"Alice? Is that really you?" A man walked slowly. His gaze was locked on her face.
"Y-yes. It's me," Alice answered stiffly.Suddenly, the man pinched her cheeks with both hands. He examined Alice's face from various angles, looking for something there."You're not another woman in disguise, right? Your face isn't the result of plastic surgery?"After taking a deep breath, Edmund waved his hand. "Scott, enough. You're making my wife uncomfortable. Back off."Instead of walking away, Scott hugged Alice, jumping up and down. His laughter overflowed with tears. "Alice, you're finally back. Oh, thank God. This is the greatest miracle of my life!"While Alice grimaced to fake a smile, Edmund struggled to pull Scott back. However, Scott still felt at home hugging Alice. He even made her sway like a penguin with him."Uncle Ed, who is he? Is he the driver who picked us up?"Hearing that sweet voice, Scott finally let go of theSky was stunned to see the magnificent building in front of her. She sighed, "Uncle Ed, you live in the palace?" Edmund smiled slightly. "Yes, I live in the most beautiful palace in the world because you are the princess." Sky laughed lightly. "I don't have a dress and a crown, Uncle Ed. How could I be the princess? All I have is a backpack and a journal." "Yes, you are, Sky. You are a princess who changed the world. You have your own style and it's very cool. Now," Edmund held out his hand, "are you ready to see our palace?" Sky grabbed his index finger. "Yeah!" Then, Edmund turned his head to the side. He offered his other elbow. "You ready?" Alice blinked. She stopped looking around, fixed her gaze on Edmund. "Yes." She awkwardly linked her hand to his muscular biceps. Together, they stepped inside. As soon as they passed through the door, Sky got amazed again. "Wow, Uncle Ed, this really is a palace!"
"Sometimes, I pray that you're safe from the river. Sometimes, I pray that you're at peace up there. And occasionally, I cursed you because you broke your promise. How could you disappear like that? Weren't you serious when you said that promise? " The curve of Alice's lips turned stiff. She glanced at Edmund, asking for clue. Before the man had time to give a code, Emma had hit her lightly on the arm. "You promised to be my bridesmaid!" As Emma grimaced in annoyance, Alice grabbed her hand. "Sorry, I myself can't understand what I did before. But, you and Henry are still married, right?" Emma wiped her eyes and gave a limited nod. "I did. Two years ago. And you weren't there." "Even though I didn't attend your wedding, my prayers and support are still with you. Congratulations, Emma. Sorry if I said it very late." Emma shook her head quickly. "Better late than never. I'm grateful you're still alive. Don't disappear again becau
"That's a good idea," Alice said quietly. "You don't want to come with me and Sky? This is your first day back here. It would be more fun if we went around together," Edmund whispered. "Uncle Ed, I think it's okay if Mama choose Aunt Emma. They haven't seen each other for a long time. They must have a lot of stories to talk about, like me and my animal friends." Hearing the defense, Edmund could no longer complain. Smiling again, he took Sky around with Henry and Mrs. Klein. "Alice, how about we go to our place? We can chat while eating biscuits and drinking tea, like the old days." Alice nodded slightly. After Emma conveyed her request to a servant, they went to the north pavilion. "So, how are you doing all this time?" Emma asked as they sat opposite each other at a round table. Alice blinked awkwardly. She wasn't sure how much Emma had heard from Edmund. Lowering her head, she answered, "I lived in a conservation area in the
"This is a really cool room, Honey. Do you like it?" Alice rubbed her daughter's head."I really like it!" Sky jumped a few times before pointing down. "Mama, look at this." Alice looked down. It turned out that they were stepping on a brown carpet that curved to form a path. "If we follow it," Sky walked quickly, "we'll come to the wardrobe, bookshelf, study table, tent, and my bed! I really can't wait to climb up there." Sky pointed to the top level where a folding table and a small window were located. "Then if we continue, we'll come to a special window for scouting, a toy box, and a giant map." Sky stretched out her arms on the side of the wall where all the continents lay. "This is my favorite part, Mama. Uncle Ed and I plan to mark all the cool places with stars, just like what we did with my globe. Only, this one is bigger! I really like my room!" Sky pressed herself against the wall, spreading her arms as wide a
Alice shook her head. While expanding her lungs, she straightened her shoulders. "I'm not sad, but touched. I just found out that you really love me. I regret doing something stupid and disappearing for five years." "Hey," Edmund moved to touch her arm, "it has passed. There's no point in regretting. The important thing is, you're here. We can be together again." Sky nodded with pouting lips. "Uncle Ed is right. The important thing is, we are together again. Stop crying, Mama." Alice took a deep breath, trying to relieve her tightness. When her breathing calmed, Edmund asked, "Do you want me to hug you?" Alice blinked. After a brief moment of contemplation, she nodded. Edmund embraced her very gently. "It's okay, Alice. Everything is fine." Alice could only close her eyes, soaking in the warmth that she had always avoided. At that moment, Sky got out of the chair and hugged her too. "Don't be sad, Mama. We are much luck
Either because he didn't hear or he was already asleep, Edmund didn't answer. Alice had to call louder. "Ed?" Edmund finally opened his eyes. "Yes? Do you need anything?" "Why are you sleeping there?" Edmund blinked. "I think you will feel more comfortable and safe if we sleep separately." Alice bit her lip. Her eyes darted around looking for the right angle. "This bed is wide. I think it won't be a problem if you sleep here too. We can make a barrier out of pillows." "Are you sure? I don't have a problem sleeping here. This couch is also comfy." "But your space is limited," Alice interrupted awkwardly. After gulping, she began to build the barrier. "Sleep over there." Edmund considered it for a moment. "What if I accidentally move the pillow and hug you? I might dirty your pants again." Edmund said the sentence casually. However, Alice felt awkward. "N-no problem. I can wash it tomorrow." Edmund
"What do you want to do?" Alice pretended to be innocent. Edmund's eyes narrowed. He brushed away the hair covering her shoulder. The hairs on her nape bristled at his light touch. "Can I taste you a bit?" "A bit?" Edmund smiled mischievously. "Yes, but I won't give Sky a younger sibling yet. Is that okay?" Alice's heartbeat quickened. She could no longer count them. If she allowed Edmund, would her blood still flow to the brain? Could she maintain common sense? "Okay." Alice was startled by her own answer. She was about to say no, but why did her lips say yes instead? Before Alice had time to correct her decision, Edmund had already approached her. Not knowing what else to do, she finally closed her eyes. Her hands were clenched tightly in front of her chest, ready to face the big explosion in her heart. But when Edmund's lips arrived, her tension faded. Warmth had mixed with confusion. When she opened her eyes
Edmund and Alice gasped when they heard the whistle. They immediately crawled out of the tent. The tension only faded when they saw Sky standing with her hands on her hips. "Mama, Uncle Ed, come on, get up. We have to go to the office this morning. We can't be late. Let's get ready!" She blew the whistle again. Her style was like that of a scout troop commander. Alice and Edmund smiled amusedly at her behavior. "Honey? I think you're getting too excited. It's still too early." "Is it true?" Sky glanced at the wall clock. Not understanding the meaning, she pursed her lips. "But I've been up since earlier, Mama. I've washed my face and brushed my teeth. That means it's not too early." Alice widened her eyes at that confession. "Who helped you?" "No one. I did it myself. The ladder that Uncle Ed provided was very helpful. I like that ladder." Edmund smiled slightly at Sky's chatter. "You're really independent, apparently."