My little araignè

Todays song is cross my heart by Artemas

 Lilith's POV

"Who would've thought there'd be so many historical books about the Cerberus kingdom?" I mutter, sighing in frustration. I've lost track of time in the library; it must have been hours, and I've found absolutely nothing useful.

"This is such a waste of time. Damn it." I lean back, sinking into the wooden chair, my gaze drifting up to the ceiling. Why does everything have to be so hard? No matter what I do, I never seem to get what I want.

I close my eyes, trying to quiet my thoughts, but only more questions echo in my mind—questions with no answers.

"I wonder what's happening out there?" I whisper, frowning. Do they even care? Why is there no sign of celestial soldiers?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even the slightest hint that they're looking for me. My shoulders feel unbearably heavy, and my eyes ache from exhaustion. I haven't slept much, but that's hardly new. Even back in the celestial castle, restful sleep was always elusive.

I was never truly wanted. Not there, not anywhere. The place that should've been home always felt like a prison. I knew I never fit in. They had their ways, and I had mine. Where they chose action, I preferred words. When I wanted blue, I got gray. When I craved chocolate, I was forced to like vanilla. Everything, always controlled, with me at its mercy.

But why was there even a war? For all I knew, the four kingdoms had coexisted peacefully—so long as each respected the boundaries of the others. And how could my mother, my real mother, have been from Cerberus?

There are too many questions.

Finally, I let my head fall onto my folded arms, and my mind begins to drift. Little by little, the questions fade, and sleep pulls me under.

Flashback

"You're nothing but a reflection of that wretched woman."

A vase shatters as it's hurled in my direction.

"Mother, stop… She didn't mean any harm; she's just a fool," Stefano's voice cuts through the chaos as he steps between us.

"She's as miserable as that woman was. Stay away from what isn't yours, you pathetic girl."

As Mother storms out, dragging Stefano by the arm, he casts a sharp look back at me. "How can you be so stupid, Lilith?" he whispers, releasing my hand roughly.

"But… I only wanted a cookie," I sob, wiping my eyes.

"Don't you get it, Lilith? You shouldn't want anything."

"But, brother—" I try, only for his voice to cut me off again, colder than before.

"Don't call me that. I am not your brother, Lilith. We don't even share the same mother."

I can feel my heart sinking, and tears spill down my cheeks.

"Oh, for the celestial gods… don't cry, Lilith." He softens just slightly, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"It's not your fault," he mutters, his arms tightening around me. "It's not your fault your mother was… what she was."

The Celestial Kingdom

"It's been almost a week! Why hasn't anyone found her yet?!" Stefano's voice booms, scattering papers across the room.

"Sir, we've searched everywhere, but—"

"I didn't tell you to search! I ordered you to find her!" His eyes burn with fury.

"We're doing our best, sir," the guard stammers.

"Your best isn't good enough," Stefano snaps.

The door opens, and the queen strides in, unfazed by her son's outburst. "Darling, don't waste your energy on such a lowly soldier," she says smoothly. "If you think about it, it's for the best. She won't be here to embarrass the royal family anymore with her ridiculous dreams of knighthood."

"Mother, you may hate her, but she's my sister—"

"SHE HAS NEVER BEEN AND WILL NEVER BE A PART OF THIS FAMILY," the queen hisses.

Stefano's expression hardens as he steps closer, his voice low and controlled. "She is the daughter of the king, whether you like it or not. If she's here, it's because you couldn't manage your own affairs properly."

Silence stretches between them, the queen's face taut with barely concealed rage. Finally, she steps back. "Fine. I'll make tea for your father," she murmurs before sweeping out.

Stefano lets out a deep breath, shaking his head. "Women. Always as useless as ever," he mutters.

"Sir," the captain acknowledges.

There's a knock on the door.

"Now who's here to ruin my day?" Stefano grumbles. "Enter!"

A butler peeks through the door, looking anxious. "The duke's daughter is here to see you, your highness. Shall I let her in?"

He sighs. "Fine. Send her in."

A moment later, Elizabeth bursts in, her face flushed with anger. "It's been a week, Stefano!"

"I'm aware."

"No, you don't get it. You're not doing anything about it!"

"It's Prince Stefano to you, Lady Willburt."

"Prince my ass. If you truly cared about Lilith, she'd be here by now!"

"She's my sister. I care more than you know," Stefano replies coolly.

"If you cared, she wouldn't still be missing!" Elizabeth snaps. "You let her down!"

"If she's not here, it's because you took her somewhere she shouldn't have been. So tell me, Elizabeth… whose fault is it really? Mine, or her 'friend's'?"

Elizabeth falters, her anger wavering. "It was an accident. I didn't know she'd get—"

"But she did, and it's on you." Stefano's voice is laced with venom. "Knowing Lilith, she wouldn't have gone to that reckless party if her stupid friend hadn't convinced her—"

"Watch your words, cousin." A deep voice cuts through the tension. Victor strides in, positioning himself protectively beside Elizabeth.

"Dear cousin, what brings you here?" Stefano's voice is sharp, challenging.

"I don't need permission to enter my own castle," Victor replies, his gaze steady. The two men lock eyes, tension crackling between them.

"Let's not waste time on blame," Elizabeth interrupts. "We need to focus on finding Lilith."

"We wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for you—" Stefano starts, only for Victor to interject.

"Enough. The focus now is finding her."

Stefano raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing at his lips. "She would be fine if it wasnt because this bit-?"

In a flash, Victor grabs Stefano by the collar. "You may be the prince, but Lilith deserves better than your spite."

"HANDS OFF THE PRINCE!" the captain shouts.

Victor's glare shifts. "In case you've forgotten, Captain, I am also royalty. Now, get out."

The captain hesitates but nods. "Yes, sir."

With the captain gone, the room is heavy with silence.

"Enough of this. Let's find something useful—anything that could lead us to Lilith," Victor says finally.

Stefano scoffs but shrugs. "Fine. I'm listening… my lady."

The three sit down, and Victor breaks the silence. "I may have found something… something that could help."

The others turn to him, a glimmer of hope flickering in their eyes.

"What the hell do you mean you found something?" Elizabeth demands, her eyes narrowing as she stares at Victor. "If you knew something that could help us find Lilith, why didn't you mention it sooner?"

Victor holds her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I wanted to be sure before I got anyone's hopes up. This isn't the kind of thing we can afford to get wrong."

Stefano crosses his arms, watching them both with a smirk. "Well, aren't we all one big, concerned family now?"

Elizabeth glares at him before looking back to Victor. "Just tell us what you found."

Behind the heavy door, the queen listens in silence, every word sharpening her growing anger. That useless boy, she thinks, teeth clenched. Why couldn't he just stay out of this? She presses her ear closer, her pulse quickening with each piece of information they share.

Just when I thought I'd finally gotten rid of her… another problem arises. Her eyes narrow as she plots her next move. But no, I won't let them find her. Not after all this work.