I Live With My Villain Uncle Chapter 26

The shopkeepers who ran somewhat larger stores and knew Cassel by face were fond of Aika, but with Cassel standing there, they didn’t dare speak carelessly.

Those who didn’t know him were extremely taken with Aika.

Even they, however, became visibly tense as soon as they noticed the nameplate.

She even insisted on squeezing her way through the crowds, repeatedly calling out,

“Excuse meee! Just passing through! Thank you!”

It was enough to give Cassel a headache.

This was probably Aika’s first time being out for such a long time, but it was also Cassel’s first time making such a ridiculous outing.

Then Aika suddenly stopped in front of a large shop.

It was a toy and doll store.

Once again, a flash of light seemed to sparkle in her eyes, and she headed toward the shop as though hypnotized.

“U-Uncle, I’m just looking!”

Aika quickly got ahead of him, afraid he might refuse.

Cassel wanted to tease her again when he saw that expression, but he decided it would be much more efficient to let her loose inside the shop and spend some time there.

Her legs might be short, but she had plenty of stamina. They had already covered more than half of the market.

Even when he told her to go with Zenda and said he would follow on his own, she stubbornly held onto his hand and refused to let go.

Seria had once said that children could disappear in an instant and had to be watched at all times.

If Cassel let go for even one second, Aika would immediately latch onto his finger like she was afraid someone might snatch him away.

At least there was little chance of losing her somewhere.

There was an even larger toy store that House Vallier operated in the busy district, but since this was her first time, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to let her look around a smaller one.

But why was she acting like she had never seen a toy before?

He had sent entire shops’ worth of toys to her several times since she was still babbling as a baby.

Had she really not received a single toy from her mother?

There was no way he could ask her now whether she had received all the toys he had given her.

“Then look around.”

“Thank you, Uncle!”

The moment Cassel gave his permission, Aika abruptly released his finger and shot into the store like lightning.

“Hello! Can I look at the dolls?”

She clasped both hands together and gave the shopkeeper a loud, proper bow at the waist.

“……At least she’s incredibly polite.”

Cassel shook his head and followed her inside.

Aika’s resolve to just look didn’t last very long.

She hesitated for a while in front of a doll that looked like her, then beckoned him over.

“Uncle, I want this one.”

Her voice was noticeably lacking in confidence, as though she remembered what she had said about only looking.

“You said you were just going to look.”

A cloud immediately settled over her face.

Cassel suppressed the urge to smile.

“I’ll listen to you really well, so can you buy it for me?”

“When have you ever listened to me?”

“I mean I’ll listen from now on! Uncle has lots of money.”

“Uncle is a beggar. Earn your own money and buy it.”

Cassel crossed his arms with a crooked expression and refused to give in easily.

It should be about time for that little head of hers to start turning and her feet to start stamping.

“L-lie! And I…… I can’t work yet! If Uncle buys it, I’ll pay you back when I grow up!”

“Then buy it when you grow up.”

Cassel shrugged leisurely.

Aika’s pupils shook like an earthquake.

Then she raised both hands and began folding down her fingers one by one, apparently calculating something.

She folded all the fingers on one hand, then moved on to the sixth finger on the other.

When that still wasn’t enough, she looked up at him again.

“What if it’s gone by the time I grow up?”

“Then there’s nothing you can do.”

“But that won’t work……”

“Then just make the same one when you grow up.”

Aika’s eyes trembled again.

It was time for her ultimate weapon.

The universal trump card:

The old man.

“I want it now, Uncle. Uncle has lots of money. Grandfather said I could ask you for anything I wanted!”

“Grandfather didn’t say anything to me.”

At that, the corners of Aika’s round eyes tilted upward in a sulky little expression.

Wow. Uncle is seriously unfair.

It was written all over her face.

Her cheeks were puffed up with dissatisfaction, but because she still wanted the doll, she couldn’t quite bring herself to show how upset she was.

She timidly fiddled with the very tip of the doll’s fur.

Zenda and Gerard had to suppress their laughter.

Of all the dolls she could have chosen, she had picked the most ridiculous-looking one.

Out of all those dolls.

It wasn’t a dog, a bear, or a cat, yet its fur was white.

And it was wearing a necklace, too.

Did she think that made it look just like her?

Whatever the reason, her taste was certainly peculiar.

The shopkeeper, who had been worried that he might not make a sale, suddenly broke into a bright smile when Gerard quietly whispered something to him and obediently pretended not to notice what was happening.

The only person in the shop who failed to realize what was going on was Aika.

 

***

 

He really didn’t buy it!

I left the shop feeling utterly dejected.

It was such a small doll!

It really was a very small doll!

Of course, I had hundreds of dolls at home, but I didn’t have a single one that looked exactly like that doll.

I slept hugging a different doll every night, one at a time, so it was actually about time I got a new one.

It would have been perfect!

But Uncle kept saying he was a poor beggar and refused to buy it for me.

Liar.

Maybe I should have asked to trade my necklace for it.

I shouldn’t have said I was only going to look when we first entered.

I should have said I would pick just one thing.

I should have listened to Uncle properly yesterday.

No, if I hadn’t followed him to the banquet……

No, even before that……

My thoughts kept branching off until I finally gave up.

I tried begging Uncle again, but it didn’t work at all.

I even instinctively knew it.

This time, he absolutely wasn’t going to buy it.

So I had no choice but to give up and head toward the flower shop.

But Gerard was nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen him since we left the toy store.

“Where’s Gerard?”

“He’ll show up when he’s good and ready.”

“What if he gets lost?”

“Is he you?”

“He’ll catch up soon, My lady.”

“Okay!”

I put my disappointment behind me and continued toward the flower shop.

Hmm……

But where exactly was it from here?

I always came here just to go to the flower shop, so this was the first time I had looked around the market thoroughly before going there.

I thought I might have to go back to the carriage depot to find the way.

But if I did that, Uncle would probably just climb into the carriage and leave.

Definitely.

I held Uncle’s hand tightly and searched for a route that looked as familiar as possible.

After getting lost several times, I finally found the flower shop I always went to.

“Uncle, there it is!”

I pointed toward the little flower shop in the distance, marked by a small sign.

“Go buy what you need and come back quickly.”

Uncle pushed me forward as he spoke.

“Uncle isn’t coming? I always bought flowers there . There’s a really kind and pretty lady there.”

“I told you already. It’s a bother, so hurry up and buy them. Zenda, take the kid and get whatever she needs.”

In the end, instead of going with Uncle, I held Zenda’s hand and headed toward the flower shop.

“I wanted to go with Uncle.”

“He must be tired. Let’s buy the flowers quickly and head back.”

“Okay! I wanted to show Uncle the flower shop, too, but I guess it can’t be helped.”

Next time, I really had to come here without stopping anywhere else.

I held Zenda’s hand and walked toward the flower shop.

“Welcome, oh, Aika……? How……?”

“Hello, big sister!”

I greeted the pretty lady I hadn’t seen in a long time.

Apparently, Mom had first met the lady who ran this flower shop because of a carriage accident.

One evening, when Mom was returning home late from work, the lady had come out of an alley and collided with her carriage.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been seriously injured, but Mom learned that she had only recently come to the capital and had nowhere to stay, so she provided her with medical treatment and a place to stay.

They remained close after that, and Mom eventually helped her secure a shop.

Even when the lady tried to refuse, Mom stubbornly insisted until she finally opened this flower shop.

In truth, I had seen her fewer than ten times altogether.

Even so, whenever I came, she always welcomed me warmly.

She would even give me one of the prettiest flowers that had bloomed that day.

The moment she spotted me, the flower shop lady put down the flowers and gardening shears and came over.

She knelt in front of me and looked at me for a long while.

“……Aika. Have you been well?”

For some reason, she looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

I thought I knew why she was making that expression.

She had been close to Mommy, too.