Keep It Hidden a Little Longer (Alliance Leader 10/10)
After eating takoyaki, the father and daughter took a walk in the street to help them digest.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at the park in the middle of the street.
However, once you arrive at the park, it's bustling with people, and many children are playing on the grass, most importantly with their parents by their side.
Holding hands, Ye Chen could sense the guy's emotions.
It was a feeling of envy, curiosity, and loss.
"Dad, let's go!"
Standing outside the park, the guy only glanced at Ye Chen before leading him away into the distance.
For some reason, looking at the figure in front of him, Ye Chen felt a pang of pain in his heart, and his eyes stung with tears.
He tried everything to make her happy, showering her with unconditional love and pampering, but he still couldn't fulfill the girl's deepest desires.
"Dad, I don't want to play anymore, I want to go home."
After walking for a while, the girl turned around, her big eyes red, her lips tightly clenched, and she was sobbing, but she tried her best not to cry.
Kneeling down to tidy the girl's hair, Ye Chen felt as if his heart was being torn apart, the pain making it hard for him to breathe.
He stepped forward, stretched out his hands, and the girl hugged Ye Chen's neck tightly, her frail body trembling.
Ye Chen picked up the girl, pursed his lips, and continued walking.
"Dad."
"Kindness?"
Why don't I have a mother?
Holding the girl tightly, Ye Chen didn't know how to answer. He so wanted to tell her that she had a mother and loved her very much, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't imagine how heartbroken she would be if she knew everything.
"Sorry."
Of all the words he could say, Ye Chen could only utter these three.
"I hate my dad!"
The girl buried her face in Ye Chen's shoulder, sobbing. In just a moment, the suppressed tears soaked Ye Chen's clothes.
"It's because Dad is useless!"
With slightly reddened eyes, Ye Chen carried the weapon for a while before taking to the air and flying towards the God's Island.
When they returned to the Royal Palace City, the little guy was already asleep, perched on Ye Chen's shoulder.
He gently placed the girl on the bed. Looking at her face, still bearing traces of tears, Ye Chen felt a pang of sadness. He stayed with her for a while before heading to where Hina was.
Looking at Hina, who seemed to be fast asleep but wasn't breathing, Ye Chen couldn't help but squat down and burst into tears.
"How should I take care of her!"
At just over two years old, she was already much more sensible than other children. Ye Chen felt both gratified and pained. Although she sometimes threw tantrums, Ye Chen knew that the little one was always thinking about her mother and had never truly been happy.
Ye Chen wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to be joyful, but he didn't know how to do it.
Tell her the whole truth? Tell her that her mother gave her life to give birth to her?
He cannot, and dares not, at least not now.
The next day, a new day dawned, the sun shone brightly, and in the side hall of the main palace, where Reiju and Kalifa handled state affairs.
Early on, a suspicious-looking fellow appeared at the door.
"Princess, what are you looking at? Come in!"
Unaware of what was happening, Kalifa looked up and stared in astonishment at the figure at the gate, a warm smile spreading across her face.
"Kalifa, Reiju."
The guy was hopping around, carrying two boxes in his hands; judging by their appearance, they probably contained gifts like jewelry.
"Princess, what brings you here?"
Reiju put down her quill; this guy rarely came, so it was unusual for him to come today.
"I'm here to give gifts to Reiju and Kalifa. Dad took me out to play yesterday."
He tiptoed and placed the gift box on the table.
"Thank you! Let me see what it is!"
Kalifa picked up the item with some anticipation, and upon opening the gift box, she found a cross necklace, just like Reiju's.
"So beautiful, thank you, Princess!"
Reiju picked up the necklace, held it up to her chest, and then smiled.
"Do Kalifa and Reiju like it?"
"I really like it!"
The two cherished the man's gift, regardless of its value.
"Since Sakura has been so good to you, could you tell me a secret?"
His eyes darted around, full of cunning, as he gradually lured Kalifa and Reiju.
"Very well, what secret does the princess wish to know?"
Kalifa and the other woman covered their mouths and chuckled, immediately recognizing the girl's cleverness and going along with her wishes.
"You have to agree!"
Fearing the two might change their minds, the guy even gave them a special reminder.
Not paying any attention, Kalifa and the other nodded.
"Where is my mother? Has she abandoned Sakura?"
He was filled with anticipation, his lips pursed as he nervously looked at Kalifa and Reiju.
For a moment, Reiju and Kalifa's smiles froze.
"Sakura, how about Kalifa goes out to play with you?"
With her smile restored, Kalifa changed the subject.
However, the guy's large, dark eyes were fixed on Kalifa.
The atmosphere immediately became heavy and tense.
"Otherwise, Reiju..."
"Hmph! I knew you guys would renege on your promise and I'm not playing with you anymore."
When her temper flared, the girl got up from Kalifa's arms, looking dejected. She pouted and shouted, "I hate Kalifa and Reiju the most!" before running out of the side hall, leaving Kalifa and Reiju helpless.
"Well"
As she watched his figure disappear, Kalifa sighed, a hint of pity in her voice.
"This is the fifth time, isn't it!"
Reiju also felt a little sad, as if she was thinking of her mother, and her mood became somewhat low.
Not long after, at Bai Doudou's residence, when the guy appeared, Bai Doudou's fierce face smiled like a jasmine flower.
"Sakura, you've finally come to see your master! I've missed you so much!"
"Master, tell me about my mother."
Her smile vanished, Bai Doudou didn't know how to begin.
"I hate my master the most."
With a "crack," his glass heart shattered. Bai Doudou watched the retreating figure, knelt on the ground, and silently shed tears, his hand outstretched. This was the first time he had ever heard that someone hated him.
He felt that his life had lost its light!
Immediately afterwards, Enel, Law, Bege, and everyone else started chanting "I hate it the most."
This time, the girl gave up and, all alone, lay down in the garden pavilion and cried silently.
"Boss, this can't go on!"
In the shadows, Enel and the others watched the figure weeping alone in the pavilion, and felt a pang of sorrow in their hearts.
Especially Bai Doudou, her ears were thumping, it was so heartbreaking.
"This is too cruel for Sakura; this is the fifth time already."
Kalifa sighed.
"Let's keep it a secret for a while longer! It'll be fine in a few days!"
Ye Chen, at the head of the group, clenched his fist, his heart aching beyond measure.
"You all go and get to work!"
With a wave of his hand, Ye Chen dismissed everyone, then stood alone in the same spot, silently watching.
Not long after, perhaps exhausted from crying, the guy lay down on the stone table and fell asleep.
Quietly, Ye Chen appeared in the pavilion, stopped the nanny, and personally picked her up, his eyes full of doting affection as he looked at her face.
"I hate my dad the most."
His speech was blurry; even when he was asleep, he would talk in his sleep, calling out Bai Doudou, Ye Chen, and his mother.