~Chapter 67~
She slowly rose from her chair.
Sitting still for hours had been far harsher on her body than she’d expected.
Lily dragged her aching frame over to the window.
Outside, the moonlight cast only a faint glow over the courtyard. No people were around, but white stones were arranged in the shape of a heart.
What on earth…?
She had seen something like this before.
It was when her stay at Winter Castle had been confirmed for longer than a year. The knights had drawn a giant heart in the field as a welcome.
Could it be…?
Her suspicion proved correct.
When Lily opened the window, nearby bushes rustled and shifted, climbing the wall as a whole to reach her room.
It was a Winter Castle knight.
She was startled. Instinctively, she checked the door and asked,
“How did you get in here? What if someone had seen you?”
“I’ve been hiding nearby for two days. I memorized the mansion’s schedule perfectly! For the next hour, no one will enter your room. Right?”
“You wake me at dawn, but… yes. There’s still an hour left.”
“The captain asked me to deliver a message, but may I confirm something first?”
The knight examined Lily carefully.
“You look very thin!”
“I haven’t had much of an appetite…”
“That won’t do. The maids have been very clear—if you lose even a little weight, they’ll die of worry! Even if it’s hard, you must eat properly. Every knight feels the same. Understand?”
It had been only seconds since they met, yet the lecture continued. Lily smiled weakly at the familiar ache in her ears.
“Anyway, the captain says he’s finding a way to get you out. He told me to tell you to stay calm. Soon, you’ll be able to confront your parents yourself. I told him it’s immoral, but I passed the message as it was.”
“Thank you for coming all this way. But I…”
Lily trailed off. Maybe it was okay to give up here. That thought lingered.
The knight sensed something in her hesitation.
“I was born into a large family,” he began, trying to persuade her.
“The youngest, so I had no strength. When we all ate together, all the food disappeared before I could touch it. My share was always small.”
“Oh…”
“At first, I was frustrated, but I blamed myself. I thought it was my weakness. It took a long time to regain confidence. Eventually, I shouted at my siblings: Let me eat too! And then…?”
Lily expected a hopeful ending.
But reality was harsh.
“I got beaten badly, of course.”
“Oh… so not a lesson that empowers me, then.”
“Yet here I am, strong, carrying a good sword. Among my siblings, I eat best now.”
The knight grabbed her arms, trying to lend her his strength.
“No matter the hardship, if you endure, it will pass! Lily! Shout it! We can do this!”
“W-we… can?”
“Come on, shout it seriously.”
Finally, Lily shouted just loud enough not to be heard outside the room.
“We can do this!”
“That’s the spirit!”
Satisfied, the knight transformed back into a round bush.
“I’ll return with news soon.”
The bush clung to the outer wall, wriggling toward the courtyard.
Watching it go, Lily thought, Blake is still doing everything he can.
She had felt deflated after unexpectedly meeting her parents. Living like this for years could break anyone.
Yet meeting someone from Winter Castle gave her renewed strength. She realized she’d been unnecessarily gloomy over the past two days.
Not long after the knight left, a maid knocked.
“Breakfast is ready. Everyone’s invited.”
With that, she vanished.
Lily descended to the dining room, where the Marquis and Marchioness were already seated. Even in the early morning, their appearance was immaculate—every detail, down to the angle of the tie, flawless. Anyone unfamiliar would find it chilling.
“Sit.”
Lily had no say at this table. Speak, and she’d be scolded; after the meal, perhaps even whipped.
She sat quietly. The maids carried dishes cautiously.
Breakfast was served.
Partway through the tense meal, the Marchioness spoke.
“You’ve had a few days to reflect. You should know better now. Never speak to Duke Upfus again.”
Now Lily could respond.
“I can’t do that.”
The Marquis’s gaze turned cold.
“Still lost in foolish delusions. Foolish girl.”
“I want to leave this house.”
“Not for the time being.”
“Eventually, I will leave, and I’ll never return. You will face a new hardship then.”
Blake, as her guardian, would never forgive them.
Yet the Marquis and Marchioness seemed utterly unconcerned, staring at her with sharp, unforgiving expressions.
“You will tell the Duke: never entangle with us, never concern yourself with us.”
“I won’t! What are you saying? I’m not insane. You are!”
“You will do as we say.”
Finally, the Marchioness revealed the truth.
“Because you are the daughter of our enemy, Lily Hedwig.”
To Lily, this was expected.
“Of course Blake despises you. You insulted him long ago. I know everything.”
“Do you even know what’s important?”
“Don’t beat around the bush.”
“We killed the previous Duke.”
That was why they had gone into hiding in high society when Lily and Blake appeared. Their voices were calm, as if stating ordinary facts. Lily almost thought she misheard.
The Marchioness repeated herself.
“Your father and I killed the previous Duke.”
The previous Duke had died under mysterious poisoning. He had spilled wine on her, made a family promise, and was Blake’s father.
Now they confessed the murder matter-of-factly.
A long silence followed.
Lily felt like she was going to vomit, her stomach churning violently.
“He… they really did… that?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Then they were right. To Blake, she was the enemy’s daughter.
Once she knew, there was no turning back.
“Yes, it seems you understand enough. This makes explaining easier.”
The Marchioness watched Lily vomit coldly before continuing.
“When you were young, that barbarian Duke dared to associate with you. We naturally separated you. It could never be that you’d be forced to marry a barbarian. We thought that was the end.”
“That was then.”
“No. Remember five years ago. The previous Duke spoke to you again.”
The incident when he spilled wine and made a promise to her.
“We always worried: would they forcibly take you? Could they really give up? Then that day, our fears became reality.”
“He only apologized to me!”
“They created a reason for you to continue seeing the Duke.”
Lily’s voice trembled.
“So… they killed someone?”
“It was the only way. If they set their minds to taking you, they could make it happen. They abuse their money and power without conscience.”
Even emperors had been poisoned, dying prematurely.
One lapse, one poisoned meal, and death follows. The Hedwigs were accustomed to it. Poison was the ultimate weapon, regardless of status.
“Remarkable that you weren’t caught.”
“Handled meticulously.”
The Hedwigs valued their family reputation above all else—even life itself. They were proud of it.
“Astonishing… that it remained hidden.”
This was the result of Lily daring to hope.
