When she saw it was the twin sisters, Liang Lai felt her heart, which had just settled, jump up again.
She wasn’t the type to suspect the children she raised of being bad, but she was worried that kids might have loose lips, and who knew if someone would coax the truth out of them.
So, Liang Lai immediately waved to Asterys and Delucia, signaling them to come over.
Asterys and Delucia came over hand in hand, looking very well-behaved as they stood before Liang Lai.
The two of them tilted their heads up together, staring at the Saintess before them with big, sparkling eyes.
When Dolosa saw the two of them arrive, she immediately hugged Liang Lai’s shoulders.
That’s right, even though she was still shorter than Liang Lai, she was only half a head shorter now, so she could just barely sling her arm around Liang Lai’s shoulders.
Liang Lai thought Dolosa was nervous that the twins might say something, so she patted Dolosa’s arm to reassure her.
Asterys and Delucia, however, just looked up obediently, making no move to fight for Liang Lai’s attention; their beautiful eyes were filled with nothing but admiration and enthusiasm.
“You two mustn’t repeat what you just heard, okay~? That would be bad for our big family. If you tell anyone… both I and your Sister Dolosa would be very sad.” Liang Lai said very seriously.
Asterys and Delucia nodded at the same time.
Asterys spoke first: “Of course we won’t say anything, Mom, don’t worry~”
Not only did her voice sound obedient, but her manner was also especially well-behaved.
Delucia quickly followed her sister, saying, “That’s right, Mom, we’d never do anything to make you sad!”
That much was true—they really didn’t want to see Liang Lai upset because of them. But… they were more than willing to see Liang Lai tirelessly come to their rescue, just like a savior.
After hearing the sisters’ assurances, Liang Lai finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good girls~”
She reached out and ruffled Asterys and Delucia’s hair.
“But Mom, what we said earlier, that we have a way, is true. We weren’t joking with you~”
Delucia blinked.
Eh?
So it’s actually true?
Liang Lai’s eyes lit up instantly.
“What way?”
Dolosa, however, was half skeptical. She clung to the Saintess’s sleeve and quietly poured cold water on the side.
“How could they possibly know…”
Still, holding onto a hope, Liang Lai pressed on, “What way is it? Can you tell Mom?”
Asterys and Delucia exchanged a glance and smiled at the same time.
Delucia pointed to her right cheek.
“If Mom gives us a kiss as a reward, we’ll tell you~”
Asterys also raised her hand, pointing to her left cheek, nodding with a smile.
“Uh…?”
Liang Lai froze for a moment, then, without hesitation, reached out to hug Asterys and Delucia, ready to kiss the two girls on the cheek.
She didn’t mind at all; she already saw these two as her own daughters. Whether it was a dad kissing his daughter or a mom kissing her daughter’s cheek, there was nothing wrong with that, right? She simply thought these two love-starved children were acting spoiled with her.
However, as soon as Dolosa heard this, her face turned pale, and she quickly grabbed the bending Liang Lai.
“Hey! Liang Lai, you…”
Liang Lai turned her head, a bit helpless in her eyes.
She could sense Dolosa’s jealousy toward Asterys and Delucia. Children just wanted their mother’s love—it was only natural.
So, Liang Lai sighed, wrapped her arm around Dolosa’s neck, and planted a kiss on Dolosa’s cheek. Then, while the girl was still dazed from the kiss, she quickly bent down and hugged Asterys and Delucia, giving each of them a loud kiss.
“Mua!”
“Mua!”
Asterys and Delucia instantly broke into wide grins.
The two of them didn’t mind at all that Liang Lai kissed Dolosa too; as long as they got what they wanted, they were satisfied. However, Dolosa could never understand that feeling.
Dolosa held her cheek, still stunned and unresponsive. Her face was turning red and hot at a speed visible to the naked eye.
After the kisses, Liang Lai straightened her back, put her hands on her hips proudly, feeling very clever about her move just now.
“You’re all Mom’s daughters, so of course you all get kisses~!”
How could the little girls she picked up not count as daughters? Adopted daughters are daughters too!
For a moment, Dolosa was at a loss for words. She didn’t even care that Liang Lai had kissed Asterys and Delucia too—she was completely lost in her own world.
“Now can you tell me?” Liang Lai asked Asterys and Delucia.
Asterys and Delucia nodded again in unison.
“Go two alleys past where you found us, Mom. In the alley on the right, go straight to the very end. The second-to-last shop is a tailor shop—look for the owner there. Tell him, ‘Give me a piece of your finest material, something that can disguise my original aura. I want to be the brightest moon tonight.’” Asterys said.
“Then the owner will take you to the basement. According to your description, or a portrait you provide, he’ll give you a piece of Human Skin. You can use it three times, and after it’s used up, you can get another from him. But be careful: the Human Skin can’t be soaked in water for long, and it can’t be left in the sun for too long either.” Delucia added.
After listening to the twins, Liang Lai found it all very novel, but she still felt a faint worry in her heart.
“Won’t the Church find out? Their senses are very keen.”
Asterys shook her head, her tone very firm. “They won’t. It isn’t magic—it’s a derivative of the Crystalization Ability, and it’s not something the Church knows. They can’t sense it.”
“It’s like how, even if they want to check if someone is a Darkspawn, they have to cut the person’s skin and see if the blood is red to tell. So, in some ways, the Church people are really quite foolish~” Delucia added again.
“So… it’s like that?” Liang Lai murmured.
She knew the part about the Darkspawn, but she had never heard about the former.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll draw a portrait of Dolosa today, and tomorrow I’ll go find that owner.”`