How Lilies turn Black Chapter 47 - The Blood Bath (4)  

“What do you mean, ‘how far can you go’? What could possibly require such resolve just to step into this hidden space?”  

 

And why, in the middle of saying that, is he suddenly loosening his tie and even undoing his shirt buttons?  

 

The moment his question and his actions overlapped, it struck Liliana like lightning.  

 

‘W-Wait… is he telling me to take it off…?’  

 

Her racing heart plummeted to the floor with a thud.  

 

What would happen if she refused to undress here?  

 

After killing a man, would he mock her for clinging to some worthless, pretentious sense of dignity—unable to even strip when ordered? 

 

Would Theodoro then forbid her from ever setting foot in the organization again? Would she just be cast aside by him like that?  

 

Even after meeting Wayne and barely steadying her resolve, the world was shoving her back into the abyss.  

 

As if it wanted her to fall deeper, then deeper still.  

 

Liliana closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lip hard. As she steadied her breathing, a sliver of rationality returned.  

 

‘It’s fine, it’s fine… Nothing will happen.’  

 

Theodoro’s question didn’t feel like it was just seeking an answer—it felt like a test.  

 

A test to see how much she could lower her guard, how far she could surrender herself.  

 

And if this really was a test, it would end once he saw her resolve.  

 

There was no way Theodoro would actually try to take her. He had never looked at her with desire before. He had never once reached for her with that kind of intent.  

 

If anything, he treated her like a nuisance—an insignificant brat. She knew he had never once recognized ‘Liliana Moretti’ as a woman.  

 

Hesitantly, Liliana began to raise her right hand. Over and over, she repeated to herself, Yes, it’s just a test.  

 

His undoing his shirt was just to intimidate me.  

 

After going as far as betraying Luciano’s expectations for my sake… There’s no way he’d want to do that with me.  

 

Venting anger through lust is something only someone like Antonio would do. I’ve never even heard of Theodoro being that kind of man.

 

The dress neckline and lingerie strap caught on her fingertips. No matter how much she tried to calm herself, her shoulders and arms trembled with fine spasms.  

 

Liliana made one last attempt at hope and asked Theodoro, “…How far do I have to go?”  

 

“That’s for you to figure out. Why are you asking me?”  

 

Ah. So he meant she should just go as far as she could. Her face turned ashen with devastation.  

 

Tears welled up in her eyes, and Liliana squeezed her eyelids shut, swallowing the rising bitterness.  

 

Then, after taking a deep breath…  

 

She pulled down the clothing caught on her fingers. She had no other choice.  

 

“…Hngh…!”  

 

Her pristine white breasts, kept hidden until now, sprang free from her dress with a bounce.  

 

Her face twisted in distress. The sensation of her flesh swaying sent an unbearable wave of humiliation crashing through her entire body.  

 

Though she had never carelessly exposed herself to anyone before, now her bare left breast hardened under the cool air, the pink tip standing pertly.  

 

Should she go further? Was this still not enough?  

 

Just as Liliana bit her lower lip and moved her hand toward the opposite shoulder—  

 

Thud…!

 

A sudden, dull noise made her jerk her head up.  

 

In the corner of the living room stood Theodoro, who had frozen mid-step toward the sofa, a thick book lying at his feet.  

 

He stood stiffly, staring at Liliana— No, more precisely, at her flawlessly pale, rounded breast… and the small, rosy peak standing boldly atop it.  

 

“L-Liliana Moretti.”  

 

Stammering uncharacteristically, he suddenly snapped back to his senses and sharply turned his head away. 

 

Then, as if desperate, he clamped a hand over his mouth.  

 

Liliana could only stare in bewilderment.  

 

“Why—why are you…?”  

 

“Damn it, you insane woman.”  

 

“…What?”  

 

“You—! What the hell are you suddenly—!”  

 

At Theodoro’s furious shout, Liliana jolted upright on the sofa. She couldn’t possibly miss that something had gone terribly wrong.

 

She pushed aside the thought of where exactly things had gone wrong and frantically straightened her clothes. 

 

Belatedly, her face burned as if it were on fire.  

 

Fortunately, she wasn’t the only one who wanted to escape this situation…  

 

Theodoro, having abandoned his usual arrogance, kept roughly wiping his face with his hands.  

 

“…Damn it.”  

 

Whether it was because he was more embarrassed or because he had dragged his hands over his face several times, Theodoro’s flushed face strained to avoid looking at her.  

 

“You dressed?”  

 

“Y-yes…”  

 

“Honestly… You just had to cause trouble the moment I looked away, Liliana Moretti.”  

 

“N-no, I didn’t—”  

 

Liliana felt like she could burst into tears at any moment. It wasn’t as if she had intended to expose herself.  

 

“I-it wasn’t like that… You suddenly asked how far I could go… And then you undid your tie…”  

 

As her voice faltered, and she choked back tears, even Theodoro looked uncharacteristically flustered. 

 

Perhaps the shock from earlier hadn’t worn off yet.  

 

“Fine… Fine, just shut up.”  

 

“Y-yes…”  

 

“…Goddammit.”  

 

He raked his hands through his hair violently. The neatly styled locks, once slick with wax, quickly became disheveled.  

 

Not that it mattered—he ran his hands through it a few more times, roughly, before stomping over like an angry man, leaving the fallen items where they were.  

 

“…Ack!”  

 

As Theodoro plopped down on the sofa across from her, Liliana stiffened, clutching her collar tightly as she sucked in a breath.  

 

His icy warning followed.  

 

“Don’t make me conscious of it. Stay still.”  

 

What else could she do? She could only nod vigorously and obey.  

 

Theodoro stared coldly at this frightened, fragile herbivore before leaning back with an irritated expression. 

 

Covering his eyes with his arm, he muttered under his breath.  

 

“What the hell were you thinking, undressing? I just loosened my tie and a couple of buttons because they were uncomfortable… And what I said earlier was about how far you’d be willing to go if the organization wanted you to do something.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Huh? What’s the problem?”

 

The harsh scolding made bitterness well up inside her.  

 

Did he expect her to just figure out what he meant after he rambled on however he pleased?  

 

Though she felt like snapping back and arguing, Liliana let it go.  

 

“…Yes, you don’t need to explain any further.”  

 

She didn’t want to bring up what had just happened again—she’d rather erase it from her mind forever.  

 

Thankfully, Theodoro stopped his reproach there, and the horribly awkward incident was clumsily brushed aside.  

 

“…But why did you call me here?”  

 

Afraid more words might follow, Liliana quickly broke the uncomfortable silence.  

 

Only then did Theodoro seem to remember the purpose he had momentarily forgotten. Rubbing his face with a weary gesture, he slowly straightened up.  

 

“Ah, right… There was a reason I called you.”  

 

Given how things had turned out, it was clear he had no intention of making any sexual advances. 

 

So then, why had he summoned her here alone?  

 

For some reason, Theodoro let out a deep sigh first.  

 

“Haa…”  

 

Then, instead of explaining his purpose, he threw out another abrupt question, just like before.  

 

“Let’s start with this first. Do you know why I despise the entertainment establishments in West Peal so much?”  

 

Fortunately, this time his words weren’t open to interpretation… but it was still just as baffling. It also felt somewhat sudden.  

 

Suppressing her rising confusion, Liliana shook her head.  

 

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard about it.”  

 

“Of course you haven’t. I’ve never explained it to you before.”

 

“…”

 

The words ‘Then why did you even ask?’ rose to the tip of my tongue, but how could I possibly say them? 

 

Pierced by his sharp gaze, I had not the slightest desire to die.  

 

Moreover, Theodoro’s expression darkened in an instant, and I instinctively knew this wasn’t the time for backtalk. Her face grew serious as she cautiously studied his mood.  

 

In the heavy, suffocating silence…  

 

Theodoro began speaking about a subject she hadn’t anticipated at all.  

 

“My mother had been ill since I was young. I heard her health deteriorated rapidly after giving birth to me.”  

 

✨ 

 

“What about Mom?”  

 

“She said she’ll have breakfast in her room.”  

 

“Again today?”  

 

“…”  

 

Six-year-old Theodoro. The small child sitting at the wide dining table pouted as he stared at the one empty seat left.  

 

The place where his mother should have been sitting was empty again today.  

 

It had been empty yesterday, and the day before that…  

 

Would it still be empty tomorrow?  

 

Theodoro furrowed his thick eyebrows and abruptly jumped down from his chair.  

 

“Theodoro.”  

 

His father, Vittorio, called out in a stern voice, but the child’s feet were too quick. He dashed up the stairs like an arrow, rushing to the second-floor bedroom.  

 

His mother, dressed in pure white sleepwear, greeted him with the same warm, angelic smile as always.  

 

“Theo, what about breakfast? Have you eaten already?”  

 

“…No.”  

 

“You should eat first.”  

 

Theodoro pretended not to hear and scurried straight to the bed.  

 

As he ran toward her, his mother moved the tray aside and gathered him into her arms. The soft scent of her skin and her gentle warmth enveloped him.  

 

It felt so fragile, as if it might disappear at any moment, that a single tear he had been holding back finally escaped.  

 

Burying his face in her embrace, Theodoro mumbled,  

 

“Tomorrow… let’s eat together.”