Mr Grant, Please Be Gentle

“We’ll know once we go in.” Seeing Blanca’s gaze, Matthew took her waist and proceeded forward. Blanca stiffened, and Matthew suddenly bent his head next to her ear, his tones only audible to the two of them. “What are you tensing up for? Falling for me?”

“Please, give me a break.”

“Oh? Then don’t be so stiff, like I’m usually cold to you or something.”

“…” Was he NOT usually cold to her?!

Blanca howled secretly. Matthew was a veritable slave master. Forget the bullying, he was even reminding her of her status at every moment he could.

What, did he think he was hot shit just for being pretty?

If anything, she had to be on guard for him falling for her instead.

With all those thoughts, Matthew brought her in. Inside the bright hall, there was a group gathering. The old man sat next to a lavishly dressed couple. The male of the pair looked to have sat in his position for a long time, with an aura of nobility about him. His belly was a bit bulging, though. He looked to be about fifty. The woman was garbed in so much jewelry and finery that she could have given Carrie a run for her money.

The couple were chatting jovially with the old man, and Blanca suddenly had a bad feeling about all this.

As expected, before she’d even gone inside, she saw someone walk out of the kitchens with fruit, all smiles. “I haven’t come back for so long, Grandpa Grant! And you didn’t even miss me, did you!”

And who was this but Elizabeth Harris in the flesh!?

“Elizabeth, slow down, I can’t catch up…”

Following behind Elizabeth was a grinning Louise. Louise had been grounded and wasn’t supposed to be let out when the time wasn’t here, but since the Harris family was coming to visit, she’d been granted a reprieve.

Her mood couldn’t even be described. Elizabeth had stuck to Matthew since she was small. Now she wanted to see how Blanca was going to deal with this!

Noticing Louise’s unfriendly gaze, Blanca suddenly grew timid.

She wasn’t afraid of Louise or Elizabeth, but in broad daylight, and with Elizabeth’s parents still here, what was she… supposed to do?

Matthew was changing his shoes outside and hadn’t come in yet.

Elizabeth shot a contemptuous glance at Blanca and deliberately sat next to the old man, toadying up to him. “I’ve been out there for over a dozen years, Grandpa, and you don’t even miss me a little bit?”

“Of course I missed you, heh heh, how could I not. You kept on sending me those nice snacks from overseas! Just knew what I liked!”

“Right? I treat you like my real Grandpa, you know.”

Beaming, Elizabeth circled around the old man’s arm. Blanca had been about to greet him, but Elizabeth had cut her off, and she stood a bit lamely in front of the tea table, at a loss.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

It wasn’t a good feeling…

The Harris husband and wife weren’t giving her the time of day, and Alan had his hands full with Elizabeth. With all this, it seemed like they were a family, and she was an outsider…

It weighed on her like a rock, and her limbs felt leaden.

Then an arm appeared on her shoulder. Matthew said with some warmth, “What are you doing standing in a daze?”

His voice might have been tender, but it didn’t cheer Blanca up one bit.

She knew, after all, that they were just acting the part before the old man and pretending to be loving…