28 She didn't notice them

"See you tomorrow," Ilia said. He waved his hand to a girl who sits on a seat in her black, luxury car.

Jeanne nodded and then smiled. "Yeah, see you tomorrow, and… can you give me a kiss?" She launches an attack on him with her puppy eyes.

The boy's eyes wander around because of her unexpected ambush. It lasts for a few seconds until the boy takes a deep breath.

"It's too soon." The boy shakes his head.

In front of him, the girl pouted. A second later, she says, "coward…"

To her provocation, Ilia came closer to Jeanne. He moves his right hand to stroke her head warmly. "It's hardly a day, kissing you right now feels so wrong for me. I hope you are satisfied with this."

"Coward…" Jeanne said merrily as she close her eyes. She then made giggled with slightly red cheeks when Ilia did stroking her head.

"Good night and have a nice dream I guess." Ilia scratch his cheek.

Jeanne beamed. "I will! Don't forget to say hi to me tomorrow morning."

"I will not forget."

The two of them exchanged another hand wave before the black BNW M235i drive away, leaving the boy alone under the night sky.

It's sad to part away from him. This kind of episode hurt her fragile heart but, as long as she has a tiger plushie given by him, she is sure that she will be fine.

Honestly, It still brings a smile to her when she remembers how shamelessly he got this favorite plushie of hers.

It begins when her interest was being drawn to a cute, huggable, tiger plushie inside a transparent, big box.

"It was a crane game," he says.

Then, when he asked, "you want the plushie?" Jeanne nodded happily.

Without wasting time, the boy plays the crane game after he says, it was easy to get a prize from the game. But, it's so funny when he tries many times, he never got a prize. And when he spends his Play points equal to the price of a plushie inside the machine, he stops playing. The boy brings her to the cashier then buys a plushie for her straight from there.

"Shameless…" she whispered then buried her red face to the back of the tiger plushie.

He was so uncool but, he was the first person who give her what she wanted. To make this episode more memorable, she is willing to assume that the boy will do anything to get what she wants.

"That will be perf- no! Not that word! That will be awesome, right, that will be awesome, nothing else," Jeanne exclaimed in a quite loud voice.

Her sudden outburst startled Maiya and attracted Alton's attention. Those adults move their eyes to the rearview mirror to see their young miss reflection. They see their young miss was smiling but… there is some eerie shadow on her face.

Instantly, Alton knows that it's better to leave the young miss alone. Trying to talk to her will only worsen her mood. So, he chooses to stay silent and drive the car dutifully.

Meanwhile, in the passenger seat, Maiya becomes restless. occasionally, her pinkie will twitch, her lips quiver, and her eyes will wander around before finally taking a peek at her young miss.

She knew her young miss well so, the girl's condition worried her so much. That wasn't a sign that show, her young miss was in bad mood. It's a sign that shows, her young miss might do something outrageous.

After gathering her courage and in a nervous tone, she said, "are you fine, young miss?"

"I'm fine," Jeanne replied with a joyful smile. Her eerie shadow vanished without traces. "just let's go home quickly. It's already quite late."

Maiya made a sigh of relief.

"As your wish, young miss," Mr. Alton responded. He put more pressure on the gas pedal, increasing the car speed.

Dozens of minutes later, Jeanne arrived at her home, the white mansion.

She was happy and that happiness made humming out of her mouth as she goes to the kitchen. Small springs decorate her steps. Her hands never let the tiger plushie go.

She has a duty to cook dinner for her parents as a bridal training.

Yes, as conglomerates, cooking wasn't that important skill. It's even unneeded as those conglomerates have servants who are willing to do it for them.

So why does Jeanne have to cook?

It was her parents' demand.

She must master the skill to be a perfect woman.

Usually, she will be irritated when she has to cook for her parents, to do this training. But, as happiness clouded her mind, she didn't realize that she will cook for her parents.

Smile still decorated her face when she get into a room behind the dark brown door with a carving of gold leaf on its center. Bringing a plastic bag filled with food ingredients, she walk to the kitchen corner of the room.

Yes, there is a kitchen corner in this room. And not only there is also a dance floor, dining room, bedroom, study room, and a small library. The room was big and it almost take half of the third floor of this white mansion.

Jeanne put the plastic bag and the plushie on the kitchen table. She was still on the rainbow when she start washing, peeling, and cutting the vegetables but… when a particular smell assaulted her nose, the voices come to her.

*You seem happy.*

*Did something good happen to you today?*

Clack!

Jeanne use too much force as she cut the carrot. Her shifts of strength happened because she just realize where she was right now. Meekly, she turned toward two silhouettes that sit on chairs in the dining room.

She can't see their face clearly because most of the lights on this room was off. The curtains that blocked light from the outside did not provide noteworthy help.

"...yes, something good did happen," she answered reluctantly.

*What is it?*

*Tell us!*

Jeanne closes her mouth. She really didn't want to tell her date with Ilia to them. If they know, these parents of hers will say so much unpleasant phrases. And when she remembered who is Ilia, his background, his attitude, or his academic scores, she was sure that her parents will tell her to leave him.

Jeanne wanted to keep this as her secret but…

She can't lie to her parents, she wasn't able to do it.

Her parents' teaching had already become a part of her existence.

Jeanne will always be Jeanne until someone else reshape her.