Chapter 73: Trickery

‘Should I run away now?’

Sephine was torn.

The two in the bedroom were still discussing how to get Sephine trapped.

Listening to them, Sephine got goosebumps.

‘Innocent-looking Ai’er was actually thinking of these schemes? So her silence along the way was because she was figuring out how to trap me in the house?! That’s terrifying!’

“Why hasn’t Sister Sephine come over yet? Dad, keep lying down. I’ll go see what’s going on.”

“Don’t scare her away, okay? I don’t want all our plans to fall through because of you.”

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve been playing the victim for a long time. It might have damaged your reputation a bit… but it’s worth it!”

“Are you saying I drink every day again? I told you, your dad can’t get drunk. I just really like sleeping. Sleeping is so comfortable~”

‘What a close call! So it turns out all along it was Ai’er playing the victim. Good thing Sephine is a little smarter than them and knows how to eavesdrop, otherwise she would have been fooled by these two!’

“Sister Sephine?”

Ai’er was about to walk into the kitchen when Sephine hurriedly brought out the heated food.

“Hurry up and call Xiaomi out? I’ve already heated it.”

Once the food was delivered, Sephine would make a run for it.

She still had to go back to work in the afternoon.

If she was stopped, that would be really bad.

She glanced at her watch.

It was still early.

It wasn’t time to open the shop yet, so she could use the extra time to rest.

Maybe take a nap in one of the tavern seats.

“Dad!”

Ai’er walked into Misilanka’s room and saw him lying on the bed with his legs crossed.

“Sister Sephine has heated up the food. She’s waiting for you to eat.”

“Idiot, is that our plan? Didn’t we agree that you would get her to feed me?”

“Did we say that? I forgot.”

“Go quickly.”

Misilanka pushed Ai’er out the door, actually getting out of bed himself.

You see, getting him to leave the bed wasn’t easy.

As for tripping earlier, that was all an act, yes, all an act.

He wasn’t stupid enough to trip over a wine bottle…

Besides, those bottles were all scattered on the floor by him on purpose.

Usually, he would obediently put the wine bottles together, at most just tossing them around in the living room.

Ai’er walked over to the dining table, scratched her head, and after hesitating for a long time, finally said something.

“Um, Sister Sephine, Dad seems to be sick…”

“What? Did he drink too much?”

In Sephine’s eyes, Misilanka did look like a patient—sickly and listless.

“Even if you’re sick, you still have to eat.”

“So, can I ask Sister Sephine to feed Dad?”

“Well…”

Sephine glanced at her watch again.

It was still early.

It should still be fine.

It wasn’t too much to ask, so Sephine naturally agreed.

“Okay.”

The dishes Sephine had made for lunch were all light, just right for a sick person.

Seeing Sephine come in, Misilanka quickly lay down properly and pulled the blanket up to his neck.

Sephine stood by the bed, but Misilanka didn’t react.

Then Sephine remembered that Misilanka’s eyes seemed to have a problem—he couldn’t see well.

“Xiaomi, it’s me, Sephine.”

‘Calling my father-in-law that is still a bit too embarrassing. I don’t know what he was thinking—probably wanting to be friends with me? That’s why he used that kind of address. It feels like a breakdown of etiquette.’

“It’s you. What’s the matter?”

“Come and eat. Ai’er said you’re sick, so I’ll feed you.”

“No need to trouble little Sephine. I’m not hungry. I don’t need to eat.”

“How can that be? I don’t mind the trouble. When you’re sick, you have to eat well to get better quickly.”

Sephine helped Misilanka sit up, then spoon-fed him bite by bite.

Ai’er watched from outside, a little jealous.

She felt like her dad was hiding something from her, but she couldn’t guess what.

“Little Sephine’s cooking is really good. You’d make a good wife.”

“Really? I think it’s just okay…”

At this point, Sephine’s heart rippled with bitterness.

Misilanka probably didn’t know she had already divorced the Demon King.

She wondered what he would think if she told him.

Would he think she was shameless?

She had been avoiding his daughter everywhere, yet she secretly came to his house to feed him…

The more Sephine thought about it, the more embarrassed she became, and her face turned bright red.

What surprised Sephine even more was that this behavior, which she considered immoral, actually gave her a strong sense of excitement.

This was terrible… Was she broken?

Or had she spent too much time with perverts and become one herself?

What if the Demon King suddenly came back at this moment?

She would be done for.

If she wasn’t caught, she could still make excuses, but if she was caught red-handed, Sephine would have nowhere to run.

“It’s delicious. Just like her mother’s cooking.”

“Mother? Is that your wife?”

“That’s right. But she left a long time ago. It’s been a while since I’ve tasted such delicious food…”

“My condolences…”

“She’s not dead. She just went to a very faraway place to do something very important.”

“Is that so? Don’t you resent her? Leaving you and the two children behind like that.”

Sephine couldn’t help asking, even though it might be rude to Misilanka.

“She has her own dreams. I didn’t want to hold her back, so I stayed.”

“I see…”

“Let’s not talk about that. Little Sephine, have a bite too? I really think your cooking is delicious.”

“No thanks, Ai’er and I already ate.”

Either it was Misilanka’s illusion, or cooking more frequently had improved her skills.

Before, when she was alone, she always tried to just get by with her meals.

Now she had to consider the kids’ tastes, so she had researched how to cook better.

She didn’t expect it to be so effective.

Sephine’s mood improved a lot.

Misilanka really knew how to praise her, making Sephine temporarily forget what their purpose was.

“Are you full? If not, I can make a bit more.”

The food she brought back was already finished.

Despite saying he wasn’t hungry, Misilanka’s body was honest.

“I’m full~”

Having only filled his stomach with alcohol and snacks for a long time, Misilanka had finally eaten a proper meal.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

“Wait.”

Misilanka called Sephine back.

The protagonist hadn’t appeared yet—how could he let her leave now?

He had called Vi to come home early, so why wasn’t she here yet?

What an unworthy daughter.

He hadn’t taken Ai’er’s request seriously at all.

From the start, it was all about getting Vi to come back and meet Sephine, letting this old father help the young couple resolve their conflict.

That was something he was best at.