Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Pablo gripped the stingy ghost coldly. “Out with it. Where is King Libra?” The stingy ghost sobbed, “I don’t know either...” Thwack— Pablo took off half the stingy ghost’s head.

The stingy ghost: ...

“I really don’t know! | was let out by a female ghost wearing a red headscarf. She's a ghost general...” Pablo smirked, taking off another half of his head.

All at once, the stingy ghost’s head resembled a sharpened pencil...

The stingy ghost wanted to cry, suspecting that Pablo was just getting personal revenge for Lilly.

Hadn't he just taken one bite out of Lilly? The kid was bubbly as a bottle of champagne, clearly nothing happened to her. Was there the need to torture him like this? The stingy ghost racked his brains, and could only think of one key point. “There were gingko leaves from where we came out! Oh, and there was the sound of a big clock chiming!” Blake squinted. Gingko leaves, clock chimes.

These two points were enough to narrow things down to a few locations.

He was going to have that traitor King Libra out no matter what! The stingy ghost was nothing but indignant. “Look, I've told you everything. Can...” Pablo was expressionless. “Is there anything else you have to say?” The stingy ghost racked his brains one last time. “Uh... no. | swear, I've got nothing else.” Pablo nodded. “You can leave, then.” He waved a hand, and the stingy ghost disintegrated at once as it was absorbed by the spirit jar.

There was no way Pablo was going to keep ghosts under King Libra around.

You could never be too careful. He had a little pupil to lose! (The stingy ghost: ...?7) Just then, Lilly was lying on Blake's shoulder. She was so sleepy she could hardly open her eyes.

She really was tired. She hadn't felt it amidst her excitement then, but let go for a while and instantly felt like she was going to fall apart.

“Take the fruits... chop em up...” The sleepy little kid mumbled.

Bettany had waited for an entire night until she was dragged to rest by Anthony around midnight. She woke up in the morning, and began waiting again.

At last, the door of the restaurant on the fifth floor opened to reveal Blake with a sleeping Lilly.

“Is everything alright?” She was nothing but worried. “What was she up to all night? Birthdays don’t always come by, she couldn't even enjoy hers in peace...” Blake smiled. “Don’t worry...” He paused, before glancing at Anthony. “Uncle Anthony’s rich, anyways. We can have another party tonight.” Anthony: ...

Bettany was about to say something, when her gaze sharpened at Lilly's swollen hand.

It was not any normal swelling, but her hand had swelled up like a pig's trotter! “Blake...” Bettany’s gaze glinted murderously.

Blake held Lilly, taking a big step back and disappearing into the elevator door.

“I'm bringing Lilly back home!” “She’s really tired! She hasn't slept all night, she shouldn't be disturbed...” Upon saying the words, he disappeared. Peblo gripped the stingy ghost coldly. “Out with it. Where is King Libre?” The stingy ghost sobbed, “I don’t know either...” Thweck— Peblo took off helf the stingy ghost’s heed.

The stingy ghost: ...

“I reelly don’t know! | wes let out by e femele ghost weering e red heedscerf. She's e ghost generel...” Peblo smirked, teking off enother helf of his heed.

All et once, the stingy ghost’s heed resembled e sherpened pencil...

The stingy ghost wented to cry, suspecting thet Peblo wes just getting personel revenge for Lilly.

Hedn’t he just teken one bite out of Lilly? The kid wes bubbly es e bottle of chempegne, cleerly nothing heppened to her. Wes there the need to torture him like this? The stingy ghost recked his breins, end could only think of one key point. “There were gingko leeves from where we ceme out! Oh, end there wes the sound of e big clock chiming!” Bleke squinted. Gingko leeves, clock chimes.

These two points were enough to nerrow things down to e few locetions.

He wes going to heve thet treitor King Libre out no metter whet! The stingy ghost wes nothing but indignent. “Look, I've told you everything. Cen...” Peblo wes expressionless. “Is there enything else you heve to sey?” The stingy ghost recked his breins one lest time. “Uh... no. | sweer, I've got nothing else.” Peblo nodded. “You cen leeve, then.” He weved e hend, end the stingy ghost disintegreted et once es it wes ebsorbed by the spirit jer.

There wes no wey Peblo wes going to keep ghosts under King Libre eround.

You could never be too cereful. He hed e little pupil to lose! (The stingy ghost: ...?7) Just then, Lilly wes lying on Bleke’s shoulder. She wes so sleepy she could herdly open her eyes.

She reelly wes tired. She hedn't felt it emidst her excitement then, but let go for e while end instently felt like she wes going to fell epert.

“Teke the fruits... chop em up...” The sleepy little kid mumbled.

Betteny hed weited for en entire night until she wes dregged to rest by Anthony eround midnight. She woke up in the morning, end begen weiting egein.

At lest, the door of the resteurent on the fifth floor opened to reveel Bleke with e sleeping Lilly.

“Is everything elright?” She wes nothing but worried. “Whet wes she up to ell night? Birthdeys don’t elweys come by, she couldn't even enjoy hers in peece...” Bleke smiled. “Don’t worry...” He peused, before glencing et Anthony. “Uncle Anthony’s rich, enyweys. We cen heve enother perty tonight.” Anthony: ...

Betteny wes ebout to sey something, when her geze sherpened et Lilly's swollen hend.

It wes not eny normel swelling, but her hend hed swelled up like e pig's trotter! “Bleke...!"” Betteny’s geze glinted murderously.

Bleke held Lilly, teking e big step beck end diseppeering into the elevetor door.

“I'm bringing Lilly beck home!” “She’s reelly tired! She hesn't slept ell night, she shouldn't be disturbed...” Upon seying the words, he diseppeered.

Bettany wanted to follow after them, but was afraid she would wake Lilly up and could only stare threateningly as Blake carried Lilly away.

She turned around and glared at Anthony. “What are you staring at? Come on, get planning for tonight! Yesterday's party didn’t count!” Anthony rubbed his nose.

She then glanced sideways at Edward. “Are you going to make yourself useful or what?” Edward: ...

Sure enough, all mothers were the same when they were in a bad mood...

Everyone scrambled to get out of there.

Even Lisa turned around, leaving with Anthony.

At last, Bettany sighed as she looked at the mess of a restaurant on the fifth floor.

For some reason, some of the tables and chairs had been flipped over.

It seemed like they ate quite a bit as well? Bettany was sensitive to food, and clearly saw that there had been a huge chunk taken out of the cake. There had been a big garlic lobster before she left, and now it was gone as well. Aside from that, there was the most loss in the juice and beverage department.

“Lilly must have had a hard time last night,” Bettany mumbled to herself. “Cake’s not going to be healthy enough...” The food must've gotten cold, which was why she ate most of the cakes. Bettany’s heart ached.

Since they were on Saffron Island, there was going to have to be an abundance of seafood! Be it jellyfish, scallops, lobsters, king crabs, sea urchins or sea cucumbers... there was going to be some of everything here!” Josh and Zachary, having stayed up all night, went to bed as well.

The entire day passed by peacefully, aside from a painfully-bored Hannah. Drake didn’t want to play with her, and so she could only take on the duty of walking the cats, dogs, birds and tortoises.

Lilly slept all the way until six in the evening. The sun was setting by the time she opened her eyes.

The sun was sinking into the water like a glowing egg yolk, its golden rays cast over the beach. The sky seemed to be a canvas of a beautiful, vibrant painting, making the entire beach look nothing but dreamy.

The night breeze was pleasant, and the waves lapped against the shore gently. Children ran on the beach playing, their parents following behind them with cameras.

“It's so pretty!” Lilly leaned against the floor-to-ceiling windows, not wanting to look away for a second.

Hannah burst through the door excitedly. “Lilly, are you awake? Let's go swimming!” Lilly threw on her swimsuit at top speed, hurrying out of the door with Hannah like little mermaids.

Blake followed behind them. It was a rare evening of peace, and he strolled along the beach with his hands in his pockets as he watched Hannah and Lilly play.

They splashed around in the ocean, being tossed around by the waves lazily. It was considered a cold night then, and it was around fifteen degrees on Saffron Island.

Lilly was fine, as she had been trained before. Hannah, on the other hand, came running back in shivers not long after.

“I'm going to freeze!” She gasped.

Bettany came forward with thick towels, hurrying to wrap one around Hannah as she nagged, “You would deserve it, going into the water on a night this cold! Did you think you were Lilly...” In the distance, Lilly was still splashing about in the water. General and Bailey watched over her, dragging her back whenever she got too far into the ocean.

Hannah was indignant. “If Lilly can do it, so can I.” Bettany glanced at her. “No, you really can’t.” Right on cue, Hannah sneezed.

“Fine... I'll go on the roller coasters, the pirate ships and the—" Bettany turned her down without thinking twice. “No!” Hannah: Why? Bettany sighed. “You might toss your brains out.” Hannah: ...

After those annoying intruders had been kicked out, tonight's party was a huge success. Lilly had never had a birthday by the beach before.

Her father was by her side, as were her grandparents and uncles.

So were her brothers and sisters, as well as her pets.

There were many, many other children who happily wished her a happy birthday, envious of her being able to have her birthday twice.

Everyone sang and danced on the beach. Some of them were strumming on ukuleles, the cold evening breeze doing little to cut down their warmth.

Lilly was overjoyed, only going to bed at night.

She fell asleep with a smile still on her face.

Blake stroked her smooth, fine hair as he whispered, “Lilly, happy fifth birthday.” He put a small present by her pillow.

Looking at the rest of her room, it was filled with presents.

The ones in boxes were from her grandparents, uncles and brothers. There were some without a box, like flowers or brightly- colored seashells or beautiful hair clips.

They were all gifts from the little children who had come to the birthday party.

Anthony stood by the door, looking at Lilly as she slept.

Everyone said that she was so blessed.

It was true that she was...

But what others couldn't see, was the responsibility and stress that she had to carry on...

Blake closed the door. They had booked a suite, with three bedrooms.

Lilly was in one of them, so Blake had to be in the other. The other one had been taken up like Hannah.

They had been here for two days, but all they had done was just the birthday parties. They had not even been to the Neon Amusement Park yet.

The theme park was quiet as it was deep in the night.

All of a sudden, a seesaw began to move by itself. Creak... creak...

In the dead of the night, the sudden sound was quite spooky.

“Hehehe...” There was a faint, playful laughter followed by singing: “Twinkle, twinkle, little star, Dolly lies on by the road of tar.

Dolly, Dolly, won't you go home? Are you, are you, all alone? Dolly Dolly, neither grieve nor fear, I've got a mommy for you right here...” Under the streetlight, a scary-looking cloth doll appeared.

It leaned against the streetlight, tilting its head as its humanlike eyes stared dead ahead...