Unloved: A Sims Story by orenjiAi

Unloved 10


"The remainder of my assets both liquid and otherwise, including the historic Royal Thebe Summer Palace, I bestow and bequeath by substitution, to my trustee, Edward Whittaker,” the lawyer said monotonously. He put the paper down, shoved it inside its envelope, and with much more excitement, exclaimed, “Alright! It’s chow time!”

The words didn’t really set with Elia. They were far too advanced—too technical—for her to comprehend. But judging from the sudden buzz among the audience. From how the teenage albino grinned from ear to ear. And from Robert’s widened eyes. She had a hunch that things were not in her favor.

The lawyer stood up. He was rubbing his hands and almost drooling in anticipation. From the very start, he had been very vocal about the feast. He immediately left the chamber. Other guests soon followed suit. One by one, they walked out the large French doors that led to the gardens. Elia and Robert Edward remained seated in place, however. They watched as Edward gathered his and the attorney’s belongings. He straightened the paper stacks before neatly sliding them into a briefcase.

Edward headed for the gardens for the luncheon.

https://i.imgur.com/Uhwbmso.png
“What are you playing at?" Robert said spitefully as he passed them by.
“I beg your pardon?” Edward asked innocently.
“Clearly, you are trying to pull off something—”
“I do not understand what you’re—”
“I’m saying that you ???? forged the will, didn’t you, young master?”
It was the first time Elia heard Robert say expletives and imagined Edward took great offense in it. Edward opened his mouth to voice his exasperation. But no words came out of it except a faint gurgling noise.

Elia couldn’t help but snicker. She instantly regretted it though. She immediately stopped as she noticed both men’s eyes diverted to her. Edward regained his composure and smiled.

“My, my, where are your manners, Bob?” He smirked, “I told you to work on your temper.
“And, no, I did not forge the will. Really, Bob? You’re an adult now. At 25, you should learn to accept the reality that not everything goes the way you planned. No need to be a sore loser—!
“But more importantly, you haven’t introduced me to the lovely lady yet.” He smiled at Elia.

Without dropping eye contact with Edward, Robert slowly said, “My lady, Elia, may I present to you the only son of the Royal Thebe cadet branch? Edward Whittaker.
“Elia is the biological granddaughter of the late Mistress Adelaida...”
“Pleased to make your acquaintances, Mademoiselle Elia!” Edward said cheerfully, giving her a proper bow.

He then spoke to Edward. “I must say, I admire your perseverance. You succeeded in finding the lost son’s family. An extraordinary feat that many private investigators failed to do!”

“If you’re implying that, like you, I would resort to deceit, I have the results of her DNA test—”

“Oh, there is no need for that! There is no doubt that Elia here is the real deal! One look and I knew she was a Thebe. Why she bears an uncanny resemblance to the madame royale herself!
“But...” he flashed a condescending smile. “I hope you know this doesn’t change anything, though! The will has already been executed! Which means that I—!”

“How long must you keep me waiting, Whittaker?” a deep cold voice said.

A strong cold wind swept through the grand salon. It made the chandelier sway and its light flicker. After rocking a few times, its electric candles died down completely, plunging the trio into darkness. Elia swore she saw a glowing pair of icy blue orbs from across the room just before Robert lit the chandelier again.

https://i.imgur.com/2wHcliD.png
The room is now filled with a dozen people in black suits. The orbs that Elia saw were revealed to be eyes. They belonged to a silver-haired middle-aged man. He wore a charcoal old-fashioned trench coat which made his already pale skin look paperwhite. He had an air of authority about him. A charismatic, almost enchanting, confidence that made Elia realize that he—not anyone in the room earlier—was the important person everyone was looking out for.

Robert was back in stoic butler mode and even Edward, who had been so smug the entire time, dropped his attitude. Elia figured it was best to avert her eyes and stared at the floor.

“My most sincere apologies, Count Straud, commissioner sir,” she heard Edward explain.
“My errands took a lot longer to finish than anticipated. But we could begin evaluating the chateau after the luncheon. If you would; this way, please, sir.” he led.
Count Straud and his entourage began to exit the chamber. However, his cold gaze fell on Elia and he stopped in his tracks with an intrigued look.

“Whittaker?”
“Yes sir?”
“Pray tell, what errand kept you distracted?” the count said, never keeping his eyes off Elia.
“The reading of the late Mistress Adelaida’s last will, sir.”
“And how did it go?”
Edward regained some of his smugness. “Swimmingly! The estate is bequeathed to me as expected.”
“Oh? Interesting... and this young lady?”
“Who? Oh! Elia? She’s Antoine’s daughter. Dubois found her, apparently."

Robert interrupted politely.
"Mademoiselle Elia, I would like to introduce the Honorable National Historical Commissioner, His Excellency, Count Vladislaus Straud IV."

"Hi," Elia started with an awkward wave. The count slowly nodded his head. Elia remembered that she had to curtsy at formal introductions like these. She cringed and bowed her head immediately.

"Adelaida's granddaughter..." the count said.
“She doesn’t matter. She is not a threat to our plans. I shall have them removed from the Summer Palace,” Edward answered.

"Removed?" Elia, Robert, and the count said in unison.

“Well, Dubois was relieved of his duties the moment the mistress died. He has no business staying at the chateau. As for Elia, the will—“
“Does not mention of Antoine and his family? I find that uncharacteristic of Adelaida,” the count retorted.
“Sir?”
“I am saying that the Adelaida I know surely shan’t have forgotten her own family?”
“But it says right here!” Edward frantically opened his briefcase and produced the last will. He handed it over to the count who, surprisingly, examined and read all of its contents. After some time, he handed over the document to Edward. He didn't say anything more about the will. He summoned one of his secretaries.
"Call the architect and the Inspector General" he ordered. ". Tell them we are to begin the evaluation at once."


* * *

Elia looked out to the gardens where the luncheon was already in full swing. A local band performed their set but she couldn't hear the music through the thick stone walls. She recognized some of the people she met on her grocery run with Robert. The fish vendor was chatting up the herbs dealer while scooping large portions of Caprese salad. Suddenly, a little boy came running and hugged her around the waist. She tousled his hair before moving on to get some kebabs. It was a warm lovely summer's day but she was stuck inside the Summer Palace, tagging along as inspectors checked for signs of water damage on the elaborate plaster ceiling of the Master's Chambers. They did not find any, however, and with the final room done, the inspecting team was happy to report to the Commissioner that the chateau was almost brand new.

"Splendid reconstruction, Bob!" Edward murmured to Robert.
"The late mistress was very particular about her home’s upkeep."
"If we would sell it, it'd fetch us at least a couple of million Simoleons!"
"It seems that you are mistakenly holding this conversation with the wrong person, young master."
"You're right, I was just teasing you. Or am I?"

Suddenly, one of the count's bodyguards knocked on the open door.
"Commissioner, the executor of the will is here," he informed. The cool attorney strutted in as the bodyguard left.
“‘Sup?”
"Attorney, I have to be back at the office tomorrow morning. It is a five-hour drive, so I will make this very brief. I have something here that might interest you," the count began. "Dubois, I trust that everything in this room had been left untouched since your mistress passed?"
"Yes, my lord."
The count walked to the armoire to explore it. He slid open its drawers. One by one, and stopped when he found the underwear drawer. To everyone's shock, he dug through the late mistress's colorful frillies like some crazed teenager.
https://i.imgur.com/bM3y8qk.png

"SIR COUNT!?" Robert shouted indignantly. Elia felt very uncomfortable at the sight of the count going through a dead person's undergarments.
"Well, you're right, this is interesting." the lawyer said, making Edward howl with laughter.

The count produced a small vintage key which he gave to Robert. Edward stopped laughing immediately. Everyone watched as Robert held the key up to his eyes. He was puzzled at first but then had a sudden realization. He ran out of the bedroom and into the study across the hall. He grabbed an ornate wooden box on the shelf and brought it back to the other room.
https://i.imgur.com/S99vOgx.png

The count, the lawyer, Edward, and Elia gathered around as he put the box on the bed. He slowly slid in the key and gave it a turn. It unlocked with a soft click and opened to reveal a single sealed envelop similar to the one that was read in the grand salon earlier.

Edward tried to snatch the document but Robert stopped him.
"What is it?" Edward inquired.
"The mistress's last will and testament." Robert read the writing on the envelope.
"A more recent last will...a handwritten revision," the lawyer corrected.
"Well don't just stand there! Read it!" Edward demanded.

https://i.imgur.com/uhNYq2v.png
The lawyer quickly scanned the document, remarking his findings out loud.
"This is quite the revision... The assets are broken up further... There is a list of charities... You still inherit a handsome amount, though." he mentioned to Edward.
"I doubt it's anything near the 22 million appraised value of the Summer Palace!" he snarked. "The Palace! What happens to it!?"
"Bequeathed to Antoine still."
"And in his absence?"
"His children first, if he had any... Following the line of succession. Else, donated to the Commission Historique Nationale. With a provision of Dubois as chatelain. This changes everything."
"????! NO! ????! How?!?" Edward protested.

It did change everything. With the revision, Elia was finally and legally granted the things that got her out of the orphanage in the first place. She breathed a sigh and sat down at the bed. She realized how tired and hungry she really was. She looked at the count, who was half-hidden in the shadows. Who exactly was he? How did he find out about the hidden key? Why was a big name politician interested in some old lady's last will?

"...There is the issue of the legitimacy of the will. But this state allows holographic wills, so it would most likely be acknowledged," the lawyer explained to Edward. "This document will be sent to handwriting experts for verification. That'll take another two weeks at most. If that turns out positive, the probate will be revoked. And everything will be recovered for redistribution of the new executor, Dubois.
I'm still getting paid for this, right?"


* * *

Elia sat alone on one of the empty tables in the garden. The party had just finished. The commissioners left for Del Sol Valley. Edward and his lawyer had also taken their leave. It was late in the afternoon and the caterer was already packing their stuff. In the end, she, Robert, Edward, or anyone from the Commission never got to attend the luncheon. It had been a hectic day for them. They had been too busy and tense. But now, Elia can rest easy knowing that it's over.

https://i.imgur.com/1bJyZ3E.png
Robert joined her table carrying a platter of leftovers from the buffet. It contained an assortment of meats and other high-carb foods. He also brought her something to drink.
"I hope this can make up for that missed meal. And for making you go through all that fiasco earlier," he said giving her generous servings.
"Hey! I can't finish all of this!" Elia laughed.
"But my lady! It'd be such a waste! Some people don't get to eat at all! Eat up while you can, we were almost homeless earlier!"

Elia grew silent, remembering how she sometimes skipped meals at the orphanage. She also recalled this afternoon's happenings.
"You know, I got really scared back there," she started.

Robert was scarfing down pasta primavera. But when he noticed Elia speaking, he stopped, took a long draught of sweet tea, and gave her his undivided attention.
"I've always felt like I never belonged here. Like I don't fit in. And sometimes, I wonder what it's like to have been adopted into a regular family.
"But when the lawyer said that everything had been granted to Edward, I got scared.
"Coz it felt like I just got all of this and I never even had the chance the appreciate it. And already, it's being taken away from me.
"I was scared I'd have to go back to the orphanage. Scared that I'd go back to nothing."

"I guess what I am trying to say is...the thing I was most scared of losing is you," Elia admitted, looking deeply into Robert's eyes.