XI - Lihim

Slamming the door open, they see a shocking view.

Under the roof sheltered from the sun, are settled with very few visitors in the chapel. Instead of a priest preaching in front of their lord's statue, is a coffin surrounded by sunflowers.

And behind that door is a sleek image of a tall lady. Making the nanny in the black outfit gasp when the tall lady is not in that glittery dress anymore with her hair tied in a fixed bun as she remembers.

She wears a fine black suit. Her dark hair is all down, while her jewelry remains to put her up in the spotlight.

"Naria, how did you-?"

Before she could finish, the driver walks alongside the lady in a suit. His head down and slowly making guilty eye contact with the nanny. "I brought her here, Cielo."

This does not begin yet without the taller man pairing blue eyes with Naria joining the scene from afar. Seeing these two only important visitors in the chapel on sight, the driver finally adds,

"Please don't blame the kid, I did this by my own choice. She needs to know, Naria is not a child anymore."

The majority of these four people occupying only the chapel for today, the foreign man looked the least worrisome carrying on his face.

Instead, he brought it up with a curl by the end of his lips and spoke up with a smile "There's nothing to be blamed on, this is a good thing! I knew my smart girl would find this out, just like how she did before, I'm proud of you Naria-"

"Good thing? Don't congratulate me just yet."

"Then how did you figure this out?" The question is quickly thrown into their conversation, asked by the curious nanny, desperate to find answers due to her quirk of immediately seeking what's hidden.

Though Naria is unable to notice the question as she is drawn to a brown rectangular figure from the altar, walking nearby to it, she distinguishes the casket decked in copper, it has notched with intricate patterns. But before she gets closer, the nanny repeats her ignored question.

"Naria, tell us the truth."

"Now look who's talking."

Her reply weakens the nanny's voice, but she tries not to fail to explain more, "Listen, dear, it's an urgent matter. Her condition shares an influential impact with the business and the results would be very unlikely."

"That surely makes an impact but what does this have to do with me? What did I deserve to know nothing from any of this? Was I not good enough to help?"

Naria's bemoaning thundered the whole room, and everything fell silent.

Struck by her words. The driver and the nanny froze in regret. Meanwhile, the foreign man took his seat by the interlocking continuous row of wooden church chairs.

"Child, sit down." He said as he pats the surface beside him. Naria looks back, and she hesitantly follows.

"We were just trying to protect you," She slouches, couldn't bear to look at him in his eyes, but that didn't stop the man from talking "I know it's only been for a few months, but we hate to see you devasted AGAIN. That your grandmother has to go without saying goodbye."

Her focus lay astray to the casket as he mentioned her grandmother, the man noticing it when he follows her gaze, he continues his explanation with a sigh.

"We've been away for 8 years, 8 whole years missing the last time we see your grandmother stand so proudly by your side."

He emphasizes such words to keep her attention back on him, but all he can see from her never seemed to go as he expected. "But also missed 8 years of seeing how much she sacrificed working for the family. The time flies too fast, do you understand?"

Her head fell low, fidgeting, as her quiet scoffs can be heard within her disappointed expression, "I think it's much better if I could've known this way earlier. I'm not weak, papa."

She reassures him of her independence, the two blue-eyed relatives couldn't appreciate each other's pupils enough, not liking how he let this go unnoticed by his daughter completely changing her perspective.

"Is this another one of aunt's plans?" Both know already what her aunt has done in the past. Aware that her question hints that her grunge is still planted in.

He paused before he answers her question "No actually," his unexpected response finally made her head turn.

Her reaction encouraged him to justify his answer, he then glances at the nanny with her hands full, "This was one of your grandmother's last wishes, she wants us to give you some time, she wants you to be prepared. Perhaps we both misunderstood it."

His arm stretched towards the nanny, reaching for the things that filled the old lady's grasp. The nanny gave it to him, he then passed it onto his daughter's lap. The coarse texture of a big brown envelope made contact with her skin, making her wrap her delicate hands around it as she curiously observes the object.

"I hope you forgive us."