Chapter 493: Soft Things

Adam finally reached the room where Lilith was waiting. He slowed down as he approached the door, wondering what she had been planning all this time.

He knocked once before opening it.

"Lilith?"

There was no answer.

Adam stepped inside and looked around. The room was quiet, and Lilith was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh?"

He glanced around again before noticing a faint presence behind him.

"You took your time."

Adam nearly jumped when Lilith’s voice came from directly behind him.

He slowly turned around and found her standing there with her arms crossed, her crimson eyes fixed on him. She was wearing a stunning white dress with a low neckline that revealed her cleavage and accentuated the curves of her body.

"Uh... sorry?"

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "You said you were coming right away."

"I know, but I ran into Seraphina."

"Sera?"

"Yeah. We ended up talking for a while."

Lilith stared at him for a few seconds before sighing.

"I suppose I can forgive you."

Adam blinked, he didn’t expect Lilith to forgive him so easily. "That’s it?"

"For now."

Her lips curled into a faint smile as she stepped closer.

"But you haven’t forgotten your promise, have you?"

Adam’s expression stiffened.

"...Of course not."

"Good."

Lilith stopped right in front of him, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Then let’s see if you still remember what you promised me."

Adam suddenly felt a bad feeling creeping up his spine.

"Why do I feel like this is going to be troublesome?"

Lilith’s smile widened when she noticed Adam’s uneasy expression.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked innocently.

"Because every time you make that face, something troublesome usually follows."

"How rude."

Lilith walked past him and sat on the edge of the bed, then casually patted the empty space beside her.

"Come here."

Adam hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her. Lilith shifted closer until their shoulders lightly touched, then rested her head against his shoulder as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Do you remember what you promised me earlier?" she asked softly.

Adam thought for a moment. "I did say I owed you a thank you."

"That’s right."

"So... what do you want to do?"

Lilith tilted her head, pretending to think about it. "Hmm..."

Instead of answering, she moved a little closer. Adam could feel the warmth of her body against his side.

"For tonight, I don’t want anything complicated."

Adam glanced down at her. "Really?"

"Really." Her voice softened. "I just want you to stay here with me for a while."

"That’s all?"

Lilith slowly opened one eye and looked up at him. "Were you expecting something else?"

"No."

"You answered awfully quickly."

"I definitely wasn’t expecting anything strange."

A quiet laugh escaped her. She knew the man beside her was lying.

"Then relax. I’m not going to ask you for anything strange."

Adam let out a relieved sigh, but Lilith’s smile suggested she found his reaction amusing.

"So... what about your relationship with Alice?"

Adam’s expression immediately became a little awkward. "Honestly, I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to tell her."

The thought alone made him hesitate. Alice had always been straightforward in her actions, but when it came to her own feelings, she could be surprisingly stubborn. Adam didn’t want to hurt her, especially after everything they had been through together. At the same time, hiding his relationship with Lilith forever didn’t feel right either.

Lilith let out a quiet chuckle. "If you wait too long and Alice finds out on her own, she’s going to be even more upset. Though..." Her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "I’d actually like to see her angry."

Adam sighed. "You’re not wrong. If I keep it from her for too long, she’ll probably feel even more disappointed."

He lowered his gaze, his fingers resting against his chin. "I just don’t know how she’s going to react. I don’t want her to think that I was deliberately keeping her in the dark."

"Correct." Lilith rested her head against his shoulder again. "Besides, Alice is the type who refuses to admit her own feelings. She might have known about our relationship for a long time already, but she just doesn’t want to acknowledge it."

Adam thought about that for a moment.

"That actually makes sense..." He couldn’t deny it. There had been several times when Alice’s reactions had seemed strange whenever Lilith was around. Maybe she really had noticed something and simply chose not to say anything.

"But even if she already knows..." Adam paused. "I still think I should be the one to tell her."

Lilith glanced up at him, her expression softening slightly. "Then you should."

Adam nodded, though the uncertainty in his eyes remained.

"And then there’s Isolde," Lilith added.

Adam looked at her. "What about her?"

Lilith’s expression became slightly more thoughtful. "She seems to be thinking about something lately."

Her hand slowly moved closer to Adam’s, her fingers brushing against his before she gently took hold of his hand. She then wrapped an arm around him and pulled herself a little closer.

"Isolde feels like she doesn’t really fit in with us," Lilith said softly. "And I think that’s making her lose confidence in herself."

Adam fell silent for a moment, his expression becoming more thoughtful.

"I thought she was just being her usual self," he admitted. "She always seems so confident, so I never imagined she might actually feel that way."

Lilith gently rested her head against his shoulder. "That’s probably why she hides it so well."

Adam looked down at her. "Do you think I should talk to her?"

"I think you should," Lilith replied. "But don’t force her to tell you what’s bothering her. If you push too hard, she’ll probably just deny everything."

Adam sighed softly. "Yeah... that sounds like her."

Lilith smiled. "She probably just wants to feel like she belongs here."

Adam’s gaze lowered as he thought about Isolde. He remembered how she had quietly stayed beside him, even when she wasn’t sure where she stood among the others. He also remembered how easily her expression had changed whenever she thought she was being left behind.

"I don’t want her to feel like she’s an outsider," Adam said quietly.

Lilith looked up at him, her eyes softening.

"Then make sure she knows she isn’t."

Adam nodded.

"I will."

Lilith smiled and tightened her embrace slightly.

"Good. You’re finally starting to understand."

Adam glanced at her. "Understand what?"

"That sometimes, you don’t need to solve everything with strength."

"...Are you saying I’m too violent?"

"I’m saying you’re a little dense."

"Hey!"

Lilith laughed softly, her head still resting against his shoulder.

"That’s why you have us around, isn’t it?"