Can the sadness that magic cannot take away be offset by love?

The two stood facing each other, Iris' eyes filled with frost and ice, staring at him silently.

Ernest wiped his hands slowly with a handkerchief and said indifferently:

"Isn't this the ending you planned for? Why are you looking at me like this?"

Hearing this, Iris smiled faintly:

"I don't know what you misunderstood. If you don't like others looking at you, you can find a piece of cloth to wrap yourself up."

The handkerchief burned up before it hit the ground, and Iris read a hint of anger in his cold outline.

"Didn't we say in advance that the person who raised the balloon was the experimental subject? Why did you put on her cloak after you came out?"

"Why? Why don't you ask yourself, are you a trustworthy person?"

"To you, I kept my promise in the end."

"Your arrow is aimed at me."

"That's because you're wearing her cloak."

"Even if that's the case, how can I be sure that you really didn't distinguish between the two of us? You clearly saw that it was me wearing the cloak, and then took advantage of the situation to target me. Isn't this possible?"

Ernest was speechless. He first thought she was making excuses, but then he realized that this was the normal state of things between them.

After all, he did hesitate before releasing the arrow, didn't he?

There was nothing wrong with her suspicion.

Moreover, the experimental subject obviously knew the meaning of the balloon. Didn't they have a so-called "promise" with the experimental subject? How could she be sure that he would keep his promise with her instead of the experimental subject?

They are unable to treat each other sincerely, nor can they give each other trust. This is the "impossibility" between them.

The only thing that is certain is that if Ernest provides sufficient assistance in this matter, then she will fulfill the final terms of the transaction.

She threw him a snowflake carved from ice and said:

"Only when I see this will I fulfill my promise."

Feelings are of no benefit to their relationship, but the chain of interests between them is indestructible.

Ernest just glanced at the snowflake and put it away.

In the vast world, the two of them turned around and left without even saying hello.

*

At the other end of the teleportation array was an unlit basement. The bloody clown mask was taken off and slowly rolled onto the table, with one hand propped up on the side. Suddenly, the hair scattered around his arm emitted a smooth and sharp silver light after the incandescent light was turned on.

With unwilling eyes, he slowly and gracefully scanned the room from bottom to top, and his palms pressing on the table slowly tightened.

Exhaling, the man stood up straight and looked in the direction he came from.

*

In the dark place where no light can be seen, the flickering wall lamps illuminated the entire narrow underground corridor. This was the only way from the secret door in Ernest Ramirez's study to the underground library.

“Tick, tick…”

Slow and silent footsteps passed through the corridor, and the person who reached the end of the journey pushed open the door at the end.

The room was suddenly filled with light. He closed the door with his backhand, walked around the gray-haired wizard who was sitting at the table next to the bookshelf against the wall, and put the document in his hand on a corner of the long table that had not been occupied by anyone.

Iris was wearing a uniform cape and sitting calmly on the table with her legs crossed. She held a book in her left hand and a pen in her right hand, scribbling on the book in a very casual manner. She never gave him any glances from beginning to end.

"A cat was fishing and a rabbit was eating grass on the shore..."

Iris read.

Seeing that she had no intention of coming down, Ernest pulled his chair to another corner, facing her, and then sat down calmly.

“This sentence is very interesting.”

Iris smiled and handed him the book.

Ernest took the book she handed over loosely, glanced at it, paused slightly, and let his eyes wander over the pages again. Then he closed the book and stated without emotion:

"Did you make up this sentence yourself?"

Iris crossed her legs and took out a book from the bookshelf behind her, flipping through a few pages at random:

"You can't even see that?"

Ernest raised one corner of his mouth slightly in a sarcastic tone:

"I've caught the fish. How does it taste?"

Iris shook her legs perfunctorily in response:

"It smells strange."

Iris once expressed doubts to Ernest about his ambiguous stance towards Olivia, so after negotiation, she asked Ernest to help her pass some true and false news to Olivia.

Gracia and Ernest created an "experimental subject" to replace Iris, the planned location was the amusement park, and Ernest would do it himself... She passed all these "facts" to Olivia.

At the same time, the news also included that the experimental subject did not have any genes related to the reverse point, and in order to better control her, the Ramirez family even deliberately reduced her magical talent.

In other words, the experimental subject is of no use to the Novero family. If the Ramirez family wants to kill Iris, what Olivia has to do from the Novero family's perspective is to protect Iris, and preferably kill the experimental subject.

The Ramirez family didn't care whether "Iris" was real or not, as long as the plan could proceed smoothly, it didn't matter who the pawn was. But the Novello family needed a genuine research subject and reproductive tool - a gene that could learn forbidden magic without side effects, or an excellent genetic talent.

The deaths of Adela and Green are a natural barrier between the Novello family and Iris. They will fight to the death over this blood feud and conflict of interest. In other words, no one can replace the target they are aiming at.

They might have guessed that Iris didn't have the same ability to accommodate forbidden magic as Enid, but the fact that Iris, who had great growth potential, was alive was a big trouble for them. What they wanted was to find a balance between eliminating her threat and squeezing out her value, even though such a balance was disgusting to Iris.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Iris preset a "self-side" position for Olivia - in terms of the experimental subjects.

But she was confused by Olivia's reaction - Olivia actually wanted to kill her - those old antiques in the Novello family would not be willing to kill her now before they had exhausted all her value.

Iris told Ernest that she was testing Olivia, but she also openly hid her intention to give herself more help when Ernest shot the arrow. At that time, she was not sure whether Ernest would really kill her in the end.

"How could that be? As soon as she received the news that you had had a blood transfusion, she couldn't wait to kill you. At least, her feelings for you are extremely sincere." Ernest said with a smile.

Iris's expression darkened.

"I didn't ask you to tell her that I had a blood transfusion."

Ernest looked relaxed:

"I just helped you perfect your little scheme. I didn't lie to you about this. You might as well work your way back from the result. She wanted to kill you, which means she was neither on the side of the Novello family nor on your side. Oh, that's not the way to say it."

He changed the subject and said:

"Someone has been buying the ingredients for the resurrection potion at a high price recently..."

The so-called resurrection potion does not have the function of resurrecting the dead as understood by the public. It is just a top-level healing potion that seems to touch the boundary of "resurrection".

Iris frowned.

"I don't want to know that. Whatever her motives, I don't think it's noble for her to decide my fate without my consent."

Ernest rarely heard her reply so seriously. He raised his eyebrows and said:

"Alright alright……"

He leaned back in his chair and said calmly:

"Then let's talk about another thing... Gracia told me that Ellex asked us to keep Iris alive."

"Didn't you say before that he wouldn't be distracted by this matter?"

"That's what Gracia told me. Who knows what the conflict between the two of them is, they don't seem to agree on your issue."

"Gracia said... Gracia said... Oh, if you were not still restricted by Gracia and Ellex, things wouldn't have to be so troublesome. You have gotten to this point and still can't escape Gracia's surveillance, forcing me to play along with you. Aren't you ashamed at all?"

"I am so sorry. I did not ask you to act with me, and I do not know what I should be ashamed of. Do you have any advice for me, Miss Adela?"

"Have you noticed that your speech now lacks the 'decency' that you once believed in?"

"You speak with the same carelessness of propriety as always, Miss Adela."

Ernest started to argue with her, and took out a piece of paper from the drawer and handed it to her:

"Professor Albinia adjusted your prescription after your last checkup. You're welcome."

"Oh? Did you secretly put some slow-acting poison in this time?"

"No, there isn't any poison that can cause death in trace amounts, so don't worry."

“That sounds really worrying.”

Iris folded the note and put it away:

"Next time, ask the professor to pass it to me, otherwise I will have to wash my hands until they peel off after I take it from you."

"Did I get glue on my hands?"

"Of course, of course, it's glue that's even more shameless than your nature."

"That's really bad."

Iris really took out her handkerchief and wiped her hands, and asked:

"Where's my 'spy'?"

Ernest called up the surveillance footage of the garden:

"She fell asleep. She took the photos of the experimental subjects for you."

Iris looked at Alexia, who was sleeping peacefully on the stone table with red marks on her cheeks, and said:

"I know. My spies are hardworking and smart. They even fooled Zhuoya and the others... By the way, do you know the name of the experimental subject?"

"It would be more efficient for you to ask Ulrich this question rather than asking me."

"That was not what I meant."

"Ok?"

"I mean, I'm looking forward to the day when you become my experimental subject. Space magic is very valuable for research, isn't it?"

"Indeed, but does our deal include this?"

"Of course, this is something I just added, and I think it helps to make our deal more fair."

"I would like to hear more about your unique views on 'fairness'."

"You? You don't understand."

"How would you know if you don't listen? Or are you unable to make it up?"

"..."

Before she made her move, Ernest spoke slowly:

"Let's go, Gracia is waiting for us."

“I never thought that one day I would need to play my clone.”

“Well, now you can experience it for yourself.”

"Should I thank you?"

"That's fine if you want to."

Iris threw the books to him, Ernest caught them steadily, and then put them back on the bookshelf in their original order.

……

On the ground, in the living room.

Ernest and Gracia each had a cup of tea in front of them. Iris sat on the side with her head down, twisting her handkerchief. When they had finished talking about what had happened, Gracia turned around and asked with a smile:

"You've performed very well today, do you want any reward?"

Iris' fingers moved, silently clenching the handkerchief, and she said quickly, firmly, and a little anxiously:

"I want the teacher...where is she?"

Gracia smiled and sighed, then said:

"Send her to Iris' dormitory in the academy after the holiday, and have someone buy her a magic wand."

Iris's expression was a little dull. Ernest didn't look at her, but said to Gracia:

"Will Ulrich's pension as the head of the laboratory also be given to her?"

"Yes, it seems that the child has no one who can collect her pension."

The "experimental subject's" eyes turned red.

Before they set off for the amusement park, Ulrich was fine. Who could have killed her?

Iris has been with the "experimental subject" all this time, it can't be her...

Gracia glanced at Ernest, who explained slowly:

"Iris Adela mixed the potion she gave Ulrich with a poison that delayed the onset of the disease. Your teacher is still useful to us, so there is no need for us to kill her."

Gracia smiled and looked at the experimental subject.

No way. What value does a researcher have if he loses both hands? Ulrich has worked in the "underground" of the Ramirez family for many years and knows a lot of secrets. This time, he even developed "feelings" for an experimental subject that could become an uncontrollable factor... Besides, the next opportunity to silence someone like this won't be easy to find.

But the "experimental subjects" who were "simple-minded and easy to use" had no choice but to believe them.

Iris, who was forced by the situation to hide herself tightly under the skin of the "experimental subject", was almost laughed at out of anger, but she had to pretend to be obedient on the surface.

Soon, the "experimental subject" was sent away by Ernest with a random excuse, and only Gracia and Ernest were left in the room.

Gracia didn't ask him what was wrong, but just looked at him with a smile.

Contrary to his usual behavior, Ernest did not explain the situation right away. Instead, he calmly picked up the teacup and drank a sip of tea.

Gracia's smile widened, and she stared at him with interest until he dropped a bombshell in the calmest tone:

"Iris took Ulrich and fled back to Lawrence Underground City."

The smile on Gracia's face stiffened slightly.

Ernest's amber eyes seemed to contain a storm. He placed a stack of magic trace tracing reports in front of Gracia:

"Your surveillance magic was discovered by Iris Adela. She found a loophole in the surveillance by locating your magic surveillance point, and deduced the best route to cover the retreat with illusion magic. My people found their traces at the entrance of Lawrence Underground City."

The heir of the Ramirez family, who had just celebrated his victory with his nominal "mother", made his final decision in the same calm and decisive tone as usual:

"Gracia Ramirez, you are primarily responsible for the failure of this operation."