IWIAHC Chapter 38

Julius answered calmly.

[If someone without family connections charges toward the capital recklessly, they'll lose their life before even glimpsing the hem of the Emperor's cloak. Can't afford to lose a valuable talent. There is certainly a plan. Once we arrive in the capital, I'll explain it step by step, so don't rush.]

Lily bit her lip.

'He's right. Unless he's an idiot, he wouldn't reveal top-secret information here. If I'd asked thoughtlessly what the method was, he'd have kicked me out immediately.'

Julius behaved like a century-old snake despite his soul not being fully recovered.

She couldn't suggest accompanying the Duke on the journey to the capital. Her lie about Aiden losing his reason had ironically trapped her.

If the lie was exposed, she might even lose her position as chief physician.

'No. What am I agonizing over? I don't need to concern myself that far in the first place. From here on, it's genuinely beyond my capabilities. In the end, the Emperor will just run his mouth, and the person actually moving their body will be me. What power do I have to face that cult leader? Without question, I should refuse. I must refuse.'

However, before her eyes lay a possibility she couldn't ignore. A possibility thrust forward with confidence.

Lily managed to say:

"I need time to make up my mind."

[Agonize as long as you wish. I have no choice but to await your verdict, do I? However, I hope you won't miss this rare opportunity to become the benefactor of both the Empire's Emperor and Duke. The value of our two lives is by no means cheap.]

What merciful words those were.

Walking toward the east annex, Lily sighed once every three steps.

'Go to the capital? Don't go? Go? No, definitely don't go?'

Her mind changed with every footfall. Even when meeting Aiden, who'd come to receive her, her insides remained nothing but complicated.

[Lily?]

Aiden called to her with a puzzled air.

Lately, Lily had been glowing brightly before this soul without a single blemish, eager to boast at any moment about what progress her scheme was achieving.

Even when encountering difficulties, she'd burst with indignation or been serious—she'd never been this gloomy.

Knowing Lily, Aiden asked with concern in his tone:

[What's wrong?]

Lily ended up briefly explaining the situation.

"I might have to go to the capital. Just the Emperor and me."

[What?]

Aiden asked again, but that was all Lily said.

These days she was restraining herself as much as possible from conversing with Aiden in public spaces. She wanted to belatedly quiet the testimonies that Lily Dienta suffered from mental delusions.

Since she'd obtained Aiden's prior understanding on this matter, he too postponed hearing the detailed circumstances.

However, by the time they entered the temporary office, furrows had formed on his brow to a degree similar to hers.

[Now tell me. What's this about having to go to the capital with Julius?]

"Just a moment, let me give my greetings. Good morning, Lord Wolfram."

[Lily.]

"Good morning, Miss Dienta. You don't look well."

"About that..."

Lily recounted to the two men, in order, what had happened at the annex.

How Julius had been taken in by her lies and slandered Aiden, then ultimately asked her to become his hands and feet and go with him to the capital.

Even in that heart-pounding situation, she'd exercised extreme concentration to remember Julius's words in detail.

Having heard the full story, Wolfram washed his hands of it early.

"I'll be handling work matters. Please discuss this with His Grace."

Wolfram's judgment was efficient.

Among them, only Wolfram had constraints on communication, and particularly this meeting's topic was difficult for predicting the highest authority's opinion.

In such cases, it was more efficient to step aside for now and review together later.

Wolfram sat down at his work desk. Lily followed him with her eyes before turning her gaze to Aiden.

Contrary to her expectation that he'd immediately oppose, he was absorbed in thought with an extremely serious expression.

Then at last, the Duke uttered a vulgar word entirely unsuited to his title.

[Bullshit.]

"Pardon?"

[From start to finish, it's all bullshit, Lily.]

Words didn't become refined just because they were spoken gently, yet Aiden's voice created that illusion.

It was truly fortunate that Wolfram had removed himself. Thanks to that, she didn't have to relay to the Baron: "His Grace said it was all bullshit from start to finish."

[You didn't actually believe that talk about jealousy of a legitimate son, or childhood deprivation, did you?]

"Of course not! I didn't believe it one bit!"

It was a lie. Lily had thought it might be half-possible. Julius had been so shameless, and it was a plausible story.

Growing up in an unstable environment while even being bullied—wouldn't it be stranger if he had no negative feelings at all?

Even if everything Julius said was true, nothing about it was wrong. Aiden probably just hadn't wanted to reveal his own wretched state.

Julius, who'd blabbed about someone else's pain, was the villain.

Lily spoke cautiously.

"But, um, even so, I don't think it would be strange. Given the circumstances, it could happen. What's odd about that?"

[Lily, you believed him...]

"No, that's not it—I mean if, if!"

Despite her hasty excuse, that troubled gaze didn't change.

Only then did Lily genuinely realize Julius's words were 100% pure nonsense. Feeling her cheeks grow hot, she changed the subject.

"Anyway, to simply dismiss it, the Emperor really seemed to know something. He said multiple times that we can only save both of you by eliminating the cult leader. If that's true, then, then..."

Aiden leaned forward, reaching his hand toward her. His semi-transparent touch met Lily's clenched fist. It felt cold, like a tiny snowflake settling lightly.

[You'll leave nail marks.]

Lily wasn't the sort of person who could clench her fist hard enough to draw blood from her nails. She was applying pressure without hurting herself, and even if marks remained, they'd disappear after waiting a minute or two.

Though he couldn't not know this, Aiden didn't take his eyes off her until Lily had completely unclenched her fist.

She experienced for the first time someone looking at her this way. Her hands felt like they might melt away. Lily finished her words in a daze, entranced by that gaze.

"Then I'll go to the capital..."

It absolutely wasn't a thought she'd decided on beforehand. Even while sitting and reporting on her meeting with the Emperor, she'd been in a state of indecision.

Following the Emperor's orders to directly face the cult leader was a different matter entirely from attending to a ghost duke. She wouldn't be able to endure that journey.

Belated regret flooded in.

'Ugh, I spoke too impulsively. I haven't even finished thinking it through properly.'

She wanted to cry. What was so special about a gaze, about a touch like snowflakes!

Yet that snowflake-like touch made her heart flutter more than the future compensation he'd promised...

This ghost gentleman whose only support was an unsightly commoner—he was precious to her too. She wanted to reciprocate the fluffy, consistent kindness he offered. If it was something she could do, she wanted to do anything.

Because of that, though she regretted the impulsive statement, ultimately she would have been fated to accept the Emperor's proposal anyway.

Because there was a possibility of helping Aiden Casimir.

'His Grace will object, won't he? How should I persuade him?'

She was mulling over various words to pacify Aiden when—

Long eyelashes lifted as Aiden's pupils moved vertically from her hands to her face. The gaze that had been gentle with worry and pity now suddenly bristled with thorns.

This must be what it felt like to face a wolf in a winter forest. The unfamiliar aggression was frightening. In the stillness, the sound of Lily swallowing rang out loudly.

Aiden exhaled lightly. He straightened his slightly bent posture and blinked several times. Then the piercing air from just moments ago vanished completely.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

[Yes. I knew you would say that.]

His speech was as lovely and gentle as always.

[You have a good heart, and you never let even the smallest opportunity slip away. As someone indebted to that disposition, I'm always grateful.]

Lily shrank unnecessarily. She had no immunity to such direct praise.

"I-I'm not that good..."

At the modesty she barely managed to utter, Wolfram glanced over, then buried his face in his desk again.