~8 years passed~
"Come on, grandma! Push me higher! Higher!"
Yelled little Lilibeth in a gleeful manner to Lady. The older woman laughed as she push her daughter on the swing as far as her little strength could, spreading her legs far enough to find balance so she wouldn't fall.
Though doing this does tire her a little and she was beginning to feel the aches around her ankles, the joy she sees in her little Lili made the pain bearable. It almost felt like she could stand for days if she wants too.
Lili looked so happy and absolutely precious at her fine age of eight. Her beautiful glossy, brown hair that falls down her back like a wave and curls at the end has already reached her waist and her beautiful sun kissed eyes, almost gold shines in the presence of sunlight.
Her soft fair skin made her darker features like her dark hair and golden eyes glow. She inherits her mother cherry red lips and small nose. Moments like this made Lady reminisce the time she had spend with Ilyria.
Tears pool in her eyes but she swept it away and focus on her granddaughter that has been her new found joy and blessing.
Also the one thing that keeps her alive at that point.
Lady was accompanying Lili playing at a garden, behind the manor and looking around the mini playground, Lili holds a sad expression.
Not only was she the only child allow to play there, she has no friend seeing the kids were not happy with how she was treated 'differently'.
Education, not compulsory to attend class since Lady is teaching her, herself, bigger room compare to them though she had shared it with Lady and pass to play there.
Truth to be told, the playground was only for show.
Not for the Dolls to play at because Aryan only wanted to show the press of how The House of Dolls is no different than a regular orphanage.
Due to her being Lady's granddaughter, Aryan has allowed Lilibeth to play there but restrict anyone else to do so.
His treatment towards Lady over the years change and no longer was he violent or overly mean like he does before.
Only to them, that is...
He would be around a lot, bringing gift to Lilibeth and oddly spends more of his time on her compare to the other girls. Lady has her suspicions, of course.
Perhaps he too can see Lilibeth beauty despite her being 8 and plan to Auction her yet, the adoration and kindness he showed looks more than just how valuable she is to him, it looks more like... care.
Love would be a little too much but who's to say he didn't feel that too?
It didn't matter to Lady, though.
She had paid her debt little by little and kept some income for their future. Making sure that before Lili turns 16, she would be leaving the house with comfort and maybe find some education that could benefit her someday.
When the sun starts to set, Lady gently tugged on the chains of the swin so it will slow down. Once it did, she hold her grand daughter's arm and said, "That is enough, sweetheart. It'll get dark soon and who knows what danger lurks in the corners."
Lili stares at her grandmother and sulk. She pouted her lips, wrap her small delicate arms around the chain she was holding with a furrowed brow.
"But I don't feel like coming inside, grandma. I am always bored whenever I'm in there and I don't play at all."
She moves her head and look into her grandmother wide blue eyes.
"All the girls only study, trained and get scolded if we got things wrong. They don't really play and always look sad. I think... I think they hate me. No one wants to play with me, grandma. They hate me." There were tears in her eyes as she spoke the last sentence.
Anger builds up inside of Lady knowing Lili had been treated unkindly by the Dolls and with her busy schedule, she barely have time to figure out who was the hitch who bullied her granddaughter. Perhaps it would be wise to let Aryan know. He cares so much for Lili, maybe he too will be affected, Lady thought to herself.
Lady kept a calm face. She held on one of the swings and gently knelt to face Lili. She was a little shaky at first but the effort was great and she was able to find balance as she state eye to her with her granddaughter.
"Now, what are you mumbling all about, sweetheart? No one hates you. I love you. I love you with all my life."
She crooked her head to the side, smiled and put her palm on his father's cheek. "I love you too, grandma. So, so much."
Later, she hugs Lady and Lady in return, rubs her back softly, "I know, sweetheart."
***
Lilibeth went into the large kitchen and see all the chefs cooking hearty meals for the visitor that will visits the Auction tonight. The biggest event in The House of Dolls, yet she was never allowed to witness such events. Grandma said that it was nothing but sinful activity that she should never watch.
Ever.
Being a doll, a part of her pretty much expects that she will one day be Auction too seeing she was also a Doll..
"You are a doll with family. You're are not an orphan child. You are different."
That was her grandmother's response to her when she ask her if she was indeed a doll like all the girls living there.
As Lili strolls beside one of the chef, she was smiling when she neared Miss Catalina. She was an overweight lady that cooks wonderful desserts all the time.
When Miss Catalina saw her, a big grin popped on her face and he brought a small plate with creamy chocolate cake that have blueberry jam on top. Lili drools looking at the cake and she took it from the old lady's hand.
Miss Catalina says, "I know you've wanted a triple fudge chocolate cake, darlin'. I hope you'll like it."
Lilibeth grins and said, "Thank you, Miss Catalina."
She took off through the stairs and hallway with her. She entered her rooms, shared with her grandma and closed the door gently. Refused to be bothered by anyone around seeing she knows they don't want or even think of bothering her too.
Her grandmother was not around and so was the girls at her nearby room so, she sat on her soft bed and eat the chocolate cake, small bite at a time as she tries to indulge every bits of the rich chocolaty taste.
After she finishes her cake, Lilibeth went out to the kitchen to return her plate. When she ran at the hallway, Lili accidentally bumps into someone and fell on her bum.
She rubbed her sore buttocks and looked up to see Aryan staring down at her with a wide grin. He held out his hand for her.
She holds his hand and thanked him before she ran as fast as she could. She stops behind the other side of the hallway and laid her back on the wall, hiding from him.
Every time Lilibeth saw him, her heart would beat so fast but not because she was infatuated with him, she fears him.
Aryan would try to portray himself as a caring individual, kind man and shower her with gifts and more attention than the other girls yet a scene she had kept in her thoughts made her cautious around this man.
At late night, Lili remembered how thirsty she was that she walks in the manor all alone and in the dark. When she passed by one room, she hears a cry. Sharp scream and moaning radiating from a door and her high level of curiosity got the best of her.
Through the keyhole, she felt herself nauseous and upset with Aryan making a girl cried. Hitting her with his belt and even wrapped a belt around her neck as he hurt her repeatedly, mounting her from behind and she didn't know what it was. Her grandmother had found her peeking and she quickly cover her eyes and bring her away from there.
The next day, the girl disappeared and she and the other Dolls was told not to look for her or act like her.
"Brave and stupid. What am I? A fool?" Aryan say
No one understands why, so did she so she just shuts her mouth and hide what she see a secret. Rumour has it the girl had try to run from the manor but again, none of it was proven true.
After she went into the kitchen and washed her dish which she insists on doing, she hears a voice of a woman screaming and struggling with Aryan bodyguards.
Felix and Evan.
She quickly wiped her hands on a towel and ran to the hallway leading to the source of the voice.
She entered and stand behind a few fellow guards, hidden from them. The room itself was the study room and it was huge. It has multiple book shelves around that enables her to hide.
When she peek to see what was going on, her eyes widen and her voice was caught in her throat. Shock and horrified by the scene in front of her.
Her grandmother was standing near a shelf while Aryan leans his back on his office table. A huge mahogany wood thar has marbled glass surface and intricate carvings on the leg of the table. In front of him was two individual.
One man and a woman, both a resident of the house and she recognise them instantly.
Sarah and Joseph.
None of them look good and with the wounds on their body including face, Lilibeth was about to witness something that will change her life.