Chapter 92 The Truth About the Divorce (Part 2) [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Heinrich decides to seduce her…

Heinrich stormed to the Knarro Bank, wanting to have a serious talk with Lilith.

He didn't want to give her the silent treatment. Doing so would only damage their relationship. He wanted to talk things out with her.

Lilith clearly wasn't going to give him that chance.

“Miss said he’s been in meetings all morning and doesn’t have time to see you,” Hannah said somewhat awkwardly to Heinrich.

"knew."

Heinrich felt very bad about being turned away.

Lilith really went too far this time. He hadn't done anything wrong that warranted this treatment. Hadn't they agreed to communicate properly?

He understood Lilith's personality and naturally didn't expect her to proactively explain her thoughts to him. He didn't mind giving in to her on this matter. But what could he do when she wouldn't even give him a chance to explain?

Heinrich grew angrier the more he thought about it. He was so angry that he decided to stop fawning over her like a mangy dog.

Since Lilith refused to see him, he decided to return to his house in Venice and do some work.

So he sat down at his desk and continued writing and reading letters. Suddenly, he remembered the news he had received some time ago: someone in Heidelberg had supposedly invented movable type printing, which could print books quickly. This was a huge business opportunity.

If Lilith could invest in this emerging technology, it would undoubtedly bring huge returns, and it could also be used as a medium to accelerate her promotion of banking services...

No. I'm working so I can escape thinking about her...

Heinrich rubbed his forehead in anguish, the image of Lilith's gloating expression as she dressed him in a skirt flashing through his mind.

She's so adorable, so adorable that just seeing her smile at him makes him feel at peace, even if it forces him to do something incredibly painful. What to do… he longs to see her so much…

No, I absolutely cannot take the initiative to befriend Lilith this time. His patience has its limits. Her willfulness should also have its limits.

They agreed to maintain an equal relationship, and his concessions were limited. After all, he was no longer her slave, and he no longer needed to tread carefully before her just to survive.

He had no obligation to obey her. They were both free individuals. If she couldn't even give him basic human respect, why should he unconditionally give to her?

However, it's not her fault that she developed such a terrible personality...

If it weren't for her mother's death, her father's incompetence, and her brother's abuse, she might have been able to express her emotions more naturally, instead of building up high defenses at the slightest provocation and locking herself inside to grieve alone.

He opened his briefcase, inside which was the sketch Lilith had drawn of him, which he always carried with him.

She clearly loves him, but perhaps she just doesn't know how to express it...

No, Lilith needs his help.

He knew from the moment he fell in love with Lilith that she had such a terrible and hopeless personality, didn't he?

In that case, he should be tolerant of her, understanding of her, and try to make her happy.

He knew what he had to do.

After writing his last letter on special paper with special ink and in special handwriting, Heinrich put it in his briefcase, packed his things, and returned to Lilith's house.

While waiting, he took another shower, combed his hair neatly, shaved carefully, and even used a towel soaked in cold water to cool his slightly swollen eyes, which were still a little swollen from lack of sleep, to make sure he looked his best in front of Lilith.

He slowly ran his fingertips across the almost unrecognizable scar on the right side of his face and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he was certain that Lilith liked his appearance. At least after the scars healed, she wouldn't find his face unattractive.

He then found a white shirt with a ruffled, deep V-neck in the closet, the lines of his chest muscles clearly exposed outside the fabric.

He had never worn this dress in front of Lilith before... She should like it, right? After all, she loved to snuggle against his chest when they slept together.

And the belt he wore on his trousers was Lilith's favorite. It was thinner, so it hurt more when she hit him, and it left marks more easily. She liked to leave her marks on him.

However, seduction based solely on appearance might not be effective. If that approach doesn't work, he has another plan.

No one knew better than him how to make her happy.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. He quickly stood in front of the mirror again, looking left and right to make sure his clothes were in order, before cautiously going downstairs.

The pink sunset shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows, merging the water and sky into a breathtaking scene. His lover wore a cream-colored long dress, adorned with sparkling gemstones like flowers, making her look as beautiful as an angel.

Heinrich was momentarily mesmerized. But the presence of another person quickly diverted his attention.

A tall, well-tailored man stood out, his imposing figure accentuated by his athletic build. His hair was also blond.

Heinrich gasped. His plans had been disrupted.

“Heinrich! You’re here too.” Lilith saw Heinrich on the stairs and suddenly and rather awkwardly took the arm of the man next to her, saying in German, “Let me introduce you. This is Otto, a banker from Austria, who is in Venice to exchange ideas and learn from the Cnarro Bank. Otto, this is Heinrich.”

"Is he your ex-husband, Count Schmidl...?"

“Yes. We’re divorced, but we’re still friends. Just ordinary friends.” Lilith’s gaze turned icy as she looked at Heinrich.

Heinrich felt an uncontrollable throbbing pain in his chest. Even though he knew that Lilith wouldn't fall in love with someone so easily, he still felt terrible.

She was even speaking to that guy in German. Even though they were both Germanic, Lilith always spoke only Italian when talking to him.

He thought of the translator Lilith had hired in Zurich. He had been insanely jealous back then… No, he couldn’t be so impulsive and foolish again.

Moreover, this time, he knew perfectly well that Lilith was doing this on purpose. Her goal was to provoke him. If he really got angry, wouldn't that play right into her hands? Didn't she just want to make him suffer and derive pleasure from it?

In this situation, he had to calm down and analyze what he should do.

“Mr. Otto, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Heinrich greeted him politely. “I have to leave now.”

"Are you leaving?" Lilith asked in surprise.

“Yes. I have some things to take care of. I won’t be back until late.” He lowered his brow slightly. “You guys have fun.”

Lilith sat on the sofa, watching blankly as Heinrich went upstairs, changed his clothes, put on a black cloak and hat, and went out. It was almost night; what was he doing going out alone at this hour?

Does seeing her bring other men home mean he's going to "find a new lover" too?

No, Heinrich wouldn't do such a thing. She knew he was a kind person at heart and wouldn't do such a thing. Even if it meant hurting himself, he wouldn't intentionally hurt the people around him.

He wouldn't do anything foolish enough to hurt himself over something so trivial, would he...?

Lilith was somewhat worried and couldn't help but regret her retaliatory actions. She knew Heinrich hadn't actually done anything wrong, it's just...

“I can’t wait to try the most authentic Venetian cuisine,” Otto’s words interrupted Lilith’s thoughts.

“Excuse me, Mr. Otto, I suddenly remembered that I have an appointment with an important client tonight.” Lilith made up a lie on the spot. “Our bank’s deputy manager will be hosting your dinner in my stead. Please excuse me.”

After giving a few instructions in Italian to her servants on how to receive the guests, Lilith hurriedly ran upstairs and rushed into Heinrich's room.

Sure enough, on his desk was an opened invitation. It was an invitation to an anonymous ball.

Half an hour later, Lilith stood at the entrance of the ball dressed in standard anonymous men's attire.

A black hat with a curtain to cover the hair, a white Balta mask, and a completely black cloak. Every Venetian man had such an outfit, much simpler than the attire for the women's anonymous ball.

After seeing the invitation, Lilith was allowed to enter the ball. She was somewhat puzzled. If Heinrich had forgotten his invitation, would she still be able to find him in the ballroom?

Although this wasn't Lilith's first time dressing as a man, it was the first time she had worn this anonymous outfit. It was so completely concealing that it was impossible to tell who was who.

She looked around, trying to guess Heinrich's location by his approximate height. In the crowd, she saw a man drinking one glass after another, who seemed to be about Heinrich's height.

Lilith moved closer and joined the small circle of several strange men, secretly observing the man's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

Have you heard about Count Heinrich Schmidl's divorce from Liliana Knarro?

"I heard about it. That's incredible! What on earth happened that made a priest declare their marriage invalid? I'm thinking of divorcing my old wife and marrying someone new..."

"What else could it be? That woman is Lilith, the loan shark! Who can stand their woman showing herself off in business like that? What's the difference between her and a prostitute?"

"Exactly. Who knows where her money came from? I'd rather my wife have several lovers than allow her to go out and do business!"

"What good is a shameless woman having so much money? If I were Count Schmidl, I couldn't stand her either!"

Lilith stood to the side listening to this, suddenly enveloped by a tremendous malice. Instinctively, she pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

They have no idea who I am... and this isn't the first time I've heard people talking about me like this. These men are just trying to smear her out of jealousy.

But Lilith was still sad. She seemed to suddenly understand Heinrich a little. Even knowing that what they were saying wasn't true, she still felt sad.

Especially when even his only lover, who could speak up for him, chooses to stand by and watch.

Lilith wouldn't risk exposing her identity by speaking up for herself in such a setting. After all, what they say wouldn't affect her wealth or status. But if news broke that she attended an anonymous men's ball, it would likely be another public relations crisis.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly saw the guy who had been drinking alone walk up to her and coldly comment:

“Liliana is not that kind of person. What you’re saying is disgusting.”

"Isn't attending an anonymous ball just about gossiping and venting your emotions behind people's backs? What's with the pretense?"

"Yeah! Stop pretending to be high-minded. Everyone's anonymous, so why have such high moral standards? If you don't want to hear it, then get lost."

"You think that because you're anonymous, you don't need to follow morals, right?" The man's voice was calm. "If that's the case..."

He suddenly threw a punch, which struck the other man hard in the face. The hat and mask were immediately knocked off, revealing an ugly, ferocious, and twisted face.

[Author's Note]

More updates tomorrow!