Lily Hemsworth's hurried steps came to an instinctive halt, even retreating a couple of steps.
The apprehension toward Mary Douglas was evident.
The study plunged into an eerie silence momentarily.
No one spoke.
Mary Douglas gazed calmly at Lily Hemsworth, her indifferent and composed look felt like the sharpest knife in the world, slicing Lily all over with wounds of stinging pain.
Lily Hemsworth withdrew her gaze in a flurry, nowhere to rest it.
Her mind was a muddled chaos.
Yet Mary Douglas just chuckled lightly.
"What? Decades without seeing an old friend, and you disdain even to greet me upon meeting?"
Lily Hemsworth's body stiffened as though frightened by Mary Douglas's words, glancing at Queen Ylaya before forcing a smile and saying to Mary Douglas:
"Mary… is that really you?"
Mary Douglas tugged at her lips, fixed her gaze on Lily's evasive eyes for a moment, then slowly said:
"Do you think I should be or shouldn't be?"
