Chapter 96 Lilly (11)

In the next month, Lilly's routine contained, cleaning, learning how to cook with her grandmother, normal selfcare, helping out on odd activities when her grandmother needed help, and last but not least practice. What kind off practice you might ask. It's the same when they were back in the mansion.

She would occasionally sneak books and random bits of items into her own room that she requested from her grandmother.

One time, when she was practicing in her own little room, her grandmother peeked through the small crack on the window.

She watched as Lilly, who usually hated all of these activities, smile and merrily do them willingly. She formed a concerned look but did not make herself known.

She just let her do her own thing, and pretending she does not know. And like that, their normal life in the little house on the hill continued like usual.

That is of coarse, till the end of the month.

At the end of the month, back in the mansion from whence they came, Sai arrived like thunder in a storm.

He stood infront of the house as the servants, who are all kneeling before him with their heads on the floor, explained the situation to him.

"Is that so...." Sai said after hearing the explanation.

Without much of a reaction, he continued. "Bring her to me." Causing the servants to say. "As you wish, Master."

As Sai waited in a room, a group of servants left the mansion in a hurry. They raced through the city, through the outside of the walls, and eventually making their way to a little house on a hill.

But when they were about to cross the bridge leading to it, an old woman, Yamato, is standing menacingly in their way.

"I knew something was going on today." She said as she stared down the servants, who immediately prostrated themselves before saying. "We are terribly sorry, Madam. Master has ordered to bring the Young Miss back."

While harboring death in her eyes, she said. "Who do you take order from? Me, or my bratty son?"

The servants trembled upon hearing her calm yet rage filled question, but they did not dare answer.

Then suddenly. "Grandma! Is that them?!"

From within the house, a little girl with long, white hair emerged. She ran down the path saying. "Grandma. Please stop harrassing people."

With a hint of concern in her eyes, her grandmother asked. "Why are you here, Lilly?"

"Well, it's the end of the month. This is about the time when father comes back."

She returned her gaze to the kneeling servants before her grandmother continued. "You no longer have to worry about your father, Lilly."

"Go back in the house, and go do what you want while I go and talk to him."

"But what if I want to meet father?"

Faced with words she never would have thought that would come from Lilly's mouth, she turned towards her and asked. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

With a determined look in her eyes, Lilly replied. "Yes, Grandma!"

While still wearing a pained and worried look in her eyes, she returned to the servants and said to them. "You guys will wait while we go and prepare. Got that?"

"Yes, Madam."

After they went back to the house, Lilly and her grandmother prepared without saying a word. As they were about to leave, Lilly walked over to her grandmother and offered her a bag.

"What is this, Lilly?"

"A snack box I made. You said you liked my cooking."

"Yes. Yes, I do." Her grandmother then grabbed the bag offered to her and kneeled down.

As if knowing it was coming, Lilly opened her arms, allowing her grandmother to hug her freely. They hugged each other for a while before they went out to meet up with the servants.

The servants have ordered a carrage, allowing Lilly and her grandmother to arrive to the mansion faster.

As they rode, they joked and talked about the things they saw on the way, but as they smiled, her grandmother, Yamato, couldn't help but feel a little worry in her heart.

And just like that, they arrived at the mansion. As the familiar servants and halls greeted them, they made their way through the mansion.

Just as they were about to enter a room, Lilly said to her grandmother. "You can stay outside if you want, Grandma. I'll be fine on my own."

With an extremely worried face, her grandmother asked. "Are you sure, Lilly?"

"Yes!"

"If that's what you want."

As her grandmother stayed back, Lilly opened the room, immediately locking eyes with the person staying inside. Sai, her father.

Completely opposite of what happened before, Lilly did not falter amidst her father's gaze. With a proud and determined look on her face she entered the room.

After closing the door, she sat opposite of the table where her father is sitted and greeted. "Good afternoon, father."

"Good afternoon, Lilly."

"..."

"Do you want to have lunch first or-"

"I'm fine, father. I have already eaten with Grandma."

Without much reaction, Sai continued. "Very well. You don't mind if we start already, do you?"

"Not at all, father."

Sai then rolled two piece of paper, one empty and the other full of writing, onto the table and handed it over to Lilly with a paintbrush and some ink.

Without a second of hesitation, Lilly grabbed the piece of paper with writing all over it. She then began reading it all out to Sai, who unlike before, did not interrupt her to point out mistakes.

After reading all of it's contents out loud, she placed the piece of paper onto the table with a little smile on her face.

She sat back as she waited for her father's reply, who replied after a few seconds saying. "Go on."

The smile on Lilly's face did not disappear as she did as she was told. She grabbed the empty piece of paper and began writing on it.

As she diligently wrote on the piece of paper, her father, Sai, just watched with a blank expression.

And after a while, Lilly finished writing. She placed the piece of paper into her father's hand for him to read. Letting go of that piece of paper felt like the weight on Lilly's chest disappeared. And then, she breathed outwards, feeling satisfied and refreshened.

And like before, Sai took the piece of paper and walked towards the window, leaving Lilly just smiling to herself on the table behind him.

After finishing reading, he then said. "You have made some progress, Lilly."

Lilly couldn't help but smile after hearing her father's words. She felt a sense of satisfaction and pride in her heart after hearing his once scary voice giving her some recognition.

"But...."

"It's not enough."

Almost immediately, the sense of new found confidence in herself disappered as Lilly listened to her father, Sai, point out her mistakes.

It felt like the whole world was crashing onto her shoulders. Her once bright smile slowly crumbled. Doubt slowly took place in her heart once more.

Her seat felt like a bed of swords. The air in the room felt like poison, making it feel like she is breathing in fire. Her father's words feeling like torture and this accursed box his torture room.

As Lilly hid behind her long, white hair once more, she bit her lip out of frustration, out of helplessness, out of anxiety, and out of disappointment.

And then it happened.

Before her father, Sai, could finish listing out her every mistakes, Lilly bolted out of the room.

But before she could get far, she was immediately caught. Caught in the arms of a familiar warmth.

As she being prevented from moving away woth one arm, the other made her look up. The hand then swiped Lilly's hair to the side, revealing her teary eyes and face full of sadness.

She then sank her tear filled face onto the clothes of the one who caught her. She was put into a deep embrace, ridding the halls of her sobs.

And then, her grandmother, the one who put her into a warm embrace, looked at the entrance with hate and rage.

After a while, she led Lilly to the front entrance as she continued to embrace her. At the front courtyard, the carrage they used to get here is still in place.

Yamato then placed the still crying Lilly into the carrage. Sensing she was being separated, Lilly extended her arms towards her grandmother saying. "Please don't leave me, Grandma."

Her grandmother patted her head as she replied with a soothing tone. "Don't worry, Lilly. I will never leave you."

"You will just go back home ahead of time while I go and talk to your father, okay?"

"Tudet?"

Her grandmother let out a chuckle before saying. "Tudet."

And after seperating, Lilly and the carrage set off from the mansion as her grandmother stayed behind.

After making sure the carrage has left, her grandmother's entire demenour changed. It can only be describe as the aura of someone about to murder and cause death.

The servants seperated like the wind as Yamato walked throught the halls without hiding the aura surrounding her.

She then grabbed a poor servant as she said to him. "Bring him to me."

The servant could only nod frantically as Yamato placed them down. She then continued walking until she entered a specific room.

After a while, Sai arrived in that very same room. He saw the papers and ink in the corner from the previous users of this room as he also saw Yamato, her mother, sitting on the table filled with foods.

Barely containing her emotion, his mother, Yamato, then said. "Come and sit with me, Sai."

After letting out air from his nose, he closed the room as he said. "Yes, mother."

After Sai sat back onto his seat opposite of his mother, a long silence filled the room.

After placing down her tea cup, his mother said. "Go on. Help yourself."

Without saying anything, Sai grabbed a piece of food and took a bite out of it. After seeing him gulp it down, his mother asked. "How is it?"

After a bit of pondering, he replied. "A bit odd and average, but it's acceptable."

"Lilly is the one that made it."

Sai then placed the piece of food back down as he said. "It's about what I expected."

After almost breaking her cup, his mother then asked as calmly as she could. "Are you proud as a father?"

"I'd be prouder is Lilly did better."

Slamming her cup onto the table, his mother yelled. "She gave it her best!"

With an unfazed expression, he said. "But it was not enough."

"Who raised you to be like this?!!!"

"You did, mother." Sai calmly replied.

"No! I did not raise such a stupid son!"

"And I did not have such a stupid mother."

As they glared at each other, Sai stated. "I let her do whatever she wanted. And all I ever wanted from her was to do better."

"And yet she did! But it was not enough for you!"

"She merely didn't live up to my expectations."

"Who cares about what you think?! She is only ten years old! TEN YEARS OLD!!!"

"Yes, I am aware that is her age."

"You're comparing her to her sister, aren't you?!!!"

"Yes. If she truly is her sister, she could also reach that high."

"Lilly is not her sister! Stop comparing her!"

"How could I? They are exactly the same."

"No, they are not!"

"Define twin sisters then, dear mother."

As they both began raising their voice, letting the anger show through their faces. His mother then asked. "Why couldn't you be like your sister?!"

And like that, Sai finally snapped. He then yelled. "Look at you! You're talking about stopping comparison and here you are! Comparing your son to your daughter!"

"I'm not comparing you to her, you brat! I'm telling you to be more like her!"

"What's the goddamn difference?!!! What do you even want from me?!!!"

"I want you to live like her! Doing what she always wanted, to be free, despite everyone saying it's not acceptable from someone like her!"

"And here you are, leaving in this stinking city all alone in some place! You have made several mistakes in your life, but your children was your second chance! And you blew it!"

"So, what?! What are you going to do?! Punish me, like you always did?!"

And after hearing that, his mother, Yamato, extended her arms to the side, allowing a small snake like being made up from different pieces of paper to crawl up her arm.

She then said. "You will no longer interfere with Lilly! Got that, brat?!!!"

Sai drew a black paintbrush from his person as he replied. "I am her father! I will raise her how I want!"

"You have lost the right of being a father long ago!"

And like that, they began fighting as rain poured down on the mansion. Their attacks are so powerful and reckless that thay began destroying the mansion, forcing the inhabitants to leave despite the rain.

After their battle concluded as the rain continued, Sai lay defeated on the rubble as her mother, Yamato, stood victoriously. Both exhausted and tired.

As she grabbed onto her chest, Yamato then yelled at the top of her lungs. "Oboete Lilly! From now on you will live how you want to!"

As she calmed down, she looked at her son trying to pull himself off of the ground. She then said to him. "You, my stupid son, Sai. Will no longer interfere with my granddaughter Lilly, got that?"

As he looked up at her as rain continued to pour down. "You damn hag!"

Despite her son's harsh words, she let out a smile before collapsing onto the ground.

Sai watched her mother fall onto the ground, he let out a grunt before looking away. He then looked back at her as he asked. "Hey!"

"Hey! Are you still alive?!"

"Mother?"

"Dammit! Servants!"

"Everyone! Servants! Anyone!"

"Someone! Help her!"

Meanwhile, somewhere outside of town, in a room, inside a house, on top of a hill, a little girl with white hair, dried tears on her face, sat on a table all alone.

She looked out the window with her light blue eyes with the pupils the shape of a four petalled flower as she asked herself. "It's still raining. When is Grandma coming back."

Just on the table infront of her, two bowls of soup lay side by side. The hot steam from which, disappears into the cold atmosphere.