Previously
Helio visits the Emerald Palace seeking comfort after a difficult encounter with the Empress Dowager. Liliana shares the painful history of her childhood in Niita, revealing how her sister Fischel bullied her while her mother watched helplessly.
When Helio lay flat on his back, Liliana lay down beside him, began to pat him gently, and started to sing.
Helio had heard soothing songs from his childhood nursemaid, but this one was completely new to him. Surprised, he asked,
Liliana stopped singing and answered,
That was true enough. The lullabies sung by the nobility of the Carlo Empire were far more refined and solemn.
Yet the song Liliana sang sounded like one from busy parents hurrying to soothe their child.
The fact that a princess of a nation sang the songs of commoners laid Liliana’s circumstances bare.
Liliana asked with concern.
Helio could hardly tell her the lullaby was so jarring that he couldn’t sleep at all. Burying his face, he closed his eyes and tried to pretend.
After a while, he heard Liliana’s soft laughter near his forehead, like that of a young girl looking at a child.
Helio felt an urge to open his eyes, but he sensed it might spoil her pleasure.
Before long, Liliana settled into place, and the faint, steady rhythm of her breathing soon became audible. Only then did Helio open his eyes.
His eyes, accustomed to the dark from life on battlefields, quickly adjusted. He looked at Liliana, her form barely discernible in the shadows.
he asked in a low murmur, but Liliana was fast asleep without so much as a twitch of an eyelid.
Helio gently gathered a few strands of Liliana’s hair, then laid his hand against her cheek. Her softness registered against his fingertips.
He drew his hand back slowly, brushing her jawline, only to pull away as if struck. He could already imagine her reaction if she woke to such a sight.
Helio muttered, bemused. Yet he felt no inclination to treat her harshly.
If he were to touch her, it would be when she herself wanted it.
Helio intended to go to great lengths to ensure that she would be the one desiring it. If she felt unsafe staying here, he would give her security.
If she believed her meager strength could not protect a child, he would grant her greater power.
Helio didn’t mind the feeling. In his barren palace, having something interesting to dwell on now and then was hardly a bad thing.
Helio rested his chin on his hand, gazing intently at Liliana, heedless of the passing hours until the break of dawn.
❈❈❈
When Liliana woke in the morning, Helio had already departed the Emerald Palace. She ate her breakfast quickly and began preparing to go out.
Sophia set a white hat trimmed with a sky-blue ribbon atop her head and asked,
Liliana walked over to the table and scooped Choo Choo into her palm, smiling.
Sophia smiled upon hearing that.
Liliana had loved reading ever since she was little, but circumstances had never allowed her to read freely.
There had been a library inside the royal palace, but Fischel’s constant harassment—shouting day after day, “A wretched princess like you has no business using the royal library!”—had driven her out time and again.
As the scenes repeated, the guards eventually barred her from entering the library altogether.
Here, however, things were different. In the Imperial Palace, no one dared harass her, and as the only Queen, no one would dare bar her from the premises.
Liliana marveled at the massive library, incomparable to the one in her former royal palace.
Gazing about in wonder, she remarked,
Sophia replied with a touched smile,
Liliana shook her head. “Even so, I think there are far more than that.”
She continued exploring the library in admiration, while the attendants quietly tended to the shelves in hushed movements.
Then Liliana began searching for books related to spirit magic.
She noticed that Choo Choo, perched on her shoulder, was searching as well, pointing a small finger toward one of the shelves.
Liliana followed the gesture and indeed found a section dedicated to books on spirit magic.
Sophia asked, curious,
Liliana smiled shyly and answered, “I’ve started to take an interest in spirit magic.”
Sophia said in astonishment,
Liliana nodded. “I think I can see spirits and fairies, so I want to learn. Besides, I don’t have much else to do in this palace.”
Sophia beamed. “Just as I expected, you always did love to learn.”
Liliana continued browsing. Choo Choo was a fairy, but she knew very little about the theoretical side of spirit magic. She merely spoke of sensing the wind and interacting with it instinctively—things that came naturally since birth. Liliana, on the other hand, needed to learn the fundamentals.
Finding a book that explained the basics, Liliana read it carefully:
Suddenly, Choo Choo tapped Liliana’s shoulder and cried out,
Liliana asked, puzzled,
Looking toward where the fairy pointed, Liliana saw a tall man she had encountered before. He had fiery red hair and eyes fixed straight upon her.
‘Bail Gabriel!’ Liliana thought in alarm, taking a startled step back. She had never expected to run into a member of House Gabriel in the imperial library.
Bail raised his hands with an awkward smile. “Did I startle you?”
He possessed sharp, imposing features, so his observation wasn’t wrong. But what unnerved Liliana far more was his uncanny resemblance to Vesty and the name he bore: Gabriel.
Clutching the book, Liliana said in a strained voice,
Though her answer wavered, she kept her tense gaze locked on him, trying to appear unafraid.
Rather than mocking her, Bail waved his hands dismissively as if it were nothing. Even so, Liliana did not let down her guard, standing rigid like a cat poised to strike.
At last, Bail lowered his hands.
Seeing no point in pursuing that line of banter, he took a step back and pointed toward Liliana’s shoulder.
Liliana maintained her vigilance, not letting her guard drop for a second, and asked bluntly,
Bail spoke with a touch of irony, then lightly raised his hand in the air.
All at once, a warm energy surged from his palm, igniting into green flames.
Liliana grew terrified that the surrounding books would catch fire, but the flames consumed nothing.
From within the blaze, a tiny spirit poked its head out.
While Liliana still hesitated, Shasha flew straight toward her shoulder.
Choo Choo shrieked in terror, visibly shaken.
Shasha shrugged and flew back toward Bail. Unlike Choo Choo, who was bound by chains, Shasha appeared completely free, wielding power at will.
Bail looked perplexed and asked, “Why are you two so wary of me?”
Liliana moved protectively, wrapping her hands around Choo Choo and lifting her chin, as if telling him to mind his own business.
Bail sighed. “Is it because I’m a Gabriel, then?”
Liliana did not answer, merely taking another step back.
Liliana halted her retreat. She could have fled just then; since they were in a library, neither could make a scene, nor could Bail physically restrain her.
Yet even if she slipped away now, Bail would only continue trying to approach her.
More importantly, there was another reason. At the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration, Lucia had whispered a piece of advice into Liliana’s ear.
‘Bail Gabriel is no ally of Vesty Gabriel.’
Those words had hardly guaranteed Bail’s trustworthiness, but they did indicate internal strife within House Gabriel—and that Bail was Vesty’s adversary.
In the end, Liliana peered out from behind the bookshelves, fixing Bail with a sharp glare.
Bail gave a relieved smile and took a step forward.
Liliana replied coldly, “Everyone knows that. Why state the obvious?”
Bail answered in earnest, “Because I want you to know I am different.”
He then pressed on with solemn conviction,
Liliana countered with a sharp question, “What makes you think I could ever trust you?”
Bail nodded, as if having anticipated the question.
Liliana finally allowed a faint smile, deciding to hear what he had to offer. Stepping out from behind the bookshelves, she stood before him. House Gabriel was hardly trustworthy, but Lucia’s advice was worth taking into account.
Bail smiled and began revealing the first favor he could provide.