On the way to the main house, Li Lin listened as Abel quickly explained the situation. Despite being born into the Ferros family, she was still an innocent girl, even more naive than Orianna and Seraphine. She was so nervous talking to a stranger like Li Lin.
After a chaotic and disjointed explanation, Li Lin managed to piece together a rough understanding from Abel's words and his own knowledge:
Before Progress Day, Camille had approached Li Lin to return to the Ferros family. When she failed, she coerced him into agreeing to create a Hextech core for Steven so he could undergo a Hextech enhancement surgery. Steven was furious that his sister had failed, and he vented his anger on Camille. Already in a foul mood from her beating by Li Lin, Camille couldn't hold back and argued with him.
Afterward, Camille almost became a different person, rarely appearing at home and always mysteriously busy. Steven also became secretive, having Li Lin watched and trying to infiltrate the Kiramman mansion to spy on him creating the Hextech core. However, Li Lin had already started constructing the mansion's defense system, and combined with his AI and cameras, the Ferros spies failed.
On Progress Day, Steven witnessed Li Lin's new technology and future vision at the conference, making him even more obsessed with the Hextech core. Later, Camille seemed to discover something and had another argument with Steven, after which she started summoning Abel to her room to teach her things she shouldn't be learning yet, like managing family affairs and handling various crises.
Tonight, knowing Steven sent his confidant Bonar to meet Li Lin and tour Blue Mist Manor, Camille dispatched Abel to take over and bring Li Lin to her.
Most of this was Li Lin's own deduction. If based solely on Abel's description, it would simply be that her grand-aunt and great-uncle had two arguments, leading to her grand-aunt's new demands on her.
As they approached the main house, the number of servants increased. Abel dropped her childish demeanor and tried to appear more mature, as Camille had taught her to show authority. The servants, however, seemed used to her behavior, probably thinking she had found something new to be excited about. After all, she was just a naive fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl.
With less than half an hour before the banquet, Li Lin and Abel reached the main house's top floor. After navigating through maze-like corridors, they stopped before a plain wooden door.
Abel, looking nervous, knocked gently three times and cautiously turned the handle. The door opened with a creak.
Contrary to Li Lin's expectation of Camille sitting in a dark room lit only by the blue glow of her Hextech core, the room was brightly lit. Electric chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and elegant table lamps adorned the small tables. In front of the room, by a simple yet elegant desk with two chairs, sat Camille in a gray and white tailcoat, sipping tea.
Seeing Li Lin and Abel enter, Camille motioned for her grandniece to lock the door and invited Li Lin to sit. She poured him a cup of tea.
"Have some tea first."
"Thank you."
Li Lin thanked her, took a seat opposite Camille, and sipped the tea. Abel, having just locked the door, was stunned by the scene. Her grand-aunt was on such good terms with Li Lin? She had just complained about her grand-aunt's strictness to Li Lin...
Li Lin noticed Abel's confusion but focused on Camille.
"You still came," Camille sighed, her cybernetic eye fixed on Li Lin.
"Was I not supposed to?"
"You really shouldn't have..."
Camille seemed hesitant to continue.
"This is an invitation letter from the head of the Stevan family, your brother, to me. If I don't come, it would be disrespectful."
Li Lin leaned back slightly, resting against the chair back, seemingly treating this place as his own home, appearing somewhat casual.
Moreover, Camille didn't mind his behavior.
Abel beside them felt as if he had turned to stone, his mind blank.
"This is a conspiracy."
Li Lin wasn't particularly surprised by Camille's words, maintaining a calm expression.
He had long anticipated that this evening's gathering might be a trap, considering he had once refused Camille's offer to create a Hextech core for Stevan.
"Aren't you surprised?"
"Not particularly." Li Lin shook his head, shifting his gaze to the dazed Abel. "But I am curious about one thing: Is it really wise to discuss these matters in her presence?"
"She will be the next head of the family and should understand some of the darker aspects of our lineage."
"I see."
Li Lin knew that after killing his own brother, Camille would support a new puppet head of the family, seemingly a relative of his own.
However, with the passage of time since his arrival, he had been busy with many other things, forgetting many details and backgrounds.
Upon Camille's reminder, Li Lin remembered that the puppet head she supported was his own great-granddaughter.
What surprised him was that Abel turned out to be such an innocent girl.
But upon further thought, Li Lin understood.
After the events with Stevan, choosing a naive girl would make it easier to control everything.
Seeing his indifferent expression, Camille grew suspicious. "Aren't you surprised by this?"
"It's quite normal. You found me before the banquet, so you must have discovered your brother's secret..."
Just then, the startled Abel finally uttered an incomprehensible exclamation: "Uh—Grandmother, you just said...you want, want me to be, be the head of the family?!"
"Yes, this is something I was going to tell you later... Well, more precisely, after tonight."
With that, Camille ignored Abel, her hex-tech prosthetic eye emitting a serious blue glow, staring intently at Li Lin.
"You're right, I discovered Stevan's dirty little secret." She almost spat out each word, her expression slightly mournful. "The blueprints for the Hextech core, he always kept backups, contrary to what we originally agreed upon."
Li Lin remained silent, giving Camille ample time to recount what had happened since Progress Day.
"I confronted Stevan with the blueprints, and he claimed he obtained them from an alchemist baron in Zaun. I knew he was lying, but I didn't expose him at the time.
"Later, I discovered he had secretly met with a young girl, agile and skillful despite her young age. Stevan gave her a sum of money and tasked her with crafting a weapon for him, then to..."
Just as Camille was speaking, a faint noise emanated from her chest, where the Hextech core was located.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "To find Hakim... Stevan has learned of Hakim's whereabouts over the past few decades."
As the family's secretive nature dawned on Abel, her breathing grew increasingly rapid, struggling to contain her emotions. "Grand... Grandmother, sh-should I... should I leave...?"
In her childhood, she had heard her father speak of Camille's former lover, albeit sparingly.
When she later asked her beloved elder brother, Yabus, about it, he sternly warned her not to mention such matters again.
Never before had Abel seen such a serious expression on Yabus's face, which left a lasting shadow on her perception of Camille.
But now...
Yabus' warning and the long-forgotten memories resurfaced in Abel's mind.
Why do I always find myself in these situations?
Abel felt helpless, on the verge of tears.
"No need to be nervous, Abel. This is something you should know," Camille tried to reassure her in a calm tone.
Then, she continued with her narrative, "Before the girl left Piltover, I confronted her and learned her name was Afya. And Hakim, after all these years, has actually returned to his hometown in Shurima, specifically, in Kortha."
Camille seemed distracted, muttering softly, "I should have known... besides here, his only other destination would be his former home..."
After a few seconds of silence, she took a few deep breaths, suppressing the surge of sadness, returning to her emotionless state. "Sorry, I lost control."
"The girl, you..."
"I killed her, as you might have guessed," Camille interjected before Li Lin could finish, "Since she chose this path, she knew what her fate might be."
"I thought you might let her go." Li Lin chuckled, "So... does Stevan know about this?"
Camille hesitated for a moment. "I am the top spy of the family, trained by the Ferros family, as far as I know, no one's skills can surpass mine."
Meaning, Stevan didn't know about his plan to bankrupt.
Li Lin nodded. "Do you know the details of Stevan's arrangements for tonight's 'Progress Day'?"
"'Progress Day'?"
"Um, his scheme... I mean, plan."
"Calling it a scheme is not entirely wrong."
Understanding Li Lin's meaning, Camille's expression gradually darkened.
"He thought he had deceived me, believing his plan was flawless. Little did he know, compared to himself, I know him best.
"He intends to use a specially crafted magical toxin, similar to the one used by C a year ago in the kidnapping of the councilors, but it also affects me.
"Stevan plans to force you to make a Hextech core for him. If you refuse, he will kill you, and then..."
Camille's words trailed off, but Li Lin naturally understood what she meant.
If he disagreed, Camille's Hextech core would be his backup, just like in the original timeline.
"But, but... Grandmother, haven't you always had a good relationship with Grandfather?" Abel finally mustered the courage to interject.
"Anything can change, child, especially the human heart... It's the most fragile thing in the world," Camille uttered a philosophical statement that Li Lin had never heard in the game.
"Remember my words, Abel, no matter when, you can never completely trust a person... even if they are your loved ones."
I think this can't be generalized, it depends on the individual.
Li Lin had a different opinion in his mind.
But he wasn't the atmosphere or topic terminator, and saying such things in this inappropriate situation would not be wise.
He remained silent for a while before looking at Camille. "What are you planning to do?"
And she replied with just four words: "Clean up the mess."
(End of this chapter)
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