Chapter 96 The Girl Who Gambled Everything (Part 2) [VIP]

Chapter Summary: The Price of Becoming Liliana

Lily, clutching a freshly baked, piping hot pie, hurried with the doctor to her and her mother's simple, cozy little home.

Chloe heard the door open and turned around, her body weak. She was surprised to see that Lily had brought a doctor home. However, since there were outsiders present, she didn't directly express her concerns. Instead, she asked Lily to fetch some clean water from the well in the square while she handled the doctor's consultation and prescription on her own.

When Lily returned home after getting the water, saw the doctor out, and handed the still-warm pie to her mother, she was met with Chloe's cold expression.

Chloe's long red hair had become dry and frizzy due to her serious illness, and her cheeks were slightly sunken due to malnutrition, which made her stern gaze appear even sharper.

Lily felt uneasy under her mother's gaze.

"Where did you get the money to do all this?"

"I...I sold my hair! Doesn't short hair look good? I even did a lot of errands to earn money for medical treatment..."

"Where did you get these clothes?" Chloe bluntly exposed her.

"It was bought with the money I earned..."

"Impossible. This kind of fabric and style is not clothing that ordinary people can afford. Tell me the truth, did you steal or rob it? Where did the money come from?"

Lily stood frozen, bewildered. She had told so many lies today, but only this time had her mother, who knew her best, see through her immediately.

“I didn’t steal it… This, this is what Father gave me!” Lily answered bravely. “I went to the Knarro’s house and found Bruno. He gave me a gold coin… Mom, he has so much money, lives in such a luxurious palace, it’s just a gold coin, it shouldn’t mean much to him…”

Hearing Lily's words, Chloe's worried expression didn't lessen at all: "Don't you remember what Mom told you? He's someone we can't afford to mess with..."

“Mom, but he’s not that bad! He gave me money and clothes, which means he hasn’t forgotten us!” Lily was puzzled by Chloe’s worries. “He also said he would come to see us whenever he had time!”

“Lily, don’t think that just because he gave you money once and took you to his place once, he’s good to you. We’re not like them…” Chloe’s brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and she collapsed helplessly onto the bed. “It’s all my fault. I’m incapable, I can’t create a better future for you… but…”

"Mom, don't worry!" Lily squeezed her mother's hand. "You should focus on getting better and not worry about anything else. You'll get better soon..."

Chloe wanted to say something more, but the pain couldn't sustain her thoughts. She half-opened her eyes, watching her daughter's image gradually blur in her vision, seemingly growing farther and farther away.

The next morning, Bruno knocked on their door.

"Lily, could you go out for a bit? I need to talk to your mother about something." His features seemed much more relaxed than yesterday, and he appeared to be in a good mood.

"good……"

Lily, of course, wouldn't obediently listen. She pretended to run away under Bruno's gaze, but quickly returned and crouched in the corner to eavesdrop on their conversation. But her mother's weak voice was too faint for her to hear clearly; she could only catch fragmented snippets.

“I know my time is running out… The doctor told me yesterday… I’m worried about Lily…”

"I will take her back."

What! ?

Lily was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to feel pain or...happiness. How could she be happy? How could she be happy at a time like this? Bruno was clearly just a father figure she was playing along for personal gain; her mother was the only family she truly recognized. So why did she react so strongly when Bruno said he was going to take her away?

She actually felt happy...

She sat on the ground, staring blankly at the corner of the wall diagonally opposite. The dilapidated mud wall was covered with stains that had been there for who knows how many years and could not be cleaned off. The pitted and mottled wall was like the missing pieces in the life of the person who lived here.

If only I could live in that magnificent palace, wearing a beautiful and exquisite dress like a noble lady...

But, but Mom... she doesn't want to leave Mom...

She suddenly understood what her mother had said. It turned out that once she found Bruno, things would begin to unfold in ways she couldn't have predicted. Even if she initially handled it well, when faced with immense temptation, her will wasn't as firm as she had imagined.

It's as if Pandora's box has been opened; ignorant humans must bear the consequences of their curiosity.

But did she really do something wrong? If she didn't go to Bruno, Lily herself didn't have the ability to make things better. She didn't even have the money to call a doctor for her mother. Perhaps this was the best solution available at the moment…

She doesn't regret the efforts she put in and the choices she made, even though she led herself into the unknown.

"Lily."

The door opened suddenly without warning. Bruno calmly gestured for her to come in. He wasn't surprised at all that she was eavesdropping outside, as if it were part of his plan.

“Your mother and I have discussed it. I will take you back today, and from now on you will be a Knarro girl. The name Lily is not quite right. From now on, your official name will be Liliana Knarro.”

"Then... what about Mom?"

Lily sat on the edge of the bed, holding her mother's hand tightly. Her mind was in turmoil; she could no longer maintain the composure and ease she had shown with Bruno yesterday. As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she hadn't hesitated at all, agreeing to Bruno's proposal and even starting to discuss the follow-up matters.

“I will send a maid from my home to take care of her. You can still come back to visit her every week.”

"Can't we take Mom with us?"

“No,” Chloe suddenly interjected.

"Then, can't I visit Mom every day?"

"From now on, you will be like all the noble girls, learning to read, write, embroider, and cook. Your daily schedule will be very full, and you won't have time to come every day."

Lily stared at him blankly, completely unable to fathom what this meant. She instinctively looked at her mother, who lay pale on the bed, unsure what to do.

“Lily will be the eldest daughter of the Knarro family from now on. Take good care of yourself after you go back with Dad.” Chloe forced a smile. “Even if we don’t live together, Mom will always love you and miss you.”

For some reason, upon hearing her mother say those words, Lily suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly.

"No! I want to stay with Mom forever... I don't want to leave Mom... I don't want to go..."

This was clearly a genuine outpouring of emotion, not a deliberately fabricated lie. But as Lily spoke them aloud, she felt a faint sense of guilt.

This is exactly what she wanted; it's the result she orchestrated. Her mother will receive better care because of it, so why should she be upset?

After her father brought her home, he first had the maid clean the dirty child from head to toe, even under her fingernails. It was the first time Lily had ever taken a hot bath, and the water even smelled pleasantly of essential oil soap.

After her bath, the maid dressed her in a soft, pure white cotton undershirt, then put on a light green long skirt made of silk, and adorned her with a delicate gold necklace.

Her short hair was combed to be fluffy and smooth, and the maid used clips to secure several identical hair wigs to her head. She almost wondered if it was the hair she had cut off and sold the day before.

She suddenly remembered the hair ribbon her father had given her. She saw the maid open a box containing hair accessories, inside which were dozens of hair ribbons of different styles, each one more gorgeous, more exquisite, and more beautiful than her old one.

She stared blankly at herself in the mirror, a reflection of herself utterly unfamiliar, adorned with clothes and accessories of immeasurable value. She now looked exactly like the aristocratic lady she had met yesterday. Looking at herself, she couldn't help but laugh.

What kind of life awaits her?

The maid led her into a quiet little room and had her sit in a chair, keeping her in the same position without moving.

After a while, a strange nobleman with a long beard walked into the room. He did not greet her, but slowly unfolded his painting tools, set up his easel, and began to draw a draft on the canvas.

Lily sat in the same position for a very long time, until her legs went numb and her face stiffened, but she still couldn't move.

What are they doing? Why are they drawing her portrait?

After an unknown amount of time, she heard a woman's laughter coming from the doorway.

"I told you, we'll meet again."

It was Mrs. Dawfen. Lily saw her walk into the room with Bruno.

"What a beauty! Dressed up, she'd look every bit the young lady of a noble family. Anyone who sees your portrait would fall in love with you!" Madam Daofen smiled as she looked at the red-haired girl who was trying her best to sit up straight and couldn't move at all.

"Mrs. Dawfen..."

“Liliana, it’s a pleasure to meet you again.” Mrs. Dawfen smiled enigmatically. “It’s such a waste for a beautiful lady like you to stay in the slums. I’ve found you an excellent marriage!”

"Marriage...?" Lily had no idea what this meant.

"The most dazzling new steel-owning family in Germany is looking to arrange a marriage between their heir to a Venetian noble family! If this marriage can be arranged, it will be absolutely beneficial to both you and the Knarro family," Madame Dauphin replied with a smile. "Right now she's just a Knarro girl, but soon she'll be a countess!"

“Massimo has agreed, but there are still some other things to discuss…” Bruno said to Mrs. Dauphine, his gaze darting away, somewhat guiltily. “It’s getting late, we…”

"He wants to eat this fat piece of meat, but he also feels sorry for his own daughter..." Mrs. Dawfen commented mercilessly, before turning her head to give Lily an ambiguous look and leaving without saying goodbye.

Lily stared wide-eyed at Mrs. Dawfen's departing figure in disbelief, speechless. She only felt something enormous pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.

After an unknown amount of time, the painter took a deep breath, began to pack up his painting tools, and finally pardoned the girl from the torture of remaining motionless.

Lily was about to run to her father to ask him what was going on, but the maid stopped her, took her back to her room, removed the jewelry that adorned her, took off her gorgeous dress, and changed her into a simple gray linen dress that resembled a maid's outfit. Then the maid took the dress and accessories and left.

Lily was left alone in the ornate yet gloomy room, helplessly hugging herself and slumping against the wall. Suddenly, she noticed a piece missing from the wallpaper opposite her, revealing equally mottled and dirty cement underneath.

"I heard the old man brought back a bastard in the body of a slut? Where is she?" She heard a boy shout angrily from outside the door, "It's all because of that bitch that my mother..."

She heard footsteps getting closer and closer, then the world spun around her, the pain from the impact blurred her vision, and her mind went blank.

The next morning, when she woke up in bed with bandages wrapped around her, she received news of her mother's death.

[Author's Note]

This side story explains a lot about Lilith's psychology in the main story.

In the early part of the text, Lilith's obsession with control stems from the complete loss of control she experienced in her childhood. Her constant desire to climb higher and eliminate all threats in her life is to become the trader herself, rather than being used as a bargaining chip. Her avoidance of intimate relationships stems from the end of the only relationship she had after her mother's death that was not bound by money.

Although the beginning was a bit heartbreaking, in the end, Lilith grew into a remarkable adult, achieving great success in both her career and love life. [Pity]

This tells the story of Lily becoming Liliana, and I'd like to write about Liliana becoming Lilith later... but maybe before that, I'll write a sweet little scene of a young couple's romance to ease things up! After all, Christmas is almost here, how can I update with something angsty for Christmas?! (Seriously)

If you like it, please leave a comment or give me some nutrient solution, sob sob [pity][rose][rose][rose] Love you all!