Lily Grace

"Perhaps she was frightened into a stupor from the beginning, hence her unmoving silence, inadvertently escaping the monster's notice, which saved her life, a silver lining amidst misfortune," Simon thought. Hearing the sounds from outside through the door, Lily Grace knew her father had tragically perished, understanding why she was so frightened.

Feeling pity for Lily Grace, Simon found himself at a loss when she didn't react to his words. Suddenly struck by an idea, he reached into his pocket and retrieved a small bag of bread.

Earlier, when he climbed aboard the raft, Simon didn't store all his food in his backpack in case he encountered unforeseen circumstances after leaving the raft, opting to carry a few pieces of bread and biscuits on his person.

Realizing Lily Grace had been hiding here for at least a day, Simon deduced she hadn't eaten during this time. Simon tore open the bread bag and cautiously approached, extending it toward Lily Grace.

This method proved effective. The girl, with wide eyes and a blank expression, finally responded. Her eyes slowly shifted, fixed on the bread Simon offered.

The aroma of the bread filled the air, enticing her to instinctively swallow.

"It seems you were indeed famished," Simon noted with joy as she reacted, nodding to her and gesturing, "Take it, it's for you. I still have more."

The girl seemed to understand his words, slowly reaching out her hand. With some hesitation, she took the bread from Simon's hand and stared at it. After hesitating for two or three seconds, she finally began to nibble on it carefully.

Despite eating slowly, bite by bite, perhaps due to not having had water for too long, her throat was dry. She still choked on it, her face turning red as she coughed.

"You haven't eaten for too long. You should drink some water first," Simon realized, intending to fetch water for her. He suddenly remembered that all the water was on the raft and it would take some time to retrieve it, so he began searching the house.

Soon, he found a glass in the living room meant for drinking water, still containing about half a glass of cold water. Though it had cooled, it should still be drinkable. He brought it over, removed the lid, and handed it to her.

The girl took it and drank a few sips of water, finally catching her breath.

She ate slowly. Even though it was just a piece of bread, it took her quite a while to finish. Simon handed her a small bag of biscuits afterward, feeling a pang in his heart.

Food was scarce now, these were lifesaving supplies. However, seeing the girl looking so pitiful, Simon couldn't bear to leave her to her fate. Besides, he longed for companionship. Even if she seemed somewhat ineffectual, having her was better than being alone.

Simon's greatest fear was the loneliness of being alone, which was the most terrifying thing to him. He dreaded being the only one left.

So when he saw this girl now, he was more excited than anyone else.

The girl looked at the biscuits Simon handed her again. Her small hand reached out to take them, but then hesitated, showing a trace of uncertainty.

Simon smiled and said, "It's okay, go ahead and eat. I have plenty more." As he spoke, he tore open the packaging and placed it in the girl's hand.

Simon thought to himself that this girl was quite adept at reading expressions. Could she have noticed the twinge of pain on my face just now? This was becoming somewhat awkward.

After eating the bread and biscuits and finishing the large half cup of cool water, the girl's originally pale and listless complexion became slightly rosy. She appeared much more lively.

Leaning against the cabinet, Simon silently appraised her. He thought the girl was not unattractive, dressed in a white dress that made her look quite lovely.

"I'm Simon. What's your name? And how old are you?" Simon watched her finish eating, visibly perk up, and attempted to communicate with her.

After finishing the biscuits, the girl carefully licked the crumbs off her fingers. Finally, she turned her big eyes towards Simon and moved her lips softly, "Lily Grace, thirteen."

"Lily Grace, thirteen," Simon repeated, smiling awkwardly. "That's a lovely name..." he added, trying to keep the conversation going. As he observed the girl, he noticed her staring blankly at the middle-aged man's corpse in front of her. Suddenly, she shifted and crawled out of the wardrobe, gently touching the face of the middle-aged man's corpse with her hand, her head bowed slightly.

The girl crawled out, and Simon then noticed the torn white dress on her back, with many cuts and stained with blood, rendering it almost unwearable.

Simon found this somewhat peculiar. How could her clothes be so tattered when she didn't seem injured?

"Lily Grace, is he your father?" Simon took a deep breath, knowing it was cruel but still asking.

Lily Grace didn't answer. She just shrugged her frail shoulders slightly, as if responding to him yet also crying silently.

Simon sighed inwardly. He decided to take her away from here. It was too cruel to let a thirteen-year-old girl keep staring at her father's corpse.

"Let's go. I'll take you away from here. There are no more living people here. It's not a solution to stay here." Simon extended his hand to hold the girl's hand.

He grasped Lily Grace's arm, attempting to pull her up.

Lily Grace lifted her head slightly and tried to stand with Simon's help. But as she started to rise, she stumbled back down, unable to stand.

"Simon was slightly taken aback. 'What's wrong with your legs?' he wondered silently. If she couldn't stand, it would be troublesome. In this perilous world, she would become a considerable burden."

"'I... I'm fine. Just a bit numb. It'll pass,' Lily Grace replied with a hint of panic in her eyes, sensing Simon's concern and fearing his abandonment."

Simon understood now. She had been curled up in the wardrobe for so long that her legs had gone numb from poor circulation, making it difficult for her to stand.

"Good to hear. Rest here for a while. I'll check the other rooms," Simon reassured her before leaving the bedroom. He returned to the living room, surveying the fallen shoe rack and scattered shoes. Among them, he spotted a pair of leather boots that caught his eye—a waterproof pair, perfect for the raft where regular shoes would soak through easily. The size seemed just right.

Without hesitation, Simon removed his already soaked shoes and socks, replacing them with clean socks before trying on the leather boots. They fit snugly, bringing a satisfied expression to his face.

Although the weather made wearing leather boots somewhat uncomfortable, Simon endured it. It was certainly better than walking around with damp socks and shoes all the time.