Lilian of Turin

Instead of answering, Damian glanced at the boy. A well-behaved boy with blue eyes that resembles Idoel.

He was the only son of his older brother, who was the Sun Emperor, and as a favorite of the entire Imperial Palace, his upright temperament was not broken even after harsh experiences.

Damian sometimes thought that he and this child were on opposite sides.

Matteo Rupenwein was born with both hands full of things Damian didn’t have.

Normal father, normal mana, normal growth background.

Damian didn’t know how to keep anyone from running away from him.

On the other hand, Matteo’s surroundings were always crowded with people flocking to him.

The well-mannered boy, stricken with praise and affection, would secretly tire himself out.

He’d never thought of it as envy. Matteo’s life and Damian’s life were too far apart to compare.

But now?

Suddenly, he couldn’t stop this thought from creeping in.

If she had to choose between Damian and Matteo, who would Lilian choose?

The scene in the library naturally came to mind.

Lilian and Matteo sitting under the sunny window. Conversations where they understood each other affectionately.

Damian’s purple eyes narrowed with grumpiness.

“I don’t think I’m in the mood to talk to you very much, nephew.”

“I thought you would, but a letter came.”

The adult acted childishly, so the reaction of the adolescent boy couldn’t have been good.

Matteo dropped the letter next to Damian, who was lying on the floor, cold and stiff.

Damian was sarcastic like never before.

“Where did you get rid of the manners you were praised for that your attitude became like this?”

Matteo sighed and frowned. The boy was in a bad mood and more than that, he was embarrassed.

Up until now, Damian had only looked at Matteo like a cow or a chicken, or made fun of him if he was in a good mood.

‘Though I’ve heard abusive language once or twice when I’m being pathetic.’

Still, he had never been so aggressively sarcastic and taunting to him.

It wasn’t that there wasn’t a corner to chew on.

‘Is it because of what happened with Lady Lilian at the library then?’

If that’s the case, he’d been wronged a hundred times.

Actually, he didn’t do anything, but his mind was shaken. And a shaken heart will never go back to its original state.

But even though it went against his will, his uncle was his only protector in this current situation.

The unfortunate side’s mouth opened first.

“Uncle, I…”

“Why don’t you go out when you’re done with your business?”

It was a hand of reconciliation that he barely reached out, but Damian ruthlessly threw it away.

The boy’s face, which was trying to give up his pride and make excuses, turned red in an instant.

Gulp, Matteo barely swallowed his anger and clenched his trembling fists. Soon, he left the room without looking back.

Bang, even after the door closed, the sound of rough footsteps had faded away for a long time before Damian covered his eyes with his hand. And he mumbled.

“…I know, brother. I wasn’t as mature as the kid.”

It felt like the inferiority complex that he hadn’t felt since he was busy with war and slaughter was eating himself.

Let’s calm down. Damian soothed himself. Lilian was already his betrothed.

Damian will not lose against Matteo.

“Phew.”

Damian stood up from his seat after a long breath. And he picked up the letter that Matteo had dropped.

He needed something to get him out of this bitter swamp of inferiority.

The sender was a relative and vassal of the former Great Feudal Lord. It contained more than half of the business that was already expected.

It was almost at the end that Damian’s gaze, which had been skimming through it in a businesslike manner, stopped.

[…I’m sorry to hear that, but if the Marquis of Turin notices anything about His Highness and is reluctant to discuss the marriage, please indicate that you’re willing to change the person involved in the marriage to His Highness the Crown Prince. We absolutely need a blood oath with Turin.]

Damian’s gaze lingered on that passage for a long time.

If it was before, he would have done as he was told, but now he heard nothing but bullshit from an idiot who didn’t know what was going on.

Smoke began to rise little by little from the hand holding the letter.

It was because of the mana that responded to Damian’s anger.

Soon after, the erratic letter caught fire. The burning letter fluttered and turned to ashes in the hot grip that had turned black.

The letter turned to ashes and disappeared, but the black letters written on the paper remained in his mind. Each letter seemed to dye his mind black like ink.

There’s a willingness to change the parties of the marriage alliance.

Lily Islar’s husband is not him, but Matteo.

It felt like the floor he was standing on was wide open.

It’s funny, Damian thought calmly.

Was this what it meant being eaten by jealousy?

‘…no, can I express my terrible feelings with cute words like jealousy?’

It was then. There was a loud knock on the door.

“Your Highness, are you inside?”

It was only then that Damian’s mind returned to his senses a little.

This is Turin.

If it’s discovered that he’s not a normal human being, Lilian will marry Matteo.

Damian managed to control himself. And he succeeded in making a human-like sound by hiding some of the terrible metal sound.

“…come in.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

Damian talked like he had pulled himself together, but the heat that could not exist in this season was spreading in the room. Besides, there was a pungent smell of smoke.

“What’s going on?”

Fascinated by the enchantingly beautiful Damian who sent a cool purple gaze through the hazy smoke, the servant didn’t notice that Damian’s right hand, not wearing a glove, was discolored black.

“L-Lady Lily wants to see His Higness.”

Oh my goodness.

Damian wanted to sigh. It was, by far, the worst timing.

***

It was the worst timing, so Damian tried to refuse. But the servant hesitated and didn’t back down.

“The attending physician said that His Highness the Grand Duke must come…”

Oh dear. Damian realized it belatedly. It wasn’t just Lilian trying to see him.

He almost forgot about it because of anger and jealousy, but Lily needed his mana.

‘How could I forget that important thing.’

When he remembered that fact, his heart, which had been ridiculously ferocious, calmed down a bit.

If Lily was the only rest that miraculously came to Damian, then Damian was her lifeline.

He was able to give Lily what neither Matteo nor her real brother Cedric could give.

It was luck that could only be called luck from heaven.

Damian thought as he followed the servant’s guidance.

‘I wish Cedric Islar was there.’

He didn’t want to see him, of course. He assumed that if he, who had contact with Lilian, would lose control.

Cedric was the only person in all of Turin who had the skills to even point a sword at Damian’s throat.

Unfortunately, Cedric didn’t have any use regarding medicine.

The only one who greeted Damian was the usual Lilian, who seemed to have just woken up.

“I greet Your Highness the Grand Duke.”

“Don’t get up.”

Lilian smiled through her weary face. And in a particularly weak voice, she asked for his pardon.

“I’m sorry for bothering you every time.”

How nice. Hearing Lilian’s voice say that she needed him made him feel good.

“There’s no need to apologize. After the marriage certificate was exchanged, this Damian is the Lady’s.”

As he spoke, Damian’s head turned hot. Where the hell did he put his marriage certificate?

It gave him goosebumps that he had left that important thing, the only documentary evidence linking Damian and Lilian, for seven years without knowing where it was.

Lilian said to Damian, who was determined to nag on Ivan as soon as he returned.

“Thank you for your words. Actually, I was going to make one more request to Your Highness today, but hearing you say that makes me feel a little more at ease.”

Request…Damian’s eyes narrowed.

“Alright. I will listen to anything.”

“If it’s okay with Your Highness…”

After a moment of hesitation, Lilian took a deep breath. In that brief moment, a black anxiety suddenly invaded Damian’s mind.

He shouldn’t have said that he would listen to anything. If she makes a request that he can’t fulfill, or if she asked not to marry or get a divorce… If not that and she asked for the marriage certificate to be destroyed…

“If you don’t mind, why don’t we move up our wedding?”