Chapter 168: Good Times
At that time, the group finally reached their destination. They came to a halt in front of the ice cream parlor’s entrance, pushing the door open to step inside the luxurious establishment. Its atmosphere was cozy and ideal for spending quality time away from the noise of the streets, before the six of them headed together toward one of the numerous tables scattered throughout the venue, selecting one that accommodated their numbers.
They all gathered around the table, and moments later, a waiter approached to take their orders one by one.
Albert was the first to make up his mind, picking mango flavor without a second thought—the exact same flavor he had gotten when he first met Amelia. Cathy required a bit of deliberation before ordering something relatively simple: a waffle topped with a single scoop of vanilla ice cream. Scott, on the other hand, opted for something completely different, choosing to order a beverage alone without any ice cream.
As for Brandon and Hein, they shared a joint request—one they clearly deemed to be a high-society secret within this establishment, a privilege reserved for the elite alone.
They had obtained classified intelligence from one of the kids revealing the existence of a special type of ice cream that could only be ordered by invoking its specific name. This menu item was top-secret, purely because it was simply the single best ice cream in the entire parlor, and they didn’t want stock to run out rapidly if everyone discovered its existence.
Naturally, they believed that uttering this bizarre name before the waiter would make them look extraordinarily cool, drawing the gaze of everyone around them. Perhaps the rest of the patrons would stare in awe before rushing to purchase the exact same ice cream after hearing its name.
Thus, with a confidence utterly mismatched with what was about to spill from his mouth, Brandon looked up at the waiter and said:
"Hein and I would like the Slow-Simmered Frog Ice Cream, topped with premium-grade fudge and dog scrap on top."
Silence fell over the table.
Of course, Brandon and Hein weren’t stupid enough to believe these bizarre descriptions were merely someone’s prank or trick. They were utterly convinced these words masked a secret recipe carefully hidden beneath repulsive details—perhaps part of the parlor’s strategy to limit the number of patrons ordering this product.
Only the true elite could utter such a name.
Only the bold possessed the audacity to stand before the waiter and order something with such unwavering confidence... or perhaps the insane.
They had anticipated events to unfold in a drastically different manner.
They had envisioned the waiter staring at them in admiration before breaking into applause, followed by the rest of the patrons in the parlor. Perhaps everyone would pause mid-bite out of respect for these two geniuses who had uncovered the secret menu item, right before a cone of heavenly ice cream materialized before them.
Yet reality, as was its habit of crushing human dreams, held zero interest in such scenarios.
The waiter remained blinking for several seconds, staring at Brandon and Hein as though trying to decipher a foreign dialect he had never heard in his life. Meanwhile, Albert, Scott, and Cathy fought with everything they had to keep from bursting into hysterical laughter right in front of them.
Three full seconds passed before the harsh reality dawned on Brandon and Hein.
They had walked straight into the single most embarrassing situation of their lives by their own hands.
Brandon attempted to salvage what he could, waving his hand dismissively:
"Alright, don’t take it seriously guys, we’re just joking, right?"
Hein nodded vigorously, though the look of absolute mortification plastered across his face hardly suggested they had been joking in the slightest.
After a moment of silence, Brandon added:
"Well... we’ll just take two cups of strawberry ice cream."
At that point, the other three could no longer contain themselves, erupting into fitful laughter. The lively atmosphere swiftly returned to the table, while Brandon and Hein attempted to act as though nothing had transpired moments prior.
Yet amidst all of it, Amelia remained entirely detached.
While everyone conversed and laughed, she sat in her seat without ordering anything, taking no part in the laughter or conversation. Her eyes were locked into the empty space before her, as if present only in body, while her mind remained anchored in an entirely different realm.
As the three picked up on the strange state their friend was in, the amusement gradually drained from their faces. They exchanged subtle glances—it had become blatantly clear that something was weighing on Amelia, and her distraction was far from normal.
Just as Amelia was staring blankly into space, completely oblivious to her surroundings, the waiter’s voice snapped her back to reality.
"My Lady... what would your order be?"
Amelia flinched slightly, as though suddenly returning from a distant place. She raised her head to look at the waiter standing before her awaiting an answer, a polite smile swiftly surfacing across her face.
"Anything... Well, I don’t eat ice cream very often, so perhaps you could choose for me. What is your best option?"
The waiter paused for a moment, caught off guard by having her selection dumped entirely onto him. Ultimately, he decided to pick a cup of vanilla ice cream for her—a simple, safe choice that couldn’t possibly cause any issues.
Once the waiter stepped away, Amelia slipped right back into her daze. The other children looked at one another in silence, the same question burning in all of their minds.
What could possibly be distracting Lady Amelia to this extent?
A few moments later, Albert spoke up hesitantly:
"Is Lady Amelia sad because her parents aren’t with her yet?"
Taken aback by the question, Amelia snapped her gaze back to them, shaking her head rapidly.
"No, no... It’s completely different. They are just away for a little while and will be back soon. They won’t be gone for long."
She spoke with a reassuring smile, appearing utterly confident in her words.
Yet in truth, it was merely what she wished for.
She had no real way of knowing when her parents would return.