Elsewhere Lilly was driving her car in a half daze, She had a hard time understanding how she was feeling right now, should she feel angry, disappointed, or sad, whatever it was, it didn't feel good as if she had a lump in her throat she neither couldn't swallow nor get it out it makes her feels suffocated she doesn't know what to do.
Lilly stared blankly at the road then she looked at the road sign for a moment then steered her car at the intersection and the car accelerated.
Not long after she arrived at Hamilton Manor when the surveillance camera spotted Lilly's car, the tall gates of the manor opened and Lilly drove her car inside.
Lilly then circled around the Manor Garden fountain before she parked her car right by the main staircase as soon as she got out of the car the main door was opened by the security guard and Lilly sashayed into the Manor with a light step.
"Is Raven home?" Lilly asked one of the maids.
"Yes, Miss Jane is at the swimming pool" answered the maid courteously.
"Okay, thank you" Lilly then took long strides toward the pool.
As expected Lilly finds Lory dipping her legs in the pool while leisurely browsing on her cell phone.
"Raven!" Lilly waved at Lory.
Lory retracted her eyes from the phone and then saw Lilly heading towards her, a friendly smile immediately spread across Lory's face.
Lilly then sat next to Lory, she pulled up her dress and dipped her feet too.
"You don't have a swimsuit?" Lilly casually guessed after seeing Lory wearing only a T-shirt and shorts.
"No, it's fine" Lory smiled briefly.
Lory didn't tell Lilly the real reason she didn't wear a swimsuit and went swimming was so that Zhao Li Xin wouldn't freak out seeing her half naked in front of other people because there weren't only maidservants but there were a lot of male servants as well.
Zhao Li Xin already didn't like her wearing a tank top, so wearing a swimsuit would be too much for an overly conservative man like Zhao Li Xin.
Well, even though Zhao Li Xin never openly restricted her what to wear or how to behave, even so as a wife Lory knew she had to respect Zhao Li Xin's opinion just as Zhao Li Xin respected herself so Lory would not wait for Zhao Li Xin to be upset first before doing what she had to do, she would never do that, after everything that Zhao Li Xin had done for her the last thing Lory wanted to do was intentionally hurt his feelings.
"Where is Mr. Zhao, is he resting?" Lilly scanned their surroundings warily, even to this day Lilly still couldn't shake off her fear of Zhao Li Xin even though she knew Zhao Li Xin would not harm her but she couldn't stand the aura Zhao Li Xin was emitting.
Lory could see Lilly's eyes wide with fear like a scared rabbit, Lory felt both pity and amusement because Lilly looked so cute with her big watery eyes.
"Your grandfather gives him special room for drawing so he will be drawing for now" Lory comforted the little bunny.
"Oooh, that's great!" Lilly smiled in relief but then her expression was shocked. "Then he agreed to accept my grandfather's support, does that mean my grandfather will be the sole sponsor of Mr. Zhao's painting?"
Lory shrugged her shoulders, she actually surprised about this as well "I guess so"
"That was incredible!" Lilly's eyes shone with excitement.
Lilly just wanted her grandfather to live an easy and simple life. After everything her grandfather had done to keep the whole family and wealth safe during the Dark Age war, she wanted her grandfather not to worry anymore and just do whatever he wanted to do without worrying about the family and the company's safety.
Unfortunately, after his grandmother died, his grandfather became lifeless, and he stopped worrying about company matters, he also never contacted his friends again as if life was sucked away from him which end up worrying the whole family.
Luckily her grandmother seemed to have guessed what would happen so she prepared a last birthday present for her grandfather and that's what gave her grandfather the strength to continue his life after that things got better especially after he met Zhao Li Xin and realized his great talent his grandfather suddenly- got excited again.
Therefore Lilly desperately wanted to fulfill her grandfather's wish no matter what even though people sneered at them saying her grandfather had become senile to the point of ignoring family matters and her brother's predicament but Lilly didn't believe that!
Lilly believed her Grandfather was trying to distract her from the stress so she wouldn't be stressed out and there wasn't much else to do except give in to the wishes of the S.A.I.N.T organization, which Lilly herself strongly disapproved of because she could feel their ill intentions even without her Gift power.
"You look so happy" Lory tilted her head and smiled.
"Yeah, I'm glad Grandpa has something to be excited about!" Lilly's face involuntarily brightened but then her expression turned bitter "After Grandma died a few years ago I could feel a part of him die with her, and for days Grandpa barely spoke to anyone not even me, until one day he received a belated birthday present that my grandmother had prepared beforehand...it was an ink painting she drew herself"
"Oh, what kind of painting, if I may ask," Lory's face lit up with interest.
"It's a painting of them when they were young," Lilly said with a sweet expression.
"I see, that must give some comfort for your grandfather," Lory understood that was not just a gift but also a message from her saying: 'Look how happy we are, I hope you will always be happy'
"In a lot of ways, it does…" Lilly could still remember a faint, wistful smile on her grandfather's face when he received the gift, "Grandpa once told me…it's not easy being the one left behind"
An ache pushes against Lory's heart as Lucas's face flashes across her mind, Lory immediately looks away at the scenery behind the pool while muttering quietly "I guessed not..."
Lilly spent another half an hour before she left to continue her day while Zhao Li Xin came back after finishing her painting or at least that was what Lory thought.
Zhao Li Xin found Lory Lazing on the relaxing couch with her cell phone, however, she had now changed her short skirt to a gray chiffon long skirt and white long sleeves which contrasted against her long wavy red hair.
Lory noticed Zhao Li Xin's gaze, she looked up and waved her hand while smiling brightly. Zhao Li Xin walked towards her then sat beside Lory and Lory rested her head on Zhao Li Xin's shoulder out of habit.
[What are you looking at?] Zhao Li Xin glanced at the phone screen, By now he already knew more or less some of the words though it still couldn't form a sentence that he could understand.
[Just read the news about the Hamilton and Augburn families]
[You found something useful?] ask Zhao Li Xin.
Lory sighed [more or less... mostly it all mixed of gossip and rumors so it's not clear if the news is true or not]
Suddenly her phone rang and Lory immediately picked up "Hello!"
"Hello, um…Raven, this is Garrof, Can we meet at the Beast Slayer guild, I have some important news for you" It seemed Garrof still felt awkward talking casually to Lory after knowing her identity.
"Sure, when?" Lor asked in a relaxed manner.
"An hour from now," Garrof said.
"Okay!" Lory then hung up the phone for a moment she became quiet.
[What's wrong?] Zhao Li Xin notices the obvious change in Lory's mood.
[Garrof just called, he said he got something important to tell us] Lory replied.
[Then' let's go, we wouldn't know if we stay here] Zhao Li Xin rose from the couch then opened his palm in front of Lory.
"Let's go!" Lory grabbed Zhao Li Xin's hand and pushed herself up
[It's that how you say it?] he laughs.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om