Chapter 24 :  “Mom, what’s your relationship with her?”

Having a lord as a friend actually seemed pretty nice.

Since she had decided to stay here, building a good relationship with Henna was clearly something she needed to do.

You might not need to use a “relationship,” but you definitely need to have one!

After thinking it through, she continued speaking to Henna:

“You’re more easygoing than I imagined, and your thinking is more progressive too. Thank you for bringing Rosily back.”

“No need to thank me.”

Henna waved it off.

Enya glanced outside the window—it was already completely dark.

Turning to Henna, she said, “It’s getting late. Why don’t I walk you back?”

“This…”

Henna had originally intended to refuse, but this time Enya cut her off.

She gently took her hand and said softly, “Let’s chat while we walk—think of it as keeping me company on a stroll, okay?”

“Mm… alright.”

A faint blush crept onto Henna’s face.

The sensation of that hand—so soft, cool, and gentle—was unexpectedly pleasant…

There was also that breeze when she stood up, carrying a light, sweet fragrance… and those golden eyes that seemed to be saying, ‘Please?’

How… how was she so good at this?

Henna quickly nodded.

After getting a clear yes, Enya glanced toward the stairway—she knew full well her daughter was eavesdropping.

Letting go of Henna’s hand, Enya began softly humming a tune and went to fetch a lantern.

Henna’s mind was in complete disarray.

She only came back to her senses when Enya returned and called her name again.

Her body still felt like it was floating as the two of them stepped outside onto the main road.

The moon was waning, stars sparse.

There were no other sources of light except for the lantern Enya held in her hand.

The night wind was much stronger than it had been during the day.

They chatted casually about recent happenings.

Enya asked Henna for information regarding the “Blood God Cult.”

Once they got on that topic, Henna became visibly more talkative and less reserved.

Not only that, she even brought up some international rumors that had been making the rounds recently.

Some ruins had supposedly emerged somewhere.

Two lifelong rivals were now in a love-hate relationship.

A young princess from one country had run off with a penniless commoner.

She shared all sorts of bizarre tales and gossip.

Enya listened intently, occasionally laughing at some of the stories.

Having such an engaged audience made Henna all the more excited.

Then, when it was her turn to ask questions, she asked Enya what her plans were going forward.

“I think I’ll just stay here and take care of Rosily. Cook, do laundry, and watch my daughter grow up bit by bit. That’ll be everything to me.”

It was a sincere answer—and a change from how she used to be.

In the past, Enya would’ve laid out a long list of tasks to complete, then gone through them one by one.

But now, she could simply do what made her happy.

She had gone through that post-graduation confusion and finally found her path in life.

“…But why did I become a single mom right after graduating?”

Touched by a sore spot, a trace of sorrow flickered through Enya’s eyes.

Henna happened to catch that look.

In her mind, Ms. Phil’s daughter was already so big—she must’ve had her over a decade ago.

That meant Ms. Phil had still been very young at the time, maybe even just a girl stepping into the world.

A clueless young woman raising a baby on her own… she must’ve suffered a lot.

Looking again at the slim figure beside her, Henna felt an indescribable pang of sympathy.

The woman carrying the lantern was clearly breathtakingly beautiful, yet dressed so plainly.

That slender body was holding up an entire home alone, and she had even risked her life for the sake of her daughter.

How could Henna not be moved?

A bold idea suddenly surged up in her heart.

She wanted to reach out and wrap her arm around the woman’s waist, pull her into a tight embrace, and tell her:

“Ms. Phil, I’d like to take care of you and your daughter.”

But Henna chickened out—she didn’t dare act on it.

Though she really wanted to ask who the bastard responsible for all this was, she hesitated.

Bringing up someone’s painful past so bluntly might not bring about heartfelt confessions—it could just as easily lead to cold detachment.

So Henna swallowed her words and tried to change the subject instead.

“Phil, have you thought about enrolling Rosily in school?”

“Huh?”

Enya was stunned for a moment, then quickly refused.

“She’s still too young…”

Too young, indeed! Her daughter was brand new off the production line!

Who sends their kid to school just days after being born?

Enya really didn’t want Rosily going to school so early.

Besides, anything the school could teach, she could teach just as well—if not better and more thoroughly.

And if Rosily didn’t feel like learning and just wanted to play, Enya could even pass on knowledge directly through bloodline resonance.

No need for slow, human-style education.

“Alright. If you ever need anything, feel free to come to me.”

Henna nodded.

Her main goal had been to steer the conversation away from that heavy atmosphere earlier.

In her mind, Rosily’s future was limited—bloodlines played too strong a role in determining one’s ceiling.

Still, there was some hope… because history had once seen a complete exception: the first—and only—Commonblood Sword Saint.

A mortal with no noble bloodline had reached the peak.

But that was a singular miracle.

And also the person Henna had admired for years.

“You said it!” Enya teased her lightly in response.

“Mm. You’re always welcome.”

Henna lifted her chin proudly.

She was, after all, the Lord of Redpine City.

A small matter like this was no trouble at all—a single word from her would get things done.

They were about to reach the neighborhood, so Henna stopped walking and turned toward Enya.

“I’ll leave it here.”

Enya nodded.

She still needed to go home and give Rosily a little talking-to.

Besides, she’d already gotten what she came for—sometimes, you had to know when to stop.

Without any unnecessary fuss, she waved to Henna and turned to head back.

Henna stood in place, watching her retreating figure, deep in thought.

Henna wondered—if she had hugged her just now… what would’ve happened?

She kept watching until Enya disappeared from view before finally leaving.

When Enya returned home and opened the door, she immediately saw Rosily had dragged over a stool and was now sitting on it, pouting with her cheeks puffed up in an unmistakable “I’m mad, come comfort me” pose.

“Mom, what’s your relationship with Big Sis Henna?”

That question made Enya freeze.

She walked over and playfully tugged on her daughter’s ear, laughing.

“What, now you’re starting to supervise your mom?”

“So what is your relationship, huh?”

“We’re just normal friends. What else could it be?”

“Mom… if you had another, better daughter… would you stop wanting me?”

“What are you even saying?”

Enya narrowed her eyes and gave the little one a gentle tap on the head.

She was genuinely confused—what had gotten into her daughter?

What was so strange about her and Henna hanging out?

If anything’s strange, it’s the thoughts in that little head!

Having weird ideas about a mom who already has a child?

Arrest them all!

Enya cupped her daughter’s soft, squishy cheeks and rubbed them before leaning down to kiss her forehead, gently soothing the little one.

“Mommy will always be Rosily’s one and only mommy, okay?”

“Promise!”

Rosily pounced on Enya and started rubbing herself against her affectionately.