Faced with his daughter's innocent face, Lake couldn't say anything.
Fortunately, these two noble young ladies didn't seem to mind his foolish daughter's words.
Otherwise, he would have had no choice but to press his daughter's head down in apology.
"In any case, welco to our ho, young ladies. I hope you won't mind the humble accommodations..."
Lake and Judy had prepared well in advance and warmly received them, setting out a sumptuous lunch.
Shanie hugged her round, full belly and sighed:
"Country food really is the best. Though it's not as refined as city food, it's fresher... burp..."
As she spoke, Shanie even let out a satisfied burp.
Celitia was about to respond when she suddenly heard commotion from outside.
"Lake! Lake! Co out quickly!!"
Soone was loudly calling Lake's na.
Lake's expression changed. He hurriedly stood up from the dining table and forced a smile for them:
"Shanie, keep our guests company. Dad has sothing to handle, I'll step out for a mont."
"Okay!" Shanie's mouth was stuffed with food as she nodded vigorously.
Watching Lake's retreating figure, Celitia looked thoughtful: "Is sothing wrong?"
The voice from outside didn't sound friendly.
And Lake's reaction just now seed sowhat anxious.
"Probably so friend asking Dad to go drinking?" Shanie didn't care at all. "They often do this, nothing strange about it."
Seeing Shanie wasn't concerned, Celitia couldn't probe deeper and had to temporarily suppress her doubts.
"Dad always goes out drinking by himself but won't let drink," Shanie continued complaining. "I can only drink secretly—it's so unfair!"
Celitia gave her a look:
"You're clearly still young, yet you think about drinking all day. I wonder who corrupted you."
But she couldn't help thinking of another purpose hidden in her heart when she agreed to Shanie's invitation this ti.
"What's wrong with drinking? Dad likes to drink, Teacher likes to drink, even Mom drinks occasionally..." Shanie grumbled indignantly. "Besides, I'm not young anymore!"
"Right," Celitia suddenly seized the opportunity. "I rember you ntioned having a teacher."
"Yes, though co to think of it, I haven't seen Teacher for quite a while."
Shanie rested her chin on her hand. "Teacher's whereabouts are unpredictable—he disappears suddenly and then appears suddenly."
Indeed, with Erwin's personality, it would be difficult for him to stay obediently in one place...
"aning he might not be here?"
Celitia said this casually, trying to hide the disappointnt rising in her heart.
"With weather this cold, Teacher probably wouldn't wander around everywhere. Maybe he's just in the village?"
At this point, Shanie belatedly realized: "Huh, Lily, are you very interested in Teacher?"
Suddenly having her thoughts exposed by Shanie, Celitia was startled and quickly tried to cover:
"Because I feel like your teacher seems very interesting, so I wanted to see what kind of person could teach soone like you."
Celitia felt her answer was stiff, but Shanie didn't think in any other direction at all.
"Right, Teacher really is a very interesting person. I'd love to introduce you all to him!"
Shanie was very happy. "Then later, let's go to Teacher's place to find him. I hope he's ho right now!"
Celitia breathed a sigh of relief: Finally managed to get through that...
Even knowing they couldn't recognize each other, thinking about seeing her teacher again, Celitia couldn't help but feel anticipation.
Unfortunately, this anticipation turned to disappointnt after pushing open the wooden door of Erwin's residence.
The things inside were arranged neatly and covered with a thin layer of dust, looking like no one had lived there for so ti.
Shanie refused to give up and ran around the various rooms, but finally could only return disappointed.
"It seems Teacher has been out for a while and hasn't returned, otherwise the things inside wouldn't be arranged so neatly..."
Celitia walked to the table and picked up a piece of paper pressed under an overturned cup.
On the thin white paper was written a line of bold, flowing words:
[Gone out drinking, will return when I've had enough. Don't worry.]
Celitia felt dazed for a mont.
Familiar handwriting, familiar words.
Her fingertips pressed slightly harder, creasing the paper in several places.
"Eh? Teacher left a note?"
Shanie ca over and looked at the paper in Celitia's hand.
"Teacher really did go out," Shanie comforted her. "Don't be so disappointed, Lily. Maybe Teacher will be back tomorrow."
Hurriedly putting the paper back in its original position, Celitia protested: "I... I'm not disappointed."
"Huh? I feel like your expression doesn't say that though."
Shanie curiously tilted her head but didn't continue probing.
"Forget it, anyway Teacher will co back on his own when he's done playing. Even if he doesn't co back this ti, there'll be another chance to et."
Celitia nodded silently.
Unable to see Erwin, the three had to return to Shanie's house again.
After a morning of running around, all three were sowhat tired.
Judy warmly arranged rooms for them and let them rest.
This sleep lasted most of the afternoon.
Perhaps because the day hadn't gone very smoothly, when Celitia woke up, she felt sowhat irritated.
Shanie was still sleeping soundly in her room, but Benita was already up, sitting at the table by the window.
Benita was resting her chin on her hands, staring at the scenery outside the window, lost in thought for a long ti.
Celitia watched her for quite a while, but Benita never noticed and showed no reaction.
"Let's go for a walk, Benita." Celitia suddenly spoke up.
"Ah?"
Benita was startled and finally ca back to her senses, looking at Celitia in confusion.
"You've been sowhat absent-minded, haven't you," Celitia continued. "Then let's go out for so fresh air. How about it?"
"This..." Benita instinctively wanted to refuse.
However, after thinking about it, she fell silent and finally slowly nodded.
Celitia told Judy not to wake Shanie, then went out for a stroll with Benita.
In the evening at Paril Village, the streets were still bustling with people going about their business.
To the two unfamiliar faces that suddenly appeared, they still greeted them warmly.
Responding to those people, Celitia turned a corner and walked toward a quiet corner of the village.
"Benita," she suddenly spoke up. "Can I ask you a question?"
Benita looked surprised: "What question?"
"It's like this..."
Celitia considered for a mont, then slowly continued.
"Suppose one day your mother suddenly told you that you weren't her biological daughter...
That so uncontrollable accident happened back then, and you were accidentally switched with another person. What would you think?"
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