“Isn’t it your job to protect her? How did she end up in a tree?” Dominic fired two questions at him. He didn’t ask why they were there; he was more concerned about Vespera, who was still up in the tree.

Calvert looked genuinely innocent. “The dog just ran out of nowhere, and everyone panicked. The second I turned around, they were already climbing the tree and wouldn’t come down.”

Dominic’s expression grew more serious. By this point, Vespera, who had regained her composure, was so embarrassed she could have died right there. She’d clung to the tree trunk so tightly that she was probably leaving indentations in the bark. And what really stung was that she could tell Dominic was fighting back a laugh. She was sure of it—he was laughing on the inside.

Dominic turned to the men who had come with him and instructed them to leash the wolf-dog and lock it in a cage. Then, he walked over to the tree, extending a hand to Vespera. “Come down, the tree is practically leaning from your weight.”

Vespera glared up at him, knowing full well the tree had always been crooked. Blushing, Vespera started to descend slowly. When she climbed up, she hadn’t thought much about the height, but now that she was going down, she was filled with regret, wondering how she even managed to climb up in the first place. She reached out to him, and Dominic effortlessly lifted her down. “Pretty impressive. You can climb trees.”

“Don’t say another word!” she muttered, covering her face in embarrassment.

“Such an impressive skill should be listed on your resume,” he said with a grin, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. She knew it. He was laughing at her.

From the tower, Rebecca called out, “Hey, Dominic, aren’t you going to help me down, too?”

Dominic didn’t even look back as he replied, “Jump down, it’s not that high.” Rebecca laughed in frustration. He was too practical.

Calvert moved to catch her. “Don’t worry, Rebecca, jump! I’ll catch you.”

Gerard walked over to help pull Jade and Byron up from the riverbank. The group finally made it to the courtyard.

The wolf-dog had already been locked up in a cage. It had been roaming the backyard during its free time, and everyone else had been inside. As soon as they heard footsteps outside, the dog bolted out—it had only been about five minutes.

Vespera washed her face under the faucet in the courtyard. Though she felt utterly embarrassed, there was no turning back now. “When I was up in that tree earlier, at least I looked graceful, right?” she asked, trying to salvage the situation as she accepted the towel from Gerard. Gerard paused, carefully choosing his words, “It was… how should I say it… still kind of cute.”

Vespera was filled with despair. Meanwhile, Rebecca, who had been dealing with an upset stomach, was enjoying a peach handed to her by the homeowner, Alan Coleman. Dominic asked curiously, “What brings you all here?”

Rebecca casually replied, “We came out for a little day trip. What about you? What brings you out here? It doesn’t quite match your status.”

“I’m here to visit a friend,” Dominic responded.

“Oh, I see. What a coincidence to run into you here,” Rebecca replied, completing the sound of polite, obvious questions.

Calvert was petting the dog in front of the cage and holding Byron’s hand, insisting that he pet the dog, too. It ended up scaring him, and he started crying.

Jade had been trailing behind Rebecca all this time. Now, she tugged at her sleeve. “Rebecca, let’s go to my uncle’s house.”

“Alright, let’s go,” Rebecca replied, tossing the watermelon rind into the nearby trash bin as she stood up.

Vespera had intended to slip away quietly without saying goodbye to Dominic, especially since Rebecca had already greeted him. However, Dominic was particular about such formalities. He called out to her and led her to the shade of a tree. “The countryside is nice, but there are a lot of snakes and insects. Be careful.”

“Got it, Mr. Read,” she nodded in acknowledgment. His clear, gentle voice floated in her ears. The air was filled with the sweet scent of freshly bitten peaches. The breeze blew gently, and she felt a dazed, dreamy sensation, like the explosion of a soda on a summer day in her heart. A soda can lay on the ground.