“It's Lila! Royal theater actress!”

One of the black warriors was already running across the square with a bouquet of flowers, where did they come from? Karina was shivering: “I will kill this bitch,” she thought in all seriousness. “Lis killed Tol’s first wife, and I will kill the second!” At the same time, she couldn’t take her eyes off what was happening, and now Lis was in a hurry to them, helping Lila to get off the horse. And the unclean ones, those who were repairing the gate at that moment, literally froze in a stupor. They have abandoned all their affairs and stand as bewitched. As well as Karina, frozen at the window. Lila seemed to be embarrassed by such attention to her person, or rather, at first, she accepted the flowers with a smile, and then, looking around and seeing the glances of the uncleans directed at her, she changed her expression. As if frightened, she quickly adjusted the cape on her hair and covered her face with the edge of the fabric.

“Bitch! Bitch! Bitch!” Karina saw exactly how at that moment Lis raised his head and looked up at their windows. He saw Karina, and his eyes… he seemed to say to her: “You see how decent girls behave?”

Karina drew back from the window, tears gushed from her eyes.

“What a bitch! Fuck! Lis will now bring Tol and his bitch to us!”

Karina rushed to her long-suffering burgundy dress, to her bag, where she kept her pearl earrings. “Heck! Heck! Heck!”

15

The fiend

Don't fall prey to your own fears.

Karina put on a burgundy dress and pearl earrings, pulled her hair up, styling it into a beautiful hairstyle with hairpins. She put on her makeup, borrowing a box of cosmetics from a slave who lived here before: she hid the traces of beatings under the tonal dye, beautifully emphasized the shape of her eyebrows with black and painted her eyes, making them even more expressive, and painted her lips with dark cherry lipstick to match the dress. She hadn't done makeup for so long, but as it turned out, she hadn't forgotten anything.

Satisfied, she looked at her reflection – she was a real beauty and noble lady, in this form it would not be shameful to go to a ball at the palace. When Lis entered the room, Karina, who was sitting in front of the mirror, turned to him with a slight smile. And seeing her, Lis froze. He seemed speechless, and it was so unlike him. Karina looked a little condescendingly at his admiring face and adjusted her hair with a casual gesture:

“Why are you looking at me so?”

“Karina, how beautiful you are, Gods!”

“Do you like me?”

“Yes. Very much.”

Lis continued to stand on the threshold, blocking the doorway, and the servant behind him, holding a heavy tray with drinks and snacks, impatiently shifted from foot to foot, not understanding the hitch, but not daring to move the master aside and go into the room, to finally free himself from a heavy burden. Finally Lis noticed him and awkwardly walked away, he looked confused.

And Karina’s heart rejoiced:

“Isn’t it bad that I painted my lips?”

“No.”

“Isn’t the lipstick too bright?”

“No.”

“Not sluttish?”

“Karina,” Lis swallowed, “it suits you very much.”

Karina looked at the tray full of treats.

“And where are Tol and Lila? Have you called them to us?”

“Yes. Now they will come.”

Karina snorted dismissively:

“Ah, got it.”

And as Lis continued to look at her, she got up and carefully took several steps in high-heeled shoes, trying to fully straighten her knees. She spun in front of him:

“Am I better than this actress?”

“Who?”

“Lila! What's wrong with you?”

“Lila? She's just a city crazy!”

“A-ha-ha, so you don't like her at all?”

“Of course not! She is an ordinary commoner, cheap, don’t be jealous of me for her. This is silly. And you even insult me with this, now.”

Karina’s face immediately ceased to be relaxed:

“Sorry, I just said so.”

He walked over and hugged her:

“You're my queen!”

“No! Don't kiss me! Lipstick smudges!”

And Lis obediently pulled back

Lis laughed, throwing his head back, so sincerely, absolutely relaxed, with his so bright red hair untied in a ponytail, disheveled. He laughed, and Tol hugged him and shouted:

“Al, brother! Don't be stupid! Let's drink quickly! Al, you are my soul! Don't be slow, brotherly! Do you remember how we… and you know how frightened I was for you, when, do you remember, they cut off your Necker’s legs, and you fell off your horse straight to Bey under the sword! Remember?!”