The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 86: Butterflies

Chapter 86: Butterflies

The capital city was cloaked in an eerie silence. A silence which was broken by raspy coughs and muffled groans of its people. Death loomed over the capital. What started as a normal illness slowly started to spread.

It spared no one, from rich to poor, from the lowliest street vendors who worked every day just to scrape by, to the noblest households who believed they were beyond the reach of common woes. No one could escape

People struggled to keep up with their daily routines. Those who could afford to remain home to recover did so, but the majority, the commoners who lived paycheck to paycheck had to go and work though they were sick.

Ignoring the fatigue that pierced deep into their bones, they kept pushing hoping to get through the day. They went to markets, workplaces, and public gatherings, unknowingly carrying the sickness with them wherever they went.

Although the number of people staying at home because of the illness has disrupted the economy a bit, it wasn’t enough to raise concerns.

Rumours of the disease reached the physicians and healers of the capital. Some believed it was nothing more than a seasonal ailment like the flu, and most assumed it would run its course as such things usually did.

The symptoms worsened with each passing day: first, a cough, then fever, and eventually, a horrifying weakness that left its victims bedridden, pale, and barely able to draw breath. This has left the doctors overwhelmed.

Still, this matter hadn’t caught the attention of the Emperor. He was preoccupied with his own set of problems. Something that could affect the nation’s security.

Reports from the army stationed at the Holy Temple had ceased entirely. There was only silence. The message he sent had no reply so he decided to send a few more, even those were left unanswered.

Each day, he anxiously awaited news from his soldiers. Had they encountered an unforeseen threat? Was the Temple itself under siege? The temple’s strategic importance was undeniable.

In his study, the Emperor paced back and forth, his mind raced, filled with possibilities... And finally, the most poisonous thought of it all- the men stationed there had decided to rebel against him.

The idea was nearly unthinkable. The Imperial army turning against its own Emperor!

The Emperor’s fists clenched in frustration, his knuckles turning white, and a vein protruding from his forehead. Unfortunately, it was a possibility that he had to consider.

The very idea of his own men turning against him, the very soldiers who had sworn to uphold his empire, was both infuriating and alarming.

A rebellion within the ranks would spell disaster, and he would not allow his empire to slip from his grasp so easily.

Advisors had started bringing grim reports about the sickness within the capital, sharing accounts of families dying in their homes, of entire streets plagued with illness. He had dismissed them initially, thinking it was a passing issue.

But with those reports combined with no reply from the army stationed at the Holy Temple... The unsettling feeling has been increasing more and more.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that these events were somehow interlinked.

There was no doubt that illness was no less than a plague, doctors could only do so much. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed the help of the Holy Temple. But their blatant provocation was infuriating.

They dared to withdraw healers causing unrest in the borders. He decided firmy then that if the Holy Temple does not send a respectful reply, he would give the orders for the army to storm the Temple.

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Adeline had been fiddling with her holy powers ever since the Goddess talked to her. She was able to make a shield, she was able to make a glass, she was also able to make a chair.

It was uncomfortable to sit on but she was able to make it. She sat on it nevertheless and posed like ’the thinker’ statue.

’What the f*ck am I supposed to do with a chair??’ She thought to herself. A holy chair wasn’t exactly going to save the world.

She couldn’t even use it in front of everyone because she was supposed to keep her powers a secret. She sighed and collapsed on the bed.

But then, she got an idea. She didn’t remember where but she saw it, but the female lead made dozens of butterflies that gave her intel. She could use them to spy too!

And so she began to concentrate and visualise those butterflies. Slowly but surely they started to fill the room. Bright butterflies made out of pure light.

They were so beautiful! Their body and wings were made of light! It looked so delicate and divine, looking at it brought her a sense of comfort.

But... Adeline frowned, they weren’t exactly... Inconspicuous... How could she use them to spy?

How was she supposed to spy with butterflies that practically screamed, "Look at me!" They would catch attention from miles away, especially at night.

Well, she had to work with what she got. ’How does this even work?’

Can these butterflies work as a recording device?

"No." The Goddess remarked. Her tone made it clear that she was amused by Adeline’s attempts to be creative. What a shame, the Goddess thought, this child couldn’t have been more creative?

"You!"

"Try imagining a recording device haha." The Goddess said. She was laughing at her!

Adeline narrowed her eyes at the ceiling. "Go spy on the Duke. You gave me an absolutely annoying power. NOTHING GOOD CAME OF THIS."

"*gasp* How dare you? I will take back those powers then humph!"

"Try me!" Adeline dared.

Her family had fire powers, Cassian had ice powers, Dimitri had wind powers, and all she had was healing powers. She can’t destroy things like they could. She felt like she got the short end of the stick.

"You ungrateful child!"

"Yeah, yeah. What is the Duke planning to do?"

"I won’t tell you."

Adeline thought about it carefully and chose her next set of words, "You suck."

"..." After a long pause, "I am not going to argue with you," the Goddess finally said, sounding like she was pouting. She continued, "I’ll give you a small hint. You can’t use your butterflies to record things but you can see through them!" The Goddess added.

Adeline didn’t believe the Goddess for some reason... Very obvious reasons... But she decided to try anyway. She sent out her butterflies and closed her eyes to see what they could see.

At night time, they would be standing out too much, but in the daytime when the sun was out, her butterflies were hard to notice.

She was able to see the estate, the trees, the houses, that surrounded it, basically everything! She instructed them to follow all the servants that left the estate.

Who knows which one among them will lead her to the orphanage?

She looked down from the point of view of a butterfly. "F*ck!" She quickly opened her eyes. She did not realise that she was afraid of heights.

She narrowed her eyes and thought of... Creating something very interesting. She rubbed her hands together like an evil genius.