How Lilies turn Black Chapter 35 - The Rabble of West Peal (9)

In the underground passage, where not a single ray of sunlight reached, a few flickering lights barely illuminated the space.  

 

The place Sean had mentioned was a tunnel running through the back alleys of West Peal, once used for smuggling goods.  

 

‘He told me to wait here…’  

 

Liliana glanced at the firmly shut blue iron door. She was supposed to meet Silvano in front of this door, but even after a long wait, there was no sign of him, not even his shadow.  

 

‘Why isn’t he coming?’  

 

Just as she was nervously scanning the empty passage,  

 

Clank!

  

The sudden opening of the iron door sent a shiver down her spine. Liliana placed a hand over her pounding chest and slowly turned around.  

 

Sunlight poured through the crack in the door, and in the center of the light stood a dark silhouette. She squinted against the glare and looked up at the figure.  

 

“Silvano…?”  

 

Before she could confirm his identity, the figure rushed toward her and grabbed her arm.  

 

“Huh!”  

 

“Hurry!”  

 

Before she could freeze in place, Silvano’s voice rang in her ears. Her relief was short-lived. Had he ever been this frantic before?  

 

“W-what’s going on?!”  

 

She hesitated, but his grip was too strong to resist.  

 

“Just come out first.”  

 

Dragged by his forceful pull, Liliana found herself running down the bright street in a daze. She could barely keep her eyes open, and her arm ached from his grip. She shouted angrily.  

 

“Why are you doing this?! What’s happening?!”  

 

Even as he ran, Silvano didn’t lose his playful tone.  

 

“Things are finally getting interesting, and I don’t want to die just yet, okay?”  

 

“What are you talking about?!”  

 

“You’ll see when we get there. I just found out on my way here.”  

 

“Silvano…!”  

 

Despite her sharp cries, Silvano just grinned and kept running.  

 

By the time they reached the Laura Club, Liliana was gasping for air, glaring at Silvano. He, however, simply smiled oddly and patted her shoulder.  

 

“I trust you. You said you had a plan, right?”  

 

“Huff, huff… What plan? Why are you being so… cryptic?”  

 

“Good luck sorting this out.”  

 

With that cryptic remark, he pushed open the door to the Laura Club.  

 

When the scene inside unfolded before her eyes,  

 

‘Ah…!’  

 

Liliana finally understood why Silvano had been so uncharacteristically frantic and why he had jokingly said he didn’t want to die yet.  

 

Familiar faces filled the room—people she had seen at the De Lucia bar, where she worked.  

Which meant,  

 

‘Theodoro is already here…’  

 

Before she could even begin to sort things out. The biggest obstacle she had to overcome was waiting for her much sooner than expected.  

 

The only silver lining was that she had warned the Goths in advance.

 

Just in case, she had told them. Due to the complicated dynamics within the organization, Theodoro might initially take an aggressive stance toward them. But in reality, there was no issue, so they shouldn’t worry about it.  

 

‘At least that’s one less thing to worry about…’  

 

But she couldn’t stop the tension from building.  

 

If Theodoro had already met Sean O’Connor and had a serious conversation, it would be the end.  

 

“Where are Antonio and Sean?”  

 

“Third-floor reception room. I’ll lead the way.”  

 

Silvano quickly answered and started up the stairs, with Liliana following calmly behind. But while her steps were steady, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.  

 

What if Theodoro had already met Sean? There was no actual negotiation between them.  

 

Would I even get a chance to explain? I should’ve come sooner. But would it have made a difference?  

 

Lost in her thoughts, Liliana didn’t notice Silvano stopping halfway up the stairs.  

 

“…Ugh!”  

 

She crashed into his broad back, letting out a groan as she stumbled.  

 

Wobble—

 

Just as she was about to lose her balance and fall backward,  

 

“Liliana…!”  

 

Silvano grabbed her waist and shouted.  

 

‘Liliana? He called me Liliana?’  

 

More shocking than almost tumbling down the stairs was the fact that he had called her by her full name.  

 

No matter how she protested, he always called her ‘boss’ or ‘Lili.’  

 

Wasn’t he the one who always used those strange nicknames?  

 

Liliana looked up at him in disbelief, but Silvano was staring past her, his face filled with a panic she had never seen before.  

 

“Silvano…?”  

 

His gaze was fixed on the railing of the second-floor staircase.  

 

Liliana slowly straightened up and followed his line of sight.  

 

“…!”  

 

“…!”  

 

Two pairs of eyes met, both widening in shock.  

 

“Th-Theodoro, sir.”

 

There stood Theodoro, who had just been about to ascend to the third floor.  

 

From the moment he spotted Liliana, he hadn’t moved a single step, his gaze fixed solely on her. His eyes, usually filled with weariness, didn’t seem so today.  

 

They were unnervingly sharp and focused, as if demanding an explanation.  

 

Tell me with your own words. Why is Liliana Moretti here?  

 

Liliana took a deep breath. Then, she quietly pulled away from Silvano’s arm, which had been supporting her.  

 

“Liliana.”  

 

Silvano tried to grab her again, but Liliana gently brushed his hand away.  

 

Honestly, if she said she wasn’t scared, it would be a lie. She was so terrified that falling down the stairs might have been preferable.  

 

But in a way, this was an opportunity sent by the heavens.  

 

‘He hasn’t… met Sean yet. It seems like he’s only been looking around the second floor so far.’  

 

Which meant she had the chance to explain the situation to Theodoro before he confronted Sean.  

 

With that in mind, Liliana took one step after another toward him. She could do this. If she stayed calm and spoke as she had planned, it would work.  

 

She repeated this to herself over and over.  

 

Finally, she reached the top of the stairs and stood before him.  

 

Theodoro hadn’t moved an inch, as if he had been waiting for her to come to him.  

 

“Theodoro, sir, I—”  

 

Before she could finish, Theodoro’s hand shot out and gripped her throat.  

 

“…Ugh!”  

 

He pushed her slender frame against the railing, his voice cold and menacing.  

 

“Explain, Liliana Moretti.”  

 

“Hic, hic!”  

 

“What have you been scheming behind my back to let things get this far?”  

 

She couldn’t focus on his words. Tears welled up as his grip threatened to crush her windpipe, and not even a wisp of air could pass through her constricted throat.  

 

“Hey, you!”  

 

Silvano’s voice faintly echoed from afar.  

 

The sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs followed, but Theodoro didn’t even glance his way, issuing a warning instead.  

 

“I won’t say it twice. Stay out of this.”  

 

His voice was as cold as a winter wind, cutting through the air. Liliana had never heard Theodoro sound so furious before.  

 

The footsteps stopped abruptly.  

 

The only small mercy was that the grip around her throat loosened slightly.  

 

Thanks to Silvano, who had been willing to risk his own safety to intervene.  

 

Liliana gasped for air through the narrow opening in her throat. She couldn’t afford to delay any longer. If she stayed silent, she’d either be thrown down the stairs or strangled to death—either way, a gruesome end awaited her.  

 

“…This place… will soon be yours, Theodoro.”  

 

The first words were out.  

 

Just yesterday, she had thought about what to say and in what order, but now her mind was completely blank.  

 

Liliana simply let her lips move on their own.  

 

“The Goths, who are… effectively managing this place… will regularly pay tribute from now on…”  

 

“…”  

 

“You, Theodoro… will gain a newly reborn business… and a strong ally in the Akin gang…”  

 

Theodoro, who had been silently listening to her fragmented words, closed the distance between them. His hot breath brushed against her, and his pitch-black eyes filled her vision.  

 

“Liliana Moretti.”  

 

His voice was anything but affectionate.  

 

“Did I tell you to do this?”  

 

“No… you didn’t.”  

 

“You knew that, yet you sold me out and let things get this far?”  

 

Liliana couldn’t meet his gaze any longer and lowered her eyes.  

 

Even so, she could feel his relentless stare, causing her thin eyelids to tremble slightly.  

 

“The… choice is yours, Theodoro. If you don’t want any of this… you can just turn away… Call it my independent action, using your name… and ignore the Goths.”  

 

“…”  

 

“If not… you can use this opportunity to… properly align with them… and transform this place into something entirely new…”  

 

Yes, the choice is now yours.  

 

But you can’t recklessly turn your back on the Goths.  

 

‘This incident… will be a turning point. A moment that decides whether the organization aligns with the three factions or becomes their enemy…’