Chapter 104
Rather than feeling pleased, I was hit first by a sense of awkwardness.
It wasn’t just because I had witnessed Charlotte stealing.
If I were the kind of person who would feel awkward over something so trivial, I probably wouldn’t have become friends with Katya in the first place.
Trying to shake off the uneasy feeling, Nina cheerfully spoke to Katya.
“When did everyone get here?”
“Huff… it’s been a little while… huff, phew, I was worried you two wouldn’t come. Did you just get here?”
“Yeah. But where’s Messe? Didn’t he come with you?”
“Until a moment ago… what, where did he go now?”
At Nina’s question, Katya straightened her back and looked around, confused.
Messe, who had been next to Charlotte just a moment ago, had completely disappeared.
Charlotte, too, was looking around with a startled expression, apparently just as clueless.
Even when they looked back toward their seats to see if he had stayed behind, it was empty.
Watching quietly, Nina tilted her head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, he suddenly said he wasn’t feeling well and went inside first, then got caught by the head of the guards and came back for a moment… and it looks like he left again in the meantime.”
“…”
He hadn’t been kidnapped or anything, right?
As Katya absentmindedly scratched the bridge of her nose, Lavián spoke abruptly.
“It’s probably because that guy was nearby.”
“Oh, so that’s it? Makes sense… but Nina, what’s with that huge teddy bear?”
“Earlier, Uncle Lavi won it for me at the shooting range as a prize.”
“Wow, really…?”
As Katya gawked, Dite, who had just reclaimed the cloak from Mira, let out a triumphant snicker.
“Hah, trying to win Nina’s favor with such a cheap prize? How embarrassing! What’s a mere teddy bear supposed to do?! Nina, this is my chance to get you a full limited-edition dollhouse set…”
“Uh, dolls even have houses these days?”
No one answered Kiss’s question.
Ignoring Dite’s earlier words entirely, Lavián changed the topic.
“Have you secured your spots?”
“Huh? Of course, over there… oh, come with me!”
Lavián lifted Nina and led the way across the sandy beach, followed closely by everyone else.
Blinking, Nina looked up at Lavián.
“Uncle, I can walk just fine…”
“Shoes will get ruined.”
At his quiet reply, Nina looked down at her silk shoes.
‘I didn’t think of that.’
A feeling of shyness mixed with a gentle thrill stirred in her chest.
‘It feels like a dream.’
Not a prophetic dream, but a fantastical one that shows only what you want.
A cool sea breeze blew, scattering her hair.
Leaning her head slightly on Lavián’s shoulder, Nina murmured softly.
“You smell nice.”
“…Maybe because I haven’t smoked all day.”
“Really?”
“You saw, right? I didn’t even have a chance to light up.”
Dite, who had been listening with a displeased expression, jumped in triumphantly.
“Lavi, you brat, did you make Nina cry again?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You’re acting all cool now because of that, aren’t you?!”
“That’s not it! I made Uncle Lavi cry!”
Nina shouted hastily, but luckily (?) no one took her claim seriously.
It was too unreal to be believed.
Dite pretended to stagger, holding the back of his neck.
“You sly little fox, what pitiful act were you putting on in front of innocent Nina?!”
Nina felt nervous at Dite’s constant scolding of Lavián.
Lavián, however, responded indifferently.
“On days like this, go spend some time with your uncle and aunt. Ungrateful brat.”
“That’s rich coming from you. And our parents don’t like me joining your dates. You should come around more, too. You haven’t visited us for a meal since the new year.”
“Right, Uncle Lavi. Come by while I’m here, and Nina too.”
Charlotte, cheerfully joining in, looked at Nina with a bright smile.
“It’ll be so much fun if Nina comes over. Do you like horseback riding? Grandpa has some cute ponies—”
“Do ponies count as horseback riding these days? The social scene in the royal capital is dead.”
Lavián teased, causing Charlotte to blush deeply.
“It’s because I’m still young! Soon I’ll ride real horses—!”
“Kids today have it so easy. Back in our day, if you started with ponies, you were an outcast. Right?”
“Ah, nostalgia.”
Dite nodded with a sentimental look, then kicked Charlotte’s shin and started hopping around.
“Who rides horses these days? Bikes, maybe, but horses?”
“Exactly! And riding ponies is basically animal abuse!”
When Katya sniffed dismissively, the three Anubis executives from modest backgrounds eagerly agreed.
Even as Dite hopped around, he shouted boldly.
“Ha! Those vulgar race promoters are talking nonsense!”
“Boss, the chief cop just insulted our business.”
“I see. Go duel them over there then.”
“N-no! We’re watching fireworks with the baby too!”
Everyone chatted excitedly as they reached the spot they had set up earlier. But what greeted them there was sheer devastation.
“Who did this?! Who dared mess up our spot?!”
“Idiot, it’s the wind that flipped it! Seriously, what can you even do properly?!”
“Why did the wind ruin our spot…? If I’d known, you should’ve done something! You just sat there eating—!”
“What, you brat?!”
While Kiss and Mira were shouting like this, Smoky glanced at Lavián with a look of disdain, as if to say, Sorry….
Lavián set Nina down and picked up the sand-covered mat, shaking it off roughly.
The Anubis executives held their trembling hearts in fear of his fierce demeanor.
“Idiots. Go pick up some stones.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You too, help out.”
At Lavián’s command, Dite hurriedly nodded and clicked his tongue.
“Pfft, I don’t obey orders from anyone weaker than me…”
“Then scram.”
“O-okay! I’ll do it!”
While the adults rearranged the spot, Katya approached Nina and whispered quietly.
“He’s so funny. One moment he’s all worried, the next he’s talking about horseback riding.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t look worried today.”
“Right? By the way, Nina, can you ride a horse?”
Nina smiled at Katya.
Was she curious about that?
Thanks to Lavián, she avoided the awkward question. But in truth, Nina already knew how to ride a horse.
Not a pony or foal, but a full-grown stallion.
Which was natural.
She had memories of living as a princess until she was fourteen.
Even a mistreated princess needed basic education, at least to make her sellable.
“I’d rather learn to ride a bike than a horse.”
Turning the topic slightly, Katya nodded in agreement.
“For real situations, bikes are better. Never ridden one? Want me to help?”
“Katya, are you good at biking?”
“Well, I used to be a pro at bikes… hmm, I can manage, I guess.”
“Katya really can do anything.”
“No, anyone could do that…”
Katya muttered shyly, blushing, when suddenly she froze.
“Katya?”
“…”
Curious, Nina called her, but Katya just stared intently at one spot.
Her deep blue eyes trembled with unexpected emotion.
Nina followed her gaze, but the crowd was too dense to see what had caught her attention.
‘Did she see someone she knows? A neighbor? Family?’
“Katya, what’s wrong? Do you know them?”
Katya flinched, then lowered her gaze and muttered ambiguously.
“No, I thought it was a neighborhood friend, but I was wrong.”
“…”
Nina looked silently at her, and Katya added anxiously.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
“Come on, everyone, sit down. It’ll start in two minutes!”
