Lilian of Turin

Seated more comfortably, Matteo looked through the books that Lilian had scattered.

The smooth leather binding had thickened over the years. It was an epic poem whose contents were unknown to one’s taste.

Lilian said nothing while Matteo meaninglessly stroked the shabby title embroidered with gold thread.

The boy abruptly apologized.

“I apologize for causing you trouble because of the invitation to the Grand Reconciliation.”

The reason Lily, who was sick, was suddenly busy preparing for her debut was because she was formally invited during the Reconciliation.

Numerous gatherings were held during the reign of peace, including two official meetings and five banquets hosted by the Imperial family.

Thorough preparation was necessary to not be belittled in the middle of the reconciliation.

Moreover, this time, instead of the Empress, the Emperor’s official mistress, Madam Rachel, even became the host.

Until now, Madam Rachel had been in charge of all practical tasks in place of the Empress, but it was the first time her name was officially mentioned.

Even at the 7th anniversary with a special meaning!

Although she married her husband’s younger brother and kept the position of Empress, the Empress who struggled to push the goverment, became a laughingstock in public. Every day in the newspaper there was an article about Madam Rachel, who brazenly behaved as if it were her own world.

Thanks to this stimulating subject matter, this reconciliation was expected to attract crowds and attention more than before.

In that crowded place, Lilian will be first introduced as the Grand Duke’s betrothed.

Matteo seemed to blame it on himself. He was so sorry that he couldn’t lift his face to Lily.

Then Lilian asked.

“Is it your fault?”

“Yes.”

Matteo nodded without hesitation. Lily muttered, “that sounds interesting.”

“Did Your Highness write the invitation letter on behalf of Madam Rachel?”

“Pardon?”

“Or did you ghostwrite the elegant signature on the invitation?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Did he or did you assassinate my father?”

Matteo was at a loss for what to say.

However, Lilian remained relaxed. She picked up the white pipe that was leaning against the wall.

“Since you gave me your understanding earlier, I won’t decline.”

“Ah, yes. Please…”

It doesn’t seem to be an ordinary pipe, as it caught fire as soon as she breathed in with her teeth biting the end.

A pleasant smell spread, like burning well-dried fragrant firewood.

Exhaling smoke, Lilian advised.

“Don’t apologize for things you don’t have to be.”

“Because my family is like this…”

“So I asked if it’s Your Highness’ fault. Is it?”

Matteo bit his lip. She was so affectionate on the subject of losing her father because of him. But he couldn’t rely on this kindness. It was shameless.

“Sorry, my lady, I was naive. Being naive is a sin.”

“Then, was Your Highness’ father, the Sun Emperor, also naive?”

Father.

Matteo stopped all his movements at once. Even breathing.

Certainly, his father Emperor was kind. But…

[Don’t be mistaken. Could your father have been so kind that he put Damian in such a position?]

The boy remembered his great-grandfather who had clicked his tongue.

[He knew it. He did this knowing that Damian Rupenwein had no regrets about the throne and that he would protect you since you’re his son.]

Father Emperor knew. While he was merciful, he didn’t forget to be prepared.

With an indescribable feeling, the boy shook his head. Lilian smiled a little, casting white smoke like a veil.

“Not even my father.”

She also knew her father, the Elector of Turin. Choosing one side means becoming the enemy of the other.

As known, he was a Turinian. He chose his allegiance to Idoel and lost his life to Claude.

Therefore… Lilian exhaled smoke and made it clear.

“I did not lose my father because of Your Highness. I lost my father for the same reason as Your Highness.”

Matteo was shocked. Because he had never thought of it that way.

“But…”

“That’s what I think.”

Lilian didn’t force him to accept her views. She was merely stating it.

“My father is a respectable man. Of course, the Sun Emperor would be the same.”

If it wasn’t for him, it wouldn’t have become this way. She wouldn’t have been forced to marry or lose her parents!

Matteo thought that even if Lilian resented him that much, he would have nothing to say. But Lilian admitted that she and Matteo had gone through the same grief.

Without hesitating at all.

The boy thought this was too much.

“I, I, that.”

An embarrassing cry broke out. It wasn’t that he had shed tears, but it was so intense that he couldn’t breathe.

“I, hic, sorry, I’m sorry…”

“You can cry. Crying ends once you’ve cried.”

Lilian didn’t comfort the Crown Prince or wipe away his tears out of pity. She just kept talking to herself.

“I also cried a lot. But it wasn’t just because of the grief that my father had passed away. To be honest, I was more afraid of what would happen to me in the future.”

Matteo thought exactly the same.

And to this day, he was blaming himself for being so selfish.

But he wasn’t the only one who thought that way. Lily, who looked fine, thought the same.

That fact pierced his heart deeper than a friendly touch.

It was comforting.

“Don’t add self-blame to the pain. It will still be painful.”

“I will, try, I’ll do it.”

“That’d be nice.”

Lilian smiled weakly with a languid face. For a moment, the expression on her face was so strange that Matteo hesitated.

‘Ah, this is a bit…’

Before he could think of anything, his face turned red.

It was then.

“Here you are, my lady.”

A voice came out of nowhere.

Matteo belatedly noticed the long shadow that had been cast before he knew it. He lifted his head and saw the man put his arm on the bookshelf and bow his head this way.

“Uncle.”

There was Damian Rupenwein.

Because of the backlight, his platinum hair was outlined like a crown. It seemed like he was smiling from his finely curved eyes, but Matteo somehow felt hostility from Damian.

With a razor-like smile on his face, Damian stared at Matteo.

At that moment, Matteo noticed.

It wasn’t an illusion. Damian was warning him like a beast marking his territory.

You’ve crossed the line I’ve drawn, so get out.

I’m not going to sit back and watch it twice.

With a thump, it felt like his heart was racing. Matteo and Damian were more like brothers or bad friends fighting over their father’s attention and recognition rather than uncle and nephew.

He couldn’t tell if it’s good or bad, but he was family to Matteo. It was the first time he had encountered such hostility from him. The cause was obvious.

‘Lilian Islar.’

Damian didn’t like Matteo approaching her.

It was a misunderstanding and he was in a situation where he had to protest that he hadn’t harbored an evil mind in the slightest.

“That…”

But strangely, his mouth closed.

No. He didn’t do anything to be embarrassed about.

On the contrary, he felt nervous as if he had been caught cheating and his heart started pounding.

At that moment, Matteo realized three things. Lilian is his aunt-to-be. His heart was shaken by such a person.

And lastly…

Damian noticed.

None of the three realizations was not shocking.

Matteo froze.

He had a habit of subtly comparing himself to Damian, even if the boy pretended not to.

Damian would find it absurd if he heard, but he was the only person who could arouse feelings of inferiority in a boy who was born with everything.

How is that possible? In fact, Matteo didn’t know much about Damian’s secret. This is because the control over people’s mouths was so thorough that many people died.

The only thing the young crown prince knew was that his uncle had a beautiful face, as if inversely proportional to his not-so-good personality, and that even though he was alive, he possessed a unique military power that was so strong it was talked about as a legend.

The Crown Prince calmly evaluated himself.

‘It’s a harder condition for a teenage boy like me not to be envious.’

‘That person has a terrible personality.’

It didn’t take long for him to try and soothe himself.

But that bastard’s attitude of not clinging to anything in this world…

‘To be honest, there were times when he looked cool, damn it.’

It wasn’t that he didn’t like living as a polite and generous person, as his father Emperor had taught him. Nor did he mean that he wanted to live like Damian.

However, Matteo couldn’t help but think that the unconventional life that Matteo couldn’t even imitate was sometimes cool.

In his opinion, as a man, he had no chance of winning.

Lilian was betrothed to such a person.

However, he himself squirmed in front of Lilian. Besides, there’s no way Damian, who was as quick-witted as a monster, could not have noticed the tear marks on Matteo’s face.

The self-respecting boy was embarrassed to say the least.

For some reason, he was afraid to look at Lilian’s face, so Matteo jumped up from his seat.

“Excuse me, I’ll go on my way.”

“Your Highness?”

“You don’t have to get up. Thank you for today.”

Afraid that Lilian would raise her uncomfortable body to see him off, and that Lily’s eye level would be higher than his, his face would turn bright red with his damaged pride.

For various reasons, the boy hurriedly left without showing his face to Lilian.