Mother was already watching Linea, who was always on edge.
Linea smiled as she hugged the gift box tightly, as if it were precious.
Unlike before, instead of crying, the child blushed and smiled.
Just like how she's gradually gotten used to being loved and smiling.
'She was a child who could do nothing but cry silently or laugh in secret.'
It was full of anxiety rather than joy.
I also nodded while kissing Linea's hair.
"Now, all of these are things Linea naturally deserves. My pretty baby."
Linea raised her head and looked at her grandmother and father.
Then, smiling gently, she greeted.
"...Grandma, Dad, thank you!"
No longer doubting the affection or gifts she received, the child simply felt grateful.
Linea shyly closed the gift box and gently stroked the gift boxes she had received from Carcel and her grandmother with her hands.
Seeing that, I placed my gift box on top of Linea's gift box.
“This is Mom’s.”
“Mom too?”
"Of course! Who do you think is the most precious person to my family?"
I waited for Linea to answer this time.
Three adults looked at the child, holding their breath as they awaited the answer.
Then, Linea pointed at herself with her fingertips, feeling shy.
“Me.”
"That's right! Linea is the most precious person to Mom, Dad, and Grandma. Understand?"
"Yes!"
I put more force into my answer than before.
There is no being as beautiful and lovable as a child who is loved.
I hugged Linea tightly and stuck to her.
"Then, shall we leave the gift in the room and go play at the festival?"
***
"The circus earlier was really amazing! An elephant! It was so fascinating to see it eat a banana with its trunk!"
"Did you? Baby, you'll fall if you keep doing that! Be careful!"
"Yes!"
Carcel had reserved tickets for the circus, so we started by watching the circus due to time constraints.
Even though it was quite late, Pecia Square and even the alleys were still packed with people.
Linea looked around while riding on Carcel's shoulders.
I looked at him worriedly.
"Are you okay? Still, she is a 10-year-old kid."
"It is possible even when Linea turns 50."
"How old is Carcel at that time? You'll ruin your back."
Then Carcel laughed.
"Do you mean that Linea and Asha will still be by my side until then?"
"Then did you think we wouldn't be here? Now, even if you tell us to leave, we can't!"
"If Asha and Linea leave the house, I will follow them."
"Then who is at home? That's ridiculous."
Carcel tightened his grip on my hand.
"As long as Asha and Linea are together, that will be my home. It doesn't matter."
I blushed for no reason.
The largest crowd at the festival consisted of people out for a family outing.
And we were one of them.
Blending in with the crowd without the slightest awkwardness.
'You made sure to bring a handkerchief, right?'
I clutched the handkerchief tightly in my left hand, which I had even wrapped on purpose to hand over a moment later.
I planned to give it to my mother tomorrow, and give it to Carcel first.
"Asha, be careful."
Even though I was clearly walking on the inner side of the street, a man suddenly rushed toward me.
As if worried that he might bump into me as he passed by, Carcel grabbed my shoulder tightly and pulled me into his embrace.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded.
Carcel had been watching me for a while.
No, actually, he was always looking at me.
His gaze always checked on my safety.
"Shall we go get the ice cream Linea wanted now? Is there anything you want to eat, Asha?"
"To be honest, whenever I come to a place like this, what I always crave is..."
As I was saying that, I felt a sense of emptiness.
"Uh?"
My handkerchief, which I had been holding until just moments ago, intending to offer when the time was right.
It's gone.
“Huh?”
"No? What's wrong?"
"No, I was just holding something in my hand, but it's gone. It's disappeared."
I didn't feel anything at all. How is this possible?
Feeling dazed, I turned around.
It was still packed with people, so I couldn't even search the ground.
"Hey. Aren't you going quickly?"
There were also people saying things about us behind our backs.
No matter how hard I tried to look through the crowd, nothing had fallen on the ground.
However, Carcel didn't care what anyone said and stuck with me.
“Are you okay?”
"...Uh. It's fine!"
People were suffering for no reason because of me.
Feeling like I was being a nuisance, I walked as if nothing was wrong.
'No. Even if it disappears, I can just embroider it again.'
Carcel seemed to have noticed something.
"Was it important?"
"No."
I shook my head, thinking I should make a new one to give to him.
Then Carcel carefully led me into an alley.
The alley was just as crowded with people.
"Over there is the ice cream Linea wanted. Shall we stop by for a moment?"
"Yes!"
I nodded, trying hard to shake off the thought.
Carcel let Linea down for a moment.
"Ice cream..."
"I'm fine."
"...Give me just one."
When he held out a coin, the ice cream vendor grinned.
"Oh my, what a lovely family. It looks like the little lady wanted to eat this ice cream."
"Yes! Excuse me. I'll have the vanilla flavor, please!"
"Yes, here it is!"
The merchant held out the ice cream attached to the end of a long stick to Linea.
The child naturally tried to grab the ice cream cone.
But the moment Linea grabbed the cone, whoosh!
"Uh?"
“Catch it!”
They knew the ice cream would stretch, but it seems they didn't know it would be like this.
“Uh-huh.”
Linea stared blankly at the flying ice cream with a stunned expression.
I bent down and explained to Linea.
"Since this is chewy ice cream, they usually play a lot of tricks before giving it to you."
"R-really?"
Linea desperately stood on tiptoe and tried to catch the ice cream again and again.
However, she could not beat the skillful merchant's movements as he cleverly dodged with a "swoosh, swoosh."
"Haha, there are over a hundred little kids who came home crying because they couldn't get ice cream!"
As the Merchant provoked the child, Linea's expression gradually began to look wronged.
The moment the words "You've toyed with me this much, just give it to me" rose to the tip of my tongue, the merchant's face turned deathly pale.
"Please, please take this, miss."
"Thank you!"
Linea succeeded in getting ice cream from the merchant, who had somehow become polite.
I glanced at Carcel.
It looked like he was slitting his throat with his thumb just a moment ago... Surely not, right?
"Ahem, take care on your way!"
Leaving the general's words behind, I asked Linea to leave quickly.
“What do you think? Is it delicious?”
"Yes!"
“Thank God!”
I didn't let Linea ride on his shoulders for a moment, fearing she might get captivated by Carcel's hair while eating ice cream.
After walking a little further, I reached a small, secluded meeting place.
"Shall we sit down and rest for a moment? Is there anything you'd like to eat, Asha?"
I shook my head.
I kept thinking about the handkerchief I accidentally lost just moments ago.
'I feel stupid.'
Is it because I think I have value only if I am always useful?
'I could have just carried it in my pocket, but I insisted on holding it in my hand.'
I really wanted to give Carcel a surprise gift on this very day.
Carcel attached himself to me as I was having such thoughts.
"...Asha, you've been looking unwell for a while now. Is something wrong?"
"... Actually, it's nothing special. I couldn't give Carcel the orange confit, but I just wanted to give you a handkerchief."
Seeing my sullen face, he asked.
"Did you happen to lose that earlier?"
"Isn't it pathetic? To make such a mistake."
I laughed and laughed.
“Asha.”
"I know. It wasn't necessary to go this far."
"That's not it... Didn't Asha say it was pathetic that you fell asleep for even a moment when you were nursing Linea last time?"
It was like that.
Even back then, I thought I had gone to sleep without being able to do anything properly for my sick child, but...
Carcel looked at me and said.
"Do you know what Asha says about other people's mistakes?"
"No."
"It's fine. It's nothing."
Was I like that?
He asked me cautiously.
"But why is Asha so strict with yourself?"
"..."
"No matter what Asha has prepared, it is more important to me that your feelings are not hurt than the material thing itself."
Having said that, Carcel asked me with a mischievous smile.
"At least Asha didn't lose yourself, so our whole family is here together now, isn't it?"
As if trying to cheer me up.
"Because every single moment we spend together is a gift to me. Today, can you be a little kinder to yourself, Asha?"
I stared intently at Carcel's face as he asked that.
Affectionate and gentle, yet rational words.
The moment I was about to open my lips.
Boom!
The fireworks had begun.
And I approached him and called his name.
“Carcel.”
"Yes?"
I pressed my lips against Carcel's bewildered ear and whispered softly.
"I really like you a lot. More than Carcel thinks."
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