Chapter 130
I Am With You
Eivass keenly sensed that Lily had fallen into a state of sorrow and melancholy. Her heart ached, as if pierced by needles and roasted by fire. Yet, at the same time, Lily didn’t cry out or show any signs of imminent tears. Instead, a slight curve formed on her lips, as if she were trying to laugh, but it was a terribly unpleasant smile.
“What’s wrong?” Eivass asked softly with concern.
Lily shook her head slightly, remaining silent. She appeared utterly exhausted, lacking even the strength to speak. Her entire being exuded a sense of dejection and despondency, feeling hollow and light, like a homeless little ghost.
“——Who is Antler?” Eivass quickly realized that the issue stemmed from Antler.
Lily was silent for a moment before softly replying, “Minister Dross.” She no longer referred to him with the complex emotions of “that man” or “my biological father” as she had in the past. Instead, she called him by his name with icy coldness.
“——Then tell me about it.” Eivass took Lily’s hand and sat her down by the lamp.
The ritual had a time limit of one hour, and nearly half of it had already passed. However, he wasn’t in a hurry to find the Holy Lance or pursue the remaining two individuals. Prioritizing the feelings of his own people was better than ruthlessly eliminating all threats.
“Sorrow, pain, hatred… these things are like wine; they develop a richer flavor with time,” Eivass said softly. “Conversely, if one can taste them early and share them with others… it can be a subtly sweet intoxication.”
“He said…” Lily paused for a moment before she couldn’t help but speak. She had, after all, intended to confide in someone.
Earlier, when she was talking with Princess Isabel, her Highness had rebuked Minister Dross upon hearing that he was Lily’s biological father. At that time, Lily had quietly comforted the Princess and made excuses for her father. If he had a lover, that would at most be considered a personal moral failing. But fathering an illegitimate child was different.
An illegitimate child brought dishonor and considerable trouble to an entire family. Accepting an illegitimate child meant the family head might favor them, and their inheritance would be unfair to the children already living within the family. To outsiders, the family’s lineage would also become impure. In fact, illegitimate children did possess inheritance rights, which often led to fierce disputes within the family, signaling an impending chaos and the end of familial bonds.
However, if the illegitimate child was not accepted and allowed to disgrace the family by being left undisciplined, even if they did not adopt the family name, they would still be tacitly recognized as part of the family by those with ulterior motives, used as ammunition for public opinion against them. The birth of an illegitimate child, regardless of where, would only bring chaos and stigma to the family.
And as for the illegitimate child, their situation was inherently pitiable. They were not at fault themselves; they were entirely innocent. Yet, if they were integrated into the main family, they would face sidelong glances and bullying. If they were left to wander, they could easily be manipulated by the family’s political rivals into doing wicked deeds to attack the very family that abandoned them. Even if they worked diligently and possessed superior abilities, any success they achieved through their own efforts would be attributed to the “preferential treatment due to their other bloodline.”
Princess Isabel was unaware that the reason other ministers rarely acknowledged their illegitimate children was that they stripped them of their surname and sent them to other families as servants. This was not an uncommon practice. Because these illegitimate children were forbidden to speak of their origins, it was difficult to track down where they ended up without direct inquiry.
Because of this, Lily had initially tried to defend Minister Dross. She had been treated well within the Moriarty family. Old Moriarty had been kind to her and even allowed her to read books. Young Master Eivass, whom she had grown up with, was also considerate and gentle, even willing to request an extra study slot from the Princess for her. When Princess Isabel rebuked Minister Dross, Lily felt he wasn’t that bad—it was precisely because her father had chosen a good family for her that she could now live peacefully and happily, without engaging in intrigue, facing disdain, or suffering bullying.
…But now, Lily realized that this was not the result of Old Dross’s arrangements. After Lily became Eivass’s personal maid, she was considered half a “Moriarty.” Yet, Minister Dross still cared about her attending school and appearing in public. He even disregarded the Moriarty family’s reputation to hire an assassin to kill her, all to prevent her identity as an illegitimate child from being exposed and causing him trouble. This indicated that the relationship between the Dross and Moriarty families was not as amicable as she had believed. In other words, the preferential treatment she received in the Moriarty family was not due to her father’s influence, but simply because the people she met there were kind. This chilled Lily to the bone.
—Her biological father had killed her mother and was now trying to murder her. Yet, she had harbored complex emotions towards him, a mixture of hatred, gratitude, curiosity, grievance, and longing. Now, all these emotions had transformed into killing intent. She had been grateful to the wrong person. The one truly worthy of her thanks, the only one she should repay, had always been right before her eyes. How ridiculous. She had mistaken her father’s feelings for her own.
“…I see.” After hearing Lily’s account, Eivass nodded slightly. “I will help you resolve this. Let me think…”
He fell into deep thought before softly replying, “I won’t let him ascend… But you must not act. In his eyes, you have now become one of ‘Gray Green’s’ subordinates and accepted his assassination order. So, you must remain silent and not arouse his suspicion. This will ensure your safety. He must die within one month. If you cannot bring yourself to do it outside, leave it to me. I will kill him for you. But if you wish to do it yourself, I will leave the final execution to you. In any case, ordering a child to personally kill their father is inhumane. However, if this child voluntarily avenges their murdered mother and retaliates against the person attempting to murder them, then it is justified. Regardless, I will protect you. You were, to some extent, raised by the Moriarty family. Since you cannot be a ‘Dross,’ become a ‘Moriarty.’ As you know, your foster father is also suspected to be dead… Whether I or Edward inherit the family, I will grant you the surname ‘Moriarty’.”
Eivass didn’t say anything like “cry if you need to.” Instead, he said seriously, “Also, don’t cry… that man isn’t worth your tears. If you can’t help it, then laugh. Don’t cry for the past, but laugh for the future.”
As he spoke, Eivass suddenly recalled a poem by Prince Lloyd and softly recited:
“One day, I shall break free from these leaden shackles;
I shall rise with the smoke, free as the wind;
I shall have my shining day, bright as the stars, radiant as the moonlight…”
He felt this poem was perfectly suited for Lily at this moment. The unseen observer who bound her fate would be removed, and she would regain her freedom. One day, she would ascend and emit her own light. Not as “Dross’s illegitimate child,” but as “Lily” herself.
Eivass looked at Lily and said earnestly, “You should rejoice and laugh loudly for such a future. If you still have worries, it’s only because revenge has not yet been completed. ——So, don’t be afraid. I am with you.”
With that, he slowly stood up and stretched his body slightly. Lily followed suit, silently melting into the shadows.
They had talked for nearly fifteen minutes, leaving about a third of the ritual time remaining. But Eivass showed no signs of nervousness.
“We won’t look for the Holy Lance for now,” Eivass decided. “We’ll go collect some interest for you first——”
“——Shadow Demon, lead the way. I’m going to kill someone.”
“Heh heh…” For some reason, in front of Lily, the Shadow Demon reverted to its hoarse, low voice. “Such sweet revenge, such fresh flesh and blood… You finally have the chance to bare your fangs and display your innate evil. I am delighted, my Master. I will… kill for you. I will keep killing for you—killing everyone.”
