NOVEL WEB Chapter 279: Video Call?
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Lillian knocked three times on the door to her room, which was now her mother's room for her stay here.
After waiting for a moment, her mother answered the door. Watching as she opened it, she found that the woman was on a video call.
With... Someone extremely familiar.
"Is that you, Lillian?! You look so much more mature!"
It was her father, Liaren Ker Arius, the current head of her family and also the Head Researcher and owner of a research company.
He had short white hair, blue eyes similar to hers, wrinkles that told of his age reaching the middle of his life and a body that was wrapped in bandages as though he was a mummy.
She gave a small wave, smiling wryly while also with a look of concern for her father's current situation.
"Heya, Dad! How's it holding up in there? Are you... Getting any better?"
"W-well. I am somewhat getting better, but I certaintly don't feel like I am!" He let out a chuckle before adding:
"Congratulations on winning your match in the first round, by the way! I had tried to call a couple days ago, but it seems a certain mother... of yours didn't pick up."
Veronica giggled slightly at her husband's frustrated and irritated words due to her forgetfulness to answer.
As Lillian continued to stare at the screen, she found that her father wasn't using his hands to hold the device used in the video call. So, who could else could possibly be in the room?
Or was it that someone had the device leaned up against something before leaving him in private?
Fortunately, she came to know extremely quickly and found that it was her first guess.
"My dear sister!"
The camera turned around to reveal a handsome young man with platinum blonde hair and yellow eyes with features closer to Veronica.
This was her biological older brother, Victor.
"How've you been? Have you been eating well? What's it like at the academy? Have you made friends? Are any of the people there giving you trouble? I heard you managed to passed the Entrance Exam and managed to become an actual student there—"
Lillian raised her hands, gesturing him to slow down with a tired expression as she tried to process his rapid-fired questions that made it seem like it was a pop quiz.
It seemed that everyone in her family was extremely protective of her, especially her mother and older brother, due to the first thing they did when they saw her was asking her a multitude of questions.
"C-chill out, big brother. I'm fine and I've been eating well. I've also made some friends and even gotten myself a girlfri—"
"Eh?"
Lillian raised an eyebrow, finding her brother giving her an odd look. Did she say something that caused him to look at her that way?
"Uhm... Did I say something wrong?"
"... Were you about to say girlfriend? Like... In a lover, kind of way?"
Lillian widened her eyes as she listened to his question.
Was her brother... Against the concept of same-sex relationships?
As she thought about this, she couldn't help but find that her brother was the first person to have this opinion. Everyone she had met so far was fine with it or secretly hid it very well.
In a way, it was almost refreshing... Maybe...
It didn't help that her brother was against her relationship, though.
"Eh... Yeah...? Is that a proble—"
"HUH!?"
Lillian flinched at his sudden yell.
She then watched as her brother pressed his entire face against the screen of his device, causing only his bright yellow eyes that had widened to be the sole focus on the screen.
His eyes were filled with obvious shock at her words. He was in disbelief.
Lillian sighed, waiting for the negative comments that were going to flood out of the phone before stiffening at what she heard next.
"WHAT ABOUT THE PROMISE YOU MADE WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE?! You KNOW, THE ONE WHERE WE'LL GET MARRIED IN THE FUTURE?!"
Lillian's face immediately twitched rapidly as she watched her brother pull his face away from the screen before using the back of his forearm to wipe away the tears that had suddenly come out.
She... Couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Her brother... Was her brother upset about some promise she made as a child when she didn't know any better?
Her brother wasn't against the thought of same-gender relationship, but something as childish as that!?
Lillian slapped her face, facepalming at her brother, who continued to throw a tantrum like a child, while her father scolded him to calm down.
She rubbed the gap in between her brows.
'Why? Why is it that everyone I meet is extremely weird in some way?'
She then pulled her face from her hand, thinking for a moment before realising:
'Hold on. Why is everyone in this game weird? Why did the developer make them like that?! Can't I meet someone as simple and normal!?'
Her Marionette was no different. She was weird. Millis was absolutely weird. Reph... Well, he was weird in some parts of the game when it came to shows and their scenes.
She remembered in one part of the game where Reph wouldn't stop talking about a scene inside a show and would rant about it like a devoted follower.
Which... Wasn't uncommon, but still weird a bit.
After waiting for her brother to calm down, she heard him ask while sniffling:
"W-well... Could I meet her to see if she is good for you, first?"
That was when Veronica pulled the screen away from Lillian and began to talk with stars shining inside her eyes.
"Oh, my, Victor! You have no idea how good she is to Lillian. She is an absolute catch, I tell you."
Lillian watched as her mother began to rant off her girlfriend to her brother, even hearing something about how well the black-haired woman could cook.
It was at this that Lillian couldn't help but wonder:
'D-... Do I just have weird tastebuds or something?'