Chapter 45
Laura glanced at Asher, sensing something was off. Her voice became cautious.
“Um… should I go change clothes?”
“No.”
Asher had nothing to say.
It was his fault for writing ‘inspection’ in the letter, making Laura misunderstand.
‘Why did I let my pride get in the way…’
He didn’t want Esha to see Laura’s letter, so he wrote it vaguely, which backfired.
In the end, it was Asher who changed clothes.
Wearing drab clothes like Laura and hiding his blonde hair, he looked like any other passerby. Walking beside Laura, they seemed like a peaceful family.
They entered the shopping district. Many vendors approached them.
“Come in and rest for a bit even if you don’t buy anything!”
“The view of the lake here is amazing!”
“No, thank you.”
When he moved as the Crown Prince, no one dared approach him. But now it was different.
Though he felt awkward, Asher kept his cold expression to avoid being bothered further.
Luckily, even in disguise, Asher’s build and aura as a swordsman deterred most people. But…
“Just a bite. Today’s apple pie is really good.”
There’s always a bold one.
Asher was about to refuse.
“No, tha—”
“It’s delicious.”
Laura accepted the pie and even broke it to feed the child in her arms.
Asher’s eyes widened. The innocent child bit into the pie, cheeks puffed out, and gazed at Asher with such clear eyes that his expression reflected in them.
“Did you just eat that? Street food that could have anything in it? That’s careless—”
“What could it have?”
“Poison, for example.”
“Huh? Poison me? By who?”
Laura looked up at him with the same innocent expression as the child.
‘Right…’
Finally, Asher realised.
To outsiders, they were just two commoners.
Having lived with assassination threats since childhood, he instinctively feared poison. But here, there was no reason for that.
He had left his guards behind and covered his face. No one was following them.
‘No one here knows who we are…’
Asher’s shoulders relaxed.
For the first time, he felt a strange peace in knowing he didn’t need to be careful.
‘Like a normal person…’
He bought grilled chicken skewers that had been catching his eye. The intense sweet and salty flavour spread on his tongue. It wasn’t healthy, but he didn’t mind.
“W-what is it?”
Laura leaned in and wiped something from his chin with her long, white fingers.
“You had something on your face.”
“R-right.”
Asher shrank back, only exhaling when Laura’s hand withdrew.
‘Why is it so hard to meet her eyes these days… I didn’t even do anything wrong.’
They walked by Vallite Lake. The calm ripples were beautiful, with a family of ducks gliding across. The scenery helped ease the awkwardness.
Then—
“Look, bunny! Bunny doll!”
The child pointed to a dart game booth. At the top shelf sat a bunny plushie.
“I’ll get it.”
Asher rolled up his sleeves and took five darts from the booth owner.
He posed confidently, looking like a professional.
But the result…
“Sir, you’re amazing! All five darts landed outside the board! Zero points!”
Asher’s lips twitched. The child shouted,
“Daddy failed!”
“Who said I wanted to be your daddy…!”
Asher was mortified. No one had ever looked at him with such pity before.
Then Laura stepped forward.
“May I try?”
The booth owner sneered.
“You? Have you ever played before?”
“Who knows, maybe I’ll have beginner’s luck.”
She was confident. The owner handed her five darts, smirking.
But his smile soon twisted.
“H-how…!”
All five darts hit dead centre. She scored enough to win the bunny doll easily.
“I’ll take my prize.”
As she received the bunny plushie, a faint wind spirit flickered behind her and vanished. The booth owner never imagined the Crown Prince’s fiancée would visit his stall.
Meanwhile…
“Buy me that.”
The child pointed to a crepe stand.
“Thin batter with lots of strawberries, syrup twice, and cake on top!”
“I’m not your errand boy—”
Suddenly the child pulled out a note from Asher’s pocket and waved it.
“Want me to tell?”
It was the note with Esha’s date advice. Asher quickly checked his pocket, but it was gone.
“When did you…”
“Should I tell?”
The child’s innocent smile turned sinister.
“Two! Now! Immediately!”
Having no choice, Asher complied.
‘Damn it…’
Minutes later, Asher held two crepes. As he stared blankly ahead, Laura approached with the bunny plushie.
“You bought that? How did you know this is my favourite?”
“It’s a coincidence.”
Laura seemed delighted. The child stayed silent.
‘Did she… help me?’
Despite teasing him, it seemed the child wanted Laura to enjoy her day.
‘Maybe she isn’t that bad…’
“Is the child tired? Let me carry her.”
While they walked along the lake, the child yawned and clung to Laura’s feet. Asher lifted her into his arms.
She leaned in close and whispered,
“Zero points.”
“What?!”
Seeing he didn’t understand, the child spoke loudly.
“You copied your date plan, couldn’t win the bunny, didn’t research what mommy likes, and you didn’t notice her leg hurting so she kept walking! Zero points!”
In the middle of the street, Asher’s face turned red with embarrassment.
‘My daughter? No way…’
She was cunning, sly, and devilish.
‘She’s definitely a demon child.’
He meant it.
Asher soon corrected himself.
‘No, this was my fault.’
Even if it wasn’t a date, he had failed to consider his companion’s comfort. That was wrong.
‘Next time, I’ll be more careful… so Laura can truly enjoy herself.’
He saw Laura and the child home, then returned to the palace, reviewing his mistakes and planning improvements.
‘Maybe I should plan trips where she can bring her child too…’
He smiled at the thought.
Until—
“An epidemic?”
His smile vanished. News arrived that a plague was spreading in the western district of the capital.
Thank you for the chapters …🤩💓