything possible not to upset her—making them seem overly serious in her presence.
"Is there a reason you're here?" Lilia asked after a moment, turning back to Anna.
"Yes," Anna replied evenly. "The group of future soldiers you're scheduled to train has just arrived."
"Finally," Lilia said, rising to her feet. She never would have thought the day would come when she'd be genuinely excited to teach a group of strangers, but her progress in Zid had recently hit a wall. The frustration of stagnation had begun to wear on her, and any distraction was more than welcome.
"Where are they right now?" Lilia asked as she stretched.
"I gathered them in the training room," Anna answered.
"Good," Lilia nodded. "Let's go see what we're dealing with." She turned to Anita and inquired, "Are you coming with us?"
"N-No thanks," Anita replied, lowering her gaze slightly. "I have things to do."
"Well, suit yourself," Lilia shrugged. "If the boys are bothering you again, you know where to find us," she added.
"I doubt anyone will be bothering her again after finding out who she's engaged to," Anna commented, her indifferent expression twisting into a smirk, her eyes gleaming with pride.
"That's true, I guess," Lilia nodded with a smirk of her own.
Minutes later, Lilia and Anna could be seen inside the underground training room of the Eswald mansion, standing across from a group of about ten people.
These individuals were the future members of Alex's army, and Lilia had been designated to train them accordingly. Well, she was to train the entire army, but to begin with, she wanted to shape an elite force made up of the most promising recruits — the ten standing before her now.
"Among the hundreds of people we are willing to train and turn into soldiers, you ten were identified as the strongest, fastest, and generally most talented. That's why your training will be handled separately — it wouldn't be effective to train you the same way as the weaker ones," Lilia said, her gaze locked on the ten men and women in front of her.
The ten selected recruits didn't respond. They simply stared at Lilia. She could feel their condescending gazes — mostly from the men — as they sized her up, scanning her from head to toe, clearly doubting she was the one meant to train them.
Lilia didn't take offense, though. She was confident that soon enough, they'd regret underestimating her.
"However, I wasn't the one who conducted your evaluations, so I have no idea how strong or skilled you actually are," she continued, as if unaware of their judgmental stares. "That's why I'll be testing you myself."
A bulky man raised his hand, and without waiting for her permission, he spoke. "How are you going to test us?" he asked.
"How else? By fighting each of you, of course," Lilia replied. "But since I'll mainly be teaching you hand-to-hand combat, those of you who've already awakened your abilities are forbidden from using them."
"Wouldn't even consider it against a mundane woman," the man said with a laugh. "The fight's already unfair as it is. No need for powers."
Some of them — once again, mostly the men — snickered at his remark, exchanging amused glances.
"Excuse me," another man spoke up, raising his hand. "What do we get if we manage to beat you?"
Though he was more polite than the first, the fact that he even asked such a question showed he too underestimated Lilia.
"That won't happen," Lilia said calmly. "But if by some miracle one of you manages to defeat me, I'll grant you whatever you wish for."
"I already know what I'll be asking," the beefy man said, eyeing Lilia with a lecherous grin.
Anna, who had remained silent until now, looked ready to speak up, but Lilia raised her hand to stop her.
"Good, it's decided then," Lilia said. "Who's going first?"
"Of course that's going to be me," the muscular man said as he stepped forward.
"Dream on, big guy," the second man interjected. "Like hell we're letting you go first. What if you mess her up so bad she can't fight the rest of us? We want a shot at those wishes too!"
Soon, the rest began to argue over who would go first, while Lilia and Anna stood there, quietly watching the scene unfold.
"These guys...they really don't take me seriously, huh?" Lilia chuckled.