When Lilia heard what Chris said, her mind turned blank for a moment. She was pinching herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.
Merry was the daughter of the Hiroshi Family? And she's Sasha's niece too? Could it be that from the start, Merry's goal to be her assistant was...
Lilia shook her head vigorously to ward off the thought. Merry had been by her side for more than half a year and the young woman had never done anything wrong. Anyone could see that Merry was truly loyal to Lilia.
And Lilia wasn't someone who could change her mind easily. She wouldn't doubt Merry's motives just because of what other people said and her real identity. Lilia had more faith in Merry's figure who had been helping her through half the year.
Silence enveloped the room as Lilia was deeply immersed in her thoughts. She didn't realize that Merry kept stealing glances at her.
Merry's eyes felt hot and her heart was racing as she waited for Lilia to say something. The young woman bit her lip while struggling to keep her tears from spilling. Her fingertips turned cold as she imagined the disappointment coloring Lilia's face.
Compared to facing the wrath of Jean or her own family, Merry was much more afraid that Lilia wouldn't believe her. She didn't want the woman she idolized to think that Merry had been deliberately lying to her all this time. If Lilia actually hated her because of this… Merry might lose her life spirit.
"Sis Lilia ..." Merry softly called with a pleading tone.
But she didn't have time to finish her sentence because Jean's knife-sharp gaze was directed at her.
'You still dare to call her like that after lying to her all this time?' Jean's cold gaze seemed to say that.
Chris frowned and elbowed Jean. Couldn't this man be more sensitive? Merry was about to cry, but he still blamed her like this!
Merry immediately closed her mouth tightly. She cast a pleading look at Chris. Her gaze urged the man to help her say something.
Chris sighed and opened his mouth to speak to Lilia, but just at that moment, the door to their room was knocked. Seconds later, Clifford returned with a hotel staff member bringing the food.
Jean patted Lilia's head gently, "Lilia, eat something first."
"Hm?" Lilia turned her head, as if she just remembered that she hadn't had lunch, "Oh okay."
Even though she said that, Lilia just stared at the food cart being pushed by the hotel staff without moving. Her mind was still on Chris' words and the time she had spent with Merry all this time.
Jean finally got up from the sofa and took a bowl of porridge from the food trolley. Only after he put the porcelain bowl in Lilia's hand did the woman move.
Lilia stirred the porridge for a while before she finally looked at Merry, "Merry, is there something you want to tell me?"
Merry exhaled the breath she had been holding without realizing it. Lilia's attitude towards her didn't change even though the model knew about her identity. The woman was still speaking in the gentle tone she was accustomed to. It was just that Merry could see the confusion and suspicion in Lilia's eyes.
Merry's fingers pinched the surface of the sofa on which she was sitting as she tried to find the right words. After being silent for a while, Merry finally answered, "…Auntie Lilia, I didn't mean to lie to you. Please... please don't be angry with me..."
Lilia's stopped stirring her porridge when she met Merry's eyes. The eyes of the young woman staring straight at her filled with tears and her voice trembled with pleas.
Lilia immediately put her bowl of porridge on the table. She ignored Jean's glare at her and said, "Of course I'm not angry! Why should I be mad at you?"
"…Is it true?" Merry's eyes, which previously looked gloomy, were now sparkling again. She looked as if she wanted to run and hug Lilia, but then her gaze fell on the two men beside the model. Merry's spirit dimmed again and she lowered her head without saying anything.
Lilia turned to Jean and Chris while raising her eyebrows. Her gaze accused them of having scared the young woman, "How about the two of you take a walk around the hotel? I'm sure you guys rarely spend time together, so you can use this opportunity to deepen your friendship." She said with a smile.
Even though Lilia's smile was bright as the sun, both Jean and Chris shuddered when they saw it. For the first time ever, they found out how scary Lilia was when she was angry.
"Okay." Jean got up and half dragged Chris with him, "Don't forget to finish your meal." He reminded her.
Chris tried to get away from Jean, but the man's grip felt as strong as iron. He turned to Merry with a worried look. Chris didn't want to leave the woman alone, but Lilia didn't look mad at Merry. He tried to convince himself that the Hiroshi Family's daughter would be okay while letting Jean drag him outside.
After the two men left the room, Clifford bowed to them and walked out. At this time, there were only Lilia and Merry in the room.
Lilia took back her porridge bowl and started eating it slowly. The warmth of the porridge helped her calm down. Lilia's brain started to work better once her stomach was filled.
Merry watched Lilia's move attentively. To Lilia, her assistant was like a younger sister who always followed behind the older sister she idolized. She finished the porridge before finally starting to speak.
"Merry, are you really the daughter of the Hiroshi Family?" Lilia asked as she put the empty bowl on the table.
Merry's body turned stiff when she heard the question, but she still nodded honestly. The anxious look on Merry's face made Lilia chuckle.
"Then why did you choose to work as my assistant?" Lilia asked. Although she asked in a casual tone, her eyes did not miss any changes in Merry's expression, "As the Hiroshi Family's beloved daughter, of course you don't have to work hard like this."
Merry bit her lip. Of all the questions Lilia might have asked, she was the most afraid of hearing this question. Merry was worried that Lilia wouldn't believe her honest answer, but she didn't want to lie to the model either. She was fed up with lying to the woman she idolized.
When Lilia saw the doubt on Merry's face, she said, "If you can't really say the reason, I won't force you. Even so, I still want to hear the answer from you yourself, Merry."
Although Lilia knew it would be better for Merry if she didn't ask that question, Lilia couldn't look away from this question. She wanted to understand Merry's heart. After all, Merry was Sasha's niece. If Lilia had known about that fact before she personally knew the Hiroshi Family's daughter, she would never have allowed Merry to be her assistant.
Merry shook her head vigorously when she heard Lilia's words, "Sis - ah, I mean Auntie Lilia, I'll tell you the reason!"
Lilia smiled faintly. "You can still call me 'big sister' like before. I know it must be difficult for you to change old habits."
Merry sighed with a relieved expression. She herself didn't like to call Lilia as 'aunty'. It made her feel that there was an invisible distance between them.
"Merry." Lilia's voice turned serious as she looked closely at the young woman, "Did Sasha send you to be my assistant?"
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