Chapter 95 Lilly (10)

After her performance, Lilia and her father, Sai, was told to follow by a servant that looked more like a noble man than a servant.

They were led to a building just adjacent to the performance hall. Up the second floor before the servant left them without a word.

Sai gave Lilia, who was following silently without a sinhle noise, a stern look before giving the door a knock.

A wooden came from within the room, causing Sai to open the door. Once inside they closed the door, allowing the extravagant luxuries in the room to surround them.

In the middle of the room, a blind is set up. Sai and Lilia knowtowed before it as they said with outmost politeness. "This humble citizen is pleased to be in the presence of Your Highness."

Then suddenly, as is being kicked down, the blind fell forward without much reaction from Lilia or Sai.

Behind it, a handsome middle age man is sitting on a throne that's extremely fluffy and comfortable.

With a proud and confident tone, the man said. "Raise your heads! Tonight is a celebration! Made by me. If someone is all serious, I take that as failure on my part."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sai and Lilia then removed their heads from the ground but still remained in a kneeling position.

The man then continued. "I'm quite impressed by your performance, Lilia, was it?"

Lilia, without a single bit of hesitation, replied politely. "Yes, it is. And thank you for the compliments."

The man looked out the balcony at the side as he asked. "What about you three? What do you have to say?"

Then, a beautiful black-haired young girl entered from the balcony with a graceful demenour saying. "I think she performed quite splendidly, father."

The man raised an eyebrow before asking. "Where are your brothers, Ame?"

The young Ame then replied in a polite yet casual way. "They left to go and enjoy the festivities."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"I'm sleepy."

"Well, come over here then."

Upon receiving her father's request, the young Ame began making her way to the fluffy throne. Meanwhile, Lilia seemed to have her interest piqued as she followed Ame with her gaze.

Ame noticed her gaze and just gave them a nod before they said. "Princess Ame."

After reaching her father's side, Ame laid down on the large fluffy throne as she grabbed her father's arm that he willingly offered.

Her father exchanged gazes at the blind, at the other two in the room, and Ame. He then said. "On second thought, maybe let's find somewhere else private to let you sleep?"

Ame, who was already half-asleep, gave her father's face a light slap as she said sleepily. "I like this spot."

"Well, if that's what you want."

The man then looked at Sai and Lilia, who remained silent and didn't ask any questions. He then asked. "You wouldn't mind if Ame here, sleep, right?"

With the most polite tone they could muster, they replied. "We wouldn't dare interrupt the Princess' sleep, Your Highness."

The man then asked Lilia. "Young Lilia, you have been looking at my daughter for quite a while now. May I ask why?"

With a slight bow, Lilia replied. "I couldn't help but stare since the Princess' demenour is quite beautiful, Your Highness."

"Hahaha!" The man then let out a roarious laughter, causing Ame to give him another light slap to the face.

After calming down, the man replied with a smile. "As her father, I'm proud to hear my daughter get complemented by an equally, maybe less beautiful young lady."

Without much reaction, Lilia replied. "I thank you for your compliments, Your Highness."

The man then raised his eyebrow as he stared at Lilia before asking. "Sai, may I ask a question?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Anytime you wish." Sai replied as he moved a little forward.

"Very well. I would just like to ask... is your daughter's hair naturally white?"

"Unfortunately, Your Highness, it is."

"When you say 'unfortunately', you should know that one of my sons also have white hair."

"That is not my intention, Your Highness. It's simply because we can't find anything about the reason for this in our records."

"I seem to recall my son bringing me a record saying, one of the previous ruler from our family also had white hair. Do you perhaps want me to send an order to find it?"

"I wouldn't dare ask Your Highness for a favor."

"Very well. I'll go and have it fetched for myself then."

"Now that we are on the topic of white hair. Aren't you, Sai, the only one in your current family without white hair now that I think about it?"

"Yes, you are correct, Your Highness."

"We have Lilia, Ash- Oh! Actually, I heard a little ruckus that was caused earlier by an old lady with white hair."

Sai formed a pained expression, which Lilia saw causing her to smile a little bit. Sai then asked. "Is this old lady perhaps my mother?"

"Of coarse it is! Hahaha! I think only Miss Yamato can cause this much trouble!"

"Do you perhaps want me to deal with her, Your Highness?"

"No. I know better than to get in Miss Yamato's path. You should also know this."

His joy-filled demenour slowly turned into a more serious one as he looked down his arm, which is being hugged by Ame who has fallen completely asleep.

"But still, to think she managed to serve three generations of rulers...."

He then carressed Ame's sleeping face with his other hand, which caused Ame to rub her face against his hand.

He then continued. "Four generations if time decides for it."

Now wearing a calm demenour, the man looked back at the other two before saying. "Actually, there's more to what I heard about Miss Yamato."

"There... is?" Asked Sai.

"Yes. I heard while causing all of this commotion, she was dragging a Lilia in tow."

"Sorry, Your Highness. What?" Sai and Lilia looked at the man with confusion, but Lilia's was mixed with intrigue.

"Ah, sorry about that. Their description is so similar that I couldn't help but liken them. Well, they are twins after all. Her name was... Lilly?"

With pained expression, Sai replied. "Yes, Your Highness. Lilly is her name."

"Ah, that's great. I couldn't help but think of her when her twin sister here, Lilia, is so talented so I thought to myself 'what kind off talent does she have?' So I couldn't help but look forward to meeting her."

While hiding his face, that looked like he was swallowing a box full of knives, by bowing, Sai replied. "Yes, Lilly is quite talented. But unfortunately, Mother is the one responsible for her, so...."

"Haha! I understand completely! I'll give up on meeting her right now."

"That's is all I want to talk with you about right now. Again, keep up the good work, Young Lilia."

Sai and Lilia gave the man one last bow before they left the room. Upon leaving the room, without meeting Lilia's face directly, Sai said. "You will go back to your room immediately. Understand?"

With a graceful bow, Lilia replied. "Yes, Father."

After that, in a place not too far, Lilly and her grandmother, Yamato, are walking through the stalls.

Yamato knelt down to meet Lilly gaze as she said. "Lilly, listen. It's most likely your father knows we are here."

As if by instict, Lilly lowered her head, allowing her long, white hair to cover her face as she asked. "Father, knows where I am?"

"Well, he knows your here, but doesn't knows where you are exactly."

"Alright. Listen carefully, Lilly."

"Yup."

"Your father would most likely send people over to ruin our fun."

"'Ruin... our fun?'"

"Yes. The reason I brought you here is for you to have fun and make memories. And your father, being the stupid child that he is, will ruin your experience."

"W-what do I do then?"

"Shhh, calm down. Just trust me."

Grandma Yamato then pulled out two large pieces of paper before putting it on both her head and Lilly's.

And before Lilly could ask, she snapped her fingers, causing the paper to wrap around their white hair and transform it into black.

Lilly noticed the change immediately, and immediately asked. "Can I stay like this, Grandma?"

Her grandmother then calmly placed her hand on top of Lilly's head, stared at her eyes as she said. "Don't over rely on this. Didn't I tell you to be proud of who you are?"

"N-no, I don't think so."

"Well, I told you now."

"Okay...."

"That's enough talk, let's have some fun, Lilly."

With a small smile forming on her face, Lilly replied as she slowly revealed her face from her hair. "Ye-yeah!"

Lilly and her grandmother then proceeded to eat, play, mess with other people, and running away from people who they suspected to be with Sai.

Among one of these many runs, Lilly and her grandmother got separated. Lilly, now alone and lost, looked around her surroundings.

Fear began to sink in as Lilly frantically looked for her grandmother. As she ran down a dark area behind the stalls, she met someone she was familiar with. Someone that looked very familiar.

It was a girl who has short, white hair. Scarlet red eyes with the pupils the shape of a four petalled flower. And a pure white skin. It was Lilia, and she was alone like Lilly, and just staring at each other.

As they continued to stare at each other's light blue and scarlet eyes, Lilia asked. "Are you Lilly?"

"Yes."

"I'm Lilia."

"Nice to meet you, Lilia."

"Nice to meet you too, Lilly."

"..."

"..."

"Say, Lilly, can I ask a question?"

"Yes. Do mind if you also answer mine?"

"I don't mind at all. You could ask first if you want."

"Thank you, Lilia. My question is... can I do what you do?"

"...Yes, I think so. You are my twin sister afterall."

"I see...."

"Then, for my question... what's it like to be free?"

"'To be free?'"

"Yes. Is it fun?"

"I guess... it is. It's quite fun actually."

"I see.... Thank you for answering, Lilly."

"No problem."

"Miss Lilia! Where are you?! Where did you go?!"

"You should probably go. I assume father is looking for you."

"Yes. Yes, he is."

"..."

"..."

"It was nice meeting you, Lilly."

"It was nice meeting you as well, Lilia."

And with that, their conversation ended as they turned away from each other, engraving the answer the other gave them into their hearts.

Lilia met back up with the servant tasked with keeping her in her room. While Lilly found her grandmother by following the talk about a headbutting old goat lady.

Lilly and her grandmother, along with the rest of the participants in the festival began to head back to their homes.

As the tiny house on the hill lay silent in the night with only the crickets singing their songs, Lilly's eyes are wide open, seemingly thinking to herself, just thinking.