Chapter 118: Breakfast with Mommy and Daddy

Calvin spent the night in the Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop.

To be honest, he wanted to go home...

But Ron Samuel insisted that he stayed here so they could ensure that he wasn't suffering from the side effects of the Wise One's Spiritualistic Magic.

Calvin obliged since it was for his own good.

When he woke up, he bade his farewell to the others and then hailed a special carriage-taxi.

By special, the carriage would have no other passenger apart from him. He basically rented out the entire carriage just so the coachman wouldn't wait for other passengers which would extend the time that Calvin would take before he was able to return to his wife and daughter.

The Northern Borough was a place full of people practicing roguish professions and gangsters.

Coachmen were afraid to march into the Northern Borough, but in the face of shiny joselian coins.

The coachman uttered not any complaint. He let his actions speak for himself as he hopped onto the carriage and deftly manipulated the horse to the destination.

The poorest district among the poor in the Northern Borough, the street where Charlotte and Cecilia lived...

The Hampaslupa Street.

Despite being in the Northern Borough and full of people who did anything may it be despicable or not just to live.

The street actually had a lot of prestige a few hundred years ago before the founder of the commonwealth of the Three Kingdoms and the founder of the Joselian Kingdom himself, Jose Yang died.

After Jose Yang's death, it was discovered that the person who established the Hampaslupa Street was actually one of the people who greatly opposed Jose Yang's way of leadership.

The successor of Jose Yang, his son Protazio Rizal Yang immediately sent the founder and owner of the Hampaslupa Street to the gallows.

Afterward, Hampaslupa Street was then given by Protazio Rizal Yang to the people from the marginalized community.

Even if his actions seemed to be an act of charity.

It was actually an attempt to further humiliate the late founder of the Hampaslupa Street.

Before Jose Yang died, Hampaslupa street had a different name.

Unfortunately, Protazio Rizal Yang ordered the erasure of the street's name from the records of history so no one knew the previous name of the street in current times.

All that they knew was that Hampaslupa Street once housed the nobles and the highly-privileged people of the Kingdom...

One could even compare it to the Hilton Borough.

But now? It was not even worth a fart.

Full of people in the depths of poverty, even the middle-class citizens of Ashmelion disdained to visit this place.

"Kind sir, are you sure that you want me to continue to Hampaslupa Street? How about we stop here? Going in there while you're in a carriage will easily turn you into a target of those addicts."

The coachman promptly stopped right after crossing the boundary of the Southern and Northern Borough— the Yang Bridge.

Calvin thought for a moment and realized that the man's words made sense. Those who flaunt their wealth without sufficient strength were foolish. Just as how the tallest tree in the forest received the most wind. Calvin let out a sigh and exited the carriage after paying the coachman.

Carrying bags full of breakfast for his wife and daughter, Calvin continued on his journey in the filthy streets of the Northern Borough. The fragrant smell of canned ice cream and chicken soup attracted the attention of the vagrants.

But before they could even peruse any further, Calvin would send a death glare on their way.

Calvin soon arrived into the small hut whom he referred to as his own house. He didn't even knock for he directly went inside. Grandma Elsa was gone— she was probably playing cards with the other friendly neighboring aunties.

The moment Calvin stepped inside the small hut, he immediately saw a pouting Cecilia being coaxed by an anxious Charlotte.

"You've memorized counting from 1 to 10 already! Why stop here? You need to continue, memorize 11 to 20 and I'll let you go so I can go out and buy you the ice cream and chicken soup that you want!"

"Nooo! I don't want to do it anymore... Studying sucks! I want daddy!"

Cecilia puffed her cheeks and repeatedly shook her head.

"What's the matter? Cecilia's being naughty again?"

At this moment, Calvin's voice floated over to the two.

"Daddy!" Cecilia almost immediately exclaimed in joy upon seeing Calvin standing near the door.

She stood up and rushed into Calvin's embrace.

Noticing this, Charlotte immediately pouted.

She was Cecilia's mother, yet why was it that Ceciilia's reception to Calvin was far warmer than the little girl's treatment to her?

Now she feels as if she was the outsider!

This guy...

He didn't even return last night...

Charlotte was annoyed and irritated remembering how much she tossed and turned last night worrying about Calvin.

Calvin carried Cecilia on his shoulder before placing her on a wooden stall.

Afterwards, he then placed the chicken soup onto the wooden table as well as several cans of ice cream.

Charlotte was wide-eyed seeing the amount of food on the table. She made a quick calculation using the arithmetic that she knew and she instantly judged that this amount of food was no less than twenty Joselian pesos. Twenty Joselian Pesos... That was basically four weeks of salary!

Just where did he get that much money?

Charlotte glared at Calvin.

Could it be that this was the reason why he didn't return last night?

Calvin let out an awkward laugh.

Of course, he could see what Charlotte was thinking.

"Rest assured, I didn't do anything illegal to get all of these. In fact, I have great news for you!"

"Oh? What is it?" Charlotte's interest was piqued.

"I got a job!"

"Really? What kind of a job it is?" Now, she was excited. Getting a job in the city of Ashmelion was incredibly hard due to the number of competitors. Apart from the matchstick and textile factory, it was difficult to find other jobs unless you were overqualified for it.

"I'm a waiter for a Coffee Shop! I'm earning five Joselian pesos a day!"

"Oh, I see... A waiter? You're earning five Joselian pesos a week— wait... a day?!"

Charlotte almost shot up from her seat.

"Mommy, why are you so noisy? I'm eating!"

Cecilia immediately frowned when her happy time of eating ice cream was disturbed.

"Yeah, that's why I think we will be able to get out of this place soon. You don't have to worry about anything. Just take care of Cecilia, make sure that she's studying well and make sure that you're also studying properly. In the Goddess's time, you would surely be able to enter the workforce of Ashmelion in the future and earn decent money." Calvin said.

Charlotte was speechless.

She didn't know what to say.

She glanced at Calvin and upon seeing his sincere smile.

She could feel something bubbling from within her. To be honest, even now. She didn't know what to feel towards Calvin's sincerity. But after she decided that she should first put all of her attention into Cecilia, she placed these illicit thoughts deep into the darkest recesses of her mind.

However, her personal feelings and the feelings of gratitude that she had for Calvin were separate.

At this moment, she didn't know she could express her thankfulness to Calvin.

Her defense mechanism activated and she hung her head low in embarrassment as a crimson hue spread on her cheeks.

"Are you not going to eat?"

Calvin's sudden question awakened Charlotte from her trance and she subconsciously replied in a cold voice. "Of course, I am going to eat! Cecilia, you hurry up and eat since we're still going to study today! We're going to study until nighttime!"

"Oh..." Cecilia instantly became disinterested as she bowed her head and gazed away crestfallen.

Ah, another day of hard work... I'm so sad...

Calvin gave Cecilia a sympathetic glance.

At such a young age, she was already subject to so much pressure.

He turned to look at Charlotte, he wanted to talk to her about letting Cecilia take a break but as soon as he stared carefully at her snowy-white completion. He discovered that Charlotte looked incredibly tired. There were dark circles underneath her beautiful eyes.

"Charlotte, you didn't sleep well yesterday?"

When Charlotte heard this, she immediately glared at Calvin in anger.

But she didn't know how she should explain herself.

Should she say that she wasn't able to sleep because she was worried about him all night?

Wasn't that tantamount to a confession?!

Charlotte was conflicted.

In the end, her brain malfunctioned and she stood up before climbing over to her bed.

"It seems like your Mommy is angry at me for some reason, Cecilia..."

"Mmm?" Cecilia glanced at Calvin and revealed a disinterested expression. She started slurping the chicken soup and soaked the rice that Calvin brought with the soup. Calvin was also hungry so he sat down beside Cecilia and started eating.

"Wow... This chicken soup is really delicious! The chicken that they used to make this must be well-fed. The flesh is so tender and the skin is so flavorful. Mhmm!"

Calvin purposely said these words out loud.

Cecilia's eyes glimmered in a cheeky light. She took another can of canned ice cream, opened it with a crack, and then started scooping the delectable ice cream with the wooden spoon, "Daddy, you're right! This ice cream is too good! I like the vanilla flavor the most!"

"I wonder if Mommy will get mad if we eat all the canned ice cream?"

"Oh, will she get mad? I mean, she's already angry at me, what would happen if I anger her more? Let's just eat all the canned ice cream. I don't think that she's interested in it anyway..."

"Really? Mommy doesn't want any ice cream?"

"Yeah..." Calvin surreptitiously glanced at the top of the bunk bed, "If she really wants to eat this ice cream then she should come back here now or it will be too late!"

Crack!

Calvin opened one of the canned ice creams and it became a signal for Charlotte to come down from the top of the bunk bed and rush back to the wooden table.

"Oh? I thought you don't want to eat?" Calvin gave a cheeky smile.

Cecilia was now laughing.

Sweeping her gaze across the two who worked together to tease her like this, Charlotte didn't know what to say.

What's worse, one of them was even her daughter!

Calvin and Cecilia glanced at each other and bitterly smile.

They could feel that Charlotte was really angry this time.

Resolve flashed across Cecilia's eyes as she glanced at Calvin.

Her eyes were seemingly saying the words, 'Leave this to me, daddy!'

She then stood up and dragged her mother back to the wooden stool where she sat earlier.

Then, she pointed at the dishes on the table and said.

"Mommy... Daddy and I were just joking. Look, we purposely didn't eat this bowl and those can of ice creams. It's for you! We know that mommy is working hard so you deserve to eat a lot!"

Charlotte's expression immediately softened as her anger for Cecilia vanished into thin air.

But since she was still angry at Calvin.

She coldly snorted and said, "At least you still know how to be sensible!"

She then proceeded to eat without paying Calvin any attention.

Calvin could only let out a bitter smile as the family continued to eat their breakfast.

The curtains of this eventful breakfast soon ended as Calvin returned to the Captivating Fragrance Coffee Shop in the Center Borough.