Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 126
Cecilia praised her and then examined the wedding dress again.
Even upon another look, there was nothing special about it. It was a plain wedding dress. The design was a bit old, but it looked expensive as it was a noblewoman’s bridal attire.
After carefully checking even the lining, Cecilia looked back at Lilith and asked.
“But why did Mother give you this dress?”
“Hmm?”
“You two were enemies.”
To be precise, Lilith had a one-sided dislike for Evelyn.
“I don’t really know the reason…”
“Do you remember anything about that day?”
“That day?”
Lilith pondered deeply.
That day…
It was hard to forget.
So much had happened.
***
About five years ago, at the Coffret Manor.
It was around the time Guinevere, who had become the Marchioness of Rosencrantz, came for a summer vacation with Ulysses and Nigel.
Evelyn was pregnant with her third child.
She barely gained any weight until the due date was near. Her belly was so round that even walking was difficult.
Adam clicked his tongue at the sight of Evelyn looking like she hadn’t eaten anything.
“It’s a daughter again this time.”
He spoke as if he knew without having to see. Despite the sharp criticism, Evelyn did not even glance at Adam.
Her deeply sunken eyes looked weary. Raised in a noble family and having grown up delicately, what could have been so hard?
Lilith scoffed at the sight of Evelyn. A maid whispered as she watched Lilith.
“She doesn’t even know it’s because of her that the Madam ended up like this…”
Lilith glared back at them with fierce eyes, and the maids fell silent.
“Where do these pumpkin-smashing faces think they are…”
Lilith snorted heavily and turned her body, her skirt flaring widely.
Even when Evelyn was alive, Lilith could walk around the hall. The count cherished the young Lilith, hated his wife extremely, and his wife was often too ill to keep Lilith in check.
She was a fox in the tiger’s den. From the time Evelyn could barely move, she happily roamed the corridors.
“Ceci, isn’t it nice to be outside with Mom?”
Sometimes, Lilith would take Cecilia out for a walk. Cecilia, holding her hand, would look around nervously.
“You’ll get in trouble for saying that, Miss Lilith…”
It was a time when the way Cecilia addressed her still bothered Lilith. Lilith said with a disappointed look.
“It’s okay. There’s no one here on this path. When it’s just the two of us, you can call me whatever you want.”
“But there is someone…”
Cecilia lowered her eyes.
“Who could be here…”
Lilith laughed energetically and then looked straight ahead. Her smiling face quickly tensed.
Someone really was there.
“U-Ulysses…”
Cecilia blinked at the boy sitting by an old tree, reading a book.
“Uh, this is… um…”
“I know.”
Ulysses closed his book and stood up. At thirteen, he was wearing suspenders and a white shirt. With his collar and sleeves buttoned up, he looked every bit like a young nobleman.
“It’s a relief you remember.”
“How could I forget? I’m not just some servant who’s been here a couple of times.”
“You little…!”
Lilith, agitated by the boy’s sharp remark, instinctively raised her hand.
“M-Mom…! No…!”
Cecilia, without thinking, called her “Mom” and blocked her in front of Ulysses.
Lilith instantly realized something was terribly wrong. But by the time she came to her senses, her palm was already burning.
Her daughter was on the ground, clutching her swollen cheek. Ulysses looked back and forth between her and Cecilia with a dazed expression, and Lilith stared blankly at her own hand.
‘I hit my own daughter.’
How could I do that? How could I do such a thing! I swore I would never lay a hand on her…
“I-I didn’t mean to…”
Lilith stammered. Meanwhile, Ulysses helped Cecilia to her feet. He looked at Lilith with contempt and brushed the dirt off Cecilia’s skirt with his bare hands.
His blue eyes scrutinized Cecilia’s swollen cheek.
“Does it hurt?”
Cecilia shook her head.
“It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Lilith could tell immediately that her daughter was lying.
This girl, picking up all the wrong things, only saying what she thinks people want to hear…
Lilith’s eyes grew hot. Just when she felt like running away, a lady’s voice came from behind.
“Ulysses? Are you in that place again?”
It was Guinevere in her younger days.
