Chapter 93 Lilly (8)

A few days later, Lilly's grandmother was casually taking a stroll with Lilly by her side. They walked while talking about things Lilly asked about.

As they passed the front courtyard, they noticed a messenger come in. They were heading for the servants to the side but when they saw Lilly and her grandmother, they immediately walked towards them.

"Madam. Young Miss. May I take some of your time to tell you a message?"

"Go on. What is it?"

"It concerns the King and the Master."

Lilly, who was holding onto a bunch of papers, nearly dropped all of them when she heard the messengers words.

Seeing this, her grandmother and the messenger helped her pick up some of her papers.

"Thank you, grandmother. Mr, Messenger."

"You're welcome."

"Now, then. Proceed with your message."

"Yes, Madam."

The messenger cleared their throat before continuing. "The Master's visit this month will be postponed. His next visit will happen in the next."

A small relieved smile appeared on Lilly's face. But when her grandmother looked at her, she just hid behind her long, white hair.

Returning her attention to the messenger, she asked. "What about the King? You mentioned him, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, Madam. The reason for the Master postponing his visit is because, he and the other Young Miss was invited in an event hosted by the King."

As her grandmother frowned at the relayed information, Lilly meanwhile, had a happy, yet confused expression as she asked. "Who is this King?"

Her grandmother looked at her and asked. "Has your father not said anything about this event or the King to you?"

Lilly hung her head low, hiding behind her hair once more as she said. "Father never talks to me about anything besides how to do stuff properly."

Her grandmother formed a visible frown as she sent the messenger away. She knelt down to Lilly and hugged her head between her gentle arms while she wore a face of pure disappointment.

Lilly, who was looking down thus unable to see her expression, just simply hugged back without saying anything.

Then, the next day.

Her grandmother was currently holding a struggling Lilly in her shoulder as she walked through the halls.

She then yelled as Lilly continued to try and get herself free from her grasp. "Your coming outside with me, Young Lady!"

"I don't want to!"

"Your yelling at me now?!"

"I'm not! Just... let me go! I want to stay inside."

"This is unacceptable behavior, Lilly! There is more to this world other than this mansion and it's papers!"

"But I like reading! I also like living in this mansion with you!"

"I like reading too, and I also like living in this mansion with you! But you need to experience the outside world!"

As they continued to yell at each other without really hurting anyone apart from the occasional servant that comes within earshot, they made their way onto the front door.

When they got outside, Lilly noticed that a carrage is already waiting at the courtyard. As they began making their way to it, Lilly clung onto a wooden pillar on the front porch.

Her grandmother stopped walking and said to her with a scary tone. "Let go, Lilly."

"No!"

"You have grown bold, Lilly. Maybe too bold."

"Nope!"

"Very well, then."

Her grandmother, without waiting for Lilly to let go of the wooden pillar, resumed her walking. Without any resonable explanation, the wooden pillar Lilly was clinging onto, snapped. Leaving some parts of the pillar still inside Lilly's grasp while the rest fell along with the majority of the front porch.

Lilly watched the destruction that unfold with wide and shocked eyes. She then let go of the remaining pillar piece still in her grasp, looking like a criminal trying to act normal.

She was then dumped inside the carrage without her consent by her grandmother, who went in right after.

After making sure that her kidnapped victim is tied up and sat comfortably in her chair, she looked out the window to the side, only to meet a servant's gaze, who then asked her with a worried expression. "Madam. Are you sure this is okay? The Young Miss has never been outside the mansion, and shouldn't we tell the Master?"

With a face even gods would fear, she replied. "You dare question my ways, mortal?!"

Met with her demon-killing glare, the servant performed a bow and stepped away from the carrage as they said. "I'm sorry, Madam. Please. Enjoy your trip."

"Hmph! We will. Driver, go! Before I make you pull this carrage yourself!"

"Yes, Madam!"

And with that, the carrage had left the mansion with Lilly and her grandmother inside.

After a few minutes of sitting around, her grandmother has let Lilly free from her restraint. But even though she was free, she was just sitting awkwardly in place.

Her grandmother then asked her. "What are you doing, Lilly?"

"U-uh, I-I don't...."

"Your stuttering again, Lilly. Do you remember what happened last time you stuttered?"

Lilly's previosly unsure expression suddenly turned to a face who is having to relive a traumatic moment. After seemingly experiencing hell, she replied with a red burning face as she hid behind her hair. "Yes. I remember."

"Then, answer me properly, Lilly. What do you think your doing?"

Lilly squirmed around in place as she replied. "I don't know.... I never been outside before."

After a little bit of pondering, her grandmother said. "Very well, then. Lilly, can you move towards the right a bit?"

"Sure? Why exactly?" Asked Lilly as she moved a little bit to the right.

And with the help of her horns, her grandmother sent a headbut past her which then made it's way to the side of the carrage, producing a sizeable hole.

As Lilly remained petrified and speechless, feeling the tremble in the carrage, the driver asked. "Is everything okay back there, Madam?"

"Keep driving, if you know what's best for you."

"Y-yes, Madam!"

As the light and wind flew into the inside of the carrage, Lilly couldn't help but look out the hole her grandmother made, on the actual window mind you.

Lilly was left speechless. Not because her grandmother headbutted something just for headbutting it, but instead, it was because of the beautiful landscape outside.

Vibrant colored trees, building built around rolling hills, people going on with their daily lives, the smell of the different aromas both natural and artificial permeating the air.

The sounds of the leaves rustling, the noises of the weird, yet captivating domesticated beasts, and the noises of the people, populating the tightly packed, yet spacious and luxurious houses inside the city with roads weaving in and out the landscape.

As Lilly continued to marvel at the sunlit cityscape, her grandmother just sat back and let her do her own thing with a smile on her face.

Noticing an eye-catching giant palace overlooking the city, Lilly couldn't help but ask. "Grandmother! What's that giant building on the hill over there?!" Barely containing the excitement in her voice.

Her grandmother opened the window to get a better view. After seeing the place she was pointing at, she replied to her. "That. Is the Sun region's Palace. It's where the current King and his three children are currently living."

"Can we go there?" Said Lilly with eyes filled with expectation and wonder.

With a smile that looked somewhat mischievious, her grandmother replied. "Yes, we can go there. But, not now. Maybe later."

"Okay.... Oh! oh! What's that?" Lilly asked as another thing outside immediately caught her attention.

"Oh, that is...."

And like that, they spent the majority of the trip with Lilly eagerly pointing at everything that she sees while her grandmother, with the same eagerness and blissfulness, answered every single one of her questions.

When Lilly saw a peculiar looking fruit, like every thing before it, she asked her grandmother. "What's that, grandmother? It looks weird."

"Oh, you should be familiar with that one. That's the fruit where that sticky rice cake is from."

Lilly's mind then went back to the time she nearly choked on a sticky food she eagerly put in her mouth with very clear visibility.

As she snapped out of her daze, she asked. "Grandmother. Do you think we can hire that chef again? I kinda want to eat his food again."

"Well, if you like his food so much, why don't you try and cook it yourself?"

"I-I...." Met with her grandmother's blunt, yet simple solution, Lilly looked a bit speechless.

"Huh?! Is that stuttering I hear?!!!!"

"N-no!"

"Huh?! What was that, Lilly?!!!"

"No!"

"Hmm...."

"By the way, grandmother...."

"What is it?"

"Where are we going? Are we just going in a loop back into the mansion?"

"Do you have any place that you want to go to?"

"I don't... I don't really know any other places."

"Well, we are heading straight for our final destination."

"Final destination?"

"Yes. It's where I live, and as of today, you're also living there."

"But... I..."

Her grandmother pressed both her hands onto her cheeks before turning her face towards her as she said. "You no longer have to live in that mansion, Lilly. That place no longer contains your family."

"My family?"

"Yes. And, if your so called family wants you back. They'll know where to find you, so don't worry."

"Really? No worries?"

"Yes, it will all be fine, Lilly. Everything will be just fine."

Not long after that, the carrage stopped near the outskirts of the populated city. Lilly and her grandmother hopped out of the carrage as the driver began unpacking their stuff.

Lilly then looked around the place, a wide and open grass-filled land, and a little river running at the base of a flowery hill where a little house is settled.

Seeing her confusion, her grandmother clarified. "Yes, this is it. This is where I lived before I came back."

"Aren't we in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes, I quite like the silence here. Perhaps you don't it? Do you want to go back to the mansion?"

Without a shred of hesitation, Lilly replied. "No."

Her grandmother formed a proud smile as she said. "Well, looks like this place is your new home. Come on, Lilly."

As the driver continued to unpack, the two headed up the walkway, crossed a little bridge before scaling up the hill, finally arriving at the tiny house, tiny in comparison to the mansion they used to live in.

When they opened the door, inside was a humble place, not too grand, not to bland. They then decided to walk in.

"Should we check if everything inside is alright? Maybe an animal got in when you were gone, grandmother?"

"There's no need, Lilly. Even though we might be in the middle of nowhere, this place is quite secure. I have people watching this place whenever I'm gone. Beside's this is the King's private property."

"Are we allowed to live here?"

"Yes. They gave me this place long ago, but they still take care of it as if it's still theirs."

"Maybe we should thank them."

"Yes, in time. But before that, lets do some minor dusting, Lilly. You're not afraid to get some dust on you, right?"

"Nope."

"Okay, then. Lets clean up the place and unpack. After that, we'll eat and set up our sleeping bags. Is that alright, Lilly?"

"That sounds good, grandmother."

As the driver said goodbye to them, the two did what they set out to do without a single word of complaint or regret, only cheerful laughter and the occasional yelling.