Chapter 104: grandmother

Rino pov

However, I didn't pursue music with the aim of achieving "artistic accomplishments."

I simply loved things that were cool and unconventional.

Vincent temporarily confined me and then arranged for me to perform 1,000 hours of community service in the Republic of Pack through the school and local government. If I didn't complete a minimum of 21 hours per week, I would be immediately sent back home for homeschooling.

My phone sent my location to the housekeeper every ten minutes while also monitoring my physiological characteristics to ensure I wasn't seeking thrills.

I felt like my world was collapsing, and I pleaded desperately, "Father, please don't do this... I feel like I'm living as if I'm on parole!"

"Would serving time in prison make you happier?" He retorted sharply, making me quickly fall silent.

Before leaving, I needed to apologize to Lucca. I had to make her accept my apology, or else my weekly community service hours would be increased to 30.

How many hours are there in a week anyway?

I was afraid I wouldn't even have time for band rehearsals.

I had already bought a gift and drove to the hillside villa. The place was very quiet, and the snow on the streets hadn't been cleared. My car couldn't make it up the hill, so I had to walk up the slope.

Lucca's old house was adorned with small colorful lights on the fence, and the yard had several peculiar-looking snowmen. The roof was covered in snow, and it was gently falling off.

There was a little child wearing a knitted hat, attempting to crawl out from under the door's blocking panel.

I walked up and lifted her up.

"Wow!" Alice cried.

Lucca hurriedly came out of the house, seeing me holding Alice like I was carrying a small animal. She snatched the child away, slamming the door in my face.

"I...," I tried to explain.

"Don't ever come near this house again!" Lucca shouted.

Luna Nataly peeked out from the kitchen and asked, "What's happening? Did an owl show up?"

"Nothing!" Lucca quickly replied.

Luna Nataly went back into the kitchen. Her scream was followed by the house's alarm system blaring.

Lucca heard the sound of breaking dishes, followed by a dull thud.

In the kitchen, Luna Nataly exclaimed with a shaky voice, "Damn it! Why did you break in through the window? Do you know I could've stabbed you just now?"

Lucca hurriedly went to check the kitchen.

I was sitting in the sink, covered in flour. Luna Nataly threw a pie dish at me.

I was completely white.

Alice giggled.

I was furious. I jumped out of the sink and stormed to the door, demanding from Lucca, "Did you rent this place out? Why is there another woman and a child here!?"

"Rino Vincent, do you even know who I am?" Nataly grabbed my collar from behind and pulled me away from Lucca.

I was suddenly addressed by my full name, which made me pause.

I gave Luna Nataly a serious look. She wasn't wearing makeup, dressed in a simple apron, and had her hair casually tied up.

"Who?" I furrowed my brows. "One of my fans? I didn't expect a homemaker like you to listen to rock music."

Luna Nataly was rendered speechless by my response.

"I am your grandmother," Luna Nataly said.

I thought she was cursing at me, so I scoffed, "You crazy lady."

Luna Nataly had left the pack by the time the twins were born. They had only met on occasions like family funerals, weddings, and such.

During those events, Luna Nataly always dressed elegantly, quite different from her appearance now.

"This is Luna Nataly," Lucca introduced her to me, holding Alice. "Please leave immediately. The alarm system has gone off, and the security will arrive soon."

Luna Nataly...

I peered at the woman before me, my eyelashes dusted with flour.

I suddenly stammered, "Uh, you're... my grandmother?"

"Yes, I just told you," Luna Nataly pointed at the door angrily. "You can leave now."

"No, wait, I'm here to apologize," I quickly put on a smile, retrieved a gift from the flour, which was a diamond ring, and said, "Come on, Lucca!"

Luna Nataly was so surprised that she had to support herself against the kitchen counter. "Wait a moment..."

My grandmother was taken aback. When Vincent had called her, he had only said that Lucca was injured and in the hospital.

She thought it was a result of an argument between Vincent and Lucca, perhaps escalating into a physical confrontation. She had been angry about it for a while.

Now, seeing Rino's diamond ring, she had a lot of thoughts.

"Get out!" Luna Nataly's complex thoughts completed a rapid transformation in an instant, and she angrily threw me out of the house.

Alice was somewhat curious but also a bit frightened.

Lucca could only feed her some porridge and then comfort her to sleep.

At that moment, a head suddenly appeared on the windowsill. I climbed up again, holding the oversized ring and waving it. "Lucca! Please forgive me! I won't do it again!"

Luna Nataly couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She raised a freshly baked pie as if to throw it at me.

Lucca stopped her, saying, "Luna! This is the smoked meat pizza you've been preparing all day; we can't waste it!"

"It's a pie!"

Luna Nataly couldn't care less and strode towards the window.

Lucca hurriedly closed the kitchen window.

In the blink of an eye, my head appeared again outside the living room window.

Seeing Luna Nataly's dark expression, Lucca could only run out and say to me, "I don't need your fake apology, and I don't need your gift."

"Suit yourself, but take my gift first, and then..." I pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from my jacket. It said, "I hereby completely forgive Rino Vincent for his actions, and he has the right to study in the Republic Pack and pursue his hobbies." Below were spaces for a date and signature, resembling a contract.

She tore up the paper.

"Wait!" I exclaimed.

Lucca tore it even louder.

I grabbed her wrist and restrained her like steel. "Do you hate me that much? What do I have to do for you to forgive me?"

"I don't have any feelings about it. Take the ring back."

I placed the ring in her mailbox.

Lucca's POV

I was more afraid of Raffle than Rino. He had lured Rino to the Hillside Villa. It felt like back when Rino had dragged me into the garden, and I had cried for help while Raffle had just stood outside, secretly watching.

I could never understand what the "perfect heir" of the Vincent family was thinking.

His friendliness didn't feel genuine either. He had driven Rino away, and I returned to the villa.

Together with Luna Nataly and Alice, we spent the cold New Year. Luna Nataly taught me how to ride horses, cook, knit, and even how to prepare insect specimens, but I wasn't very good at any of it. Alice didn't show much interest in these activities either; she loved Lego bricks and puzzles.

On the day they were leaving for Ireland, I packed the Lego bricks into the trunk of the car.

Luna Nataly said in the car, "If you're not busy on weekends, we can come over from Ireland to see you."

"Yes!" Alice waved at her with a smile.

"No need, it's too much trouble..." I started to decline, but Alice looked up at me with her face lit up, and I couldn't resist. I kissed her on the forehead and agreed.

The day before school started, as I was going through my booklist, Vincent showed up. He saw me in my sportswear, sitting on the carpet, surrounded by a circle of books. My hair had grown even longer.

Vincent walked over and touched my hair, and I quickly looked up at him.

"What's up?"

"You need a haircut," Vincent said, running his fingers through it.

My black hair was soft, abundant, and flowed gracefully down to my waist. But I was too fragile, with a petite figure that made it seem like my long hair had sapped away too much life from me.

"Don't even think about touching my hair," I said coldly.

"Then how long do you plan to keep it?" Vincent also sat down in front of me. We faced each other on the carpet.

"I'm not cutting it anyway," I insisted.

"Alright..." Vincent leaned in, and I couldn't help but move back. He was just whispering in my ear, "Well, you can decide to cut it when you find it difficult to manage."

I bent my head back to the booklist. When I was done, Vincent was still watching me from across the room. His legs were long and straight, a bit cramped amid the books. His silver hair shimmered and cascaded down to his waist, and I realized he hadn't cut his hair either.

Vincent felt my gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I replied.

Vincent moved closer, touched my face, and made me look at myself. My body stiffened slightly, uncomfortable with this kind of touch. Vincent gathered a strand of my long hair from beneath, and the inky black color flowed from his pale fingers.

"Long hair or short hair, you look beautiful either way," he said softly.

I had to gaze into his clear, blue eyes.

I didn't say anything.

After packing up the books, I whispered again, "Let's talk about it when it gets hot... Long hair is indeed a bit inconvenient."

Vincent nodded. I emphasized, "But I want to keep the hair I cut off."

Vincent nodded again. He began coming over frequently after school, without a fixed schedule or doing much. He just visited, asking if I needed anything.

I found it strange.

Actually, Vincent had always wanted to talk to me about the Sky Garden incident directly, but he couldn't find the right opportunity. His therapist believed that if he didn't have the appropriate skills, he shouldn't casually engage in conversation with me. So, Vincent even consulted me for guidance on how to approach the subject.

"Are you going to Ireland this week?" Vincent tried to find an opening.

In the car, they had a long time alone.

"Luna Nataly said she would bring Alice over."

"They are coming over?" Vincent's face stiffened.

His mother was actually leaving the Bat Castle in Ireland and returning to the pack's social circle. This meant that he wouldn't have weekends to spend alone with me anymore. This small villa would now house a contentious woman and a little brat who required constant care.

I heard the tone of his displeasure and remained silent for a moment before saying, "I know you don't like Alice..."

"No, it's not because of that..."

"You can avoid them on weekends."

"It really isn't because of that..."