Lottie's Ship Wish

CHAPTER 7

"Thank you for this food dad! I like it so much!" Lottie excitedly praised the food in front of them. Making sure she used her ever-charming loveable eyes and chubby cheeks.

"I see. That's good," Anthony smiled back softly and ate a piece of his dinner while Lottie's smile turned awkward as she nodded.

He might be smiling but his reaction to her cuteness act was very different to everyone Lottie used her charm. Usually, people got all smiley with pinches on the cheeks and head pats, but his was very bland.

Lifeless and forceful, if Lottie would describe it.

Since she entered the manor, Anthony was very quiet towards her. Nevertheless, there was no hostility, he gave her every noble daughter like her should have. Immediately, Anthony ordered various clothes of a variety of designs and colors for her. Prepare a huge room for her that looked like a whole house inside with toys and jewelries her age would like. She even had feasts every day to the point she didn't know where to put the food and Anthony was always present at mealtimes to eat with her and many more.

He was doing every good father would do but Lottie could feel the awkwardness. She clearly perceived the large gap between the two of them. It didn't take a genius to notice that.

"I am finished. Please enjoy your food, Charlotte." After taking his last bite, Anthony stood up from his chair and bid his goodbye to Lottie with his usual smile. So, she was left alone in the dining room once again.

'Yeah, he always leaves afterwards then goes to his study," Lottie thought to herself but instead of her mood getting dampen, the corners of her mouth lifted into a smirk as she took a whole fried chicken with her hands.

"But I anticipated this. I read the whole novel thirty-two times; I knew he would act this way to me." She took a huge bite into the most delicious chicken she ever tasted.

"Don't even think I will get defeated by this. Just watch, dad. I will capture your heart!" She declared and munched the rest of her food with full determination.

After all of that, a personal maid assisted her to prepare for bedtime. Bathed her and made her change to the softest silk nightwear she ever wore. When she was under her fat boss, it was lucky if she ever took a cold bath and changed her clothes once a month but now, she experiences it every day but with the best clothes.

The experience was already close to perfect except her attendant was secretly being hard on her and making "tsk" every time Lottie made a movement the maid didn't like.

"Good night, young lady," the maid bowed to her before leaving the room after making her lay down on the bed.

Of course, the maid's disrespectful annoyed face towards her was not left unnoticed by Lottie.

"They surely don't recognize me as daughter of a duke." She sighed.

"However, I expect this too. Even though the OG Lottie was just an extra, her scenes were well written on how neglected she was even by the servants," she said to herself as she made herself comfortable on her bed that felt like a marshmallow.

She remembered all the scenes she read about Charlotte Reynesford on how even on her death, she only received the bare minimum of emotional warmth even from the servants of the household. The OG Lottie, being a timid and shy kid never raised a complaint ever once and accepted it all silently as long she could stay with her beloved and last relative, Anthony.

"Too bad, I am not the original Lottie because I won't be discouraged by small feats like these nor will I stay silent," she continued as a small smirk formed on her young face.

"After working for corrupt managers and bosses for years, this is only a child's play for me!" Lottie proudly exclaimed. For the role of Lottie, her accumulated skills honed by her sweats and tears mixed with "casual" bad words were her perfect weapon to face every hardship she had to face in order for her ship to sail.

She already sold illegal drugs for years after she was "luckily" purchased by the fat boss after her original mom committed suicide together with the family's downfall so she could see AnthonyxBeatrice; nothing as in NOTHING could make her give up now.

"Yeah...for years..." As she said that, her proud and confident smirk turned into a melancholic smile.

"It's also been years since...I saw her..."

An image of a small girl with short black hair and a shy smile but definitely a happy one resurfaced to her memory.

"I wonder how's Luningning right now? Did she grow up already? Did she get adopted now? Did she get her revenge towards Boboy?" Lottie continued to wonder to herself.

Luningning was a sweet little girl Lottie in her past life as Ms. Garcia adored so much. After moving to her current town, she coincidentally visited an orphanage and met the loveliest kid she could lay her eyes on.

She was timid and soft-spoken, but her smiles could make someone's day bright like the sun. Lottie in her past life always wanted to adopt her as her own family except, she's barely making ends meet and supporting another mouth was not practical at all. She could not let Luningning face that kind of hardship so even though it saddened her greatly, the only thing she could do was visit from time to time and shower her with gifts.

"She was like the OG Lottie. So adorable..." Lottie smiled at her thoughts.

"I hope she grew up to be someone who's happy and strong. I am sorry, I couldn't be with you...Luningning..."

As she voiced those loving words mixed with tinge of regrets, her eyes felt heavier, and the effects of the night enveloped her consciousness. The last thing her eyes did that night while closed was to shed a single tear, unknowingly to the person herself.