How Lilies turn Black Chapter 90 - And, 1962 (2)

Liliana had no way of knowing what Silvano had seen, or what he might have even thought.

 

When class ended, and he came out, he showed no particular expression and, as usual, escorted her outside the building.

 

“How was class today? Was it fun?”

 

“Today? Well… they said I seem to have talent.”

 

“Let me sit in next time.”

 

“…No.”

 

“Why not? You said you seem talented. Let me see for once. It’s not like you two are doing something I shouldn’t see.”

 

“I said no. Later… I’ll show you when I get really good later on.”

 

Back then, Silvano just laughed amiably and said he understood.

 

That remark about doing something he shouldn’t see. It didn’t even sound particularly strange. She just thought it was a passing comment.

 

How could she have known there was a hidden meaning in it… 

 

And that it would become the start of that day’s incident.

 

“Miss Moretti, please get in.”

 

In any case, bickering as usual, the two of them soon reached the waiting car.

 

Liliana gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to the crew member who opened the rear door for her and got into the car. 

 

This kind of treatment wasn’t just for a day or two anymore. 

 

By now, she had grown quite accustomed to their respectful treatment.

 

This was just one of the things that had changed after three months of pretending to be lovers. Being treated like a VIP by Benedetti’s crew members.

 

How uncomfortable it was at first. 

 

Even in her entire previous life, she could decidedly say she never had an experience of being treated like this.

 

Of course, while someone had occasionally pulled out a chair for her or taken her coat… well, she had experienced such manners before, but she had never once been ‘escorted‘ like this.

 

But as a week passed, then a month, and then three months went by… gradually, even for Liliana, all of this began to feel natural. 

 

It was as if she were suddenly forced to return to the time when she had enjoyed nothing—she wouldn’t be able to adjust to that either.

 

While she was lost in thought, reminiscing about the past few months, the car passed through the most dazzling downtown area and turned into a side alley. 

 

It came to a complete stop in front of a navy blue awning bearing the words ‘Blue Moon’.

 

“We’ve arrived.”

 

At those words, Liliana snapped out of her thoughts and turned her head. 

 

Looking out the window, a familiar black silhouette, seen daily until it was ingrained in her eyes, was waiting there for her.

 

A fedora pulled low. The only thing visible was a mouth holding a single cigarette askew.

 

Although he had swapped his cashmere coat for a trench coat because the weather had turned significantly warmer, his insistence on wearing drab black remained unchanged.

 

As Silvano got out of the car first and opened the door, the man leaning against the pillar slowly lifted his head.

 

It was as if Silvano’s approach was beneath his notice. 

 

Theodoro fixed his gaze solely on the woman extending her leg out of the car and began to walk toward her.

 

“Hey, am I invisible?”

 

As Silvano grabbed Theodoro’s arm as he was brushing past, his gaze finally drifted toward Silvano. 

 

As always, his eyes were filled with a weariness that seemed to drain the energy of whoever he looked at.

 

“What?”

 

“Need to talk for a minute.”

 

“Later.”

 

“Damn it, Theodoro. Should I request an audience with Your Highness then?”

 

“…Sigh.”

 

Theodoro squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, as if swallowing his irritation. Then, he gave a perfunctory jerk of his chin… 

 

From the perspective of someone trying to offer ‘valuable information,’ it was enough to make one’s blood boil.

 

Muttering curses, Silvano roughly dragged him away.

 

“Huh? What is it?”

 

Liliana’s flustered voice followed them, but he only gave her a brightly smiling glance.

 

“Ah, Lily. Just a moment?”

 

It was just as he had pulled Theodoro to a spot where their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.

 

Though he had only dragged him a few steps, Theodoro’s face was already twisted into a miserable scowl. 

 

Unbothered, Silvano leaned in close and whispered, “Wipe that look off your face, you bastard. I’m trying to give you a friendly heads-up.”

 

“…What?”

 

“It’s about that tango teacher.”

 

Theodoro’s hand, which was bringing a cigarette to his lips, halted for a moment. 

 

Just seeing that was enough to get him excited, and Silvano’s lips twitched.

 

Of course. No matter how much he pretended otherwise, there was no way he wasn’t feeling wary. 

 

A grown man and woman pressing their bodies together and swaying their hips. 

 

How could anyone possibly be indifferent to that?

 

Silvano, suppressing the corner of his mouth which kept twitching, finished what he had to say.

 

“Well… I’m just telling you to pay special attention.”

 

In response, Theodoro let out a short, derisive laugh. 

 

Just as Silvano had expected, he wasn’t going to take the bait so easily.

 

“Do you really think I need to look into that woman’s relationships and personal life? Do I look like I have time to spare—”

 

“Do you think I’m saying this for no reason?”

 

“…”

 

“Would I bother if it wasn’t important?”

 

“Sigh… I know the two of you are close. So what?”

 

His voice dropped lower. 

 

A sinister air seeped from it.

 

Silvano, cradling the back of his head with his interlaced fingers, murmured casually.

 

“It didn’t seem like they were just close.”

 

“…What did they do?”

 

“Well, why don’t you use your imagination? What do you think a good-looking guy like that does under the guise of teaching her how to dance?”

 

Truthfully, they hadn’t done anything major. 

 

At most, it was a kiss on the forehead, which was nothing. But he knew full well that phrasing it this way would stir the imagination more effectively.

 

“…”

 

Theodoro didn’t answer, instead taking another drag or two from his cigarette. Then, he roughly flicked the ash from the cigarette held between his fingers.

 

Under that violent motion, the clump of ash flew off weakly and fell to the ground. 

 

Immediately after, he threw the remaining butt to the ground and slowly began to walk.

 

His destination was, of course, Liliana, who had been watching them with a puzzled expression.

 

“Have a good time~.”

 

As Silvano’s smooth, unflappable voice followed him, perhaps a sense of unease stirred within her. 

 

Liliana’s face instantly hardened.

 

She instinctively stepped back, but Theodoro, who had now reached her feet, cast a thick shadow over her.

“Lord Th… Theodoro?”

As if sensing his mood was strangely twisted, Lilia looked up at him, blinking like a frightened rabbit.

All that returned to her was a very short remark.

“Again.”

“Huh?”

“Again. What did you call me?”

“Ah… Theo.”

Only then did the corners of his lips curl up slightly.

He felt like he’d told her dozens of times already. To drop that damned honorific ‘Lord’ when she addressed him.

It seemed she was finally picking up on the cues. Her slender, trembling hand reached out and grasped Theodoro’s arm.

Yes, he’d said this dozens of times, too. 

 

By now, she should be getting used to it.

Theodoro, with his hands still in his pockets, began taking long strides, moving only his legs.

The Blue Moon nightclub, where they were supposed to meet with Lombardy. 

 

Even though it was still before opening time, dozens of people were already waiting in front of the entrance to this jazz club, the largest owned by Benedetti.

Theodoro familiarly led her and slipped his body through a small side door.

A dark corridor with almost no lighting. The faint sound of music could be heard, and security guards stood intermittently. 

 

They were just walking through that area.

“Earlier… may I ask what you were talking about?”

 

You’re certainly quick to pick up on a strange atmosphere. Did you think we were talking about you? Theodoro’s eyes, glancing sideways at her, narrowed slightly.

 

“Curious?”

 

“…If it’s difficult for you to say, you don’t have to—”

 

“What will be difficult isn’t me, but you.”

 

“Me? Why would I…?”

 

Theodoro looked down silently at Liliana, whose voice trailed off. 

 

Seeing her expression of complete incomprehension, a mocking light flickered in his pupils.

 

That damned tango instructor… Frankly, he hadn’t been pleased from the start.

 

But since he couldn’t clearly explain why, he couldn’t very well tell her not to go. 

 

What reason could he give to stop her?

 

He couldn’t just meddle in her private life and tell her what to do simply because he didn’t like it. He still couldn’t explain in clear words why Silvano’s words had upset him so much.

 

Was it simply his pride being wounded at the thought of the woman who had always stirred his primal instincts doing that with someone else? 

 

Or had he, at some point, started mixing something akin to genuine feeling into this foolish game? 

 

Perhaps it had been that way from even earlier.

 

Theodoro couldn’t settle on an answer, but whatever it was, he had no intention of leaving things as they were any longer.

 

Before they knew it, they had reached the end of the hallway, with only a single small door before them. 

 

Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.

 

As the dim space unfolded, the sound of instruments preparing for a performance seized her ears. 

 

Even within that chaotic dissonance, Theodoro’s voice pierced through clearly to Liliana.

 

“You said you were curious about Miss Moretti.”

 

“Huh?”

 

He pulled his hands from his pockets and grasped her slender arm. Her clear green eyes shook in disarray. 

 

A thought, that she must not hear this, no matter what it was. 

 

The thought that she must break free from his grasp was sharply imprinted on her mind. But she wasn’t given even a moment to refuse.

 

Theodoro walked forward without hesitation, leading her to the empty dance hall. 

 

A ‘dance hall’, despite the enormous number of tables scattered around.

 

“Theo, wait…!”

 

“…”

 

“Wait, let me go. What are you doing?”

 

When they reached the very center of the hall, Theodoro readily released her arm. Then, without a single word of explanation, he simply walked away towards the band.

 

Left abruptly alone, Liliana looked around with bewildered eyes.

 

‘What…? Why…’

 

He said he would explain, but then gave no explanation at all. 

 

What was the intention behind suddenly leaving her alone in the middle of the dance hall?

 

At that moment, the inside of the club fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.

 

“Huh…?”

 

And then, the instruments that had been emitting their own disparate sounds suddenly began to play what could be called ‘music‘.

 

She couldn’t possibly fail to recognize the melody that flowed out. 

 

It was the famous tango piece, Astor Piazzolla’s Adios Nonino.

 

His figure entered her vision, captured within her impossibly wide, dilated pupils.

 

Theodoro set his bowler hat down on the table and walked forward, casually sweeping back his jet-black hair.

 

He moved through the room, where everything was submerged in darkness, toward the woman who shone dazzlingly under the only source of light.

 

His eyes lightly scanned over the black tango dress she was wearing, having just come from her lesson.

 

“Your attire is just right.”

 

“What are you… trying to do—”

 

“You don’t know?”

 

Theodoro lazily lifted the corner of his mouth. 

 

With a laugh that was somewhere between a sneer and a smile, his firm arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her in.

 

“Let’s see how well you’ve learned.”