018 Lily (2)

"Now, it's time for you to choose! Whether you want to live a sad and pitiful life with your absent father or you can live happily with your new family that is full of love and affection."

The entire room was hung heavy with silence as Lily stopped crying and turned up to look at Aurelius.

Hate and anger rose from her heart when she felt affection coming from his deep blue eyes.

She wanted to yell; she wanted to scream and dig his eyes out. She clenched her fist tightly and was about to say it when Lilith interrupted her and said, "It is true, my dear."

Her words broke through the silence and sent Lily into disarray. She turned toward her mother, who was now standing beside Aurelius.

"You have lost your family, Lily. In fact, you have gained a bigger one. Where there is true love and peace."

A small smile bloomed on Lilith's face as she tried to placate her daughter. She walked up to Lily, held her shoulders, and said, "I know what you are feeling."

Lily frowned at her mother's words, 'You have no idea what I am feeling!' She cursed inwardly when she felt a hand on her cheek.

"Trust me, dear. Trust your mother, I know how you are feeling." Lilith's voice was soft, like a mother lulling her child to sleep.

Lily bit her lip so hard that blood almost came out of it. Her emotions were a mess as she didn't know what to believe.

On one side it was her mother, her role model in life and the one who taught her everything she ever knew.

On the other side, it was her mind. It was telling her not to listen to her mother as she might be getting manipulated.

Aurelius watched silently as Lily was experiencing turmoil in her heart. He knew she was torn between the options and didn't know what to choose.

"Think about it, Lily. If I had really wanted to manipulate you and make you my followers, don't you think I would have done it already?"

Aurelius's words echoed through her mind, creating doubt and hope in her heart.

A doubt about her instincts that were saying don't listen to them and hope, hope that he is telling the truth and maybe, just maybe, 'I haven't lost my family yet…'

And as if hitting the last nail, Aurelius said, "And I promise that I won't be like your father, weak!" He made a face of disgust as if even thinking about her father made him feel like shit!

Lily's eyes narrowed at Aurelius; any thought of her wanting to say yes had disappeared, and intense hatred emitted out of her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She growled at him, demanding an explanation.

Aurelius smiled subtly as he glanced at Lilith from the corner of his eyes and nudged her to continue.

'It will be best if Lilith takes over from her on,' he mumbled inwardly as he took a back step and Lilith took his place.

"Don't misunderstand him, dear," Lilith said, making Lily squint her eyes at her mother.

"Don't misunderstand him! He called father weak in front of me and you say that this is a misunderstanding!?" Lily yelled at her mother at the top of her lungs.

Lilith took a deep breath, a little annoyed by her daughter raising her voice at her, but she kept her cool and continued, "Yes, dear. What he said is the truth, your father was indeed weak."

CRACK

Lily felt something Crack in her heart, somewhere in her heart she hoped that all of it was a lie and this was just a bad dream but, 'It's all over!'

"Dear, listen to me carefully," Lilith whispered as she tightly hugged her daughter. "Your father and the rest of the men in this village have gone to participate in a war that doesn't belong to us."

She began; the rest of the girls clenched their fists tightly while their minds remembered the moment the men of the village, their fathers and brothers left for war because they were forced to.

"If your father, or any man in this village, had been strong enough to take the man down who had forced us, then all of this wouldn't have happened. Your father was weak, dear."

She ended, repeating the same words as Aurelius.

The girls clenched their fists in frustration and anger; they wanted to say, they wanted to say that their fathers and brothers were not weak.

But they knew that they were wrong; the men in the village were indeed weak, and that was why they were forced to become cannon fodder for an unknown war that was being waged in unknown lands.

Aurelius watched this happen silently and turned toward Sarah with a knowing look.

Sarah, who had seemingly understood what her god wanted, stepped forward.

AHEM

She cleared her throat, grabbing the attention of the girls, "Hi girls, some of you might not know me, but I am Aria's neighbor." She said as she pointed her hand at Aria.

"I was pregnant when that man took my husband with him to that war." She said as she bit her lip.

"I am fortunate that I am now under the protection of, my god!" She said while glancing at him with utter devotion.

"But what do you think would have happened if that wasn't the case? What do you think would have happened to me if I were to go missing while collecting food from the forest, a job that my husband was supposed to do!?"

She questioned, slowly planting seeds of resentment in the girls' hearts toward the men in their families.

"Tell me this! What would have happened to us if the other villages attacked us!?"

"What would have happened if that man, the man who took our men, wanted to bring the women in this village to use us as playthings!?" Sarah asked the girls, not holding back even a little.

Sarah then looked at Aurelius, looking for more instructions.

Aurelius, noticing Sarah's glance, nudged his gaze toward one of the girls in the group, the short one, Mira.

Understanding what Aurelius meant, Sarah walked to Mira in slow steps and halted after reaching her.

The short Mira looked up at Sarah, she could see Sarah's eyes turn red as they moistened with tears.

"I-I was frightened," she stammered while a tear fell out of her eyes. "I was scared that something might happen to my newborn."

She didn't say much more than that but placed her 'trembling' hand on Mira's shoulder, 'Showing' how terrified she was.

Mira clenched her fists until they turned white. She could feel Sarah's feat through her trembling hands and recalled how her mother reached the same way as Sarah did.

'Mother was also terrified just like her!' She muttered inwardly as she compared the two's expressions, missing that she wasn't terrified of Mura and her, but about her husband and his life.

The rest of the girls were the same; due to clever manipulations, they misunderstood their mother or grandmother's concerns for the men leaving the village to them staying in the village with no protection.

Mira bit her lip very hard as she felt like she was under threat, she felt as if she didn't agree to join, someone dangerous would kill her, proving Aurelius's point.

The rest of the girls were the same and were deciding to join Aurelius, "We will join!"

Anna broke the silence and stepped forward, representing the girls.

Lily looked at her friend in surprise as she didn't expect her to be the first one to volunteer.

"W-Why?" She asked weakly as she gazed at her friend.

Anna, however, shook her head at her friend and said, "Let me ask you something, Lily. Why?" She looked confused as she gazed at Lily.

"Huh?" Lily exclaimed, not understanding her friend.

"Why are you resisting so much? Aria seems fine and looks happy. Miss Sarah now has a man she can rely on. Miss Griselda was healed right in front of our eyes, and even your mother! Even your mother is telling you that it's the right decision, so why? Why are you so opposing when all we are getting is happiness and safety?"

Lily was stumped at Anna's question and she didn't know how to answer it. She bit her lip while glancing at Aria occasionally.

"It's okay sweetheart. Trust your mother. I will never let harm come to you, and you know that." Lilith continued.

Lily's heart was in deep turmoil, she didn't know what she should do. She felt pressure from all the questions and coersions from the people surrounding her.

"Answer, Lily! Why are you against your own happiness?" Aria was the one who asked Lily this time.

Lily's breath became shallow and quick. Her vision narrowed as she felt the walls of the hut closing in on her, pressuring her to agree.

But her thoughts and the heavy atmosphere surrounding her were cut by Aurelius's next words, "Forget it! If she feels threatened by me and doesn't want it, I will not force her."

Aurelius's words shocked Lily as she thought he really wanted her. 'What's going on? What is he saying? Why is he saying it now, when I was going to agree!?'

Lily's mind was now a jumbled mess of questions. She didn't know what to think and what to feel about this.

Aurelius after saying this, ignored Lily and focused on the rest of the girls and smiled.

"I am happy that you agree and are ready to become my followers. I promise to take care of you and make sure that you are always happy."

He said as he walked towards them. He reached the gulping Anna with a few steps and pulled her in.

Her eyes widened in surprise when Aurelius sealed her lips with his.

'System, convert her!' Aurelius mumbled inwardly and ignored the system's messages from then.

After successfully converting Anna, he went toward Mira and did the same.

Mira felt her tongue melt in his embrace as his tongue swirled around hers.

Aurelius, one by one, converted every one of the girls, except Lily, who was gawking at Aurelius and her friends.

"You can leave, Lily. I do not need for you to be present here anymore." Aurelius declared, making Lily even more baffled.

Lily bit her lip for a moment in silence before a small voice squeaked out of her.

"I will join".

"Huh!?" Aurelius exclaimed he couldn't hear her voice.

"I said I will join!" Lily yelled as she shut her eyes in embarrassment. Her heartbeat rose as it pounded against her chest.

Aurelius grinned at her words and made his way toward Lily.

Lily, who shut her eyes, felt his strong arms pulling her in and wet hot lips pressing on her.

Her eyes opened wide when she felt his tongue slithering its way into hers.

'System, convert her too!' Aurelius exclaimed, making the system to do its magic

Lily's eyes glowed for a moment before she closed them and she wrapped her hands around Aurelius, 'I was stupid!'