Chapter 14: Combat Maid? (Lily POV)
I gave a small nod of approval as Bella disembarked from the car, assisted by the valet. There were a few small things I’d have her correct later, but her performance there was overall acceptable for a first time.
Once inside, the attendant checked our reservation and led us into the parlor where…the old bats had obviously prepared for us! They had arranged the battlefield in their favor. The layout of the room had been staged. Extra chairs had been removed entirely and the only two seats available were at the middle table across from each other.
They intend to divide us up and flank us from all sides!
As I was stalling a bit at the door, an attendant passed by me with the scent of vintage narcissus tea wafting off the platter she was carrying.
“Oh, little Lily is finally here! Come, come. I had told them to deliver one of your favorite teas once you arrived. Come sit down.”~Granny Brigade General
Do I even have a choice now! The tea was purposefully delivered to the empty seat next to her and the attendant had even pulled the chair back for me in response to her words. Left with no other option, I put on my best smile and took my designated seat. Belle being seated on the opposite side immediately after.
“Fufufuh. It’s been a while since we last had Lily here with us.”~Granny Brigade Psychological Warfare Officer
My arch NEMESIS!!! Even with all my experience, I could not prevent my smile from twitching a bit when I realized who was seated on my other side.
“I’ve heard about what happened with your family. So sorry about your parents. Those relatives of yours, TSK!”~General
I braced myself for the inevitable cheek destruction and put up my guard. Only, it never came.
“Haha. Don’t worry girl. The days of having your cheeks pinched by us are behind you. Since you’ve already reached adulthood, we won’t be embarrassing you like that in the future.”~General
Just as I was about to let out a sigh of relief, the other one piped up.
“Why don’t you come live with me? I’d be glad to adopt you and I could even involve you in my businesses too!”~Arch Nemesis
NO, NOPE, NEV-VER HAPPENING!!! Sure, she owns a number of high end clothing brands and is a top designer in the field. BUT, she’s also an anime otaku! The last and only time I’ve visited her house was when I was eight. She basically treated me like a cosplay dress-up doll at the time and she even managed to end up with the notorious otaku brand of nosebleed.
“...Edele.”~Bella
Oh, that got their attention. Nice save Bella! As her father is the common enemy of many women, Bella’s last name successfully gathered everyones’ attention when she introduced herself. I had used my name plus one when making the reservation after all.
“Another one of that scumbag’s offspring? Poor girl. Having to be related to that terrible man must feel awful.”~Granny Brigade Healer
Tension was palpable in the air. But as Bella continued to elaborate on her circumstances and how her mother had brought her up on her own, everyone began to relax. I still had to deflect the attempt to adopt me, but it was a less intense struggle now that Bella had diverted some of their attention.
Bella had it pretty easy though. On one side was the healer-like granny who could get along with anyone and the other was…no, never mind. That’s a lethal combo. The other was an expert schemer. One to lower the guard so the other could strike. How cunning!
“So the two of you are going into the entertainment industry together?”~Granny Brigade Strategist (Schemer)
“How nice! A pair of pretty girl-friends is just what my brand needs. How about the two of you do some modeling work for my brands to jump start your careers? I can even put in some good words for you with some friends.”~Arch Nemesis
SHOOT! They’ve grouped us together. I’ve to quickly let us retreat before…
“That would be wonderful! I’m very appreciative of the offer.”~Bella
“Great! I’ll have my secretary send the details soon.”~Arch Nemesis
Under the numerous ‘smiling’ eyes, I can only reluctantly swallow my objection. Otherwise, it would be seen as leaving my friend out to dry. Since our main objective is achieved with this however, we should withdraw before…
“How nice. Lots of us here have plenty of experience with the entertainment industry. Industry trends tend to change quickly too; about three times a season, early, mid and late. Won’t you visit us often so we can give you advice, provide resources and contacts for you? We don’t have much to do these days anyways.”~Schemer
NOOO! They noticed my intentions and immediately struck our weak point, Bella. I tried to intervene, only to have a cookie unceremoniously shoved in my open mouth.
“Try the sweets dear. You’ve hardly had anything since you’ve arrived. We can’t let you leave with an empty stomach, now can we?”~General
My retreat path was blocked and we’re now trapped here. I could only nibble on snacks as Bella ignorantly accepted their terms of our surrender with an innocent smile on her face while not noticing the smug grins in the surrounding eyes at all.
