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Chapter 45
After leaving the store, Daisy walked in the opposite direction from where the carriage was parked. Carlyx only followed behind her with questions in mind. Because the whole schedule was arranged before he joined the outing.
It didn’t take long for Carlyx to reconsider his choice. Not only did he not know where she was going, but he wasn’t sure if the path they crossed existed on the map at all. It was like an undeveloped place hiding behind shadows. A place anyone would not want to go if they can avoid it.
Carlyx, who tried not to talk until the end, eventually mumbled.
“Where are you going?”
“You’ll see it exactly in five minutes.” Daisy said as she was holding Luciana’s hand gently. She smiled at River and added.
“You don’t have to worry. It’s a place I’ve been to before.”
“Wow! Is this where Stepmother found the tweesure?!”
River, who read a fairy tale book about treasure hunting a few days ago, asked vigorously. Covering his mouth with his plump hands, his eyes shined brightly.
“If it’s a tweesure, there must be a diamond. Diamond and diamond, huh? Is twere only diamond in a tweesure? Why is that the only thing Rappi read in a book?”
River glanced at Carlyx as if asking for an answer from him, and Carlyx began to speak about the real treasure he knew. He also didn’t forget to add that diamonds are precious.
“There’s treasure around here? Treasure must be in the Imperial Palace since it was recognized as a precious item.” Luciana said.
Luciana alternated her focus between River and Carlyx. After contemplating for a long time, she looked around the surroundings.
Will there be a treasure in a place full of shabby buildings and broken bricks?
You never know.
Fascinated by River’s words, Luciana asked back.
“Is there really….a treasure here?”
Daisy responded with a chuckle instead of an answer and briefly let go of Luciana’s hand. She walked straight ahead before turning around a corner.
A broken fountain was seen under the sky. The dazzling afternoon sky and the broken fountain that inclined obliquely looked like light and darkness.
“Treasure is a treasure no matter what it looks like.”
The ground around the broken fountain was full of cracks. On the other hand, the light from the sky was shining so brightly she had to close her eyes.
“Wait here.”
Daisy went around in a circle and found a fountain nozzle. There were several nozzles attached, and a screeching sound echoed as she turned them all quickly.
“Almost done! Wait a minute.”
Now there was only one nozzle left. After agonizing for a while, Daisy took out a set of crutches that looked slightly different from what River usually used, which was folded in a handbag. It was requested in advance, and it was disposable as it was not strong enough after folding.
When he saw it, Carlyx raised his eyebrows and mouthed to Daisy.
‘This is dangerous.’
‘I know, I know, but won’t it be okay as long as you are here?’
Daisy put her hands together in front of her face. Rubbing her hands together, she begged Carlyx using her mouth shape.
‘Just once, please! Just this once! I brought it because I wanted to make good memories with River. This is a place where even carriages can’t enter, and we can’t go around with crutches to avoid rumors, either!’
With such a woeful expression, Daisy stretched out her arms in front of River. After hesitating, Carlyx eventually handed the child to Daisy. She sat River in the fountain and spoke affectionately.
“River, you have to walk around carefully so you don’t fall down, okay?”
At her request, River smiled brightly and nodded.
“Unng! Stepmother! Tyus me! Rappi won’t be hurt at all! Rappi can walk really well!”
“That’s right. I’m sure you’ll be okay since there’s me, Daddy, and Mom- I mean, Auntie.”
Listening to Luciana’s words, Daisy unconsciously grabbed Carlyx’s collar and let it go quickly. A smile of gratitude spread over her face.
“Okay! Here we go!”
Daisy turned the fountain faucet at last. Soon, they heard a buzzing sound as if something was clogged and couldn’t get out. The sound grew louder and louder.
“Stepmother, I think there’s thunder.”
“A-Auntie….will this be okay? J-Just now…”
“That sound is-”
Slush!
The sound of something erupted covered Daisy’s voice. As the water cascaded through steps, the fountain was slowly filled up. Soon all of the compartments were filled with clear water and began to spill over.
“Uh!”
The scared Luciana flinched and took a step back. She was hit by droplets of water leaking out through the cracks of the fountain. River, who was standing on the other side, looked very excited.
“Here! Here! And here, too! Too much water! No, over there too! Water! Water!”
“Water is spilling out here, too, River.”
Luciana joined River to look for a place where water spewed out with a bright face. The amount of water emitted from and through the water nozzles also increased.
The more water sprayed out, the more their laughter broke out. Daisy dipped her hand in the water and lightly flicked her fingers toward River and Luciana.
“Aaagh! Stepmother! Stepmother sprays water on me! The water is flying to me!”
“It doesn’t just fly away once. It’ll fly away twice and three times!”
Daisy dipped her hands in the water and ran after Luciana. Luciana raised her head as Daisy approached and closed her eyes tightly.
“The water got on Luciana’s cheek.”
Daisy did not flick her fingers this time and simply wet Luciana’s small cheeks.
Luciana puckered her lips and touched the flowing water on her face.
“I-If we play like this, we’ll catch a cold. If we c-catch a cold and get sick, it’s going to be bad, right?”
Daisy shook her head and asked with a smile.
“Do you want to play with the water? Or you don’t want to play at all?”
“…Actually, I want to play a little bit.”
At the end of Luciana’s words, Daisy playfully sprayed water toward Luciana.
Giggle, giggle!
A sound that did not match the broken down fountain echoed.
“I have big hands, so I can spray more water than River and Luciana! Take this!”
River slightly backed away while admiring the amount of water Daisy could spray.
“W-Water! There’s so much water! Ah! Huh!”
At that moment, River opened his eyes wide like a puppy. Water spread like waves in his sight. He unconsciously used his crutches to spray water.
“Cwutches! Cwutches is so strong here! Go cwuches!”
Crutches, which were usually only obstacles for him, were helpful in water fights. River was amazed and repeated the same behavior for a while, completely forgetting about Daisy and Luciana.
Splash!
The splash he made with crutches wet Daisy’s dress.
“Just now, what was that? River, did you do that? The water is so huge!”
“That’s right. My dress is so wet right now.” Luciana said.
“Did you see that?! I made the biggyest water! I’m a dwagon!”
Rooaaaaar!
River made the loudest roar ever. His little teeth were clearly revealed and his forehead narrowed menacingly.
Daisy and Luciana also stood in their place as they watched River go through his evolution.
“Oh no, a dragon! Ahh!”
“Roooooar! I’m the water dwagon! Rooooar! I’m not gwooing to let you go! If you stand there, I’ll attack you with water! Roooar!”
It broke out into a water fight in an instant. Laughter continued even when the cold water sprayed on them.
“Take this! Hiyaa! Ack! River, did you get hit by a lot of water?”
“It’s not River! It’s dragon!”
Carlyx, who was worried at first, gradually loosened his expression. He put his hand behind River’s back several times and moved his eyes busily everytime Luciana was about to fall.
As time went by, the anxiety that deeply abided inside him gradually dissipated.
“D-Daddy, are you alright? You got some water on your clothes. Should I wipe it off for you?”
“…No. I’m alright, Luciana.”
A few drops of water were wetting his black pants and his clothes. Some even fell on his bandage. But it wasn’t unpleasant at all.
Carlyx bent his knees to wipe the water off Luciana’s neck.
“Go and have fun. Don’t worry about anything.”
“…..!”
Luciana raised her head, perhaps because she didn’t expect such an answer from him. She only stared blankly at Carlyx and soon smiled. It was the same pretty smile she had shown when she walked to the party venue full of bright candles before.
“Yes, Daddy! I’ll be careful when I play. River and I won’t get hurt at all! Don’t worry!”
After saying that, Luciana clenched her fists and ran away. Daisy winked at him from far away, asking if he wanted to join the water fight, but Carlyx pretended not to see her.
Soon, the laughter of Daisy, River and Luciana tickled his ears.
Suddenly, he thought of this,
‘What kind of world is this?’
Just like the difference between the blue sky and the broken fountain, there was a difference between himself and the picturesque scene in front of him. There was a sense of disparity.
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Carlyx bent down and dipped his left hand in the water. It was cold, and only the blurry appearance of him with a broken arm reflected from the surface.
‘I’m sure it’s a different world from mine.’
Carlyx raised his body and frowned slightly due to the intense light.
A rainbow appeared between Diasy, River and Luciana. It was a perfect rainbow.
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