Chapter 98: The Queen

"Of course, Grandma. I understand. But wouldn’t you like to prove to Mr. Aditya that what you said is true?"

She glanced at me with a questioning look.

"Prove that I am indeed not worthy of Kevan. Not only because I come from a simple family, but also because I am not a good girl like you just accused me of being."

"Darling, why are you talking like that?" Kevan asked in a worried tone.

"Calm down. Trust me."

"I already told you, don’t call me grandma!" she snapped.

Fortunately, Mrs. Viona quickly held Mr. Aditya’s arm so his emotions would not explode again.

"Ah, I forgot. Please forgive me." I chuckled, trying to act as naturally as possible.

Yet if this were likened to a rifle, I was only waiting for a single pull of the trigger before the bullet shot out.

"Now I know what title suits you best. Seeing the way you dress, so stunning, captivating, and admirable, I am immediately reminded of the queens of England who are renowned for their fashion sense and beauty. You are truly extraordinary."

"Really?" Her face instantly lit up.

I nodded enthusiastically. "Of course. That’s why, how about I call you The Queen? That title perfectly matches your beauty and refined taste."

The woman cleared her throat, trying to hide the gleam of satisfaction on her face. "That’s fine."

I pretended to clap excitedly. I deliberately did not look toward Mr. Aditya, Mrs. Viona, or Kevan. From the corner of my eye, I could feel the tension and emotion radiating from their movements.

"Very well. The air outside is very scorching this afternoon. To protect The Queen’s skin so it remains bright and radiant, how about you take a short rest while enjoying a glass of juice?" I spoke as formally as possible, as if I were serving an actual member of royalty.

"A good idea. I will rest in the bedroom. Make me some juice...."

"Strawberry juice is very good for brightening the skin, preventing wrinkles, and protecting the skin from—"

"Enough! Just make the strawberry juice. Don’t take too long!"

"Very well, Your Majesty. Please, go ahead." I bowed respectfully like a royal servant.

The Queen straightened her posture, lifted her chin slightly, then walked past me with the most graceful manner she could manage.

I let out a breath of relief after her figure disappeared from sight. But when I turned around, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. The silence felt unbearably heavy because none of them intended to start a conversation.

I pretended to cough, but there was no response. The three of them continued to stare at me sharply as if I had just committed an unforgivable fatal mistake. The next second, I put on the cutest expression possible while swaying my body to the left and right.

Kevan was the first to react, he looked like he was trying to hide his smile. I immediately approached him and gave him the sweetest smile I had. Unfortunately, Kevan returned to a blank expression and slipped both hands into the pockets of his dark blue jeans.

I scratched my head in frustration. Approaching Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona felt impossible, because at the moment they were the ones most successfully wearing terrifying expressions.

There was no other choice. Even though I did not know what I had done wrong, avoiding this seemed wiser than becoming the target of an outburst. Just as I turned around to make my escape, a strong hand grabbed the back of my T-shirt.

"Mercy, Mr. Aditya. Let me go," I pleaded while struggling.

"Explain first," Aditya said. I stopped struggling and turned to face him. "Why did you do all of this?"

Before I could answer, Mr. Aditya held both of my shoulders and stared at me intently. "I know you were hurt by my mother’s words. You should have defended yourself and refuted them, not supported her instead. Tell me, what was your reason?"

"I want to build a good relationship with every member of this family, including Grandma," I answered softly while lowering my head.

"But that doesn’t mean you have to justify my mother’s mistake, Frel," Mr. Aditya countered.

"My husband is right, Frel. You should have proven that you are not like what Mother accused you of," Mrs. Viona added in agreement.

"I have already proven it." I glanced at Kevan, who was still standing with his arms crossed, watching me.

I lifted my face and looked at them one by one.

"I’m serious. Maybe the results can’t be seen now, but I’m not lying. Truly."

Kevan’s brow furrowed, Mrs. Viona’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, while Mr. Aditya put his hands on his hips.

They demanded an explanation at the same time, their voices rising, "Explain!"

I flinched and instinctively stepped back.

"I was not supporting Grandma. On the contrary, I was challenging her to prove her words," I said.

Seeing that they were still listening in silence, I immediately continued.

"I am sure Grandma will try to look for every flaw and mistake of mine in front of all of you. But without realizing it, she is actually opening a door for me to get closer to her. Including her request to be made strawberry juice earlier. That is a good start to build familiarity," I explained with a small smile.

Mr. Aditya rubbed his face roughly. "I don’t know what else to say. You really are ... Oh God, why can’t Mother see your sincerity?"

He paced back and forth in front of me, then stopped and stared at me intently. "Listen, I know your intentions are good, but you don’t need to call her The Queen. I don’t like seeing you demean yourself like that, Frel."

"Enough, Dear. Frel must have her own reasons. Besides, this is not Frel’s fault. Mother herself refused to be called Grandma," Mrs. Viona said calmly.

Kevan stepped closer, then pulled me into his embrace. "You shouldn’t have gone that far, Darling."

"Only in this way can I soften Grandma’s heart, Kevan."

"Even if Grandma does not approve of our relationship, I don’t care. Who says you are not good enough for me? I don’t need any proof from Grandma about your shortcomings. I also don’t care about your family background. I love you as you are, not because of wealth. Do you understand?"

I smiled within his tightening embrace, feeling deeply appreciated. However, that warmth instantly shattered by a loud shout echoing from inside the bedroom.

"WHERE IS MY STRAWBERRY JUICE?!"

"Oh my God, I forgot to prepare the juice!" I looked up at Kevan. "Kevan, you agree, right, if I try to win Grandma’s heart? Please, okay? Let me do this, I beg you."

My smile bloomed when I saw Kevan finally give a nod of agreement.

I then turned to Mr. Aditya. "Mr. Aditya, don’t be angry anymore, okay? I promise I won’t be naughty. This is a good opportunity. Who knows, maybe the title The Queen can make us closer."

Thankfully, he finally softened. He began to smile and looked more relaxed after receiving soothing words from Mrs. Viona.

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