13. Little girl

"I'm not surprised," Chris said immediately after Precious answered his question. However, his response caused Precious to glare at him, causing her pale face from the earlier shock to fade away.

"Do you have to be like Lucas now?" Precious asked, her voice faint as she lowered her head.

"Were you expecting me to be surprised?" Chris retorted, bending his neck to closely examine her face. Precious, being on the shorter side even among petite girls, forced Chris to almost bend his entire upper body.

"You're just nineteen and innocent," Chris continued, his head still close to Precious'. "Yet, with the attitude you've shown us, you think you're mature enough to have a bank account?"

Just when Precious thought Chris was done with whatever he wanted to say, he spoke again. This time, his words were filled with venom, though not literal poison.

"A bank account would be too much for you to handle," Chris stated, and added, "I'm sure your father buys your underwear and every private thing you need."

As expected, like any other girl in Precious' situation, she snapped and lifted her head to confront him immediately after she heard the latter part of his words.

"How would you know?!" Precious questioned, her face displaying a peculiar look.

"I'm not surprised," Chris remarked, his gaze fixed on Precious. His eyes and facial expression conveyed a sense of understanding, inviting her to confide in him. Although he appeared trustworthy, Precious couldn't help but harbor doubts.

Despite her reservations, Precious nodded in agreement, acknowledging that Chris was right about her father taking care of personal matters for her. "Well, he's your father, so it's not too terrible. But you need to grow up, little girl."

"I am growing up, so please stop calling me a little girl," she retorted, clearly offended by the remark.

Precious's reaction was understandable, considering that being called "little" was not something most 19-year-olds appreciated. However, in that moment, she seemed to momentarily forget who she was speaking to.

"Little girl!" Chris teased, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. He emphasized each word with deliberate intent, fully aware that Precious despised being referred to as such. "I would call you a little girl because I'm five times older than you, much older, baby girl!" he added, enjoying the effect his words had on her.

As predicted, Precious's expression betrayed her deep-seated annoyance, but she found herself unable to come up with a retort. Chris wasn't wrong—compared to him, Precious was still young and inexperienced.

He was even merciful by refraining from calling her a child. 

Precious acknowledged once again that the two individuals in her room were nothing more than beasts, reminding herself to always keep this fact in mind. She decided to let go of the issue of being called "little" and shifted her focus to something she was curious about.

"So, you guys are old men then. How are you...?" she began, only to be interrupted by a dismissive remark.

"It is what it is, baby!" he replied with a nonchalant tone.

Tsk. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

He still called her a child in the end. 

Precious glanced down at her feet, observing the friction between them and the floor. She couldn't quite put her feelings into words.

It wasn't happiness or sadness; rather, she felt somewhat numb. She let out a deep sigh, reassuring herself that she could survive living among beasts.

If only she had someone she could confide in. Unfortunately, besides Rainey, Precious knew she was entirely alone in this house. 

Ultimately, Rainey wasn't human and couldn't communicate with her. 

Precious reasoned that she might be the only human in the entire mansion, as she found it hard to believe that the maids working there were unaware of the true nature of the house's masters.

Perhaps those maids were humans as well, but that would only make the situation even sadder.

No one should desire to live in a situation that could potentially take their life at any moment. If someone does, it's likely they were coerced into it.

Precious was aware that she might be overthinking things, as these creatures had not been entirely friendly towards her since her arrival at the mansion. Every time she interacted with them, they made it clear that they were beasts, not humans. Their thought processes differed from those of humans.

For instance, an ordinary human would never claim that their pet, especially a large tiger, had consumed human flesh without flinching. The memory of such bizarre occurrences in the building, like Chris transforming from a snake, gradually deteriorated Precious' mental state.

She yearned to see her father and share everything that was happening to her. There was so much weighing on her mind that she needed to release. Unfortunately, she found herself surrounded by beasts, and the thought of complaining about them to other beasts was too distressing to contemplate.

"If only I had someone, a friend to confide in," Precious thought with a sigh in her mind, directing her attention to the beast standing before her.

"Where are we going?" Precious asked, her memory failing her on Lucas's previous instructions before he disappeared.

"We are going to have breakfast first, and then I'll take you to the building Edgar created for your pottery lessons. After that, we'll head out to prepare you for school," Chris patiently explained the day's plan to Precious.

Precious nodded silently, contemplating whether she should ask Chris about her father. However, she quickly decided against it, fearing that his response would only deepen her sorrow. Instead, she remained quiet until they reached the expansive dining room.

As they entered, Precious noticed Veronica and mustered a smile. It had completely slipped her mind that there was a woman among these beasts. This realization sparked an idea within her.

'I wonder if I can be friends with Veronica,' Precious pondered, considering their shared womanhood. 'It shouldn't be too difficult, right?'

She resolved to win Veronica's favor, hoping that it would lead to a genuine friendship. At this point, Precious was growing desperate for someone to talk to in this mansion before her fragile mental state completely crumbled. 

Precious didn't care if her potential companion was a beast, as long as they didn't bully or eat her.

Precious just longed for a friend or someone who could provide solace and distract her from the overwhelming worries that threatened to overwhelm her. However, she knew that reuniting with her father seemed unlikely in the near future based on what she had observed.

"There's nothing to lose, so let's approach her," Precious thought, considering the possibility of befriending Veronica or at least finding a conversation partner. As she closed in on the dining table, she contemplated her decision and resolved to give it a try.

With determination, Precious walked around the dining table and took a seat beside Veronica. "Hello, Veronica!" she greeted, trying to convey a positive demeanor. "I hope it's okay that I sit next to you." Precious hoped that her presence wouldn't be met with rejection.

"Well..." Veronica shrugged, lifting her glass to take a sip of water. She didn't finish her statement, as she expected Precious to interpret her gesture. Precious noticed it, but she decided to persist.

She truly yearned for someone to talk to, and since Veronica appeared to be a potential candidate, it was important to establish a connection between them. Starting with addressing the minor incident from the previous night seemed like a good way to break the ice.

"I'm sorry for what happened yesterday," Precious stated, her voice soft yet loud and clear enough for any to hear. "It was totally my fault. I shouldn't have been so annoying, and I'm sorry if I pissed you off."

Precious reasoned that if she became friends with Veronica, she should at least be able to have a good time. Even if they weren't close friends, just being a little closer to talk with would be enough for Precious.

Chris and Lucas, on the other hand, didn't exactly seem like good examples of reliable friends. Their cruel behavior didn't sit well with Precious, who was still trying to adapt to their strange aura and environment.

Veronica, being a beast just like them, should be able to understand and relate, right? At least, that was Precious's belief. Sadly, Veronica acted deaf to Precious's words, causing a frown to appear on Precious's face.