Dad is Back From a Deserted Island - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Father has returned from the Deserted Island
Chapter 13

The Garden was filled with a mist that evoked an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere.
A flower bed that bore the unmistakable touch of professional hands—though Vivian had no way of knowing—marble-paved grounds, exquisite sculptures, and a fountain from which crystalline water flowed without cease.
Though I had never been here before, I walked forward without a trace of fear.
The plush grass and the pristine marble ornaments scattered throughout felt strangely familiar.
As if I had visited this place countless times, as if it were—
“Daddy!”
While admiring a sculpture entwined with rose vines, my foot caught and tangled. Seeing the ground rushing toward me, I stretched out my arms and squeezed my eyes shut.
Yet no matter how long I waited, I felt no impact against the floor.
Instead, I felt something catch me, so I cautiously opened one eye to see.
“…!”
A person’s arms were supporting my body.
Not the arms of an adult, but those of a child—slender and delicate. Curious about who they belonged to, I lifted my gaze, and my breath caught.
“Gasp.”
The moment our eyes met, a vivid crimson pierced through my heart.
Eyes of such a captivating red.
Long lashes casting shadows above them.
A sharp nose and delicate lips as if carved with meticulous care by the greatest sculptor.
Skin so pure and white it rivaled the marble behind him.
A boy of such inhuman beauty that he seemed impossible to be real.
If there was a flaw, it was the icy coldness of his expression, but even that vanished in an instant.
The boy’s frigid eyes, upon seeing me trembling, warmed as if touched by a gentle breeze.
“A fairy…?”
“A fairy, you say.”
My words, spoken as if entranced, paired with his subtle smile, formed a masterpiece.
“You’re not a fairy? Then an angel?”
“Not an angel either.”
“Then who are you?”
The boy straightened my body as he answered.
“Diti.”
“Huh?”
“Just call me Diti, Vivi.”
There was a certain intensity in Diti’s voice as he spoke those two syllables—Vivi.
“Right, Diti! You’re really beautiful. Oh? How did you know my name?”
“You told me yourself.”
Vivian’s head tilted as she started to protest that we’d only just met, but the words caught in her throat.
“Did I? No, we only just met…”
“Yeah. Have you met Dad?”
Vivian, who had been tilting her head in confusion at this inexplicable familiarity, nodded. Just hearing the word “Dad” seemed to bring her joy—a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“So I can keep living with Dad from now on? Today I even went to the Neighboring Village with Dad!”
“That’s wonderful. You missed him so much.”
“Yes! I’m so, so happy!”
When Diti extended his hand, Vivian grasped it as naturally as she always had, without hesitation.
Jean’s Wife’s warning about never following strangers because it was dangerous had long since faded from memory.
The boy, who appeared to be her age, hardly seemed like a “dangerous person” at all.
“Hehe.”
As Vivian walked forward holding Diti’s hand, she laughed softly at the pleasant sensation of soft grass beneath her feet with each step.
The sound of water spraying from the fountain was lovely too.
And the faint birdsong drifting from far away.
It was a place as beautiful as stepping into a fairy tale.
We arrived at a Gazebo with vines wrapped around white columns.
The long benches beneath the blue roof were a bit too high for Vivian, who was considerably shorter than children her age.
“Here goes… oof?”
Just as Vivian was naturally trying to climb onto the bench, Diti effortlessly lifted her up and set her down on it.
“Wow! You’re incredibly strong!”
“You’re just very light.”
Vivian bounced her feet in amazement. Diti was bigger than her, sure, but he was still just a child!
“But Peter is two years older than me and couldn’t lift me like that? Wait, how old are you anyway?”
“One year older than you. …That Peter fellow—you’re not living with him now, are you?”
The moment Diti heard Peter’s name, his eyebrows twitched.
“So you’re eight? Wait, how did you even know I’m one year younger than you?”
“Because you told me.”
“No I didn’t, I’m telling you!”
“Anyway, you’re not still living with that Peter fellow, are you?”
“No. Um, some man in armor took him away. Dad said he’d probably end up living at a relative’s house.”
“And his parents?”
“Ron and Mary? Um, uh… they’re, they’re going to Prison, I think. How do you seriously know all this?”
But Diti seemed to have no intention of satisfying Vivian’s curiosity. He simply raised his hand and stroked her cotton-candy-like hair.
“Prison, huh. That’s good. I’m relieved, Vivi.”
“Ugh! You won’t answer any of my questions! Why do you get to ask all the questions!”
Vivian’s cheeks puffed out indignantly.
Unfortunately, her angry expression was not threatening in the slightest.
She looked exactly like an angry little rabbit.
“Sorry. It’s just… I had so many questions about you.”
Diti poked Vivian’s cheek lightly with his finger, then opened his hand to cradle her face gently.
“There was so much I wanted to ask you.”
As his careful touch traced her features, Vivian’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson.
A tingling sensation.
It felt like feathery grass brushing against the inside of her chest.
The boy’s eyes—possessing remarkably delicate features—held nothing but her in their gaze.
As Vivian placed a hand over her heart and took several deep breaths, experiencing a tremor unlike anything she’d felt before, Diti waited without rushing her at all.
Thanks to his patience, Vivian soon found her composure returning.
Before long, they continued their conversation endlessly, sharing trivial stories that felt both wonderfully joyful and strangely familiar.
Midway through their exchange, Diti suddenly looked up at the sky.
Though his expression remained blank, a hint of reluctance seemed to shadow his features.
“Your father is looking for you.”
“What?”
“It’s time for us to part.”
“My father’s looking for me? But I don’t see him anywhere.”
Vivian sprang from her chair and looked around, following Diti’s gaze.
Yet no matter how hard she searched, her father was nowhere to be found.
She couldn’t even hear her name being called.
The mist seemed to grow thicker somehow.
Her head felt a little heavy, and a dizziness crept over her as well.
She couldn’t see the boy’s face as he offered his farewell.
“Until we meet again, Vivian.”
Only his voice remained.

* * *

“Vivian! Wake up!”
“Mmm…?”
The morning sunlight stung my eyes.
When I opened them again after squinting, the face before me came into focus—Jean’s.
“Dad?”
“Yes, it’s Dad. Our little princess. You must have been exhausted yesterday. Even when I tried to wake you several times, you wouldn’t budge.”
“Huh? Where’s Diti…?”
“The divine beast woke up long ago. Come on, get up and have breakfast!”
“Wait, it wasn’t Kiki I was thinking of. Hmm, who was it again?”
“Come back from dreamland now, please.”
“Ugh.”
My mind felt foggy, as though I’d just awakened from a fairy’s enchantment.
I’d definitely been with someone.
It felt like something I shouldn’t forget.
As Jean carried me to the Dining Room, I racked my brain the entire way trying to remember who I’d been searching for, but no one came to mind.
Kiki, dressed in the clothes we’d bought yesterday, was glaring at the food on the table when Kiki spotted me and immediately grew indignant.
[Vivian! My belly was practically sticking to my back! Not only did you fail to attend to this one’s meal, but you slept in late!]
“Oh no! Because of Kiki, I forgot what I was thinking about!”
[What? How dare you blame your own foolishness on someone else…!]
By the time we reached the Dining Room, I’d completely forgotten what I’d been worrying about, too busy bickering with Kiki.
Jean had prepared a simple breakfast of baguette to dip in cream stew.
I waited for the stew to soak into the crispy bread until it turned tender, and the taste was absolutely divine.
Jean watched his daughter eat with puffy cheeks and a blissful expression, then returned his focus to his own work.
He ate the stew absently, his gaze never leaving the map spread across the table.
“Let’s see~ where could the mine be~”
Kiki observed Jean intently.
[Vivian. Why is that human singing to himself?]
“Huh? Adults always do that. Whenever they’re looking for something, they always do.”
[Why is he searching for a mine?]
“Um… I don’t know either. But what is a mine anyway? Dad! What’s a mine?”
“It’s a mountain where you dig into the earth and find things like gems. Sorry, Vivian. I told you not to do other things while eating, but Dad isn’t setting a good example. I’m searching for something incredibly important right now….”
“Wow! You can find gems by digging in the earth? It must be a mountain that sparkles so much!”
[Hmm. Something important, you say. Very well. Since I’m quite fond of this outfit, I shall bestow my favor upon the tall human!]
“Huh?”
[…I’m saying I’ll find the mine for you!]
“Eh?”
“Vivian. What’s wrong?”
“Kiki says Kiki will find the mine for you.”
“Eh?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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