23. Dungeon Illness.

"But what if I want your love more than your loyalty?" He asked, his lips mere inches from hers.

Lilith smiled, noticing how close their faces were.

"If Master keeps flirting with me, you won't have a chance to back out."

"I don't intend to."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Hearing this, Lilith wrapped her arms around Orion's neck and gave him a peck on his lips. This caught Orion by surprise, and his lips widened into a smile at how his precious maid took the initiative to kiss him first.

"Does this mean you're willing to be more than just my maid?"

Lilith leaned towards his ear and whispered. "No."

"Huh? Why?"

Since Orion had given her permission to be herself around him, Lilith was determined not to appear too eager, besides, there were more important matters to attend to.

"No reason," Lilith giggled and pecked his lips once again before opening the door behind her while her gaze was still fixed on him.

"Where are you going?"

"To get you something to eat?"

"There's no need for that."

"Huh? Why?" Lilith was surprised to hear this. "Aren't you hungry?" she asked.

"Not really." Orion wanted to start cleaning the alchemy room now before Jarvis returned with the herbs. However, Lilith wasn't happy with this.

She couldn't just sit by and watch her beloved master walk around the castle without eating breakfast.

"What's wrong?" Orion noticed the look on her face.

"You have to eat something."

Orion rolled his eyes with a smile. This girl was just too good for him. "Fine, I will eat something."

Lilith beamed and asked. "How about fruits?"

"That will be great. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'll return with the fruits after confirming that the chef is done cooking the Queen and Princess' meal."

"Understood, I'll be in the alchemy room."

Lilith nodded and they both went their separate ways.

While heading towards the alchemy room, Orion couldn't stop smiling as he recalled what happened between them.

He was grateful for everything Lilith had done not only for him but also for his sister and stepmother as well.

She had been the only one taking care of all three of them.

The work might have been a bit too much for her to handle alone if the chef hadn't also helped her around the castle.

'I think Lilith and the chef should be the only staff members left in the castle.' Orion thought to himself.

'As for the royal guards that are still loyal, I'm pretty sure they are not up to five.'

'I will have to reward Lilith, Jarvis, and the chef,' Orion made a mental note of this as he finally arrived at the alchemy room.

The alchemy room had been abandoned for months, so it was dusty and dirty. It had been abandoned ever since a small explosion occurred when some potion-brewers were carrying out some experiments.

Orion cautiously pushed open the heavy wooden door to the alchemy room and a cloud of dust flew out, causing Orion to cover his nostrils while coughing.

Once the dust settled, Orion stepped into the alchemy room but the first thing he noticed were the walls which were stained with soot. He also noticed several broken cauldrons across the floor and cobwebs draped around every corner.

Some tomes, which were covered in dust were lined on a shelf with jars of dried herbs and other ingredients.

He singled out the materials he would be using like potion vials which were still in good condition, and some mortars and pestles.

Lilith joined him a few minutes later and they both ate and cleaned the room.

About an hour later, Jarvis, alongside two other knights returned to the castle before heading over to the alchemy room.

A knock was heard before Jarvis stepped into the room.

"Young master, here are the herbs you requested."

"Were you able to find them all?"

"Yes, but It wouldn't have been easy without the help of my men."

Orion could see that he was trying to put in a good word for the men who assisted him. "I understand, they will each have a vial of the cure to help their family."

"Thank you so much, young master."

Jarvis bowed before dropping all the herbs and ingredients he had brought with him on a desk. Orion surveyed the herbs before him and was satisfied with what they brought.

Although it seemed that they brought a bit more than he had expected, so he decided to use all the available hands he could get.

"Where are your men?"

"They are outside the alchemy room."

"Good, bring them in. We'll need all the help we can get."

Jarvis nodded his head and did as he was ordered. When he returned, Jarvis had a worried look on his face.

"Young master, don't we need an alchemist to supervise what we are about to do?" Jarvis was still a bit skeptical about what they were about to do.

"That won't be necessary."

"B-but none of us here knows how to brew a potion. Wouldn't it be better to have experienced potion-brewers by your side?"

Aside from Orion who seemed like he knew a bit about potion-brewing, Jarvis thought it would be better for Orion to be surrounded by people with a bit more experience in alchemy.

He wouldn't forgive himself if anything were to happen to the queen and princess due to their mistake while brewing the potion. Besides, the lives of his subordinates' families were also on the line.

"I do not need your experience in brewing. All I need is your strength." Orion replied.

"Our strength?" Jarvis inquired.

"Yes," Orion said confidently.

Jarvis noticed how calm Orion was when answering his questions while simultaneously inspecting the herbs and ingredients in front of him, and he couldn't help but think that Orion might know more about the unknown illness.

"Young master, do you perhaps know the cause of the illness that has plagued most of the people in the kingdom?"

"Yes. It is dungeon illness."