"Apparently, it was our mistake."
Kelvin sighed and sat back down, his fingers running through his hair in frustration. Cross, meanwhile, stared intently at the stack of documents before him, a difficult expression on his face.
"What's going on? Still got something on your mind?"
Kelvin waited as Cross passed him the paperwork.
"Father, can you calculate these instantly?"
Kelvin took the papers, quickly scanning through them. He shook his head with a sigh.
"I can't. It'll take some time, and the calculations are more complicated than they seem."
Cross looked expectantly at him, then hesitated before asking, "What do you think of Lilia?"
Kelvin paused, his gaze dropping back to the papers. He'd been trying to make sense of the numbers, but they were elusive, and he couldn't quite figure them out.
"I heard from Alisa that Lilia's been locked in her room for studying... Does that match what you've found so far?" Kelvin asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Yeah, I heard the same. She's been writing on a ton of paper, but no one's been able to visit her except Alisa," Cross replied, his expression grim.
"That's our daughter," Asha chimed in with a lighthearted laugh, trying to ease the tension. "Isn't that a good thing?"
Kelvin shot her a glance, his brow furrowing. "If she's on the right path, then yes, but I'm not so sure anymore. She's been in that room for two weeks now. She only comes out for meals, and even then, it's like she's lost in her own world."
Asha's smile faltered. "I'm just worried she's pushing herself too hard. That's not like her."
Kelvin agreed. There was something unsettling about how distant Lilia had become. She'd always been self-sufficient, but this behavior felt... different.
"Cross," Kelvin said, his tone firm, "Is there anyone who can move her?"
Cross, clearly uncomfortable with the question, grinned awkwardly. "Yeah, I've arranged something."
Kelvin returned the grin, but the unease lingered in the air. The two of them shared a strange, almost conspiratorial look, but the sense of discomfort was mutual.
"You've got it under control, huh?" Kelvin said, his voice low, as if reassuring himself.
"Leave it to me, Father," Cross replied with a wink.
Despite their uneasy smiles, both cared deeply for Lilia—no matter how odd their methods might be.
Asha, sensing the growing tension, asked a nearby maid to replace her tea and quietly observed the two men. She found herself amused by how clumsy they could be, especially when it came to their daughter.
Meanwhile, Lilia had asked Alisa to load up her room's luggage into the carriage. She was walking with Theo in the garden, though the conversation between the siblings felt almost nonexistent. Lilia kept a careful distance from Theo, as though keeping him at arm's length was somehow necessary. It was as if she was avoiding any real connection.
Anyway, this brother can do anything. He's a genius. The reason for keeping such a brother at a distance is ultimately simple—jealousy. Still, for some reason, this brother always smiles and talks about what's fun whenever he finds Lilia. It's not annoying, though.
Even today, Theo was walking next to Lilia with a very happy smile.
"Sister, which flowerbed is yours? I'd like to see it."
"What will you do once you see it? Well, fine."
Curious, Lilia led Theo to the back of the mansion.
Among the many flowerbeds lined up, only small buds were visible. That was Lilia and Alisa's flowerbed. Lilia was wondering if Theo was going to make a fool of himself, but instead, he said something unexpected.
"What do you do while your sister is at school?"
"Well... I haven't thought about it yet. But Alisa will be with me."
"Then I'll take care of it!"
Lilia blinked in surprise at Theo's offer. She wondered why. Surely, Theo would soon remember something about horticulture, and she could leave it to him. But she wasn't sure what his true purpose was.
"Even if it's not mine, I think you could ask your father to take care of it."
"I like your sister's flowerbed!"
Lilia didn't understand what he meant by that. Her gaze softened as she stared at Theo like he was some rare creature. Feeling a little uneasy under Lilia's gaze, Theo dropped his eyes. Then he hesitated and asked softly.
"No…?"
That look of his seemed almost pitiful. Lilia couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted. Even though she was slightly annoyed, she decided to keep quiet and didn't press the matter any further.
"Alright. Let Theo handle it."
"… Huh! Yes! Thank you!"
Theo's smile was like a flower blooming, bright and charming. How many women had he captivated with that smile? It didn't matter, though.
"Lilia, teach Theo how to do the gardening."
"Even if I don't, one of the maids will teach him."
"Fine."
Lilia wondered if this was all just an attempt to earn people's affection.
"Theo, then I'll show you how to do it. Make sure you pay attention."
"Yes! Please!"
Theo straightened up and waited eagerly. Lilia nodded, and then said, "First, you dig into the soil, add the seeds, and cover them up again. That's all."
Theo's reaction was enthusiastic. "Something amazing! This seems so simple!"
Nearby, Sakura sighed dramatically.
"Dear Lilia…"
At the same moment, Alisa, who was a little further away, lowered her brow sadly and spoke up.
"Just kidding."
Lilia quickly averted her gaze, noticing Theo's bewildered expression and Alisa's sad eyes, and turned away to escape.
Later, Lilia tried to teach Theo some basics of horticulture, with Alisa by her side. Although Lilia had only a limited understanding of the subject, it felt more like she was assisting Alisa rather than actually teaching Theo. Despite this, Theo was insistent on getting Lilia to explain everything, while Alisa was thorough in filling in the gaps of Lilia's explanations.
Even now, Lilia still doesn't fully understand what the situation was about.
As the carriage bound for school rocked back and forth, Lilia replayed the scene over and over in her mind. She tried to ask Sakura for advice, hoping to get some clarity, but Sakura simply refused to answer, saying nothing.
"Lilia, you need to try harder to consider other people's feelings," she had said. "Why don't you think about it on the way to school?"