Chapter 40

On the way, Randy rode ahead alone, with Emma and David following behind.

David still felt a bit sour inside.

"Emma, what were you talking about? You seemed really happy."

"Nothing much, just chatting about school."

Emma casually replied.

Earlier, by the river, she had quietly asked Randy: "I don't like my teacher. Is there a way to get rid of her without being found out?"

Randy had simply told her not to be too extreme.

Emma then asked about the clown and if it was another identity of Randy.

"I'm not the clown, but don't worry; that monster isn't interested in people with your kind of personality flaws. Besides, it will be dealt with soon."

In the clown's eyes, people without fear are like raw meat that hasn't been cooked.

Emma also inquired if Milo's body underwater would be discovered.

Randy assured her not to worry, saying that the blame had been firmly placed on the clown, and it couldn't escape.

Later, there were some immature questions, and Randy sometimes answered while other times remained silent.

David felt mixed emotions. Usually, Emma wasn't so talkative with him.

However, letting his daughter open up and chat more was a good thing. After all, it had been quite quiet before, and given the recent dangerous events, talking more could help vent emotions.

Soon, Randy's car stopped in front of the house, and Emma and David got out one after another.

Emma bluntly said, "This house is too small. It doesn't look like it belongs to a rich person."

"Emma, that's very impolite."

David quickly reminded her.

"It's okay. Although it's small, it's still very cozy."

Randy also noticed that the neighbor, Carrie's family, didn't seem to be home. They must have gone to church for mass, which is a major event in the Catholic Church, with weekly Sunday masses and gatherings.

He opened the door and invited the two in, then curiously asked, "Mr. David, don't you go to church for services?"

"We observe the Sabbath. We pray on Sunday evenings."

Randy nodded and went inside to arrange seats for them. He also got cups, added tea leaves, and brewed tea. He turned on the TV and set up an animated show for Emma.

Unfortunately, Emma was clearly more curious about the house. As soon as she sat down, she stood up again in a hurry.

"This living room is even smaller than my room."

David reminded her again, "Emma, you weren't like this before."

Previously, Emma was polite and well-behaved, the kind of child parents often praise.

But once she found someone similar to her, she seemed to let her true nature show.

Randy ignored her comments, knowing she was just a little girl seeking attention.

"Are you hungry? Would you like some snacks to tide you over? I'm going to prepare lunch now."

"No need, a simple meal will be fine, Randy."

Emma volunteered to help in the kitchen: "I'll help."

As soon as they were in the kitchen, she whispered, "I thought your house would smell bad, like there would be the smell of a corpse."

"Let's not talk about that during mealtime."

"What about my medal? I want to get it now!"

"Wait a bit; I'll give it to you after we've eaten."

Randy didn't showcase a big Chinese meal; he just prepared some instant food and cooked a few pieces of meat.

Emma and David didn't mind, appreciating the extra seasoning. They immediately praised the food.

After lunch, Randy secretly returned the medal to Emma and seriously warned her, "This might be a hidden danger. You must hide it."

"Don't worry, I'll hide it under the bed and won't take it out for a week!"

David and Emma stayed a little longer before leaving.

David invited Randy to dinner at his house another time.

"Definitely, definitely."

Randy tidied up the room again and planned to go back to the seaside in the afternoon, preparing for the upcoming situation.

As soon as he finished packing, Randy heard the sound of a car outside.

When he ran to the window, he saw that it was Carrie and her family arriving.

It was still that old sedan, but since they were going for mass, Margaret and Carrie were dressed very formally.

Especially Margaret, who wore a pure white ceremonial robe for mass.

After getting out of the car, she first looked cautiously toward Randy's house, then carefully lifted the hem of her robe, seemingly unwilling to let the sacred clothing touch any dirt.

"Carrie, take the holy items inside."

"Sure."

Then Carrie got out of the car, dressed in black and white, looking even more refined.

After Margaret went inside, Carrie sighed and carefully carried a wooden box from the car, placing it into the house.

The car door was left open, indicating that there were still items inside.

Randy quickly opened the door and began to move. Margaret had been very vigilant recently, so this was a rare opportunity to interact.

From what he knew about Margaret, this devout follower would likely need to go through several rituals, such as prayers and praises, before she could simply take off her robe. This would give him and Carrie a brief chance to chat.

Randy jogged to Carrie's yard and peeked into her living room. Besides Carrie looking for a place to put things, Margaret was nowhere to be seen.

So he boldly stood at the door, where it was out of view from upstairs.

When Carrie came out after putting down the wooden box and saw Randy at the door, she was initially startled, but her expression quickly turned to one of pleasant surprise.

She whispered, "Randy!"

"It's me. Carrie, you look really beautiful today."

Compared to before, Randy was now much warmer and even generous with compliments, though he spoke very softly and discreetly.

"Ah?"

Carrie's face immediately flushed red, her hands nervously unsure of where to place them. This was the first time she had received such praise, and she didn't know how to respond.

Randy continued, "I've really wanted to see you these past few days. You're just like the Lettuce Girl from the castle."

"The Lettuce Girl?"

Carrie looked puzzled.

"?"

Randy was also puzzled, wondering if she really didn't know this story.

It was a well-known tale from the Brothers Grimm, on par with Snow White and Cinderella, akin to a Chinese person not knowing about the White Bone Demon.

She was truly like a canary in a cage.

"It's okay if you don't know. I'll tell you about it tonight."

"Tonight?"

Carrie was even more confused and nervous.

What did that mean? Was Randy suggesting a date tonight?

"Carrie, I can't go out tonight. My mother only allows me to stay at home…"

"It's alright. I'll come to see you tonight. Just remember to leave a window open for me."

"Ah?"

Carrie was even more shocked, her mind almost shutting down. She raised and lowered her head several times, unable to say a word.