Chapter 99: Patience Bears Sweet Results

"Your strawberry juice is ready!" I stepped into The Queen’s bedroom while carrying a glass of the juice she had ordered.

"Just making juice took so long. Where did you make it? In Palestine?" she sneered sharply.

"How did The Queen know? Earlier I was daydreaming about enjoying strawberries there. According to search engines, strawberries in the Gaza Strip have the best quality in the world. They must taste very sweet."

"Stop dreaming. A child like you probably can’t even afford to go to Bali," she scoffed coldly.

This woman’s mouth really reminds me of Kenn.

Kenn in an elderly version.

Why do I have to think about that annoying guy at a moment like this?

"Besides, who would really want to go there? I would rather not taste the original strawberries from there than have to face bomb attacks. If The Queen wishes to go there, I would be happy to pray for her," I replied in an intentionally innocent tone.

She shot me a sharp glare while holding out the now-empty glass. I took it with a forced wide smile. Just as I was about to turn around to leave, her voice stopped my steps again.

"Wait! Put the glass on the table, then massage my back."

I froze. The table was right beside her, so why did I have to move the glass? And a massage? Seriously!

"Come on, hurry!"

"Me?" I pointed at myself with a confused expression.

"Of course you. Who else is here?"

"All right, The Queen. But—"

"Don’t talk too much. Do it now!"

I dragged my steps with a sulky heart. If it weren’t for Kevan, I would have definitely snapped back at her insults and orders. However, a mischievous idea suddenly crossed my mind.

I warmed up by moving my fingers. To start, I massaged gently. But two minutes later, I planned to apply strong pressure with super-fast movements until her body bounced on the bed and her voice sounded like a trapped mouse.

"Go on, massage! What are you waiting for?"

Unfortunately, that was only my imagination.

For the sake of my mission to get closer to her, I brushed aside that crazy idea. I massaged her carefully, trying to be an obedient child. It turned out that not only her back wanted to be massaged, but her legs and hands also demanded the same.

I complied with all her wishes, even adding an application of eucalyptus oil so her body would be more relaxed—a tip I often heard from my grandmother when she massaged my grandfather.

My hands felt like they were about to fall off. The soreness and numbness began to take over after almost an hour of serving her.

As soon as she gave a signal that it was over, I immediately headed for the door. However, the hand that had just touched the doorknob was stopped again by a voice that now sounded like terror to me.

"Wait! Get the bedtime book from the top shelf."

I scanned the entire room until my eyes landed on a very tall bookshelf in the corner of the room. The title she meant was on the very top row.

I looked for a chair or any kind of support, but there was none. This room seemed to be designed in such a way as to make things difficult for others.

And a bedtime book? Considering her age, that term felt very strange.

I narrowed my eyes at The Queen, who was apparently watching me as well. She suddenly coughed and turned her face away while drinking some water. I was sure it was just an act.

We were almost the same height, so how did she take that book if there was no ladder? Could it be that she deliberately removed all the chairs to mess with me?

I took a long breath to calm myself. I stood on my tiptoes with great difficulty, but my hand still could not reach the shelf. I tried jumping up and down, but it was still a failure.

"I have to be able to do it!" I muttered.

I gathered all my strength for one last jump.

Thud.

"Ouch!"

I cried as hard as I could. My backside hurt badly from landing hard on the floor, and to make matters worse, a thick book fell right onto my head.

Meanwhile, The Queen was laughing out loud on the bed.

"What is going on?" Kevan appeared with a panicked look, followed by Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona.

"The Queen is mean, Kevan!" I complained while sobbing and stomping my foot on the floor.

"Who are you calling mean?" the woman asked in between her laughter.

"Of course you! I’m in pain!" I stood up and immediately threw myself into Kevan’s arms.

"You fell on your own, why should I be blamed? But your face just now was really funny. I didn’t expect a child like you could be entertaining too," she said, then burst into loud laughter again.

"I was told to take a book from the top shelf, Kevan. Because I couldn’t reach it, I had no choice but to jump. But I fell and my head was hit by a book this thick. The Queen was really heartless." I pointed at the book lying on the floor with a pitiful expression.

"Mother can laugh like that?" Mrs. Viona asked in amazement.

"Yes, Mother rarely laughs this freely." Mr. Aditya turned to look at me with a bright face. "Wow, you’re amazing, Frel. You managed to make Mother laugh."

I felt a little annoyed. Why was no one worried about my condition? I had just been the victim of a small accident, not performing a comedy show.

However, before I could voice my protest, Kevan hugged me from behind and whispered right into my ear.

"Congratulations, Darling. It seems Grandma is starting to like you."

In an instant, my awareness returned.

My face brightened. "So, if The Queen laughs, that’s a good sign?"

The woman turned and glared at me. "Who said this is a good sign!"

"But you laughed, didn’t you?" I muttered softly.

In the corner of the room, I saw Mrs. Viona and Mr. Aditya trying to hold back their laughter.

The Queen cleared her throat loudly, trying to regain her authority. "Aditya, I want to go home. Visit the house more often, it’s been a long time since you came."

"All right, Mom. You’re not staying over?"

"Another time. I’m at ease seeing all of you healthy," she replied while walking toward the door.

However, she stopped for a moment without turning around. "Ehm, Frel, from now on just call me Grandma."

After saying that, she hurried away.

I froze with my mouth hanging open.

Did I hear that wrong? She had just given me permission to call her Grandma?

Mr. Aditya and Mrs. Viona nodded firmly while smiling in amusement, as if confirming what I had heard.

Kevan kissed my cheek from behind and hugged me even tighter. "Congratulations, Darling."

I turned around and jumped with joy, then wrapped my arms tightly around Kevan’s neck.

My patience had finally borne sweet results.

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