Chapter 81: The Prey That Came to the Door Willingly Become the Prey?

The boy who rushed in was a young man with curly ginger-yellow hair, dressed simply, like an ill-mannered errand boy under some nobleman. He seemed to realize the enormity of his mistake only after he barged in, and was about to turn around and run away when he was captured by the guards who had finally come to their senses.

"Who goes there?" the judge asked, displeased.

"I...I..." The boy stammered, unable to speak. Suddenly, he tried with all his might to break free, but the guard held his arms tightly behind his back, making it impossible for him to move. His gaze suddenly drifted towards Lorenzo, who was waiting for the verdict in the audience.

Lorenzo pushed up his glasses, took a closer look at the other person's face, and was startled. A look of panic flashed across his face uncontrollably.

“He’s staring at Mr. Condalini…” Lilith turned to look at Lorenzo, following the man’s gaze, and casually pointed it out.

“How could this be…” Lorenzo suddenly found himself the target of everyone’s criticism in court. He forced an awkward smile and suppressed his emotions. “I don’t know who he is.”

"Could they be here to assassinate him?" Lilith deliberately widened her eyes, covered her mouth, and put on a terrified expression. "Could someone be trying to harm Mr. Condalini?"

"Search him!" the judge roared.

The guard immediately pulled open the man's coat, searched his pockets, and found several letters, which he handed to the clerk and presented to the judge.

"A professor at the University of Padua...Madame Condalini...and...the leader of the Milan mercenaries...?"

The judge examined the wax seals on the envelopes one by one, and when he saw the last one, he abruptly tore open the cover and unfolded the letter, which was filled with undecipherable coded messages. He then immediately opened another letter, which was written by the elderly Madame Candalini, who was recuperating in Italy, to Lorenzo.

"Where did these letters come from?!"

All eyes in the courtroom were fixed on the man, but his gaze kept drifting back to Lorenzo. Suddenly, he mustered all his strength, broke free of the guards, and took poison, committing suicide.

"This has nothing to do with me," Lorenzo tried to explain, feigning composure. "I don't know him at all, and I don't know why he looked at me like that! This is a setup!"

"Whether it is or not, we can only draw a conclusion after the investigation," the judge ordered sternly. "Lorenzo Condalini is suspected of treason. Arrest him immediately and thoroughly investigate his connections with the Padua rebels!"

Lilith watched calmly as Lorenzo was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom, across the Bridge of Sighs, and into the prison where she had just been temporarily detained. Treason was one of the most serious crimes under Venetian law, and no amount of money could secure his release. It seemed that Lorenzo would spend the rest of his days in prison before being hanged.

If Lilith were to personally present the witness to the judge, it would inevitably be suspected of being retaliation for Lorenzo's testimony. However, if the witness were to bring in crucial evidence under the guise of a chance encounter, it would be more likely to pique the committee's interest in continuing the investigation. Rumors of Lorenzo's collusion with Padua had already spread. Regardless of the truth, Lilith wouldn't need to take matters into her own hands; his former enemies would naturally deal with him for her.

It's finally over.

It was night when Lilith, now free, walked out of the courtroom. The cloudless sky and the murky sea were both unfathomably black, as if she had just stepped out of a man-eating vortex and now entered another treacherous arena. But Lilith was a woman who had struggled and grown up in the heart of this vortex. She was not afraid, nor did she regret it.

She would stay here forever. Even a brief departure was for a better reunion. Because only here could she obtain everything she desired. She wanted love, she wanted friends, but she also wanted countless riches and the power to change the world. Only this chaotic, dangerous, beautiful, and opportunity-filled place could satisfy her ambition. However, before venturing into another endless cycle of intrigue and deception, she wanted to take a trip and rest.

To avoid suspicion in front of strangers, Isolde didn't wait for Lilith outside the courthouse. Instead, she sent someone to tell Lilith that she would visit her again that night. Lilith, who had been hungry all day, went straight to the restaurant after returning home and ate two whole steaks. She then opened a bottle of fine red wine, drank about half of it by herself, and reserved the other half for Isolde to drink together when she arrived.

Although Isolde's appearance in court on behalf of the prosecution without prior consultation certainly startled Lilith, it's possible that Lorenzo's side had already contacted her, and she did so to play along. Furthermore, Isolde did indeed help Lilith in a factual sense; the key witness she brought became a crucial piece in bringing down Lorenzo. Lilith still needs to thank her properly.

"What are you planning to do next?" Isolde sat opposite Lilith and swirled the blood-red wine in her glass.

“I’m going to find Heinrich,” Lilith replied firmly, finishing the rest of her red wine in one gulp. “I’ve already told Hannah and Ivanka to prepare my luggage early this morning, and I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”

"So fast?"

“It’s already mid-November.” Lilith’s gaze shifted to the crackling fire in the fireplace. “It’s almost a month’s journey from Venice to Frankfurt. I want to get to him before Christmas.”

“The Alpine roads are more difficult to traverse in winter than ever,” Isolde said with a worried look. “How about this, I’ll go with you tomorrow; it’s on my way home anyway. But after that, you’ll have to walk alone…”

“I am already extremely grateful that you came to Venice to help me, and I don’t know how to repay you. You also have your own things to do, and I can’t keep bothering you.”

“I’m happy to do these things for you, it’s no trouble at all.” Isolde smiled with relief. “Then I won’t bother you any longer today. Have a good night’s sleep, see you tomorrow.”

This time, Lilith drew on her previous experience, packing no fancy dresses or expensive jewelry. She decided to travel entirely on horseback, avoiding carriages, even though the journey would be bumpy and tiring, it would greatly increase her travel speed. Therefore, to facilitate riding, she changed into simple men's clothing, tied her long hair high, and wore no makeup, presenting herself in her most unassuming state.

She had promised Heinrich she would take good care of William, who was staying in Venice, so it wasn't convenient for her to bring him along. Fortunately, Hannah spoke fluent German and Italian and could act as a translator, helping Lilith improve her German along the way and also taking care of her daily needs. In addition, William had used his brother's network of connections in Venice to introduce her to several guides familiar with the Alpine routes and reliable bodyguards who could protect her safety throughout the journey.

Most importantly, William gave her his family crest ring and instructed her not to go directly to the Schmidl family's castle, but rather to a country villa under William's name to find Heinrich. Currently, most of the family's property was under Helmut's control; only this estate, reserved for his brother who had no inheritance rights, remained William's sanctuary. Therefore, according to their previously discussed plan, Heinrich would stay there to make final preparations for his revenge.

Lilith had thought that with her almost perfect travel plan, having prepared all the necessary supplies and companions, she would perhaps avoid the many hardships and dangers she encountered last time. Moreover, with the forest witch Isolde by her side, the werewolves in the deep mountains wouldn't dare to bother them.

But the biting cold blizzards in the Alps were more terrifying to Lilith than bandits and robbers—she realized that this was not a relaxing vacation at all, but almost cost her her life...

Venice has a mild climate, with pleasant temperatures even in winter and very little snow, so Lilith had never visited a place this cold in her life. Even though she was wrapped in a thick cashmere sweater and a fur cloak, with a scarf covering her cheeks and only her eyes showing, the gale still blew relentlessly against her thin body, and she had to exert all her strength to lift her head to look at the gray and white road ahead.

Dark clouds and blizzard obscured the sunlight, and she had no idea where she was or what her direction was; she could only follow the horse's rump aimlessly forward. The sky grew darker and darker, forcing them to light lanterns to find a place to stop and rest.

After a while, the guide led them into a small mountain cabin for travelers to rest in, finally providing them with a place to shelter from the wind and keep warm. Hannah started a fire and used melted snow water to cook bean soup.

Lilith curled up in a pile of furs, sitting by the fire. After warming her frozen hands, she opened her purse and took out nautical biscuits, frozen cheese, salami, and a dagger as cold as ice. As she sawed the cheese like a log, she stared absently at the flickering firelight in the fireplace.

She thought back to her first trip away from Venice, traveling with Heinrich. Along the way, he knew where to rent horses and prepared snacks for her in addition to provisions, because he had already experienced everything that was happening on this journey.

To make his March wedding date, Heinrich departed Frankfurt for Venice in early January, right in the dead of winter. One wonders if he experienced a blizzard like the one we're seeing now? Did he manage to find a small hut to rest in? After a month-long journey, finally arriving in Venice, full of anticipation to see his fiancée, only to be abducted—what must he have felt?

If only he could be by her side right now...

When she was with Heinrich, even though he treated her as his father's killer, outwardly obedient but secretly manipulative, he would still risk his life to protect her when she was in danger. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, he became even more careful and accommodating towards her. Although she had told him before that they shouldn't see each other again, which hurt him deeply, he never expected that she would take the initiative to go to Frankfurt to find him and tell him that she was willing to take him back to Venice.

How happy he would be to see her come to him? The thought warmed Lilith's heart. She wrapped herself in her fur coat and closed her eyes, and immediately Heinrich's golden hair, angular face, and sky-blue eyes appeared before her. His face was mostly expressionless, but a gentle smile would appear when their eyes met. She wanted to see him smile.

Lilith arrived in Frankfurt am Main on December 21st, four days before Christmas Eve. To avoid attracting attention, she sent her guards into the city to settle in the post station, while she and Hannah sped towards William's villa in the suburbs, hoping to see Heinrich as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Lilith saw a sign in front of the road, but there was no fence blocking the road, and ahead was a dense coniferous forest.

“What does it say?” she asked Hannah.

"This is the private hunting grounds of Viscount Schmidl. No unauthorized personnel are permitted to enter. Violators will be held responsible for any consequences."

“William did mention something about a paddock next to his villa. Anyway, since we’re heading in the right direction, let’s go in first.” Lilith loosened the reins, signaling the horse to move forward and follow the path into the woods.

Lilith had only ever heard about what a hunting ground looked like in books or Heinrich's descriptions, so she was very curious. As she walked, she looked around and actually spotted a beautiful red fox in the woods not far away. Its bright and vivid fur stood out against the white snow, and it was sleeping soundly and contentedly under the roots of a tree.

She immediately ordered Hannah to stop and tie the two horses to a tree stump to wait for her, while she took out a dagger from her bag, preparing to sneak up on the beautiful little fox. Just as she got closer and closer, thinking she might succeed, a sharp arrow whizzed past her eyes and swiftly and accurately pierced the fox's neck.

Lilith was startled, and before she could react, another arrow flew straight toward her.

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Author's note: More updates tomorrow!