The Second Life's

XXIV - Hunting Day (III)

For the rest of the day, somehow Felice could not find Vendry again either in the exhibition area or office and other areas around the school. He didn't think too much about it, maybe the guy was busy or maybe he had gone home.

"See you tomorrow, Felice, Feline," Gracia told the sisters as she waved her hand when she saw her parents had arrived.

Because of this annual event, the school return time that should be daylight extended to late afternoon. The unfinished competition was postponed until the next day when the day had started late afternoon, as well as the art exhibition event. Most of the students and guests are starting to disperse.

Marvin and Julia stayed longer to accompany their two children's friends who were waiting to be picked up by their parents.

Not long after Gracia's departure, derrick's parents also arrived and the chubby boy politely said a short goodbye to Julia and Marvin before waving his chubby to Felice and Feline as farewells.

After the boy got into his parents' car, the family of four walked out of the school gate to return home. Julia held Feline's hand and Marvin held Felice's, a pair of parents warmly holding their children's hands while walking towards their car park.

Feline clasped her brother's hand tightly and put on a smile that never escaped her little face.

Feline's happy.

Just that fact alone was enough to make Felice let go of her control for an occasional moment and receive the airy warmth channeled from both palms. One by Feline and one by her father.

A light smile fluttered on the little girl's face.

The sun was warmer than usual this afternoon...

......................

Arriving in front of the house, the two little girls cheerfully ran into their big palace. Or rather Feline who was actually smiling happily while running and pulling her older sister upstairs, whereas Felice just let her sister do what she wanted with a pampering heart.

"Be careful, honey. Do not run around inside the house, later you can fall," said Julia with a tone full of reprimand from the bottom floor.

What greeted the mother was only Feline's cheerful laughter that resounded slowly.

"These kids.," Julia grumbled as she shook her head with an amused smile.

"It's okay. They are also children, whose names are supposed to be like this" Marvin said as the man gently hugged his wife's waist with one hand from behind.

Julia smiled and leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, but the smile only lasted for a moment before fading away from her pretty face and being replaced by a faint worry.

Marvin noticed the change in his wife's expression and frowned his somewhat concerned before asking quietly, "What's the matter?"

"I'm just worried about Felice, honey."

Whisper Julia slowly as she slightly shifted her face closer to her husband's ears. Marvin could hear the worry contained in his wife's voice.

In an instant, the memory of their conversation with Mr. Andy earlier replayed in Marvin's mind.

"The "painting exuded no small amount of negative energy. The gloom, the sadness, the despair, the anger, until it finally becomes indifference."

"Painting is a form of applying emotions to a painter on a canvas. Whatever is produced from the painter's hand is a reflection of their heart."

That's what Mr. Andy told them when Felice and Feline had already left the cafeteria with their friends. Marvin understood what Mr. Andy meant about Felice's rather grim painting. He had to admit, Felice's painting was indeed very unexpected and not very liked by him even if it had high artistic value.

Mr. Andy, his old teacher and Julia are keen people in the art world. Their old teacher wouldn't lie for something like this, he believed in Mr. Andy's words but was also limited to believing.

Marvin knows the strangeness of his eldest daughter, but he still chooses to trust their daughter. Maybe Felice hid a lot of things, maybe Mr. Andy was right in his judgment. But Marvin still prefers to put his true trust in their daughter.

Marvin sighed softly and smiled a rare warm smile to the man who always put on that cold and stiff look. He wrapped his other arm around his wife's waist and hugged her in a tight hug.

"Maybe Mr. Andy was right, but that's Felice, our daughter. The firstborn daughter we have always been proud of. Whatever happens, we have to trust our little princess with all our hearts."

Hearing Marvin's words, the worried Julia returned to laughing. The expanding sadness on his face began to melt and was replaced with a pleasant touch of warmth.

"You're right. We should have trusted our precious daughter."

A tenderness full of harmony surrounded the young married couple. They did not know that at the top of the stairs, the princess they were talking about had secretly listened to all their interactions.

Felice held onto the handle of the stairs with a tight grip. Feline runs into the bathroom to clean herself up before dinner, and Felice decides to go downstairs to pick up their bags left on the living room couch.

He just did not expect that just as he was about to get off, his ears caught up to a series of their parents' conversations.

It's about her.

Felice looked calm and uncaring from the outside, yet she had sharpened her ears and caught all the words that Julia and Marvin exchanged with a tense and tight mood.

It would be a lie to say he was not nervous.

That was half a year ago where he was still unfamiliar with the change in attitude and relationship between his parents, Felice may not be too emotional to think about how Julia and Marvin view of him because at that time the main focus of Felice is Feline.

But after a long time hanging out with her new life, Felice begins to cultivate feelings for her parents outside of Feline. He likes Julia and Marvin in this world. He loved them the way he thought Feline was important in his life.

Felice cared about how her parents would judge her. He wants them to be happy with him. He wanted to hug them under his protective wing.

Felice's heart grew sour when she imagined Julia and Marvin's negative response. From the beginning he had predicted that this would happen soon, but still he was still reluctant to lose their smiles.

As the depression strangled Felice, her father's voice again sounded with a strand of determined and confident warmth.

"Maybe Mr. Andy was right, but that's Felice, our daughter. The firstborn daughter we have always been proud of. Whatever happens, we have to trust our little princess with all our hearts."

As soon as this sentence fell, the mother's slow laughter sounded with a loving reply.

"You're right. We should have trusted our precious daughter."

Felice's bitter heart was suddenly flooded with a raging sweetness. Felice smiled softly.

Maybe I shouldn't be so worried...