Chapter 201: You Think I’m Just Like Your Mother?

“Why would she suddenly mention her?” Enya asked, her voice filled with confusion.

Hearing the question, Estelle lifted her eyes to look at Enya, who was standing close by.

Without a hint of hesitation, she recounted everything that had happened in the library today.

A red-haired shorty named Lilith had spoken to her about Enya, which was why she had asked that question.

‘So that’s how it is…’

After hearing the explanation, the corners of Enya’s mouth twitched. She was all too familiar with the name Lilith.

The moment she heard it, she immediately associated it with Henna.

However, there were surely other reasons for Estelle’s curiosity, most of which stemmed from the girl herself.

She had developed a Desire to understand Enya, but that desire remained unfulfilled, forming a knot in her heart.

When an opportunity to learn more presented itself, she had reached out without hesitation.

Was she decisive? It was more that the concept of “hesitation” didn’t exist in Estelle’s heart.

These thoughts flashed through Enya’s mind in an instant.

She watched the young girl quietly, but then something unexpected happened. Estelle asked her another question.

“Then, does Predecessor have a relationship with Enya?”

“Uh…”

‘Do I have a relationship with myself?’

‘Certainly.’

Facing her daughter’s clear eyes, Enya found it hard to lie.

Estelle was undoubtedly pure, even if her heart wasn’t entirely untainted by the world.

Those pale gold eyes gazed into Enya’s own. Even her majestic dragon eyes couldn’t help but shrink slightly.

Enya averted her gaze, intending to make up a quick lie to move past the topic, but Estelle spoke again before she could.

“The things Predecessor says make it seem like you know Enya very well. Do you have a relationship with her?”

“Predecessor, Mother said I look almost exactly like Enya did when she was a child.”

“Predecessor?”

Estelle tilted her head, looking at Enya, who was gradually turning her head away. She pursed her thin lips and finally added one last thing.

“Mother once said things to me that I never understood. Even after reading many books, I still couldn’t quite grasp it. But Mother’s words are very similar to what you say, Predecessor.”

“Cough, cough, cough, cough!”

The long ears nestled in Enya’s hair stood upright as she couldn’t help but burst into a coughing fit. Estelle cast a concerned look her way.

“Predecessor, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine…”

The expression on Enya’s face was strange, as if she were smiling yet not.

She didn’t really want to face the child’s gaze.

After adjusting herself slightly, she turned back to face her daughter.

“Do you think I’m like your mother?”

“I don’t know…” Estelle shook her head.

Enya looked at her dazed expression, even though her words had been so sharp just a moment ago.

She gave a helpless smile and asked, “Do you feel like I’m treating you as a substitute, just like your mother does?”

“Yes.”

Estelle didn’t understand how to express things tactfully. To her, there were only three answers: yes, no, or I don’t know. And she followed her heart’s intuition.

Enya took another deep breath and pressed her fingers against her brow, rubbing it. It had been a long time since she had such a headache; she had almost been broken by her own daughter.

Estelle’s gaze remained fixed on Enya, her eyes revealing a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps even she didn’t realize how much she wanted Enya to deny it. Even if it were a lie…

Silence. A long silence.

Only then did Estelle realize she might have said the wrong thing again. If she had known it would turn out like this, she would have chosen not to speak.

Just like in Vivian’s Great Castle, as long as she didn’t speak, she wouldn’t provoke her mother or be deliberately cast aside.

She didn’t ask for much; just being able to see her mother was enough.

Estelle reached out and pinched Enya’s cuff, whispering softly.

“Can you… pretend you didn’t hear what Estelle just said?”

Her voice was slightly raspy. The girl lowered her head, looking as if she had committed a grave error and was pleading for forgiveness.

But what had she done wrong?

“I…”

Enya froze for a moment.

Looking at her daughter, who was desperate not to let the current situation change, her heart ached terribly.

She grabbed the hand clutching her sleeve and said softly, “Estelle is not anyone’s substitute. It’s Estelle I’ve always liked.”

“Mm…”

Just as Estelle was about to look up, she was pressed into Enya’s embrace.

At this moment, the child didn’t need more explanations; she needed to feel that she was cared for.

Compared to the previous light hug, Enya seemed to let go of a certain grudge this time, tearing down a layer of misty separation.

She held her daughter’s petite body tightly, letting her softness and warmth dispel the trembling Estelle felt from the fear of loss.

After a long time, Enya finally let her go.

“Does Estelle hate Enya?”

“I don’t know,” Estelle shook her head.

Enya chuckled softly and pinched her daughter’s small face. “Well, that’s already quite good.”

“…”

Estelle was somewhat confused.

Enya raised her right hand, formed a fist, and gave her daughter a light knock on the head.

In a slightly scolding tone, she said, “How can you speak to an elder in such a questioning manner?”

“Ow…”

Estelle covered the spot where she had been hit.

Suddenly, she had a strange sensation. Just as she was about to speak, Enya’s gaze cut her off immediately.

So much time had passed, and the main business hadn’t even started!

Enya took her daughter’s small hand again and said solemnly, “Alright, alright. The questions are over. Let’s get back to what we started! Now, I’m going to give you something. To an ordinary person, it would be almost unbearable, but for you, it shouldn’t be too big of a problem. However, you’ll have to endure quite a bit of hardship while learning it. Are you ready, Estelle?”

As soon as Enya finished speaking, Estelle nodded without the slightest hesitation, indicating she was fully prepared.

Hardship? She didn’t know what that meant. Estelle only knew that she had to keep working toward her goal.

Seeing her daughter’s determination, Enya didn’t know what to think. She told Estelle to close her eyes, then closed her own.

Soon, a silver light began to glow from Enya’s body.

Unlike Estelle’s fire-like radiance, this light was as calm as water.

The moment she released her Magic Power, Estelle felt the Magic Power within her own body being drawn into motion!

A thick, syrup-like silver glow suddenly swirled around Estelle.

To the naked eye, it appeared far more dazzling than the light on Enya’s body and was more unpredictable in form.

Yet, before that calm, water-like Magic Power, it could only put up a futile struggle.

What was happening?

Just as Estelle was feeling confused, Enya spoke. “Don’t be nervous. Relax your mind.”

“Okay, I will…”

Hearing this, Estelle immediately released her suppression over her own Magic Power and the Sword Qi that had also been stirred up.

They reacted as if stimulated by some terrifying danger, desperately resisting, but Enya told her not to fight it.

She trusted “Predecessor” because…

Suddenly, Estelle felt something slowly spreading into her body through the hand being held! As that something squeezed into her, she felt the gravity acting on her body multiply several times over in an instant! Fortunately, she was currently in a state of full Magic Power output, allowing her body to withstand the weight.

And it wasn’t over yet.

When that thing moved through her arm and into her chest, Estelle found it several times harder to breathe.

Large beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

Enya didn’t open her eyes, but she knew this was definitely not comfortable. She wondered if she was being too harsh on her daughter.

Thus, Enya asked softly, “Can you bear it?”

“No problem…”

Estelle gritted her teeth, forcing those words out. Then, she clamped her mouth shut, struggling to adapt.

Enya exhaled softly and passed the second Sword Qi to Estelle.

The moment the second one transferred, Estelle nearly collapsed.

Even though she had reached Fourth Tier Mana, it was still difficult to endure the infusion of Enya’s concentrated Sword Qi.

But Enya didn’t stop there.

She passed the third concentrated Sword Qi to her daughter using a method of resonance. This was a secret technique unique to her family.

Then, Enya let go of her hand, disconnecting the Soul Link, and used her arms to support her swaying daughter.

“Don’t push yourself too hard…”

After saying this, Enya was overcome with guilt. Estelle was currently slumped in her embrace, her face alternating between flushed and pale.

Her breathing was erratic, and she looked to be in very poor condition.

Enya pressed her palm against her daughter’s chest, helping to calm the turbulent surges within her body.

As time passed, the tidal waves of Magic Power inside Estelle finally settled.

Looking at her daughter’s delicate face, which was soaked in sweat, Enya brushed aside the silver strands of hair stuck to her forehead and wiped away the glistening beads of perspiration.

Gazing at her, Enya lowered her head and pressed a light kiss to her daughter’s forehead.

Then, she whispered something.

At this moment, Estelle’s consciousness was trapped inside a dark shell.

She vaguely heard a voice speaking to her.

When she tried to open her eyes and catch the owner of that voice in the darkness, she found it impossible.

The darkness gradually brightened, turning into a Starry Night.

Her hand was raised high, as if she were making a ridiculous attempt to catch a star. A voice echoed in her ear, and what it said was…

‘Mommy loves you.’

It seemed to be those words.

It was blurry, and she couldn’t be entirely sure. Estelle sat up from the floor and scanned her surroundings.

Aside from the stark white Bone Spear standing nearby, the unknown wildflowers and weeds on the ground, and the moonlight spilling through the broken roof, there was nothing else.

Looking up at the brilliant starry sky peeking through the ruins, Estelle reached out her hand.

She looked at the hand that had been held earlier and immediately used her Spirit Power to investigate her body.

She was shocked by what she found.

Located in her chest were three spots of light emitting a terrifying aura — those were the three powerful Sword Qis sealed inside her body! As her consciousness touched the Seal, a voice transmitted into her mind.

“Estelle, you can try to learn these Three Swords. Once you’ve mastered them, I will return to teach you the rest.”

Estelle looked at the three Sword Qis within her and fell into deep thought.

But how was she supposed to learn this?