Lolita sat on a red plush chair in her elegantly decorated bedroom, the soft glow of her laptop illuminating her face as she accepted a video call. On the screen, Robin appeared, situated in the modest confines of his retirement home room, a stark contrast to her lavish surroundings.
"I heard you were partying and not working." He said, his tone tinged with disapproval.
"It was my birthday. I'm allowed to take days off."
"You're not taking your job seriously. You're not the same as your brother Ethan, who was a hard worker," he countered, his words sharp and unyielding.
"I put in more effort than anyone else in this nation," she retorted, her confidence rising as she defended her work ethic against his accusations.
"No, you're a joke. You've inherited your mother's laziness," he shot back, his disdain palpable, igniting a fire within her.
"Shut up!" She exclaimed, her cheeks flushing crimson with anger. "I've endured tremendous pain. The loss of Ethan was a heavy burden; it took me months to navigate through my sorrow."
"You exploited his death as a convenient excuse to escape to your private island. At his funeral, you were too inebriated to deliver your eulogy," he accused, his voice dripping with contempt.
'I was overwhelmed with grief, and Axel was the one who offered me solace, not you," she defended, her voice trembling with emotion as she recalled the painful memories.
"I was too disgusted by the fact that you were drunk at Ethan's funeral to even look at you. You need to mature. This country needs a better Ruler. I don't want you to change for me, I want you to change for your country."
"Why don't you mind your own business and go on living your days in the retirement home?"
"I can't ignore the fact that you're a ruler of this country. The decisions affect everyone in this country!"
"I have to go take a bath!" Without waiting for his reply, Lolita's finger jabbed the "end call" button. The screen went dark, severing his presence. She stood up, her jaw clenched, refusing to let his words poison her. He wanted her to be a better ruler? A ruler doesn't tolerate insubordination. She would wash away the memory of his insolence and move on.