In fact, it was just as Deanna had thought.
Apart from Lance and Xavier, Deanna and her children were already quite exhausted by the time they reached halfway up the mountain.
Especially the two little ones, who had walked the entire way themselves, behaving remarkably well.
As they arrived at the halfway point, the butler, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately led the servants to greet them respectfully. "Mr. Mercer, madam, you must be tired. Old Mr. Mercer is already waiting for you in the living room. Please follow me."
He made a welcoming gesture as he spoke.
Lance nodded and took Deanna's hand to lead her into the villa.
Just then, they heard the surprised voices of the two little ones behind them.
Deanna quickly turned to see that the servants who had greeted them earlier were now carrying the children, making her instantly anxious.
Before she could ask, the butler explained, "Old Mr. Mercer was worried that Master Gregory and Miss Chloe would be too tired from the walk, so he instructed the servants to carry them inside."
"I see," Deanna sighed in relief.
However, the two little ones struggled in the servants' arms and said, "Sir, could you please let them put us down? We want to walk by ourselves."
Although they were very tired, they were not used to being carried by strangers.
Hearing this, the butler smiled kindly and nodded at them. "Alright, I'll have them put you down."
He waved at the servants, who then set the children free. They immediately ran to their parents' side.
No one paid much attention to this small episode.
Soon, they followed the butler into the villa.
Inside, they saw an old man with white hair sitting in the living room-the head of the Mercer family.
Time had left deep marks on Old Mercer, but one could still see traces of his former grandeur.
Perhaps due to his long-standing position of authority, Old Mercer exuded an inherent sense of dignity even when doing nothing.
The two little ones felt a bit nervous looking at the stern old man from a distance.
Deanna also felt pressured and instinctively moved closer to Lance.
Seeing this, Lance glanced at his serious grandfather and couldn't help but chuckle. "Grandpa, if you keep looking at them like that, you'll scare away your great-grandchildren and granddaughter-in-law. Then you can't blame me for not bringing them to see you."
"You rascal, always undermining me," Old Mercer scolded Lance with a smile, but his eyes were filled with satisfaction as he looked at Deanna and the two little ones. "Not bad, not bad. You've found a good wife, much better than your parents' choice. And your wife has raised these children well."
Deanna was stunned by Old Mercer's sudden change in demeanor and took a few seconds to react.
Finally, Lance whispered in her ear, "Grandpa has a bit of a playful personality. You'll get used to it."
Hearing this, Deanna was a bit surprised but knew how to respond.
"Thank you for your praise, Grandpa."
She calmed her nerves and smiled warmly at Old Mercer.
Of course, she didn't forget to prompt the children to greet him.
"Hello, Great-Grandpa."
The two little ones greeted him obediently, their big black eyes full of curiosity as they looked at Old Mercer.
Hearing their soft voices, Old Mercer smiled even more warmly, his face wrinkling with joy. "Good, good. Such good children. Come over here to me."
The two little ones hesitated and looked at Deanna instinctively.
Seeing this, Deanna gently nudged them and smiled. "Since Great-Grandpa is calling you, go over."
With that encouragement, the two little ones walked over to Old Mercer a bit shyly.
Old Mercer noticed their hesitation and pulled them closer affectionately. "Don't be afraid. I'm not scary. I heard you're five years old and already little geniuses who have self-studied elementary school courses. That's impressive."
"It's five and a half; we'll be six soon," Chloe corrected him energetically, holding up six fingers.
Old Mercer chuckled even more lovingly. "You're right; I misspoke. You're almost six. I'm sorry for any hardship you've endured outside."
He gently patted their heads as he spoke.
The two little ones blinked, unsure how to respond, and looked back at Deanna.
Deanna also didn't know what to say.
Fortunately, Old Mercer didn't need them to say anything.
After his remarks, he waved at the butler standing nearby.
The butler understood and brought over three ornate boxes.
Old Mercer took two of them and handed them to the children lovingly. "These are my gifts for you. Open them and see if you like them."
Then he smiled at Deanna. "There's one for you too. Open it and see if you like it."
As it was a gift from an elder, Deanna couldn't refuse and quickly thanked him.
The children also thanked him and curiously opened their boxes, exclaiming in surprise.
Inside their boxes were two beautiful golden necklaces.