The Paintings
(From Ella's Perspective)
I sat on the couch as Dad was reading a newspaper sitting beside me. "I didn't know there was any newspaper here," I said.
"As if! A newspaper is very common," he said.
"I thought this world is really ancient."
"Not as much as you think," he said. "If you look closely, you will find it fun as well, minus the shifters though."
"I see... By the way, are you going to marry someone?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like, do you have anyone in mind?" I asked.
"Not really. Why are you asking this?"
"Just curious," I mumbled.
"I don't do it anymore."
"What?"
"It doesn't interest me anymore," he said. "That time, I was young and kind of reckless about this kind of thing. But I don't like this kind of thing anymore. Like marriage and going around with women... It's all meaningless."
"Hmm... Did you like Mom?"
"No," he replied without hesitation.
"Ah, that was pretty blunt."