Her resolution to not let it bother her was, as always, so easily and repeatedly crumbled by even his smallest actions.

 

“Let’s go out and grab a cup of coffee.”

 

The way she casually suggested it to Carmine and gently led him outside.

 

The way his hand quietly pulled her shoulder closer.

 

There was no way not to notice.

 

“Paul, coffee.”

 

Theodoro threw the words over his shoulder, then began walking, leading Liliana along.

 

Spring had finally reached their feet; the moment they stepped outside, a fresh, gentle breeze brushed against their skin. 

 

Around that time, the palm that had been resting on her shoulder quietly slipped away, as if handing its role over to the warm sunlight.

 

“Ah…”

 

The lingering sense of relief and a strange pang of regret remained where his hand had been.

 

Realizing what she was actually feeling, Liliana hurriedly shook her shoulders like a clumsy thief whose foot had just gone numb.

 

Regret? How ridiculous.

 

A tiny smile that no one could possibly notice flickered briefly at the corner of Theodoro’s mouth as he glanced at her, then vanished. 

 

When he turned back to face Carmine, his expression was as dry and indifferent as ever.

 

“Ah, right—we were talking about Gasparo.”

 

“Yeah. Things should stay quiet for a while… I agree. Looks like the Syndicate gave him a proper warning.”

 

“Seems that way. I can already picture Gasparo taking his anger out on some poor random bastards.”

 

“How about your brother?”

 

The moment Luciano’s name came up, Theodoro’s expression subtly darkened. 

 

Even the words that followed carried a bitterness he couldn’t quite erase.

 

“…Well. We haven’t been in touch much lately.”

 

“Well, after something like this happened, Luciano will probably keep his head down for a while too. By the way…”

 

Carmine stretched his arms wide, then added while enjoying the soft breeze,

 

“Even though it’s peaceful like this right now, we still need to be careful. Once things blow up tomorrow, the whole country’s gonna turn upside down.”

 

“…Yeah. For the time being, I’ll live like I’m already dead.”

 

Liliana’s fingertips trembled faintly as she quietly sipped her coffee. 

 

The coffee she had been drinking just fine suddenly tasted bitterly astringent, to the point she couldn’t bring herself to take another sip.

 

‘Tomorrow… it’s tomorrow.’

 

Whether it succeeds or fails, the entire country will be plunged into tremendous shock. 

 

Citizens will be swept away by waves of anxiety and shaken precariously. Just like she had seen and experienced in her previous life.

 

Back then, it was news so unimaginable she couldn’t even picture it. 

 

And now, not only does she know about tomorrow’s tragic event in advance, she’s even the one who set the stage for it.

 

‘Really… human affairs can twist and turn like this.’

 

A self-mocking light flickered across Liliana’s eyes. Perhaps noticing the subtle change in her expression, Carmine slowly studied her face.

 

“You don’t have anything to worry about too much, do you?”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“As long as you’re stuck right next to your dependable lover, there shouldn’t be a single thing that’s dangerous, right?”

 

“Ah…”

 

It wasn’t exactly her own safety that she had been worrying about.

 

Because Carmine had mentioned Theodoro, her gaze unconsciously drifted toward him. 

 

And the moment their eyes met squarely—as if he had been watching her for who knows how long—her nape flinched and shrank.

 

Was it just her imagination that his eyes narrowed as though he were smiling? 

 

Theodoro simply wrapped his arm leisurely around her waist and added in a light tone, directed at Carmine,

 

“I was already planning to keep her glued to my side. Maybe I should lock her up in some villa somewhere.”

 

“Hahaha! You’re planning to spend your long-awaited vacation in quite the intense way, huh.”

 

Liliana’s sharp intake of breath mixed in with the hearty laughter. She startled and pulled away slightly, eyes darting around everywhere.

 

“W-what… lock me up? Th-that’s ridiculous—”

 

“Where’s that dog barking coming from?”

 

Suddenly, an irritated voice cut in, and all three pairs of eyes naturally turned backward.

 

Whether he had finished the firearm test or not, Silvano, who had just come out of the warehouse, apparently heard it and was striding over with long steps.

 

“I definitely heard some damn lively dog barking. Something about locking Lily up or not.”

 

“It wasn’t a dog, it was a perfectly human being who spoke. And yeah, you heard it loud and clear. Why don’t you just go ahead and not worry about it?”

 

He might as well have kept his mouth shut. 

 

Theodoro responded calmly and nonchalantly, scratching at Silvano’s temper.

 

Afraid that he might actually say he wasn’t going, Liliana’s face turned deathly pale. She shot a quick glance at Theodoro, then hurriedly dragged the grim-faced Silvano away to change locations.

 

“Don’t mind him. He can’t possibly be serious.”

 

“Who knows? If it were me, I might actually lock you up.”

 

“…”

 

The sincere tone with no trace of joking left her speechless. These men—both this one and that one—talked so casually about confining a person. 

 

A full-body shiver ran through her, goosebumps rising all over.

 

Did Silvano feel even the slightest pang of conscience about it? 

 

He simply curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk, tilted his head, and lit a cigarette.

 

“That bastard… I wonder if he felt like this when he went to Phelps.”

 

“Since when have you ever been so protective of me?”

 

Liliana let out a hollow, incredulous laugh.

 

“What… are you saying you actually like me or something?”

 

“Seems like it, yeah?”

 

“…What?”

 

Of course, asking if he liked her had been a throwaway remark. 

 

Who would’ve expected him to actually answer yes? 

 

He even pulled the cigarette from his lips and stared straight into her eyes with black pupils that bordered on obsessive.

 

Instinctively taking a step back, Liliana stammered,

 

“S-suddenly… what kind of ridiculous joke is this…?”

 

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

 

In the blink of an eye, Silvano grabbed her hand and slowly bent at the waist. She couldn’t even pull her hand free from his rough grip.

 

Hot lips pressed firmly against the back of her thin, bony hand. He lifted his gaze provocatively and whispered low,

 

“I could like you, couldn’t I?”

 

“N-no… what are you doing…!”

 

A horrified Liliana struggled to pull her hand free, but Silvano wouldn’t release the tightly gripped fingers even an inch.

 

“Why pull away? They say back in the old days, knights used to do this before heading out to battle.”

 

“Who the hell does this—”

 

“I’ll win and come back for you… something like that.”

 

Lips curved in an elegant arc. Between them, a vivid crimson tongue slowly slid up the back of her hand, slick and deliberate.

 

“Ugh…! Silvano!”

 

Unable to take it anymore, Liliana shuddered violently and yanked her hand away. Even if a bug had crawled over her skin, it couldn’t have felt more revolting than this.

 

“What the hell is this filthy—!”

 

“Haha! What’s so dirty about your own hand?”

 

“It’s not my hand that’s dirty—it’s what you’re doing that’s filthy!”

 

“Haha! Hahahaha!”

 

His refreshing, booming laughter filled her ears completely. 

 

Silvano took her hand and roughly rubbed it against his own chest, scrubbing it back and forth. Whether this was him indulging some selfish desire or genuinely trying to wipe off the saliva…

 

“Let go! That’s enough.”

 

Liliana shoved him hard and pulled a handkerchief from her handbag. She was rubbing the back of her hand so furiously that it might as well have peeled the skin off.

 

“Liliana…!”

 

From far off came Theodoro’s voice calling her name. 

 

Liliana let out a sigh deep enough to sink the ground, then swung her arm fiercely toward Silvano’s chest.

 

The fist clutching the rolled-up handkerchief slammed into his solid pectoral muscle—but to Silvano, it probably felt like nothing more than a light tap. He grinned and accepted the soft handkerchief.

 

“What’s this for?”

 

Seeing that laughing face made her insides boil, but she decided to let it slide today. 

 

After all, this was the man who—because of her request—had gotten dragged into an assassination plot against the president that was never supposed to be part of his fate.

 

“…It means go and come back safely, what else?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

She’d even gone along with his little act, and yet he was pretending not to understand on purpose. Suppressing the urge to punch that smirking face, Liliana shouted,

 

“Come back alive, don’t die! And when you do, make sure you return this handkerchief.”

 

Leaving only those words behind, she turned her back on him sharply. Laughter erupted from behind, but Liliana didn’t glance back even once as she walked away.

 

Silvano watched her retreating figure, then covered his face with his hand and shook his head. 

 

A powerless chuckle leaked out between his fingers.

 

“Haha…. Fuck. I’m not some lovesick knight pining for a noble lady. What the hell is this bullshit.”

 

The woman who had fled was now, in the distance, already talking to a man dressed in a pitch-black suit. 

 

Through the fallen strands of hair, the eyes that briefly appeared glinted with dangerous intensity.

 

He couldn’t stand the sight of those two sticking together and making him sick to his stomach. 

 

And to avoid ever having to see that sight again, didn’t he have to come back in one piece—hell, he had to come back fast and intact?

 

A few minutes later, inside the warehouse, Silvano’s furious shouting rang out loudly.

 

“You fucking slow-ass slugs! Hurry the hell up and let’s move!”

💫

 

Nine o’clock in the evening. A vintage restaurant decorated in walnut tones.

 

The two people seated at one of the tables were having a late dinner, but for Liliana, it was nothing more than an uncomfortable meal. 

 

The few beautiful paintings hanging on the walls… the elegant desk lamp and vase on the table… they were all just decorations that only amplified her unease.

 

Liliana toyed with her fork in front of an excellent steak, but the food had no chance of going down smoothly.

 

The man sitting directly across from her—the one she had felt most awkward around lately—was part of the reason… but above all else, it was because she had just received word that the hit team had arrived in Campton City.

 

“Want me to order something else for you?”

 

At the sudden question, Liliana shook her head. Changing the menu wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway.

 

She eventually set down the cutlery and picked up Theodoro’s cigarette case that was lying on the table. 

 

As she took out a cigarette and put it between her lips, a large hand naturally reached out from in front of her and lit it for her.

 

“Done eating already?”

 

“Yeah… it’s not really going down.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Theodoro, who had already finished his meal a while ago, leaned back against the leather sofa chair in a crooked posture. 

 

Feeling his disapproving gaze, Liliana cautiously opened her mouth.

 

“When you said you’d lock me up earlier… were you being serious?”

 

“You want me to?”

 

“N-no, of course not…”

 

“If you ever change your mind, just say the word. I’ll gladly keep you locked up.”