The warmth of playful laughter slightly diluted the lingering pungent smell in the room.
Even though this made-up excuse fit perfectly with Milin’s usual behavior, it seemed that Meliya still saw through her:
“You think I didn’t notice how you kept exchanging glances with Feiyin just now? There’s definitely more to it than that. Milin, did you decide today to lie to your Mother?”
Meliya’s expression grew serious.
Milin knew this was the sign that she was about to get angry.
She absolutely didn’t want to upset Meliya, so she had no choice but to obediently tell the truth.
“Vera… would really do something like that? That doesn’t sound like her at all.”
After listening to the whole story, a hint of worry colored Meliya’s eyes.
Just this tiny change in her expression was enough to make Milin feel incredibly tense.
She hesitated only for a moment, then quickly made up her mind.
“Feiyin, give me the sword.”
“What do you need the sword for?”
“Just give it to me! Why are you asking so many questions?”
So Feiyin handed Milin the sword hanging on the wall of the room.
If Lian were here, she would surely recognize it—this was the very sword Milin had with her when they first met.
“Why are you still playing with the sword when you’re lying in bed? Put it back—”
“Mother, look!”
What interrupted Meliya’s scolding was the frosty shimmer beginning to spread over the blade.
The frost crept along the sword’s guard and flowed steadily down the blade, finally congealing into a thin layer of icy rime—a new, sharper edge.
Those unfamiliar with its mechanism might think it was just a thin sheet of ice covering the blade… but anyone who had seen Sword Saint Vera unleash her full strength would recognize this as one of her signature techniques—[Chillblade].
Meliya knew nothing of battle, so she couldn’t tell that Milin’s execution of the move fell far short of Vera’s.
But she had seen Vera use this technique to freeze the overflowing Songlin River, saving their Farm and the lands downstream from flooding.
“See, I’ve learned it! I only watched it once and I learned it!”
Milin lightly raised the Chillblade, and as it sliced through the air, sparkling snowflakes drifted down.
Meliya reached out and caught one.
“Oh my…”
Even Feiyin, with her doll-like expression, showed a rare change in her face.
She raised her hand to cover her mouth, unable to hide her surprise.
“…You’re amazing. My Milin.”
The snowflake melted in her palm.
Meliya wiped her hand with a Handkerchief, then looked at Milin’s hand gripping the sword.
Perhaps because she hadn’t mastered the move yet, frost was slowly spreading from the sword onto Milin’s palm.
Her hand had turned red from the cold, but she stubbornly kept holding the sword, determined to show her Mother what she’d learned.
“That’s enough.”
Meliya gently touched her hand.
Worried about freezing her Mother, Milin quickly withdrew her magic.
As the ice on the blade was about to melt and drip, Feiyin hurried over with a towel, wrapped up the sword, and carried it aside.
“Mother, am I amazing? Vera said that if I master this move, I could even beat her! Not to mention that girl named Lian—”
“Milin.”
Milin didn’t get to finish her sentence.
Because once again, she saw that look on her Mother’s face—that expression that seemed to hold all the world’s exhaustion, yet also a sense of relief.
“Why do you want to beat that child? Or rather, do you have any reason you must fight her?”
“I… I… Isn’t it because she’s the daughter of that person? The one who made Mother sad…”
Milin was shaken by her Mother’s calm questioning.
She was usually so good at sensing her Mother’s emotions, but now she couldn’t tell what she was feeling at all.
“So, because of that, you want to fight her? And if you win, then what? Will you kill her?”
“…Mother… I was wrong.”
“I’m not discussing right or wrong with you. I’m asking: do you want to kill her?”
“I, I don’t! I… I just want to prove I’m stronger than she is… I want to prove that as your daughter, Mother, I’m better than that person’s daughter… ugh… uuuuuuuu!”
Her Mother’s emotionless questioning finally broke Milin’s composure.
Her eyes welled up, and she burst into tears.
Meliya’s hand holding the Handkerchief trembled.
She raised her hand as if to wipe away her daughter’s tears, but in the end, slowly lowered it again.
“I see. As long as you don’t have that kind of thought, that’s good.”
She gave a gentle smile and stood up, handing the Handkerchief to Feiyin beside her.
Feiyin understood immediately and took it.
“Milin… good child, don’t cry. It’s my fault.”
She sat on the bed and embraced her daughter, who was hugging her knees and crying.
Milin felt the warmth of her Mother’s embrace and shivered.
“Mother… it’s my fault. Please don’t be angry… I won’t learn it anymore… and I won’t fight that girl again… please don’t be angry…”
Milin clung tightly to her Mother’s neck, as if grabbing a lifeline.
To comfort her, Meliya gently patted her back over and over.
“Mother isn’t angry. I’m truly happy that you could learn such an amazing move…”
Tears rolled down Meliya’s cheeks too.
Seeing her Mother cry, Milin was stunned for a moment.
She looked around, and finally found a Handkerchief in Feiyin’s hand.
“Mother, don’t cry…”
She grabbed the Handkerchief and awkwardly wiped away Meliya’s tears, not caring that her own tears were still streaming down.
“Milin… my child. Whatever you want to learn, whatever you want to do, Mother will always support you, no matter what.”
Meliya began to tremble.
She rested her head on Milin’s shoulder, not wanting her to see her face.
“I’m just afraid you’ll get hurt. You see, even your Vera sometimes can’t control her strength… if she ever hurt you, what would I do? I was the one who arranged for her to teach you… If you ever ended up like this again because of practicing, how could I ever forgive myself?”
“Teacher didn’t mean to… she’s never hurt me before.”
“Yes… I’m sure today was just an accident. But you have to understand—even the tiniest bit of harm coming to you is the scariest thing in the world for Mother.”
Milin felt her Mother’s embrace tighten.
Though that strength was nothing compared to her own, she knew it was everything her Mother could give.
“Mother…”
“So, why not go learn something else? These aren’t times that need fighting anymore. You’re about to come of age. After that, you could study etiquette, music, poetry—you could go to the Court and socialize with your friends… Whatever you wish, Mother will arrange it for you. And if among the children visiting the estate this time there’s anyone you like, I can help match you—”
“Mother! I-I don’t want to get married yet…”
“Then you won’t. I’ll just drive out all those suitors. What do you want for your birthday? Even if you ask for the stars or the moon, I’ll have Sephy and Vera get them for you—”
“Duchess.”
Before Meliya could spiral further, Feiyin cleared her throat softly.