CHAPTER 117: CHAPTER 117: DINNER

The four leaned in until their heads almost touched in the middle. Ellory looked around, making sure no other servants were nearby, then whispered with great care.

"You must promise not to tell anyone, okay? This is super important. I told you all because you’re my best friends!"

The girls nodded quickly, their eyes serious now.

"This toy is part of my brother’s secret project. He worked so hard on it with me for a whole year. We failed so many times before it worked. It’s not ready to be shown to anyone else yet."

Hestia put a hand over her heart. "I promise!"

"Me too!" said Hannah, raising both hands.

"Same here," Marriane said.

Clarisse grinned. "We’ll take it to our graves!"

Ellory giggled and handed the remote control to Hestia first. "Okay, try pressing this button to make it go forward."

"Eeeek! It’s moving!" Hestia squealed as the toy car buzzed and rolled forward again.

"Waaah! It’s so cool!" Marriane shouted, clapping her hands. "Lord Axelius really became so cool!"

"I actually prefer what he is now compared to how he was before," Clarisse said while guiding the toy car gently back. "He used to never go out and attend parties."

Hannah burst out laughing. "Right? I thought he turned into a book spirit!"

Ellory laughed too, holding her stomach. "I loved Brother Axel even more now too!"

"Of course you do," Hestia said with a smile. "You two are like partners in crime."

"Mad genius duo!" Clarisse added, making a silly pose with the remote in hand.

As the girls passed the remote around, giggling and taking turns making the toy car zoom across the garden path when Hannah suddenly spoke up while watching the toy roll back toward Ellory.

"You know," she began, twirling a strand of her hair shyly, "Lord Axelius changed so much—especially this year. Four years ago, he was so short... but now he’s tall and kind of... handsome." Her cheeks turned pink as she looked away quickly.

"Yiieee! Someone has a crushie~!" Hestia said with a teasing grin, bumping Hannah with her shoulder.

"Shh!" Hannah hissed, glaring at Hestia with wide eyes.

But Hestia wasn’t done. She cupped her hands and shouted loudly across the garden, "Ellory! Hannah said she wants to marry Lord Axelius!"

Ellory’s eyes widened in mock seriousness, and she placed both hands firmly on her waist. "Nope! If you want to marry my brother, you have to go through me first!"

The others burst into laughter as Hannah hid her face behind her hands, groaning in embarrassment.

"It’s only a crush!" Hannah said quickly, peeking through her fingers with a red face. "Also, Lord Axelius is three years older than me..."

Ellory suddenly stepped in front of her, arms crossed and eyes squinting as she scanned Hannah from head to toe with a playfully judging look. She made a loud "hmmmm..." before saying, "Nope! My brother’s wife should have big boobs!"

"Waaahh! So mean, Ellory!" Hannah said, fake crying and stomping her foot. "I’m still gonna grow!"

That made all of them fall into fits of laughter again.

Cyruz and Cedric, dressed neatly in their casual noble clothes, walked through the garden path. The two young boys had been on their way to the stables but paused when they heard Ellory and her friends giggling near the flowers.

"Let’s go greet her friends," Cyruz said, adjusting his collar.

They stepped closer, and as soon as the girls noticed them, they stood straight. Cedric and Cyruz gave a polite bow,

"Good Morning, ladies," Cedric and Cyruz greeted with a calm voice.

"Good Morning, Lord Cyruz and Lord Cedric," They greeted back.

Cyruz raised an eyebrow, looking past them at the small toy car on the ground. "What is that ugly thing?"

The cheerful air immediately shifted. The four girls gasped loudly.

"Ugly?!" Marianne cried out.

"It’s not ugly! It’s adorable!" Clarisse huffed, crossing her arms.

"You don’t know anything about cuteness!" Hannah added, stepping forward.

Hestia joined in, "You’re blind, Lord Cyruz!"

Cyruz instinctively stepped back as if attacked by a group of wild kittens. "W-What? It looks weird!"

Ellory marched over with puffed cheeks, clearly annoyed. She stood in front of the boys, pushing them both back with her small hands. "This is girls only! Go away!" she declared, her tone sharp.

Cedric blinked as he was pushed but didn’t resist. Cyruz stumbled backward, confused and speechless.

Now standing far from the group of girls, Cyruz turned to Cedric, frowning. "What the heck? Did they just push us away? What did I even do?"

Cedric smacked Cyruz on the back of the head with a sigh. "You called Ellory’s invention ugly. She made that in five months, nonstop, with failure after failure. You insulted all her hard work."

Cyruz rubbed his head, pouting. "Whatever. Axelius made it, Ellory just helped so it’s ugly! I still hate that our little sister likes him more than us."

Cedric just shook his head and began to walk away in silence.

Cyruz shouted behind him, "Why?! Aren’t you jealous?!"

Cedric stopped walking and turned his head slightly. "Because I don’t see a reason to be jealous of someone who is beneath us."

Soon, The sky slowly turned orange as the sun began to set, In the grand dining hall, the long table was already set with silverware and plates, and the smell of warm soup and freshly baked bread filled the room.

For the first time in four years, something was different tonight. Axelius, who always refused to eat with the family, had quietly told the maids earlier that he would join the dinner.

Now, as the clock chimed and the doors opened, the family entered one by one.

The Grand Duke walked in first followed by the Grand Duchess. Cedric and Cyruz came next Then Ellory entered, her hair tied with a ribbon and her smile unusually wide tonight.

"Brother is really coming tonight!" Ellory said out loud, not hiding her excitement as she bounced in her chair.

And then, finally, the door opened again. Axelius stepped in slowly, wearing a clean dark-blue vest and shirt. His hair was a little messy, but his face looked calm. On his shoulder sat Owen, who was in his usual soft slime form.

Everyone turned to him.

Ellory stood up right away. "Brother! You really came!" she shouted happily, rushing to pull the chair beside her.

Axelius nodded and walked over, taking his seat beside Ellory. Owen slid down his shoulder and sat on the table edge like a small jelly pillow.

Ellory couldn’t stop grinning. "I’m so happy you’re here! It’s a shame Brother Andrius, Sister sera and Sister Vivi is in the Academy."