fine
Draven ultimately couldn't resist Alice's pleading. The little girl, like a warm little koala, clung tightly to him, her breathing gradually becoming even and long. Draven's stiff body slowly relaxed, and the fatigue of the past few days made him unconsciously drift into sleep.
It was still dark when he heard the sounds of a man and woman getting up outside the door, jolting Draven awake. He carefully moved Alice's arms away from him; the girl grumbled in her sleep, rolled over, and went back to sleep. Draven held his breath, silently slid off the bed, tiptoed to the window, pushed it open a crack, nimbly slipped out, and gently closed the window behind him.
He didn't leave immediately, but instead hid behind a pile of firewood in the corner of the yard, intently observing the movements inside the house.
The chill of the early morning hadn't yet dissipated, but a dim light had already illuminated Rona and Winnie's room. A short while later, the two emerged carrying lanterns. Winnie, carrying an empty basket, walked silently to the chicken coop and began collecting the eggs. After collecting the eggs, she went to the vegetable garden next to the house and, by the dim light, pulled up some carrots, onions, and cabbages, placing them in the basket.
Meanwhile, Rona went to the warehouse behind the house and brought out several baskets of apples, pears, and plums, as well as a heavy-looking bag of hazelnuts. He carried these goods collected from the village one by one onto the oxcart parked in the center of the yard and arranged them neatly. The couple barely spoke; the only sounds were the dull thuds of the goods being moved and Winnie's occasional cough.
After everything was packed, Winnie went to the cowshed to milk the cows and got a small bucketful. She returned to the kitchen, lit the stove, cooked a pot of oatmeal porridge with milk, and sliced some rye bread. The two ate their simple breakfast in silence. Then, Rona got up, went to the cowshed, led out the strong yellow ox, and skillfully harnessed it to the cart.
"I'm leaving," Rona said to Winnie, who was standing in the doorway, his voice unusually clear in the chilly air. "Take good care of Alice at home."
Winnie simply nodded blankly, without responding.
Ronaldo seemed to have gotten used to it, and said no more. He drove the oxcart out of the yard with a creaking sound and disappeared at the end of the dirt road leading to Besilico.
Winnie stood there, gazing in the direction the oxcart had disappeared. After a long while, she turned and slowly went back into the house. Draven watched through the crack in the window as she silently cleared the dishes from the table. After finishing, she didn't check on Alice, but instead sat down in a chair at the table, her hands on her knees, staring blankly at a spot on the wall, like a lifeless sculpture.
Draven waited patiently for a while longer, making sure that Rona was far away and Winnie wouldn't make any moves for the time being, before quietly slipping out of the courtyard and hurrying back along the path he had come from. When he returned to Besilico, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the city gates had just opened.
--------Separator Line-----------
After sneaking back from Riverside Village, Draven seemed to be wound up like a clockwork toy, working even harder than before. The dockworkers were all surprised by this sudden change in the usually cunning and combative young man; he carried loads faster than anyone else and cleaned the silt from the ship's hold with remarkable efficiency. Every day after finishing his wages, Draven would carefully hand over most of the copper coins to Darius, keeping only a pitiful one for himself.
"Brother, keep it." He was always concise, handing over the coins and leaving without further explanation.
Darius looked at the extra copper coin in his hand, his feelings complicated.
Draven carefully hid the few copper coins he had pried off behind a loose brick in the corner of the shed. He counted them again and again, finally managing to scrape together a small sum of money.
The day before the second market day, he went to a stall selling general merchandise at the market, hesitated for a long time, and pointed to the neatly cut hazelnut candies that smelled sweet.
"How much is the smallest one?"
The stall owner glanced at him and quoted a price. Draven reluctantly pulled out his warm copper coin and exchanged it for two hazelnut candies wrapped in a small piece of oiled paper. The candies were small, and lying in his rough palm, they seemed especially precious.
He made a promise with Alice that he would visit her the day before market day each week and bring her a small gift. This promise was like a small lamp in the darkness, illuminating his weary days and filling him with energy for his work every day.
Draven once again set off for Riverside Village. He hid in his usual spot, observing the situation in Rona's yard.
It was late afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly. Rona carried Alice into the yard and placed her on a cushioned chair. Then, he did something that made Draven's heart stop—he held Alice under her armpits, seemingly trying to get her to stand!
“Come on, Alice, try holding onto Daddy’s hand and see if you can stand for a while,” Rona’s voice was gentle and encouraging.
Alice's little face immediately showed fear. She gripped Ronald's arm tightly and shook her head desperately, "No... Daddy, I can't stand up... I'm dizzy..."
But Ronald didn't give up immediately. He loosened his grip slightly, as if wanting her to experience it for herself. The moment Alice's feet touched the ground, before she even fully bore weight, her legs went weak, and she lurched forward!
"!" Draven, hidden in the shadows, watched with eyes wide with rage! His blood rushed to his head, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and only one thought occupied his mind: This bastard really started abusing her! He almost wanted to rush out like an enraged leopard and beat Rona to a pulp!
In the nick of time, Rona's strong arm caught Alice firmly, preventing her from falling to the ground. Alice's little face was already deathly pale, her eyes brimming with tears, and she pleaded in a sob, "Daddy...no...I can't stand up...I feel dizzy...I feel nauseous..."
Seeing Alice's face drain of color and her retching, Ronaldo's face showed remorse. He quickly pulled Alice into a tight embrace, gently patting her back, and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's all Daddy's fault! Daddy didn't know you really... really couldn't stand up. Daddy was wrong, I'll never try that again, never again!"
He carried Alice back into the house, fetched a basin of warm water, and soaked a soft cloth in it. He carefully wiped the cold sweat from Alice's forehead and neck, and then gently lifted her slender, white feet, which were too weak to support her body.
Draven looked out the window and saw Ronald carefully wiping Alice's soles and insteps with a warm cloth, meticulously cleaning even between each toe. His movements were focused and gentle, as if he were handling a fragile treasure, without a trace of disgust or impatience on his face.
After wiping her clean, Ronald went to the kitchen, brought out a glass of milk, added two large spoonfuls of thick honey with a small spoon, stirred it well, and then held it to Alice's lips.
"Come on, Alice, drink some sweet milk to calm down, and you won't feel uncomfortable anymore."
Alice took small sips of honey milk from Ronald's hand, and her pale face gradually regained some color.
Seeing this, Draven's tense nerves and clenched fists slowly relaxed. He leaned against the rough tree trunk and let out a long sigh. Perhaps... perhaps this Rona really meant well, just trying to see if he could help Alice stand up? Judging from his regretful and distressed expression, it didn't seem like he was faking it.
The day before the third market day, Draven used his saved coins to buy a piece of red ribbon. To learn how to braid bracelets, he spent his evenings that week clumsily learning from Quiretta. Quiretta, though curious, saw him quietly working on his craft and didn't ask many questions, patiently teaching him. After learning, Draven bought the red ribbon and braided a bracelet for Ellie that wasn't too crooked, but was reasonably well-formed and showed some pattern.
During his infiltration of the village, he hid in the shadows and witnessed an even more astonishing scene.
Ronald sat on the edge of Alice's bed, holding her feet and gently massaging them. His fingers applied just the right amount of pressure, carefully kneading from her ankles to the soles of her feet, and then to each toe. After massaging her feet, he moved on to her calves and thighs.
After the massage, Rona didn't fetch water. Instead, he brought over a small earthenware basin filled not with water, but with a milky white liquid—milk! He soaked a clean, soft cloth in the milk and began to wipe Alice's body. From her cheeks, neck, and arms to her feet, which had just been massaged, every inch of her skin was carefully wiped with the milk-soaked cloth. A faint, milky scent wafted in the air.
Draven's eyes widened, thinking to himself: So what Aunt Martha and those farm women said was true! The Rona family really is so extravagant as to use milk to wash their children!
That evening, after sneaking into Alice's room, he couldn't help but ask her, "Alice, Ronald... why did your father massage your feet?"
Alice tilted her head, trying hard to recall Ronald's words, and vaguely repeated, "Daddy said... even if I can't walk, if I massage my legs more... my legs will have strength? Maybe in the future... I'll be able to stand up?"
Draven was skeptical. The next evening, before leaving the village, he deliberately lingered on its outskirts and encountered several children returning from playing in the woods. He casually inquired about the new girl in the Rona family.
The children chattered excitedly, saying, "Uncle Rona really dotes on that white-haired girl!"
We take her out to play with us every other day!
"Whatever she wanted to play, Uncle Rona would carry her with us, taking her everywhere he went, and never letting her put her down!"
"She's even better to him than his previous daughter!"
Hearing this, Draven felt extremely conflicted. Rona seemed to be treating Alice very well; it was a hundred times better than when she was in the city, forced to stay in a bumpy, dilapidated wooden cart pulled by dogs.
The day before the fourth market day. There wasn't much work at the docks that week, and Draven hadn't earned much money. He had no choice but to return to his old ways, taking Alice's fish trap to the river to fish, and gathering seaweed, small crabs, and shellfish from the crevices of the rocks by the sea. On the beach, he found a stone about the size of an egg, smoothed by the sea, with beautiful stripes of reddish-brown and yellowish-brown, shimmering warmly in the sunlight. He thought it was beautiful and tucked it into his pocket.
This time, he hid in the usual spot and saw Ronald dress Alice in a dress he had never seen before, with a skirt so fluffy it looked like a little white flower.
“Alice, this is called a ballet tutu.” Rona’s voice carried an unusual enthusiasm. “It’s a dance that only the noblemen and ladies of the inner city can appreciate. Only the best dancers can perform on the most magnificent stage.”
He described to Alice how ballet dancers stood on their toes, how they twirled and leaped gracefully, like swans. Alice listened intently, her big eyes filled with longing. Although she couldn't stand on the ground, her legs felt strong on the soft bed. Excitedly, she tried to spin around on the bed, imitating the movements Rona had described.
Looking at her clumsy yet happy expression, Ronald smiled and stepped forward, extending his hand in an inviting gesture: "Come on, Alice, let's dance together, Daddy will be your partner."
He held Alice's hand, guiding her to make simple movements as she bounced on the bed, praising her incessantly: "Yes, that's it! Our Alice has such long, straight, and beautiful legs. If she could walk, she would definitely be the best ballerina in Besilico!"
Alice was overjoyed by his praise, giggling and loudly proclaiming, "Alice is the best!~"
Draven watched this scene quietly from outside the window.
That evening, when Draven came in, Alice immediately rushed over as usual, hugging his neck and rubbing her head against his chest: "Draven, Draven! What good things did you bring for me this time?"
Draven instinctively gripped the smooth stone in his pocket. He thought of Alice's beautiful tutu and then of the broken stone he'd picked up; he suddenly felt it was utterly insignificant. He hesitated for a moment, then lied, "I...I was in such a rush today, I forgot to bring it."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Alice's little face, but she quickly smiled again and said sensibly, "It's okay! Alice is already happy to see Little De!"
The more sensible she was, the more uncomfortable Draven felt. He quickly tried to make amends: "Next time! I'll definitely remember to bring it next time! That way Alice will be twice as happy!"
Alice was easily satisfied and immediately cheered, "Great! Double the happiness!"
That night, Draven held Alice and coaxed her to sleep as usual. As dawn approached, when he heard the faint sounds of Ronna and Winnie getting up outside, Draven habitually shifted his body slightly, preparing to slip away as he had done before.
Unexpectedly, Alice woke up this time too. Still half-asleep, she grabbed Draven's sleeve and mumbled, "Is Draven leaving?" She rubbed her eyes, then suddenly remembered, "He hasn't flicked his tongue yet this time!"
Ever since Draven's first nighttime visit, Alice insisted on this "ritual" before leaving each time. She didn't seem to truly understand the meaning of this behavior, simply remembering that Draven had said it would make them a family. Draven tried to explain to her that it wouldn't result in a baby, but each time he explained, Alice thought Draven didn't want her anymore, that he was lying to her, and her eyes would immediately well up with tears. Draven was helpless and could only suffer the consequences, having to complete this "spitting out his tongue" step every time.
"Okay, stick your tongue out." Draven lowered his head with a helpless yet indulgent expression, bringing his face close to Alice's.
Just as their lips were about to touch—
With a soft creak, the room door was pushed open!
Winnie stood in the doorway holding a dim oil lamp. The lamp's yellowish light illuminated the bed and clearly showed Draven leaning closer to Alice!
Draven was terrified, sitting bolt upright, his heart pounding in his chest! A thousand horrible thoughts flashed through his mind: Oh no! He'd been discovered! That woman would scream! Shout "Thief!" Rona would burst in! He'd be beaten to death as a scoundrel who'd broken into a girl's room with malicious intent!
He stared nervously at Winnie, ready to jump out the window and escape before she could make a sound.
However, the expected scream did not occur.
Winnie's face was full of shock. She glanced at Draven, then looked past him and landed on Alice on the bed, who seemed not to be fully awake and was rubbing her eyes.
She recognized Draven.
A slightly sleepy voice came from outside the door: "Winnie? Did Alice sleep well? Did she kick off the covers?"
Winnie, however, reverted to her usual stagnant and calm demeanor, looking at the two of them and replying to the door in her characteristically flat tone, "It's nothing."
Then, as if she hadn't seen anything, she silently took a step back, gently closed the door, and her footsteps faded into the distance.
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