Chapter 115: Such a casual and ordinary daily life…

She wasn’t unable to dodge—she simply had no intention of doing so. She wanted Flora’s little ambush to succeed perfectly.

And so she just sat there, getting drenched. She froze in place, like a cat caught in the rain that hadn’t yet reacted.

Flora stared at that water-covered face, at the wet strands of hair plastered to her forehead, at the soaked dress.

“Pfft.” She couldn’t hold in the laughter, and then it became unstoppable. Covering her mouth with her hand did nothing.

“Hahahaha!”

Flora doubled over laughing, forced to prop herself up with her hands on her knees, shoulders shaking. She laughed until she couldn’t breathe, almost in tears.

“Mother… you—you look like this… hahahaha…”

Ilya sat there watching her laugh, her expression still dazed, as if she hadn’t yet processed what had happened.

Flora laughed so hard she crouched down, then simply sat on the ground, clutching her stomach, unable to straighten up.

“I… I didn’t think I’d actually hit you, I was just trying… hahaha…”

Finally, Ilya moved.

She slowly raised a hand and wiped her face, the motion deliberate.

Her light-colored dress was soaked through, clinging tightly to her body.

Her hair was a mess, strands stuck to her face and hanging over her shoulders, still dripping. Water droplets clung to her eyelashes; with every blink, they trembled slightly.

She looked… a little bedraggled, a little pitiful.

Flora’s laughter subsided, and a cautious concern crept in.

“Mother… are you okay?” She leaned forward, a note of care in her voice. “Sorry, is the water too cold? Maybe you should—”

Before she could finish, Ilya moved.

She braced one hand on the ground while the other dipped into the water. The motion was so fast that Flora didn’t even see it—only a flash of water flying toward her face.

“Ah!”

Flora was hit square in the face.

Water streamed down her cheeks into her neck, cold. She stood frozen, forgetting to blink; droplets clung to her eyelashes, blurring her vision.

When she came to, she saw Ilya already standing up, looking down at her.

Her face was still wet, hair damp, dress dripping. But her expression was utterly different from before.

Now the corners of her mouth were curled, clearly so. Her eyes sparkled, as if light danced within them.

Flora blinked, shaking the water from her lashes.

“Moth—”

Before she could finish, Ilya tilted her head.

“Hm?”

That innocent look, paired with her barely concealed smile.

Flora stared at her, then suddenly caught on.

“You did that on purpose!” she shouted, but her voice still carried a hint of laughter, making it sound sweet instead.

Flora shot to her feet, plunged both hands into the water, scooped up a big handful, and flung it at Ilya.

This time, Ilya dodged.

She sidestepped, and the water flew past her to land on the grass behind.

Flora wasn’t deterred. She scooped up another handful, chased after her, and threw it.

Ilya dodged again, this time retreating a couple of steps to stand on a rock by the riverbank.

Flora pursued, stood at the water’s edge, scooped more water, and tossed it. Ilya dodged once more, but not quite cleanly—she got splashed a little.

“Hahahaha.” Flora saw it and laughed out loud.

She stopped scooping and instead stood in the water, using both hands to splash it toward Ilya. Water flew everywhere, sparkling in the sunlight like shattered stars.

Ilya dodged a few times, then suddenly stopped. She walked to the water’s edge, crouched down, and dipped both hands in.

Flora saw that, and her sixth sense instantly screamed danger. She turned to run.

But it was too late.

A handful of water flew from behind, landing squarely on her back.

“Ah!” Flora yelped, spun around, and scooped up water to throw back.

The two of them went back and forth by the river, water splashing everywhere.

Flora’s laughter never ceased.

She laughed so hard her voice carried a breathy edge, her eyes squinted into slits, and she didn’t even bother wiping the water off her face. She laughed and splashed, then ran, only to turn back and splash again.

Ilya was laughing too.

Not the faint, barely perceptible smile she usually wore. She was entirely different, like a different person. Her mouth curved, and even her eyebrows and eyes were bent.

Right now, she was just an ordinary person playing in the water with her daughter.

“Look! Your dress is totally soaked!” Flora shouted while splashing. “And you’re still laughing!”

Ilya glanced down at her own dress, then back up at her.

“Yours is wet too.”

Flora looked down.

Indeed. Her dress was also soaked through, clinging to her legs.

She froze for a moment, then raised her head to meet Ilya’s eyes.

They stared at each other for a second, then both burst out laughing at the same time.

Flora laughed even harder, crouching down with her hands on her stomach, gasping for breath.

Ilya stood before her, watching her laugh, the curve of her smile growing wider.

Sunlight fell on them, on the river’s surface, on those water droplets. The drops glittered in the light, like tiny stars.

When Flora had laughed enough, she looked up at Ilya.

The sunlight streamed from behind Ilya, outlining her silhouette with a bright edge. Her hair was damp, her face covered in water. She was smiling, her eyes curved into crescents, her whole being softened.

Flora gazed at her and suddenly felt like this was the first time she had ever seen Ilya smile like that.

“Mother,” she said softly.

“Hm?” Ilya looked down at her.

Flora didn’t answer; she just smiled and looked at her.

Then she stood up, and while Ilya wasn’t paying attention, scooped up another handful of water.

This time Ilya reacted faster, sidestepping to dodge, then scooping up water and flinging it back.

Laughter rang out by the river once more.

Ilya looked at herself, soaking wet, then at Flora, equally drenched, and suddenly froze.

That lake. That summer. She had been drenched too.

A little girl with golden hair stood in the water, which came up to her knees. She bent over, feeling around in the water with both hands.

“Sis! I caught a fish!”

She lifted her head, face dripping, grinning brightly. In her hands was a small fish, tiny, its tail wriggling in the sunlight.

She stood on the shore, watching that little girl, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled upward.