Chapter 58 - 57: Truth or Lies

Chapter 58: Chapter 57: Truth or Lies

"Harsh?"

"Yes."

The maid looked hesitant, but ultimately explained to Lilia, "Ever since he was a child, the Duke has been exceedingly strict with Young Master Lucian. Not only in his studies, but the Duke even personally questions and interferes with who the young master befriends..."

Lilia understood. "So him telling me to stay away from Lucian wasn’t deliberately targeting me?"

The maid nodded with a complicated expression. She hesitated before adding, "Rather than saying he is targeting you, it would be more accurate to say that the Duke is targeting Young Master Lucian."

As long as Lucian made a friend, no matter who that friend was, they would be targeted by Duke Williams.

But why?

If Duke Williams simply had high expectations for his son and wanted Lucian to take on the heavy responsibility of reviving the family, shouldn’t he act like Count Beaumont and urge his child to make many friends to become a leader among the new generation of Noble children?

From what Laura was implying, it sounded as though Duke Williams didn’t like his only son at all, but rather hated him deeply.

As a maid, Laura obviously had no way of knowing the Duke’s true thoughts. She could only persuade Lilia from the perspective of a servant who had worked at the Duke Mansion for over a decade. "Miss Sifris, why on earth do you want to be with Young Master Lucian?"

She was truly worried about Lilia and feared that this pure, kind-hearted girl would get hurt in this relationship.

Lilia looked at her and slowly broke into a smile. "Because I like him."

The maid’s eyes widened. "Miss Sifris..."

"Because I like him, I won’t give up no matter what hardships or obstacles stand in my way."

The girl’s smile was radiant. Even in the pitch-black night, she was like the sun, emitting a dazzling light.

"Even if countless people stand in my way to stop me, I will definitely always stand by his side.

"It might sound a bit childish, but this is something I decided the very first moment I laid eyes on him."

"..."

The girl then walked away with light, brisk steps, leaving the maid standing alone in the cold autumn wind, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.

After a long while, Laura lowered her head and sighed. She was just about to turn and go back inside when she spotted a figure suddenly appear behind her.

She startled in fright. "Young Master Lucian?

"W-When did you return?"

Lucian did not answer. He stared in the direction Lilia had left, an irrepressible turmoil swirling in the depths of his eyes.

Her words echoed in his mind: because she liked him, she would always stand by his side.

But it was fake. She was lying. It was just a casual excuse made up to deal with Laura.

They were nothing more than companions bound by a mutual alliance of interests. The only reason she stood by his side was because they shared the same goals.

If someone truly stood in their way and threatened her interests or her life... she would absolutely abandon him at the first opportunity. How could she possibly choose to overcome those difficulties just to stay?

Lucian knew this clearly. He knew this fact all too well.

However, upon hearing those vow-like words, his heart still tightened uncontrollably. He couldn’t lie to himself. No matter how much he resisted on the surface, his heart always harbored a secret hope... how wonderful it would be if her words were actually true.

[Lucian’s Favorability has increased.]

[Lucian’s Favorability has decreased.]

[Lucian’s Favorability has increased.]

"..." Lilia was rendered speechless.

Sitting in the rented carriage, her thoughts went up and down along with the system’s notifications.

Such complicated psychological activity... did Lucian overhear her conversation with the maid, Laura, at the entrance of the Duke Mansion?

But it had only been an hour since school ended. Did Caius slack off? Or did he lose in his fight against Lucian?

She figured she would know once she went back and asked him.

Currently, the most important matter was Lucian’s past. Lilia now knew that Lucian had definitely stayed in Ovis for a period of time. There, he had met Declan Marlo and left an extremely deep impression on the latter.

When he first found out that Marquis Malo had come to Lien, Lucian’s initial reaction was to avoid him so his identity wouldn’t be discovered. Later, however, he changed his mind for some unknown reason and took the initiative to appear before Marquis Malo.

Marquis Malo took an interest in him and asked Theodore about his identity. Lilia refused to believe that Lucian was unaware of this.

Knowing full well that it would lead to such a situation, he still chose to do it... Did this mean his goal was related to Ovis? Or did he simply want to arouse Marquis Malo’s curiosity and prompt him to take a certain action?

No. There were too many possibilities.

She had managed to gather some information from Duke Williams this time, but it was far from enough to piece together the truth. Should she go find Marquis Malo? He had to know something...

"Miss, we have arrived near the Earl Mansion," the carriage driver’s voice rang out from the front.

Lilia collected her thoughts, pulled a silver coin from her handbag, and placed it into the driver’s hand.

"No... Miss, this is too much!"

"It’s very late. Just consider the extra as a night shift fee."

"This... thank you for your generosity, beautiful Miss!"

Lilia hopped off the carriage and walked toward the Beaumont Earl Mansion.

Just as she was about to enter the gates, her footsteps paused.

Her Magic Talent wasn’t high, but she was, after all, a student of the Lien Royal Magic Academy. She sensed almost immediately that someone was following her.

The person might have been tailing her for a long time, but because she had been inside the carriage, her senses had been somewhat affected. Now that she was out in the open, the Magic fluctuations used by the stalker to conceal themselves suddenly became distinct.

Before Lilia could react, Caius’s voice drifted out from the courtyard. "Lilia." Instantly, that faint, barely-there presence behind her vanished.

Lilia’s expression remained normal as she walked over to Caius’s side.

The young man had already changed into casual loungewear—a shirt and trousers. His short black hair hung over his forehead. Because he had been standing outside for too long, his bangs were damp with dew, looking a bit wet.

His gaze swept across the entrance, and by the time he looked back at her, the sharp, murderous intent in his eyes had entirely disappeared, replaced by a soft submissiveness.

"Sorry," he said. Before Lilia could even ask, he took the initiative to explain tonight’s situation. "I did my best to stall him, but he used Magic when he left, so he probably returned earlier than expected."

Caius looked at the girl in front of him, earnestly searching her face for any trace of anger. "Did he spot you?"

"We didn’t run into each other directly," Lilia said, walking toward the villa.

"That’s good." Caius walked by her side. "There was an annoying rat following you just now. Do you need me to get rid of it?"

Lilia was about to nod, but suddenly thought of something. "Do you know who that person is?"

"We’ll know once I catch them." Caius’s tone was incredibly nonchalant, as if capturing and interrogating a person was as simple and routine as breathing.

Lilia thought for a moment. "Forget it. Let’s just ignore him."