“I, I…”
No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t bring herself to take the children who had competed with her for the Saintess’ love and make them family.
But looking at Liang Lai’s hopeful expression before her, she just couldn’t find the words to refuse.
Liang Lai sighed softly as she saw Dexilensi’s conflicted face.
She held Dexilensi’s hand gently, feeling the faint tremble in her fingertips.
“Little Dex, do you know why I took all of you in?” Liang Lai’s voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable strength.
Dexilensi looked up, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“Because, because we’re pitiful?”
“Not entirely,” Liang Lai shook her head.
“It’s because I believe every life is worth cherishing. You, Dolosa, Asterys, Delucia, Illucy, and Motifiel — each of you is a unique existence.”
Dexilensi’s brow furrowed even tighter.
In the end, she finally spoke the words she had been holding back for so long, words she never dared say to the Saintess before.
“But, but they stole Mom’s attention…”
Immediately after saying it, Dexilensi regretted it.
Why did she say that? Liang Lai would surely think she was childish and disobedient, love the other children more, and neglect her even further…
“That’s not stealing,” Liang Lai interrupted her.
“Love isn’t a cake that gets smaller when you share it. Love is more like sunlight — it shines on everyone without ever diminishing.”
The same old line again. Liang Lai felt like she had repeated it countless times already — especially to Dolosa.
Now the new children had to hear it too. But it didn’t matter.
Even if her lips grew calloused from saying it, she would keep saying it. She had to help Dexilensi become a normal child, to stop fighting with the others.
Today was Dexilensi’s first time starting a fight, but once was enough — it had to be stopped immediately.
After hearing this, Dexilensi lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Liang Lai could see the struggle in her eyes.
“Do you know?” Liang Lai continued, “when you hurt others, you’re actually hurting yourself. Every time I see you all hostile toward each other, here…”
She pointed to her chest, “it aches. It hurts very much.”
Dexilensi’s body stiffened noticeably.
She didn’t want Liang Lai to feel that pain.
But.
But…!
“Family can have conflicts, arguments, but there must never be harm.”
Liang Lai’s voice gradually grew serious.
“True family is there to help when one falls, to give a hug when one is sad.”
More empty words, but with these psychologically troubled children, words were all she had before soothing actions could follow. Otherwise, would they still resort to fighting?
Dexilensi’s lips trembled slightly. “But, but they…!”
“They’re my children too, just like you.”
Liang Lai looked straight into Dexilensi’s eyes.
“If one day you’re hurt, they will worry about you as well.”
Suddenly, Dexilensi lifted her head, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
“They, they will?”
In her mind, she recalled Dolosa’s hateful gaze — it hardly looked like worry. It was more like she wished Dexilensi would just disappear.
But Dexilensi seemed to have forgotten one thing — the day she arrived, she had tried to assassinate Dolosa.
It was a miracle Dolosa showed her any kindness at all.
If Dolosa didn’t slap her every day, it was only out of patience and magnanimity.
Liang Lai nodded.
“Just like today. Although Dolosa’s words were sharp, when you went upstairs with me, I saw her staring at the stairs.”
Yes, to ease the children’s internal conflicts, Liang Lai lied again.
She had lost count of how many times she told these white lies. For the sake of the children, her heart was truly worn thin.
Dexilensi fell silent.
Liang Lai saw the hatred in her eyes waver, though it hadn’t completely vanished.
But that wasn’t hatred — it was murderous intent. Liang Lai simply chose not to think about that.
“I’m not asking you to accept them now,” Liang Lai said softly.
“I only hope you can try to let go of the hostility and give each other a chance.”
The room fell into a long silence.
Dexilensi stared at her own hands — hands stained with so much blood she could barely remember how much.
After all, she had always been on the path of killing.
Are there really any good people?
Dexilensi looked at Liang Lai.
The only truly good person seemed to be the woman before her — kind, gentle, like a saintly mother.
Seeing Liang Lai’s hopeful eyes, Dexilensi couldn’t bring herself to say anything rebellious.
She didn’t want to see this woman disappointed — especially because of her.
“I, I’ll try…” Her voice was barely audible.
“But, but Mom has to promise me she’ll never abandon me.”
Liang Lai’s heart tightened, and she pulled Dexilensi into her embrace.
“I promise, as long as you’re willing to change, I will always be your mother.”
Just a mother?
For some reason, Dexilensi felt a hollow emptiness in her heart.
Not just a mother.
She stiffened in Liang Lai’s arms for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
But Liang Lai could feel the muscles along her back still tense, like a little beast ready to fight at any moment.
“Remember,” Liang Lai said one last time, “Life is the most precious gift. Whether it’s someone else’s, or your own, it deserves to be cherished.”
That was the final summary, and the last bit of empty words for today.
Liang Lai was tired of always wracking her brain for these grand truths — it really was exhausting.
Dexilensi nodded but her gaze remained restless.
Liang Lai knew such a change couldn’t happen overnight.
So she would educate her slowly. Someday, Dexilensi would become a cheerful, kind, and normal child.
As they left the room, Dexilensi’s gaze lingered on Dolosa for a moment.
The murderous intent had lessened, replaced by a complicated hesitation.
Liang Lai sighed silently.
Raising a child who didn’t know what a proper worldview was from the start was far more difficult than she had imagined.
But at least today’s talk had made Dexilensi start to think.
That was enough. Change always takes time.
Meanwhile, Dolosa furrowed her brow tighter as she noticed Dexilensi’s steady stare from the corner of her eye.
“What’s wrong with her,” she muttered, goosebumps rising on her skin.
“Why’s she staring at me non-stop? Ever since we left the room, she hasn’t looked away. Is she planning to kill me again?”
But the gaze didn’t seem full of murderous intent.
Instead, it… it almost felt a little gentle.
Thinking this, Dolosa got even more goosebumps.
“She’s looking at me kindly? This murderer? Gross!”
Crazy!
Absolutely crazy!
Dexilensi: “???”
Dolosa rolled her eyes at Dexilensi and made an international friendly hand gesture (which Liang Lai had taught her).
Though Dexilensi didn’t understand it, she felt the gesture was insulting.
Her almost soft expression instantly filled with murderous intent again.
“Sure enough, except for the Saintess, everyone else is a bad person!”
Liang Lai: facepalm
“Little Dolosa, come with me for a moment. I wasn’t going to call you…”
Liang Lai grabbed Dolosa’s arm.
Huh?!
Dolosa, who thought she had escaped the “big truths” session, suddenly turned teary-eyed and was helplessly pulled into the room by Liang Lai.
Seeing the hopeless expression on Dolosa’s face, Dexilensi smiled, feeling much more at ease. Seems like Dolosa was scared of Liang Lai too.
Dexilensi stood silently outside the door, deep in thought.
Huh?
Suddenly, an idea struck her.
So, is there any other way to make them back off without killing?
Since killing didn’t work, and killing made the Saintess unhappy… maybe she could think of other ways to annoy her “good older sisters”!
With that thought, Dexilensi immediately turned and went back to her room to think hard.
Unconsciously, Liang Lai seemed to have solved another child’s psychological problem once again (even if it went from killing to tormenting — it was still a kind of success, right?).
That evening.
Motifiel sat at the dining table, staring at the plentiful food before her.
She sniffed deeply twice, instantly salivating, swallowing hard several times.
“Is, is all this our dinner?”
This was the countless time today she had been surprised.
Motifiel always seemed to wear her emotions openly on her face, making others smile.
“Of course~”
Liang Lai couldn’t help but ruffle the child’s hair.
This was probably the first child she had found who truly acted like a kid.
The others were either too sensible, too mentally troubled, or too mature for their age — none really felt like children.
Only Motifiel was like a child in her restless phase.
Motifiel swallowed again.
No, she couldn’t keep staring at the food — if she did, people might start to think her eyes could actually see through it.
“When, when can I eat?”
Motifiel was drooling from the temptation.
She had never eaten such fragrant food before, or rather… she had never had a meal that was truly comfortable to eat.
Either it was cold food, rotten food, or not enough food.
“You can eat now. We don’t have any rules here — eat whatever you want.”
So, in full view of everyone, Motifiel reached out and grabbed a piece of meat, stuffing it into her mouth.
Everyone’s eyes widened, including Liang Lai’s.
“You… don’t know how to use a knife?”