CHAPTER 6- Festival Incident

Today Lilia decides to take a simple walk around Epirus' downtown street, near the Oldenburg mansion. With the upcoming harvest festival in Oldenburg's main territory, Raphane, which takes place in the capital for two weeks, the streets appear to be merrier. This is the perfect opportunity she needs to seize because the young master Edmund Oldenburg and his brother Luke were sent to the territory to handle the harvest. It means Duke Oldenburg will be by himself for the next two weeks.

This time, she prevents herself from dressing up extravagantly. She wears something comfortable because her other purpose is to completely enjoy the festival, which is said to be the best among the festivals in the nobles' territories. Lilia wears a formal button-up white shirt and navy high-waist trousers, then is draped with a dark brown cape. Her long blonde hair was done in a simple high ponytail. She intends to enjoy her time at the festival.

When she was walking leisurely, enjoying festival preparation, she saw the duke doing some final inspections for the festival. She quickens her pace to greet the Duke.

"Don't you know this is what we called destiny—your grace?" Lilia approached him with a happy smile. Duke Oldenburg tapped his brow instantly and let out a deep sigh. Of course, he already anticipated the appearance of Lilia, but he feels helpless now that not even one of his children can stop this persistent young girl. Thus, he surrenders to the condition and faces her with an expressionless face, despite how uncomfortable it is for him to treat a girl that he considers his daughter that way.

"Good day to you, lady," Walter, the butler, greets her. Lilia nodded at him then went back to staring at her loved one, making the said man reach out his cravat and loosen it as he suddenly felt very suffocating.

"Your grace… are you feeling unwell?" Lilia seems worried because Duke Oldenburg is fidgeting nonstop and showing his displeasure straightforwardly.

"Won't you stop Princess? Visiting the estate frequently, giving useless extravagant gifts, and showing up wherever I am present and acting like it was a destined coincidence—don't you see how uncomfortable this man is? You don't feel pitiful?" The duke spoke to her harshly.

Carlisle looks restless despite having his major duties already handled by his eldest son. The persistent attack by Lilia made him look like that. Lilia's non-stop visit and gifting it made him all anxious and angry; he couldn't even focus on the simplest task anymore. His actual plan for the festival was not to go out from the estate at all, but he needed to do the final check because Edmund and Luke were not present. Then, after just thirty minutes of being outside and visiting some tenants, he bumps into something he fears the most. Yeah, a forty-seven-year-old man was frightened by the sight of a twenty-year-old, young, and strong girl who has a dazzling, regal appearance with her flowy blonde hair.

Lilia starlet, with Duke Oldenburg's angry snap, never expected this kind of response before. Her heart hurt a bit. It seems that her constant approach was bad for the duke.

"I apologize, your grace… but today I just... I sincerely want to enjoy the festival." Lilia said, lowering her head.

Carlisle caught the sad tone in her answer, and then he saw Lilia's appearance. It seems rather different from the past few days. Even though today's outfit looks more like Lilia's, after she appears in front of him dressed like a normal noble lady, he feels rather odd in those simple outfits. Yet it firmly proclaims that Lilia's purpose is sincere. Lilia wears nothing fancy so she can leisurely enjoy the festival; he knows that part well since her childhood era. Carlisle feels guilty for some reason.

"ekhem! Well, then, if you want to enjoy the festival that much, just go then." The duke walked away, leaving her. Lilia follows the duke instantly.

"Can I go with you, Duke?" Lilia asks excitedly.

"No,"

"I heard that as yes."

Carlisle sighed again—countless times now—but he stopped his protest. No one can stop Lilia Escheat, but that day it seems someone succeeded in stopping her.

Later that day, Lilia follows the duke everywhere he goes on his inspection. When she saw a tenant displaying some good-quality blades, she took an interest and contemplated her decision.

"Other girls would entertain themselves looking for accessories, but here you are choosing another weapon?"

"Oh my... "Your grace has surprised me." Lilia blushed, realizing that the duke was standing close to her for the first time since the proposal incident. The duke looks at her through his peripheral vision and then smiles.

"What kind of thing do you fancy here?" He looked around at the displayed ornamented small daggers.

"The sharpness, flex, as well as rigidity, are the important things if you want to choose a great dagger," the duke swarmed through the displayed daggers, picking one that looked the strongest and heaviest among others. Lilia smiles happily and then chuckles.

"Right… I do know that, but the one you hold now would be too much for a little girl like Eve, your grace..."

"Lady Osborne?"

"Yes, I want to give her a small decorative dagger that is still usable so she can stab someone who acts rudely toward her when there is no one nearby to protect her." Lilia chuckles; she finds it funny and endearing that the duke picks a dagger that she has held before. It was true that this dagger was the best, but a girl with a short and small body like Eve would find it difficult to use. not to forget that her hand just used to hold a pen and utensils. She does feel a little irritated when she recalls some old-conservative administrator insulting her best friend a few days ago.

"Is that so? Then what about this?" The duke picked up another dagger, much smaller and lighter than before. It has the perfect length and a comfortable handle; moreover, the sheath was decorated in a simple line of small purple tourmalines, which looked much like Evelyn herself.

"This is perfect, thank you, your grace..." Excuse me, I want this one; warp it nicely, okay?" Lilia gives the dagger to the merchant. When Lilia pulls out her pouch to pay for the dagger, someone snatches that pouch from her as fast as lightning.

"What the…!! Hey, stop there, you imbecile!" Lilia reflexed, running to the little guy that stole her purse, leaving the merchant and the duke quite dumbfounded behind. The duke then pays for the dagger and tries to catch up with Lilia. He lost her amidst the people's merriment.

Lilia found the kid that had stolen her pouch earlier, she followed him stealthily while observing the boy's act. When she put all her attention towards the boy, she didn't even realize someone was standing behind her, so close to her.

"Are you playing hide and seek, milady?" the man whispers directly in her ears. Lilia was startled; she turned her body quickly with a flushed face.

"My goodness, Duke... you seem to be enjoying startling me, right?" Lilia touches her warm cheek. She never used to be this vulnerable before, but the Duke always easily melted her guard down.

"How can the mighty imperial knight's captain be unaware of the presence of someone lurking behind her? You'll easily be caught in danger, princess." The duke seems very unpleased with how reckless and lackadaisical Lilia can be. What if it's not him but the assassin or an enemy? He can't get himself to imagine that frightening scene.

"No... that… that was… I'm sorry if my recklessness caused your disappointment, Duke. It's just that..." Lilia didn't finish her answer when she saw the boy she had spied on earlier running towards her with some men tailing him; it seems that he got caught and tried to run away again.

Lilia had not yet balanced her body, so she staggered backward when the boy hit her hard, scattering several coins from the wallet he was carrying on the ground. Fortunately, Lilia did not fall to the ground because her body was supported by the duke's sturdy body. The boy fell to the ground but immediately got up to run away from his pursuer.

Lilia was frozen in place because she felt her whole body surrounded by a warm feeling that was very familiar to her. The distinctive scent of sandalwood enveloped her nose, and her body suddenly weakened. remind her of how much she admired this man. How much she yearned for this man—the man who at one point she considered her father and guardian.

"Oh my... princess... are you okay?" The husky voice snaps her back to reality. Her eyes meet the blue iris that always captures her heart every time she sees it. They're different from Luke's and Alicia's, and even far different from his oldest son's. They're distinctive; just Carlisle Oldenburg's blue eyes can do this to Lilia.

"Princess…? Are you all right? Answer me, won't you?" The duke's voice was engulfed with worries when the girl in his arms just stared at him with empty eyes. Carlisle caresses Lilia's face gently, trying to bring her consciousness back.

"Princess… Lilia!! Wake up now!" Carlisle raised his voice loud enough to make Lilia jolt awake. She quickly straightened her body and put some distance between the two of them. Normalizing her heartbeat and her flushed face

"Oh my… I apologize for my impertinence behavior, your grace"

"Daydreaming at the wrong place, right?"

"Oh, that's not a daydream... well, kind of." Lilia smiled sheepishly.

"Forget about that, what will you do now?"

"Oh, right... about that little boy. How dare he steal my treasured pouch? I'll give him a good lesson," she said, clenching her hand.

"But in what direction does he flee your grace?" Lilia asked the duke while looking around. Duke Oldenburg shook his head. He feels today's inspection is full of events, and he feels tired, but he can't leave this girl alone while pursuing the said pickpocket. The duke pointed to one of the alleys, and then they went together to that shabby alley.

Lilia and Duke found the pickpocket boy being ganged up on by the men who were chasing him before. They beat the boy badly without any mercy. Lilia, who was furious to see that, immediately approached them and stopped one of them from throwing a fist in the little boy's face. Lilia blocked the man's fist with one hand, gripping it back hard and making the man wince in pain. Lilia threw the man aside and then kicked and punched the other two men until they all fell. At that moment, it was no longer the warmth and airiness that emanated from her green eyes but a cold, tense aura. It was nonsensical to see a beautiful woman with her slender body and long blonde hair shining under the moonlight showing such a fierce face.

"Go now, before I chop your limbs and feed them to the dogs," she said in a low, cold voice.

The emerald green eyes shone full of malice, sending shivers through everyone looking at them. Thus, the three men ran away from there as soon as possible while stumbling along the way. Lilia neutralizes her aura and then approaches the wounded boy on the ground.

"Hey kid, are you all right?"