How Lilies turn Black – Chapter 28 – The Rabble of West Peal (2)

Author: Nikss

“So, boss. What’s our next move?”

A lively voice cut through the bustling music from the radio.

Unsurprisingly, it was Silvano’s. In stark contrast, Liliana responded in a flat, subdued tone.

“Don’t call me boss. And keep your eyes on the road while driving.”

Ignoring her latter remark, his piercing gaze remained fixed on her, burning into her cheek.

“You’re the one who brought me back, so you’re the boss. What should I call you, then? Lily?”

“Who said you could chop my name in half like that?”

“We’re not exactly on ordinary terms, Lily. You can call me Sila.”

“I told you I don’t like Sila or Lily.”

“You’re so harsh. I’m driving for you, living in that dump of a place without complaint. Don’t you think you’re being a bit too stingy with me?”

“…”

Well, he had a point. When Liliana first offered Silvano a place to stay, she suggested the East Pearl apartment where he used to live.

He countered by proposing she let him stay in one of the rooms in her mansion-like home…

But there was no way Liliana would agree to live under the same roof as such a dangerous man.

In the end, Silvano became the new tenant of the crumbling apartment.

Feeling guilty for offering him such a shabby place, Liliana turned her head slightly, her face flushing with embarrassment.

Silvano, as if he’d been waiting for her to look back, narrowed his eyes with a sly smile.

“Hmm?”

“…!”

His teasing gaze made her cheeks burn. Liliana quickly turned her head away and cleared her throat.

“I-I told you to keep your eyes on the road while driving.”

“I’m driving just fine.”

She decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. Avoiding another round of trivial bickering, she finally brought up the important topic.

“Enough backtalk. Listen. Out of all the things we’ll be doing moving forward, our first target will be Antonio Benedetti.”

“Antonio? Wow, starting strong, huh? Is that even possible?”

“That depends on how well you perform. You’re the one who’ll kick off the opening act of this fight.”

“Me? Am I supposed to be some kind of bait?”

“That’s not what I meant. I can’t waste a high-caliber talent like you like that.”

Silvano chuckled, clearly pleased with her words. Ignoring his laughter, Liliana continued.

“On November 22nd, at dawn, you’ll assassinate four of Antonio’s lieutenants. I think it’s a pretty solid start.”

“Hmm…”

A slow, sticky smile spread across his face as he let out a snort.

“Not just pretty solid—very solid.”

Liliana stifled a laugh at his response.

Of course. Silvano Giacone wouldn’t care much about whom he had to assassinate. After his tedious exile, he’d probably just be thrilled at the prospect of diving back into dangerous days.

As if to prove her assumption, Silvano was already chattering away about how he’d kill them, lost in a gleeful reverie.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he turned sharply to look at her.

“But if I’m the one to kick things off, what happens after? Do you have another loyal dog like me waiting in the wings?”

As if that were possible.

“No, of course not. Instead, we’ll join hands with those who share our goals. They might not be loyal dogs… but they’re a pack of mutts.”

For a moment, Silvano was silent. Even as he drove the car toward the destination Liliana had given him, he seemed to be processing her words.

Perhaps he’d finally realized the significance of their destination—the identity of the people they were about to meet.

“Huh?”

He opened his mouth and stared at her blankly.

“Eyes on the road.”

Despite the cold warning he’d heard multiple times, he didn’t snap back as he usually did.

Instead, he seemed more bewildered by the unexpectedly large scale of the plan.

“Wait a minute… Am I right? You’re really going all out, huh?”

Of course. Silvano alone wouldn’t be enough to bring down Antonio’s entire operation and his men. And it would take more than just a minor effort to get Theodoro to act.

“Once we arrive, don’t say anything unnecessary. Just watch my back.”

“Sure thing.”

His light, carefree tone carried no trace of trust. Still, it was better than going in alone with no one to back her up.

The car carrying the two of them had already entered the western part of Demercy.

Soon, they would face ‘them’.

The rabble of West Peal, prowling the shadows, sharpening their fangs, still ready to bite.

✨

Woof! Woof! Woof, woof!

The moment they entered the gate, the sound of barking dogs hammered against their heads.

The dogs, as massive as their barks were loud, looked ready to snap their chains and pounce at any moment.

Just look at those teeth. The large, jagged teeth dripping with saliva looked more than capable of chewing through Liliana’s bones.

“Whoa, whoa.”

Silvano stepped in front of her, trying to act casual, but…

Woof!

The dogs only grew more frenzied, as if provoked by his attempts to calm them.

“Ugh, are these rabid or what?”

He grimaced and took a step back. Just then, the rusted iron gate creaked open, revealing a burly figure.

“Did these mutts all pop some pills or something?”

His rough, almost aggressive tone was directed at the excited animals.

The barking finally subsided, and Liliana blinked her wide eyes, cautiously observing him.

“Uh…”

Did he even hear her faint voice?

The man, who had been about to shout something, froze when he spotted the two uninvited guests standing awkwardly. They were the ones who had riled up the dogs.

“Who the hell are you?”

The man’s face twisted into a scowl.

Beside Silvano, who muttered under his breath about how neither the dogs nor the man seemed welcoming, Liliana quickly interrupted his grumbling.

“W-we came to talk.”

“…About what?”

“We have a business proposal.”

The man’s displeased expression didn’t budge.

As Liliana rolled her tongue in her mouth, trying to figure out what else to say to the man scratching his ear, he suddenly bellowed toward the open gate.

“Sean!”

Soon, emerging from the gate was none other than ‘Sean O’Connor’—the man she’d only heard about.

A sturdy man with fiery red hair that seemed to set the entire scene ablaze stepped forward.

“Who’s here?”

His voice, as cool and grim as the blazing afternoon sun, cut through the air.

“Says they want to talk business.”

“So, who is it? What kind of fool wants to do business with us in West Peal?”

Who else could it be?

It was Liliana Moretti, her face tense, swallowing hard as she stood there.

✨

Liliana followed Sean into a shabby office. She tried to step carefully, but the old wooden floorboards creaked with every move.

The dull brown walls were adorned with the mounted head of a decapitated deer.

A few heavy hunting rifles also decorated the space, adding to the rugged atmosphere.

The wild, untamed energy she had felt from the dogs at the entrance seemed to breathe life into this room.

Yet, there was a hint of human warmth here too.

On a bookshelf doubling as a display, a few frames held old photographs—a stark contrast to the threatening weapons and taxidermies animals.

It was oddly nostalgic as if someone was trying to sell memories. Liliana narrowed her eyes slightly as she scanned the photos.

‘Hmm…’

Was this a family photo of Sean? A young boy, holding the hand of an even smaller girl, smiled happily alongside a young couple.

Their smiles were innocent, untouched by the world’s harshness as if life were nothing but their backyard.

Suddenly, memories of her childhood with Angelo surfaced, and she found herself staring at the photo. Strangely, she couldn’t shake a sense of déjà vu.

‘What is it? It feels like I’ve seen this before…’

For some reason, a familiar face lingered in her mind. She was about to dig deeper into her memory when—

“What are you staring at so intently?”

“…!”

A soft whisper brushed against her ear, followed by a warm breath that tickled her skin. Liliana flinched and instinctively shrunk back.

Unsurprisingly, Silvano chuckled lowly, clearly amused by her reaction. He seemed to have taken a liking to teasing her.

But they didn’t have the luxury of bantering freely.

“Come sit down.”

Sean, who had just returned with coffee, gestured toward the sofa.

The photo she had been staring at vanished from her thoughts, and Liliana hesitantly took a seat.

In the awkward silence, Sean was the first to speak.

“You said you wanted to talk business.”