How Lilies turn Black Chapter 13 - Uncomfortable Consideration (2)

“Miss Moretti!”

 

Paul bellowed, grabbing her by the shoulders.

 

The smile had faded from her gentle face, and she was frozen cold. 

 

As if she could not stand the thought of humiliating Theodoro, even if it were only for the convenience of his arms.

 

The menacing air surrounding them made Liliana feel as if she were suffocating, but she clenched her fists tightly.

 

She wasn’t finished yet.

 

“Even if I were to leave this place… I doubt I’d be safe. Who knows if Antonio would harm me like a rat or a bird?”

 

Although it’s uncomfortable, I know it’s not wrong. 

 

Maybe that’s why Paul takes his hand off her shoulder, as if he feels sorry for her.

 

Lilia stared at Theodoro, trying to rebuild her dwindling confidence.

 

“With the money you gave me, I would rather have a safe home. Somewhere I can be protected.”

 

“…”

 

“Preferably in an area under your control, Theodoro.”

 

She knows it’s futile, but she has no choice. It had to be done.

 

The green eyes staring back at him were clear, tinged with fear, but not losing their fierce light.

 

And Theodoro said nothing. He only pressed his temples together and closed his eyes, dark with fatigue.

 

✨

 

‘A lucky woman.’

 

It was a simple sentence that defined Liliana Moretti for Paul.

 

In his eyes, she was so lucky that the gods favored her. Liliana herself wouldn’t see it that way.

 

What was your reaction when she first told you she wanted to work as a vocalist at De Lucia bar?

 

He didn’t know, Paul didn’t think Theodoro, the man he’d known and served for more than a decade, would accept such a ridiculous request.

 

‘I’m not the only one who thought so,’ he says.

 

But guess what? Theodoro listened to her sing without saying a word. He didn’t wave his arms in protest, didn’t storm out in the middle of the song.

 

This could not be happening.

 

And the improbable happened… for no other reason than because Liliana Moretti sang ‘that song’.

 

‘I can’t believe she chose that song knowing what she was doing.’

 

It was probably too lucky. Because she sang that song and took Theodoro’s soul out of him.

That wasn’t the only reason she was lucky.

 

Paul turned his head to look at the woman in the passenger seat next to him, who was staring out the window at the skyscrapers speeding past.

 

The view outside must have been jarring. The bustling city couldn’t possibly compare to her old neighborhood.

 

Demercy was the economic, cultural, and transportation center of the five local cities.

 

For Liliana, it’s where she would be living for the foreseeable future, a 20th-century version of status change.

 

‘It’s amazing, how lucky she is.’

 

Of course, it wasn’t 100% luck. Because she’s not the only one talking nonsense.

 

And she had a point when she said that Antonio might retaliate against her if she wasn’t protected.

 

However an organization’s underboss does not have to be a philanthropist who cares about every detail. She didn’t need Theodoro to sympathize with her.

 

‘But I’m afraid you’re in an unusually vulnerable position, Theodoro…’

 

Paul shook his head, remembering the Iron Man’s rare moments of humanity.

 

In one of those few situations…

 

‘You’re strangely sensitive about civilians getting involved with the organization.’

 

Paul doesn’t know exactly why. He’s never been told.

 

If I had to guess, I’d say that he doesn’t want innocent bystanders to get caught up in the brutality of the organization.

 

Then came the case of Liliana and Antonio.

 

‘Technically, the woman who asked for a job was the root cause, but…’

 

If Theodoro had rejected the job right then and there, or if he hadn’t offended Antonio, nothing would have happened.

 

In any case, it was clear that Theodoro felt some kind of responsibility to Liliana for that reason.

 

So he would have allowed her to move in, as she wanted, in the name of protection.

 

Paul thought back briefly to his conversation with Theodoro a few days ago.

 

“So what do you say I let her move into the Proud Building, which I own, and what do we do about her job?”

 

“Ha…”

 

“I don’t think she’s the kind of girl who will obey you just because you tell her not to. If you say so, I’ll force her out.”

 

“…Let her do as she pleases, it’s not like singing a song will endanger her safety.”

 

“Are you sure that’s acceptable?”

 

“I’ll kick her out as soon as I realize that Antonio’s lost interest, but until then, she should be fine.”

 

With that, Theodoro threw up his hands in annoyance and ended the conversation.

 

Later, he and Paul would regret letting it go so easily… but for now, let’s put that aside.

 

The black sedan sped down the road and soon came to a stop at 13th Street and Hynes Avenue.

 

Paul, who had been lost in his own thoughts for some time, spoke up.

 

“Here we are.”

 

“…Ah.”

 

A short sigh escaped Liliana’s lips as she stared out the window and fell silent again. 

 

Her wide eyes narrowed, as if she was still dumbfounded that Paul had just asked her to move.

 

‘Yes, she had a point.’

 

The neighborhood was dotted with new concrete buildings that you had to look up at for a long time. How marvelous it was to see them so white and unblemished.

 

Colorful Cadillacs bustled up and down the streets, and the passersby were all clean and classy.

 

The view of East Pearl Avenue where she stood just a few minutes ago, at 10 AM… Tall buildings. Rusted iron staircases clinging to the exterior walls of old buildings.

 

It was a drab street of gray and tan.

 

It’s the same city, but it’s so different, it’s like entering another world.

 

This was the grandeur of the Benedetti family she was so fearlessly reaching for, Paul realized, and opened the passenger door.

 

“Miss Moretti, would you like to get upstairs?”

 

Twenty stories up, the massive building loomed and cast its shadow.

 

It would either be Lilia’s last spectacular end, or her first spectacular beginning.

 

Paul naturally foresaw the former, but he was certain that Lilia had truly entered Benedetti.

 

✨

 

“Well…”

 

The pen twirled between her slender fingers. Lilia’s mind worked diligently to keep pace, but the tip of the nib produced no more words.

 

She finally put the pen down, pointlessly slicing through the air.

 

“Is that all I need to buy?”

 

A shopping list on paper, muttered from beginning to end.

 

It was a long list, starting with furniture and ending with the necessities of life. The reason,

 

“Miss Moretti, you will be staying on the 13th floor, which is currently unoccupied, but I’m sorry to say that it’s been reserved for offices… It is not equipped with the things you need to live in.”

 

Paul said as he led her to her new home.

 

It was a bit of a rush to have to move in with everything, but it was also a relief for Lilia.

 

If it had been a space the size of a soccer field, filled with all sorts of luxurious furniture and decorations, she might have been overwhelmed and said she’d rather stay where she was.

 

‘I’ve got the money back, so that should be enough to pay for the move out.’ 

 

Lilia had no intention of going back to collect the crumbling furniture from the house, which was also in disrepair. It would be nice to replace it all with something new and usable.

 

She picked up the business card Paul had handed her earlier and looked at it.

 

“It’s a thrift store run by one of our members. It’s second-hand, but it’s good quality, so it should help you get what you need. I can call ahead if you want, I’m sure they’ll take good care of you if you introduce yourself.”

 

Remembering what he’d said, she stiffened. He’d said he’d ask, so he should have gotten word of her visit by now.

 

‘I’d better get going.’ 

 

Everything seemed to flow like water, even though she still had to figure out when and where to buy the furniture. I wonder how it could have been so easy.

 

Thinking back to the twists and turns of the past… I didn’t know when things would go wrong again, and I couldn’t enjoy the peace I had now.

 

‘Let’s not think about that right now.’

 

What could she do if the unexpected awaited her, but just face it?

 

Lilia shrugged off her shoulders and stood up. It was time to get to work, to plant her seeds in this new land.