In the bedroom, Isabella stayed with Gabrielle until Cress returned.
Neither of them knew what Cress had gone to do. They only saw her come back touching her lips, a faint blush still lingering on her face.
Gabrielle quickly separated from Isabella. Both of them pretended nothing had happened just now. Still, the air felt a little warmer, and Isabella’s scent clung to her lips and the tip of her nose.
Cress didn’t seem to notice they had been kissing. Instead, she looked deep in thought—or rather, “calculating” something—her gaze slightly lowered.
Such a reaction was extremely rare for a Heavenly God.
Upon seeing Gabrielle, Cress quickly hid that emotion again.
However, her behavior was noticeably bolder than before.
She walked straight over to Gabrielle.
The first thing she did was stroke the top of Gabrielle’s head, completely ignoring Isabella who was still standing beside her.
“Gabrielle…”
“Miss Cress, is something the matter? Where did you go just now?”
“Speaking of which, Cress has been acting a bit strange since this morning. She’s completely different from yesterday.”
Gabrielle was indeed curious about who could have changed Cress like this.
“I went to see Olivia and asked her a few things.”
“Mommy Olivia~”
Gabrielle suddenly seemed to understand something.
The moment she heard the word “Mommy,” Cress’s expression changed slightly.
She stared straight at Gabrielle, looking like she wanted to say something but was a little flustered.
Still, she stood there like a proper little maid.
Isabella leaned back slightly.
Gabrielle smiled.
“Mommy Olivia is really gentle. If possible, I’d like to see her more often.”
“Mmm…”
“Did she do something to you?”
“It’s nothing.”
Cress shook her head quickly.
She wasn’t going to tell Gabrielle about the kissing. She knew it was proof of affection between lovers.
If Olivia really wanted it, then she could have it.
After all, they had done similar things a long time ago.
A kiss could show that she had truly changed.
Since she had decided to change, Cress felt it was time to confess certain things to Gabrielle.
Now that she had gained some confidence—especially after Gabrielle had praised her cooking—Cress waited until Isabella started clearing the table. She pulled her hand back and asked:
“Gabrielle, I am someone important to you—just like Isabella.”
Gabrielle was shocked. Even Isabella beside her trembled as if she had heard something catastrophic.
Cress’s voice was very serious. Though truthfully, she always seemed serious and straightforward.
“Who… are you?”
“I will tell you about this soon. Lady Gabrielle only needs to know that I am someone important to you.”
Cress took Gabrielle’s hand, led her to the bedside, and gently laid her down on the soft bedding.
Meanwhile, Isabella pushed the meal cart out of the bedroom. Instead of going downstairs, she signaled Felina, who was cleaning nearby, with her eyes.
Felina understood immediately, let go of the broom, and took over the cart.
Isabella then quietly moved to the bedroom door and carefully listened to the conversation inside.
Cress clearly heard this but paid Isabella no mind, as if she didn’t believe the girl could affect her in any way.
“I am also someone important to you. You just don’t remember it. The proof is in your eyes.”
Gabrielle curled up, clenching her hands tightly. She looked weak and submissive.
The golden cross patterns in Cress’s pupils sparkled like stars, as if deliberately showing Gabrielle whether this familiar pattern could help her recognize their connection.
“Our eyes are the same. Your Holy Body is the same as mine.”
“Of course I know that,” Gabrielle pretended to look confused, as if startled.
“Isn’t this a bit sudden? I really don’t remember anything about the God Maiden.”
Cress nodded and sat down beside her.
The scent and aura on her body felt somewhat similar to Gabrielle’s.
Upon closer inspection, their body curves and breast sizes were almost identical.
Only the difference between the nightgown and the maid uniform made the resemblance less obvious.
Cress seemed even more confident now.
“Will this become a scar for you? I just want to talk. I feel it’s necessary to tell you these things now.”
“It’s fine. Please go ahead.”
Gabrielle felt that if she refused, Cress would drag it out, and the topic would come up again someday anyway.
“I’m very sorry and regretful about what happened eight years ago. I can make it up to you, Gabrielle.”
“The one who captured you was the Evil God, and you are the reincarnation of the God Maiden. I already know all of this.”
Gabrielle nodded. She was curious about what Cress would say next.
Cress leaned her shoulder against her.
The familiar feeling became even stronger—the scent, the power radiating from her body.
Everything felt so familiar, as if it could bring back memories from a very distant past.
“How did the Evil God treat you?”
“She didn’t hurt me. She controlled me and turned me into her servant, but…”
“She didn’t hurt you?”
“Mhm. I don’t know why either, but the Evil God has always been very good to me.”
As Gabrielle spoke, she couldn’t help feeling a little shy.
She tried her best to make Cress understand that Isabella wasn’t the villain she imagined, in order to prevent hatred from forming.
But she also couldn’t lie, so she told her everything she knew.
Cress cared deeply about her daughter’s situation. Honestly, she hadn’t planned to ask so directly this soon.
Two things had given her the courage to do this now.
The first was Gabrielle acknowledging her cooking skills.
She knew she now had more chances to get closer to her daughter, and she wouldn’t let them slip away.
The second was Olivia’s kiss.
She realized that if she wanted to change, she had to start right now.
Since Gabrielle still hadn’t remembered those painful battles, she could still build a normal—even intimate—mother-daughter relationship with her.
Cress believed she could definitely achieve it.
If Gabrielle could trust her, she would surely understand her intentions, and the tragedy from ten thousand years ago wouldn’t repeat itself.
However, as Gabrielle continued recounting the past, Cress’s thought process glitched for a brief moment.
“She… she even married me.”