Chapter 32: 32

Why do holidays always end so quickly? Playing house with my father soon came to an end, and it was the day before he would have to start working again.

Even my father couldn’t hide his disappointment. All the same, we’d become quite close during this time and were better able to be open up about our emotions.

At dawn, while it was still dark, I suddenly woke up to a rustling sound. I was able to react so sensitively to the sound because I had intentionally slept lightly. But, even though the mind knew that it had to wake up, the body was that of a child and refused to obey.

Though I couldn’t even open my eyes properly, I forced myself to rise, open the door and go out.

My father seemed a little surprised at seeing me out of bed. I ran to his side and spoke firmly.

“Be careful. You can’t overdo it today!”

“I will. So hurry inside and get some more sleep.”

He stroked my hair and said affectionately. I laughed lightly and saw my father off with a smile.

Then I went back to sleep, woke up later, had breakfast, studied by myself, and attended Mr. Haftery’s class.

Sitting at my desk after dinner, I heard the sound of my father coming in, and immediately closed my book and ran out.

“You’re back!”

“Yes. Did you have fun today?”

I bowed, welcoming my father who had just returned from work and he patted my head in response to my greeting.

I couldn’t help but smile. I used to greet him the same way even before the expedition, but there was no such warmth. It was nice that it became so natural.

“No, I studied.”

My father looked at me strangely at my answer, as if he didn’t know just what to do with this precocious child.

Keeping my head still so that he could stroke it as much as he wanted, I looked at my father and rolled my eyes.

Though he finished the treatment at the temple and rested at home for a week, I was worried because it was the first day he had returned to work.

Perhaps sensing my worry, my father’s touch gentled.

“Oh right, take this,” he said, holding out a basket. Unusual to him, my father had bought something with him. This has never happened before.

“What is this?”

Removing the cloth covering the basket revealed dark red, luscious cherries inside. Their sweet and sour smell made my mouth water.

“Cherry! How did you get it?”

“I bought it for Aren.”

My father returning from work with snacks in his hands? Wow, this father-daughter relationship has progressed a lot.

My mouth opened and closed and my cheeks warmed. I felt like dancing around for no reason. My reaction made me embarrassed. It’s not like I was really a child!

“I’ll go wash up. Let’s eat it together.”

“All right.”

While my father was washing up, I ran to Mrs. Marie with the basket.

Mrs. Marie is my new nanny and housekeeper who came yesterday.

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When I first saw Mrs. Marie, I felt that it was a waste for such a beautiful young woman to become our housekeeper. Still, we desperately needed a housekeeper and she needed work.

“Please wash this. My father bought it for me.”

Why did I add that second sentence? There’s no need for explaining. Guess I’m more thrilled about the first snack I got from my father than I thought.

“Oh my word, Arendine, you look happy.”

Mrs. Marie smiled knowingly, making me blush. Was I too childishly excited?

But strangely, I couldn’t tamp down my happiness.

“Yes, I’m happy!”

“Here you go, I’m done washing.”

“Let’s eat together.” Holding the plate of dripping cherries, I invited Mrs. Marie to join us.

“No, I’m fine. Enjoy it with your father.” Mrs. Marie refused, seemingly unwilling to intrude upon the father and daughter. So I didn’t press her either.

I sat on the sofa to wait for my father. Unable to resist temptation, I picked up a cherry and put it in my mouth.

I rolled around the soft, smooth sphere in my mouth and then bit into the pulp. Sweet and sour juice burst out. Mhmm, so yummy!

I spat out the seeds and popped another cherry into my mouth. Just seeing the pile of cherries on the plate made me happy. Imagining my father buying these cherries himself, I smiled. A beast-like man, buying cute little cherries.

Come to think of it, my first trip to the market with my father was quite amusing.

As I’ve mentioned before, my father has the appearance of a true villain. Tall and heavily muscled, just his body was enough to make anyone feel threatened. Added to this were a shaggy beard and round, beady eyes.

So when we went to the market, anyone who saw me walking with my father hand in hand, immediately perceived him to be my kidnapper.

“Let go of that child immediately!”

“Where are you taking the child?”

“It’s a kidnapper!”

“Call the guards!”

“Little girl, you must not blindly follow strangers.”

“No, he is not a stranger.” I had to repeatedly explain that he was my father, since each time this happened, my father would get confused on how to react and stand there awkwardly.

Of course, they would immediately apologize, still looking as if they don’t completely believe me. The flustered look on my father’s face was priceless.

“Is it good?”

After washing up, my father sat next to me and asked. Instead of answering, I picked up a cherry and held it in front of my dad’s mouth. He looked embarrassed for a moment but then opened his mouth, allowing me to feed him the cherry.

“It’s delicious.”

How could you know without even chewing it? This thought came to my mind, but I pretended not to know.

“Yes. It’s really delicious!”

I was feeling a little shy too, and my hands and feet moved around restlessly.

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