CHAPTER 101: SHADOWY FIGURE

Lilith returned to the prince’s chamber to begin reading the books. After settling herself on the bed and pulling the blanket over her body, she decided to start with Sailor’s Bride, as it had more pages than the other novel. An hour passed, and she was only fifty pages in. Though the story was captivating, her eyes were growing heavy. She knew she needed to rest for a while to refresh her focus.

She placed a small slip of paper between the pages as a bookmark and closed the book, setting it on the dresser beside the bed. Rising from the bed, she stretched her limbs before walking over to the window. She pushed the curtain aside to get a glimpse of the sky—it was still gray and gloomy, with snow falling heavily.

Lilith sighed, about to close the curtain, when something caught her eye. She froze, turning her head and squinting, trying to get a better look at the shadowy figure in the distance. The figure was dressed in black, a cloak pulled over their head, hiding the upper half of their face.

The person stood motionless, like a statue, unaffected by the biting wind or the cold. Though she couldn’t see their face clearly, Lilith felt certain that they were staring directly at her window.

From the person’s build and height, she guessed it was a woman. But what was she doing out there in the middle of a snowstorm?

Then, the figure moved, reaching behind her, pulling something out from her trousers. A flash of silver. Before Lilith could fully register what was happening, the woman threw a dagger in her direction. It moved with terrifying speed, giving Lilith only a split second to dive out of the way as the blade shattered the window and buried itself deep into the wall behind her.

Lilith hit the floor, her body trembling with fear. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly pushed herself up, eyes darting to the dagger lodged in the wall, then back to the window.

Cautiously, she stepped forward and parted the curtain again. The woman was gone. She looked around frantically, but the snowy courtyard was empty—no trace of the figure remained.

She frowned, utterly confused. What just happened?

Lilith! Lilith!! Lilith!!!

She heard her name being called in the distance, growing louder. Her frown deepened. She closed her eyes and opened them again, only to find herself lying in bed.

"Dear goodness, I’ve been calling you for hours," Grim said, standing on her chest. The creature rolled its eyes before hopping off her and onto the bed.

Lilith sat up, running her fingers through her hair. She looked down and noticed the book she had been reading resting on her stomach—meaning she had fallen asleep while reading. But how was that possible? She clearly remembered placing it on the dresser. And how had she ended up lying on the bed?

The questions swirled in her head, but there were no answers.

She sighed and turned to look at the wall where the dagger had struck—but the wall was smooth, untouched, as if nothing had happened.

"I didn’t know you fancied reading," Grim said casually, flipping through the pages of the second book lying on the bed.

Lilith turned to it. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough. About thirty minutes. I wandered around for a bit before calling out to you like a million times. Did you not sleep last night?" Grim arched a brow at her.

Lilith blinked. "I did... I guess I was just tired from reading," she said, still trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Oh, interesting." Grim leaned forward, its paws pressing on a page. "’He pressed a kiss on my navel and down to the middle of my legs, causing me to shake slightly...’ "

Lilith’s eyes widened. She glanced down at the book and snatched it from Grim’s paws, quickly snapping it shut and placing it on the dresser.

"So that’s what you’re reading, Lilith. Quite naughty of you," Grim teased, waggling its brows and smirking.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Grim? Aren’t you supposed to be with the prince?"

Grim sprawled out on the bed. "My master isn’t exactly in the best mood today, and I’d rather not suffer his wrath, so I gave him some space."

"Why isn’t he in a good mood?" Lilith asked, her curiosity piqued

"I think I should be asking you that. I only just returned from an errand this morning—I have no idea what’s going on," Grim replied. "So, Lilith, why is my master in a bad mood?"

"I have no idea either. I haven’t seen him since this morning," Lilith said.

"Alright, if you say so. I’d like to sleep for a few hours, and your bed is incredibly soft." Grim stretched its small body lazily. "Please, try to be quiet."

Lilith simply shook her head and climbed off the bed. She walked over to the window and pushed the curtain aside. As she suspected, there was no one outside, and the glass of the window was perfectly intact—just like the wall.

Whatever had happened earlier didn’t feel like a dream, but somehow, it must have been. She let out a deep breath. She needed to leave the room and clear her head.

Glancing once more at Grim, who was already curled up, she quietly exited the room, shutting the door softly behind her.

She made her way downstairs, intending to head to the parlour, but paused when she heard the soft sound of music. The melody was gentle and soothing, unlike anything she’d heard in the castle before.

Curious, Lilith followed the sound. As she pushed open the door from which it came, she was greeted by the sight of a beautiful music room. A large, colorful patterned couch sat to one side of the room. Along the walls were a collection of instruments: a polished pianoforte, an elegant violin, a silver flute, a clarinet, and brass instruments, all arranged with care.