Chapter 14 - Alice Liddell-2 (2/2)
”You only have three left. I told you to check on it often. If you get lazy, you'll get into trouble. How could you live like this…?”
His nagging persisted for several more minutes. Thanks to the vodka, his speech was longer than usual.
He sighed. ”Foreseeing this, I already made some. Can't you ever be less predictable sometimes? Wait a moment.”
Mad Hatter went up to the second floor. Even though he had emptied an entire bottle of vodka, he was as steady as a rock.
A few moments later, he came back down with a box full of patches. SoYoon put it in her bag after paying for them. As she closed her bag, Mad Hatter asked, ”How's the smartphone?”
”Good. Are you sure you don't have plans to reveal it in Outhouse?”
”I do not.”
Outhouse was full of people with magical powers, so most were weak when it came to technology. They still couldn't figure out the mechanism for the magic capsule that Mad Hatter had invented when he was only 18. Although he hated to agree with Heart, his assumption that the smartphone would be useless in Outhouse was probably right.
”If I had wanted to do that, I would have already tried to sell a flip phone or slide phone.”
The main reason for not doing this was that he was too lazy to make it. After seeing what the magic capsules did to the population, Mad Hatter was determined not to show Outhouse any of his other creations.
”What's most important to me is that I made it with my own hands. I have no interest in money or fame.”
”Of course you don't, Mr. Millionaire.”
SoYoon got up from her seat. Mad Hatter followed her with his eyes and muttered under his breath.
”You eat well.”
”What?”
”Do you not like alcohol?”
”What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”
”...Never mind. You can leave.”
SoYoon left the house feeling as if she had been kicked out.
The next afternoon, SoYoon received a task from Mad Hatter. It was a request to pick up household items. But unlike his usual requests, he listed things like milk, butter, salt, other groceries, a pot, and other kitchenware.
SoYoon went straight to Central's mart. Usually March would handle these tasks, but for Mad Hatter, it was different. The last time she had told March to do it, she had gotten smacked by so many harsh words that she had decided that, however small the task, she would do it personally.
As SoYoon walked with a basket full of things, her smartphone message alert rang. It was a message from Heart to stop by if she had time.
Because of that, she was only to spend a short time conversing with Mad Hatter after dropping off the groceries before heading to Heart's house. It was 3:36. She would arrive at Heart's place a little before 4:30.
She hurried to Heart's house and headed straight to his office. The moment she got to the door, a sweet smell met her nostrils.
”Welcome.”
The two of them sat side by side and let time pass. Heart watched as SoYoon ate seven colorful macarons and washed down the sweetness with some coffee.
Heart touched her lips. ”You've got something there.”
SoYoon sat still as Heart removed the crumbs. She was in charge of handling all sorts of lowly things in Wonderland, but sometimes Heart treated her like a glass doll.
He removed his hands from her lips and swept his fingers through her hair.
”Eat dinner before you leave.”
At those words, SoYoon looked at the clock hung on the wall: 4:58. There was still time before her appointment, but not enough to eat dinner.
”I have a task.”
”What a shame.”
The fingers that had been playing with her hair slowly crept down her neck. His callused, manly hands softly swept across her skin.
”Whitey.”
The nickname that made her feel like a pet was said with a pheromone-induced sweetness. SoYoon flinched reflexively. Heart laughed out loud and let her go.
”You've grown a lot. How old are you this year?”
”Twenty-one.”
In actuality, she was 36. SoYoon added in her mind. Heart laughed again. This time, the laugh was more reserved.
”It's already been that long. It feels like we met just yesterday, but time sure flies.”
”You sound like an old woman.”
”I thought that that was the all-grown-up version of you…”
”It's not like you treated me like a child back then, either.”
SoYoon got up. She might end up eating dinner here if she stayed any longer.
Heart didn't stop her.