After that, a brief silence settled over the drawing room.
Instead of saying anything, Vanessa simply waited for Lilliana to gather her emotions.
Lilliana was grateful for that.
The act of simply looking at her with warm eyes, without offering awkward advice or pity, was in itself a comfort to her.
Thanks to that, Lilliana was able to regain her composure.
“Hehe…”
She laughed awkwardly, feeling a little embarrassed. Vanessa, once again, responded only with a faint smile.
The quietness in the living room wasn’t uncomfortable, but it felt awkward, probably because she had been on the verge of tears just moments ago.
She decided to change the atmosphere a little.
“Come to think of it, Mother, since we were talking about studying abroad…”
“Hm?”
“Did you ever happen to meet my brother during your time in Onz?”
Cough!
Vanessa, who had been gracefully sipping her tea, suddenly choked.
“M-Mother? Are you okay?”
Surprised by the unusual sight, Lilliana stood up quickly. She rushed over to Vanessa and handed her a handkerchief.
Vanessa, still coughing, gestured for Liliana to stop, as if to say she was fine.
“M-Mother? Are you okay?”
“Hmph, I’m fine. What a clumsy display.”
“Oh, I’m glad… I was worried for a moment.”
Lilliana sighed in relief, placing a hand over her chest.
After a moment, Vanessa’s coughing subsided completely.
“Mother, would you like some warm water instead of tea?”
“No need. Don’t trouble yourself.”
Seeing Vanessa’s calm expression return, Lilliana brought up the earlier topic again.
“Ah, what I was asking earlier—did you ever meet my brother while you were in Onz…”
Ahem!
Vanessa cleared her throat again.
Watching this, Lilliana tilted her head in confusion.
‘…Hmm, is it just me, or does Mother seem to be avoiding this question?’
It was probably just her imagination, but Lilliana decided to drop the question anyway.
“Oh, it’s nothing, Mother.”
Vanessa’s throat-clearing finally stopped, but Lilliana still felt a bit disappointed.
‘Hmm, it would have been nice if Mother and my brother had crossed paths in the past… Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I just have to work harder to bring them closer now!’
Checking the clock, she noticed that lunchtime was approaching.
‘Time to put the plan into action.’
Lilliana smiled brightly, replaying her secret plan in her mind.
“Mother, speaking of time, it’s almost lunch—would you like to have a meal together?”
“Hmph, there’s no need to ask about every little thing.”
At the immediate approval, Lilliana stood up from her seat.
“Alright, I’ll lead you to the dining room!”
As she stepped out of the drawing room, she discreetly signaled to a waiting servant.
It was a signal—to inform Tristan about the situation.
In truth, Lilliana had already coordinated with her brother. The signal meant that Tristan was supposed to arrive at the dining room ahead of them, pretending to run into them by chance.
Whether Tristan would follow through with her plan had been uncertain, but he had been unexpectedly cooperative. For Lilliana, it was a great relief.
‘Wait, now that I think about it… why is my brother going along with my plans so easily?’
Not long ago, he had been avoiding women, claiming he couldn’t forget his first love. Yet the moment he heard Vanessa’s name, his attitude had changed completely, which was odd.
‘Hmm…’
Lilliana pondered this for a moment, then shrugged.
It didn’t really matter. The important thing was that as long as the two of them got closer, she would get to change how she addressed Vanessa!
So now, time to restart the “Make Mother My Sister-in-Law” operation!
***
Hah…
I let out a deep sigh inwardly.
How did things end up like this?
I stared down at the dozens of dishes in front of me for a moment, then lifted my head slightly.
And there, four blue eyes were staring intently at me.
‘Ugh, this is so overwhelming!’
I was currently having a meal with the Locke siblings.
It wasn’t as terrifying as the time I had to face both Jeremyon and them, but this was far from comfortable.
‘How did it come to this, really…’
Well, to be honest, I had anticipated something like this. After all, coming to the Locke mansion meant there were plenty of chances to run into Tristan.
Having a meal or tea together was something I had expected might happen. With how persistent he was, there was no way he’d miss such an opportunity.
But… this current situation was beyond anything I could have imagined.
“Mother, please try this.”
“This will surely suit your taste as well.”
Watching the two of them push plates towards me, I silently swallowed my tears.
From the start, instead of eating their own meals, they kept offering me a variety of delicacies, like puppies trying to please their owner by bringing treats.
Yes, I appreciate it, I really do, but…
‘This is overwhelming!’
During the previous tense meeting, the sparks flying between Tristan and Jeremyon had made me feel like I was about to choke. Today, it was the weight of all their attention on me that felt suffocating.
I just wanted to eat in peace, so I decided to turn down their offers.
“Hmph, do you think I can’t use my hands? That’s enough.”
When I refused Lilliana first, she looked at me pitifully, her eyes resembling a puppy drenched in the rain.
“But it’s really delicious…”
She muttered softly, almost as if talking to herself.
Ugh, she’s cute.
In the end, I couldn’t resist the cuteness attack and reluctantly speared the food she offered with my fork. There was no helping it—I was always weak when it came to Lilliana.
‘It is pretty good… The juices burst in my mouth, and the sauce is sweet and full of umami.’
I immediately understood why she had been so insistent.
But while I could accept Lilliana’s offering, there was no need to eat what Tristan had offered me as well.
Turning to him, I said, “You don’t need to trouble yourself with me, Your Grace. I can manage eating on my own.”
Naturally, he wasn’t the type to listen to me right away.
“It would go against the Locke family’s principles not to properly entertain a guest. Especially… when that guest is our family’s benefactor.”
He responded to my words with a leisurely smile.
“No, really, I don’t need—”
“Please don’t make me seem like a thankless person who wouldn’t repay a benefactor with this small gesture. Unless you’d prefer I repay the favor in another way…”
Ugh.
Sensing that he was about to bring up something even more burdensome, I quickly shoved the food into my mouth.
Only then did he smile with satisfaction.
Caught up in his pace once again, I sighed inwardly.
‘Good grief…’
Even so, the food was annoyingly delicious.
‘At least now that I’ve humored them, there shouldn’t be anything more uncomfortable coming up.’
…Or so I thought, but I quickly realized I was wrong.
Lilliana, for some reason, seemed to sense that I wasn’t in a great mood, and suddenly began showering me with compliments. It seemed like she was trying to lighten the atmosphere.
I appreciated the effort, but…
“By the way, Mother! The dress you’re wearing today suits you so well. The deep purple shade blends naturally with your hair, and you look absolutely stunning.”
Of course, it suits me. After all, I was the one who chose it. She’s right, but still…!
“Indeed, Lilliana. Your words are spot on. That’s a very accurate observation.”
“You think so too, brother?”
Why is it so hard to just sit and listen when it’s coming from someone else’s mouth?
But the two of them, as if fueled by each other’s enthusiasm, didn’t stop with the compliments.
“Honestly, Mother, you are truly admirable… You possess beauty, wisdom, business acumen, and even a noble character… There’s nothing you’re lacking.”
I could accept most of that, but “noble character”? That’s not exactly a compliment the empire’s most infamous villainess deserves.
However, Tristan spoke with more conviction than ever.
“Lilliana, this is the most accurate and correct thing you’ve ever said in your life.”
Watching the two of them, I wanted to flee right then and there.
Earlier, it was a food prison. Now, it’s a prison of compliments.
…Will someone please send me home!
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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