Lilian of Turin

Lilian was perplexed.

In fact, it was Damian’s right eye that Lilian saved, strictly speaking, not Damian.

On the other hand, Lilian owed Damian Islar, Turin and her life.

‘Receiving such a warm welcome in return for saving one eye, there’s no way to express gratitude from my side.’

Judging by that, Lilian took her hand away. Then she put one hand on her chest and bent her knees. It was an extremely polite greeting in the imperial style.

“Rather, I’m the one in debt. Even the fact that you listened to my request and saved my life. I’m at a loss as to how to repay that grace.”

Instead of answering, Damian held up his empty hand. Lilian was a little puzzled by the silence.

“Your Highness? Even if I’m mistaken…”

“No.”

Damian smiled softly and shook his head. Ivan, knowing that he had a habit of smiling when he tried to hide his eyes, felt indescribably ominous.

Indeed, Damian had a scheme.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t even offer a seat to someone who is recovering.”

“Ah, that…”

Lilian’s face blurred a bit. In fact, she had no intention of sitting down and chatting for long.

First of all, it’ll be noticed if she came out without anyone knowing, and secondly, she wasn’t feeling very well yet.

In addition to not fully regaining her strength, Lilian often drank sleep inducing drugs to preserve her vitality. The medicine was not completely gone and her head went blank.

“Come this way.”

But… ‘I don’t think I can repay the favor with anything.’ And she couldn’t refuse the seat he recommended because of what she just declared.

Besides, he didn’t have to bother holding her…

‘It seems like he has something to say to me.’

Reluctantly, Lilian thanked him and sat down.

She pretended not to know Ivan, who was standing there.

“This is my first time seeing this person.”

“Ah, yes…I am Ivan Isaac.”

Stunned by the unbelievable sight just before his eyes, he shyly introduced himself.

“I’m doing my best as an aide to His Highness the Grand Duke.”

“I see. I am Lily Islar.”

Pretending to be unaware of Ivan’s awkward attitude, Lilian accepted his words with a gentle smile.

“I’m just living in peace thanks to the merits of my brother, the Marquis of Turin.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet Lady Lilian…”

Ivan’s specialty was spying. While posting his greetings, he looked closely at Lilian, befitting an active informant.

A well-groomed appearance with drooping eyes.

Since she’s smiling, she looked gentle and weak.

There’s no fancy decorations on the clothes. Perhaps to compensate for her skinny figure, they made the sleeves fuller, but that’s all.

Her impression, speech, and manner was the same, and overall, she seemed like a poor scholar rather than a lady from a noble family.

There were many problems with this attitude, but Ivan, who was evaluated as a loyalist of Damian Rupenwein, thought.

‘No, how could such a person…?’

What great sin did she commit to get entangled with His Highness?

‘The world must be ending.’

Unknowingly, the loyal subject shared a sad look with the Crown Prince. Matteo also expressed sympathy with his eyes without saying a word. Only Lily, who knew nothing, tilted her head.

“Matteo, Ivan.”

Damian looked back at the two of them as he picked up a bottle from a tall table and poured something into a glass.

“Why don’t you two go and let and the lady and I talk?”

Damian was smiling, but his intentional mana began to pressure the two of them.

His meaning was clear.

‘Still not going out?’

Ivan looked pitifully at Lilian, whom he’d only recently met, but whom he liked since she was well-mannered and made a good impression.

Unaware of anything, Lilian smiled and saw the two of them off.

“I’m sorry for bothering you. Please take care of yourself.”

To think that he had to leave that pure and innocent person alone in front of this snarky snake!

Damian’s kiss on the back of Lilian’s hand, which he’d seen before, seemed odd the more he thought about it. That act of lowering the eyes to make the eyelashes look pretty is really…

‘…wouldn’t it be fortunate if she doesn’t get eaten by the end of the day?’

Ivan was genuinely concerned. But he had no reason to stop the people who were almost a married couple to talk to each other.

Eventually, the two of them withdrew from there.

***

After the intruders have exited.

Damian said while offering Lilian a drink he didn’t know.

“Don’t drink.”

“Yes?”

“It’s manners to serve drinks when guests come, so I served them, but that’s alcohol.”

“Ah.”

Indeed. There was such a thing.

In the empire, alcohol that can be stored at room temperature and has low alcohol content is usually served as an appetizer for conversation.

Lilian thought as she looked at the glass Damian had given her. The idea of serving guests with tea instead of alcohol was not yet common among the people of the Empire.

‘Illasia and Solaria are completely used to it by now.’

They, the Marchioness of Lannister, and the girls of the May Lily Sorority were all used to tea that they felt empty without it.

As they researched snacks to be eaten with tea every day, the chefs of each province showed great skill in making snacks.

Come to think of it, quite some time has passed since she met Illasia and Solaria…

“Lady Lily?”

Lilian suddenly woke up from her thoughts.

“Ah, yes. Your Highness. The color is pretty so my mind wandered a bit.”

“I’m sorry to hear you like it. I can’t recommend alcohol to someone who is recovering.”

Damian’s eyes, smiling as he said that, shone far more brilliantly than the red liquid contained in the multi-faceted crystal glass.

“If you feel better later, let’s try it together. This is very sweet…and delicious.”

“Ah, yes…”

Lilian instinctively trembled slightly.

How baffling. That man just said that the taste of alcohol was sweet, so why did she get goosebumps?

‘Am I cold?’

She should go back soon as well.

She was worried about her physical condition but Damian’s strangely kind attitude was more troublesome.

Lily, who had only expected Damian’s coldness, was not prepared for such a friendly attitude.

‘I’ll be troubled if he’s nice to me. Maybe I’m mistaken…’

Lilian thought again.

This man is ‘Damian Rupenwein’, who was emphasized throughout the story as someone that was indifferent to Lily.

There’s absolutely no way he could fall in love with her at first sight.

As a daughter of a feudal family and as someone who paid a price to peek into the future.

Lilian never dared to dream of being loved by her husband. The marriage she dreamed of was both ideal and very realistic.

As a lifelong business partner, maintain a friendly relationship with her husband and be courteous to each other.

Sincerity and fidelity, common sense and courtesy.

Other than that, she didn’t want anything from her husband.

‘If I want too much, everything will be ruined.’

Sadly, Lilian had already seen the end of her overzealousness.

But if she wasn’t overly ambitious, Damian was a decent husband who could give Lily everything she wanted.

‘Even though he won’t give me as much love.’

Fortunately, their beginning wasn’t bad.

Judging by Damian’s different attitude, it seemed that he had developed some favor with Lilian for saving him.

Lilian carefully guessed.

‘I think we could be a couple who treat each other kindly with courtesy and build a good friendship based on trust.’

Lilian’s ultimate goal was to cherish the child born of that relationship and prevent the many people involved from falling into misfortune. So she firmly resolved to refrain from delusion and excessive greed.

‘If you treat me kindly like this, it might be difficult to keep my promise.’

That’s what Lilian was afraid of.

It was then.

“By the way, my lady. Didn’t you just say you wanted to repay me?”

“Yes? Ah, yes…”

Did she say that? She seemed to have said that or not, but Lillian nodded her head once.

‘It’s a reward.’

She didn’t know what it will be, but it’ll be fine. No, it’s not that, because it’s the right thing to do.

‘Is he going to ask me to move him to the inner castle?’

This is a problem she wanted to tell her brother even without him asking…

However, Damian’s words shattered Lilian’s hasty expectations.

“Then can I get an answer to my marriage proposal?”

“In fact, I wanted to apologize about your place of residence…yes?”

Lilian blinked. She didn’t understand for a moment, then she cleared her mind again.

“Therefore…”

“The proposal.”

“Ah, yes. The marriage proposal.”

Right. Something like that happened.

There were so many things going on right after that she almost forgot about it. The reason she half forgot.

‘Wasn’t it a joke or something he said on a whim?’

Lilian believed that Damian had not genuinely proposed to her.

They exchanged marriage certificates seven years ago, so why would he do such a thing when they’re already married?

Lilian assumed that the marriage proposal was a joke or had some other meaning.

She figured if she pretended to forget it naturally, he wouldn’t mention it again. However, her expectation was completely wrong.