No Evil Lady in the World (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 86

A faint expression flickered across Sediloi’s face. Suddenly, a memory from his childhood surfaced—like still water overturned, stirring up the things that had long lain buried beneath, now rising hazily to the surface.

But it’s alright, he thought. More than longing or pain, he could focus on Ariante right before him, whose eyes sparkled with eager anticipation. Meiana had been right—guilt like this was of no help at all.

When Sediloi nodded, Ariante leaped up excitedly and said,

“I’ll go first! I’ll hide first! Father, you find me!”

“Alright, let’s do that. Will counting to ten be enough?”

“Yes! Great!”

Sediloi turned his body away and closed his eyes, counting to ten. At first, he could hear Ariante’s busy footsteps circling nearby, then gradually fading into the distance.

He counted slowly. It felt as though laughter—laughter that shouldn’t be heard from anywhere—was reaching his ears. It sounded like young Verbo’s voice, or perhaps his own, or maybe even Liriya’s. Suddenly, he imagined about ten children appearing and circling around him, laughing merrily.

When he abruptly opened his eyes, Ariante had vanished from sight. Sediloi turned around, scanning the beautifully arranged, spacious garden. Though it was a view he’d always known, for some reason it felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Ariante!”

He called out loudly, but no trace of her could be felt anywhere. He quickly scanned past the smoothly trimmed boxwood hedge and the marble column decorations behind it—but Ariante was nowhere to be seen.

Could she be hiding behind the poplar tree? Maybe so. Ariante was a quick runner—perhaps she’d dashed all the way there.

Sediloi widened his stride, walking briskly at first, then nearly running toward the tall poplar tree.

But the tree stood too close to the wall; even someone as small as Ariante couldn’t possibly squeeze into that narrow gap to hide.

“Ariante!”

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