Chapter 119
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The summer garden was a riot of vibrant colors, bursting with life. Smoke puffed out like fluffy clouds from the chimney of the cheerful three-story house, blending into the azure sky as if returning its lost clouds.
The garden was painted in a kaleidoscope of colors, with tulips in full bloom radiating yellow, pink, and vivid green hues. Freshly washed white sheets fluttered peacefully on the clothesline.
Amidst it all, the laughter of a child trickled through like playful sunshine.
A five-year-old girl with platinum blonde hair tied with a cute ribbon and wearing a fluttering sky-blue dress ran joyfully through the hanging white sheets, her laughter blending into the scene as she made her way toward the front porch.
As she reached the cream-colored steps, the front door swung open on its own.
Alice confidently crossed the quaint living room and descended the stairs to the basement. With every step, the sweet, comforting smell grew stronger—a scent of freshly baked bread. It was the smell of her father.
Standing before the wooden door, Alice tilted her head.
“Huh? The door’s not opening!”
Blinking in surprise, she frowned. Usually, the door would swing open well before she even reached the bottom of the stairs.
Puffing her round cheeks in frustration, she scrunched her nose. In her five years of life, Alice had already learned exactly why the door sometimes refused to cooperate.
She pounded her small hand on the door.
“Mom! Dad! Open the door!”
Crash!
From behind the door, there was a loud, clattering sound, as if something had been overturned in the kitchen.
A moment later…
“…..”
With a faint creak, the door reluctantly opened.
“Hello, my daughter,” Dante greeted her.
As always, her father was the first one to appear.
His gray hair was disheveled, as if it had been tugged at. His face was messy, smudged with flour, and his wrinkled shirt was haphazardly worn with the collar buttons undone. He stood in an awkward pose, leaning slightly and breathing as if he’d just been caught in the act.
It was a sight Alice knew all too well.
Pouting, she planted her hands on her hips.
“You two were playing without me again, weren’t you!”
Dante looked down at her with his usual impassive expression.
“We weren’t playing.”
“Liar! Then what were you doing!”
“Daddy doesn’t lie.”
“Then tell me what you were doing!”
“I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“No! No, no, no! Tell me now, or let me join in! Or I’ll get really, really mad!”
“That’s something only Mommy and Daddy—”
“We were prepping to bake bread! That’s all, Alice!”
Hansel’s voice chimed in as her head popped out from behind Dante’s arm, her tone rushed and overly bright.
Hansel didn’t look much better than Dante. Her hastily tied hair still bore signs of chaos, her cheeks were flushed a vivid red, and her blouse was awkwardly buttoned up.
Gently pushing Dante’s arm aside, Hansel smiled at Alice with a guilty grin.
“Mommy and Daddy were just getting ready to bake bread, but we made a mess in the kitchen. You know how Daddy is—he tried some new magic, and, well… things went a little haywire!”
To emphasize her point, Hansel gave Dante a playful jab in the side.
Dante, like a programmed robot, nodded reflexively.
“Yes. It’s true.”
Alice crossed her arms, scrutinizing them both with suspicion.
Seconds passed in tense silence.
“Fine, I’ll believe you. But only if we clean up together! And bake bread together! We’ll do everything together!”
If there was a gold spoon or a diamond spoon, Alice would be known as the ‘magic spoon’. She had always been surrounded by enchanted conveniences. Doors opened before she even reached them, utensils prepared ingredients on their own, and freshly dried laundry folded itself neatly away.
Since birth, this had all been normal for her, so chores never seemed hard or burdensome.
However, Hansel and Dante often chose to do housework manually with Alice, believing it was good for her emotional development. For Alice, chores became a fun and joyful playtime with her parents.
But for them to clean up without her? It was simply too much.
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