Chapter 75 A Healthy Long Life

From a distance, they spotted a few quirky-dressed NPCs at the haunted house entrance, beckoning folks inside. Daphne was still a bit freaked out.

She instinctively clung to Carl's waist. "Is it scarier inside?"

"Do you still wanna go in?" Carl had never been in either, so he had no clue what it was like inside.

Even though Daphne was still a bit scared, seeing so many people lining up made her curious.

Pausing, Daphne suggested, "How about we play rock-paper-scissors? If I win, we go in. If you win, we skip it."

Carl went quiet for a moment, then nodded.

Daphne won in the end, so in they went.

As soon as they stepped inside, they heard a girl scream up ahead.

Daphne wrapped both arms around Carl's waist tightly. He felt a bit awkward but kinda liked that she was leaning on him. In the dim light, Carl was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

The haunted house was pretty dark, except for some creepy green escape lights on the floor and a bunch of spooky props and decorations. There were red skeleton hands hanging from the ceiling, lit up by blood-red lights, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

Daphne started to regret coming in.

Suddenly, an NPC dressed in white jumped out of a prop coffin, making Daphne scream and bury her face in Carl's chest with her eyes shut tight.

Carl held Daphne protectively, giving a quick glance at the NPC who had lunged at them with a menacing look.

Seeing that Carl wasn't scared at all, the NPC wisely moved on to a girl who had just walked by.

Screams echoed all around. Daphne had no idea how she made it out, since she kept her eyes closed the whole time, clinging to Carl.

Breathing in the fresh air, Daphne's racing heart finally calmed down.

It was already getting dark outside, and the park lights were on.

Seeing Carl's teasing look, she finally let go of him. "I'm never going to a haunted house again."

"Why?" Carl asked, amusement in his eyes.

Daphne pouted and tried to act cool. "It wasn't fun at all. The haunted house was pitch black."

Carl laughed, "You never opened your eyes, of course it was pitch black."

Daphne fell silent.

Carl checked his watch; it was almost time for the fireworks. Taking Daphne's hand, Carl led her to the fireworks viewing area.

It was already packed with people, and Carl kept Daphne close in front of him. They overheard a couple talking nearby.

The girl excitedly told the boy next to her, "I heard the fireworks were a last-minute thing, they didn't have them before."

The boy guessed, "Today is Christmas, it must be a special treat from the park."

The girl exclaimed, "They didn't have them last year; we're so lucky today."

Daphne couldn't help but glance at Carl beside her, whose expression was calm, giving nothing away.

"It's starting!" Someone shouted excitedly from not far away.

All the bright lights around them went out, leaving only some decorative blue lights.

The loudspeaker blared: "The Christmas Eve fireworks show is about to begin. Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!"

As the final second ticked away, fireworks shot into the sky, exploding into a massive golden display that lit up the whole park.

Daphne looked up, awestruck. She'd never seen fireworks this grand before.

Gasps and cheers filled the air around them.

Back in Valdenia, her dad used to set off fireworks for her birthday at their estate, but they were nothing compared to this. Those memories were still fresh in her mind.

Fireworks of all colors and shapes kept lighting up the sky. Then, to her surprise, she felt something cool on her face.

It was snowing.

White, sparkly snowflakes drifted down, adding to the magic of the moment.

Out of nowhere, Carl leaned down and kissed her. This kiss was gentle, not like the forceful one from before.

Daphne didn't react right away, feeling Carl's unique scent close to her face.

Everyone had their own scent. Carl's was cool and distant, but Daphne found warmth in it.

With a loud bang, Carl looked up at the fireworks, acting like nothing had happened.

Daphne's face turned bright red, the blush spreading down to her neck.

With a burst of cheers from the crowd, Daphne looked up.

A line of red text appeared in the sky: [May you have peace, joy, and a long healthy life.]

People around them murmured.

"Peace" and "joy" was a common blessing, but "a long healthy life" seemed a bit odd in this setting.

Daphne had her suspicions, and now seeing the heartfelt message, she was sure.

She turned to Carl, whose handsome face had a faint smile. She said, "Carl."

Carl looked down, meeting Daphne's deep eyes.

She continued, "Thank you."

He seemed a bit taken aback, placing his large hand on her forehead and turning her back to the fireworks. "Watch the show, don't look at me like that."

She felt a wave of emotion, thinking, 'Is this Carl's way of blessing me?'

Sure enough, it was. Carl wanted her to be healthy and live a long life.

It was a big change from his original intention. He used to just want an obedient wife at home. A sick Daphne fit that mold perfectly.

But now he didn't want to set those conditions. He wanted Daphne to be healthy and live a long life.

He regretted his past thoughts and always scolding her for being sick. He'd never say those things again.

He hoped God would hear his prayers and sincerity.

Even much later, Daphne learned that Carl's birthday wish every year had been for her to be healthy and live a long life. There was no more sincere blessing than that.

The grand fireworks display ended on a snowy night. As the last firework bloomed, Daphne heard his deep, serious voice above her head. "Daphne, Merry Christmas."

Looking up, Daphne replied, "Merry Christmas to you too."

This moment was etched deeply in both their hearts.

Snow lightly covered Carl's hair, and Daphne gently brushed it off for him.