Free Web NovelLate June.
Aydin City had just gone through a heavy rain. The night sky was extraordinarily deep and still, the starlight looking as if it had been washed clean by the rainfall.
There was less than a day left before the date she had arranged to meet Aislin, but Vieya wasn’t in high spirits.
She drank a cup of milk-wine, her gaze shifting toward the window.
“Mom, will Sister Aurora come back...? Why did she agree to that grandpa’s request?” Jasmine walked behind Vieya, then continued, “Will Sister Aurora be in danger?”
“Killing people is dangerous, of course.” Vieya said.
Jasmine asked, “Then why did Sister Aurora still agree?”
“When she comes back, you can ask her yourself.” Vieya sat cross-legged on the bed, lifted her cup, and took a small sip.
“...Then can you stop drinking that stuff, Mom?”
“This is milk. It’s fine.”
“But it smells like alcohol!”
“I’m an adult. I’m not afraid.” Vieya shifted into another position on the bed, then continued, “Tomorrow, once Aislin arrives, we’ll follow her to the Elven Royal Court. Since Aurora accepted the assassination mission to kill the election ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) candidate, she should already have prepared herself mentally. She’ll come back safely.”
“I hope everything goes well.” Jasmine sighed and didn’t speak again.
That strange grandpa seemed to want her mom to stay a few more days and witness “something,” saying a whole bunch of confusing things Jasmine couldn’t understand... but in the end, her mom didn’t stay to wait for Sister Aurora and instead left with her.
Vieya rotated the cup, fell silent for a moment, then downed the milk-wine in one go: “Rest well tonight. Aislin said she’ll come to pick us up at this inn tomorrow. When you see her, don’t you dare show up with dark circles under your eyes.”
Jasmine obediently nodded. “Okay, Mom.”
She climbed onto the bed. Though still worried, her attention quickly shifted from Aurora to Aislin. She looked curiously at Vieya. “Will the elf big-sister really come pick us up?”
Vieya brushed Jasmine’s pale-golden hair, leaned against the headboard, and slowly closed her eyes. “Of course she will.”
The night was so quiet—so quiet one could almost hear the wind brushing past the window frame.
After her daughter fell asleep, Vieya too drifted off. But in the latter half of the night, she woke repeatedly.
She stared at the silent, empty room, then lifted her eyes to the night sky outside the window, her thoughts drifting far away.
Aurora’s older sister had been taken away. The Great Lord of the Western Plateau said that many years ago he had slept with a woman from a certain tribe—but never expected that woman to actually give birth to his child.
Aurora and her “older sister” were actually half-sisters—same mother, different fathers.
When she heard this, Aurora’s mental state seemed to explode—especially when she learned the Great Lord intended to pass his position to that older sister.
Afterward, the Great Lord wrapped temptation inside threats, hoping the one known as the Western Plateau’s Number One Assassin would kill the current election competitor.
Vieya wanted to stop her, but suddenly discarded the thought.
If she interfered, there wouldn’t be enough time. She still needed to reach the Elven Royal Court. So she chose to let Aurora face this storm herself... Besides, with her current body, dying once or twice and shedding to revive wasn’t a big problem.
Taking a beating to gain wisdom—fair enough.
...
Before dawn.
Vieya barely dozed for a short while before waking again—but this time not from a nightmare. Something around her wrist seemed to be faintly warming.
She lowered her head. The Light-Reversing Stone bracelet Aislin had given her years ago was glowing softly, emitting a gentle white light.
“Aislin’s already inside the city?” freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Vieya carefully slipped out of bed, tucked the blanket around her daughter, and walked toward the window. The sun had not yet risen, but street vendors were already out, scrambling to claim their stalls.
A short while later, she spotted a suspicious figure on the street. The figure was wrapped head-to-toe, hood over the head, a large signature cloak draped behind them. The outfit immediately stirred Vieya’s memories.
Many years ago, the bard Aislin had used her big cloak to perform little magic tricks for her—pulling out all sorts of small snacks. Those lively images resurfaced vividly.
But then Vieya narrowed her eyes—because behind the mysterious figure was a tiny child, also wrapped head-to-toe, clutching the corner of the cloak, following step by step.
“...Huh? She has a daughter?”
Vieya’s expression turned strange. It had only been three years—her daughter already old enough to walk?
Meanwhile, the cloaked figure on the street seemed to sense the gaze from the third floor of the inn—Vieya’s eyes from the window.
The figure looked up, froze for a second, then waved.
Their gazes met. Vieya nodded silently and motioned for her to come up.
“Jasmine, wake up!”
Smack!
Vieya stepped away from the window and gave her daughter’s butt a light but decisive slap. “Your elf big-sister is downstairs already—and she brought a daughter about your age!”
“Eh? Ah!”
Jasmine shot upright, rubbing her eyes. “Mom... what do you mean? You’re saying the elf big-sister has a daughter?”
“Most likely.” Vieya nodded sagely. “So hurry up and get ready. As my daughter, you absolutely cannot lose!”
“L-Lose what?” Jasmine froze.
“Lose in every possible way, of course!” Vieya replied with certainty. “She specifically told me to bring you—that means she wants to compare whose daughter is better! Whose daughter is more impressive! Then she’ll brag in front of me!”
“???”
Jasmine opened her mouth, unable to speak, as her mother pulled her off the bed like a doll.
At the same time—
Aislin was taking her little sister* upstairs, registration card in hand. After so many years without seeing her old friend, she was honestly a bit excited.
(*TN: This is Aislin’s younger female cousin, not her daughter.)
“Big-sis, that little girl you waved to earlier—is she the friend you met during your travels?” the small elf girl asked, eyes sparkling.
“Yes.” Aislin smiled. “So be sure to greet her properly later. Be polite.”
“Mm! Elliti understands!” the little girl nodded repeatedly.
Thump!
Thump-thump!
Someone knocked on the door.
Vieya, who had been hurriedly braiding her daughter’s hair, rushed out of the washroom and sprinted toward the door.
“Coming! Coming!”
Click!
Vieya turned the handle. A tall and small figure appeared before her—two faces under the hoods, one delicate and beautiful, the other shy and adorable.
And... they looked somewhat alike.
Definitely a mother-daughter pair.
“Long time no see!” Aislin pulled off her hood. Her beautiful silver hair cascaded down like fine silk. She smiled gently, then looked strangely at the slime girl. “Hmm... you got smaller again? Did you run into something powerful?”
“Haha, it’s fine! Just a little fly.”
Seeing an old friend again made Vieya genuinely happy.
She quickly invited the elf pair inside and curiously asked,
“By the way, is this little one your daughter?”
Aislin, who had been about to introduce her younger cousin, suddenly froze. Her expression twisted in a strange way. Do I look that old...?
At this moment, Jasmine—hair newly braided—walked out of the washroom, looked up at Aislin, and chirped:
“Elf big-sister, good morning. Mom said you brought your daughter to visit us! She also complained that you didn’t tell her you got married, and didn’t invite her to drink wedding wine!”
Vieya: When did I ever complain about that?
But... it is strange. Getting married and having kids and not telling me?
No, wait!
The slime girl narrowed her eyes and met Aislin’s weird stare.
“Little Vieya, let me introduce you.” Aislin gently pushed the elf girl forward. Her voice was complicated. “This is my younger female cousin. Her name is Elliti.”
“G-Good morning, big-sister...” Elliti shyly waved at Vieya, then looked toward Jasmine and timidly waved again. “And... g-good morning to little-sister too.”
