CHAPTER 32: HOW DARE YOU!

Lilith opened her eyes to find herself still crouched beneath the window. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she realized she had dozed off while waiting for Hades to return. But he hadn’t, his bed remained untouched, and there was no sign of him in the room.

Panic flickered through her. Scrambling to her feet, she looked over the window, scanning the surroundings for any sign of him. Nothing.

Without hesitation, she hurried out of the room and down the stairs, making her way to the back of the castle where the dense forest loomed. Her eyes darted around, searching desperately. Surely, he hadn’t gone too deep into the woods last night?

Letting out a weary sigh, she turned back toward the castle, worry nagging at her.

The moment she stepped into the prince’s chamber, she nearly jumped at the sight of him standing by the window. He turned to face her, now dressed properly.

"Good morning, Your Highness." Lilith hesitated before taking a cautious step forward. "Are you alright? Is everything well?".

Hades remained quiet, his eyes fixed on her for a few seconds before he finally replied, "I am alright. As you can see, everything is fine."

Lilith frowned slightly, unsure if she should question him about what had happened the night before. His gaze held no recognition, as if he couldn’t recall a thing.

Instead of pressing the matter, she forced a smile and kept her thoughts to herself. "Very well, Your Highness. Is there anything you would like me to do for you?" she asked.

"No, you may leave," Hades replied.

Lilith bowed her head and turned to leave, but she could feel his eyes on her until she stepped out of the room. Only when she reached her own chamber did she let out a deep breath.

Since she had nothing to do and it seemed the prince wouldn’t be needing her anytime soon, she decided to seek out Madam Thalia.

After preparing a quick bath, she checked to see that the bruise on her arm had faded, almost invincible now. Lilith dressed in the same gown, her only option for now, then braided her hair before heading downstairs.

She found Madam Thalia in the dining room, speaking with three maids. Lilith waited patiently for her to finish before stepping forward.

"Good morning, Madam Thalia," she greeted politely.

The older woman turned to her, lips pressed into a thin line. "Lilith, the dressmaker just arrived with your dresses. Would you like to try them on, or will you take them to your room?" Her voice was neutral, neither warm nor cold.

"I will take them to my room."

Thalia turned to leave, but Lilith quickly caught the sleeve of her dress. The older woman paused, glancing down at Lilith’s hand before meeting her gaze.

Lilith cleared her throat. "Forgive me, Madam Thalia. I wish to apologize for running away. It was foolish of me, and I deeply regret my decision. I promise never to do so again."

"You are lucky that the prince decided against killing you, Lilith. All I can tell you is not to push your luck. You have no idea who the prince is or what he is capable of. Overstep, and you might not be so fortunate next time. Do you understand me?" Thalia warned.

"Yes, madam. I understand," Lilith replied. The older woman offered a small smile before turning away, continuing on her path with Lilith trailing behind her.

After receiving the dresses, Lilith returned to her room and carefully inspected them, admiring each piece. They were beautiful and modest, made of fine fabrics that she could tell were expensive, far more luxurious than anything she had ever worn. These were dresses meant for noblewomen, not someone like her. She couldn’t help but wonder why the prince would go to such lengths, spending so much on attire for her.

After neatly arranging the dresses inside the wardrobe, she chose one to wear, a deep blue gown with flared sleeves, an off-the-shoulder neckline, and a flowing skirt that cascaded down to her toes. The color complemented her eyes perfectly, enhancing their natural brightness.

Lilith stood before the mirror, admiring the dress for what felt like an eternity before finally making her way to the dining room. Unfortunately, as soon as she arrived, she had the misfortune of running into Kathryn and her lady’s maid.

Kathryn’s sharp gaze raked over her from head to toe, her expression twisting into a scowl at the sight of Lilith’s elegant attire.

Lilith lowered her head and attempted to walk past, hoping to avoid any confrontation. But Kathryn had no intention of letting her go so easily.

"Stop right there, you fool," Kathryn’s voice rang out, laced with venom.

Lilith stopped in her tracks, sensing movement around her before Kathryn stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"I don’t know where you came from, but in Valyron, you show respect to your superiors. And where did you get that dress?" Kathryn’s eyes raked over her with disdain. "I knew you were an outcast, but a thief too? It’s starting to make sense why your family abandoned you. No one wants a disgraceful child attached to their name." She chuckled, her lady’s maid joining in.

Lilith swallowed hard. The dining hall was empty, and if Kathryn decided to escalate things, she wouldn’t stand a chance, it would be two against one.

"Forgive me," Lilith said, trying to move past her, but Kathryn blocked her way again.

"Forgive me?" Kathryn repeated mockingly. "Do you think it’s that easy? You must apologize to me properly. Get on your knees." She crossed her arms over her chest, her smirk widening.

Lilith’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked up at Kathryn’s face. "What?!"

"You heard me. Get on your knees and beg like the unfortunate dog that you are. Go on."

A surge of anger coursed through Lilith, her teeth clenching together. Let hell break loose, there was no way she was going to kneel before this pompous, spoiled woman who thought she could treat people however she pleased.

"No!" Lilith said between her gritted teeth.

Kathryn’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing. "Did you just say no?"

"I am not going to kneel to—"

The words were knocked out of Lilith’s mouth as pain shot through her cheek. The sharp sting was immediate, and the metallic taste of blood coated her tongue.

"How dare you!" Kathryn seethed, her voice dripping with fury. "You must think highly of yourself just because Hades chose you as his personal maid. I could throw you into the dungeon and let you rot for disrespecting me like this!"

Lilith clenched her fists tightly, her body trembling with anger. She was so close to striking Kathryn back, so close. "You—"

"What’s going on here?"

Both women turned toward the voice. Viktor was striding toward them, his expression unreadable. Kathryn’s face darkened further at the sight of him, she had no likeness for Viktor either.

As he reached them, his gaze flickered to Lilith’s reddened cheek before shifting to Kathryn.

"Why did you hit her, Kathryn?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

She scoffed. "Nothing that concerns you, Viktor. Besides, I was only disciplining an outcast who has forgotten her place. Do you have a problem with that?"

Viktor smiled and took a deliberate step closer to Kathryn. "I can’t help but wonder why you’re still here, Kathryn. Hades has made it clear on multiple occasions that he’s grown bored of fucking you, yet you still cling to him like a leech. Do you not feel even a shred of embarrassment or shame? You call her an outcast, but you forget that you, too, are unwanted here. No one wants you, yet you insist on lingering."

The color drained from Kathryn’s face as she glared daggers at Viktor, her cheeks burning red with fury. "How dare you—"

"Hades is on his way here," Viktor interrupted smoothly, running a hand over his perfectly gelled hair. "I can already imagine all the ways he would punish you for laying a hand on her."

The mere mention of Hades seemed to transform Kathryn’s anger into fear. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, her eyes looking around. Without another word, she spun on her heel and stomped away, her maid scurrying after her.

As soon as they disappeared from the dining room, Viktor turned to Lilith, finding her already staring at him. "Are you alright?" he asked.