Suddenly, I Am Rich

The things in the store got better after a few more days.

With it, Gray finally managed to have some time for himself.

Well, not really for himself, considering where he ended up.

Gray was sitting at a table in one of the high-end restaurants in West Arcadia. It was the kind of restaurant where waiters wore tailored suits and had a huge and composed smile on their faces.

He wanted to stay at home and slack all day. But he couldn't.

Lily sat across from him. She was happily flipping through the menu. And she wasn't just alone.

Selina was sitting on her left. She was laughing and smiling, amused at the little girl's energy. And on her right was Mara. She was also scanning the menu, reading it with her.

Gray rubbed his temple.

'Remind me again how we got here?'

He sighed and shook his head.

It was all Lily.

Lily told him she wanted to eat out. However, she didn't want to eat out with just him. She wanted to eat out with him, Selina, and Mara.

And he couldn't just say no to her after she had gaslighted him that it was all she wanted.

'However, that's not what scares me…'

Gray looked at the menu in front of him. He glanced at it and read the dishes, as well as their prices.

He had one word to describe them.

Expensive.

Lily's taste had been getting expensive, and he didn't feel bad about it.

For him, it was better.

At least that meant they were improving in life because their tastes were getting better.

"Gray, what are you ordering?"

After a moment of silence, Selina turned to her side. She leaned slightly over the table with her elbow resting on the edge. She looked too comfortable in a place like this, as if the prices on the menu didn't faze her in the slightest.

"Hmm…" Gray hummed, keeping his eyes on the page. "I'm still… thinking."

"Thinking?" Mara raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "You've been staring at that same section for the last five minutes. Don't tell me you're calculating the worth of every dish?"

Gray raised his head and gave her a flat look.

"Maybe."

Selina laughed softly. "Of course you are." She muttered, though it was obvious that Gray was just joking.

Meanwhile, while the two were talking, Lily had already put her menu down. She was smiling widely and excitedly. "I already know what I want, Brother!"

"Of course you do." Gray narrowed his eyes at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't worry, Brother. It's not that expensive!"

"Sure, Lily. Sure," he muttered under his breath. However, Lily just waved him off. She instead laughed cutely and showed him some puppy eyes.

Lily knew that Gray wouldn't be able to say no to her when she did that.

And just like that, Gray just shook his head, completely admitting his defeat.

Soon after, the waiter appeared at the side of their table. The man was standing tall in his black suit with a polite smile on his face.

"May I take your orders, Ma'am? Sir?"

Lily's eyes sparkled.

"One steak please!" Lily answered immediately before handing her menu back without hesitation.

Selina went next. She ordered some seafood pasta and salmon as her main course. Mara, on the other hand, went for something simple. She ordered grilled chicken with vegetables.

For starters, they just ordered hot soup and some bread.

After the three girls, the waiter turned to Gray.

"Uh..." He glanced at the girls, who were all staring at him, waiting. "I'll have the same as hers." He gestured vaguely at Selina.

Her order sounded new to his ears, so he also wanted to try them out.

"Alright, Sir." The waiter gave a small bow, scribbling the last note onto his pad before collecting the menus.

"Thank you for ordering. Your orders will be served shortly." With that, he slowly slipped away with the same smile on his face. He left the table to themselves again.

As soon as he left, the atmosphere loosened a little bit. Lily leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands, looking far too satisfied with herself.

"Sisters, this place is really nice, right?"

Selina chuckled. "Of course it is. You picked well, Lily."

Mara raised an eyebrow, teasing Lily. "You did pick well, but you also picked an expensive restaurant."

Gray gave her a look that said 'Finally, someone understands,' but Lily just stuck her tongue out at both of them.

"Expensive means good! You guys should thank me."

"Oh, we should thank you? Is my sister paying for the food?" Gray teasingly wiggled his brows.

Lily shook her head and just stuck out her tongue again.

"It's you who will pay, Brother!" Lily said proudly.

Selina laughed softly, and Mara shook her head before laughing too.

Their light chatter continued for a while as they waited for food. They had to keep down their tones because there were other diners eating with them. It was just lunch time, but the restaurant was packed with diners.

The clinking of silverware from nearby tables sounded against their voices. There was also this faint music playing in the background.

In the middle of their talking, Lily's eyes suddenly darted toward the entrance of the restaurant. Her expression shifted, her brows furrowing slightly before she sat up straighter.

"Brother…" she tugged at Gray's sleeve, her voice lowering.

"Isn't that Sister Chloe?"

Gray turned his head instinctively. Selina and Mara followed his gaze.

And there she was.

Chloe stood by the entrance of the restaurant. She was framed by the soft golden light spilling in from outside. She was speaking briefly with a waiter, who was flipping through the reservation book.

Chloe was dressed neatly as if she had just gone out to have lunch during work. She carried herself with grace that drew others' eyes without her even trying.

For a moment, she hadn't noticed them.

Until Lily, with all her uncontainable energy, suddenly lifted her arm and waved vigorously.

"Sister Chloe!" she called out, her voice ringing across the restaurant loud enough for nearby tables to turn.

"Huh?" Chloe blinked, startled by the sudden mention of her name.

She quickly turned to the side. Her eyes looked around, and when they landed on their table, recognition quickly softened her expression.