Lilian of Turin

Soon, the servants retreated to one side and out of sight, then Mrs. Hayworth said, “this way” and led Lilian to her seat.

“The sun is very nice, young miss. First of all, please get some sun exposure.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lilian looked down at the table covered with translucent cloth. At first glance, small and pretty dishes were neatly arranged.

Lilian felt a little sorry. Because…

“Will my brother come?”

Because she wasn’t sure if Cedric would come.

“What are you saying, he will come.”

“I don’t want to ruin everyone’s sincerity.”

“Young miss, I’ve told you before, but you shouldn’t worry about that.”

Mrs. Hayworth gently rebuked her and adjusted Lilian’s clothes.

“All those sheltered under Turin’s wings are loyal. So, just being able to help you is enough.”

“I know.”

The loyalties of the people of Turin are extraordinary. But loyalty is different from unrequited love. It’s not a feeling that arises only because the reputation of the family you serve is high.

The loyalty is consistent, in other words, the Islars always treated their family vassals well.

The loyalty of the vassals is a family asset. It was obtained with more effort than any other mine or land.

“I want to treat it as a precious thing so that it won’t be unnecessarily cut off.”

“How can you be so special…”

She didn’t mean to be praised. Lilian awkwardly smiled.

“Anyway, young master, no, there’s no way the Lord won’t come.”

“But…”

Lilian pursed her lips.

“He couldn’t even keep his promise to take me to the lake. No, I’m not complaining. I know enough that the construction is making him busy.”

“Young miss…”

“That’s why I thought he might not be able to come. If I believe that he’ll definitely come, I’ll be disappointed.”

Mrs. Hayworth wanted to convince her that Cedric would definitely show up, that the boy she had raised would definitely do that, even if he didn’t keep his promise before, but she held back.

What this girl needed now was not her persuasion.

‘The Lord has to appear.’

According to Allen, Cedric has started pushing himself a little less lately. He just said that he couldn’t help being busy trying to sort out things that had been open for a while.

But she’s his precious little sister.

There’s no way Cedric wouldn’t come.

Mrs. Hayworth was confident.

As if responding to that belief…

‘Ah.’

Cedric appeared out of nowhere.

Lily’s eyes widened, thinking that it couldn’t be helped if he didn’t come.

She was also human, so she was anticipating disappointment in advance to prevent heartache. When Cedric showed up, she was happy and grateful.

“Brother!”

Lilian unknowingly expressed her delight and quickly approached Cedric. It was uncharacteristic of her, who always restrained her feelings.

“You’re here.”

Lily’s calm face was nowhere to be found as she approached with unmistakable joy.

She looked like her age, 12, for the first time in a very long time.

Cedric quietly looked at his sister’s face. Then, suddenly, he noticed that the thin hair fluttering around Lily’s face was shining golden in the sunlight.

Only then did Cedric realize.

‘It’s sunny.’

It was the beginning of spring, a nice day with warm sunlight warming the cool air.

‘…that’s why she called me.’

She wanted to show him this…

Unable to hold back the suffocating love, he stretched out his arm toward his sister. Lilian walked into Cedric’s arm while looking puzzled.

Like a little chick who didn’t know how to be afraid of the world.

Before long, Cedric picked up the child who had been embraced in his arms.

The child’s lips parted silently at the unexpected action.

“Kya, brother!”

A face full of joy even while screaming.

Cedric wanted to laugh and also wanted to cry a little. So he just laughed.

“Still too light. You’re eating, right?”

“What are you saying!”

Unlike usual, Lily, who raised her voice a little, anxiously grabbed the epaulet near his shoulder.

“Please let me down. Everyone is watching!”

“Watching what?”

“Watch…watching…”

Seeing Lilian, who couldn’t think of the right words to follow up, Cedric laughed out loud this time.

Haha, the sound of laughter made Lilian’s mouth open. The more that happened, the more Cedric enjoyed it.

“Let’s go.”

Cedric even seated Lilian in the prepared seat. As all the servants watched the situation happily, Lily’s silent embarrassment multiplied.

Cedric smiled softly at the food that occupied the table.

“You must have spent a lot of time getting ready, Lilian.”

“It’s not something I did…”

Lilian was perplexed, but Cedric wasn’t listening.

“…sit down for now.”

“Alright.”

Sandwich with seasonal fruits and vegetables added to smoked ham, scones with cream and raspberry jam, and many more.

The chef of Turin Castle put all kinds of skill behind the simple food. It was to the point that they deliberately fetched water with a tangy taste from the mountain to make cool fruit ade.

It wasn’t prepared in vain. As if everyone who had prepared this event had no doubt that Cedric would do Lily’s request. As the Lord, he couldn’t help but be satisfied.

Good weather, delicious food, dear little sister.

Cedric suddenly thought of this.

Was such a simple life a thing to be happy about?

It was as if an entire family had melted under Lilian’s magic.

The feeling of being happy just with the food.

‘Not bad.’

It was never bad.

“Brother?”

Cedric, feeling relieved, stroked Lilian’s head without saying a word. It was the only expression of affection he knew, having lost his mother early.

…from his father during his childhood.

A token of affection that was only occasionally received.

Lilian was taken aback, but she didn’t hate or avoid it. Cedric made up his mind when he saw her.

“Lilian, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Intuitively, Lilian realized that this was not just a question.

She obediently blinked.

“Yes, please tell me.”

“I want to ask if there’s anything you want to say. Whether it’s about your engagement or about the situation we’re in, whatever it is.”

Here it is.

This was the part that Cedric was most impatient with about his younger sister who had become too mature.

She had a fever. Then she said that she was reflecting on her immature behavior and that she would get engaged according to her brother’s will.

It was welcome news. They hadn’t had much of a relationship before, but the warmth that Lilian gave to his life was so warm and gentle that he didn’t even question it.

Then, only recently, the question came to him.

‘What’s wrong with that child…’

Isn’t she too innocent?

Lilian was silent, like a sheep who knew that the master of the sword doesn’t want to kill her, but only wants to shear.

It wasn’t to the point that she didn’t complain. She didn’t ask anything at all.

Of course, she was able to do that because she had a rough idea of what was going to happen and what her husband-to-be would be like.

In the story she read, her husband went mad after Lily committed suicide, but the book mentions that ‘he didn’t love his wife, but her death was the catalyst’.

And until his death at the hands of his son, he saw the blood of countless people as a black curtain.

However…

‘There was no talk of having an affair.’

Lilian calmly counted with her hands.

Since no illegitimate child appeared and he didn’t stab Lilian upon noticing that she was abusing his son, he must not be a man with bad manners.

‘It would be more accurate to say that he didn’t have enough interest to stab her.’

It doesn’t matter much. Besides, he had a lot of money like a capable villain.

If he accumulated wealth to that extent, he should not have the habit of gambling.

Regarding the great villain of the century that stained half of the empire with blood, Lilian calmly concluded.

‘Wouldn’t it be worth getting married?’

Married life can be harmonious without love unless it’s a human being who did those three things.

‘If I didn’t commit suicide while abusing my child, there’d be no reason for her husband to turn into a villain…’

In other words, the reasons why Lilian decided to marry the villain were no cheating (no illegitimate children), no violence, and no gambling.

It meant only those three things.

She didn’t have to fall into the abyss of misfortune through marriage but into the abyss of life!

If Cedric knew about the standard of having no hopes for marriage and the miserable future that Lily had foreseen, he would grab the back of his neck.

He thought that he was the only one who could protect his sister in the world. Not knowing that absurd truth was his fortune.

Anyway, when asked if she had anything to say, Lily’s answer, knowing everything she knew and coming to such a conclusion, was this.

“I don’t. Wasn’t my marriage already decided?”