Liar and Liar - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 25

 

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Danielle slowly opened her eyes, and the moment she realized she was lying on a bed, her eyes snapped wide open.

 

Something was blocking her view. The room that had only dim, subdued lighting when she entered with Frederick had somehow brightened up as if nothing had happened.

 

‘Did I really fall asleep?’

 

Danielle realized what was blocking her vision.

 

“…”

 

On top of the blanket, Frederick lay on his side, holding Danielle who was covered alone by the blanket. Danielle unconsciously looked down to check her clothes. She was still wearing the hoodie Frederick had put on her.

 

‘This is driving me crazy…’

 

Even though she was the only one covered by the blanket, she was too close to Frederick’s upper body. Danielle, who had been blinking without moving for a moment, slowly closed her eyes again.

 

“…”

 

Then she took a deep breath and her lungs expanded. A woody scent like vegetation lingered around her nose, then quickly disappeared after a few breaths. Her nose had become dull, adapted to the same scent.

 

‘Thank goodness I didn’t wake up too late…’

 

Just like Saturday, Danielle was busy with scheduled activities on Sunday too. On Sundays, she had to take care of her younger sibling instead of her mother who went to church, and today was especially important because they had to visit the hospital.

 

She planned to somehow get out of bed and quietly leave the room. But the first step of secretly escaping from the bed failed within 5 seconds.

 

It was the moment Danielle pressed one hand on the bed to lift her shoulder.

 

“Good morning, honey.”

 

Frederick’s voice was languid, but not hoarse from sleep.

 

“You’re thinking of running away from me the moment you wake up.”

 

“…You said there were many rooms.”

 

“That’s right. Did you sleep well?”

 

Whether the bed was expensive or what, Danielle had actually slept extremely well. It had been a while since she felt like she had slept so soundly.

 

“I slept well. Did the kids leave?”

 

I can’t have weird rumors spreading. That’s why she asked about the others first.

 

“They left not long after the movie ended. It’s quiet now, isn’t it?”

 

“I guess so.”

 

Danielle, who was about to get out of bed and go to the bathroom, stopped in her tracks at the ocean view visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

 

The dark blue ocean that had seemed to lurk with man-eating sharks was now rippling golden as if nothing had happened. She could see the sun, just peeking its head over the horizon at the corner of the window, dyeing everything golden.

 

When Danielle came out after washing her face and brushing her teeth in the bathroom, Frederick was standing in front of the window looking at the ocean.

 

“I’m going to leave now.”

 

“You have to give me a ride too.”

 

“What?”

 

What are you talking about. Why should I. Danielle stared at Frederick with that expression. He was languid and nonchalant.

 

“I came in Matty’s car. So I don’t have a car.”

 

“How about walking? Your legs are perfectly fine.”

 

Danielle, who answered carelessly, had already picked up her bag that was placed on the table. Even though it was just a casual remark, her attacks were always blocked without impact, while the opponent’s casual words hit Danielle right in the solar plexus.

 

Like this.

 

“You’re still wearing the hoodie.”

 

Danielle was visibly flustered. Like a real thief caught stealing.

 

“I was going to take it off. Right now. I’ll give it back immediately.”

 

“There’s no need. Keep wearing it. Let’s go down to the ocean.”

 

“Why the ocean all of a sudden?”

 

“Just a walk. It’s perfect right now.”

 

No sharks. Frederick said that with a faint smile, but Danielle had a different thought.

 

The person saying that seemed like a shark himself. That kind of vicious shark that ruthlessly tears apart its prey.

 

‘Is this the same ocean I saw yesterday…?’

 

The wind brushing against her face and tousling her hair was stronger than expected. But Danielle felt like her mind was clearing instead.

 

Wondering if this was the same ocean she saw yesterday was partly due to the endlessly peaceful atmosphere, but also because the screen that had stood tall until last night had completely disappeared without a trace.

 

As they came down to the beach, Frederick extended his hand, but Danielle lightly declined. On top of that, she was now contemplating something else.

 

‘I don’t want to give Frederick Bastia a ride.’

 

They had been stuck together too long, too intensely, too absurdly.

 

She thought abandoning him might be too mean, but figured there would be staff managing the villa anyway, so he’d probably find a way somehow.

 

“This makes us look like newlyweds, haha.”

 

‘No, we don’t.’

 

Don’t talk nonsense. The scale definitely tipped further toward abandoning Frederick.

 

“Do you hate holding hands?”

 

“I’ll pass.”

 

She spoke dryly, but Danielle was actually looking at the ocean and reminiscing about her Lower School days.

 

Contrary to last night’s premonition that she might dream about Lower School, Danielle didn’t dream at all. Instead, she found herself reflecting on old memories while looking at the ocean.

 

“You can just confirm it with your own two eyes. By going to the ocean.”

 

It was just a handful of words, but her heart ached. Frederick back then had been innocent and pure.

 

Frederick Bastia always makes everything go his way. Danielle realized this fact quickly even as a child.

 

‘I was really pissed off back then too.’

 

Don’t they say a gentleman’s revenge is never too late even after ten years?

 

It seemed like she should execute her revenge for the past right now.

 

“Frederick.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Frederick was looking at the ocean like layered blue carpet with one hand covering his eyes. His head turned to the side.

 

“There’s something trendy these days, want to do it with me?”

 

Since she had already packed her things, there was no need to go back up the stairs to the house.

 

‘The slope leading to the parking lot is…’

 

Danielle drew a map in her head. She was trying to gauge the shortest route to the car.

 

“Sure. What is it?”

 

“It’s a famous challenge on TikTok. You stay here, and I run first. You wait 5…”

 

Danielle looked up to confirm Frederick’s height, which she had to crane her neck to see completely. The challenge was 5 seconds, but outrunning that physique in just 5 seconds seemed impossible no matter how she thought about it.

 

“-No, wait 10 seconds then run.”

 

“And then I catch you?”

 

Frederick smiled leisurely with his arms crossed. He seemed to regard it as nothing more than a silly prank.

 

“Right. How about it?”

 

“10 seconds is fine? I don’t mind.”

 

For a moment, Danielle hesitated whether to extend it to 15 seconds, but then gave up.

 

Even though there was a physical difference, Frederick Bastia wasn’t on any sports team, while Danielle was particularly confident in running among sports. Even though her main event was long distance, sprinting was also Danielle’s specialty.

 

‘He seems quite strong, but running is a different domain.’

 

Since Frederick was always half-hearted during PE classes, Danielle had never seen him run properly. Danielle held her shoulder bag with one arm.

 

“I’ll shout ‘start’ and run, then you count to 10. I’ll count in my head too, so don’t count too fast.”

 

“I’ll count with my phone. Okay?”

 

Frederick was smiling, seemingly enjoying whatever this was. He turned on the stopwatch on his phone and showed it to Danielle.

 

‘Your smiling will end soon, won’t it?’

 

Danielle quietly caught her breath. She was determined to run with all her might to the car and really abandon Frederick.

 

Maybe I’ve been training in running for this very moment.

 

Danielle clenched her fist where it couldn’t be seen. Since they had walked quite a bit on the beach, she had to run quite a distance to the slope leading to the parking lot.

 

“Then, st…art!”

 

Danielle, who had bent her upper body a beat early, shot forward the moment she shouted the starting signal.

 

Unlike the track she usually ran on, the sensation of her feet sinking deep into the sand was unfamiliar, but Danielle ran with all her might as if she were in the Olympics.

 

’10, 9…’

 

If it had been the track, or at least decent flat ground, she would have run twice as fast as this.

 

Knowing her original speed, Danielle felt like she was going crazy with frustration at her body not moving forward as she thought. The numbers she had been counting in her head had already evaporated without a trace.

 

‘Wait, how far did I count?’

 

Even though she was running like her life depended on it, the edge of the beach looked endlessly far away. Another difficulty was that footsteps weren’t easily heard on the beach. It must have been more than 10 seconds by now.

 

She felt an eerie sensation for a moment, but Danielle only thought about her goal. That was the principle of running and also why Danielle loved running.

 

Don’t think about anything else. Just look ahead. Only think about the goal.

 

Whatever comes into your field of vision, don’t look at it and only see the path I need to take. Perhaps the reason I was able to endure at the bottom of Elmir Westlake without a single friend was thanks to acquiring this mindset through running.

 

Finally, the path leading to the parking lot came clearly into view. I could see the boundary line of the beach.

 

‘Good, I’m almost there.’

 

But something was strange. The eerie feeling I’d experienced while running pushed against my back once again. Danielle belatedly realized it was the presence of something.

 

And the moment she realized it, her upper body was tightly wrapped in strong arms and both her feet lifted off the beach, floating up into the air.

 

“Kyaaaah!”

 

Genuinely startled, Danielle turned her head toward the being that had embraced her from behind. Naturally, it was Frederick who had captured Danielle as if catching prey.

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