How Lilies turn Black Chapter 44 - The Blood Bath (1)  

 

A soft chuckle echoed, and the chair that had been turned away from Liliana slowly spun around.  

 

‘Who is it…? I can’t see.’  

 

The other person would have a clear view of her face, while Liliana couldn’t make out the features of the figure shrouded in shadow.  

 

Her unease deepened…  

 

Just as she narrowed her eyes, trying to scrutinize the silhouette in the darkness—  

 

“Let’s skip the unnecessary greetings.”  

 

The man stood up. And there it was—streaks of salt-and-pepper hair. Beneath his kind-looking eyes gleamed a sharp, piercing gaze.  

 

“I go by Vincent. The family’s advisor.”  

 

The oldest man in the organization, a senior who had held the position of *consigliere* since the second generation. Vincent Del Piero.  

 

Liliana stiffened, her lips parting slightly.  

 

‘No way. Me… He came looking for me like this, out of nowhere?’’  

 

She had been eagerly waiting to face him, but she never expected a meeting like this. She couldn’t have imagined he’d barge into her home on the very day everything unfolded.  

 

“How… did you find this place?”  

 

“That’s what you’re curious about? I’d think you’d want to know why I came all this way to wait for you.”  

 

With each step Vincent took forward, Liliana faltered backward, step by step.  

 

“Th-that… would’ve been my next question.”  

 

He let out a dry laugh, as if amused. His strides grew wider, closing the distance between them.  

 

“Ever since I first heard about you, I’ve had this thought—you’re quite the reckless one.”  

 

‘Dangerous.’ His tone carried no warmth, only an unpredictable threat.  

 

“There’s nothing you won’t say, nothing you won’t do.”  

 

Before she knew it, Vincent was right in front of her, lips curling into a smirk.

 

By no interpretation was it a friendly expression. Every muscle in her body tensed, bracing.  

 

Perhaps her visibly cowed demeanor drained his amusement. Or maybe he felt a flicker of pity.  

Vincent feigned a frown and clicked his tongue.  

 

“…Where’s all that bravado now?”

 

At the same time, his arm rose into the air. Thinking he might strike her, she reflexively squeezed her eyes shut, but…  

 

“Hey now, miss. I’m not quite the ruffian you take me for.”  

 

At the voice that came with a sigh, almost like a reproach, she cautiously opened her eyes.  

 

A slap to the cheek? 

 

Hardly. Vincent was instead gesturing politely toward the living room with an outstretched arm.  

 

For a moment, fear had gripped her, and now embarrassment flushed her cheeks. Whether he found her amusing or not, Vincent curled his lips into a faint smirk and tilted his head slightly.  

 

“Now then, let’s show some hospitality. The master of the house has finally arrived.”  

 

✨

 

Even though it was her own home, Lilia felt like a guest as she sat on the sofa.  

 

The drinks she had set out remained untouched by either of them. She was too uncomfortable in this prickly situation, but Vincent hadn’t come by just to sip on a beverage either.  

 

After sitting across from her on the sofa, he had done nothing but scrutinize her from head to toe.  

 

‘Why is he staring at me like that…?’

 

As if reading her discomfort, Vincent, who had been silently observing her, suddenly spoke up.  

 

“Theo mentioned it during the meeting. Said he’s decided to boldly join hands with Goth for the future.”  

 

No preamble—just straight to the point.  

 

“…What?”  

 

“It was surprising, true, but not entirely out of nowhere. Theo’s always been friendly with those gangsters. But something felt off.”  

 

She, too, was taken aback by his abrupt way of steering the conversation, but…  

 

With each word he spoke, her expression grew more rigid.  

 

‘Something felt off? About Theodoro making that decision?’

  

If it wasn’t entirely unexpected, then what was strange about it?  

 

As she fidgeted restlessly, Vincent leaned back against the sofa with an easygoing air.  

 

“Getting old does have its perks. Sharpens a man’s instincts, you see.”

 

“…”  

 

“Looks like Theo kept his mouth shut… After digging around all day, who would’ve thought? To think all this was the doing of some fragile little lady who’d break at the slightest touch.”  

 

“…!”  

 

Liliana had to suppress a gasp of shock.  

 

So he knew after all. Well, of course—he wouldn’t have come looking for her without already knowing.  

 

Even though she had expected it, having every last one of her crimes laid bare made her hair stand on end.  

 

“Honestly, I’m impressed. I already thought it was bold—no, fearless—of you to bring Silvano into this… But you’ve far exceeded my expectations.”  

 

There was no trace of mockery in his tone. Yet she couldn’t take it as pure praise either, her palms now slick with sweat.  

 

But what amplified her tension more than anything else…  

 

Was the fact that she couldn’t decipher Vincent’s intentions at all.  

 

“…What is it you want to talk to me about?”  

 

“Hmm, what do I want to talk about? Truthfully, I didn’t come here to do all the talking. The reason I brought this up was to ask about your intentions.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Go on, then. Tell me. What was your goal in making Goth and Theodoro work together?”  

 

A dry swallow stuck in her throat, “…Before that, there’s something I want to ask you.”  

 

“How amusing. I believe I was the one who asked the question.”  

 

Ignoring his sarcasm, Liliana stubbornly pressed on.  

 

“Whose side are you on, Vincent?”  

 

“Side?”  

 

Vincent’s elegant mustache twitched before he let out a scornful laugh.  

 

“Do I look like a child—or some senile old man picking sides for fun?”  

 

“Then let me rephrase. Between Luciano and Theodoro, who do you support?”  

 

“Haha… Mind your words. I’d prefer our conversation to remain perfectly civil and peaceful.”  

 

Though his tone remained as smooth as before, the look in his eyes had undeniably changed.  

 

If she dared say another word, his gaze alone might have crushed her—Liliana couldn’t muster the courage to open her mouth again.  

 

Vincent mercilessly averted his eyes from her and took a sip of water.  

 

“Since you’re curious, I’ll answer. No one can deny that Luciano leads the family now, and like any other member, I respect and support the current boss. That’s only natural.”  

 

“…”  

 

“‘Who do I support?’ That’s the wrong question to begin with.”

 

His words flowed smoothly, leaving no room for her to pick a fight. But inwardly, Liliana thought to herself that he was quite skilled at wrapping things up nicely.  

 

‘Respect and support Luciano…?’  

 

Of course, he must care for him like a son. But surely, he must also believe that Theodoro should rightfully inherit Benedetti’s position as boss.  

 

From what Liliana knew, Vincent was someone who understood Luciano and the organization’s issues more clearly than anyone else.  

 

That’s why, in his past life, he must have coaxed and persuaded Luciano to somehow cooperate with the three factions.  

 

The fact that the organization, which should have been on a path of decline, managed to remain stable until the 70s… was, in truth, no exaggeration to say thanks to Vincent.  

 

At any rate, judging by his actions, Vincent clearly knew what needed to be done for the organization’s future.  

 

And there was no way such a man wouldn’t see Theodoro in a favorable light.  

 

‘Unlike some, he wasn’t obsessively fixated on blood ties.’

 

The problem was that Theodoro had suppressed his own ambitions to avoid appearing as though he was rebelling against his brother in any way…  

 

‘But now that I’ve ignited that spark… let’s not think about that for now.’  

 

What mattered immediately was that Vincent had no intention of revealing his true thoughts to her.  

 

So, how should she phrase her words to turn this man, who had come to her of his own accord, into a valuable ally?  

 

She had no particular talent for manipulating others’ psychology…  

 

“That’s a shame. I believe Theodoro should be the one to take the boss’s seat.”  

 

Liliana chose to state her intentions plainly, without any embellishment.  

 

BANG!

 

As expected, Vincent was so startled that he shot up from his seat.  

 

“…Y-You…! The audacity…!”  

 

A voice filled with fury roared in her ears.  

 

At the same time, an overwhelming pressure, intense enough to drain the blood from a person, surged forth, constricting Liliana. Her body trembled uncontrollably.  

 

Yet, even as she shivered under his gaze, she forced herself to continue.  

 

“I-I… will do whatever it takes… to ensure Theodoro… t-takes that position.”

 

The killing intent stabbed deep into his body, and a barely squeezed-out voice crawled in.  

 

“They say Don Luciano resembles his father… the former boss, Vittorio. And not just in appearance… but in his hobbies, way of thinking, speech, values, tendencies… so many things.”  

 

Luciano Benedetti, who carried the very essence of the former boss.  

 

According to Wayne, that was why so many members of the organization saw Vittorio overlapping with Luciano and followed him.  

 

Even though Luciano had risen to the position of boss at a relatively young age, in his late twenties.  

 

“Ha… but just because Vittorio was regarded as a great boss doesn’t mean the current Luciano is naturally the same… right?”  

 

Times have changed from 20, 30 years ago.  

 

Even a decade can turn the world upside down—you can’t apply the glories of the distant past to this era.  

 

“Don Vincent… don’t you think the boss of this era should be someone who looks to the future, not the past?”  

 

“…”  

 

“It’s time… for the throne to change hands.”