“Cough cough…”
Milly squinted her eyes, looking at the two who were still clinging to each other.
She cleared her throat softly, reminding them that there were others here.
But it seemed Enya and Estelle didn’t pay her any mind.
Damn it, don’t just ignore me like that!
Milly pouted, feeling quite hurt by the disregard.
She coughed twice more, only to choke herself and start coughing continuously.
“Cough cough cough cough cough.”
Only then did Enya turn her head to look at Milly.
After the patch, the item “Lie” allowed the user to separate their avatar from their true body through a mirror.
Here, Enya was only the avatar of Lady Phil Croachy, an alchemist with fourth-level magic power.
Phil’s relationship with Milly was that of client and contractor.
Milly had previously been introduced to Enya by someone from the Adventurer’s Guild.
Their interactions were limited—only somewhat familiar.
Enya gave Milly a smile and said, “Miss Milly, is your throat feeling uncomfortable? Do you want me to treat it?”
“Ahaha… No, it’s fine, no need…” Milly awkwardly scratched her head.
Enya lowered her gaze to Estelle, reaching out to hold the girl’s hand, gently kneading the soft fingers with a tender expression.
“Actually, I have a daughter…”
“Separated for many years?”
Milly exclaimed, interrupting Enya.
Her words made Enya’s whole body tremble, almost making her jump up.
Fortunately, Enya took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her reaction.
Estelle tilted her head back, looking up at the woman whose presence made her feel strangely at ease.
The girl hoped for Enya’s answer.
Those pale golden eyes were so clear that lying to them felt like a sin.
Enya averted her gaze, trying to soften her voice.
“Ah… well, I mean…”
“My daughter is about Estelle’s age, so I just couldn’t help but hold her like this, haha…”
Softened by Milly’s sudden reaction, Enya relaxed a bit.
She dared not reveal her true identity to Estelle yet.
At least, not for now…
Besides, Enya still hadn’t figured out what attitude Estelle held toward her biological mother.
She had no clue whether Vivienne would try to find her through Estelle.
For now, Enya could only appear before Estelle wearing a mask.
“Huh? Lady Phil already has a child?!”
Milly’s mouth opened wide as if she had uncovered a world-shaking secret.
In her eyes, the beautiful Lady Phil looked incredibly young, yet she already had a child—and one the same age as Estelle?
This was explosive news!
Under Enya’s watchful gaze, Milly swallowed nervously, covering her mouth with both hands.
“Lady Phil, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!”
“You can just call me ‘Lady’…”
“No no no, Lady Phil!” Milly’s eyes were resolute, as if not calling her that would be a death sentence.
“…Fine then.”
Enya resigned herself helplessly.
Besides, what did Phil’s matters have to do with Enya? If you want to call me Lady Phil, go ahead!
Enya reached out and pinched Estelle’s cheek gently.
She whispered softly, “I’ll go prepare some food.”
“Lady Phil, let me help,” Milly said as she was about to stand.
Enya pressed her back down with one hand.
“No need, I’ll do it myself.”
Enya kept smiling. As she walked away, she glanced at the girl sitting on the bed and saw Estelle watching her.
She smiled tenderly at the girl.
Estelle looked at Enya’s retreating figure as she walked toward the kitchen, placing a hand over her heart.
From Lady Phil, she felt a concern far deeper than that of a stranger—something even her own mother had never given.
Vivienne never smiled at her…
She had seen a portrait of another mother—a beautiful silver-haired woman.
Estelle was like a smaller version of that woman.
This Phil, then, probably wasn’t her mother.
She had a daughter, too. Was she as gentle to her daughter as she was now?
Seeing Estelle zoning out, Milly leaned toward her ear and said, “Lady Phil is such a kind person.”
“If I could, I’d want to be her daughter, too.”
Estelle had told Milly about her situation, and Milly, who grew up fatherless and motherless in an orphanage, shared a similar lack of parental love.
So Milly could truly empathize with Estelle.
“Estelle, little sister, what about you? Do you want that?”
“…”
Estelle fell silent.
Want it—or not?
Milly seemed to understand Estelle’s thoughts and spoke her heart for her.
“We don’t get to choose where we’re born, but we can choose our own path.”
“You can visit Lady Phil often.”
“She seems to really like you, and you could experience warmth with her.”
Milly smiled gently, about to say more when the sound of a door opening caught their attention.
Anna and the others entered.
Milly’s eyes reddened, her lips trembling slightly.
Anna smiled and said, “Don’t recognize me?”
Milly lunged forward, and the four embraced each other.
After surviving a calamity, they were all exhausted and didn’t cheer loudly, only silently expressing their worry for each other.
Estelle watched them and instinctively reached into her arms.
Where was that notebook…?
The girl panicked, quickly searching around.
Then she saw the notebook resting on the table.
She swiftly pulled back the quilt, climbed down from the bed without even putting on shoes, and ran straight to the table, clutching the notebook tightly to her chest.
Enya happened to come up carrying some pastries, biscuits, and tea.
She paused when she saw Estelle standing there holding the notebook.
Enya had seen the notebook before; Vivienne had once asked her to tell stories of her adventures, so Enya wrote this travel journal.
She hadn’t expected Estelle to carry it around.
Anna tiptoed into a guest room, carefully closing the door without making a sound.
Turning around, she was startled to see a new figure in the room.
But after recognizing who it was, she breathed a sigh of relief.
The person was clad in silver armor, tall and imposing, with a pair of black Dragon-horns protruding from the helmet.
The tips of the horns were dark red, and a thick dragon tail covered in black scales swayed gently behind her.
Her magic was restrained, revealing no sharpness, but the aura she radiated was suffocating.
Anna swallowed hard and stepped forward a couple of steps.
She nervously grasped the hem of her skirt and whispered, “Senior, you saved my life and my friends’. If you need me anywhere, no matter what it is, Anna will not refuse.”
“Hmm, do you know anything about commerce?”
Commerce?
What does senior need me to do?
Anna was baffled by those words.
Her family had been involved in business before, but now they were fallen, or she wouldn’t have become an adventurer.
“I… know a little…”
“I want you to be my agent, but actually, you only need to do three things.”
Enya slowly turned to face Anna.
“Buy land, buy land, and buy land!”