Lunch was served 30 minutes later, and the Schneider family immediately gathered in the dining room which had sliding glass doors overlooking the swimming pool and the lush garden. The view was refreshing.
The atmosphere at the dinner table felt warm, and L became moved because, for the first time in years, she felt like she had a family.
"Ahh ... it's a shame Aleksis isn't here," Rune commented as he filled the bowl with his father's soup, which he loved so much. "All our family members are here, except her..."
"We can contact Aleksis later after lunch, I would like to see Ireland and Scotland," Finland said, smiling happily. "We can use Virconnect and talk to them."
"Ah, good idea!" exclaimed Rune. He hurriedly finished his lunch so he could immediately contact his sister in Singapore.
"Who are Ireland and Scotland?" L asked, whispering in London's ear.
"Oh ... those are my nephews. They were born a week before Lily. You will like them," London answered. He then remembered something and immediately added. "Anyway, later, no matter what happens, you must not say anything about their appearance, why they don't look like their parents - especially the father. My brother-in-law could be offended and you will lose the Virconnect contract."
L frowned. "What does my Virconnect contract have to do with him?"
"Ahem ... My sister is married to the RMI boss. RMI is a group of companies that oversees Splitz. As you know, Virconnect is a product created by Splitz. Actually, it was my brother-in-law who initiated it."
L widened her eyes and covered her lips in surprise. When she thought nothing could surprise her anymore today... she heard this from London. The Schneider family kept giving her shock after shock.
"Your sister .. married to ..." L swallowed. "The famous Elios Linden?"
"Yes. Elios Linden was actually the new name he has been using after his death. We always call him by his real name, Alaric. Alaric Rhionen, but now he also uses the surname Medici. So, he is a Linden, but also Rhionen.. and Medici. It's confusing, really."
L seemed confused with all of London's explanations. How could someone die but was now still alive? She did not understand.
"What is wrong?" asked Finland, who saw London and L whispering to each other. "What are you talking about?"
"Uhm, it's okay. I was asking about ..." L was having trouble explaining what she meant. "Uhm...:
"I was advising L not to mention anything about why Ireland and Scotland don't look like their parents. She could lose her Virconnect contract. The thing is, the other day, Alaric was angry at me because I jokingly said people might think he was holding his neighbor's kid." London shook his head. "I honestly thought he has changed and now has a sense of humor; apparently, I was wrong."
"Ugh ... that is not funny. What if someone says that Lily looks like Jan and not you? You wouldn't like it, right?" Finland shook her head too. "Don't speak recklessly next time."
"Yes, Mom. I learn my lessons the hard way. I will not do it again," London replied quickly.
They continued eating while chatting. It felt really warm. L, who was the most quiet of them and just nodded once in a while, did not contribute too much to the conversation. Not only because she naturally was not a talkative person, but her mind was also preoccupied with the various information she received today.
The Schneider family turned out to be part of the Alchemist clan who were immortals. Billie Yves was also an Alchemist. Then, London's brother was married to the owner of the legendary RMI Group. Ugh ... how shocking! L felt like she was surrounded by extraordinary people. For some reason, she felt so small when she was sitting in the same dining table as them.
After they finished lunch, the family gathered in the living room and activated the Virconnect connection. Soon they saw a large bedroom where Aleksis and Alaric slept with their two babies. Right now, it was already evening in Singapore because of the time difference, and the couple was ready to get their babies to sleep.
"Hello, Dad, Mom, London, and Rune," said Aleksis, holding Ireland in her arms. Alaric sat on the edge of the bed while carrying Scotland, who was already lying fast asleep on his c.h.e.s.t. He just waved to them.
"Gosh... I miss you so much. I want to see Ireland's face again," Finland approached Aleksis and saw Ireland up close. A big smile appeared on her face. "He is so cute when he is sleeping!"
That's when L understood why London told her not to comment on the two babies. Ireland and Scotland seemed very cute but, indeed, they didn't look like their parents. Both had dark brown hair and slightly oriental faces, very similar to the grandmother.
Ah ... Lily is so lucky to have two cousins who were only one week older than her, thought L happily. They will grow together and have a close relationship.
L slowly smiled. She was happy for Lily, who would have a big family who doted on her very much. She would even have very close friends in her cousins. Lily would get all the best the world had to offer. Her life would be far better than her lonely mother, who had to raise herself.
Subconsciously, L rubbed her wet eyes. She felt luck had finally come to her life.
London, who saw L wipe her wet eyes, immediately realized what she was thinking. He pulled the L into his arms and rubbed her head. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to make L feel awkward.
After she was done showing off her children to her father and mother were missing Ireland and Scotland, Aleksis did not forget to greet L. "Hi, you must be Elle. Nice to meet you."
The girl looked up when she heard her name called. For a moment, she was stunned and did not know what to say. Finally, she just nodded.
"My brother told me a lot about you when he visited me in Singapore. I can't wait to see you in person." Aleksis smiled sweetly, and finally, L's awkwardness disappeared. She did not expect London's sister to treat her really warmly.
"Thank you." L nodded again.
"So when is the wedding?" Aleksis asked, staring at her brother. "We will come to Europe next week. Why not just get married then? So we can gather together."
London pointed at L with a shrug. "It's up to L. I'm easy like Sunday morning. I can even get married tomorrow."
L hurriedly elbowed London, who spoke so casually. "What's wrong with you? I told you I must break off my engagement with Danny Swann first."
"We can take care of it as soon as possible," said London. "I'm working on it. You just trust me. What's important now is what you want."
L looked thoughtful for a moment before finally answering. "Before Lily fully recovered, I don't think I would have the heart to do anything. How about we wait until at least Lily comes out of the incubator, and we can care for her like a normal baby before we throw a wedding?"
Everyone looked at each other when they heard L's words and then nodded in agreement.
"Then, we can get married in a month or two. By that time, Lily would already be healthy, and we could take her to Stuttgart for the wedding. It is now September. I don't think winter is the right time to get married. We should do it sooner, maybe October or November at the latest. What do you think?" London opened her cellphone and checked the calendar. "October 22 or 29 is the weekend. We have six weeks to prepare everything."
He looked at his father and asked for approval. Caspar nodded. "It's a good idea. I'll talk to Kara to arrange everything in our castle."
"And I'll ask Jan to take care of other things," London said eagerly. He then turned to L and asked for her opinion. "What do you think, Honey? Do you agree? In a few weeks, as soon as Lily is released from the incubator, I will take you to my family's castle in Stuttgart."
"Wait... your family... have a castle?!" L felt surprise after surprise she had received throughout the day just never ended. There was always new information from the Schneider family that made her at a loss for words.