Chapter 91 Lilly (6)

Inside one of the glamorous rooms in the mansion, Lilly, with two pinkish cheeks, sat in front of a table while feeling uncomfortable.

On the opposite end, the old woman, also known as Lilly's grandmother, is sitting down with her arms crossed, looking very intimidating.

As the uncomfortable feeling became too much, Lilly said as she began to stand up. "Grandmother. I-I think it's about time I go to my lessons...."

But before she could fully stand up, her grandmother said with a serious tone. "I have heard you haven't gone to your lessons in about four days."

"Eek!" Lilly froze up in place while producing a screech, seemingly turning into a mouse.

"If you're going to lie, make sure you don't get caught."

With Lilly still frozen in place, her grandmother continued. "Sit back down, Lilly. I need to talk to you."

Seemingly losing all self-control, Lilly obeyed without hesitation. She sat back down on her seat all the while her grandmother watched with an inspecting glare.

Lilly then hung her head low, causing her long, white hair to cover her face and expression. Then, not long after, her grandmother spoke in a loud voice. "We are going to talk about your behavior, Lilly. So, raise your head when I'm talking to you."

"Ye-yes, grandmother." Lilly replied as she hastily raised her head, moving her hair to the side while wearing a blank expression.

Seeing Lilly trying to put up a front, her grandmother stared into Lilly's eyes, that evaded her immediately.

But a glance was all it took for her grandmother to know. She then spoke with a loud tone. "Lilly...."

"Eek!" Lilly jumped, even though her grandmother's voice was loud, it wasn't as loud like before

"Ye-yes! W-what is it?"

Her grandmother stared at her, looking like she is trying to figure something out. She then asked with a slightly quieter tone. "Why do you jump when I call you, Lilly?"

"Ye-yes.... I-I think it's because... I don't like loud noises?"

"Why do say it like it's a question, Lilly?" Her grandmother commented as her tone grew slightly fiercer.

"Ah! So-sorry, grandmother!" Lilly stumbled to get her words out before bowing profusely towards her own grandmother.

"Why are you apologizing and bowing, Lilly?!" Her grandmother said with a tone remiscent of when she clapped her face.

Lilly immediately stopped bowing and apologizing before freezing in place like a statue. She gritted her teeth together to stop her lower jaw from shaking as this happened.

But all of these actions did not escape her grandmother's watchful gaze, who then asked immediately. "Are you scared of me, Lilly?"

"Ah! N-no! Wh-why would you say that, grandmother?"

"*intense stare*"

Lilly then looked down, covering her face with her hair before continuing. "Ye-yes."

"Explain to me why you're afraid."

Without raising her head, Lilly continued. "I-It's because you sound like... father... Loud."

"Then, do you want me to lower my voice?"

"*excessive nodding*"

"The tone of my voice depends on what your doing. I can't do anything about that. So, just make sure you don't do anything that will cause me to raise my voice, understand?"

"*more excessive nodding*"

"Hmm... onto the other part. You mentioned your father, didn't you?"

"Ye-yes...."

"Are you also afraid of him?"

"...yes." Lilly said while breathing out, causing her voice to waver.

"Is it because he's loud like me, or is it something else?"

"Ye-yes, it's partly because... he has a loud voice. But also..."

"Go on, tell me." Her grandmother urged while containing her fists under the table.

"I-It's because...." Unconciously, Lilly tucked her legs in before hugging them, forming a ball. 

With her eyes being the only thing visible on her face after she placed her head onto her knees, she continued. "Father said... he is disappointed."

"At first... I didn't know what it means, but...."

Lilly then buried her entire face onto her knees as she continued. "Father doesn't love me anymore. That's what it means."

After hearing Lilly's words before she fell into silence, her grandmother raised her fist before slowly putting it down onto the table. "He-!"

After taking a deep breath, she then said with a somewhat gentle tone. "That's not what it means, Lilly."

Lilly slightly raised her head after hearing her words, but she didn't allow her eyes to be seen.

"It doesn't mean he hates you. It means he expected more out of you, Lilly." Her grandmother said with a face full of pain and disgust.

"R-really?" Lilly said after raising her head a bit higher, staring directly at her grandmother with her sore eyes.

With a forced smile, her grandmother said. "Yes, really."

Lilly went back to her previous position, burying her head into her knees, but unlike before, a little smile formed on her face.

Then, a knock came from the door, gathering Lilly's and her grandmother's attention, who then said. "Who is it?"

"Madam. It's the chef that you called over." The voice from the other side of the door said.

"Very well. Come in then."

"Excuse me." Said the voice as they opened the door.

A well-dressed old looking man, but not as old as Lilly's grandmother, then walked into the room. Lilly, who fixed the way she sat, watched the old man with curiousity as her grandmother said. "Give her a menu."

"I understand." The old man said, doing a courteous bow towards Lilly's grandmother before he turned to Lilly, who tensed up upon noticing.

With a swift motion, the old man placed a piece of paper in front of Lilly before he said with a courteous tone. "Please, pick out what you want to eat today, young miss."

"Uh.... Lilly grumbled as she looked at her grandmother for confirmation, who then gave her a nod. She picked up the menu before mindlessly reading the names that caught her attention.

After saying the words that caught her attention, while still being a bit confused, Lilly placed the menu back onto the table.

The old man, who wrote down everything Lilly said with great speed, then picked up the menu before offering it to Lilly's grandmother while asking. "Madam?"

She raised her hand while saying. "I'm good. Just tell the servants to boil me some tea."

"Understood." The man bowed once more before leaving the room.

Still a bit puzzeled at what just happened, Lilly asked. "G-grandmother?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Who was that old man?"

"That was a famous chef I called over. He is going to prepare our lunch."

"L-lunch?" Lilly asked, looking for confirmation with her shaking body.

"Yes, we will have lunch together. Is there something wrong with that?"

"N-no...." Lilly said as hid behind her long, white hair once more. Upon covering her face, she formed an extremely distressed and uncomfortable expression.

Her mind then went back to the time she ate with her father. She then began to unconsiously squirm around, gathering her grandmother's attention, who then said with a casual tone. "Stop squirming around, Lilly. You'll hurt yourself."

Lilly, getting snapped back to reality, immediately stopped moving around as she replied. "Ye-yes!"

As they waited, Lilly continued on hiding behind her hair, waiting for an opportunity to leave, but it never came.

Not long after, a knock came from the door. Her grandmother gave them a go before the door opened. Soon after, a group of people, who Lilly has never seen, entered the room carrying trays.

As one placed a tea set in front of her grandmother. Another approached Lilly with a tray filled with a weird looking food inside.

Lilly watched the servant carrying her food with a raised eyebrow, but her expression suddenly went to shock to amazement.

The servant, carrying food like usual then flipped the tray over. Common sense dictates that what ever was on the tray would have fallen off, but it didn't.

The weird looking food somehow managed to stay on the tray that serves as it's plate. The servant then flipped it over before walking over to the amazed Lilly.

After setting their trays down, the servants gave one last bow to the two before leaving and closing the door behind them.

Immediately after they left, Lilly picked up the tray with the weird looking food before flipping it herself. And like before, the food stayed even though it hung upside down.

Lilly set the tray back onto the table before continuing to inspect it with eyes filled with interest and childish wonder.

Her grandmother, who just took a sip from her tea, then said to her. "That's one of the chef's signiture dish. It's made from a fruit from the wild, a fruit known for it's stickiness."

After hearing her grandmother's words, Lilly picked up her chopsticks before taking a piece of the food. With some struggle to get it seperated, she managed to hold it near her mouth.

She sniffed it for a moment before putting it in her mouth. With a face filled with vigor, she mumbled as she chewed. "Sweet."

Her grandmother nodded before saying. "Yes, I heard it's quite sweet. I also heard it gets quite sticky in the mouth."

After realizing what her grandmother just said, Lilly then realized that the inside of her mouth is all sticky. She then began panicking as she tried to get it out her mouth.

Her grandmother let out a sigh before she slipped her a cup of hot tea while saying. "Drink it down with some hot tea. It should go down easier."

Without much thought, Lilly gulped down the entire mug, releasing a steamy breath later. After realizing the stickyness was no longer in her mouth, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Then soon after that, food came in one after another with acts that triggers Lilly's curiousity. Lilly would eat it with eagerness as her grandmother would explain what she is eating.

And like that, lunch was finished. After saying goodbye to the chef and his assistants, Lilly asked her grandmother with a satisfied expression. "G-grandmother?"

"What is it, Lilly?"

"Y-you explained everything that they had to offer. Did you eat their food before?"

With a nostalgic expression, her grandmother replied. "Yes, I have. I have lived quite a long life afterall."

"Ah, I see...." Lilly said with a small, gentle smile on her face.