"Are you really going?" Ace asked as he stepped outside her door.

The man stayed at her flat up until dinner. They assisted each other to cook their own food. Blare was able to make a decent dish while Ace prepared the ingredients.

"Yes." She answered.

Ace scrutinized her for a minute and finally asked, "Do you want me to come?"

Blare was taken aback but quickly recovered. "No, it's just a family meal." She replied with a soothing smile.

Ace nodded and Blare waved him goodbye. She did not accompany him as she was still reluctant to go outside. Although she was notified that no one camped outside to force a statement out of her mouth, she still doesn't feel safe.

_______________

Evening came and Blare came a little early - about 5 minutes early.

Blare arrived in the humongous piece of land that the Winterburn mansion resides. A butler attended her - which Blare recognized as the man who has helped Lilith when she was being excluded in the family.

The butler can only look warmly at Blare. Although Lilith had never been close to the butler, she returned a genuine smiled. The butler then leads her towards the large entrance.

She didn't walk for long when she arrived in the spacious reception hall and saw a long table that can occupy 30 people.

Both mother and son already occupied two seats. Blare looked at Matilda and Harry's calm gazes. Since they don't plan to speak, her brow raised - questioning their odd behaviour.

"I thought you weren't coming."

Blare stood and did not approach the long table. "If I didn't come, little brother, what kind of judgment would I receive from you and your mother?"

The calm expression of the two cracked as they scowl. Especially Harry, who was named as the "little brother"

Harry turned bright red in embarrassment. "Shut up."

"How disrespectful." Blare ironically chuckled in delight.

Before Harry could get out of his seat and left the room in shame, Harold unexpectedly came and saw his son abruptly sat while his wife was unnaturally composed.

On the other hand, Blare's expression was not seen because she was facing the mother and son pair. Her arms are crossed and her posture was straight. But her head was slightly tilted - as if teasing them.

"Lilith, seat down. Our family need a discussion" Harold said as he walks pass Blare and sat on the end of the table. In Harold's left side was his wife, while beside his wife was his son.

Blare stood still. Hearing the word family did not please the other soul. "What part do I fit in this family?" she asked while suppressing her discomfort.

Blare - ever since she came here - felt Lilith's, heavy heart. Lilith was angry, sad and pained. The love she was craving for this family was never given to her. She was not surprised by this reaction because she also dislikes them. Although she was willing to forgive, the despair Lilith's sorrow will not easily vanish... or it might never vanish.

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Harold solemnly looked at Blare's complicated gaze. While the other two surprisingly stayed silent.

"You're my daughter," Harold stated.

Blare laughed with sarcasm. "I guess?"

"Then what am I to them?"

She looked at Harry and Matilda. Both opened their mouths but tightly sealed it at the end - saying nothing.

"She's your mother and--"

"I only have one mother. Lindsey Calpurnia" Blare interjected. Indicating her mother's name with a loud yet calm tone.

This was a slap at Matilda. It was a taboo in the family to talk about Lilith's mother - especially in front of Harry and Matilda. It was rumoured that Harold still loves Lindsey, otherwise, why would the married couple still sleep separately? Added to the fact that Harold had never been intimate with Matilda ever since Harry was born.

From the outsider's view, their marriage is a decoration - which tarnished Matilda's pride.

Harry's jaw clenched. "How dare you?"

Blare raised a brow and asked innocently, "Did I lie?"

"Lilith!" Her father shouted.

Matilda - who should've shouted by now - remained steady while staring at Blare.

"You've changed."

Matilda's tranquil voice made them silent. In Lilith's memory, she would always catch Matilda stare at her like now. She thought it was because she was being scrutinized harshly but looking at it now, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Dad said the same" Blare reacted.

"...Why don't you sit?"

Although Matilda shows no signs of being an evil stepmother, Blare hesitated. She sighed inwardly and took a seat on the opposite side of her stepmother. After that, Matilda signalled one of the maids. Blare wasn't given a second to think as the butlers and maids smoothly rush to serve a bunch of dishes in the long table. It was all served without much noise except for the ceramic plates being placed in the long wooden table. Confused, Blare's expression distorted at the sight of substantial cuisines that can satisfy a small town.

"What's the occasion?"

She saw how the family of three flinched at her innocent question. Harold helplessly looks at his wife. Before he could reply, Matilda already beat her to it.

Matilda looked at her with a complicated gaze. "It's for your return..."

"A small feast to celebrate your return." She corrected.

As much as Blare wanted to be moved, she just can't. The woman before her looks forced yet sincere. She looks uneasy yet determined. Blare believed that she was repenting but Lilith believed that her stepmother's action was another part of her scheme.

'If Lilith doesn't believe Matilda right now, then what's the use of forgiving? Other than forgiving, can she have a good relationship with her stepmother who she believed to be two-faced?'

[It will be your choice if you wanted to fulfil it.]

The system's statement - or who she called Reyna - echoed in her mind.

Blare blinked - as if she had woken up from a short dream. 'Although it has been years since I came into this world, Reyna's advice feels like it was just explained yesterday.'

She inexplicably felt puzzled but she cannot fathom the novel feeling and so, she decided to ignore it for now.

Blare thoroughly scrutinized Matilda. She saw nothing wrong yet there was an unexplainable feeling that made her uncomfortable.

"Thanks." She mouthed.

Looking at the appetizing food before her, a crazy premonition entered her mind.

'What if it's poisoned?'

She lost her appetite at the thought. The food before her became threatening - causing her to nervously gulped.

"But I'm not planning to return. I'm going back to my mom."

This time, she musters out all her courage to convey her intention bluntly.

Lilith wants to be with her mother and not in this family.

The three looked at her in pure shock. Then the woman before her showed another expression - anger.

Matilda loudly slammed her palm on the table. The well-arranged cuisines had suddenly cluttered. When Matilda slammed the table for the second time, the bottles of wine, wine glasses, utensils and ceramic plates entirely fell on the floor. The unpleasant sound of crashed glasses and silver utensils made Blare tremble.

"You're trying to ruin my family again!"

A hateful scream made her hands shivered. She feels anxious and terrified. Her breathing became short as her head unconsciously bowed down - like a scared child being cornered by her greatest fear.