On the Contrary

"Oh... Sicilyyyyy~!"

Lilith then acted childish, now walking towards her to give her an embrace.

"I'm 22 years old! I really want to go! And besides... it's with Nadia and the others! We will stay at Ivar's place! Won't that already guarantee my safety?"

Sicily narrowed her eyes at Lilith. "But we were told that you should stay here."

"Sicily..." Lilith pouted. "Can't we talk about this with the king and his adviser, please?"

"Well--"

Before Sicily could even say something about that, Gregory knocked on the door, the vampire leaning on it as he announced something important.

"You two are needed in the king's lobby. Amon's angsty, if you guys are curious."

Sicily and Lilith looked at each other. With a soft blush appearing on Sicily's face, she panicked as she asked Gregory a question.

"D-don't tell me... it has already reached them."

"Fast as lightning," Gregory confirmed with a series of nods. "Yup."

"Gaaah!"

Sicily's facial expression is like the painting The Scream right now. With her looking like that, Gregory arched a brow at her, commenting on what she looked like right now.

"You're beautiful, Sicily. Your reaction is ruining your face," he said, flirting at the same time.

"No, your words of flattery won't affect me," Sicily scolded, now turning to look at Lilith as she placed both of her hands on her shoulder. "We have to talk to them and explain that you are not going."

"Whaaaaaat!?" Lilith pursed her lips, shaking her head in protest. "I don't want to, and I don't get it! Why are you acting like this is such a big deal? Besides, we may not know if it's even a bad situation."

"Oh, it's bad alright," Gregory said, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he was still leaning on the door. "He wanted to talk to Sicily, and then to Lilith personally."

"Oh... great." Sicily rolled her eyes, sighing at the same time. "Now what are we going to do? He really does want to scold me, huh?"

"No, actually," Gregory clarified, letting out a sigh as well. "Lilith's right. You do make it sound dramatic."

Sicily narrowed her eyes at her. "She didn't say such a thing."

Gregory grinned. "Subtly. In between the lines."

Ignoring the vampire, Sicily looked at Lilith and then clicked her tongue. "Tsk... dress appropriately."

Lilith extended both of her arms to show her whole outfit. "And this nightgown isn't appropriate?"

"You will be in front of the king and the others! Goodness, Lilith... you're 22. You act like a child still. You're not even wearing a bra!"

"Wooh~!" Gregory whistled, the vampire scratching the back of his head. "You are well aware that I am still here and that I am a man, right?"

Even though he pointed that out, the two ladies continued to ignore him.

"I'm comfortable this way. Besides... I can cover it up with a shawl. It's not like it's gonna be a long talk anyway." Lilith then got her shawl that was hanging for convenience by her bed's frame. "If he's just going to tell me not to go then, fine."

"On the contrary, not."

Sicily and Lilith now looked at Gregory. The moment they set their eyes on him, the vampire nodded approvingly as he made another comment.

"Finally. You guys notice me."

"What do you mean by on the contrary?" Sicily asked, Lilith, looking expectant as she was also curious as to what Gregory meant.

"Lilith can come to the human world with us," he answered, Lilith's eyes immediately lighting up like stars twinkling in the sky.

"Really!? I can really go?"

"This is absurd." Lilith squinted her eyes as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Amon ordered us to keep Lilith safe in the kingdom."

Lilith's head snapped back at Sicily. "That cow-head man ordered you?"

Sicily shrugged. "It slipped... what else could I say now?"

"What? Sicily, you're not--"

"Ahem." Gregory cleared his throat, interrupting them as he got their attention. "You know, you could ask that to Amon himself since he personally asked for you guys and he wanted to have a personal talk with you."

Lilith blinked her eyes a few times and pointed at herself, not expecting what Gregory had said.

"Really... he wanted to talk to me personally?"

"I told you earlier, didn't I?" Gregory chuckled. "You're really interesting, Lilith. You really are."

"How did this even happen?" Sicily asked. "Like what made Amon want to bring Lilith?"

"It's the king and his adviser," Gregory answered, the vampire pointing at himself with his thumb as he spoke proudly. "And because of me, too! Put it simply: we convinced him to let Lilith go."

"Oh!" Lilith beamed, jumping once as well as she could no longer contain her excitement. "Thank you so much, then! Shall we go?" Lilith then wrapped the shawl around her.

However, as she was already ready to go with Gregory to where Amon and the others are, Sicily stood still in her place, unable to move.

"Sicily?"

Noticing this, Lilith turned to look at her. The moment she did, she felt a soft pang of pain in her heart when she noticed the expression on the chamberlain's face.

Sicily's eyes were pooling tears. Her lips were in a tight line, and both of her hands at the side were balled into tight fists.

As her shoulders were slightly shaking as if she was forcing herself not to cry, Lilith furrowed her brows, never seeing her this way.

She always saw Lilith as a strong woman.

"Sicily... hey..."

Lilith then approached her, touching her shoulder to comfort her.

"You're worried about me, aren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sicily looked at Lilith, a single tear escaping her eye. "I took care of you as if you were my own child. You know we don't know much about your background. And with Amon saying a warning that you have to stay, I--"

"Oh, Mama Sicily..."

Lilith embraced her. It had been so long since Lilith called her that. Every time she did, it would always be during her vulnerable and emotional times.

And this time, Sicily knew that Lilith felt how concerned she is about her.

"Nothing's happening yet... everything's going to be okay. I'm here, safe and sound."