Something Beautiful
Chapter - 34

At eight o'clock the next night, Lisa left the old woman sleeping soundly and went down into the blue sitting room instead of going back to grieving in her own room. Trying to ward off the feeling of loss, he picked up a book.

On the doorstep, Will cleared his throat to announce the arrival of a guest, "His Grace...."

A joyful shriek came out of Lisa's lips as she stood up and rushed forward. Will steps aside, Yugyeom appears in the doorway, and Lisa's steps instantly come to a halt. Yugyeom Kim walked towards him. Yugyeom succeeds Mingyu Kim as the head of the Kim family.

Unreasonable and uncontrollable anger roiled in Lisa's chest because the man was so presumptuous to wear the title of Mingyu that Mingyu had not died long ago. Yugyeom Kim benefits from this tragedy, Lisa thought, and she may have fun.

Yugyeom immediately stopped stepping and looked at the anger on Lisa's pale face. "You're mistaken, Lisa." she said calmly. "I am currently willing to give anything in order to see him walk into this room. If I knew Will would announce my arrival like that, I would ask him not to do that."

Lisa's anger quickly subsided hearing the sincerity in that calm voice as well as her sadness that radiated from her eyes. Because he was too honest to deny what was on his mind, he said, "Please forgive me, Your Grace."

"Yugyeom," erratized the man, extending his hand towards Lisa as a sign of introductions and friendship.

"How's my grandma doing?"

"He was sleeping, but his sleep was getting normal every day."

"Will said you're very meritorious for comforting him and giving him support. I'm grateful to you for that."

"He's very strong, and can take care of himself."

"And you?" the man asked as he walked to the table by the side of the room and poured wine into the glass. "Do you take care of yourself? You look lousy."

A speck of mischievous nature flashed in Lisa's eyes, "Your thought is very short, Your Grace. My face was never more than mediocre."

"Yugyeom." the man insisted and sat down before Lisa while staring at the crackling fire.

"Your grandmother didn't want to settle in London and was forced to accept hundreds of guests who wanted to say their condolences" Lisa said after a few minutes. "She preferred to have a simple funeral and then leave for Rosemeadi."

Yugyeom shook his head at Rosemeade's words. "I don't think he should have locked himself in the Rosemeade alone, but I can't stay there for more than ten days. This house was a huge estate, which had thousands of servants and tenants who all needed direction and support if they heard the news of Mingyu's passing. I was forced to leave my job in learning how to manage Mingyu's investments and get used to managing all of her estates and businesses. I really like it when my grandmother wants to be with me in London and stay there longer."

"That would be much better for her," Lisa agreed. In order for Yugyeom not to worry about her, Lisa tells the man that she intends to return home after the funeral. "My mom was planning on traveling and having fun after my wedding" she explained. "He promised to write me a letter and tell me where he is, so if you get a letter from him please send it to my house, I'll write him a letter and tell him that my husband is..." he tried to say 'died' but couldn't. He could not believe the handsome and healthy who married him were gone.

***

Putting on a pouting expression and Will trailing behind her, the grandmother walked slowly into the sitting room the next morning, where Yugyeom was reading the newspaper and Lisa sat on her side, pensively gazing into the distance.

When the grandmother saw the brave, pale-faced, concave-cheeked woman who had pulled her out of the pit of grief, her expression softened, but at once it also turned violent when she saw Henry, who was chasing her own tail or tugging at the end of Lisa's mourning dress.

"Shut up!" His command to the beast who does not know the discipline.

Lisa was surprised, Yugyeom jumped, but Henry just shook his tail to greet the grandmother and continued his play, unaffected. Surprised at the blatant defiance, the grandmother tried to glare at the hyperactive puppy for silence, when she failed to turn her back to the authoritative butler.

"Okay, Your Grace. Immediately carried out," said the dignified butler, bowing again, his expression remained flat. While bending down he took the puppy by holding his nape using his right hand and then put his left hand under the hairy buttocks of the puppy, and bring the thrashing puppy as far away from the body as possible as long as it is still possible hands.

"Well, now" said the grandmother lightly, and Lisa quickly refrained from smiling. "Yugyeom told me that you wanted to go home."

"Yes, I want to go home tomorrow, after the funeral."

"You won't do that, you'll accompany me and Yugyeom to the main house in London."

Lisa had been afraid to go back to her old life and try to live life as if Mingyu had never existed, but she never thought of going to the main house.

"Why should I?"

"Because you're Mingyu Kim's legal wife, and your place is with your husband's family."

Lisa hesitated, then shook her head. "My place is in my house."

"Omong empty!" the grandmother said stubbornly, and Lisa inevitably smiled to see the older woman had returned to her original authoritarian attitude, it is much better than closing yourself in the shell of sadness.

"On the same morning when you married Mingyu," continued the determined grandmother, "she specifically entrusted the task of educating you to me, so that you would later be able to earn a decent place among the nobility. Even though my grandson is dead, I believe you're loyal enough." he emphasized the word faithful, "to carry out his request."

The emphasis on faithfulness reminded Lisa, as the grandmother had hoped, that she had told the woman that her granddaughter admired the trait in her grandmother. Lisa hesitates for a moment, trapped in guilt, responsibility, and caring for her own well-being should she be forced to live in the main house, separated from everything and everyone she knows and loves.

The grandmother valiantly tried to overcome her grief, she could not help Lisa bear her burden. On the other hand, Lisa is not sure she can carry the burden alone, like when her grandfather and father died.

"You're really good for proposing that I stay with you, Ma'am, but I can't, '" Lisa refused after thinking about it carefully. "Because my mother is traveling, I have a responsibility towards others, and that should be my consideration."

"Responsible to whom?" ask the grandmother.

"Boo and his wife. Because my mother left, no one took care of them. I meant to ask my husband to make them a place to live in his house, but...."

"Who?" interrupted the grandmother with a thunderous voice, "Boo and his wife?"

"Boo is our butler, and his wife is our servant."

"To my knowledge" said the grandmother impatiently, "the servant is the duty to look after the master, and not the other way around." He had given up enough to say, "In spite of this, I appreciate your sense of responsibility. You can take them to the main house" the old woman decided. "I feel like we can still add one or two more servants."

"They're very old" Lisa explained. "They can't work that heavy, but they have self-esteem, and want to still feel useful. Well, I planted that illusion on them."

"As Christians I feel it is my duty to ensure that the aged servants continue to work as long as they are willing and able." the grandmother's lie blatantly floated a death glance at her astonished grandson.

Turning Lisa into a learned young noble was a task she would do in earnest. It was a challenge, an obligation, a goal. He did not want to admit that the beautiful brown-haired brave girl, who had taken him out of the confines of grief, seemed to have gained a permanent place in his heart, and he didn't want to say goodbye to the girl.