Chapter 157 – Behind the Mask 2

The town of Edawick has been getting a lot of support from its neighboring fiefs. Not to mention that a certain somebody started to like the bread that they were producing. At first, she was glad just eating the bread. But to think that the person that made the bread was him.

She was surprised again. She started to like him even more!

Dolce’s feelings didn’t come out of anywhere. She liked him not because of his appearance. She met him when he was so thin that she thought he might snap like a twig. She didn’t like him because of niceness and all of that. He was no flatterer and every time they speak he would give her nothing but words of hatred or defiance.

She liked him by the single fact that he has earned her respect and interest. She has seen how he rise from a thin slave deprived of everything into someone who could trick a smith into suicide and bring down a web of officials just for revenge.

It was simply too astonishing that she could not help but respect and like him. Of course, that feeling was growing. She found the guy amusing and fun. And as she was biting to the bread she bought. She could not help but turn her eyes in the direction where Joshua was carrying the crib. She wanted to know. So she followed. She bit the bread and wiped the crumbs from her mouth. Her gaze turned to the window and she saw Joshua happily playing with the twins.

“Ah,” she mumbled thoughtlessly. “Is that your real face?”

She has never seen him make such a face. All she has seen was despair and hatred. Not once did she saw him make such a face. And the scene that she was seeing caused some jealousy in her heart. Not because of those who were around him, but because of the sunny scene before her.

She thought of a memory that was buried under much sadness. She closed her eyes and thought of the days where her mother was alive. She recalled the days where she was surrounded by family and optimism. Yet, a single tragic event caused all of that to disappear. That loving family was gone. The father with a fine smile disappeared. The mother she loved was under six-feet of dirt.

That memory was something that she had buried because of grief. But seeing such happy scene made her think of the past. The bread on her hand started getting stale. The cheerful expression that she had disappeared and was replaced by face filled with sorrow. She ate her piece of bread. She then wiped her face with a handkerchief that has her name neatly sewn to it. It covered her face like a mask. Those who were passing by could not see what face she was making behind that mask was. What kind of expression was she making as she hides her face?

...

Joshua left Dan’s house. The twins that he was playing with were reaching out towards him. They were speaking baby words that he could not understand. But Joshua could tell by their puppy-like eyes that they want to play with him. Of course, he knew that the two brats simply wanted to pull his hair and take revenge. Lumen, the little boy was a protective one, while Lily was a cheeky brat that was subtly tricky.

The two toddlers were not even a year old but they were terrifyingly smart. Of course, Joshua might be just paranoid about them. “Goodbye you two, make sure to stay good okay?”

He waved his hands at the two. He turned around walked forward. He looked up and saw Dolce daydreaming on a bench. She was sitting without moving. Her eyes were misty. Her golden hair tied into a ponytail swayed from left to right. She would have look like a painting but the bread crumbs on her chin and cheeks ruined that picture.

“What is this devil doing?” he sneered. He looked at the handkerchief on her hand. He wanted to leave but seeing how stupid looking she was acting. Joshua could not help but take the handkerchief on her hand forcefully wipe it on her face.

She was startled. She jolted and her back hit the floor flat! She blinked. She stared at Joshua’s grumpy face. She didn’t smile. “Give it back please.”

“Here,” Joshua tried to keep a poker face but couldn’t. “Can you please stop daydreaming here with bread crumbs on your face? You look stupid, no, actually, you should act like this more. It suits you!”

“Is that so?”

Joshua did not expect that reply. Usually, she would smile devilishly and retort with something sexually suggestive. Joshua raised his brow. He was surprised by that lackluster reply of hers.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Although he hated her, the look she was giving made him curious. “You are not sick or something?”

“Oh no, just looking back at some old memories. Family...I think I needed to visit mother,” she said while looking at the sky. “I wonder if my father has been visiting mama’s grave. Has it been taken care off? Did they clean it?”

She was mumbling to herself. Her right hand touched her chin as she thought deeply. Joshua crossed his arms. He looked at Dolce and was about to speak something when she suddenly stood up and put her hands inside her coat. She walked while her eyes were facing the flagstone road. She was listlessly walking back to the direction of skyship.

Joshua didn’t know what to say to the sudden change of thoughts that Dolce was showing. He looked at her again. She was still walking down the road as if nothing mattered. There were carts and pedestrians along the road. There were buildings carrying brick and mortar. She avoided them all but Joshua followed behind.

He predated her until she stepped out of the town and went back to her skyship. Joshua looked at her departing figure before settling his eyes at the path that leads to the graveyard. It didn’t take him long to reach the graveyard. He looked for Silo’s tombstones and seeing it. He sat cross-legged and pulled out a bottle of alcohol.