How Lilies turn Black Chapter 53 - Blood Baptism (2)

‘Me… an initiation ceremony? Since it can’t be official, they’re doing it this way instead…? And Theodoro himself is leading it?’

 

But before she could collect her thoughts, Theodoro motioned to her with a slight tilt of his chin.

 

“Liliana Moretti. Come forward.”

 

“…!”

 

She had no idea how things had come to this.

 

Though thoroughly bewildered, she couldn’t refuse his summons. Her hesitant footsteps matched the heavy thud of her heart—thump, thump.

 

Theodoro arrogantly raised his chin toward her as she stood before him.

 

“What, do I need to stand up for you?”

 

Flustered, Liliana glanced around before realizing he was telling her to kneel on the ground.

 

Belatedly bending her knee, she looked up at him… 

 

Only then did Theodoro’s lips stretch into a thin, venomous smile. He leaned back lazily, like a lion basking in satisfaction after a full meal.

 

As a calm yet chilling air wrapped around Liliana, his low voice reached her.

 

“We also call the initiation a baptism. Liliana Moretti, have you ever been baptized?”

 

“A… long time ago. I don’t remember it.”

 

“Don’t bother remembering. Leave the family who baptized you in the past. From now on, Benedetti is your family.”

 

Now she understood why the initiation was called a baptism.

 

The first baptism, received before blood-bound family. And now, another baptism before the members of the organization.

 

It signified that the mafia family was taking over the role of her original family, becoming her new kin.

 

An indescribably strange feeling settled over her.

 

The very group she had once despised would now become the ‘family’ she’d willingly give her life for.

 

At that moment, as if reading her mind, Theodoro spoke.

 

“If you don’t want this, say so now. Just as we’ve lived as strangers until now, we can continue to do so.”

 

Liliana’s eyes twitched slightly.

Did she really think she could go back to living as if she had never known him if she left now?

If that were truly possible, she would have walked away long ago. Nothing would have pleased her more than living in peace without the burden of revenge.

 

But as long as the memory of that wretched death remained… it was impossible to pretend nothing had happened—to live as if she had never known a man named Theodoro.

 

“…No. I want this.”

The answer, already decided, stubbornly forced its way past her lips.

 

For a fleeting moment, the corner of his mouth seemed to twist slightly.

‘Huh…?’

Unable to believe her eyes, she studied Theodoro again… But his face was already completely expressionless.

‘Did I imagine it…?’

 

This wasn’t the time to stare blankly at his face, however.

Her intention to join had been firmly declared, and there was no chance for Liliana to reconsider.

 

Without hesitation, Theodoro picked up a dagger and pointed it at her.

“…Ack!”

The blade stopped just short of her throat. Her already frightened eyes widened in shock.

For a moment, she thought it would pierce straight through her neck, but her delayed heartbeat pounded violently, as if proving she was still alive.

 

‘Wh-what…?’

The blade didn’t cut into her skin. Instead, it hovered perilously close, tilting her chin up.

 

“What… are you doing?”

“Had to make the initiation at least somewhat convincing.”

 

A dry swallow passed, and her Adam’s apple moved with difficulty.

The chilling fear that the blade might graze her made her shudder, but she instinctively knew this wasn’t the time to step back.

Theodoro lifted her stiffened chin with the tip of his blade, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Liliana Moretti.”

“…Yes.”

“Listen carefully to what I say next, and repeat it with your own mouth.”

Then, he uttered the first words of the oath.

“I…”

 

The mafia’s baptism began with a monotone voice.

Liliana looked up at Theodoro over the cold steel, her lips trembling as she parted them.

“I…”

“Will survive by the gun and blade before me.”

“Will survive… by the gun and blade before me…”

“Will meet death by the gun and blade before me.”

“Will meet death… by the gun and blade before me…”

“And will live out the rest of my days.”

“And will live out… the rest of my days…”

 

The short sentences came to an end, followed by a brief silence.

In the solemn, tension-filled air, Theodoro gazed down at her impassively.

“You pulled the trigger back then, so you’ll understand.”

 

You’ll understand because you pulled the trigger? Turning the words over in her mind, Liliana let out a short sigh.

Ah… Antonio.

 

Yes, Antonio. The young caporegime who had ruled West Peal under the proud name of 

 

Benedetti. He had met his end at the barrel of Liliana’s gun. His words meant that someday, she too would face the same death as Antonio.

She had chosen this path to avoid that very fate… But was it an unchangeable destiny, no matter how hard she tried?

 

Her green eyes trembled faintly, like a fragile blade of grass swaying in the wind. Theodoro glanced at them and let out a low scoff.

“Having regrets?”

 

Regrets?

 

As the mocking voice echoed clearly in her ears, her head grew cold.

‘Regrets… No, why would I have any?’

 

It wasn’t as if she had knelt before Theodoro, swearing to become a mafioso. The declaration was nothing more than their declaration.

So there was no reason to regret going through this initiation.

 

The life she would carve out for herself would undoubtedly be different from the one permitted in their world.

 

Lilia hardened her gaze and answered.

“No.”

 

Of course, the meaning hidden behind her firm reply was not what Theodoro had hoped for…

But there was no way he could know her true thoughts. Taken at face value, the word ‘No’ was undoubtedly a satisfactory answer.

 

“Good. It’s too soon for regrets.”

 

With a dry laugh like a gust of wind, he sheathed his knife. Unfortunately, the baptism wasn’t over yet.

 

The icy sting of metal faded, replaced abruptly by a spreading warmth—Theodoro’s hand, cupping her chin firmly.

The glint of a dagger flashed over Lilia’s widened pupils.

 

The blade slowly cut through the air, drawing closer to her, before finally coming to rest against the elegant curve of her lower lip.

“Hng—!”

 

A sharp sting made her eyelids flinch shut, but the pain went no further. When she opened her eyes again, the blade had already retreated.

 

What was the meaning of this act—piercing her lip? But before she could ponder it, her entire focus was drawn back to Theodoro.

He was silently staring at the bright red bead of blood welling at the corner of her lips.

 

‘Ah…’

 

His gaze on her lips remained as calm as ever. Yet her chest tightened without fail.

Theodoro said nothing, but his stare alone felt like a hand around her throat.

Lilia wished for that eternity-like moment to pass as quickly as possible. But when he slowly lifted his head and met her eyes—

—she realized she would have preferred his attention to stay fixed on her lips.

 

The inky darkness lurking in his black pupils engulfed her.

The world she saw was soon filled entirely by Theodoro’s presence, and within it, Lilia couldn’t even twitch.

 

“This blood…”

 

The voice that spoke again was like that of a god echoing from some unknown place.

Drawn by an irresistible force, Lilia numbly parted her lips.

 

“This blood…”

“…is proof that I have been reborn as one of the Benedetti Family.”

 

“That I have been reborn… as one of the Benedetti Family…”

“And I swear to stand with my family until my last breath.”

 

“Until… my last breath… I swear… to stand with my family…”

“It shall be an eternal testament.”

 

“An eternal… testament… it shall be.”

 

As the blood oath reached its conclusion, the surroundings sank into a deep silence.

Only then did Lilia begin to vaguely grasp the meaning of the blood she had shed. But she made no effort to dwell on it, to fully understand.

All that mattered was that she had now safely entered the Benedetti Family. The words she had spoken in her dazed, foggy state drifted away like mist.

 

The blurred world gradually sharpened.

Even then, the hand cradling her jaw remained. The two stood frozen, as if time had stopped.

 

Then, when a droplet of blood trailed from the corner of her lips in a thin crimson line—The stillness shattered, and as if pulled by the flow of time, Theodoro’s fingers moved.

 

“Hngh…!”

 

His fingertip traced the delicate streak of blood, brushing over her pale skin.

At the sudden touch, Lilia instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.