Vampire's Veil Of Obsession-Chapter 178: Those words

The door opened slowly as Mr. Winslow smiled softly. Just as he raised his head, his eyes widened, and his body froze—completely unmoving, as he hadn’t expected to see who stood before him.

Z... Zethan Lyall.

He blinked, while Lilia pursed her lips slightly. Her father still stood there, trying to comprehend the sight before him.

Zethan brought out his hand, a bit shaken, as he spoke,

"Good to see you again."

At once, her father stirred. He quickly extended his own hand to shake, and as their hands met, he finally realized the man standing before him was real.

"G... good to s... see you too," he said quietly.

Zethan nodded, and Lilia immediately stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned in, her smile vibrant as she spoke to her father.

"Father, at least let us in," she said.

Her father quickly nodded in response.

"Y-yes, s-sure," he stammered, stepping aside and opening the door wider.

Just as the door opened fully, Zethan and Lilia stepped into the room.

Her father cleared his throat and spoke respectfully as he gently extended his hand to the sofa.

"Mr. Zethan, please make yourself at home."

Zethan gave a polite nod and walked over to the sofa, sitting quietly. Meanwhile, Lilia followed her father into the kitchen, where she brought out two glass cups. She paused, then glanced at him as if silently asking for a third.

Her father shook his head gently.

"You don’t have to worry," he said.

But Lilia shook her head in return.

"No, Father. At least let’s all drink together—this is the first time you’re meeting my husband here."

Her father gave a small nod, though his expression held unspoken questions. The look in his eyes clearly said he was curious—he needed answers.

Before he could say more, Lilia spoke up loudly, sensing his thoughts.

"It’s a long story. Let’s not keep him waiting."

Her father gave in with a nod as Lilia took the juice and returned to the parlor where Zethan sat. As she walked in, she noticed him looking around, quietly observing the place. A small smile curved her lips.

Zethan looked at her then; a slow smile moved across his face. Lilia placed the glasses on the center table just as her father handed her the bottle of juice. She opened it and began pouring it into the glasses, the soft trickle echoing gently in the quiet room.

PLOP PLOP PLOP

She handed one cup to Zethan, who accepted it with a grateful nod. She handed the other to her dad, then sat down beside Zethan, while her father took a seat on the other end of the sofa.

Lilia cleared her throat softly and spoke,

"Um... Father, the thing is—I decided to bring my husband here to meet you. I thought it’d be good for us to start getting to know each other."

Her father nodded, a gentle smile tugging at his lips as he turned toward Zethan.

"It’s a real pleasure... A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Zethan," he said quietly.

Zethan gave a nod in acknowledgement, his voice calm as he replied,

"Pleasure to meet my wife’s father as well—and call me Zethan."

Lilia’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to him quickly, caught off guard. Did he just say that? Her father, too, looked visibly stunned by Zethan’s unexpected words.

Zethan moved as he took a sip of his drink as Lilia followed suit.

Then, her father stammered slightly,

"Y-yes, yes... I will. Very well."

Zethan nodded again, then glanced around the room before asking,

"Why were you brought here?"

Her father’s tone turned quiet, reflective.

"Coming to the Land of the Dead... it means you have to start from scratch. This is the kind of house they assign to you, for now, until you begin to do well. I’m still working my way up."

Zethan gave a thoughtful nod, and Lilia turned to her father, concern soft in her eyes. Her father looked at Zethan again and spoke more quietly this time, his voice almost wary.

"I’m quite surprised that you’ve come to the Land of the Dead. If anything happened back in the Land of the Living, it would be... quite shocking news that Mr. Zethan—"

He trailed off, pressing his lips together, unable to finish the thought.

Zethan chuckled lightly,

"You don’t have to worry about that. No one knows I’m here."

He paused, then added with a subtle edge in his voice,

"Except the Seer."

Lilia’s eyes stretched slightly, her lips parting in surprise. She leaned closer and asked softly,

"She brought you here?"

Zethan shook his head.

"No. The Black Flower did."

Lilia’s brows furrowed slightly. Wasn’t that the same flower... the same flower that had—

Her thoughts trailed, looping in confusion. Wasn’t that the same flower that had killed her?

So it was that same flower... that brought Zethan here?

Questions swirled wildly through her mind, but she held her tongue. She would ask him later—when they were alone.

A gentle smile rested on her father’s face, his heart feeling unexpectedly light. Just the fact that Zethan had come here—knowing exactly who he was—was more than enough.

If Lilia had been able to bring him here, it meant her life was truly in good hands.

That thought alone lifted a great weight off his chest.

A soft smile lingered on his lips, and for the first time in a long while, his heavy heart felt warm. Lightened.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Zethan, for coming to visit me—and for taking care of my daughter, especially when I... didn’t even fulfill my duty as a father."

Lilia’s heart began to pound at his words.

"I’ll be forever grateful to you for everything," her father continued, his voice quiet but sincere. "It seems fate had its own plans, matching you two together, even if things didn’t happen as expected. And now... I see why it worked. I’m truly thankful that you are the one who married my daughter."

A soft laugh escaped Lilia’s lips as she turned to her father.

"Oh, Dad... you’ll make me cry," she said quietly, lifting her hands to her eyes in playful tears.

They all laughed gently at her words, though in truth, she had deeply felt everything her father said. If he had said any more, she might have actually cried. But her playful gesture had lightened the mood—and surprisingly, it worked.

Her father’s tone softened again.

"You two can go ahead. I’ve been with you long enough. Lilia... I haven’t seen you in weeks. She missed you more than ever—as she usually tells me about you every single time we go out for groceries..."

"Father..." Lilia spoke, her cheeks flushing hard as Zethan chuckled. He had no idea she had really thought about him.

"You can always visit another time. Spend more time with your husband," he added quietly.

Lilia nodded slowly, a sad look in her eyes. She knew there might never really be another time—but this moment... this was enough.

Zethan stood, and Lilia waved at her father.

"Bye, Dad."

"Bye, Lilia. Bye, M... Zethan."

Zethan simply gave a small nod in acknowledgment, and together, he and Lilia stepped out.

Once they were outside, Lilia looked up at him and spoke with a teasing tone,

"Oh my goodness, Zethan... your cold heart is starting to soften. Letting someone call you by your name? I’m shocked!"

She laughed playfully.

Zethan grinned as they walked, then leaned slightly toward her.

"So... where else are we going, my little sweet wife?" he asked in a low, teasing voice.

The road buzzed with light as cars, carriages, and laser-walkers passed. Some sold on the road—it was vibrant, peaceful, even more peaceful than the Land of the Living, if you asked Lilia.

Lilia flushed deeply, turning her face away.

"There’s a place I saw earlier," she said shyly, pointing toward a mountain-like area in the distance.

Evening had begun to slip away, and night slowly crept in, swallowing the fading golden hues of the sky. The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows as the world turned dusky.

Zethan turned to Lilia, his voice gentle.

"My wife... can you climb that mountain?" he asked quietly.

Lilia gave a small shrug, nodding with uncertainty.

"I don’t know," she said with a little smile, "but I could try."

She pointed ahead.

"I hear they sell all kinds of street food over there."

Then she paused, turning toward Zethan with a curious expression.

"Do you eat things like that? If not, we’ll just find somewhere..."

Zethan shook his head, lips curving into a soft, amused smile.

"It’s fine," he said. "Let’s go."

His smile widened playfully.

"You treat me like some spoiled king."

Lilia giggled, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, you are spoiled. Everyone bends to your will. You’ve never experienced anything less than luxurious and grand."

Zethan leaned in slightly, his grin deepening. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"Do I need to remind you," he said smoothly, "that you came from a rich home too?"

Lilia laughed softly at his words, realizing with amusement that she had actually forgotten—she had come from a wealthy home too.

The week she’d spent in the mansion had already made her feel a little... ancient in her ways. Though she spent most of her time in the castle, there were moments when she and her personal lady would step out for quiet walks. Still, she had never eaten street food before—it simply wasn’t something the prince would have approved of.

She had thought about visiting this place before. The idea had danced in her mind once or twice as she had craved coming here with Zethan but brushed off the thought... And even more surprising—who would have thought she’d come here with Zethan?

"I never thought I would have the chance to come here with you..."

Lilia’s voice was soft, almost a whisper. "My heart finally feels free... seeing you here with me again."

Zethan moved closer, his hand gently reaching for hers. His gaze dropped as he lowered himself to meet her eyes.

"And why did your heart feel heavy?" he asked quietly.

Lilia’s lips curled into a faint, sad smile. Her voice trembled slightly, cracking under the weight of buried pain.

"Someone told me I should forget about you... that you didn’t care," she paused, her eyes flickering with emotion, "because you never told me... ’I love you.’"