Chapter 46
One week earlier.
“This isn’t what I married that fat pig for!”
Lillith gritted her teeth in fury.
Gillian was a useless man — apart from his title and wealth, there was nothing good about him. He was much older than her, and far too crude to be called a noble.
How much longer was she supposed to endure this? She couldn’t take it anymore.
“I’ll go back. I’ll tell my master I can’t do this anymore. I’ve done everything I was supposed to.”
It wasn’t a marriage born from love anyway. It had been planned from the start.
When the sun began to set, Lillith slipped out of the mansion quietly and made her way down to the village.
The streets were lively — people chatting in groups outside taverns and restaurants. Most conversations revolved around one topic.
“Hey, how’s work been lately?”
“Not bad. I got a job mining near the estate. The Marquis family takes most of the profit, but the pay’s still decent.”
“I heard from the tavern lady — the marquis changed, didn’t he? The eldest daughter took over.”
Wherever she went, people were talking about Eileen.
They said she was young and female, so they’d worried at first, but even so, she was apparently doing better than the previous lord.
Lillith tuned them out and looked around like a madwoman, searching for a messenger.
“Hey, boy.”
“Me? Uh, yes, ma’am?”
“You’re a mail courier, right? I need to send a letter.”
“Well… I am, but…”
The courier gave her a suspicious look — her clothes were shabby, her hair messy, and she wasn’t wearing any makeup.
Could someone like her even afford postage?
“You’re looking at me like I’m a beggar.”
She reached into her dress, pulled out a letter — and a few silver coins.
“This should be enough.”
“Ah! Of course, ma’am!”
The courier immediately changed his attitude and accepted the payment.
“To whom shall I send this letter?”
“Keep it under my name at the post office. The person it’s meant for will come pick it up.”
“For identification, I’ll need the recipient’s name too — just in case there are duplicates.”
“Tch… fine. Write it to ‘Remo’— no, wait. Make it ‘Bella.’”
Eileen wasn’t stupid. If she got caught trying to flee now, Lillith would be a dead woman.
‘Bella’s name will be safer to use.’
The courier filled in the recipient’s name and nodded.
“All set. Anything else you’d like?”
“Yes. If the letter isn’t picked up within a month, burn it.”
“Understood.”
That should prevent any trouble. Lillith felt relieved.
But she was wrong.
The next day, she stepped out of the annex for some fresh air — and saw a man walking toward her.
“I was just getting some air. Surely that’s not forbidden too, is it?”
“Of course not.”
There was something familiar about him. Then she remembered.
“Scar…?”
Gillian’s butler — now Eileen’s.
“I happened to come across a certain letter.”
Scar pulled a folded sheet of paper from his coat.
It was the very letter she’d entrusted to the courier yesterday.
“Looks like you’ve grown tired of your husband?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You think I’ve got the money to send letters around?”
“Of course. Without the emergency funds the Duke’s household sends you regularly, you couldn’t even dream of it.”
“How much do you know?”
She panicked. Scar worked for Eileen now. If he knew the truth, Lillith was as good as dead — whether by Eileen’s hand or her master’s.
“You don’t want to die, do you?”
“Obviously not!”
“Then I’m guessing you want to escape safely.”
Scar’s next words were like bait she couldn’t refuse.
“If you run now, do you think your master will welcome you back with open arms?”
“…What would you know about that?”
“Desperate people recognize each other.”
Two snakes facing one another, their tongues flicking in the dark.
“I’ll make you a chance to escape. You’ll even get the credit for it.”
In other words: I’ll open the door for you. All you have to do is push it wide enough to make Eileen stumble.
A serpent in front of her, a blade behind her — that was her situation.
Lillith made her choice. She took one step forward.
***
“Madam.”
“Ah—!”
She spun around. A man cloaked and hooded so no one could recognize him approached her.
“It’s me. Calm down. We agreed to meet here.”
“How did you get out?”
“They gave me an opening.”
Lillith sniffed — he smelled of blood.
Dangerous man. And impossible to read.
She gave him a wary glare, then turned down a narrow alley.
“Follow me.”
“How far is it?”
“Not much farther. Don’t fall behind. The Duke’s messenger is already here.”
Scar stayed silent and followed her through the twisting alleys. Eventually, she stopped in front of an empty warehouse.
“This is the place.”
Lillith entered first. Scar followed close behind.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“Bella!”
“Long time no see, Lillith. Or should I call you Madam Marquis now?” she teased with a laugh.
Lillith rushed forward to grab her friend’s hands.
Bella — the former head maid of the Asser Duke’s household — was once a thief who’d vanished years ago.
The two had become fast friends after discovering they were kindred spirits. Even after Bella rose in status, they’d kept in touch through letters.
Lillith had once whispered to Bella about the Duke’s inner workings — telling her that even a small contribution could earn her a noble’s life, and that she should abandon the Asser household and pledge loyalty to her master instead.
One day, Bella received an anonymous letter urging her to steal a noblewoman’s necklace. She hadn’t known who sent it at the time — but now, she did.
It had been Lillith all along.
“Before we catch up, shouldn’t you explain a few things first?”
“Oh, right. I heard something terrible happened at the Asser estate. Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?! Because of you leaving the Marquis household, Eileen ruined everything!”
“Excuse me? You’re blaming me for that?”
“Who else should I blame? You said you’d handle things there!”
Bella’s voice rose, furious. She’d been waiting for this moment — to finally confront the woman who had caused her so much loss. She’d lost her job and the person she admired most.
“If you hadn’t sent that damn letter, I—!”
Just then, a presence stirred behind her.
“Oh, pardon me, Lord Cassas. I should’ve introduced you sooner…”
Her rage vanished in an instant. In front of this man, she didn’t dare shout. Bella bowed deeply.
“This is Lillith, who worked under the Marquis Dante household. Lillith, greet Lord Cassas.”
“Ah… Lord Cassas. Another servant of our master — it’s an honor.”
“I’m Cassas, the Lady’s hand and foot. I hear you’ve retrieved something valuable.”
“Yes, my lord. Here it is.”
Lillith presented the mole crest.
Cassas examined it.
“It’s genuine — a royal gift.”
“The Marquis family is desperate to get it back. With this, our master gains another card to play. Wouldn’t you say I’ve completed my mission perfectly?”
“I confirm it. Your task is done. Return to our master immediately.”
Cassas turned his head — toward Bella.
“You, on the other hand, have failed.”
“L-Lord Cassas? What do you mean? I brought you here myself!”
Bella’s face went white.
“The letter contained specific orders, remember? We took the risk to send it. You claimed you could handle it. You even requested I prepare a fake necklace identical to the real one.”
“This isn’t my fault! It’s her fault we lost Eileen! And the whole operation was— it was a disaster planned by some lunatic—”
“What was that? A lunatic? Did you just call our master a lunatic?”
Bella’s blood drained from her face.
I’m dead.
She knew both her master’s temper and Cassas’s cruelty.
“I-I misspoke! Please, forgive me!”
“Words that aren’t in your heart shouldn’t leave your lips. You’ve insulted our master.”
From the shadows, assassins emerged and seized Bella by the arms.
“L-Lillith! Help me! You said if I served your master, I’d live!”
“Well, Bella… I did say that. But an insult to the master? That’s beyond my control.”
Besides, she thought, I did save you once when Cassas caught you before, didn’t I? So technically, I didn’t lie.
Lillith turned her head away, pretending not to see.
She was going to betray me anyway. Ever since she was fired because of me, she’s been nursing that grudge. She’d have stabbed me in the back someday.
Once resentment took root, friendship was over.
“Take her away,” Cassas ordered.
Bella screamed as she was dragged out.
Well… we were friends once. What a shame.
