Chapter 238. Lily
The clash of the two massive forces in an area far off from Hope Island did not escape Charles' vigilance. He checked the telegrams daily and closely monitored the situation.
He believed he wasn't the only one in the seascape to be paying close attention. A war of such scale hadn't erupted in nearly a century. Regardless of who would emerge victorious, it was bound to bring monumental shifts to the region's dynamics.
Cat Island in the Southern Seas was rather far from the Albion Isles. According to their current speed, Charles estimated that Governor Julio and his fleet would take at least a month or two to reach the vicinity of Albion Isles. He also deduced that the seascape would be unusually peaceful in the meantime.
Making use of this opportunity, Charles busied himself with organizing his island. After all, such an opportunity might not come again soon.
To be honest, being a governor was a steep learning curve. Fortunately, Bandages and his three years of experience had been incredibly helpful to him.
Just as Charles was busy dealing with the island affairs in his office, Lily burst into the room with her horde of mice tailing after her.
Seeing that Charles was busy with work, she quietly squatted in the corner and waited. Charles had intended to ignore her, but her anxious gaze was hard to overlook.
"What's the matter?" Charles asked as he placed his pen down. "Did something happen?"
"Mr. Charles, are you done? I can wait if you're still busy."
"I'm done. What is it?" Charles shifted his gaze from the unread documents on his table onto Lily.
Lily's eyes sparkled instantly with anticipation and excitement as she dashed toward Charles' table and scaled up the leg onto the table.
"Mr. Charles, I've prepared a present for my brother. But there are so many people at their house today. Can you help me deliver it?"
As Lily spoke, the mice beside her pushed forward a long plush whale that stretched over thirty centimeters long.
"I thought you wanted to get him a gun?" Charles approached the mice and picked up the plush toy, squeezing it in his hand.
"I decided against it. If he starts playing with guns from a young age, he will still like them when he grows up. That would be too dangerous," Lily explained and hopped onto Charles' open palm.
The man and mouse then headed out of the room.
"Where does your family live?" Charles asked.
"Just nearby, we'll be there soon."
Indeed, Lily's home was nearby. After exiting the Governor's Mansion, they had only walked a few minutes before Charles spotted Lily's father, Dr. Oliver's house.
They were certainly still in the heart of the island. Looking at the neat villa with its own courtyard, Charles was certain that the house was clearly beyond what Dr. Oliver could afford on his salary alone.
"Did you help your dad out?" Charles asked as he looked through the window and saw Dr. Oliver happily chatting with friends. They all held wine glasses in their hands.
"Yes...I secretly gave all my salary to Daddy. Mr. Charles, let's not talk about this. Quickly take the whale toy inside. According to the old Coral Archipelago tradition, gifts have to be placed under the table and can only be opened before bedtime."
Charles patted Lily's furry head before he walked toward the front door with the plush whale in his hand. His body gradually faded from view and finally became completely invisible.
In the lively living room, an invisible Charles saw the table piled high with gifts. Surrounded by guests, Dr. Oliver was the center of attention, and his countenance radiated joy and confidence, his smile never leaving his face.
It seemed like the events of the recent years were like living a dream for him; good fortune had come one after the other.
Charles swiftly placed the toy under the table and left by jumping out of the window. The itchy sensation all over him was starting to get unbearable.
"Mr. Charles, did you put the present inside?" Lily asked.
Charles nodded as he reached a hand into the insides of his clothes and started scratching himself.
"Great! My brother would definitely like my present. Thank you, Mr. Charles! Let me help you with the itch!" Lily said as she scurried under the hem of Charles' pants and crawled up his leg.
"Stop, stop. You're making it itchier," Charles complained as he pulled Lily out from under his clothes by her tail.
Just as they were about to leave, they witnessed an unexpected scene. Two figures were approaching in their direction from a distance. One of them was a grown-up Lily.
After three years, Lily's figure had become slender and graceful, her skin fair and smooth like porcelain. Her beauty, still not fully matured, had begun to blossom, giving her a noticeably striking appearance.
Charles wasn't really surprised over human Lily's new appearance. His gaze landed on the tall, young man right beside her.
Human Lily occasionally glanced at the young man, her gaze overflowing with tenderness, sensitivity and shyness.
His eyes then fell on their intertwined hands.
Interesting... Charles thought.
"They... They..." a complicated expression appeared on Lily's visage.
"It seems you've found yourself a boyfriend," Charles commented as he tenderly stroked Lily's furry head.
Staring at the beautiful human Lily before her and then glancing at her own furry mouse form, Lily's tiny ears dropped in sadness. Her furry face overflowed with bitterness.
Just then, Human Lily stole a glance at her lively house and whispered something to the young man before she hurriedly ran off with him.
Watching the scene, Lily was spurred by a sudden impulse. She leaped from Charles' hand and chased after the couple with her horde of mice scurrying behind her.
To prevent the mice from causing too much chaos, Charles kicked his right leg against the wall to propel himself onto the rooftop and followed the chase.
Soon, Charles spotted Human Lily. She had brought her boyfriend into a secluded alley. Their faces were flushed red, their breathing heavy as their lips drew closer to each other.
Just as the romantic atmosphere in the alley was reaching its climax, a swarm of brightly colored mice burst into the alley and let out a flurry of squeaks, bearing their fangs at the couple.
Faced with the terrifying mice, Human Lily was clearly scared out of her wits. Her boyfriend was nowhere better, and the two ran away from the mice with loud shrieks.
Soon enough, the mice dispersed, and a distraught Human Lily emerged from the alley; her stifling cries filled the air. Clearly, the mice had scared the living daylights out of her.
Charles approached Lily in the corner and questioned, "Wasn't that a bit too much?"
"I just can't stand seeing them ki—doing it! It makes me feel upset," Lily confessed with her head hanging low.
Charles picked her up and placed her in his palm.
"Are you jealous?" he asked.
Lily curled up into a ball and remained silent for a few seconds before replying in a muffled voice. "Mr. Charles, am I doomed to be a mouse forever?"
"No, you won't. Don't worry. I'll find a way to turn you back into a human," Charles reassured his gunner.
"But I feel like I'm getting used to being a mouse. I even enjoy gnawing now, and I feel uncomfortable if I don't do any gnawing for a day. Look at that Lily; she's so pretty, and she smells nice. So many boys sneak glances at her, but they will never do that to me."
"Don't think too much about it. When there's a will, there's be a way. We'll find a solution," Charles said as he led the group of mice out of the alley.
Lily uncurled herself. Her eyes shimmered with a hint of envy as she asked, "Mr. Charles, what does love feel like? In the plays, they said that this emotion is—"
"Don't ask me," Charles interrupted her from completing her sentence. "When you turn back into a human, experience it yourself."
"Then, Mr. Charles, can you date me?"
Lily's innocent question brought a chuckle to Charles' lips.
"Our relationship isn't like that," he replied with a warm smile.
"Why isn't it like that?"
"You'll understand when you grow older," Charles replied.
"I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm already fifteen this year," Lily asserted.
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