Filed to story: A Little Princess's Journey from Darkness to Light Novel
“Lilly, have some spaghetti!” Old Mrs.
Crawford felt a deep sense of satisfaction watching Lilly enjoy her food. The girl was not picky and would eat anything given to her. Lilly nodded and scooped a generous portion of pasta onto her plate. She forked a large mouthful of pasta into her mouth and devoured it all, getting sauce all over her face in the process.
Drake couldn’t believe this girl. Was the pasta really that good? he wondered. Unlike Lilly, Drake twirled a small spoonful of pasta before politely bringing it to his mouth and gingerly taking a bite. Hmm… he slowed his chewing. He didn’t know why, but the pasta tasted more delicious than he remembered.
After breakfast, Lilly grabbed her backpack and headed out the door. Today, she had a new panda backpack that she used to carry Tortoise and Polly, who had managed to squeeze inside.
“Where are you going, Lilly?” Old Mrs. Crawford asked.
Anthony Crawford, who was quickly finishing his breakfast after a morning meeting, answered on Lilly’s behalf. “We’re visiting the Taylors.”
Noticing Old Mrs. Crawford’s confusion, Lilly explained further. “Remember the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Taylor Entertainment that Uncle Anthony took me to? It’s the same Taylor!” she beamed.
Lilly may have confused Taylor Entertainment with the Taylor family, but that didn’t stop Old Mrs. Crawford from scolding her son. “You may be a workaholic yourself, but you shouldn’t involve Sweet Pea in it. How will you keep her entertained while you’re busy with work? What if she wants to play?”
Anthony rubbed his temple. How did he end up being scolded by his mother once again?
**
The car left Peninsula Villas and traveled on the highway through the bustling city to reach Greenview Bay. Greenview Bay was home to the city’s best schools, and the land prices in the area were among the highest. Only the city’s wealthiest could afford to buy a home here.
Valentine Taylor was already waiting outside his door when Lilly and Anthony arrived at his house, smiling from ear to ear as he spotted them. “Ms. Lilly! Please come in!” he greeted cheerfully.
Just as Lilly was about to enter Valentine Taylor’s home, she felt a sudden urge to turn around. That was when she noticed an old lady dressed in a green Victorian-era ball gown on the second-floor balcony of the neighboring villa. The old lady grinned as she made eye contact with Lilly. Lilly gasped.
Josh skipped his extracurricular classes today to accompany Lilly and act as her chaperone. As they walked, he noticed Lilly’s troubled expression and asked, “What’s wrong, Lil?” He followed her gaze towards the balcony of the house across the street, where Lilly’s face turned upset and she frowned.
“Lilly?” Anthony stopped walking, concerned.
Valentine Taylor felt a wave of despair as he saw Lilly’s obvious unhappiness. Oh no, what is bothering the little girl now? He looked around and noticed an overgrown bonsai plant to Lilly’s right. Maybe she finds it hideous?
“Quick, move the plant into the courtyard immediately!” Valentine instructed two of his servants before rushing up to Lilly. “What’s the matter, Ms. Lilly?” he asked.
Lilly kept her gaze fixed on the bungalow opposite, with one hand on her waist. “Hey! Granny upstairs! I’ve tolerated you for a long time!” she yelled. The old lady stared back at Lilly with a sinister smile.
Anthony and the others followed Lilly’s gaze
towards the balcony. Valentine felt a chill run down his spine as he realized there was no one there.
“Ms. Lilly, the old lady in that house passed away last year…” Valentine gulped. Could it be possible that the little girl was seeing the old lady from next door? The thought made his knees weak.
Lilly turned to Valentine. “Mr. Val, is that your house too?” she asked, referring to the house across the street. She studied Valentine’s face before looking back at the old granny on the balcony. The resemblance between the two was eerie. How intriguing…
Valentine’s eyes widened. “No… no! That house belongs to the Rosewoods. Now that you mention it, it’s quite a tragic story for the Rosewood family who used to live there…” Valentine paused. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that someone from the house across the street was watching him too.
“What happened to them?” Anthony inquired.
Valentine sighed before continuing. “Over ten years ago, the Rosewoods had a daughter who was murdered by her close friend. The murder was extremely brutal, and the police only found her dismembered body parts without any bones. The Rosewoods had only one daughter, and after her death, Old Mrs. Rosewood went insane…”
Valentine’s voice dropped to a whisper as he glanced around. “But before the girl was caught, the police discovered her dead body in an old printing factory. Rumor has it that Old Mr. Rosewood arranged for her murder. Maybe it was a professional job, or perhaps someone in the police force couldn’t bring themselves to arrest the old man. Either way, due to a lack of evidence, the old man got away with it, and the case was closed. The old couple continued living in the house, always searching for news about their daughter’s remains, but the old lady finally passed away last year.”
Now, only Old Mr. Rosewood resided in that old house. Valentine shivered as he recounted the story to Lilly and her group.
“He didn’t force the girl to reveal the location of his daughter’s remains?” Anthony asked.
Valentine shook his head and looked down. “I’m sure he tried, but he never got an answer.”
Pablo emerged from the shadows of the towering villa walls. “If I’m correct, this must be the house inhabited by the ghost of vanity,” he commented. It was too much of a coincidence for Pablo to ignore. He raised his head, lost in thought.
Lilly impatiently stomped her foot. “Uncle Anthony, I want to go inside… can we knock on the door?” she pleaded. Anthony immediately picked up Lilly and signaled for his assistant to knock on the door.
“Does… Ms. Lilly know the Rosewood family?” Valentine cautiously asked. To be honest, he wasn’t eager to enter the Rosewood home. He had even considered selling his own villa before, but his fortune teller had advised him against it, claiming that the location would bring him prosperity. However, he never anticipated having to step foot in the Rosewood home. The tragic incident still haunted him.
“But Uncle Val… your mother is up there!” Lilly innocently remarked.
“W-what?” Valentine stammered.
“The old granny up there looks exactly like you!” Lilly explained.
Valentine finally realized that the ghost the little girl had been seeing was the ghost of his own mother!
“Oh! Let’s go inside right away!” he exclaimed, his realization fueling his excitement. As Lilly glanced at Valentine, he was already rushing towards the front of the Rosewood home. “Mr. Rosewood, it’s me, Valentine Taylor, your neighbor!” he shouted after repeatedly ringing the doorbell with no response.
“Mr. Rosewood doesn’t appreciate disturbances, especially after Mrs. Rosewood’s passing. He rarely leaves the house nowadays,” Valentine explained to the group.
Finally, after several long rings, a tired, raspy voice came through the intercom at the door. “Who is it?” the voice asked.
“Mr. Rosewood! We… Uhh…” Valentine began, but he quickly realized he didn’t have a valid excuse for showing up at Mr. Rosewood’s doorstep so suddenly. He couldn’t possibly tell him that his mother was lingering on his balcony! He looked at Lilly, feeling helpless.
“Mr. Rosewood, I know where her remains are,” Lilly spoke into the intercom, without needing to mention who she was referring to.
There was a moment of silence before the group heard the door unlatch. The door opened on its own!
“Come in…” Old Mr. Rosewood’s weak and urgent voice echoed through the intercom once again.
The group entered the Rosewood house in a single file. Josh swallowed nervously and clung to Anthony’s pants as he took a step forward. He vowed that this would be the last time he acted recklessly.
As they entered the hallway, Lilly raised her head to glance at the second-floor balcony directly above the main door. She spotted the old lady in the green dress gripping the balcony rails, still staring intently at her. Lilly squinted her eyes and stared back at the old lady.
Anthony, who always closely observed Lilly, could already guess what or who she had seen.
On the other hand, Josh felt a growing sense of dread as he looked at the balcony, only to find it empty. He tightened his grip on Anthony’s pants.
Feeling Josh tugging at his pants, Anthony glanced at the boy. “What are you afraid of?” His tone was flat and emotionless, even with his own son.
“I’m not afraid!” Josh shook his head, but he didn’t let go of his father’s pants. Without a word, Anthony offered his hand to his son, who took it without hesitation.
As the group ventured further into the house, they began to smell an unpleasant odor permeating the air. It was the kind of scent associated with medicine, old age, and death.
A voice called out from above them. “Come upstairs… I’m on the second floor.”
Josh jumped in fright at the sudden voice, but Lilly was already eagerly rushing toward the staircase, pulling Josh along. “Josh, hurry!” she urged.
Together, they approached the master bedroom on the second floor and pushed the door open.
The room was pitch black, except for a sliver of sunlight peeking through the thick curtains. The old lady in the green dress floated silently in a corner, her small eyes still fixed on Lilly.
Lilly breezed past the old lady, heading straight for Old Mr. Rosewood’s bed. “Mr. Rosewood, could you open the windows? Just a little bit, please…” Lilly requested. There was a figure lying on the bed. Although his face was not visible, the room exuded an eerie atmosphere.
The man lying on the bed remained motionless, resembling a stone. Valentine Taylor started to feel a sense of unease. If he hadn’t heard Mr. Rosewood’s voice through the intercom just moments ago, he would have assumed… Wait. If Mr. Rosewood was truly deceased, then whose voice was that through the intercom…? Valentine’s back hairs stood on end as this thought crossed his mind.
“Mr. Rosewood…?” Valentine cautiously called out.
“Go ahead and open it,” the figure lying on the bed weakly croaked out.
Charlie immediately walked towards the windows, pulling open the blinds and unlatching them. Sunlight streamed into the room, accompanied by a refreshing breeze, illuminating the dreary space. It also allowed the group to see Mr. Rosewood clearly. He was a frail old man with gray skin, sunken features, and a skeletal appearance. His eyes struggled to open, finally fixing on Lilly.
“Did you say… you found Amelia’s remains?” he rasped, clearly struggling for breath. It was as if he was summoning all his remaining energy to speak to Lilly.
Josh covered his face with his hands, while Valentine’s legs felt weak. How could a living person look so terrifying? On the other hand, Lilly fearlessly approached the old man and placed her hand on his bony arm.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Rosewood. I know where she is,” Lilly comforted the old man. The red string bracelet on her tiny wrist began to emit a faint glow as she spoke, and the energy from the bracelet seemed to flow into the old man’s body. Everyone else could sense the oppressive energy in the room slowly dissipating as the old man’s eyes seemed to regain life.
Moments later, Mr. Rosewood managed to prop himself up weakly, attempting to sit up. Seeing this, Valentine immediately went over to help him. “Mr. Rosewood, why are you alone in this large, old house? You can’t possibly take care of yourself in this condition…” Valentine asked with concern.
The strange thing was that Old Mr. Rosewood was dressed in clean pajamas, and aside from the strong smell of medicine, Valentine couldn’t detect any other foul odor coming from the old man. As he surveyed the bedroom, he noticed that it was surprisingly tidy and well-maintained, despite its dark and gloomy appearance. Old Mr. Rosewood seemed like an ordinary elderly man.
Old Mr. Rosewood let out a slow sigh. “What is there to take care of? My days are numbered…” he said faintly.
Lilly felt a pang of sadness as she observed the old grandpa in front of her. A weak incense candle burned on top of his head. Master Pablo had once told her that the burning incense represented how much longer a person had to live. Once the flame extinguished, the person’s life would end.
“Mr. Rosewood, her bones are buried beneath the school’s football field,” Lilly informed him without waiting for him to ask again. “Her name was Amelia Rosewood, and her best friend was Roxanne Larson… am I correct? Amelia was a kind lady. She gave all her beautiful dresses to Roxanne, but Roxanne killed her,” Lilly continued.
