The ice cream Silvano scooped up fell back into the cup with a plop. 

 

It seemed she had expected something outlandish, but not quite that.

 

“…No, who says something like that in an ice cream shop?”

 

“I want you to help the Lombardi family and join the operation. I think Carmine would be willing to negotiate for that.”

 

After Benjamin Wolf was assassinated, Carmine Lombardi inherited his role in the plan to assassinate President Findel.

 

How heavy must the burden be for someone, who hadn’t even been involved in planning or assigning roles, to suddenly shoulder such a crucial mission?

 

‘He’ll prepare thoroughly, of course, but still, with a relatively short preparation period… He probably can’t shake the anxiety.’

 

Hadn’t she glimpsed that anxiety during her several meetings with Theodoro?

 

So, Lilia was almost certain. 

 

If she offered to lend them that splendid son of a bitch, Silvano Giacone, as a member of the assassination team, Carmine wouldn’t be able to refuse easily.

 

‘Anyway, Theodoro is already considering committing manpower from the Buccio family. Adding one more person, Silvano, to the Lombardi side shouldn’t be a big problem.’

 

The only thing that gave her pause was that she was sending the man who had been the first to become her person into a deadly situation. 

 

All for the sake of achieving her own goals.

 

Lilia steadied her breath and spoke calmly.

 

“If you don’t want to, it’s okay to tell me. It’s not exactly pleasant for me either, putting you into a dangerous operation.”

 

“It’s not just that it’s dangerous, Lily. I’m not exactly the right person for such a significant task, am I?”

 

“Who else would do such a thing if not someone like you?”

 

It wasn’t really meant as a compliment. But whether it was because those words sounded good to him, the corners of Silvano’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly.

 

Since Liliana had no intention of encouraging him, her face hardened as she added a remark.

 

“I’m not pressuring you. Really. Think it over carefully and decide.”

 

“Hmmm…”

 

Silvano snorted softly and then began licking the ice cream spoon with the tip of his tongue. 

 

Liliana’s expression, which had been watching him, suddenly contorted in distaste. It was like seeing something she shouldn’t—that lewd and vulgar display.

 

Just looking at him like that, it seemed like Silvano had no worries or thoughts in his head at all… But she knew that, in his own way, he was turning things over and over in his mind.

 

If it were a large-scale matter, wasn’t he the type of man to jump right in with an eager ‘yes’? 

 

The fact that such a man wasn’t readily agreeing meant that he, too, was weighing various factors carefully.

 

However, the time for deliberation wasn’t very long.

 

“Alright then.”

 

“…What? Are you serious?”

 

“Of course, I’m serious.”

 

Silvano leaned his upper body closely against the table and curved his lips into a sleek smile. The deep scar at the corner of his mouth twisted into a sinister shape.

 

“What wouldn’t I do for you?”

 

Back then, Silvano probably had no idea, even if he died and came back to life. Those words, spoken lightly, would soon transform into sincerity, rendering him utterly powerless.

 

💫

 

And so, the matter with Silvano was settled for the time being… 

 

After that, Liliana couldn’t pay much attention to him. Because endless worries and thoughts had taken over her entire mind.

 

For most of the time, she agonized over whom to ask Carmine for a ‘successful meeting’ with.

 

Amidst all this, the memory of that one night with Theodoro, the events of that day, kept popping up unexpectedly, again and again, tormenting her. 

 

The touch that kept surfacing, no matter how hard she tried to block it out. 

 

The words he had murmured in his husky voice, or his scent that had thoroughly permeated her senses.

 

So, involuntarily thinking of Theodoro… 

 

Wayne’s neat smile flickered before my eyes like a final conscience.

 

Anyway, lost in such thoughts, Liliana couldn’t deeply consider what frame of mind Silvano had accepted her proposal with, or what dirty tricks he might be plotting using that as a pretext.

 

Even when they finished their workday and returned home together to her residence, she wasn’t particularly vigilant.

 

It had been about a week since Silvano had settled in at her house, using the unavoidable justification that the organization’s situation was turning dangerous, and she needed special protection… an unwelcome yet unrefusable reason.

 

Since nothing major had happened so far, she thought that day would be no different.

 

“Our princess. Are you all ready?”

 

“Cut out the ‘princess‘ talk… And what do you think you’re doing, coming in here like that?”

 

The red alert finally went off in her head only when he sauntered casually into her bedroom in his underwear.

 

“Ah… I forgot to do the laundry, so I have nothing to wear. I can’t very well sleep in your slip, princess.”

 

“Granted, but why are you coming in here? Get out.”

 

“Show a little mercy just for tonight? I’ve been putting up with aching all over for days, crammed and sleeping on the sofa. That’s too harsh on your loyal guard.”

 

“Sigh…”

 

The problem was misplaced guilt and a sense of apology. 

 

He was a man willing to undertake an assassination mission for her, so perhaps she should cut him some slack on minor conveniences?

 

She should have ignored those feelings and just kicked him out. 

 

No matter how many days had passed without incident, she shouldn’t have let her guard down until the very end.

 

“Honey, hey?”

 

“…You really call me by every possible nickname under the sun. Why don’t you just pick one?”

 

“Anyway, no matter what I call you, you’ll answer, won’t you?”

 

“…”

 

It was when her pointless competitive spirit kicked in, making her tightly close her mouth and even shut her eyes. 

 

As Silvano held her tightly from behind while she was lying down, her attempt to ‘not retort’ ultimately ended in failure.

 

“…What are you doing?”

 

Instead of offering trivial excuses, Silvano buried his face in the nape of her neck and brought up something out of the blue.

 

“What would you do if I died?”

 

“Why would you suddenly die?”

 

“No, think about it. If the assassination fails, well… it wouldn’t just end with being exiled to North Wellington. The Syndicate would probably kill me somehow, with the goal of silencing me.”

 

He gently brushed aside the hair covering her nape with his hand. 

 

Then, as if to kiss the newly revealed pale skin, he pressed his lips against it and continued speaking.

 

“Do you know how terrifying those Syndicate bastards are?”

 

“Ugh…”

 

With every word he spoke, his lips brushed against her skin. His irregular breaths tickled her skin and spread a restless heat, causing her neck to instinctively shrink back.

 

Unconcerned, Silvano stimulated the nape of her neck with his insistent voice.

 

“If they decide to kill someone… time and place aren’t problems. Even if I were locked behind iron bars, they’d find a way to kill me.”

 

“If you don’t want to do it… just say so. You should make… another proposal to Carmine.”

 

Liliana strained her eyes, which were starting to close, and stiffened her body. 

 

But it only had the opposite effect, as Silvano tightened his grip around her waist, pulling her firmly into his embrace.

 

“Ugh…! What are you doing? Do you want to be kicked out to the sofa?!”

 

Despite her sharp outcry, the hand caressing her hips over the thin slip was leisurely and even persistent. 

 

On top of that, he deliberately chose to talk only about important matters she couldn’t avoid answering.

 

“Another proposal? Do you have another proposal that would whet Carmine’s appetite?”

 

“You think… hngh! That’s all I told you? It’s just the most likely option, ugh…. If you say no even now, there’s another—.”  

 

“What is it. Tell me. Let’s see if it’s even possible.”  

 

Silvano wrapped one arm around her waist, covering the back of her hand with his other, fingers interlocking. 

 

A position with no escape.  

 

His warm breath clung to the nape of her neck again, and a strange pleasure began to spread through her entire body.  

 

“S-Silvano…!”  

“Hm?”  

 

With a giggling laugh, a soft tongue gently licked up her nape. Her vision flashed white, while a voice brimming with delight came from behind.  

 

“Why, darling.”  

 

“Y-You’re insane?!”  

 

“Why won’t you answer. If I say I don’t want to do the assassination, what alternative are you going to use to convince Carmine, huh?”  

 

“…Hnng…!”  

 

Her dry shoulders trembled at the smooth flick of his tongue along her spine. 

 

Unable to bear it any longer, Liliana shook off Silvano’s hand and forcefully drove her elbow upward.  

 

“Lil, agh…!”  

 

He must have been hit somewhere. 

 

Silvano swallowed a groan and curled in on himself. 

 

Seizing the opening, Liliana escaped, pinned him down, and grabbed his throat.  

 

“Haa, ha… Was this your plan all along? Using the assassination as an excuse to blackmail me?”  

 

“Ugh….”  

 

A groan scratched from Silvano’s twisted lips. He narrowed his brows and looked up at the beautiful face framed by cascading white hair.  

 

‘Ah… fuck. What do I do about this….’  

 

He couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.  

 

What should he really do? 

 

She was desperately trying to choke him, yet the grip was pitifully weak…. Her arms trembled, not even sure she could kill him.

 

Why are your cheeks flushing red when you’re refusing so stubbornly?

 

Silvano fiercely craved to pluck that single lily shining nobly under the moonlight.

 

Any ordinary woman would have given in and thrown herself into his arms by now. The mother he cursed endlessly had at least blessed him with a dazzling face. 

 

That alone had already won half the battle.

 

Even without the bravado, he’d held at least hundreds of women. 

 

There wasn’t a soul who didn’t melt under his now fully ripened touch.

 

Yet the woman before him didn’t even spare a glance of admiration for his flawless features, let alone praise them. 

 

In fact, she was trembling with rage, as if she wanted to strangle him.

 

‘Fuck… this is annoyingly fun.’

 

Silvano grabbed her hand—which posed no threat at all—and forced out a voice that cracked like dry wood.

 

“Let go.”

 

“Ah…?”

 

Then, with absurd ease, he pinned her delicate wrists above her head. 

 

The sight of her clear, trembling eyes was quite something.

 

With one hand firmly holding both her wrists, he moved his free right hand to caress her side.

 

“Liliana….”

 

“…Ahhh….”

 

“Do you really hate it?”

 

A sly smile bloomed on Silvano’s lips.

 

He didn’t make any bold moves. He was long past the age of thinking targeting erogenous zones was all it took. His broad palm covered the area around her navel like a curtain. 

 

Slowly, it rose to the spot just below her breasts, gently stroking over her ribs.

 

“Ugh, hah….”

 

A suppressed moan leaked through Liliana’s clenched teeth.

 

She was wearing nothing but a single slip. Whenever his thumb brushed the crease beneath her breast, a thrilling wave of pleasure rippled through her like a faint tide.

 

That night came to mind. 

 

To be honest, it was a night so dizzyingly climactic that I wanted to go back to it.

 

Every now and then, fragments of that day would overlap with Silvano’s touch, and whenever that happened, Liliana became confused.

 

Clearly, this wasn’t the same feeling. 

 

That one was far more intense, far more stimulating, to the point where reason couldn’t be maintained.

 

Was it simply a difference in the way of caressing? Or a difference in the one doing it?

 

Unable to judge the answer herself, Liliana couldn’t stop Silvano.

 

She had to confirm it and prove it again. The fact that it felt so good, not because the one who touched and explored her was ‘Theodoro.’