Chapter 5 - Dining With Grandfather

As Willow followed Elara through the grand corridors of the Bolbok estate, her mind buzzed with thoughts and uncertainty. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that her grandfather's unexpected invitation held deeper significance than mere dinner.

Throughout her short life in this world, she had only interacted with her grandfather directly no more than 50 times— while that number might seem like a lot, that was 50 times over the span of 13 years.

That alone showed just how estranged her relationship with her grandfather was— and know he wanted to meet alone?

'No use overthinking it.'

She thought to herself as she sighed softly and calmed her thoughts.

Arriving before the dining hall's grand doors, Willow calmed her heartbeat and mind so that her grandfather wouldn't find anything unusual. She did not know what awaited her on the other side of the ornate doors, but she knew her grandfather well enough to know he had a keen eye.

Elara pushed open the large doors for her and took the lead to announce her presence.

"The Young Miss has arrived."

Her words reached all the servants in the room, but most of all, they were heard by the tall man sitting on the centerpiece of the long dining table.

His attention shifted from the papers in his hand to the door, where he saw the short girl— her long, dirty gold hair flowing behind her in curls as she stepped in.

As both of them looked at each other— Willow couldn't help but be somewhat surprised. She had seen him quite a few times throughout her life, but after gaining her past memories, she now saw him in a new light.

She knew of him from Arcane— his distance and enigmatic figure, shrouded in secrets and distrust.

But one thing the series didn't fully portray was his appearance. The man was tall— his body was machinic in nature, most likely due to cybernetic enhancements or something similar.

His golden robotic face held no emotions in them— in fact they seemingly lacked the ability to move which made it very difficult to tell what he was feeling.

His voice came out in two tones— Willow could hear the underlined sound of his normal voice, but it was seemingly translated and amplified by the robotic translator.

"Willow, I'm glad you could join me."

His robotic voice was cold and emotionless— but from the slight tone she could pick up from his natural voice, she could feel the hint of warmth in there.

"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your work?"

Her eyes glanced down at the papers he had placed down as she said those words. His council work never stopped— and honestly, she didn't even fully know what he did.

"No, I called for you after all. Take a seat."

He motioned his hand, and one of the servants who stood at the side approached the table and pulled out a chair for her. She simply nodded and took a seat on the opposite side of him.

Her eyes keenly stayed on the man; his every movement was kept under watch as subtly as she could.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the presence of the man, as if there were secrets lurking beneath the surface that was waiting to be uncovered.

This wasn't just the memories of her past life talking— even in this life, she always found her grandfather odd, and even if she cared for him as any family member would, she couldn't deny he was odd.

As the servants began to bring out the first course for them to eat, Councilor Bolbok turned his gaze towards Willow, his machinic eyes looking at her with their hollow holes.

"You've grown since the last time I saw you."

Well it had been almost a year since he had last saw her— but she couldn't quite say that out loud.

"Thank you, Grandfather."

Willow's reply was short and simple as she began to eat the meal before her. It was rather complex, as you would expect from a full-course dinner in a rich family: a mixture of meat, vegetables, sides, and a drink to top it off.

As the meal progressed in silence— her grandfather ate what seemed like a black goo-like substance from a tube. She didn't know what it was— but she was sure it had to do with his odd physical nature.

As the dinner went on in silence for a few minutes, she couldn't help but wonder what had prompted her grandfather to summon her for dinner all of a sudden, especially considering their distant relationship.

"Grandfather."

Unable to bear the silence any longer, she finally broke it by speaking up, drawing the attention of the man sitting to her other side.

"I can't help but wonder why you asked to see me tonight. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

As the question left her mouth, she couldn't help but feel like she may have messed up— the Willow of the past was never one to be so forward with her grandfather, but she couldn't let that limit her anymore.

A soft hum escaped Councilor Bolbok's robotic mask as his eyes flickered onto her— staring at her in silence for a few seconds.

Those few seconds felt like hours for Willow, as she simply could not understand what was going on inside his head. However, she did not need to wonder for long, as he finally replied.

"Tomorrow is your 13th birthday already, isn't it, Willow?"

The man posed a question of his own, which the girl could only answer— nodding her head, she replied with an affirmative response.

"Yes, is that why you're back?"

The man's robotic head seemingly nodded to her question slowly before speaking once more.

"It is indeed one of the reasons. However, it is not the only reason. You are getting older, Willow, much quicker than I would like, and there are things that you even need to learn about this family."

Willow's heart skipped a beat at her grandfather's words. A rush of anticipation filled her body, and she couldn't help but wonder what he meant.

She knew that her family's history was more complex than meets the eye—after all, every Council family had secrets and a past that could not be revealed.

But she has never had the chance to learn more.

"What do you mean, Grandfather?"

She asked— her tone could not hide her anticipation from her grandfather before her. He easily noticed the girl's curiosity and remained silent for a few seconds more as if contemplating his choices.