Lawson immediately covered his mouth and hurried toward the door.

Behind the door was the second-floor corridor, but of course he couldn’t throw up there, so he rushed to the stairs, “thump thump thump~” running down to the first-floor lobby.

In the lobby, Lillian was still sitting in a corner seat, whispering with a few girlfriends. Suddenly, she saw Lawson rushing downstairs, and curiosity flashed in her eyes.

Lawson naturally saw Lillian too. He was about to greet her when he suddenly covered his mouth, and could only wave at her frantically to apologize.

He quickly ran out of the inn, dashed into a secluded alley beside it, and squatted down to vomit violently.

Just as he was throwing up, Lillian’s curious voice suddenly came from nearby: “Lawson, what’s wrong with you?”

After spending the whole morning together in the room, they could be considered acquainted. Lawson, still vomiting, waved his hand behind him: “Don’t come over... ugh~ ugh~~ it’s filthy here!”

Of course, Lillian saw it. She stood at the mouth of the alley, three meters away, covering her nose.

“What’s wrong with you? You were fine just now, how come you’re suddenly throwing up so badly? Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?”

“You’re the one who’s pregnant!”

Lawson cursed inwardly, vomited a few more times, and finally threw up all the chicken he’d just eaten. Only then did he turn around, looking weak as he began to explain.

“The mentor made me drink goat’s milk, but maybe it had been left out too long, the taste was really strong, I just couldn’t take it. Ugh~”

“No way? The Green Oriole Inn wouldn’t use spoiled goat’s milk, would they?”

“I don’t know what happened either. Ugh~~~”

Lawson turned and started vomiting again, but his stomach was already empty, so only a bit of clear water came out.

Lillian behind him hadn’t left. When Lawson finished vomiting and turned to head back to the inn, Lillian actually came up to him, smiling sweetly as she asked, “How are you? Still have an appetite?”

Lawson rubbed his stomach with a wry smile: “I’m really hungry, but I have no appetite, and my stomach feels awful.”

“Well, being hungry is good. Come on, since you worked so hard helping me make money this morning, I’ll treat you to a good meal.”

“This... isn’t that a bit much? My mentor is still waiting for me to come back.”

“Don’t worry, just eat in the lobby. I’ll go explain to your mentor.”

“Well... alright then.”

Back in the inn’s lobby, Lillian signaled to the counter: “Johnson~ one thick breadstick, a bowl of pickled meat sausage slices, and a serving of carrot vegetable soup.”

“No problem, Miss Lillian.”

Lillian smiled again: “Alright~ just wait here. I’ll go talk to your mentor.”

“Thank you, Miss Lillian.”

“You’re welcome, little one.”

Lillian gently patted Lawson’s head, giggled, and ran upstairs.

When she reached the second-floor corridor, the relaxed smile on her face vanished completely, her charming mask disappeared, and she became icy cold.

‘Knock knock knock~~’

She gently knocked on the door.

“It’s not locked, come in.” Silas’s voice came from inside.

Lillian pushed the door open with one hand, the other hidden behind her back. Upon entering, she saw Silas mounting a canvas in a wooden frame.

He glanced up at Lillian, immediately sensing a hint of threat. He stopped what he was doing, his face darkening: “Miss Lillian, I didn’t invite you.”

Lillian fixed her gaze on the goat’s milk jar on the table, sniffed hard, and instantly knew the truth.

“Double the lethal dose of split-gut grass, plus licorice root to delay the poison’s effect.”

“Mr. Silas, you’re really ruthless to your own apprentice.”

Seeing his scheme exposed, Silas no longer hid it. He grinned coldly and resumed mounting the canvas.

“Since he’s my apprentice, I can deal with him as I please. Even if I kill him, it’s my private affair. Not even Madam Peixi could say anything.”

Lillian extended the hand she’d been hiding behind her back.

It wasn’t a human hand, but a bluish-black spider claw, covered in hard carapace and sharp barbs, each barb glinting with a strange green light.

“Before we started working together, it wasn’t my business. But now that we are, I have to protect my interests. Ssssss~”

Her final laugh was extremely eerie, nothing like a girl’s crisp voice, but more like the whistling of air through a narrow passage.

Silas’s expression changed slightly, eyes fixed on the spider claw: “You’re a Spider Apostle?”

“Not bad, mage.”

As she spoke, the abnormality on Lillian’s body slowly faded, and the charming look of a delicate girl returned to her face.

“Mage, maybe you’re thinking of sneaking Lawson away while we’re not paying attention, but let me tell you, it’s too late!”

Lillian slowly retreated to the wooden door, her voice growing deeper.

“From now on, Lawson is no longer your apprentice. He belongs to me. Of course, you must be unwilling, but I’m not unreasonable. I’ll compensate you with 20 crowns.”

Silas could no longer remain calm. His face darkened: “Miss, threatening a formal mage is not a good idea. Aren’t you afraid I’ll report you to the temple?”

“Hee hee~ If you were an upright formal mage, our Nightingale Society wouldn’t dare threaten you. But if you’re a curse mage with a pile of filth under your seat, we’re not afraid at all.”

Silas’s body trembled violently: “How do you know?”