Chapter 180: I’ll Take Two Of Those
"That was so fun!"
Ashley cheered happily as she jumped off the ride, spinning to face Lucian. He nodded, even though he had nearly fallen asleep on it.
She giggled, her cheeks flushed. When she turned and spotted Primo waiting outside, she skipped toward him.
"Primo, did you see that?" she asked brightly. "That was so fun! You should try it too!"
Lucian followed behind her, smiling as Primo responded in sign language.
As for Red and Gin, who had been seated in the last row, they dragged their feet off the ride. They clung to every railing they could find, helping their legs not to give out beneath them.
Their sole job was to keep Ashley safe, which meant they still had to follow her through the park. There were already other guards trailing the family of three at a careful distance, some even disguised as regular guests so as not to ruin the family outing. That had been Lucian’s instruction; he knew better than to lower his guard completely.
"Damn," Rum rushed over to the duo, looking at them apologetically. "You guys look like hell."
Red and Gin glared at him instantly. "Try it."
Rum raised his hands and stepped back. Vodka and Tank exchanged a glance before Vodka spoke.
"Let’s just keep our distance. We already told her our little hate relationship is back on — she’s going to make the most of it."
Tank nodded. He was starting to get a read on Ashley’s antics by now.
After that night consoling her and spending time with that unhinged woman, one had no choice but to get used to her. And what they had come to realize was this: Ashley would not clear her name or defend herself.
She wasn’t used to defending herself. She didn’t care what others thought of her. She wasn’t the type to waste her time managing her reputation.
But one thing was perfectly clear.
"She’s petty," Rum blurted out, sliding his gaze toward where the family of three had gone.
Lucian, Primo, and Ashley had already moved on to their next ride, with a few disguised guards trailing behind them.
"That woman doesn’t waste an opportunity, does she?" Vodka mused. "At this point, I just want to learn from her."
"You’re seriously getting impressed right now?"
If they were reading her right, she wasn’t the kind of person to clear her name. She was the kind of person who would give people even more reason to dislike her if they disliked her for no good reason in the first place.
Their expressions soured as they weighed their options. They were relieved Lucian hadn’t punished them for calling him names to his face.
But did they really want to keep up this love-hate dynamic with Ashley now that they were starting to know her so well?
"Let’s talk to her about it later," Gin said, straightening up now that he’d recovered from the ride. "I don’t dislike her that much anymore, anyway."
The rest nodded, except for Red.
"And keep our distance in the meantime," Rum added knowingly. "At this point, let’s just..."
He trailed off, his gaze snagging on a stall selling masks right beside where a mascot was dancing.
"Those!" he pointed, and the others turned. "If we wear those, she won’t even know it’s us!"
The group stared at the enthusiastic Rum with collective dismay, clearly unconvinced.
*****
"Huh?" Ashley glanced to her side and spotted a group of men in full-face masks, pretending to deliberate over the park map as though choosing their next ride.
"What are those guys doing?" she murmured. "Are they having fun too?"
Curious, Primo and Lucian followed her gaze, landing squarely on her five bodyguards in their ridiculous disguises. They shrugged almost simultaneously.
"Maybe," Lucian muttered.
What those five hadn’t considered was that she could pick them out even in full head masks — by their build, their gait, the little mannerisms they themselves had never noticed. And their clothes were a dead giveaway, regardless.
"I’m glad they’re enjoying it!" she said cheerfully, already turning back to Lucian and Primo. "The next show is in fifteen minutes, right?"
Lucian checked the map and nodded. "Mhm. Want to do something else before that?"
Primo looked up at her expectantly. As expected, the corners of her lips curled into a smirk, and she whipped her finger in a direction.
"That!" she declared. "Let’s do that!"
Lucian and Primo followed the line of her pointing finger and found themselves staring at a game booth.
"I want that big teddy bear!" Her eyes lit up, locked onto the oversized bear displayed as the main prize.
Lucian located it without effort. He glanced at her, then caught Primo giving him a knowing look.
"I see." He nodded as Ashley looked back at him. "I’ll get it for you."
The spark in her eyes dimmed slightly as she tilted her head. "Huh?"
All she got was a nod before Primo tugged her hand and pulled her toward the booth. Once they arrived, Lucian stepped up to the attendant.
"My wife wants that," he said without preamble, pointing at the bear.
Ashley’s expression twitched. "Darling boo, I don’t think we can just buy it," she murmured, gesturing to the large rules board mounted beside her.
"That’s right," the attendant said with a polite smile. "To win the main prize, you have to complete three stages and hit at least thirty targets in total."
"Whoa," Ashley and Primo’s mouths fell open simultaneously.
"Thirty targets total wins you the bear," the attendant continued. "Anything less and you can choose from the consolation prizes on this shelf."
Lucian listened, then nodded. "But what if I get more than thirty?"
"Pardon?"
"Sixty," Lucian clarified, which only seemed to confuse the attendant further. "Would I get two bears?"
The attendant blinked. "...Two?"
Lucian pointed at Ashley and Primo. "One for each of them."
"Ah..." The attendant laughed awkwardly, darting his eyes between the woman and the child, both of whom were gazing at Lucian as though he had just hung the moon.
There was no way he could actually do it, right?
The attendant cleared his throat. In all the years he’d worked here, only one person had ever hit thirty-one targets. Thirty was already considered nearly impossible.
"Of course!" he said anyway, keeping his smile in place. "Though I should mention, sir — each round gets progressively harder as the targets start moving faster."
Lucian was already pulling out a bill and setting it on the counter.
"Alright then!" The attendant took the payment and passed it to his colleague while he set up the station — two guns, two games, six rounds in total.
"Go, my boo~!" Ashley cheered from the side. Primo gave a firm thumbs-up.
Lucian nodded at them and turned to face the board. He picked up one of the guns, checked it briefly, and raised it to fire.
PHEW!
"Sir," the attendant said, almost amused, "you have to wait for it to start."
Lucian cast him a sideways glance. He knew that. He was checking the gun. Testing the speed, weight, and precision of the fake bullets.
"I’ll start it now," the attendant offered.
Then his brow furrowed as Lucian picked up the second gun as well. "Sir, it’s better to use one at a —"
"Start it," Lucian cut him off. "I’m ready."
The attendant opened and closed his mouth, then turned wordlessly to his colleague and gave the signal.
Even the guards in disguise drifted closer, unable to help themselves.
The targets began emerging from every corner of the booth.
The moment the first one appeared, Lucian spread both arms and opened fire. He swept methodically across the board, emptied both guns, set them down, picked up the next pair, and continued without missing a beat. The first round was slow — the easiest setting.
He cleared sixty targets before the round was over.
BANG.
Lucian set down the last pair of guns and turned to the attendant.
"I’ll take two of those."
Attendant: "???"
Ashley and Primo: "..."
The disguised guards: "!!!!"