How Lilies turn Black Chapter 27 - The Rabble of West Peal (1)

 

Even now, looking back, I still can’t understand what Silvano was feeling when he laughed like that.  

 

Was his heart racing at the thought of finally being able to leave the detestable North Wellington? Was he so delighted at the idea of returning to Demercy and toying with those who had driven him out? 

 

Or did he have some ulterior motive, planning to use me and then stab me in the back despite the cumbersome ‘contract’ we had made?  

 

Who knows?  

 

After laughing for a while, he simply said this without any further explanation:  

 

“Let’s work well together.”  

 

“…”  

 

The face Silvano showed me at that moment is something I’ll likely never forget, no matter how much time passes.  

 

Beneath the enormous full moon hanging overhead, Silvano bared his white, even teeth in a sly smile.  

 

There was no warmth in it. The scar running across the left side of his mouth had a way of making even the most amiable smile look menacing.  

 

His disheveled black hair, swept back to reveal his forehead, fluttered in the wind… His sharp yet unfocused eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity.  

 

It was as if a black wolf was standing before me.  

 

Even now, as I recall that chilling image, I can’t help but feel a shiver run down my neck.  

 

It seemed he noticed it like a ghost. Theodoro, sitting across from me, smirked faintly.  

 

“So, you’re not completely fearless, huh?”  

 

Startled, I turned to look at him, and his calm voice continued.  

 

“I thought you’d lost all sense of fear. You’ve been poking your nose everywhere without a care for the dangers.”  

 

“…”  

 

“You’re lucky, Liliana Moretti. If Silvano ended it with just that cut, consider yourself fortunate. He could’ve demanded a finger or something as ‘proof of commitment.’” 

 

Well, he had a point. If Silvano had insisted on taking a part of my body, what could I have done?  

 

I desperately needed allies, and someone like Silvano, whose interests aligned perfectly with mine, was hard to come by… I might’ve had to give up a part of myself.  

 

‘But in the end, that didn’t happen.’  

 

So, it’s fine, right?  

 

Of course, I can’t keep acting so recklessly. I need to move cautiously, ensuring my safety as much as possible.  

 

This reckless approach should be the last, especially now that the final negotiation with Antonio is over.  

 

Still, the silver lining is…  

 

‘I’ll be able to bring more people to my side from now on.’

 

The situation was bound to improve gradually.  

 

But that’s a matter for the future, so let’s set it aside for now. Liliana cut to the chase and brought up the immediate problem she needed to resolve.  

 

“Silvano died in an accident in North Wellington… You’ll take care of that, right?”  

 

“…”  

 

The moment he heard her words, Theodoro exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke he had been puffing on.  

 

“You say that as if you’ve already entrusted it to me.”  

 

“…You didn’t give a clear refusal last time.”  

 

“I also didn’t give a clear agreement.”  

 

“Then—”  

 

“I’ll make it clear this time. No.”  

 

The sharp, immediate response made her press her lips together tightly.  

 

No matter how recklessly she pushed, he had never outright refused so clearly before, so Liliana was quite taken aback. Her eyes darted around, reflecting her inability to find a foothold in the conversation.  

 

“B-but if it gets out that Silvano has returned to Demercy and is working for the Benedetti family—”  

 

“Say it straight. Silvano didn’t join hands with the Benedetti family—he joined hands with ‘you’. We bear no responsibility. This was Liliana Moretti’s independent action.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Go plead with Paul or figure it out yourself.”  

 

With such a firm stance, it was clear there was no hope left in appealing to Theodoro. No matter how she pleaded, he wasn’t going to change his mind.  

 

Liliana muttered in a defeated tone, “…Why?”  

 

“Look back at your past actions. Things always went your way, so you’ve been making endless demands and causing trouble everywhere.”  

 

She had no retort this time either.  

 

“Take this as a lesson that not everything will go as you want, Liliana Moretti. You’ve already tied yourself to Silvano, so don’t even think about provoking Antonio.”  

 

She had a lot to say about this issue, but… 

 

Liliana had expected this. Even before bringing Silvano back, he had given the same warning. She had anticipated that once Silvano was on board, he would lecture her again, knowing she’d likely take more aggressive actions.  

 

‘As expected, there’s no skirting around him.’  

 

It’s only natural that the underboss of an organization couldn’t afford to be soft.  

 

Liliana avoided his gaze, racking her brain for a way to phrase her words to avoid Theodoro’s scolding.  

 

As she did, her eyes landed on a newspaper.

  

The newspaper Theodoro had been reading and carelessly tossed onto the sofa. The front page featured an article about the infamous shootout in West Peal.  

 

For a moment, Liliana’s eyes gleamed with a sharp, clear light.  

 

She didn’t even need to read the details. She already knew how chaotic and violent their past conflicts had been… Combined with the recent rumors she’d been hearing, she had a good idea of how things were unfolding there.  

 

‘The endless feud they couldn’t resolve… The current Goth Gang is struggling with it again.’  

 

While they were fighting tooth and nail, it was a fortunate situation for Liliana. 

 

After all, her plan to ruin Antonio’s operations relied heavily on exploiting that intense rivalry.  

 

Liliana pointed at the newspaper and broke the silence.  

 

“West Peal. It’s been making a lot of noise lately.”  

 

Theodoro’s eyebrow twitched slightly as he glanced at what she was pointing at.  

 

“It’s just my personal opinion, but I think it’s understandable. I heard West Peal used to be a clean and decent neighborhood before Antonio took over. From the Goth Gang’s perspective… it must be hard to watch the territory they’ve built up over the years fall apart.”  

 

“You seem to be mistaken. Those guys aren’t exactly the moral type. They’re a gang that made their fortune bootlegging alcohol during Prohibition.”  

 

Did she not know about their illegal activities? Still, compared to Antonio, they were practically saints.  

 

“When I was dragged to the Laura Club… they forced the women there to take drugs and work. The women they kidnapped would get hooked on the drugs, serve customers, and eventually become so dependent that they couldn’t leave.” 

 

“…”  

 

“Did you know about that, Theodoro?”  

 

He didn’t respond. His silence usually indicated affirmation, and this time was likely no different.  

 

‘So he knew…’  

 

She hadn’t expected him to be unaware. It was impossible for him not to have heard the stories circulating.  

 

Even if Theodoro wasn’t deeply involved in most of the organization’s operations, there was no way he didn’t know how Antonio’s establishments were run, given how much he despised him.  

 

Yet, he shifted the conversation as if the truth he already knew made him uncomfortable.  

 

“What are you trying to say?”  

 

“Hmm…”  

 

That was enough of a hint. She just needed to plant the idea of reconsidering Antonio, who was dragging the organization down to the level of a petty gang.  

 

Liliana shrugged lightly and replied, “If you’re worried I might cause more trouble, you don’t need to be. I don’t even need to step in. Just look at this article…”  

 

She gestured toward the newspaper again, her eyes glinting.

 

“It seems the Goth Gang’s pent-up anger has reached a boiling point… I think a major clash with Antonio might be inevitable. For now, I plan to just watch and see.”  

 

Theodoro let out a disbelieving laugh, his expression incredulous.  

 

“And you expect me to believe that? After you brought Silvano here so blatantly?”  

 

“When I went to North Wellington, I had no idea the situation in West Peal would deteriorate this badly.”  

 

“Liliana Moretti, that’s such a flimsy excuse.”  

 

“I can only hope you’ll trust me. Now is the perfect time to just observe. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks.”  

 

Behind her calm response, Theodoro’s suspicious gaze scrutinized every corner of her face, as if searching for hidden intentions.  

 

Liliana, however, arched her brows innocently, as if she had nothing to hide.  

 

Though his doubtful expression deepened, there was little he could do. She was adamant about her stance.  

 

Theodoro, visibly exasperated, ran a hand over his face and sighed.  

 

“I’m begging you, just lie low for once.”  

 

Instead of answering, Liliana offered a demure smile. She couldn’t respond to his sincere plea. It wasn’t in her nature to spout empty promises she had no intention of keeping.  

 

After all, there was no way she’d stay quiet like a dead mouse. Liliana had no intention of simply watching their conflict unfold from the sidelines.  

 

‘For now, Theodoro, just believe what I’m telling you.’  

 

Chaos was bound to erupt soon. A spark ignited by her would grow into a raging fire…  

 

‘Just think of it as a territorial fight between two factions over West Peal.’  

 

By the time he tried to intervene, everything would already be in motion, far beyond his control.