The Flower of Separation

\'Did they find out his connection to the rebellion? It can\'t be, I made sure to erase all traces. When I realized my brother and Aaron would not return I erased everything that would connect those two. The rebels who got caught, I made sure to threaten them not to mention who their masters were.\'

Out of their loyalty for the two they didn\'t say a word, and she made sure their punishment wasn\'t as severe.

\'I made it seem like they were merely drunks hungry for more power, but they had nothing to achieve it.\'

Father seemed to buy the story and just revoked whatever titles and property they had. She ensured they managed to find jobs and occasionally visited just to keep them in check.

Lilian placed her hand over her eyes as she exahaled deeply. There is a lot of work to do. \'Should I make the trip to the lakeside village after my recuperating in the tower or not?\'

Her house arrest after the Empress coronation ceremony was actually a blessing in disguise. There are many things she has to attend to as a General of the imperial army, causing her to fall back on other work she has. The work she has to do as a member of the Ageha family huh? It all seems futile since in the future all of these deals will change.

\'I will bring down the current Ageha family. If possible I want to destroy this vile and cursed blood. However, if Aaron is alive that means my brother is too.\' She wants her brother to take over the Ageha family like the original plan and reform it.

However, perhaps- there is another position for him.

\'The Empress does seem fond of her husband, but if she remembers my brother maybe something will challenge.\'

The Empire with her brother as the Emperor would be one filled with prosperity, and kindness. She understood a long time ago that her brother was different from all the others.

Her thoughts broke off when she hears a pair of approaching footsteps.

"Lili?"

Lillian see\'s Jorah peeking through the door with a worried and anxious look on her face.

"You can come inside."

"I apologize for intruding when you are sick. Sir Lucas told me that he would take you here so I was waiting till you arrived."

"I see." Lillian sat up and ushered Jorah over. The girl took a seat on the chair.

She seemed visibly nervous.

"How is Aaron?"

Jorah looked at her with wide eyes. "You knew I was there?"

Lillian laughed softly at the girl\'s reaction. "It is a bit difficult for me not to notice you."

Jorah does not seem to be aware that she still has mana in her body indicating that she is a noble not a commoner.

"I- I took that person to a small villa we have on the outskirts of town to avoid attention." Jorah trailed off. "Lillian, my husband says he is your fiance, is that-"

"That\'s the truth."

"But you stabbed him?"

"Jorah." Lillian said sharply. "You already understand right? Although we are friends you know what type of person I am."

"I am not afraid of you Lili!" Jorah exclaimed. "What I wanted to ask was if you were okay after stabbing him."

Lillian looked at her friend puzzled.

The girl clasped hold of her hands and said with a pained expression. "Lili, you may have smiled like that but I could tell that smile was fake. For me it looked like you were crying." She trailed off. "Won\'t you talk to me about him?"

"Jorah-"

Jorah pulled her into a hug causing her eyes to widen. "I understand if you do not want to talk about it right away, that is fine with me. But I just want you to understand something Lili. I am on your side, no matter what happens I will remain your ally."

\'No matter what happens huh? If Jorah ever finds out about my plans, I wonder if she can still say the same thing with a smile on her face like this.\'

"Alright."

It was just a single sentence but it was more than enough. Jorah drew back and picked up a bag on the side. She watched as Jorah took out several boxed lunches.

\'Isn\'t that a bit too many?\' This is not the first time Jorah has made lunch for her like this. But normally her friend would say something about making a moderate amount of food since she is a lady.

"I figured you would be hungry so I bought some food for you."

"You didn\'t have to."

Jorah shook her head. "When sir Lucas told me you would be coming here I knew I had to cook-" She trailed off and whispered. "Sir Lucas gives this I can\'t cook impression."

Lillian chuckled at those words. "Indeed you are certainly right about that, he cannot cook."

"See I knew it! Eat up, there is a lot."

Lillian knew she would not be able to say no so she picked up the top tier lunch box and opened it. It was a simple meal of omelettes and fried chicken with some vegetables on the side, but it looked good. She carefully took a bite of the omelette with a spoon and paused.

"This-" Lillian tried the chicken and immediately put it down.

A familiar taste filled with warmth, she could just picture the fool who made this.

"I can\'t eat this."

At those words Jorah exhaled deeply. "Lili, the fact that you can tell with one or two bites who made it just means you never forgot the kindness he showed you."

The fool who made this was certainly Aaron. What on earth is he doing moving around after she gave him that serious wound?

"He was very kind to me." Lillian admitted. "To a foolish extent yes. But I-" Her sentence fell short when a small crystal started to glow brightly in Jorah\'s pocket.

Jorah sighed when she looked at the item with disdain. "Even though I told him I wanted to spend a leisure day chatting and taking care of you."

"There is probably an issue at the store. Your husband does not give the impression that he can successfully run a store on his own."

Jorah laughed and Lillian\'s gaze softened. She truly does not understand this woman. After a few more words Jorah left and her gaze fell on the boxes of food.

\'I wish she took those too.\' There is no doubt that Aaron is the one who made all these boxes. Whenever he cooked for her in the past he would make excessive amounts.

\'Maybe I should have just killed him. I knew the wound I gave him would not be fatal enough to kill him. Is it because I realized Jorah was there too?\'

A deep sigh passed her lips. What is done is done, moreover what happened between her and Aaron was so long ago.

The food has done nothing wrong. Lillian picked up the chicken with her fork but before she could put it inside her mouth it disappeared. She glanced at the culprit munching away and sighed.

"What are you doing Lucas?"

"I smelled food."

"Aaron made it for me."

At those words lucas spat out the food and she rolled her eyes. "So you weren\'t eavesdropping."

"To think I just ate something made by that bastard."

It appears as though Lucas is still hostile towards Aaron, but she does not understand the reason why since they have never met before.

"Did you not know Jorah took him after I fought with him?"

"No I knew, she mentioned it. But huh, I wonder why his companions didn\'t come for him."

"I also wonder about that."

There was no mistaken that she heard approaching footsteps then, footsteps that did not belong to Jorah.

*Unedited*