The head of the Baskerville family solemnly stood in front of the crown's statue. It's been so long since she had a night as peaceful as this one, almost as if it's too good to be true, the she wouldn't believe that it's a coincidence when she caught on her peripheral vision the form of Lactiflora carrying who seems to be her twin and another kid, Sakura. Considering it's that Bellrose kid, she smells trouble, very unlike her father.
Lunaria sighed, during the duration of the children's time in the manor, the occasions where she couldn't do anything but to breath out a sigh and resign to her fate increased.
Like a deja vu she heard the window from the 5th floor earlier opened, and not seconds later she heard the stomp of someone landing on the soil. Deciding now is the best time to acknowledge her granddaughter's presence, Lunaria turned to see Lactiflora, pristine as ever in her navy blue sleeveless dress, like she didn't just jump out the window.
"Good evening, my granddaughter, a fine night we have tonight, yes?" She studies the girl before her, now that she managed to take a good look at her, she looks exhausted, but is trying to cover it up by controlling her expressions and body language.
"Good evening, grandma, it is a fine night, may I request a nick of your time tonight?" There's a slight grit in the way Lactiflora spoke. there is a chance that the child wants to address the accident involving Fedrin and Morriet, Olivia.
"Of course, follow me to my office then." Lunaria sighed for the ninth time, no doubt, this night will be longer than usual.
…
Lunaria sat in her seat in the office, she tried to offer a chair to sit on for Lactiflora, only for the younger to refused, saying that she'll be quick.
"Now, may I know what you want to talk about in the middle of the night, my child?." The matriarch didn't miss it when Lactiflora raised an eyebrow, the girl stood straight in front of her, it feels new since everyone cowers and shies away in her presence.
"I believe grandmother already knows what this humble girl wants to talk about tonight."
"I am not a fortune teller, nor a mind reader to know what you need, dearest." Lunaria swears, she saw it when Lactiflora clenched her hand tighter when lactiflora gave her infamous gentle smile albeit a little strained towards her.
"The issue about Fedrin's attempt on Lady Olivia's life, grandmother. You are not blind to what was happening inside YOUR manor, on the contrary, I do believe you have your eyes everywhere."
"Yes, I do know, I did see, but what I am asking is that why are you here on her behalf, i'd understand it was her brother, but you."
"My apologies, but William is currently incapacitated right now, I'm taking liberties, unlike you Olivia could have died, you are doing nothing." The last few words that came out of Lactiflora are colder and field with venom. Lunaria cannot fathom why this Bellrose child cares so much to the point of meeting her privately.
"What do you get out of this, child? The first time I saw you, I know you are just as selfish as I am, tell me." As much as Lunaria loves defiant children, there is something about Lactiflora's smirk that made her decide what to grind this child to dust.
"Nothing, maybe it's pity, or maybe it's because I have a heart, I'm not the one to put someone to damnation just for my goals, not everyone is like you, Grandmother." At Lactiflora's words, Lunaria unconsciously hit the table with her potentia infused fist and broke it in half, making the child in front of her slightly flinch, but still looked unmoved.
With her enhanced hearing, she can hear the girl's heartbeat picking up its pace, which calms her down. She should have known this girl came here to provoke her, and confirm her theory.
"My apologies for losing my composure, but to answer to that, I am not allowed to interfere, if the new heirs want to eliminate their competitors, I am not allowed to stop them. may i remind you, this is not a simple vacation, you are here because the manor wants you to be here. the manor will be the one picking, not me. So I am sorry my child if I appear to be uncaring, it is not my intention, and in my defense she didn't ask for my help, i would probablydo something." Lactiflora's unfazed expression changed a bit, clearly puzzled by what she just revealed. Lunaria is starting to think that maybe this child genuinely cares, after all her father is just the same.
"Oh," Like a cup of realization washed through her, Lactiflora's expression softened, "That made the most sense, oh, I'm sorry grandmother." Now with a softer look on the girl, she almost felt guilty lashing out, but after observing the twins for a while, she shouldn't be easily fooled.
"Now, my child, if you wish to become the head of this family, you shouldn't bother yourself so much with others' shenanigans, they will only hold you back."
"Grandmother, are you perhaps under the impression that I am going for your position?" Lactiflora looked confused, but Lunaria knows it's just there to mask her amusement. This child is really something else.
"Yes, yes I am, are you not, how about your brother." Chills sends shiver down her spine when the girl in front of her chuckles, this time their eyes truly met, and despite of it being in the hue of light blue crystal, so angelic in the eyes of others, but to Lunaria, she felt like she just stared into the eyes of something inhumane, something you shouldn't mess with.
"No grandmother, I am, nor my dear brother Roosevelt is, I am sorry to disappoint you, but if the manor makes a mistake of choosing me or my brother, this manor will burn me along with its legacies." She heard this before, maybe not the last part, but there is this one kid who started a revolution in this manor. The head doesn't know if she should be proud, or fear for the manor, but she can't deny that Gabriel managed to share his bellicose spirit onto his daughter.
All of a sudden the image of young Gabriel overlaps the current Bellrose, only this time she managed to look her directly in the eye, locking Lunaria briefly into her mind. After 500 years of being one of the most powerful being in the mortal world, Lunaria never thought the day she'd feel fear once again could come.