However, that sentence was spoken too softly, and Liang Lai didn’t catch it clearly.
She couldn’t recall what exactly had been around Dexilensi when she was first found.
Dexilensi, upon hearing that Liang Lai hadn’t noticed anything near her, visibly relaxed and let out a breath.
Liang Lai thought Dexilensi was truly a lively and adorable little girl. She believed that this child would certainly charm everyone equally with her sweet words.
As it turned out, things went just as Liang Lai had expected.
At the dining table, without needing any introduction, Dexilensi cheerfully stood up and bowed to everyone, introducing herself:
“Hello~ I’m the new one~ Mommy picked me up and brought me here. My name is Dexilensi. I hope… I can get along well with everyone~”
Her last sentence carried a hint of meaning, but her smile remained wide and bright, like a beautiful doll.
The atmosphere at the table was somewhat tense.
Dolosa looked at Dexilensi with a faint expression, saying nothing, while Illucy only glanced toward Liang Lai a few times and finally timidly waved a small hand at Dexilensi.
Only Asterys and Delucia, as usual, greeted the new arrival warmly.
“The new little sister is really pretty!” Delucia stood up gracefully and greeted Dexilensi.
Asterys also stood but didn’t speak, merely nodding slightly at Dexilensi.
The mood was actually rather cold, especially because of the look Dolosa cast. Dexilensi seemed to keenly notice Dolosa’s gaze; she smiled at Dolosa but said nothing more.
Illucy, on the other hand, seemed somewhat withdrawn.
After finishing her meal, she curled up in a corner of the training room, clutching her legs, tinkering with something unknown.
Liang Lai went in to check on her but was brushed off with, “The Examination is coming soon, I’m a bit nervous.”
Being nervous before the Examination was true, but the bigger reason was that Illucy felt threatened by the arrival of the new child.
“Dexilensi is so cute, so pretty, lively, and sweet-talking… The Saintess will definitely like her more, right?”
“Such a thing… such a thing… definitely won’t happen!”
As if suddenly making a firm decision, Illucy stood up abruptly, cheering herself on.
“I must, absolutely must… make the Saintess’s attention fall on me! Only then can I receive care, only then can I receive the Saintess’s love…”
Recently, Illucy had been very happy because her Examination was coming up, so most of Liang Lai’s attention was focused on her.
That night, she came to check on Illucy’s progress.
Liang Lai was quite surprised by Illucy’s Crystallization Ability.
Because she was often injured and spent much time in bed, sometimes missing study sessions, but this child seemed naturally talented at it.
It looked like she could perfectly pass the basic Crystallization Ability test.
Just now, Illucy stood in the center of the training room, her hands lightly crossed over her chest.
She took a deep breath, and a faint crystalline glow began to shimmer at her fingertips.
She placed her palms on the wooden Crystallization Target, and immediately delicate crystal patterns appeared on the surface, spreading out from the point of contact.
In less than three seconds, the entire target transformed into a translucent crystal structure.
Liang Lai noticed the color of the crystallization was shifting—from initially clear and colorless to gradually tinted with a faint pink hue.
This was easy to explain; emotions could influence the nature of crystallization. Illucy was a child with her own feelings, so the pink tint was quite normal.
When Illucy removed her palms, the Crystallization Target was left with a clear outline of a handprint.
Next, she demonstrated more precise control.
Tapping her fingertips lightly on the ground, a crystal beam immediately extended forward, condensing into a staircase-like Crystallization Platform in the air.
Each step was as thin as a cicada’s wing yet surprisingly sturdy.
Liang Lai raised an eyebrow.
“Really impressive, Xiao Xi.”
This was a genuine compliment.
But that wasn’t all.
The wall Illucy had touched suddenly bloomed with a large cluster of crystal flowers, each shaped like a heart.
Illucy sneaked a glance at Liang Lai, growing shy and seemingly hoping Liang Lai would understand her hint.
But she didn’t. Liang Lai just applauded, looking delighted.
Illucy felt a little disappointed but decided to continue showing off.
She gently clenched her fist in the air, and a water cup in the distance suddenly formed a frost-like crystal shell.
The surface of the water froze into delicate snowflake patterns while still maintaining its liquid flow.
“Wow~”
Liang Lai gave another thumbs-up. “Awesome, Xiao Xi.”
Compared to Dolosa and Asterys’s Crystallization Abilities, Illucy’s was gentler—not as fierce as the other two, probably related to her personality.
“You’ll definitely pass the Examination! Since that’s the case, Xiao Xi, you don’t have to stay in the training room all the time. Go out and get some fresh air—I’m afraid you’ll get too stuffy…”
Xiao Xi’s eyes brightened.
She carefully grabbed Liang Lai’s hand and shyly asked, “Then… Mommy, can you accompany me for a walk? I feel a bit lonely by myself…”
“Of course~!” Liang Lai answered cheerfully.
On the eve of the Examination, she didn’t want anything else to affect the children’s performance.
On the day of the Examination, after giving her instructions, Liang Lai held Illucy’s hand and headed toward the Examination grounds.
“You all must behave at home~” she reminded them.
However, the moment Liang Lai left, the faint smile on Dolosa’s face vanished suddenly. Her mood had been sour lately.
She had originally thought Illucy, who lay in bed all day due to Lung Mist, would fail the Examination.
But a few days ago, she had secretly watched Illucy practice and found that her progress was catching up to both herself and Asterys.
This only heightened Dolosa’s sense of crisis.
Dolosa didn’t intend to rest any longer; she was determined to use every bit of her downtime to work hard.
Watching Liang Lai and Illucy’s departing figures, Dexilensi thoughtfully stroked her chin.
“Is Illucy Mommy’s favorite child?” she suddenly asked the other three children openly.
“I see Mommy always staying with her. It feels like all her attention is on her,” she added.
At this, Dolosa, who had just stepped onto the stairs, paused, slowly turning back to look fixedly at Dexilensi.
Asterys and Delucia also turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes strange as they stared at the new “well-behaved” child.