Chapter 51

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Chapter 51

“Stepmoder! Rappi will swoo you somening!”

Luciana stood behind River with a determined expression.

River wore a messenger bag today, while Luciana was carrying a thick book that looked to contain well over 500 pages.

‘The Amazing World of 100 Animals?’

River spread one of his arms to the front in line with his nose and swayed it around left and right.

“Boooooooh! Boooo!”

“River, it’s not booooh! but brmmph! brmmpt!!”

Luciana turned the page slowly and read the content with a clear voice. At her words, River paused, lowered his arms and turned around.

Humph. His cheeks became even chubbier when he filled them with air.

Luciana patted those chubby cheeks lightly.

“Now, let’s exhale and make some noise!”

River nodded eagerly at Luciana’s command. His cheeks were still full of air.

River turned back to Daisy. He was still as bright as ever today, even using his crutches.

“Hummbh! Brmmmmpht!!!”

It was a loud sound because he exhaled as hard as he could. So Daisy clapped her hands louder than she ever could.

‘Wow. It’s so loud that even Tyler, who just left, can hear it!’

Tyler came back to see if everything was alright shortly after. He quickly left when she beckoned him to go.

‘How can such loud noises be such music in my ears? It sounds like a street music band performance!’

She even put down the letter and focused all her attention on adorable River and Luciana.

River was still busy making a ‘Brmpht!’ sound, and Daisy, who acted like she had been thinking so hard, raised her hand.

“Answer! Elephant!”

“Huuuumb! Brmmmpht! Brrrmmpt!”

“….!”

Whether the answer was correct, the arm that River swung flinched. Luciana also widened her eyes.

Daisy put down her raised arm and dusted off her hands in satisfaction. Looking at that thick book and River’s energy, she could tell what kind of game they were playing today.

River was ready for the next question and slumped to the floor.

‘Even if I don’t really like this game, it’s different if I play it with River and Luciana.’

She was willing to threaten anyone who tried to stop this game, even if it was the Emperor himself!

“I’m ready for the next one!”

“Woof, woof, woof!”

River cried out once more and changed his posture. His small hands were fumbling on the floor.

“Huff, huff….hup?”

River was making a sound with his tongue sticking out and turned his head toward Luciana as if he was unsure.

Luciana blinked her eyes slowly and turned the page. Her voice soon rang clearly.

“They sometimes make sounds while sticking out their tongues. Also! They wag their tail when they meet someone they like.”

“Tail? I don’t see a tail, though?”

Daisy asked back naturally as if she had no idea and made a telescope with both hands. After blinking several times, she shouted.

“Tail! There’s a tail behind River!”

“Oh? Do I really habb it?”

Surprised, River erased his smile and opened his mouth wide. He mumbled, ‘I can’t see!’ several times while looking back to his butt.

Daisy said in a soft tone.

“It only appears when Ravi makes a sound like before. You don’t have to worry.”

Luciana squinted her eyes in doubt and tilted her head. She then took one step closer and looked closely at River’s rear.

But there was no tail.

Now Luciana threw a confused gaze at Daisy, and it made her hold her breath in excitement.

‘Oh no! She’s asking me why she couldn’t see the tail! How adorable!’

Daisy thought it was the best game ever.

Ahem, ahem. Trying to control her excitement, Daisy smiled and spoke affectionately.

“Only I can see it. It’s because I have good eyesight unlike ordinary people.”

“Ahhhhhh.”

Only then did a smile rise on Luciana’s face. She returned to her original spot, and opened the book that she had closed.

Then Daisy raised her hand again.

“Answer! It’s the cutest puppy in the world!”

She was barely holding back repeating ‘the cutest’ at least five times already.

“Huff, huff! Huff, huff! Rappi is a puppy! That’s right!! Eawlier Rappi was an eweepant, now Rappi is a puppy!”

“Wow! You got it right again, Auntie!”

Luciana looked at Daisy in wonder. She was trying to turn the page for the next question, but River moved even faster.

“Uuumm..If you do this, it becomes like this!”

River tried to bend both of his knees and embraced it, as a result he tilted sideways and his messenger bag slid to his back.

“Huh? Wait a minute. Where is my bag? I can’t do this wiwout my bag.”

River became as stiff as a stone in surprise and confusion. His fluffy hands fiddled all over his body.

“River!”

“It’s Rappi!”

River, who was confused, instinctively replied. Daisy tried to comfort the baffled child.

“Ravi, it’s behind you. You didn’t lose it. It just moved to the back.”

“Oh! Uhmm I will move it back to the fwont!”

River pulled the strap and moved the bag forward. Only then did the brightness return to his nervous face.

Daisy brushed aside her worry and focused on the game again. Luciana looked distracted as she hadn’t found the answer yet. She was busy turning the thick book slowly like a sloth.

Daisy also had a hard time figuring it out.

‘What’s this? Is it a caterpillar? No, that hideous insect can’t have such a cute face.’

River stopped impersonating and glanced at Daisy and Luciana alternately.

It’s hard, isn’t it? This time it’s weeally hard!

He smiled broadly because it went as he intended.

“This one! Stepmotteer! Rappi will swoo you one time! This, this!”

River exclaimed, he stretched his legs and spread his arms straight. He moved his short fingers as well.

“…Ah! This one! I know!”

Actually, she had no clue at all.

Then Luciana put down the book carefully and began to run somewhere.

“I will give you a hint! This time, Auntie has to guess it right!”

Although they gave several hints already, Luciana secretly went behind River to grab something and gestured to Daisy. She puffed up her cheeks proudly and revealed what she was carrying.

‘That one!’

She knew very well what that green thing was. There’s no way she didn’t recognize River’s friend!

Daisy smiled brightly and raised her hand.

“Answer! River’s friend, Tino!”

“Wow! That’s right! Stepmother! You got it right again! Amazing! Amazing!”

River rejoiced and clapped his hands with so much excitement. Even his chubby cheeks were jiggling.

How she wanted to touch those cheeks like this, but once again she suppressed her urge.

“Syeepmother did it! Yey!”

Imitating River’s speech, Luciana also clapped her hands. She secretly returned Tino back to River’s side. A pink blush spread over her cheeks.

Luciana wriggled her feet while avoiding Daisy’s gaze and muttered shyly.

“Stepmothyer. Stepmothyer. It’s not Auntie but Stepmothyer.”

This time again, she imitated River’s speech. Only then did Daisy understand the situation. Luciana didn’t use ‘mom’, so she purposely copied River’s way of speaking.

Daisy couldn’t stand Luciana’s lovely overflowing cuteness and clenched her fists. She held back her laughter and tried to smile as calmly as she could.

“Luciana is right. It’s not Auntie, but Stepmother.”

Luciana’s expression, which seemed to be stunned for a moment, turned bright again. She couldn’t hold back her joy and jumped in place. Although she didn’t jump that high, Daisy could feel how happy the child was.

“Next question!”

River stood Tino up carefully and propped himself up on his crutches, meanwhile Luciana returned to her place and picked up the thick book.

Their eyes shone so brightly like a pair of crystal balls.

Logan had sparred with Carlyx after a long time and exhaled loudly.

It was not easy even though the right-handed Carlyx held a sword with his left hand and he couldn’t move freely because of the bandage on his arm.

Logan, who didn’t win the match, flopped down on the hill.

“Seriously, are you even a human? I’m sure you’re a monster….”

Logan turned his head toward Carlyx, but Carlyx looked back coldly as if telling him to shut up.

“Fine. Let’s not talk. Don’t talk at all.”

Unlike usual, Logan stopped talking and looked up at the blue sky. It hurt his pride that he couldn’t even beat Carlyx with this golden opportunity where Carlyx injured his arm.

“Damn!”

Logan cried out and covered his eyes with his arms.

“Why don’t you fall down even once? How are you so good at avoiding my attack?!”

“I’ve been in numerous matches with you, so I can read your movements easily.”

“Wow. What does that make me then? I’ve been in numerous matches with you, but why can’t I read your movement?”

“Well, I guess that’s just a difference in skills.”

Unlike his dry tone, Logan once again groaned at the remarks that stabbed his chest.

Meanwhile, Carlyx only looked at Logan calmly for a moment. He got up to return to the mansion, but he paused.

“I have a question.”

“…Tch. My heart is not very calm right now because of what you said before. But, ask away.”

“I don’t see why you need to calm yourself over that matter, but I will ask.”

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