Episode 35
“My body just isn’t warmed up. Let me try one more time.”
Daphne rotated her shoulder as if stretching while glancing at Theophanes and Jacquette for their reactions.
“Mom…?”
“Yes, Jacquette. Wait just a bit Mom will win that doll for you. Do you want a specific one?”
“Uh that one!”
Jacquette pointed at a big black cat doll. It was so large it could cover her whole upper body.
“Wait right here.”
Theophanes thought about stopping her, but seeing the determined look in Daphne’s eyes, he decided it would be hard to stop her now.
Jacquette must have sensed the same, so she clenched her little fists and shook them up and down.
“You can do it, Mom!”
Rather than stopping her, Jacquette decided it was better to cheer her on.
“Jacquette, do you think I can win it?”
“Umm…”
Jacquette tiptoed to whisper something in Theophanes’s ear, and he leaned down to listen.
“Honestly, no. But I can still cheer her on, right?”
She thought she whispered, but she said it so clearly that Daphne heard every word.
Now fully determined to win that black cat doll for Jacquette, Daphne picked up another ring.
Despite her confident attitude, her second and third tries failed too.
“One more time.”
“M-Mom… I’m okay, really…”
Jacquette quickly stepped in front of her to stop her from trying again. Daphne, full of stubborn pride, had no choice but to stop.
“Sorry… I’m just not good at this.”
She made up her mind to exercise more when they got home and patted Jacquette’s head, who was holding her leg tightly.
“I wanted to win that for you…”
“I’m okay!”
Worried Daphne might try again, Jacquette quickly stopped her and looked at Theophanes with pleading eyes, asking for help.
Giving in to that desperate look, Theophanes stepped in beside them.
“Then this father will win it for you, Jacquette.”
He took out some money and placed it on the vendor’s table.
“Oh, thank you!”
The vendor, thrilled to see such generous customers, happily arranged the rings and handed them over.
Theophanes smiled at Jacquette, then turned to Daphne.
“You don’t win this by throwing hard.”
He tossed the rings in a seemingly lazy way—but surprisingly, each one landed perfectly on the target.
“Th-that’s the highest score!”
Even Daphne, Jacquette, and the vendor were shocked.
“Jacquette, which doll did you want?”
“The black cat…”
After hearing her answer, Theophanes knocked on the table twice with his fist.
“Bring it. My daughter’s waiting.”
“O-of course!”
The vendor handed him the big black cat doll. Theophanes knelt in front of Jacquette like a gentleman offering a gift.
“Here you are, young lady.”
“Wah!”
Jacquette, who had been holding onto Daphne’s skirt, quickly took the doll and hugged it tightly, beaming with joy. Daphne looked at Theophanes, and their eyes met.
Theophanes had a proud, triumphant expression almost like a challenge.
And Daphne was not one to back down from a challenge.
“Jacquette, is there anything else you’d like to try?”
“Stop! Please stop!”
Only after Jacquette’s urgent cry while holding a huge pile of toys did Daphne and Theophanes finally stop their unofficial competition.
“I didn’t win even once…”
“You didn’t.”
As she took some of the items from Jacquette’s arms, Daphne narrowed her eyes at Theophanes.
“I know that.”
He chuckled and took the rest of the items from her as if enjoying her frustration.
“I can’t believe I lost a game that’s all about luck…”
She had thought she could at least win something like a coin flip.
Theophanes, helping to sort Jacquette’s prizes, added calmly,
“Street games aren’t about luck. Most of them are rigged.”
“That’s cheating!”
“They probably know that. They just choose to enjoy it anyway.”
“So you knew it too?”
Theophanes simply shrugged.
“I married a con man…”
“Con man? That’s harsh, dear.”
Though he pretended to be hurt, he sounded as calm as ever.
They playfully bickered as they walked and eventually arrived at a fountain. Seeing the bench nearby, Jacquette asked to sit down, and Daphne agreed—it had been a long day.
“Wait here. I’ll drop off these things.”
After seating them, Theophanes picked up the pile of items and disappeared.
“Oww, my legs hurt.”
“Me too!”
They both sat down groaning. Daphne leaned her head back on the bench, and Jacquette tried to copy her, but her head bumped into the backrest.
“Ow—ow…”
Rubbing her head, Jacquette turned to face forward again.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah!”
Daphne reached over and gently rubbed her head.
She recalled reading that if parents overreact when a child gets hurt, it can make the child more anxious. So she stayed calm, continuing to pat Jacquette’s head softly as she looked up at the sunset sky.
While receiving gentle pats, Jacquette looked around, then tugged at Daphne’s sleeve.
“Mom, can I go look at the fountain?”
“Sure—”
Since the fountain was nearby and there wasn’t much danger, Daphne agreed without worry. She helped Jacquette down from the bench and started looking around the area.
“I heard the parade is about to start.”
“Really? Let’s go get a spot!”
It must be time for the famous Parade of Flowers, the main event of the Spring Festival. The parade showed off floral artwork, and people would vote for their favorite. It was also where commoners had a chance to debut in society, often with a touch of romance.
As Daphne quietly enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, she suddenly heard a commotion and a noise.
At first, she thought it was from the parade starting, but she realized something was wrong.
It wasn’t just noise.
It was screaming.
People were running everywhere. Some fell over each other trying to escape.
In the middle of the chaos, Daphne whispered nervously,
“Jacquette?”
But there was no reply.
Feeling a chill of fear, she quickly turned toward the fountain.
There were no children there, no sign of Jacquette.
She had only taken her eyes off her for a second just a moment.
But Jacquette was gone.
