Smiltle was still lost in thought when her father, Richard, approached, holding a steaming cup of tea. He had probably just made it in Aunt Lily's kitchen.
He smiled lightly, sat down in the chair across from her, and tilted his head as he looked at his daughter. "Kiddo, want to play a word association game with me?"
Smiltle blinked, slightly surprised, but then nodded. "Sure. You start first."
Richard took a sip of his tea, thought for a moment, and said, "Alright, let's start with the word 'home.'"
Smiltle answered immediately, without hesitation. "Prison."
Vivian—her mother—who was arranging some items on a nearby shelf, paused slightly at her daughter's response. But she said nothing, simply continuing to listen in silence.
Richard didn't seem to mind much and kept going. "Prison… Prisoner."
Smiltle tilted her head. "Witness."
Vivian stopped moving entirely.
Richard was still cheerfully playing along, unaware of the subtle change in his wife's gaze. "Evidence."
Smiltle smiled. "Redemption."
Vivian gently set the flower vase down on the shelf, crossed her arms, and looked straight at her daughter.
"Smiltle," she spoke, her voice soft but carrying a sharp edge, "do you often think about words like these?"
Smiltle blinked innocently. "I'm just playing the game."
Richard chuckled, ruffling his daughter's hair. "She's smart, that's all. She just likes words with strong meanings."
Vivian wasn't sure that was a good thing.
She had always taught her daughter to think more optimistically, to use her smile to face everything, but it seemed those lessons hadn't fully reached the girl's heart.
Smiltle was still playing the word game, but the words she spoke were… unsettling.
Vivian sighed but didn't intend to interrupt their fun.
Still, she would keep an eye on this.
As for her daughter, Smiltle didn't pay much attention to her mother's contemplative gaze. She simply continued playing with her father.
Richard was still cheerful, unaware of anything unusual. He took another sip of tea and said:
"Redemption… Remorse."
Smiltle thought for a moment. "Mistake."
"Lost path."
"Smuggling ring."
Vivian cleared her throat, but neither of them paid her any mind.
"Wire fence," Richard continued enthusiastically.
"Cold steel."
"Indifference."
"Pursuit."
Vivian was clearly beginning to frown.
Richard laughed, proud of how quick-witted his daughter was. "Kidnapping."
Smiltle tilted her head, her brown eyes narrowing with a hint of mischief. "Dead frog."
Richard burst out laughing. "You really have an interesting way of thinking."
Vivian put her hands on her hips, but before she could say anything, Lily's voice came from the doorway:
"Sorry for the delay, everyone. I got back a little late."
All three of them looked up. Lily walked into the room with a gentle smile, her expression as if no serious conversation had just taken place outside in the garden.
Gregory followed behind, his face unreadable as always.
He gave a slight nod to Richard and Vivian before turning to Smiltle. "I have to go now."
The girl blinked, slightly surprised. "You're not staying?"
Gregory looked at her for a moment, then shook his head slightly. "Not today."
Smiltle pressed her lips together but only shrugged. She wasn't the type to cling.
"Then see you later, Uncle Gregory."
Gregory didn't respond immediately. He just observed her for a brief second before finally saying,
"Yeah, see you."
He gave a brief farewell to the others and left shortly after. Lily made no move to stop him.
As the door closed, Smiltle rested her chin on the armrest of her chair, her eyes narrowing in thought.
Gregory seemed busier than she had expected.
Lily chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with a hint of pride, then she clapped her hands lightly. "Oh, right. Let me introduce someone. This is my son."
The door to the adjacent room opened, and a boy stepped in.
Smiltle froze immediately.
She couldn't quite put her feelings into words at that moment. Lily was undoubtedly an attractive woman, but her son completely outshone her.
The boy looked about eleven, slightly taller than Smiltle, with pale golden hair that shimmered under the room's warm lighting. His crystal-blue eyes, fair skin, and perfectly balanced features created an almost surreal harmony.
Looking at him, Smiltle felt as if she were facing a real angel.
He wasn't just handsome—he had the kind of beauty that made people stop and stare.
Lily gently placed a hand on her son's shoulder and spoke softly,
"This is Lucian Freud Hale, my son."
Lucian looked around the room, smiling politely. "Good evening, Mr. Richard, Mrs. Vivian." Then he turned to Smiltle, his blue eyes glinting with curiosity. "And… hello to you."
Smiltle took a second to regain her composure before raising an eyebrow, trying to keep her voice neutral.
"… Hello."
She hadn't even fully reacted when her mother nudged her lightly.
"You're staring, aren't you?" Vivian teased, her voice laced with amusement.
Smiltle jolted, quickly averting her gaze and muttering with a frown,
"No, I'm not."
Vivian chuckled softly, her gaze knowing. "Are you sure?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, blinking as if shaking off a stray thought. Truthfully, she was just… surprised. A little.
She simply hadn't expected to meet someone with such a radiant appearance.
Lucian, on the other hand, remained unfazed, showing no sign that he had noticed Smiltle's moment of hesitation. He only smiled gently and spoke with polite ease:
"We're the same age. You can just call me Lucian."
Smiltle cleared her throat, regaining her usual composure. "Alright, Lucian."
Lily smiled, satisfied that the two children were beginning to talk.
Lucian tilted his head slightly as if in thought, then suddenly flashed a mischievous smile. He turned to Smiltle, his voice polite, but his eyes gleaming with something else:
"Want to go outside and play?"
Smiltle blinked. "Outside?"
Lucian nodded, swiftly grabbing her wrist and pulling her along before she could protest.
"Let's give the adults some space to talk," he added, flashing a smile at his mother. Lily only raised an eyebrow but didn't object.
Vivian watched them go, then sighed. "Be careful, Smiltle."
Smiltle had her doubts but didn't say anything, allowing Lucian to lead her toward the front door.
Once they were out in the garden and beyond the adults' line of sight, Lucian suddenly stopped, let go of her wrist, and smirked—this time, with an unmistakably mischievous glint in his eyes.
That smile was completely different from the polite, well-mannered one he had shown earlier.
"Want to cause a little trouble?" Lucian asked, his voice dropping but unable to hide his excitement.
Smiltle raised an eyebrow, assessing the boy in front of her. She had assumed he was the obedient type, but apparently…
"What kind of trouble?"
Lucian blinked, his eyes gleaming slyly. "This house has a window near the roof that I've never tried climbing up to. If we work together, we can definitely get up there."
Smiltle crossed her arms, eyeing him skeptically. "And what if we fall?"
Lucian grinned. "Then at least we fall together."
Smiltle stared at him for a long moment before suddenly chuckling.
So this 'little angel' wasn't as perfect as he looked. And Smiltle quite liked that—at least, in some way.