Camille was taken aback by Li Lin's statement. "Why..."
As the question slipped out, she realized that since he began asking the first question, the pace of the conversation had been entirely controlled by him.
This was a situation Camille had never encountered since undergoing her heart transplant and fully embracing her identity as the Lady Grey.
The Lady Grey, strolling amidst the haze.
Almost no one, upon hearing the sharp sound of metal blades touching the floor, remained unfazed by the individual bearing that name.
Not even the councilors.
But Li Lin's behavior from start to finish was unexpected.
Especially that last word, "refuse."
Looking at Camille, whose expression subtly shifted, Li Lin maintained a polite smile and shook his head. "What do you think, Lady Grey, is the true desire of Lord Stevan?"
"What do you mean?" Camille frowned slightly, her tone tinged with impatience. "Didn't you just mention his intentions?"
"Well, let me guess." Li Lin continued, oblivious to her tone. "To become an entity like you, to join forces with you in leading the family towards prosperity, to look beyond the Valoran continent, and perhaps even beyond the entire Runeterra, am I right?"
"I never said such a thing." Camille's face darkened slightly.
At this moment, she wanted to question Li Lin: Did you install cameras in my house?!
Unfortunately, she couldn't utter those words.
Because doing so would indirectly acknowledge Li Lin's "guess," which was exactly the same as Stevan's previous claims.
And the Blue Mist Manor was located in the suburbs, with no other residents nearby, heavily guarded on normal days.
Once someone or some "mechanical creation" approached, they would easily be detected.
Li Lin understood Camille quite well, after all, she was one of his favorite champions to play in the game before his journey in runeterra.
As a "life mentor," many of Camille's words had inspired Li Lin.
As a player who loved exploring various game worldviews and backgrounds, Camille's story naturally attracted him.
Stevan still had some brotherly feelings towards Camille, but they were no match for his desire for eternal youth.
In the original timeline, unable to find a technician capable of making Hextech cores, he turned his attention to his own sister, who had been modified for decades.
He sent people to set traps for Camille, seizing the opportunity to attack her when she least expected it.
If not for Stevan and his stupid lackeys underestimating Camille's combat power amplified by the Hextech core, the future ruler of Piltover would not have been the Lady Gray, but the Ferros family in the open.
Actually, Camille also knew that her brother had ulterior motives, but her innate humanity prevented her from erasing the thought of her only "weakness."
Stevan was already on the brink of death, and according to Ferros family tradition, Camille, as a loyal spy serving the family, should have reminded Stevan to abdicate long ago.
In Stevan's last few years of decadence, Camille, out of fear of losing her brother, continued to support him unconditionally, enduring his schemes and evil intentions, which could have been resolved in another, darker way.
Camille was not yet aware of this, because she had not been betrayed by Stevan, and had not completely fallen out with him.
But Li Lin was different; he wanted to warn Camille that Stevan was a treacherous person.
Although it might not be useful to her now, she was a smart person and had lived for eighty or ninety years.
Just based on the experience of a long life, even if she was angry now, she would surely come to understand later.
"Forgive my rudeness and bluntness, but what I really want to ask is, do you think your brother's intentions are truly that pure?"
Camille was about to retort, but Li Lin didn't give her a chance to speak. "Let's not rush to question me. As siblings who have lived together for decades, I think you understand Stevan. You also know what he has done in the past..."
"So I wondered, do you really think your brother's intentions are that pure?"
Camille furrowed her brow in silence for a few seconds, then snorted disdainfully, unwilling to be led by Li Lin.
"I don't care what kind of person he is. Setting aside my relationship with my brother, he is the current head of the Ferros family, in charge of all matters large and small within the family."
"No matter what decision he makes, he has his own judgment. What I need to do is not to question his orders, but to figure out how to accomplish my own tasks... Everyone has their place. Losing sight of that can be dangerous."
Electric blue sparks flickered in Camille's eyes as she slightly raised her chin, staring at Li Lin with a disdainful gaze, her tone full of warning.
But Li Lin, now, was not afraid of her threats. He still maintained a calm smile.
"May I presume that you know a lot about the Ferros family..."
Li Lin paused, smiling as he recited Camille's familiar oath: "Family comes first. I pledge my loyalty, no deceit, no hoarding. For this oath, I hold nothing back, in spirit, in body, in heart... Hmm, quite similar to the Kiramman family's oath, but theirs isn't as strict, especially for craftsmen or apprentice technicians like me joining from outside."
Li Lin stood up, poured tea for himself and Camille, then sat back in his chair, leisurely savoring the aroma wafting from his cup.
However, Camille, who usually enjoyed tea, showed no interest now. Her eyes, filled with danger, bore into Li Lin, her expression as dark as ink.
"When you were twenty-five, you and your father were attacked by Zaun thugs enhanced with alchemical technology. Your father succumbed to his injuries, and your mother, grief-stricken, soon followed..."
"What kind of person are you?!" Camille exclaimed, unable to contain herself. "How do you even know about these confidential matters sealed by the Ferros family?!"
If it weren't for Li Lin's control over the Hextech core technology that her brother, Stevan, needed, she would have attacked this dangerous individual who knew so much about the Ferros family's secrets.
The future of Piltover?
Sorry...
In Camille's eyes, family came first.
Li Lin seemed oblivious to the hostility emanating from Camille. He calmly finished his tea, then raised his head to continue, "Do you truly believe that Stevan wants to be the head of the family? In other words, does he actually desire your current position more than being the head?"
"Nonsense!" Camille's body crackled with blue electric arcs, some just centimeters away from Li Lin.
With the power of these arcs, any contact with the body would instantly shock and kill.
However, Camille didn't know that even without armor, these arcs wouldn't harm Li Lin. At most, they would make him feel numb and pain.
"You've overstepped, Lady Grey."
"Pretending to be innocent is a waste of time!" Camille sternly rebuked. "I don't care where you heard about the Ferros family's secrets, but I advise you not to meddle in our family affairs. This is my final warning to you."
She added coldly, "Otherwise, I'll make you irrelevant... You wouldn't want to appear on my list."
"Sometimes, scars are a person's finest attire, Camille."
The familiar words, like advice I often give to younger generations...
Camille was stunned, even ignoring the fact that he had addressed her by name.
Li Lin set down his teacup, slowly stood up, and positioned himself about two meters away from her, calmly locking eyes with her.
"Hakim Nedri," he said, uttering a name.
Camille's face suddenly changed, unable to control herself any longer. In an instant, the released electric arcs surrounded Li Lin.
Flashing lights struck his skin and clothes, but most of them inexplicably disappeared.
At the same time, she suddenly noticed a change in Li Lin's clothes, as if they were trying to envelop him.
What's going on...
Just as Camille was puzzled, his clothes had already covered half of his body, revealing the appearance of an Infinite Armor.
Camille's Hextech eye turned orange-yellow, scanning quickly, only to find that this outfit also contained the energy of the Hextech core, which she couldn't detect before.
Without hesitating too much, she immediately lifted her right leg, intending to strike Li Lin's head with a horizontal cut.
But with a dull clang, the imagined scene of blood gushing did not occur.
Instead, Li Lin's left hand, covered by the armored suit, clamped down on the blade, immobilizing her right leg.
Camille's body stiffened, immediately activating the Hextech core to inject power into her left leg, then performing a backflip to try to sever Li Lin's left arm.
"Enough!" Li Lin shouted angrily.
He blocked her leg blade with his right hand, then forcefully flung her towards the workshop door, where the Aberration had already been activated.
Camille's hook, unsheathed from her thigh, attempted to hook onto the beams of the ceiling to adjust her position, but the Aberration's movement was faster.
Between them, a flash of orange-red light, and the specially crafted hook was instantly broken into two sections.
Camille hadn't reacted yet when she felt a burning pain in her neck.
The next moment, she felt a heavy blow to her abdomen, and her body fell heavily to the ground, unable to move.
When Camille came back to her senses and looked carefully, the one who had just cut off her hook and pressed her down was the Mantis-like robotic warrior covered by Li Lin's armor.
The pair of energy-made Mantis claws crossed on both sides of her neck.
As long as she dared to move, her head and body would be separated immediately.
It's been more than twenty years since I felt this.
The last time was when she went to deal with an evil mage causing trouble in Zaun.
Despite the magic, it ultimately fell under Hextech technology...
But now, the combat robot developed by Li Lin was even stronger than her body augmentation.
"You can't escape the consequences of your actions, and the Kiramman family will also be buried with you..."
Before Camille could finish her words, she sighed, completely interrupted by the fully armored Li Lin, "You've disappointed me, Camille."
He approached Camille with measured steps, looking down at her disheveled form from a higher vantage point. "I thought you would graciously accept defeat and listen to me," Li Lin said calmly.
Li Lin squatted down slowly, removing his mask to stare directly at Camille's dirt-covered face, devoid of her usual aristocratic elegance. He smirked coldly.
"I wonder, without you, what would the Ferros family rely on to compete against the Kiramman family under my leadership? Would it be Stevan's feeble and decaying body, or perhaps Yabus' cunning mind?"
"Just with this suit of armor alone, I could effortlessly raze the Blue Mist Manor to the ground... Oh, of course, unless you can plead for the help of the Wind Goddess Janna, perhaps then you could preserve some remnants of your lineage, preventing the Ferros name from being extinguished."
Camille clenched her teeth, her face growing paler, showing signs of regret for impulsively mentioning her lover's name.
"However, we are civilized people; I prefer diplomatic solutions."
Li Lin gestured for the monstrous form of the Aberration to release Camille, extending a hand to her.
However, she merely cast a cold glance at Li Lin, choosing to rise on her own, feeling the two additional scabs on her neck.
"What are you planning?" she asked sharply.
"Hakim Nedri, your lover. I know you once considered leaving everything behind and eloping to a place where no one knew you."
Camille's pupils slightly constricted as Li Lin uncovered a deeply buried memory in her mind, her breath becoming slightly ragged.
This guy...
What else does he not know?!
"But then there was another attack by bandits, which severely injured Stevan, completely dissuading you from that idea."
Camille's breath hitched, unable to help but step back, her face filled with astonishment. "You..."
"This incident was orchestrated by Stevan himself, to prevent you from leaving the family. I think you already knew that."
"This can't be..." Camille exclaimed.
She wasn't questioning Li Lin's accusation of her brother Stivian resorting to any means necessary to keep her from leaving; rather, she was astonished that he knew this secret, known only to herself and her brother.
"This is a world of magic, Camille. Nothing is impossible."
Li Lin reverted his armored form back into regular clothing, then made a inviting gesture to Camille. "Would you like another cup of tea?"
Camille's face showed numbness, as if she hadn't heard Li Lin's words at all.
She deeply suspected that the young man in front of her was a master of magic, proficient in divination.
After all, he was an Ionian.
Li Lin didn't understand what was on Camille's mind, nor did he care about her. He returned to his workbench, picked up a teacup, and drank the tea in one gulp.
All his actions were merely to pressure Camille, to make her believe more firmly in his audacity, so there was no need for deception.
"You know everything Stevan has done; you know exactly what kind of person he is," Li Lin stared at Camille, whose eyes lost focus. "So, let me ask you again, do you truly believe your brother's intentions are so pure?"
Camille remained silent, prompting Li Lin to continue pressing her. "Have you ever considered what his first action would be after he modifies his body and replaces it with a Hextech core?"
"...To kill me," she hesitated for a few seconds, as if exhausted, before uttering those three words.
"Yes, but not entirely." Li Lin smirked coldly. "To kill you, and..."
"That's impossible. He's my brother..."
"Do you still harbor illusions about him? Wake up, Camille. In Stevan's eyes, your existence is inconsequential compared to his dream of immortality!"
"If I hadn't developed the Hextech core, and if Nedri, the only one who mastered the Hextech core technology, had disappeared, what do you think Stevan would do to ensure his immortality?"
Li Lin's questioning left Camille stunned, deeply immersed in self-struggle.
If what Li Lin said was true, then my brother...
No!
He's my brother, we're family bound by blood, and Li Lin is just an outsider; how could he possibly understand the bond between my brother and me...
No, that's not right...
Stevan has decayed a long time ago, ever since Mother passed away in her sleep; he changed.
Unscrupulous, utterly selfish.
If the Ferros family had relied solely on his malicious decisions, they would have been wiped out by other families long ago...
Camille quickly recalled her brother's actions over the past few decades, increasingly convinced that what Li Lin said was entirely correct.
Without a new Hextech core, his goal is likely me...
Li Lin observed the changes in Camille's complexion and pupils. "It seems you've realized."
"I have my own judgment," Camille weakly retorted, lacking confidence. "Regardless, he's still my brother... and this is our family matter."
"Fine, it's your family matter; I shouldn't interfere too much. But one thing, you should make the Ferros family better, rather than letting it decay in Stevan's hands."
Camille bit her lip, offering no response.
Li Lin thought for a moment. "By the way, I have a genetic enhancement potion that can significantly improve one's physical fitness."
"So... you weren't just relying on the power of the armor to suppress me earlier?"
"Exactly, this thing needs to completely change form to take effect."
Camille glanced at Li Lin in surprise. "Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I might assassinate you while you sleep?"
Li Lin stared at her helplessly. "You wouldn't do that, and you couldn't."
How could you ask such a stupid question?
"Behind you stands the Ferros family, and I've already fed the coordinates of Blue Mist Manor into the armor's intelligent database."
Camille fell silent once again.
Although she was repulsed by such threats, she had to admit that deep down, she had the same thoughts.
"In conclusion, ambition needs the restraint of facts," Camille didn't quite understand what he meant and could only say this.
Li Lin smiled at her, "It seems I have the qualifications to have such ambition."
...
...
(End of this chapter)