Chapter 7 - What are you afraid of?

Caitlyn!

I can't let her know about my trip to Zaun, if she tells Madam Cassandra I'll be in big trouble...

Lilin panicked, and subconsciously wanted to close the door, but Caitlyn, who was aware of his awkwardness, jammed the door with her foot.

"What are you doing? Why do you want to close the door?" She forced the door open and got into Lilin's room, wrinkling her nose, "You don't want to see me so much?"

"I don't mean that..." Lilin tried to justify himself "I suddenly remembered that I left some things in the repair shop..."

"Then why are you closing the door?" Catelyn interrupted. "And you hesitated, you're lying."

Afterwards, she narrowed her eyes slightly and inspected Lilin's outfit.

"Let's not talk about whether or not your belongings will be kept by the owner of the store. Since you are only going back, why did you want to change into these clothes? Do you despise our family?"

"By my gears turn, don't talk nonsense, Caitlyn!" Lilin in cold sweat, "I just think it's a bit ostentatious to wear the uniform of Clan Kiramman. Progress Day in near, I just thought that pickpockets would be less likely to…"

"Your eyes flicker, and you dare not look at me, you are lying … again."

"...Why am I lying to you? There's nothing for me to gain, right?" Lilin couldn't help but feel guilt under Caitlyn's scrutiny.

"It's very simple, because you're afraid that I'll tell my mother." A smile appeared on Caitlyn's delicate face, "Jayce told me this morning before he went to the academy, you stole his hex crystal shard. For science?"

XXXX

Jayce, I thought you were afraid that Madam Cassandra will know about the crystal, why would you tell Caitlyn?

Catelyn caught the shock in Lilin's eyes, and smiled energetically, "You don't have to be afraid of me being a blabbermouth, I'm not that kind of person, I can keep a secret."

"Also! How can scientific inquiry be called robbery?" Lilin widened his eyes, his face flushed, " this is defamation!"

"Pfft... now if you're done acting, and being cheeky." Caitlyn couldn't help but laugh, "If I guessed right, you are going to the undercity."

She folded her arms and leaned against the door, her tone returned to normal, no longer as aggressive as before.

Lilin, completely seen through by Caitlyn, fell silent, acknowledged her statement, and gave up sophistry.

There is no need to argue further if she knows exactly what I'm doing. It'll just leave a bad impression to Caitlyn.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Lilin, embarrassed by the girl's curious eyes, changed the subject abruptly, "Why did you visit so early today?"

"So early? It's almost one in the afternoon." Caitlyn rolled her eyes.

…it's still early when I was NEETing at home on Earth...

Lilin sighed, "Yes, the clock tower struck 12 times, I forgot."

"I wanted to see what you were doing last night. Also, I'm interested in your bicycle. When exactly will you have a sample for me to ride?"

"You want a bike? I'll just make you one tonight, but I'm really busy right now..."

"In a hurry to find hex crystals in the black market of the undercity?"

Caitlyn gradually broke her smile and became serious, walked in front of Lilin, and stared at his eyes.

"I can feel your insecurity." She said.

"Why do you think that?" Lilin forced a smile, "Are you kidding, I'm super brave..."

Caitlyn ignored Lilin's brazen retort and continued to ask, "What are you afraid of?"

What am I afraid of?

What is there to be afraid of?

Lilin opened his mouth, but he couldn't articulate himself.

To live on the land of Runeterra? Where wars frequent? Demons threat? The return of Mordekaiser's army of the dead? The second rune war? The void invasion?

Oh yeah, there's a celestial being who is about to get out of slumber. The one who would burn the cosmos to catch Targon in the flames? Angry at the aspects for imprisoning him, determined to destroy Runeterra? Just to make an example out of us to the other stars...

Well, I'm a little scared...

But Caitlyn seems to have misunderstood something, "Is it the aftermath of the Ionian war? I don't think that is the case."

She blinked her beautiful eyes and whispered to Lilin's ear, "You are studying hex crystals, so you are afraid of The Grey Lady Camille?"

The reason why hex crystal technology has been monopolized by the Ferros family for nearly a hundred years, while other clans dare not even study it.

Why?

Because of the existence of The Steel Shadow, the so-called "Grey Lady" of the Piltover noble family - Camille Ferros.

Camille, who had undergone the hextech augmentation surgery decades ago, using the Hex core made from a first crystal as the heart. The principal intelligencer of the Ferros family; a sophisticated killing machine. A humanoid weapon of destruction.

She walks on the fringes of the law, eliminating anyone or anything that threatens the interests of the Ferros family.

It's just that in the current timeline, the head of the Ferros family is still Camille's younger brother, Stevan.

That is to say, she has not yet assumed the power of the family and still obeys Stevan's orders.

And Stevan, who was half a step into the realm of the dead, was selfish, paranoid, sadistic, and narcissistic.

If the old man learns that Lilin is researching the hex crystal that the Ferros family guards as the topmost of secrets, he will definitely send Camille to Lilin for tea.

"Kind of?"

Lilin did not tell Caitlyn about the crisis to come in Runeterra.

She's just a Sherlock, there is no need to trouble her with the end of the world.

"If that's the case, why don't you give up your research on hex crystals?" Caitlyn puzzled.

"Not to mention that the patent share of bicycles to bring you immeasurable wealth, the invention of generators that can advance the progress of the Piltover to bring you unimaginable honor, isn't that enough?"

"Everyone has a different dream Caitlyn."

Lilin babble nonsense again: "I know that you don't like being a scientist and have other hobbies, so you may not be aware of the sense of accomplishment as a mechanic and an inventor to develop new technologies for the benefit of the people."

"..." Caitlyn bit her lips silently.

She suddenly thought of the smiles on her mother's face when she was a craftsman in the family before becoming Piltover's ruling councillor.

Now, more often, the only thing in her eyes is the annoyance that appears from time to time.

Piltover is full of temptations, sugar-coated rhetoric that can turn the kindest heart ruthless.

Caitlyn thought of the words her mother often cautioned her about.

Combined with Lilin's words, she seemed to somewhat understand her mother's warning.

Piltover is indeed a "city of progress", but if a person focuses on achievements and loses his dreams, he will eventually get lost in this opulent lifestyle.

Lilin's dream is to benefit the people with inventions, and what is my dream...

Caitlyn lowered her eyes, her thoughts racing.

Even Lilin didn't know that the thing he said casually would make her contemplate the meaning of her life.

"Do you have to go to the undercity?" Caitlyn raised her eyes to look at him and asked softly.

Lilin nodded.

"In that case...I will go with you."

Hearing her unquestionable tone, Lilin was stunned, (o-o!!!) "...wat?"