How Lilies turn Black – Chapter 79 – Legal Illegality (20)

Author: Nikss

Approximately 30 minutes before the explosion.

“…Given the circumstances, it’s confirmed that Jimmy McKenna infiltrated disguised as a waiter. When shown his photo, many recognized him and testified to seeing him in waiter attire. The problem is, there were so many waiters, and everyone was moving around so busily… No one remembers where Jimmy was or what he did.”

This was the news that Paul, who had rushed over in a panic, delivered.

Theodoro, who had been listening silently, rubbed his face, showing signs of fatigue.

“So, no one remembers what he did…”

“If he sneaked in as a waiter… could he have used poison?”

At Liliana’s cautious question, he shook his head.

“That possibility is low. The food was already all served, and if he had used poison, there would have been a reaction by now. If it were a lethal poison, at least someone would have collapsed by now.”

True… Moreover, thinking about it, using poison didn’t seem like a wise method in this situation.

Jimmy’s primary target would undoubtedly be Theodoro.

But there was no way to know what food Theodoro would eat or what drink he would have.

Trying to poison all the food and beverages in preparation for that was nearly impossible.

‘Poisoning Theodoro is certainly a reckless idea.’

Then, what was it that he did, going so far as to disguise himself as a waiter…

While Liliana was lost in thought with a troubled expression, Theodoro returned to his conversation with Paul and spoke.

“Were there any unexpected issues during the party preparations? Anything that needed fixing, any problems that came up at all?”

“We did check, but they were mostly minor things…”

“Such as?”

“For example, one light in the second-floor women’s restroom was out and had to be replaced… or a tablecloth on a first-floor table was soiled from spilled food, requiring a new one to be purchased… that level of issue.”

Meanwhile, Liliana’s thoughts drifted further and further, eventually circling back to the image of Jimmy shouting in the garden.

‘What did he say again? His initial words… Ah.’

Yes, she remembered. Jimmy McKenna had shouted at the top of his lungs:

“Burn in hell, you sons of bitches!”

Perhaps that was a forewarning of the future to come. She thought it might be reading too much into it, yet she felt uneasy about dismissing it lightly.

“You know…”

All eyes turned to Liliana as her voice suddenly cut in.

“Is it possible a bomb was planted? It made me think of his earlier words about burning to death. Well… they could also start a fire.”

And she immediately regretted speaking up.

Paul stared back at her, baffled, uttering a questioning “Huh…?” while Theodoro clicked his tongue, looking at her with an expression that was beyond disbelief, tinged with pity.

“So you can interpret it that extremely. Truly remarkable imagination.”

“…”

I should have just scolded him for talking nonsense instead. My entire face burned with humiliation from this new method of making a person feel degraded.

“Oh, no… but still… There is a possibility, isn’t there?”

“Possibility, what possi—”

“Couldn’t it… be possible?”

Paul, glancing at Theodoro’s expression, cautiously interjected.

“If someone was truly determined… well, there’s nothing more powerful than a bomb, right? However, at least one person would certainly have noticed something suspicious during the installation process… The strange part is that apparently no one did.”

“…That’s true.”

Liliana weakly nodded her head in agreement.

If they had planned a bomb attack, they would have prepared enough to completely destroy at least the first floor where the party hall was located, if not the entire mansion.

But even if they only targeted the first floor, they would have had to plant bombs throughout that vast hall, which is as big as a soccer field…

‘There’s no way no one saw anything, with nearly a hundred staff working. Unless all of them were in on it.’

The discussion had thus returned to square one, and the room fell into a heavy silence.

It was around that time that someone came running up, breathlessly calling Paul’s name.

“Mr. Galliano!”

It was Tommy, a crew member Liliana had exchanged greetings with a few times, who was running over with a waiter in tow. When he noticed Theodoro, he momentarily looked surprised, but then let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah, thank goodness. Mr. Theodoro, you’re here too. I have something to report.”

“…What is it?”

Tommy pushed the waiter’s back toward Theodoro, who was pressing his temples as if he had a headache.

“This man says he definitely saw Jimmy McKenna. Over by the tables… No, you tell him yourself.”

“Uh… Me?”

The man looked back and forth between Theodoro and Tommy with a bewildered face, but soon stiffened his back in sheer terror.

Theodoro likely meant nothing by it, but he gestured with his chin like a predator at the very top of the food chain.

Under the silent pressure to speak, the waiter barely managed to squeeze out his words.

“I-it’s… definite. I spilled food because of that guy, Jimmy or whatever his name was. And… his face… I remember it clearly.”

Spilled food?

At those words, a snippet of conversation Liliana had overheard earlier crossed her mind.

That’s right. Paul had mentioned there was a minor issue about food being spilled on a tablecloth.

‘So, it was because of this man?’

Perhaps Paul, who had relayed the story, was thinking the same thing…

As Paul snorted and slowly nodded, the waiter, as if feeling unnecessarily guilty, flinched and added.

“Ah…! I-it wasn’t my fault. Really. Of course, there was a shortage of serving carts… so because I was carrying it myself—”

“Just get to the point.”

The harsh voice that mercilessly cut him off made his face turn ashen.

The waiter glanced furtively at Theodoro, the owner of the voice, and then began speaking rapidly, like a machine gun.

“…Huh! Yes, yes. Anyway… I tripped over someone’s foot and fell, and it turned out to be the foot of that man who was under the table. When I asked him why he was there… he said there were defects all over the new buffet tables that had just been brought in… and that he’d received orders to replace all the screws that secure the table legs, or something. But the funny thing is, he suddenly got angry at me. He said I ruined his work because of it—”

“Liliana, come with me.”

Around that point, Theodoro didn’t even listen further and grabbed Liliana’s arm.

As he strode off towards the villa, the bewildered stares of those left behind followed them.

And Liliana, given no time to prepare, was dragged along and had to urgently cry out.

“Why… why are you doing this!”

“Be quiet and come with me.”

His voice in return was terribly low, as if it had sunk to the very bottom of a basement, and also secretive. She instinctively lowered her own voice to a whisper.

“What are you planning to do…! Instead of doing this right now, we need to check the table immediately…”

Liliana started to speak, but then closed her mouth for a moment.

Surely Theodoro hadn’t failed to consider that.

“Ah, right now, are you perhaps going to see the buffet table…?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he released the hand that was holding Liliana, bent his left arm, and thrust it towards her.

It was impossible not to understand what he meant…

She looked up at Theodoro with a mixture of awkwardness and reluctance. But all that returned was an extremely dry gaze, and the elbow pointed towards her showed no sign of moving until she linked her arm with his.

“What are you thinking about now…”

He was not the type to offer his arm affectionately without some intention.

Of course not.

Liliana let out a small sigh and looped her right arm through his.

At that moment, one corner of Theodoro’s mouth twitched upward, and he whispered words into her ear that were unbelievable even when heard directly.

“Good.”

A shiver ran down her spine, making her hair stand on end. She stared at him with wide, startled eyes, but Theodoro simply began walking, leading her toward the hall as if it were nothing.

“Is he… insane?”

There was no way he could know the disrespectful thought that had crossed her mind.

In any case, Theodoro’s full attention was fixed on investigating the table. He tilted his head slightly toward Liliana and whispered.

“I need to check under the table. With this many people around, what would everyone think if I suddenly lifted the tablecloth and crawled underneath?”

With every word he spoke, his faint breath tickled her ear.

She knew there was no hint of seduction in his actions, that this was purely business…

Yet, a chilling sensation ran through her entire body, causing her pale eyelashes to tremble.

Clutching onto her composure, Liliana managed to reply.

“They would think it’s… strange. Because it’s not a normal thing to do.”

“Right. And for that nonsensical behavior to seem natural, we need the right situation.”

“W-well then… Should I pretend to fall over? Fake a stumble…”

At that answer, Theodoro glanced down at her and let out a light laugh.

“If you were to deliberately fall, I doubt there would be a show as awkward and ridiculous as that.”

His low voice carried a faint trace of laughter. His eyes narrowed slightly.

It was the first time she had encountered him smiling so purely, without any negative intention.

‘Ugh…’