Claire had been with Liliana for more than twenty years, so it wasn't wrong to say that the woman before her had practically raised her.

She respected her deeply and had long sworn her loyalty to her. The decision to follow Liliana to the ends of the world was something she made a long time ago.

Yet, the same Liliana had left her after the incident fifteen years ago and Claire couldn't even bring herself to blame her for it. That single incident had changed everything.

As she heard that emotionless voice now, her heart felt as though it was being pierced by thousands of blades. Liliana was never an emotional person, far from it actually, but she had still shown traces of emotion back then.

But now… only a hollow shell of a person remained. Even the faint emotions she used to display had completely faded after that incident.

Nonetheless, there were still a few things that hadn't changed. Her motherly love for her children still remained, even in this empty husk.

A few weeks ago, Liliana had appeared on her doorstep after so many years of disappearance. Her face was the same, flawless and beautiful, but those eyes… they were so unfamiliar to Claire now.

Her only request to Claire had been to protect her youngest son, the one who had never even seen the face of his mother. How could Claire refuse something like that?

That was why she had been keeping an eye on Aegon ever since he entered the Great Solar Empire. However, she had detected a fearsome presence in his shadows and chose to keep her distance.

Who would have thought it would lead to an attack before she could even do anything about it?

Although everything had ended well, Claire still felt as though she had failed to uphold her promise to Liliana.

That was why she was willing to accept any punishment.

"Hecte, huh. I did hear that Xiu gave the Red Viel to Aegon, so it's not surprising. If she's with him, he'll be safe," Liliana said, her voice still monotonous and devoid of feeling. "But you will continue to protect him."

"I will do it even if it costs my life," Claire declared instantly.

"You are useless if it reaches a situation where you have to sacrifice yourself."

Claire pursed her lips tightly. She wanted to say something to Liliana, but she kept it buried inside her heart.

"I believe Xiu is already on her way," Liliana said as she picked up another wine glass. "So, we can withdraw from this matter. You just need to stay around him."

"Mistress, don't we need to find the culprit? He clearly has powerful backing," Claire asked, her tone hesitant but serious. "What if he tries something worse next time?"

"Then you will be there to protect him. Not only that, Hecte is also with him," Liliana replied calmly. "As for pursuing him, there's no need, Xiu will be more than enough. And if I interfere, she'll just throw tantrums so let her handle it."

Claire was speechless. This was one of the very few times she had seen Liliana giving in to someone. All because she might throw tantrums? Was she a child?

"She'll always be a child to me," Liliana replied as though she had read Claire's thoughts. "This matter is settled. Now, tell me if you encountered any of Art's men?"

"I found out that his father had made arrangements so that he doesn't get close to Young Master in any way. So, I didn't find anyone," Claire said calmly.

"He's still angry," Liliana muttered, and for a brief second, Claire could have sworn she heard sadness and disappointment in her tone. "Why am I allowed then?"

"Perhaps he really doesn't blame you for what happened back then," Claire tried to comfort her. It truly pained her to see Liliana like this.

"He doesn't," Liliana said with certainty. Then she paused and asked, "How is my son?"

"Brilliant and intelligent, just like you," Claire said with a faint smile. "He analyzed the entire situation so calmly that even I was unnerved. He acted on his plans precisely, and even prepared for outcomes that didn't happen."

"Cautiousness. Seems like he's the outlier among all of us," Liliana said, a soft smile appearing on her lips, as though she could picture the scene before her. "Was he helped by his friends?"

"Yes. All of them stood forward to protect him without hesitation," Claire replied. "He has great friends."

"Truly an outlier," Liliana murmured as she waved her hand. Two glowing screens formed in midair before her, displaying footage of two individuals.

Both were engaged in intense battles, so their faces weren't entirely visible. But their gender and demeanor were clear.

The first was a handsome man clad in tight silver armor, his jet-black eyes scanning the battlefield calmly as he slaughtered dozens of demons within minutes. He didn't speak a word, letting his sword do all the talking.

The other was a young woman wearing leather armor that gleamed faintly under the sunlight. Though her shouts couldn't be heard from the projection, the way her face contorted and her mouth moved was enough to reveal her fiery personality.

"He's better than my other two silly kids at getting good friends, at least," Liliana said softly, caressing the screens as if she were trying to pass her warmth to those two figures. "He grew up just fine."

She felt conflicted as she looked at them, as she was reminded of her failures once again. Because of how she was, her first two children had turned out the way they did and the third one, raised by someone else, had grown up so well.

She didn't think her first two children had any major faults, but they were certainly affected by her presence in their lives.

"Mistress, you also raised me," Claire quickly said. "You're not a bad mother. Not at all."

"It's fine. I don't live in delusions or self-pity," Liliana replied calmly as ever. "I know what I am and what I've done. I don't run from consequences. I face them."

She turned around, her white hair swaying slightly, and said, "Send the flowers to Xiu and then protect Aegon from the shadows. I have some matters to settle before I meet him."

Claire nodded in understanding and glanced at the table, where skeletons now sat in place of all those once-lively people. On top of their skulls, beautiful red lilies swayed gently, almost as if they were dancing in joy.

She gulped in fear.

People really forgot who Liliana was simply because she rarely fought herself. But this...this was one of the many reasons she was feared even on the battlefield.

The Red Lily blossomed upon Liliana's enemies.

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