Chapter 19. Rose (1)
"As if I would say that. Of course, I won't agree to it. Why should I comply with your request? Just use that final favor for something else. I won't allow any demon to escape from my grasp," Lilith retorted angrily as she unsheathed her sword and brandished it in front of Prince Lysander's face.
"After deceiving me and my men with your strange magic tricks, do you have any final words before I sever your little head?" she continued, her eyes narrowing.
Observing the child's expression before her, who remained unfazed by the sword inches from his nose; Prince Lysander simply smiled and shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not dead, so I have no final words for now."
"Do you think I'm joking?"
"No, you're serious. But, of course, I will fight you."
"Heh, do you really think you can defeat me? I already know all your weaknesses after training you. Even though you can now infuse your weapon with life using your magic, it is still hundreds of years weaker than the power I possess..."
"If you are truly that strong, why haven't you sought out your real family, Rose?"
SHOCK
Lilith's body froze, as if time had stopped around her, her heart ceasing to beat and her blood seeming to stop flowing through her veins. Her breath hitched, and as she tried to contain the explosive rush of emotions by maintaining her composure, Lilith slowly opened her mouth, "W-what did you just say?" Despite her efforts to maintain her usual cold demeanor, this time she could feel her voice tremble intensely and her teeth chattering.
Prince Lysander stopped smiling and gazed at Lilith.
"I asked, why don't you go meet your real family if you're that strong, Rose?"
"I-it can't be. I'm an orphan and was raised in an orphanage! I-I don't have any family at all! What are you saying, demon?!" Lilith shouted.
"You listen to me, Rose."
"S-s-stop calling me that?! Aaaarghhhh!!! My name is Lilith!!!" Lilith's scream grew louder and at the same time, Rina's voice could be heard calling and pounding on the door from outside, "Prince?! Prince Lysander?!!! There's an intruder in the palace?!! Open the door, Prince!!!!"
Hearing Rina's voice from behind the door trying to break into the room from outside, Lilith angrily glared at Prince Lysander, "You...I will let you live this time..."
"..." Prince Lysander remained silent as he watched Lilith quickly leap out of the window of the room.
At that moment, Lilith's figure disappeared into the darkness of the night, as Rina managed to force her way in and surveyed the dimly lit room before flicking on the lights. She saw Prince Lysander standing in silence beside the open window. With his blonde hair tousled by the wind, his green eyes, touched by the moon's glow, slowly shifted to meet Rina's gaze, causing her to gasp inexplicably for breath.
Rina was truly in a state of panic and fear, concerned that something untoward might befall the child before her. In a rush, Rina hurried over to Prince Lysander and embraced him tightly. "Prince! Are you unharmed? Have you encountered the intruder?!" she inquired breathlessly, inspecting Prince Lysander for any injuries.
"There is nothing amiss; I was merely lost in thought while admiring the moon and stars in the sky," Prince Lysander responded calmly. Prince Lysander's eyes turned back to where the silhouette of Lilith had disappeared. Within himself, Prince Lysander wondered, 'Have I been too candid now? Should I have waited until later?'
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In truth, I am also aware that Lilith has always been tailing me. And in turn, I have been seeking to uncover her past as a true stalker.
By simply offering some expensive wine from the special stock to the bartender, who seemed to be quite close to Lilith and also a long-standing member still acquainted with the leader before Lilith, the bartender recounted how their gang leader despised men because of a terrible tragedy where he was once assaulted by a thief that being chased by their former leader named Grey. Not only that, Prince Lysander learned that Lilith was raised in an orphanage located far on the outskirts of the city. Once he visited (after paying the bartender to escort him there), Prince Lysander observed the place where Lilith had been raised. The dilapidated building seemed frozen in time, evoking a sense of gratitude in Prince Lysander for his role as a prince destined to perish for the narrative.
'They should consider releasing a novel or even a Spin-Off game centered around Lilith's story; it would certainly captivate those who revel in drama and violence...' pondered Prince Lysander upon entering the orphanage, which appeared to have halted its operations.
As Prince Lysander and the bartender stood together, an old man with a vexing visage emerged, introducing himself as the proprietor of the orphanage. Leveraging the bartender's exceptional communication skills, Prince Lysander uncovered that the elderly man named Kai had previously worked as a guard at the orphanage. Following a scandal where numerous children perished due to starvation and mistreatment by the caretakers, the orphanage shut down, and Kai serendipitously came to possess the property. Despite his eagerness to sell the land, he had found no interested buyers.
Observing Prince Lysander's approving nod, the bartender swiftly proposed a more than fair price, eliciting pure joy on Kai's face as they sealed the deal with a handshake.
Unbeknownst to Kai, the true purchaser of the land was Prince Lysander, as the funds provided by the bartender belonged to him.
After the transaction was complete, the bartender sought to know if Kai was familiar with a girl with fiery red hair and matching eyes.
Kai chuckled immediately, a reaction that Prince Lysander found unsettling.
"Are you referring to Rose? Sadly, she is now happily settled with her new adopted family. Could it be that you are her true family? However, that seems quite unlikely as this orphanage is where parents sold their children to the orphanage owner." Perhaps feeling a sense of camaraderie with the bartender, Kai began unraveling the darkness of the orphanage until hours had passed, after which we left with a bag filled with gold coins, his face radiant.
"...Are you sure you don't mind paying that much?" the bartender asked tentatively, letting out a deep sigh. It appeared he wasn't keen on engaging in a lengthy conversation with Kai, evident from his weary expression. Prince Lysander smiled faintly as he observed the decrepit building in front of him. "That's alright. I have plans for this land... Thank you, you've been a great help."
"No trouble at all, sir. Don't hesitate to seek assistance in the future."
Prince Lysander nodded, then crossed his arms and whispered the name he had recently heard.
"Rose?"
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To Be Continue ?