“Don’t worry about it. That child is just being childish.”
“No… I think it’s normal for her to react that way.”
Lian couldn’t feel at ease, even with Meliya’s comfort. Milin’s reaction had completely shattered her intention of confessing everything openly.
…Could you at least think about her mental well-being?
Sephy’s warning, spoken half in jest, kept echoing in her mind like church bells. Lian was deeply grateful that she had followed that advice.
That’s right. Not everyone hurt by her disappearance could forgive her unconditionally like Meliya.
The huge wound this long absence had torn in her relationships and family wasn’t something she could simply heal by impulsively revealing her identity—in fact, if she did, the wound would only be torn wider and deeper.
“It seems my questions were too narrow, Duchess.”
The words Milin had left behind still burned in Lian’s heart like fire. She turned to Meliya, realizing her own voice had grown dry.
“I need to add a few more questions—Can Her Ladyship’s Daughter forgive him? Can the Sword Saint forgive him? And his other companions… do they also see him as a despicable, shameless traitor?”
But this was a question she had to ask aloud.
“……”
This time, it was Meliya’s turn to fall silent. But her silence did not last long.
“I have no right to answer those questions. It’s been many years since I saw any of his companions besides Vera and Sephy. As for what the two of them think… I don’t think I can answer on their behalf.”
Meliya’s gentle gaze settled on Lian’s face. She truly seemed to regret, from the bottom of her heart, that she couldn’t give a straightforward answer.
“But about that child… When she was young, she actually admired him a lot. But as she grew up, the affairs I had to handle increased… The time I could spend with her became less and less. Now, I can no longer say I really know what she’s thinking.”
“I’ve failed as a mother, haven’t I?”
The lonely rustling of leaves in the wind sounded like a sand rattle endlessly shaking. Meliya’s self-mocking smile stabbed at Lian’s heart.
“No, that’s not true at all. You’ve raised her alone for so many years, and even built her such a beautiful palace… There couldn’t be a more competent mother than you.”
“Thank you for your praise. But this isn’t all my achievement, you know? His companions helped me a great deal. In the early days of the Inheritance of Territory, I had to withstand pressure from other nobles across the Empire—those people thought a mere village girl like me wasn’t qualified to receive her husband’s rewards in his stead.”
“At that time, it was Vera who shouldered their criticism for me. She brought the Royal Army and stationed them at the borders of my territory, driving out everyone who harbored ill intentions. And the time she won for me, I used with Sephy to restore the economy and build up the land. After having a deep conversation with her, I realized she was an unimaginable genius…”
Lian listened quietly as Meliya recounted those sixteen years she shared with her companions.
This long adventure of a mother’s life drew even a Hero with epic experiences like Lian into its tale.
…
……
…….
“Idiot, idiot, idiot! Mother is an idiot!”
Milin ran like a wild whirlwind along the garden path, her crimson hair plastered messily to her tear-streaked face.
As soon as she heard her mother was here, she ran from the Training Ground.
To see the mother she rarely met because of her busy duties, pretending to meet by chance was always the best strategy—but right now, she just wanted to get as far away from that pavilion as possible.
It’s all that person’s fault, so why does Mother always take his side?
Is a father who abandoned his wife and daughter really so easily forgiven?
And she even looked at me like I was the one being childish and unreasonable… Does she care more about that man who disappeared for sixteen years and his illegitimate daughter than about me?
“Lady.”
A gentle, calm voice sounded at her side. Milin stopped abruptly, her tearful eyes seeing Feiyin.
Before she knew it, she had run to the entrance of the garden path.
Choking back sobs, she dove into Feiyin’s arms, clinging tightly to her slender waist.
“Mother, Mother, she…”
“I know. Please wipe your tears first.”
Feiyin tenderly wiped Milin’s tear-stained face with a handkerchief and gently patted her back, soothing her until her shoulders finally stopped trembling.
“You saw the Duchess, didn’t you?”
“Yes…! She really was drinking tea with that girl… Whenever I invite her, she always says she’s too busy and refuses! Why is she treating me so differently?”
“This isn’t treating you differently. The Duchess has things she needs to confirm. I told you she was here and warned you several times—it’s best not to disturb them for now. Besides, you know that girl might be your half-sister, don’t you?”
“I refuse to admit she’s my sister! I never want to have anything to do with that man or anything related to him again!”
At the mention of ‘sister,’ Milin began sobbing again.
She shook her head violently in Feiyin’s embrace, showing her extreme rejection.
“All right.” Feiyin’s silvery lashes lowered. She gently stroked Milin’s head.
“No one is forcing you to accept it, Lady. You know that your feelings are always the first thing the Duchess considers. Even though you’ve never called the Hero your father, she has never blamed you.”
“Then why does she still go meet that girl…”
“Because at the very least, she needs to know where the person she waited sixteen years for actually is. And if she wanted you to acknowledge her, she would have invited you as well, wouldn’t she?”
“I suppose that’s true…”
“So you don’t need to worry. Besides, that girl really isn’t a bad person. Didn’t you meet her at the Training Ground today? You told me yourself, when you almost collapsed, it was she who ran up to support you.”
“That was…”
Milin recalled what happened at the Training Ground today.
Every time she saw that girl, she had shown her no kindness at all.
Yet even though she had acted so cold and distant, the girl had never shown her any hostility.
On the contrary, she seemed to care especially about her…
—It was my honor to help Lady enjoy her training.
Even after being beaten into a sorry state, she had still smiled and said that.
Was she just trying to curry favor? Milin wasn’t sure. But she could tell that the girl’s smile was truly sincere.
“Maybe… maybe you’re right. I was just too worked up. But even so, I still can’t see her as my sister.”
“Just do what your heart tells you, Lady. No matter what you decide, I will always support you.”
“Uuuuu… In the end, you’re the only one who’s really my good sister! As for that man’s daughter, I don’t care if she drops dead!”
“Oh dear… I didn’t say all that just so you’d feel that way.”