Martial Era: Starting With The Strongest Talent

Chapter 248 248: Flash Drive

The memory didn't fade. It never did. The moment Adam's Scythe cut through her neck, the cold look in his eyes remained etched deep inside Remedy, sharper than any wound she had ever endured.

In that cycle, everything had gone wrong. A misunderstanding had spiraled out of control, pushing Adam away and into the hands of The Family. By the time she tried to fix it, it was already too late.

That was when she made a promise. A simple one, but heavier than any oath she had ever taken. No matter the cycle, no matter the cost, she would never lie to Adam again.

Being killed didn't matter. She had died countless times. Pain, fear, even failure, those were things she had grown used to. But that look in his eyes, that quiet contempt as he ended her… that was something she couldn't endure twice.

And so, she changed. Not completely, she wasn't naive enough to think she could erase what she had become, but she adjusted. To Adam, she would offer complete honesty. To her comrades, she made another promise. She would not place her goals above theirs again. Not blindly, not selfishly. And to those she considered allies, she would not deceive them outright.

Hypocritical. The word came easily to her mind.

She didn't deny it. This wasn't redemption. It was correction. A slow attempt to fix something that had been built over countless deaths and failures. And right now… that attempt was being tested.

Remedy lifted her gaze and met Cornelia's eyes, her expression steady, voice calm but firm.

"I'll be honest with you. When I came here, I intended to blackmail you using the contents of that flash drive."

The room went still.

Cornelia stared at her, eyes narrowing slightly, her posture stiffening as the weight of those words settled in. "And what made you think I would give in?" she asked, her tone quiet but sharp.

Remedy didn't hesitate. "Because I know how afraid you are of your husband."

That did it.

Cornelia froze. The reaction was immediate. Her fingers twitched slightly, and the tension in her shoulders grew, even as her face tried to remain composed.

Remedy continued before the silence could stretch too long. "My original plan was simple. Blackmail you, then slowly gain your trust afterward. It was efficient. Something I've done before."

She paused, her gaze lowering briefly.

"But things didn't go as planned. You trusted me too easily. You let me into your domain, allowed me to make changes… and somewhere along the way, I stopped."

Her hands clenched slightly at her sides.

"I didn't go through with it. But that doesn't erase the fact that I intended to." Her voice softened, losing its edge. "And for that… I'm sorry."

Without hesitation, Remedy bent forward into a deep ninety-degree bow.

The movement was sharp, leaving no room for doubt or half-measures.

Ivy's eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting this level of honesty. For a brief moment, she hesitated, then quickly stepped forward and bowed as well.

"Please forgive us," Ivy said, her voice hurried but sincere. "We really didn't plan to use it in the end. We just… acted without thinking. It was wrong."

She lowered her head further. "Everyone has their own struggles, their own fears. Trying to use yours against you… that was our mistake."

Remedy remained silent beside her, still bent forward.

The room fell quiet again.

Cornelia said nothing at first. Her gaze lingered on the two of them, her thoughts hidden behind a calm exterior. Seconds passed, stretching longer than they should have.

Then, finally, she let out a slow breath.

"You two…" she muttered under her breath, the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. "Raise your heads."

As Remedy and Ivy slowly raised their heads, the weight in the room didn't disappear. Cornelia's gaze settled on them. For a brief moment, the tension twisted into something oddly familiar. They looked like two students caught doing something stupid, Remedy standing calm and unreadable, while Ivy fidgeted slightly, like someone regretting a bad decision too late to escape consequences.

Cornelia exhaled softly, the tension in her shoulders easing as she extended her hand forward. The gesture was simple, but clear.

Remedy didn't hesitate.

She stepped forward and placed the flash drive into Cornelia's waiting hand without a word.

Cornelia glanced at the device briefly before looking back up. "Do you have copies?"

Remedy shook her head immediately. "No."

Cornelia studied her for another second, then gave a small nod. Without another word, she tightened her grip on the flash drive. A sharp crack echoed as the device shattered in her hand, fragments breaking apart under raw force.

"I've made mistakes before," Cornelia said, her voice quieter now, but more honest than before. "Things I'm not proud of. What was on that… was one of them."

Remedy watched her closely, understanding more than she let show. This was part of the reason she chose honesty. Not just for herself, but because she knew the kind of person standing in front of her.

Cornelia wasn't weak. She was someone who had been pushed into a corner and chose to fight back, even if her methods had crossed lines she later came to regret.

Once, she had been the most talented in her family. A rising figure with a future carved out by ability and discipline. Then everything changed when she was forced into another household, not as an equal, but as a concubine.

She had retaliated the only way she could at the time.

A secret lover. Hidden meetings. And eventually, reckless decisions that led to recordings she believed gave her leverage. Power in a place where she had none.

But time changed things. Regret followed. She had erased everything herself, thinking it was over.

She just didn't know someone else had kept a copy.

That man, her former lover, had held onto it. The same man who now worked as the manager of the mission hall in Tristan. That was how Ivy got it.

She had taken the risk during the reliance launch and copied the contents quietly, then wiped all traces immediately after. But even then, the damage had already been done.

And now, the final piece was gone.

Cornelia opened her fingers slowly, letting the broken fragments fall to the ground. The last copy of that mistake no longer existed.

"I understand what it means to make bad choices," she said, her tone softer now. "So I won't hold it against you for doing the same."

Ivy's face lit up with relief, her tension breaking completely as she rushed forward without thinking. "Thank you so much!" she said, wrapping her arms around Cornelia in a sudden hug.

Cornelia stiffened slightly, clearly not expecting it, but she didn't push her away.

Remedy stayed where she was, watching quietly before giving a small nod. "Thank you," she said, her voice steady, but sincere.

For a moment, it felt like everything had settled.

Then both their phones vibrated at the same time.