Saga of Atlantis

"Daddy!" My laughter died down as all of us stood frozen when a little girl entered the ladies’ section, running towards me.

Right behind her was the counter lady, who was looking at me weirdly.

"Look, Daddy, how do I look?" Zaria said as she took a twirl, showing off her fairy dress from all sides.

"....."

I stood there frozen, looking at her blankly as no words came out of my mouth.

"Daddy?" Tilting her head in confusion, Zaria called me again.

"Yes? Yeah, you look beautiful, more beautiful than any princess that I have ever seen," ignoring all of them, I crouched down as I pinched both of her cheeks.

"Hehehe."

She laughed mischievously as I continued to pull her cheeks.

"Dadshy....itsh....hurtsh." As I kept stretching her cheeks, she mumbled.

"That’s why I am doing it," I replied as I stretched her cheeks one more time before letting them go.

"Do you want to try more dresses?" I asked as I stood up.

"Yes!" While rubbing her cheeks, she said.

"Can you help her, ma’am?" I asked the counter lady, who nodded her head.

"Let’s go," Zaria said to the lady as they both moved out of the ladies’ section.

"Sigh..."

Sighing, I stood up as I slowly turned to look at the three girls.

The first to catch my eye was Aeloria, who was looking at me with a disturbed look on her face.

Then I looked at Emily, who stood there frozen; I wasn’t even able to understand what was going on with her.

And then I looked at Angelina, who had the most particular reaction.

Was she hurt because I called Zaria more beautiful than her? Or was it because she was thinking something else? Either way, she had a sad look on her face.

"Ahem," I coughed lightly, bringing them out of their daze.

"So, what are you guys doing here?" I asked as if nothing had happened.

"You know what, Eden," Aeloria was the first to reply as she looked at me, "I am the last, maybe the worst person to say it, but you have some nasty fetishes, don’t you?"

What are fuck is she babbling about?

"It’s not what you are thinking." I replied, annoyed with her way of talking.

"Whatever you say, lolicon," she replied, looking at me with... disgust?

Seriously?

"Who is she, Eden?" Emily asked me timely, breaking the tension.

"A relative of mine," I replied, as she nodded her head, accepting my answer.

"I don’t think I have ever seen her. Who is she, Eden?" This time, it was Angelina who asked as she stepped closer to me.

"Why do you think I need to tell you about all my relatives?" I replied, stepping back and keeping a considerable distance from her.

"You still didn’t answer why she called you daddy," Aeloria asked again, looking at me suspiciously.

"She doesn’t have a father and looks at me like a father figure, that’s why," I replied, spouting whatever bullshit came to mind, shrugging my shoulders.

"So that’s why," Emily mumbled as she nodded her head.

She is the most gullible one here, and I’m glad she is.

"Anyway, miss, are you going to buy the dress or not?" The lady standing at the counter said in annoyance, bringing our attention towards her.

Well, we are wasting her time, so she’s correct to get annoyed.

"I am going to buy it if you are giving me the discount," Aeloria started her bargaining, looking at her.

"Pack all three of them at the store price, I will pay for it," I said to the lady, who looked at me.

"Are you sure, sir?" She asked.

"Yes, pack them," I replied simply.

"Wait a minute!" As she started to take the clothes to pack them, Aeloria stopped her.

"I said I will pay for them. You don’t have to worry about the rate," I said to her as I understood what she was doing.

"I don’t have a problem with the rate; I was just saying pack all the dresses that we selected. He will be paying," she said as she looked at the counter lady.

...The fuck?

"I said I will pay for the three that are present here," I said as I stopped them.

"Doesn’t matter, you said you will pay for the dresses, not how many dresses," she replied with an expression that said she was thoroughly enjoying it.

"It’s a mistake to behave like a gentleman in front of you, right, Aeloria?" I asked with a smile as I looked at her.

Damn, this masochist.

"You’re not going to go back on your words,right, Eden?" She asked as she looked at me with a smirk on her face.

"Pack all that she wants," I said, looking at the counter lady.

"Absolutely, sir," with a beautiful smile, she replied.

"Daddy," as she started packing the clothes, Zaria also arrived with both her hands filled with bags.

"Give it to me," saying so, I took all the bags from her as I made my way towards the counter, paying for both of them.

"Hey, Eden," as I was paying for the dresses, Emily came beside me.

"How have you been, Emily?" I said as I smiled at her.

"Fine, even after all that happened, I’m glad you are safe as well, Eden," she said as she recalled the terrorist attack.

"Didn’t think you were this close with them," I said as I looked at Aeloria and Angelina, who were playing with Zaria.

"No, no, it was Aeloria who asked me to come with them for shopping, and no matter how much I tried to deny it, she forcefully brought me here," she replied, but her tone didn’t have any grudge, only warmth.

Like I said, she is the most gullible one here.

"Hmm, good for you, I guess," I replied as I paid and moved towards Zaria.

"You two, stop disturbing her," I said as I picked Zaria up, and she didn’t try to resist as she snuggled in my arms.

"She is cute," Aeloria said as she touched Zaira’s cheeks, "for sure she is too cute to be your daughter."

Okay, she is getting personal now.

"Don’t touch her," I smacked her hand away as she groaned in pain.

"Where do you want to go next, Zaira?" I asked her as I was having a hard time adjusting to the big group.

"Let’s go to the cafe." And before she could say anything, Aeloria jumped in.

"You want to," I asked as I looked at Zaira.

"I want to eat something," she said as she rubbed her stomach.

"Then let’s go eat something," I replied as we moved out of the store.

"Aren’t you glad Grace is not present here?" As we moved through the streets, Aeloria mumbled as she arrived beside me.

"...yeah," I replied, as I didn’t want to think about how Grace would behave if she ever knew that some little girl was calling me father.

Even thinking about it gives me shivers.

"Eden," as we all moved, Angelina called me.

"What?" I asked as I looked at her.

"Can I have her?" She said as she looked at Zaira.

".....No," I replied, holding Zaira tightly.

"Daddy, it’s fine," I looked at Zaira as she nodded her head as if she understood something.

"...sigh. If you drop her, I’m gonna push you from a building," warning her, I passed Zaira to Angelina.

She nodded seriously as she picked her up.

I moved slowly as Emily and Angelina took the lead, and Aeloria walked beside me.

"By the way, don’t you think she looks familiar?" Aeloria mumbled, frowning as she looked at Zaira.

"Valeria’s daughter," I replied, making her freeze in her place.

"T-that V-Valeria?" She asked, her lips quivering while her body trembled in fear.

"Yeah, that Valeria," I replied, enjoying her horrified face.

"You.. made.. her.. daughter... call... you... daddy," with a slow voice, she said as she looked at me with a myriad of emotions.

"She is the one who called me, I didn’t make her," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"I will pray for your soul, Eden," Aeloria said as she lightly tapped my shoulder.

"I am not dead, idiot," I replied as I smacked her hand away.

"For now," she said as she looked at Zaira.

"But her eyes?" Aeloria mumbled with a frown.

"Yeah, they should be brown, not blue," I mumbled in reply as we both looked at Zaira in silence.

The eyes, like mine, and her calling me daddy all the time...

"But why are you behaving like her father, Eden?" Aeloria said as she looked at me, "Don’t you know how dangerous her mother is? If she ever finds out about it, she for sure won’t be happy."

I stayed silent as I looked at Zaira.

"I can’t be certain," I mumbled, my gaze still on Zaria, who was happily talking to Emily. "I can’t be certain of anything."