Episode 73
Even though she knew the truth, Lillian couldn’t immediately distance herself from Damian.
Pretending to be under the implication, Lillian stood by Damian’s side. The reason was simple.
‘I need to know why Damian did this to me.’
Was Damian also involved with the temple? If so, since when? Was it from the very beginning, when she said it didn’t matter who she was when she first came to this mansion? Was saying that also because of the temple?
There were many things she wanted to ask. There were many moments she wanted to cry, but Lillian endured.
‘I have to endure… to get Swan’s revenge.’
This was the only way to get close to the culprit who kidnapped Swan and the way to reveal Odile as a fake. Lillian had no choice but to endure. Meanwhile, Lillian’s ‘strange sensation’ was becoming clearer.
At first, the sensation was like groping through a thick fog, gradually becoming as clear as touching a stream, and now it was as distinct as kneading dough. To put it metaphorically, that’s what it was, though it was a sensation without a precise form.
‘What is this sensation?’
A sensation that felt tangible but elusive in her hands…
Lillian, taking advantage of Damian’s absence, practiced exploring the ‘sensation’ further, suddenly thought she might be able to push the ‘sensation’ away. Lillian immediately put her thought into action, and as a result, a white beam shot out from her fingertips, shattering the vase across the table.
Clang!
With a loud noise and glass shards rolling on the floor, Lillian realized dazedly.
‘This is… not just a simple sensation.’
The beam she just saw was undoubtedly what the priests used.
Lillian knew there was only one type of power like this. The power of the gods.
‘Do I… have divine power?’
Sometimes divine power could manifest later in life. It wasn’t very rare, occurring about one in ten people. However, considering that Swan, Agnes’s daughter, was born with divine power as one of the ‘Daughters of the Moonlight,’ it seemed a bit too much to call it a coincidence.
‘Is this also related to you, Swan?’
Unsure, but one thing was certain: if she could use this power well, she could expose Odile’s mask.
Lillian held her breath and waited.
Until the moment when Odile, unaware of anything, became most overconfident.
* * *
After Lillian left, there was a period of confusion in the Duke’s residence. Everyone was murmuring about what would happen to Lillian’s situation.
“So, what’s going to happen to Miss Lillian?”
“It seems like she’s not coming back…”
“Did Mary say anything?”
“I don’t know. But no matter how much Mary talks, if the master doesn’t change his mind, it’s useless.”
Most believed that Cedric would quickly apologize to Lillian and resolve the issue amicably, so they were somewhat shocked to find that the situation was deteriorating. Despite not knowing what had happened, Cedric hadn’t looked for Lillian since attending the charity party.
Instead, he announced suddenly that Odile would be admitted.
“We will host a reception. It’s only natural to welcome new people with such an event.”
“Your Grace. Miss Lillian is still outside the mansion. Are you going to hold a reception in this situation?”
“Lillian went out of her own will, and I confirmed that she’s not coming back on her own will. There’s no reason to wait anymore. Should I let the Duchy be the subject of gossip like this forever?”
“Y-Your Grace!”
“If Odile is indeed my child, she will be brought into the family. There’s no turning back.”
People were shocked by Cedric’s resolute decision, unprecedented until now, and went to find Theo, who had gone with him. They asked Theo what had happened, but he also remained silent. Both men just had complicated expressions, refusing to speak, so the rumors only grew louder.
They speculated whether Lillian would be abandoned, whether Cedric was disappointed in Lillian, or whether Cedric was angry at Lillian for some reason, leading to a cold war between the two.
Time passed, and eventually, the day of the reception hosted to admit Odile arrived.
The ballroom of the Duke’s residence was filled with attendees reminiscent of Lillian’s seventeenth birthday celebration.
“No, it seems like there are more people than then.”
That meant that there were many people paying attention to this incident. Or perhaps there were people who wanted to line up late. For the assurance of today, the Treasurer Grayson, who attended the reception, laughed inwardly at the noble families who were making a fuss.
Then, a familiar face approached him and spoke.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Your Excellency.”
“Oh, Lord Damian.”
As Grayson bowed his head, Damian also lightly greeted him with a nod.
“How could I not be in a good mood? Today is finally the day when everything returns to normal. Won’t everyone be peaceful now?”
Parents who lost their child will find a proper-faced child, and a child receiving God’s love will return to the temple of God. That was the order of things.
The role Grayson had here was to guarantee that there were no devices installed on Odile.
“That’s no problem at all.”
In this city, besides Damian, who had superior divine power, all those with divine power were people of the temple. There was no reason to refute Grayson’s words.
So Grayson’s only task was to give a few words of obvious assurance and then leave.
“But, Lord Damian. Where is ‘she’? Didn’t she come with you today?”
“Oh, do you mean Lillian? She’s at home.”
What a spectacle it would be to bring her here.
Damian’s face, muttering like that, took on a chilling light. Clearly smiling, but it seemed as if he wasn’t smiling at all. That too was a skill. Although Damian clearly made his own trap, there were times when he showed signs of displeasure when watching it roll, even though he was smiling. One of those moments was now.
“Stupid fools.”
If they couldn’t even doubt once and just fell for what he had set up, what was the difference between them and pigs who only knew how to eat and sleep? If Lillian had been even half as stupid as them, he wouldn’t have had to wait so long.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do.”
Even this aspect might make Lillian special. Damian had enjoyed every day lately.
Now that he could spend the whole day with Lillian. Even though Lillian no longer smiled at him as before, they could still have conversations and read books together. Closing his eyes, it felt like he had gone back to before he cast the implication.
Yesterday, Lillian, lying with her head on his lap, asked him this.
– Damian.
– Yeah?
– You said you like me. Why?
The old Lillian didn’t ask such things. Strictly speaking, she didn’t really inquire about Damian. He was always ready to tell her about himself whenever she wanted.
– You said I was ugly, remember? That was the first time I’ve heard such words in my life.
– Is that all?
– There might have been more. But they disappeared at some point.
Damian closed his eyes. Looking back, he had always desired Lillian. All that remained was that feeling. The moment he was captivated by the longing and affection sparkling in Lillian’s eyes.
Since the moment he felt the desire to have her, he might have been destined to love this girl.
Covered by too much time above that, now he could find the sparkles in her even without looking into the girl’s eyes.
– I just need you, Lillian.
– …Yeah.
As he reminisced about those times, Damian found himself missing Lillian again.
