259 Family
Selma Payne’s POV:
Hey! Why was I constantly being tricked today?
“I’m not lying to you.” She forced herself to be serious, although she couldn’t help but laugh. “But it’s not that serious. Don’t worry. No one will fight for you publicly and cause you a social death. Maybe ancient minions were like that, but our situation is very different from ancient times. At least, I’ve never heard of any minion with independent thinking.”
“That’s why my emotional connection with you isn’t that close. Although I’ll be close to you, like you, and admire you, it’s far from the point where I’ll be jealous of you. Don’t show that kind of expression, or do you want to turn your life into an idol drama?”
I rolled my eyes and ignored her.
“Be careful, Your Highness,” she teased me. “A goddess wouldn’t do such an unsightly action.”
“You don’t look close to me, like me, or admire me at all,” I said. “Is this the attitude of a priestess to the goddess?”
Dorothy pretended to be sad. “Oh, I thought we were friends…”
“Don’t give me that.” I wouldn’t fall for her trick.
“But, is it appropriate for me to live here now?” I said, “After all, I’m no longer a god, and I don’t like the feeling of being ‘high and mighty’. When can I go back to the palace?”
“Anytime, but only after the King and Queen have visited you. Parents can never worry too much about their children, you know that.”
Alright, I still have a tough battle to fight.
Finally, my two closest family members arrived.
As usual, my mother hugged me tightly as soon as she saw me, and her warm tears instantly wet my shoulders. I tried to appear more mature, but when my mother hugged me, and my father touched me, I couldn’t help but burst into tears.
“Father, Mother.”
I cried like a child. The strength I had built in front of my lover and friends was not worth mentioning under the care of my parents. The grievances and fear were like a flood that broke my heart.
How could I not be afraid? In the face of a supreme demon with unpredictable emotions, I knew that I would lose my life, but I still went up to provoke it, taking the risk of dying to steal the godhood and falling into a deep sleep after everything was over, not knowing if he could ever wake up again.
How could I not be afraid when I encountered these things? I was not made of lead. No matter how strong my heart was, it was just a ball of soft flesh. In the face of death, I couldn’t say with certainty that I was truly fearless.
But I still did it. Because of responsibility, because of dignity, because of love, and many complicated factors, I knew I would die, but I still did it. My fear didn’t disappear. It was forcefully suppressed at the bottom of my heart, pretending it didn’t exist. I tried in vain to ignore it and make myself into an invincible hero.
However, I didn’t have to be a hero in front of my parents.
All I had to do was to throw myself into their arms and cry out loud, and then pour out all the grievances and fears I felt in my heart.
I didn’t know when, but Aldrich and Dorothy had already quietly left. When I looked up from my mother’s arms, I only saw two faces intertwined with admonishment and love.
I felt a little embarrassed, so I wiped my tears and pretended that I wasn’t the one who had burst into tears.
My mother said painfully, caressing my slightly emaciated face, “My daughter has suffered. You’ve lost so much weight.”
“It’s okay, Mother. The doctor said it’s just a common side effect of long-term nutrient intake instead of eating.” I quickly moved around to show off my strength. “I just lost some fat. I’m still very healthy!”
My mother didn’t say anything. She only smiled bitterly and pulled me into her arms again.
“You’re still a child.” She patted my back and said gently, “My poor little thing. She hasn’t even grown up yet, and she has to bear the responsibility for her useless elders.”
“I’m already twenty-two, Mother,” I mumbled unhappily. “I’m already an adult. Don’t treat me like a child.”
“A child who knows how to act coquettishly is a child.”
My father ruffled my hair. After a long while, he suddenly sighed. “I’m sorry, child. You shouldn’t have gone through all this.”
Wait, why did he suddenly apologize?
I didn’t quite understand, but I subconsciously retorted, “Don’t apologize to me, Father. You have nothing to apologize to me… Well, it sounds a little weird. However, the truth is that you didn’t do anything to let me down. On the contrary, I’m the one who should apologize.”
I sat up from my mother’s arms and said desolately, “I know I was too impulsive. I fell into Leviathan’s trap, wanted to go to the rocky mountains, fell into Yuri’s trap, and tried to become a god. Although the final result was good, many people were injured because of my impulsiveness. I closed my eyes and didn’t care about the world anymore, but I still had to trouble my friends and family to help me solve my problems…”
The more I spoke, the lower my voice became. As I spoke, I wanted to slap myself.
I didn’t want to not know. This breakdown, I had caused enough trouble.
I wished I could dig a hole and bury myself.
I always used my youth as an excuse to cover up my impulsiveness, but the truth told me that the chain reaction caused by impulsiveness didn’t matter if one were nineteen or ninety years old.
