Chapter 16 : A Subtle Sense of Fulfillment

A pair of orange-gold eyes quietly stared into the mirror. 

Reflected within was a small girl with light golden hair, wearing a black and white dress. 

Her figure was slender and graceful, sitting upright on a chair.

The girl looked drowsy—like someone dragged out of bed early in the morning by her mother.

Snip~ Snip~.

As the sound continued to echo, strands of her light golden hair fell to the floor.

A pair of pale, delicate hands wielded the scissors, cutting the silky hair without hesitation, letting it fall soundlessly.

In the entire room, only the sound of scissors and the faint rustle of fingers brushing through hair could be heard.

Before long, the hair that had once reached her calves was trimmed to just shoulder-length. 

Her bangs were carefully cut and neatly styled by Enya.

Enya looked into the mirror at Rosily. 

Compared to her previous lazy, long-haired appearance, she now looked more like a lively young girl. 

Enya found the change quite pleasing.

She gently rested her palm on Rosily’s head, softly stroking it.

Enya said, “All done~”.

That voice seemed to snap Rosily out of her daze. 

She blinked her big, watery eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror. 

Her mouth opened in surprise.

Her gaze shifted upward, and through the mirror, her eyes met Enya’s.

Rosily tilted her head up. 

Enya looked down. 

The two gazed at each other across a towering mountain range.

The little girl whined, “Mom, I’m hungry!”

Enya couldn’t help but laugh. 

She reached out and pinched her daughter’s soft, chubby cheek. 

The sensation was unexpectedly delightful, and her smile grew even warmer.

Brushing away the tiny bits of hair stuck to her daughter’s face, Enya said dotingly, “Alright, alright, let go of me. Mama will go make something delicious for you now.”

“Mhm!”

Rosily gulped down her saliva and hopped off the chair in satisfaction. 

But a hint of confusion lingered, and she turned to ask Enya:

“Mom, why did you hit me earlier?”

“Uh… that’s because… because you broke the bed!”

“I did?”

“You did.”

Enya wore a look of absolute certainty. 

Rosily’s pure, innocent eyes stayed fixed on her mother.

Inside that little head of hers, everything from that morning was a hazy blur. 

Mom had told her she’d been sick, but she didn’t remember being sick at all.

Still, if Mama said it, then it must be true!

As she walked toward the dining table, she rubbed the still-sore side of her bottom.

Seeing that, Enya felt a bit guilty and pressed her lips together. 

It’s not like she had to spank her… but come on—how many people could resist such a golden opportunity to lay a cute little girl over their lap for a few smacks?

Besides, it had felt really good.

Ahem, Enya shook her head, mentally scolding herself. 

Whatever weird thoughts were still floating in there—flush them out, or lock them up tight.

She then walked to the kitchen.

Standing at the stove, she began thinking about what to cook.

When it came to food for her daughter, only the best would do. 

So Enya pulled out some treasured ingredients from her personal “library.”

At the dining table, Rosily was curiously inspecting her home.

This place felt fresh and new to her. 

Suddenly—sizzle sizzle—a crackling sound came from the kitchen. 

Rosily turned toward the source of the noise, and a powerful aroma of meat hit her nose.

Gulp.

She couldn’t help but swallow. 

Following the smell, she toddled behind Enya on her still-clumsy legs and peeked into the pot to see the chunk of meat trembling as it cooked.

The heat of the oil had drawn out the meat’s rich fragrance, and as Enya flipped it over with a spatula, that tantalizing sizzling sound rang out again, teasing the taste buds.

“Go sit down—it’ll be ready in just a moment.”

Looking at Rosily, who was practically drooling, Enya felt a subtle and indescribable sense of fulfillment.

Soon, the magic beast meat—cut into small pieces and sprinkled with spices—was served at the table. 

Rosily, though not very practiced, managed to pick up each piece perfectly with her fork.

Redpine City, nestled near the edge of the northern Great Forest, had no shortage of magical beasts. 

Meat had naturally become the staple food in the region.

A plate of fragrant pan-seared meat, warm and fluffy bread, and a bowl of savory mushroom soup—Enya had only made a simple meal, but Rosily devoured it with deep satisfaction.

She lifted the soup bowl—bigger than her own face—and gulped it down straight from the rim. 

Watching Rosily clean off the entire table like a whirlwind, Enya was genuinely stunned.

Enya reached out and patted Rosily’s belly, amazed that such a tiny stomach could hold so much.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, nothing… nothing at all. A good appetite is a blessing, haha.”

Enya pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Rosily’s shiny, greasy little mouth. 

She asked if Rosily was full—if not, she’d warm up some more bread.

But Rosily was eager to go outside and play, so she insisted she was full.

The little girl stood up proudly, puffing out her belly (which honestly hadn’t puffed out much at all), and declared, “Mom, I’m going out to play.”

“Alright, alright.”

Enya smiled helplessly, ruffling Rosily’s hair as she reminded her, “Don’t go too far. Be home before the sun sets, understand?”

“Got it!”

But Rosily was already eyeing the door. 

The moment Enya loosened the reins, she bolted. 

Clearly, she hadn’t paid much attention to those last words.

“Alright, go on then.”

Enya had barely finished her sentence before Rosily was at the door. 

She pushed it open, poked her head back in, and waved to Enya.

Enya lifted her hand and waved back, a little helpless.

She glanced at the table full of dirty dishes and sighed. “Well, someone’s got to wash them. Not like I can make her do it…”

Sweeping, doing the dishes, washing the bedding—it all took over an hour.

Rosily was no longer in sight in the yard, but Enya wasn’t worried. 

Even though she’d lost her magic, as long as she remained within Redpine City’s borders, her strength was still far beyond what a typical eighth-tier could match.

If Rosily were ever in danger, Enya would immediately sense it and appear at her side in an instant. 

So there was no real need to worry.

Once the chores were done, Enya stepped into the study on the first floor.

The magic circle etched into the floor was dormant—until Enya entered. 

Then, the inscriptions began to glow faintly. 

Enya was the core of the barrier.

To dispel this barrier, one would either need her to disable it herself—or kill her.

She walked straight to the desk by the window and sat down. 

From her belongings, she took out the necklace Vivienne had given her—a silver chain set with a ruby the size of a pigeon egg.

There was no way something carried around by a princess could be ordinary. 

Enya pried the gemstone loose and then disassembled it into more than a dozen pieces.