I must have been a futile hope as both of them looked at her with knowing expressions. Grandpa Kim with a slight smile and Theodore with a slight frown.
" Hello, old man Kim. Yo trailing child!" Lucas greeted them with a sense of familiarity. Unlike her first impression of him, he seemed to be quite the mischievous child. She wondered if they could have a peaceful time together.
Grandpa Kim responded to him with a smile while Theodor only sent him a glare.
"Hi, Lucas. How are you?" said Grandpa Kim, moving his stare from me to the phone screen.
"Oh, I am fine. How are you?"
"Good to hear that! I am doing well too. Ahem, Lucas as you know by now, Dawn is your legal guardian and caretaker from now on. James was supposed to introduce you two properly, but as you know, his time didn't allow him to do so.."
He paused and put a familiar briefcase in front of me. His glance turned from Lucas to me and back. It was the same briefcase I had seen on the Chairman's desk. The one from the day he passed away. The briefcase from my crazy hallucinations.
"Here are all the legal documentation, Lucas's assets, and identification documents. His uncle Theodore will handle his assets and return them to him the year he turns twenty. Theodor will also be the one you, Dawn, are to contact in terms of financial emergencies. You will be getting your yearly wage as stated in the contract, but the one paying the additional bonuses after each semester will be Theodore instead of the late chairman."
"Everything else will be the same as the chairman previously stated, meaning you are fully in charge of Lucas and you decide if he even gets pocket money or not!" he added.
With the last sentence, Lucas's face soured. From that moment on until they left, no matter what they said, he only nodded his head.
Convoying my guests, I came back to an arm-folded image of Lucas.
"Haha. You are still on the phone!"
He just stared at me.
"You need me to study hard, don't you?"
'What does he mean? Should I ask??' I was a bit confused but before I could ask what he meant he started talking, with a demanding voice.
"I will send you the list! I want everything on it!"
Beep!
And he ended the call without any word of farewell. He left me quite confused. After wondering about it for a few seconds, I finally realized what he meant.
"I need him to study hard? I? Aha!!! So he was pointing to the bonus!"
The bonus, I don't quite need that money, but let's have him misunderstand for the time being. It's good that he's willing to tell me about his needs. Not a bad deal at all.
Now that I can put my mind at ease regarding his needs, I should continue where I left off.
Dialing Grandfathers, he answered after a few beeps.
"Are you still alive?!"
"Hmph, are you asking me that grandfather??? after leaving me there all alone??"
"How dare you start talking without saying your greetings first? Did you leave your education at the hospital?"
I was dumbfounded. Grandfather is really on another level of shamelessness. Wasn't he the one who started it?
'Calm down, Dawn. You still have to ask him for a favor. Breath in! Breath out! Good!'
" Hello, dear Mr miracle! How are you? " I started buttering up, using the skills I had gained during my internship days.
"Much better, now EXPLAIN what you need in ten words!"
'What, 1, Should, 2, I, 3, Bring, 4, With, 5, Me, 6, To, 7, the, 8, Villa, 9.' Mentally counting my words I could still add grandpa in the end.
"What should I bring with me to the villa, Grandpa?"
"Hmm, talk like humans? What do you mean what?"
Really? This old man!
"I mean, is there anything missing there? Like, is there even electricity? Clean water? A working heating system? Stove? Fridge? Washing machine?"
"Hey, you damned kid!! What do you think of me? Do you think I gave you a ruin or something? I could always take it back if you don't want it!"
Well, it could come out that way... Now I feel bad!
"I didn't mean it that way! It's just for being safe-" I was trying to convey how sorry I was that he cut me off.
"There is a heating system but TO BE SURE, you should take a heater with you! The electricity cables wouldn't reach there. However, the house has sol cells, but to be sure you should take a few chargeable batteries and extra sol cells with you.
About water, hmm. One could say there is water. There is a river next to the mansion and a lake not long from it. Those two are connected to the house's water canal. Again, to be sure, take a few gallons of water and a few buckets with you, too. Are you writing ??? "
What did I expect from my grandfather??? He wouldn't tell me these if I hadn't asked!! Horridly I took my laptop and started writing.
"Yes, I am. You can continue.."
"Where was I again?? Ah, the neighbors aren't that friendly, so make sure to wear gear and armor when taking water, and only take water from this side of the river! Don't you, later, say I didn't warn ya?"
Unfriendly neighbors?? Do many people live in the middle of a forest? I was still wondering why, and he continued after sipping from what sounded to be his coffee. I think my list is going to be a long one.
Sip!
"About the neighbors. They won't do anything while you are on our side of the forest."
"Our side?"
"You will be able to see it! I have marked it, in the map I gave you together with the house deed. Anyway, don't you dare become close to the neighbors! Or I might just make you pay rent! Just so you know, I only gave you the villa. The mark, it is on it, and the forest and mountains around it are all still mine! "
"You never said that!!!"
"Didn't I? Now I am telling you! By the way, since you aren't paying any rent, I need you to take care of my garden and house, which I occasionally come and enjoy."
"GARDEN AND HOUSE??!!"
"Ah, I didn't tell you that either~ When I inherited that house and its surroundings, I made myself a small modern house long from those sneaky neighbors that I visit regularly, I also made a beautiful garden of trees that I love more than my grandchildren! My Beautiful apple trees are my life's pride!
You know what? The main purpose of giving you the house was that there was no one to take care of them~~"
Then suddenly, when I was feeling betrayed, his tone became serious.
" Don't you even try going inside my house! Only attend to the yard! If your grandmother finds out that you went inside, she will be furious!
Now about how to attend to my loves. You are to give them a bucket of water from the lake at each mealtime. They are sensitive, therefore make sure to be on time. Then, you have to praise each of them at the end of each day and ask them about their day. Oh! Don't forget to bring an instrument with you, they are quite the music lovers. You should play for them, at least 3 days a week! Mark, that was important!"
I couldn't even say anything about his weird remarks, and what was even more frustrating was that he meant what he said. I had previously seen him talking to his trees and even playing the guitar for them. What have I gotten myself into? At this rate, I would be lucky if he didn't ask me to send him proof.
"I am saying this for your good. If you want a peaceful life, there you should do everything I am saying! And since it counts as your rent, don't remember to send me proof!"
"Sigh.." I said as I covered my pulsing eyes with my palm.
"Pfft.. It is too soon to sigh~~ " Came Grandfather's ominous voice again.