Chapter 95 The Girl Who Gambled Everything (Part 2) [VIP]
Chapter Summary: She wanted more.
"Where did this beggar come from...?"
Just as the maid glanced at her and was about to close the door, Lily suddenly squeezed through the crack, wedging herself between the door and the doorframe. She stared intently at her and said in a calm but firm voice:
“I am Mrs. Dawfen’s messenger, not a beggar.”
"Daufens..." is one of the eight great families of Venice. "Then give me the letter. Who is it addressed to?"
"It's for Mr. Bruno Canaro. Mrs. Dauphine noted that I must personally deliver the letter to Mr. Canaro."
“…Alright then.” The maid had no choice but to believe her for the time being and led her inside.
Lily trembled uncontrollably at the loud bang of the door slamming shut. She clenched her fists and followed the maid incredulously into this world, more magnificent than any dream.
A lie becomes the truth once it is believed.
The exquisite murals on the ceiling, the elaborate wallpaper on the walls, and the gilded candlesticks filled with candles illuminated the room even brighter than the outside.
If she could get him to acknowledge her… if she could get him to be her father…
She couldn't imagine how much benefit this could bring her. No, she couldn't indulge in fantasies. Her immediate priority was to acquire more leverage and gather more information before meeting him.
The maid led her into a simply decorated, cramped waiting room and assigned a younger maid to look after her.
"Mr. Knarro will meet you here."
After saying that, she left.
After hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, Lily quickly grasped the young maid's hand and stuffed all the silver coins she had just received into it.
“Sister,” Lily looked at her with the most sincere eyes, “to be honest, I am here on the orders of Mrs. Dauphine to ask Mr. Knarro for a favor. But I am not very familiar with the Knarro family and do not know what to say without offending him. If you could give me some information about the Knarro family, even the most basic and well-known information, it would be of great help to me.”
"But...I..."
Seeing the maid hesitate for a moment instead of refusing immediately, Lily knew she still had a chance and quickly continued, "I don't need any confidential information, just the most basic stuff. If you can help me with this, I will reward you handsomely after I receive Mrs. Dawfen's payment. Even if I fail, I will remember your kindness."
“Alright…” The maid accepted the Grosso silver coins. The engravings on the snow-white coins were clear and distinct, without a single stain, truly like money made by a nobleman. “The Mr. Bruno you are looking for is the second son of the Canaro family. His elder brother, the eldest son Massimo, is the current patriarch. Bruno himself has been widowed for many years and has one son. His younger brother, Francisco, is still unmarried.”
"What about the women?"
“Two of your older sisters are already married. And there’s another one who’s a bit special… You work for Mrs. Dawfen, so you may have heard of her, Miss Elena. She’s a businesswoman.”
A merchant. This was the first time Lilith had heard the word end in feminine. A merchant was someone who profited by making large gains through transactions. Was what she was doing now also a kind of merchantly behavior?
She needs to think like a businessman.
"Mr. Bruno... often has a headache because of his son, Mr. Mauro. Well, that's all I can say."
"Mr. Massimo also has a son, doesn't he?"
“Of course,” the maid replied instinctively. “He is the head of the family and needs a direct son to inherit the family business, so naturally he will have a son.”
“Thank you so much. That’s enough information.” Lily gave a grateful smile.
She immediately began to analyze.
Bruno's dissatisfaction with his son might stem from the fact that his son realized he couldn't be the family heir and became a spoiled brat. Although Lilith had never met a truly high-ranking person with the ability to change the rules of the world, she had seen plenty of spoiled brats during her long time in the casino.
He has a good-for-nothing son who has been widowed for many years but has yet to remarry. Furthermore, he maintains a clandestine romantic relationship with Lily's mother, suggesting his own lack of fidelity to his deceased wife. Given this, perhaps his character and social standing in high society are insufficient to find a suitable wife…
Therefore, we can conclude that Bruno's position within the family was probably not much better.
Lily gazed at her reflection in the glass window. What could a penniless young girl possibly offer Bruno in exchange for his help?
She didn't know...
But she had to try.
Before she could figure it out, Bruno pushed the door open and came in. The maid wisely left, leaving the two of them alone.
Bruno's expression turned worried the moment he saw her. He had never let them know where he lived. Since he had come to their door, it must be because...
“Father…” Lily tried to put on a well-behaved and pitiful look, and looked up at him devoutly.
“Lily, you…”
Bruno sighed and rubbed his forehead, unsure how to respond, when suddenly, the red-haired little girl threw herself into his arms.
Neither admitting nor denying, that is tacit consent.
"Father...please don't leave me and Mom..." Lily cried out, her eyes darting around as she tried to squeeze out tears. "Mom is so sick...I had no other choice but to come to you. Please, please save her! Only you can save her!"
"What? Chloe is sick?" Bruno patted the little girl's back, his brows furrowing deeply. "When did this happen?"
“I’ve been sick for so long… We’ve run out of money… Look, I’ve even sold my hair. If you don’t help me, my mother… You know… My mother has been telling me not to come to you because you’re the person she loves most, and she doesn’t want to affect you… Yes, Mrs. Dawfen brought me here…”
Lily cried, tears streaming down her face, occasionally glancing up to observe Bruno's reaction. When she mentioned Mrs. Dawfin's name, his furrowed brows deepened.
Sure enough, the threat worked.
By invoking the name of a noblewoman, Bruno was made aware that high society was already aware of her existence. If he dared to stand idly by, or even let her disappear, he would be branded as someone who had abandoned his illegitimate daughter.
“Don’t worry, I won’t abandon her.” Bruno patted her back again, pushed the crying little girl aside, opened his inner pocket, and took out a gleaming Ducati gold coin. “This should be enough for you to live on for a while. Go back today and get your mother a good doctor. I’ll come see you again in a few days.”
Lily hurriedly accepted the gold coin, its heavy weight leaving her in disbelief. Was this all she had gained for the day?
Perhaps she should be content?
No, that's far from enough.
She wanted more.
“But… I can’t just accept Father’s gold coins like this!” She was careful with her address, constantly reminding Bruno of his place, though he had never admitted it, nor denied it. “I work for Mrs. Dauphine now, and she pays me. If I take Father’s money, I have to do something for you…”
"You work for her? What kind of work?"
"It's like running errands, delivering mail, shining shoes, or putting foot mats..."
A man whose illegitimate daughter, who inherited his bloodline, is forced to run errands and do menial tasks for another noblewoman, a job worse than that of a slave—such a man is bound to become a laughingstock in high society…
Lily squinted her swollen, tear-filled eyes and cautiously probed, afraid of accidentally giving herself away.
"Here's what we'll do. You don't need to work for her anymore for now. Wait until after some time..."
Lily opened her beautiful big eyes wide and looked at him with expectant eyes.
I will come to see you in a while.
Her gaze dimmed instantly.
What exactly are they expecting? They've already received an unimaginable fortune – a single gold coin. It's enough to hire the best doctor for their mother and support their daily expenses for a long time to come.
But... but...
She wanted more.
Was it really for her mother's sake? Or for her own?
But what's wrong with wanting to live a better life?
Lily hadn't thought it through, but she threw herself into Bruno's arms again and gave him a big hug.
"Thank you, Dad! I love you!"
She forced a smile that seemed utterly genuine.
Before leaving, Bruno instructed the maid to fetch her a clean set of clothes and shoes so that she could change before departing.
It was said that those were Mauro's clothes when he was a child. Even though the clothes had been worn for a long time, the material was still very comfortable, clean, and refreshing. The maid brought several pairs of shoes and let her try them on one by one, so that she could choose the most comfortable pair to wear. She casually threw the pair of shoes that were covered in mud and were obviously too small into the trash can.
As Lily put on this outfit, she had the illusion for the first time that she had become a member of high society.
So this is what it feels like to be rich! Clean clothes, comfortable shoes, Lily couldn't help but run and jump lightly in the street, overjoyed at having successfully completed her mission.
She won her bet.
Why did her mother keep their relationship a secret and never reveal it to her when she could get her father's financial support so easily?
Bruno seems like a very easy person to talk to. Although all her affection for him was just an act, the fact that he believed it all suggests that he might not be that smart after all, and that she easily won him over with her simple coquettishness and cleverness!
Furthermore, Bruno's legal wife passed away a long time ago. This means it's not impossible for his mother to become his second wife. If that happens, his mother wouldn't have to work so hard at the casino anymore!
Mother can wear gorgeous, elegant dresses like a noblewoman, enjoy the best medical care, and rightfully bear the Knarro family name. And Lily, correspondingly, can become a noblewoman…
Just like that beautiful lady she had seen through the glass window...
Filled with gold coins and wonderful fantasies, Lily rushed to the market before closing time to exchange them for more convenient Grosso and Suldi silver coins. Then she hurried to the church hospital to fetch a highly respected doctor. Perhaps because she was wearing clean clothes, she felt that the people she encountered along the way were much nicer to her than before.
For the first time in a long day, a genuine smile appeared on her lips. Looking back on being shoved in the morning and looked down upon at noon, it all seemed as distant as if it happened in the last century. Life will definitely get better, it definitely will.
At that time, she didn't know that every gift fate bestows comes with a hidden price. [Note]
[Author's Note]
[Note] From Stefan Zweig's *Marie Antoinette*.
But Lilith is not Marie Antoinette.
I'll continue updating tomorrow! Love you all!
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