Chapter 131

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Chapter 131: Envying That You Have A Mother

Bella took her dragon form to fetch Hipper, making the round trip in under two hours.

Bella was the fastest, and as long as Hipper’s body could withstand Bella’s high-speed flight, they’d be able to land in no time.

Iris waited outside Talos City for Bella’s return.

The blue-and-white dragon streaked across the sky like a comet’s fiery tail before finally landing on the ground.

Soon, Bella in human form walked over with a silver-haired young girl.

Hipper’s hair was a mess, while she could handle the cold of high-altitude flight, her hair still couldn’t defy physics and had been blown about.

“Greetings, esteemed Queen of the Dragon Clan,” Hipper greeted Iris with a polite bow.

“Long time no see, princess of the human race,” Iris replied, smiling politely back.

“Let’s go. First, let’s check on your physical condition.”

Iris led Hipper to a secluded spot outside and had Bella stand guard. 

Iris lifted Hipper’s skirt to inspect the dragon scales on her body and used magic to analyze the changes in Hipper’s internal magical energy.

“It does appear you’re evolving into a dragon. The process is still ongoing, so for now, stay with us so I can observe your transformation and react quickly if necessary.”

The unspoken thought in Iris’s mind was to prevent Hipper from fully becoming a dragon. 

If her vampiric powers disappeared, all the efforts they’d made in disrupting the palace of Boros City would be in vain.

Though the upheaval in the Dia Kingdom had been a pleasant surprise and hadn’t required much effort, Iris saw no reason to let it slip away. 

Since they had control over Dia Kingdom in the shadows, she wouldn’t release her hold.

“For now, don’t tell Illya about your condition. Just tell her you’re here for a visit. If you don’t manage to fully transform into a dragon, she might be disappointed.”

“Understood,” Hipper nodded.

“It takes about a month to fully evolve from the appearance of scales. If I don’t give specific instructions during this time, you’re free to go about as you wish. Just don’t leave Talos City. If you want to return to the palace, I can have Bella take you. But once your transformation is complete, successful or not, you must return to the palace. If you spend too much time away, your father might find ways to circumvent your influence.”

“Got it.”

“If you understand everything, let’s head back now and see Illya.”

Hipper put on a beret she had been holding to cover her pointed ears. She wasn’t adept at advanced concealment magic, so she had to hide her vampiric traits physically.

Iris glanced at Hipper but didn’t offer to help with concealment magic—Hipper’s matters were for Hipper to handle.

They entered the city and arrived at the villa where Iris’s family was staying.

Illya was in Naya’s room chatting with her, as she tended to miss her Mama after eating her fill.

In the palace or the castle, Illya would have had studies to occupy her after meals. But since they were traveling, Iris allowed her a few months of indulgence.

Once her sister hatches, Illya would return to the palace and formally begin her education on becoming a proper Dragon Princess.

Iris opened the door to Naya’s room.

Illya was sitting at a table playing with her toys. She instinctively looked toward the door upon hearing it open.

Standing in the doorway was her mother, who then pulled a silver-haired girl wearing a hat from behind her.

“Illya, look who I brought.”

“Hipper!”

Illya immediately jumped off her chair, running excitedly toward the door.

“Illya, long time no see.”

“You’re here! How did you find us? I missed you so much, Hipper!”

Illya stepped forward and hugged Hipper tightly, pressing her chubby little cheeks against Hipper’s face.

Feeling Illya’s enthusiasm, Hipper froze slightly before raising her hand to embrace Illya’s back.

How could such a simple-hearted Dragon Princess be born to a Queen as cold and calculating as the Dragon Queen?

Since Hipper had met Illya, all she had received from her was unwavering affection.

She didn’t quite understand why Illya was so deeply fond of her.

But she never doubted Illya’s sincerity.

“The Dragon Queen has informants in Boros City. I reported my request through them, and now I can see you, Illya. I missed you too.”

“That’s wonderful!”

So they could meet each other whenever they wanted.

Illya had thought that after their parting in Boros City, any future meetings would be left to fate, and she’d shed tears over it.

“Alright, Illya, go play with Hipper,” Iris said.

Iris had asked Hipper to stay here, intending to observe Hipper’s transformation.

During this time, Hipper had complete freedom.

“Can we go shopping?” Illya asked, looking up.

“Of course, but you’ll need to bring Flanna with you.”

“Yay! Hipper, come on, let’s go out and play!” Illya said, grabbing Hipper’s hand and turning to look at Naya. 

“Mama, can I go out?”

Naya wanted to refuse, but considering that Illya was already 6 years old and shouldn’t be coddled like a sheltered bird anymore, she nodded in agreement alongside Iris.

“Take Flanna with you.”

“Got it!”

Excited, Illya lost herself for a moment, pulling Hipper’s hand as they dashed outside.

Since food still had no taste for Hipper, she and Illya could only stroll around, taking in the sights.

Even so, both of them felt very content.

—

Elsewhere in Talos City.

Heroes from the Goss Empire and knights from Casimir gathered together.

All because several dragons resided here.

A Dragon Queen, a Dragon Queen Consort, a Dragon Princess, and two dragon maids.

Over the past month, their notorious energy-harvesting activities had spread far and wide. With a little digging, it was easy to find that this group of five had rented a villa here.

For the nobility of Dia Kingdom, it didn’t matter if the residents were dragons or humans, as long as they paid, they were welcome. 

So, after renting out the villa to Iris and her group, the nobles didn’t report them. 

With Boros City reeling from the dragon scale plague, neither the dragon faction nor the Goss Empire’s forces held a clear upper hand. Taking sides now was hardly wise.

And so, Iris and her group had naturally settled in Talos City.

A paladin sat alone by the window in her inn room, watching the clouds drift across the sky. Her daughter, Semira, had lost her powers and could no longer accompany her on missions.

Maybe it was for the best—not having to take on hell-level assignments concerning the Dragon Queen.

Before Semiya had set out on her last mission, Semira had told her about her transformation into a dragon.

All because of the birth of the “Dragon God”.

With just those words, Semiya fully understood. When she passed the message to the Goss Empire’s high command, it caused a huge stir.

Everyone was stunned by this revelation.

No one had anticipated the Dragon God’s birth to be so swift.

Semiya drew her sword from her waist.

Her reflection in the polished blade showed her current appearance—golden dragon horns, pointed ears, slit-pupil eyes, and a dragon tail she had hidden with camouflage magic.

Otherwise, she’d stand out too much in public.

Her dragon body was incompatible with the bulky armor of humans, so Semiya had abandoned it, now dressed in a light dress instead.

With the resilience of her dragon body, armor was hardly necessary.

Now, the gathered heroes were all elite fighters, and the Casimir contingent consisted of the top experts from the Goss Empire.

Semiya touched her abdomen.

Once, the Dragon Queen’s magic had pierced her there. But after becoming a dragon, she had healed quickly and, right after leaving her sickbed, had been ordered by the empire to carry out this mission.

Semiya sighed.

She knew that, now that she had become part of the dragon race, only by continuing to build her accomplishments could she regain the trust of both the Goss Empire and her family.

Many people worried whether, in becoming a dragon, the paladin’s heart would also lean towards the dragons.

This was something that could hardly be argued, so Semiya could only use actions to silence those doubting voices.

But capturing the Dragon Queen was no simple task.

While the Casimir Knights and heroes racked their brains, they noticed that Princess Hipper of the Dia Kingdom had appeared on the streets of Talos City, shopping with the Dragon Princess, Illya.

After several days of careful observation, the team discovered that the two princesses came out to play each day, accompanied by a purple-haired maid.

The group gathered again to plan, deciding to capture the human princess and dragon princess first.

“But that purple dragon isn’t easy to deal with. We fought her in the palace of Boros City before, and she’s at least of emperor-level strength,” one of the four Casimir Knights accompanying Semiya remarked.

But the heroes objected.

“Now that Lady Paladin has become a dragon herself, her power must have advanced by at least one rank. Even if her magic level hasn’t reached the holy level, she’s at that strength. What’s there to fear from an emperor-level dragon?”

“…”

Semiya had nothing to say in response.

They weren’t wrong, her power had indeed increased significantly after becoming a dragon.

Even though her magic wasn’t at the holy level, the strength of her dragon body brought her close to it.

“However, fighting on the streets would endanger innocent lives.”

The Casimir Knights hesitated to agree to the heroes’ plan right away.

These heroes were adventurers without formal military training, who placed little value on the safety of civilians and cared only for the thrill of adventure.

“If you Casimir Knights are afraid of sullying your reputation, then leave it to us. The Goss Empire’s leaders didn’t gather us here just for clean work, after all,” one of the heroes replied.

With that, the plan was finalized, and the heroes decided to act the next day.

The meeting concluded.

Semiya walked back to her room.

“Lady Paladin…”

One of the Casimir Knights following behind her looked at her with a gaze full of concern.

Though the heroes were not formally ranked knights of the Goss Empire, they had been dispatched by the Empire, which meant they represented it in some capacity.

Semiya stopped walking and gazed at the end of the hallway, her right hand resting lightly on the hilt of her sword.

“I will protect everyone,” Semiya said after a pause. 

“Now go rest, regain your energy, and prepare for tomorrow’s mission.”

“Yes, Lady Paladin.”

With that, Semiya opened her room door and stepped inside.

The Casimir Knights standing by the door sighed softly.

Their Lady Paladin had been withdrawn ever since she’d become a dragon.

Becoming a dragon must have been a devastating blow for someone who had always upheld the heart of a true knight.

After all, she had once guarded her knightly principles with such steadfast dedication.

The next morning came quickly.

The heroes gathered near Iris’s rented villa, waiting for the two young girls to emerge.

Around 9 in the morning, they saw the two small figures they had hoped for, with the purple-haired maid following closely behind.

The two girls laughed happily as they walked down the street hand in hand.

“Bori, Ivan, Theresa, you three stay here and keep an eye on the villa. If the Dragon Queen makes a move, send a signal flare immediately. We’ll try to take care of the three dragons before backup arrives. Lady Paladin, we need your assistance,” said Yule, the leader of the heroes, dividing the group into two teams.

They continued following the two young girls.

Once they were far enough from the villa, Yule signaled to his group to make their move.

“Prepare to act! Prepare to act!”

Suddenly, the heroes rushed toward the two girls, surrounding them.

Yule drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at Illya.

“You dragons have nowhere to run!”

Hearing the word “dragons”, the bystanders on the street were startled. Seeing the heroes drawing their weapons and aiming at the two adorable girls, they quickly fled, not wanting to get involved.

“By my command!”

Before Hipper could activate her powers, Flanna immediately reached out to cover Hipper’s eyes.

“Don’t rush, Hipper.”

It was better to keep their trump cards hidden for now.

“I can handle this.”

A brilliant purple light radiated from Flanna as she spread her wings, pushing back the heroes and creating some space. She swiftly lifted the two young girls onto her back.

“Hold on tight!” Flanna shouted.

“Hipper, hold on tight!” Illya echoed.

Since Hipper wasn’t truly a dragon, her strength was less than Illya’s. While Illya could cling tightly to Flanna’s back during the fight, Hipper struggled to hold on and had to wrap her arms around the pink-haired Illya in front of her to stay balanced and avoid slipping off.

Once Flanna confirmed that both girls were secure, she continued flapping her wings, fending off the heroes surrounding her with her claws and wings.

The ground tiles on the street cracked beneath the force of her dragon body, and nearby buildings trembled and began to collapse under the intense vibrations.

Despite the heroes’ elite team—a well-organized group with a healer, shield-bearer, warrior, assassin, and ranged mage—their coordinated attacks still felt like mere scratches against Flanna’s tough scales.

“Don’t worry! A dragon’s scale shield is powered by magic. Any magic has a corresponding counter-spell! As long as I find the counter to this dragon’s magic, we can break her defenses. Hang in there!” the mage called from the rear, trying to boost the morale of those on the front lines.

Each time the mage cast a spell, waves of energy rippled across Flanna’s body. Experienced mages could analyze these energy waves to decode the opponent’s magic structure and then neutralize it.

Dragons were notoriously hard to kill because regular methods couldn’t penetrate their defenses, and their magical attacks were overwhelmingly destructive. High offense and high defense made dragons nearly unbeatable in direct combat.

Flanna took flight, wings sweeping her upward.

“Sky Barrier!”

The mages instantly cast a barrier in the sky to prevent the dragon from escaping.

Flying was another tricky aspect of dealing with dragons—if they overpowered you, they’d press the attack, but if they were losing, they might just escape.

However, Flanna wasn’t trying to flee; she simply took a small leap to use gravity to her advantage.

Just as she was about to touch the light barrier above, she dove back down.

“Boom!”

A surge of purple magic waves burst from Flanna, expanding in layers around her.

“Shield-bearers, defend!”

The heroes’ team acted with seamless coordination, deflecting the waves of energy without sustaining any injuries.

The waves carried a resonance that could directly disrupt the body’s organs and tissues, causing damage upon contact. Buildings touched by the energy waves crumbled and collapsed.

“Damn, she’s definitely tough to deal with,” Yule, the warrior, muttered from behind the shield-bearers.

Perhaps the Casimir Knights were right. Battling dragons, a single misstep could lead to a quick death.

The vast gap between humans and dragons was like the heavens and the dust beneath.

Seeing that the crowd had fully dispersed, the paladin decided it was time to join the fray instead of merely observing.

She drew her sword and stepped forward.

“Sun, bow to me!”

Lifting her sword to the sky, golden beams of light streamed down, gathering around Semiya.

“Roar!”

As Semiya gathered the light, Flanna opened her jaws wide and quickly unleashed a blast toward Semia.

“Haha!”

Semiya swung her sword, slicing through the blast, and advanced, bathed in the golden glow.

The longsword swung down toward Flanna.

The blade cut into Flanna’s body.

Slash!

Blood spurted out from the wound.

“Flanna!” Illya cried out in terror.

Hipper’s heart raced in panic.

Had Flanna’s defenses really been broken?

The paladin had been one of humanity’s strongest warriors, and now, transformed into a dragon, her strength was even greater. 

Combining Casimir’s Sunlight Sword with the superior magical circuit of dragons unleashed a power surpassing her previous human abilities.

Though humans often looked down on dragons, they had never doubted the strength of dragons.

Flanna grimaced inwardly from the pain but held back a scream.

Her defense had been broken—easily, at that.

She watched Semiya warily, bracing herself for the paladin’s next attack.

She couldn’t afford to be careless this time.

“Woohoo! As expected of the paladin! We’ve got this now, everyone, charge!”

But pests were still pests. Flanna cast a spell to stop the bleeding, then swept the charging heroes back with a powerful tail strike.

While Flanna’s body stiffened for a moment, Semiya seized the opening, raising her sword and striking again.

Another slash marked Flanna’s body with a fresh wound.

“Awoooo!!!”

Enough was enough!

Seeing her maid being attacked like this, Illya’s dragon pride warned her against hiding behind her companion any longer.

Illya leaped off Flanna’s back, transforming mid-air into a small pink dragon, and launched herself at Semiya.

“Your Highness!”

Flanna’s voice called out in sync with her leap.

Golden light swirled around Illya as Semia landed lightly on her feet.

Boom!

An explosive delay.

“Uwaaah!”

Still mid-air, Illya was blown off balance, flipping over with the blast. 

Though her pink dragon scales didn’t bleed like Flanna’s, faint, darker lines, resembling pressure marks, appeared on her body.

Having struck Illya once, the paladin didn’t hesitate, raising her sword to face Flanna again.

“Roar!”

Flanna channeled more magic into her defenses, raising their strength by a level.

Lifting her hind leg, she aimed a powerful stomp, predicting Semiya’s charge and catching the golden flash with precision.

But at the same time, Flanna could feel her magical defense layer being cut through.

Semiya hadn’t evaded her predicted attack but instead used its momentum to breach Flanna’s defenses.

Flanna flapped her wings, jumping back on one foot to avoid Semiya’s sword from piercing her paw.

Behind her, Hipper, unable to keep her balance, slid off Flanna’s back. Her beret had fallen to the ground in the heat of the battle.

Landing roughly on the ground, Hipper cried out in pain but refused to close her eyes.

She watched as Semiya readied her sword to strike at Flanna again.

The paladin hadn’t even spared her a glance.

But even so, Hipper couldn’t just stand by and watch Flanna being struck. She stood up.

“Paladin, look at me! I command you to stop!”

Semiya turned her head, meeting Hipper’s blood-red eyes. Hipper smirked.

“Surrender to me, Paladin!”

A red glow emanated from her eyes.

But suddenly, Semiya’s golden sword blazed with a blinding light that pierced into Hipper’s crimson eyes.

“Ahhh!!!”

A searing pain flared across her eyeballs, burning like fire.

Hipper shut her eyes tight, crying out in agony.

Semiya lowered her sword, running her fingers over the blade, her gaze on Hipper growing more intense.

“A vampire, is it? Have you forgotten how the vampire clan was once cut down by the knights’ swords?”

“My… my eyes…”

Hipper realized she could no longer open her eyes.

In the darkness, a boundless fear crept over her heart.

Hipper felt that she might be moments away from losing her head.

“Damn it! Get out of my way, paladin!”

Seeing Hipper injured, Illya’s anger surged. She broke free from the heroes surrounding her and rushed toward Semia on her short legs.

But once again, she was knocked down.

Semiya looked at the small pink dragon, amazed at its impressive defenses—her Sunlight Sword couldn’t fully penetrate Illya’s scales. 

But because of the young dragon’s lack of battle experience, she fought clumsily and was no more threatening to Semiya than a kitten.

One against three, and the paladin still came out on top.

If she could just hold out a bit longer, bringing down that purple dragon with her sword, she would be able to capture the Dragon Princess.

Bang! Pop!

The sound of a signal flare echoed in the sky.

Semiya looked up in the direction of the dragon clan’s villa, where a brilliant firework blossomed in the blue sky.

Following that came a fiery meteor, hurtling straight toward their area.

The heroes scrambled, gathering around their shield-bearers to brace for impact.

The meteor crashed down, instantly collapsing buildings within a hundred-meter radius.

Emerging from the flames was a silver-haired woman and a large blue-and-white dragon.

“That’s enough, paladin!” Naya said coldly, gripping her spear as she stared at Semiya.

Before the meteor hit, Illya had quickly hugged Hipper tightly, shielding her from the blast. To Semiya and Flanna, however, the impact was little more than a strong gust of wind.

Seeing this silver dragon made Semiya recall the red dragon from before, and as she remembered it, a phantom pain stirred in her belly where she had once been wounded.

Where was that red dragon hiding?

Could the same disaster from before repeat itself now?

Fear quickened Semiya’s breathing and widened her pupils as she locked eyes with Naya.

Naya smirked slightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t use any tricks this time. Come, paladin—if you want a fight, I’ll beat you until you submit.”

One glance at Semiya’s dragon-like features told Naya all she needed to know about what had happened to her.

No wonder she survived that gaping burn in her belly left by Iris two months ago and was back here, full of fight.

“Bella, Flanna, protect Illya and Hipper,” Naya instructed, gripping her spear in one hand and using magic to amplify her agility.

The clash between sword and spear began.

Two humanoid dragons fought with pure physical technique, adopting the combat styles of humans.

On Earth, one of the biggest challenges with a spear was its weight, maintaining control while attacking at a distance was difficult, and leaving an opening in defense could allow an opponent with a lighter sword to slip through.

But Naya, as a dragon, wielded the holy spear Credo as if it were as light as a wooden stick. She could thrust the spear and instantly retract it to block any sword strike.

Sword and spear collided, sparks flying as golden and fiery lights intertwined.

Semiya could clearly feel Naya’s overwhelming strength and couldn’t find any way to break through Naya’s moves.

Could she truly be this powerful even in human form, without transforming into a dragon?

The sword and spear crossed again. Taking advantage of a brief pause, Semiya looked at Naya with a hint of confusion in her gaze.

“Were you once…”

“Humph!”

Naya shoved Semia back with force.

Semiya was astounded by Naya’s skill in combat.

Would such a proud dragon really take on human form just to learn human fighting techniques?

Naya leapt into the air.

[System, help me!]

With the system’s assistance, Naya’s spear grew intensely hot in her hand.

“Piercing Star Spear!”

She hurled the lance, turning it into a blazing, unstoppable meteor.

With such a short charging time, the paladin had no chance to dodge.

She could only brace herself and take the full impact of the spear’s strike.

Boom!

The ground fractured and then sank abruptly.

Naya raised her hand, and the spear spun as it returned to her.

“Lady Paladin!”

The heroes watching from a safe distance looked on with concern.

Roar!

As the flames dissipated, a massive golden dragon rose into the air.

It swiftly grabbed the lingering heroes who had been watching, whisking them away.

That spear strike confirmed Semiya’s suspicions—the silver dragon had once been human. That weapon was a sacred artifact of the ley lines; she could feel its power. Otherwise, no ordinary weapon could have clashed against her Sunlight Sword.

Upon touching the fiery lance, her Sunlight Sword had crumbled into dust.

To survive, Semiya had no choice but to assume her dragon form, reinforcing her defenses and quickly taking the heroes who had been aiming to capture the Dragon Princess with her.

If the Dragon Queen arrived, they’d all be dead.

Semiya might have means to protect herself, but those second-rate heroes wouldn’t stand a chance against the dragon queen.

“Mama, that was amazing!”

The little pink dragon, cradling Hipper, thudded her way over.

Naya raised her hand to hold back Illya’s eager dragon head.

“Hehe, I almost forgot.”

Illya reverted to human form, her dress tattered and torn. She was still holding Hipper, now in a princess carry.

Hipper couldn’t see anything, only hearing faint jingles and clangs.

Until now, as silence returned.

On the other side, Bella was examining Flanna’s wounds. 

She looked at the slashes across Flanna’s back, and despite Flanna being in dragon form, Bella’s eyes filled with worry.

“How could you get this injured by a mere human?”

“Do you think that was a human?”

Flanna replied irritably.

Without the magic boost from her dragon body, there was no way the paladin could have so easily pierced her defenses.

“Stop talking.”

Bella cast healing magic, tending to Flanna’s wounds.

Illya glanced at the attentive Bella, then at the human princess in her arms.

“Mama, Hipper’s eyes…”

“Let me carry her. We’ll head back and ask your other mother to take a look.”

Illya handed Hipper over to Naya, asking curiously, “Mama, can’t you heal?”

She thought every dragon knew some healing magic, but she’d never seen her mother use it.

Naya chuckled, shaking her head.

“I know a bit of basic healing, but nothing complex. I couldn’t handle Hipper’s current condition.”

“Oh.”

“Flanna, Bella, once you’re healed, go home.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In fact, the paladin and her group weren’t the only ones tracking Illya and Hipper.

 A certain person and a fox had also been monitoring them, and they were the ones who alerted Naya and Iris the moment they spotted the ambush.

Naya had ridden on Bella to get here, while commanding Iris to guard the dragon eggs at home.

If Iris had come, Semiya would likely be dead by now.

However, Naya didn’t want Iris using her time-stop ability repeatedly on the same opponent unless absolutely necessary. 

If Semiya had learned from her previous defeat and taken precautions, it could have backfired.

Thanks to the advantage of secrecy, as long as the enemy didn’t know that Iris could stop time, she was nearly invincible.

Under the right circumstances, Iris could use time-stop to land a lethal blow on an enemy and eliminate anyone who might know the truth, keeping the ability a permanent secret.

Plus, time-stop wasn’t ideal in team battles with witnesses around.

For all these reasons, Naya chose to handle the fight herself.

Hipper couldn’t see anything.

Held in Naya’s arms, she felt the warmth, the softness of the embrace. Naya’s body radiated a comforting heat, and her scent, heightened by the recent intense battle, was rich and fragrant.

So… this was Illya’s mother?

No wonder Illya adored Miss Naya so much, always speaking fondly of her.

How lucky, to have a mother…

Tears quietly streamed down Hipper’s cheeks.

“Hipper?”

“Wuu…”

Hipper lifted her hand to cover her eyes, unable to open them.

If only she had a mother like this. Throughout her life, Hipper had never known what maternal love was.

“Hipper, what’s wrong? Are your eyes hurting?”

Hipper shook her head.

“Then why are you crying? Just wait a little longer, my mom will definitely be able to heal your eyes. Don’t be afraid. Let me sing you a song. As long as you can hear our voices, maybe you won’t be so scared anymore, right?”

“Mmm…”

“La la la, la la la, I’m a little newspaper seller…”

Listening to Illya’s singing, Hipper felt like crying even more.

Tears continued to pour freely down her face.

Illya, seeing this, was at a loss.

“Hipper, what’s wrong? Was the song bad? Should I try a different one?”

“It’s not… it’s not that…”

“Then what is it?”

Illya, standing beside Naya, looked at Hipper anxiously.

“Because… I’m so moved, Illya. No one’s ever been this kind to me before… Because… I envy you so much, Illya, I really envy you…”

“Envy me? What for?”

“Shh…”

Naya gently interrupted Illya’s innocent and clueless question.

Illya was the type of person who didn’t appreciate the blessings she had.

Hipper had learned the truth from the king through her power. Her mother had been killed by her father when she was just 3 years old. 

Before she died, her mother had begged her father to spare Hipper’s life, or Hipper wouldn’t have survived to this day.

Hipper believed her mother must have loved her.

But there was no memory of her mother’s warmth. She had no recollection of her mother ever showing her any affection.

That was what made her even sadder.

Her memories of her mother were all secondhand, told by others.

She envied Illya so much, who had a mother to care for her, who knew what a mother was from the start.

Naya gently patted Hipper’s back, looking at Illya beside her with deep tenderness in her eyes.

“Keep singing, Illya.”

“Okay~”

Illya cleared her throat and continued singing, so Hipper could feel that Illya was still there beside her.