In reality, if Shirley asked Elizabeth back when they travelled together, then it would have been trivial for Elizabeth to intervene and help. The title of heir apparent was not for show. Elizabeth essentially became the second most powerful person in the Alzar Kingdom! Unfortunately, Shirley let the matter slip from her mind and lost that convenient opportunity.
"Mother!" Shirley jumped into the woman's embrace, tears flying out to paint a touching scene. Her brothers were also shaken and joined in.
On the other hand, their mother patted their heads gently. "Shirley, you've grown up. How old are you now?"
"Twenty-two…" the girl sobbed.
"If you're that old, you shouldn't be crying like a little girl," her mother consoled, but it was hardly a complaint. Her voice was soft and filled with motherly love.
She found it difficult to hold back her emotions too. Although her body was frail, her mind was shaken, and years passed by in a flash, she felt the current scene was like a dream. Why did she fall into a coma in the first place? Because her heart died! Back when Lour Island was invaded by the Xingyuu Empire, her husband was killed, her daughter was kidnapped, and her hometown was destroyed. The monstrous tsunami of grief and sorrow drowned her, forcing her into the deep and dark abyss. In her eyes, there was no longer any value in living. The world was dead! With her mentality thoroughly broken, the woman willingly slipped into a coma! At least, in her dreams, there was the comfort of her daughter and husband. She was happy!
Gradually, the lines between reality and illusion blurred. More importantly, she did not want to wake up. This made it extremely difficult for any physicians to do anything. If the patient was unwilling, then no amount of medicine could fix it! Physicians were not miracle workers. She was like an ironclad fortress with impenetrable walls; they were helpless in this regard. However, a qualitative change occurred with Shirley's return. Although the woman remained unconscious, she was not entirely isolated from the outside world. A crack in her resistance formed and widened over time. Princess Samanthie requesting the help of the kingdom's greatest physicians became the final push. As a result, Adel Adonina woke up!
The family of four reunited after a long, very long time. There were no words, only loud sobbing. Words were unnecessary. Feelings and emotions transcended such hollow concepts because they were directly conveyed through their heart! A torrent, no… an avalanche of emotions surged out! It was hard to imagine just how meaningful this reunion was! One of the reasons Shirley joined the army and sought revenge was due to her mother. She was willing to fight to exchange life for life, blood for blood! She struggled for so long, even when she was captured by the Xingyuu Empire, just to see her mother once more! And now, one of her wishes were finally fulfilled. Shirley was immeasurably happy, and her mother and brothers were too. On the side, Inari smiled and stayed silent. They deserved this moment. Nobody was allowed to intrude!
An unknown time passed, and Shirley unwillingly pulled away, as if her mother would disappear like a dream. She wanted that moment to last forever, but… Her mother was back now. There was plenty of time to reminisce later. Still, the girl clung onto her mother's hands like a child afraid of getting lost. A beautiful smile was painted on her bright face. Even if the world collapsed the next second, she would be content! As long as her mother were here, by her side, to watch her grow older, then she would be content! She only had one mother, so she would treasure her forever!
"You silly girl, what are you afraid of? Don't worry… I won't go anywhere," her mother said solemnly. "I won't ever leave you three again."
Shirley nodded her head with smiles. "You know, mother, I have a lot to tell you! So much has happened since you were asleep that I don't even know where to start."
The woman chuckled. "You really haven't changed at all. I'm glad."
"That's not true!" the girl pouted cutely. "Inari made me train like mad and now I'm much stronger than before! It won't be long before I reach Perception Realm!"
"Is that true?" Adel sent an incisive glare toward Inari.
"I didn't force her into it, madam," Upon seeing her, Inari replied with a cold sweat. Mothers were undoubtedly scary when it involved their children.
"Sis, are you really about to enter Perception Realm?" Robert asked curiously. To him, Perception Realm was the stuff of legends! Only a hero could achieve it!
"Who do you think I am?" Shirley posed smugly. "Let alone Perception Realm, soon, I'll break into the realm beyond… Instinct Realm!"
"Instinct Realm?" the boy returned with puzzlement. Because it was too rare and obscure, it was not too surprising that knowledge of that realm was scarce. The last publicly acknowledged Instinct Realm disappeared over a hundred years ago, and the Sword King kept himself hidden.
"Alright, we can talk about this later," their mother clapped. "Shirley, you wanted us to move here, didn't you? We sold the shop, but it wasn't worth much. We might be able to get a good house in the countryside, but the main cities are unlikely. Do you have anywhere in mind?"
Shirley chuckled mischievously. "Don't worry about that, mother. I already have everything arranged! We can move straight into the capital, Firecast!"
"Eh?" her mother and two brothers replied dumbfoundedly.
A few days later, the group of five arrived in one of the middle districts of Firecast. This middle referred to both position and economic status since it was between the commoner district and the Engelsheft District. It was the main area for the nobility of the Zino Kingdom, namely the Hochlaegen and Kreftig Families. As a result, the properties were considerably larger than the commoner district. For example, when Freon lived there, he lived on the second floor of a multi-story building. With other residents filling up the space, it was inevitable that it became cramped and uncomfortable. However, the buildings here were owned by a single family and they were three to five times larger than their counterparts! Not only that, but the properties were allocated generously, granting plenty of breathing room. In the capital city, where any land was considered priceless, it was enough to show the power of the nobility!
And in front of the family plus Inari stood one of those luxurious mansions. They came from a remote island with a lowly status. Staring at the beautiful building, occupying one of the best plots of land in the middle district, Charles and Robert instinctively gulped. This wealth was simply too exaggerated! Just the number of servants and guards roaming the premises made their hairs stand on end. Even their entire yearly income might not afford one servant, much less the dozens of busy people. Since they were standing by the gates like a bunch of baboons, the guards saw them and approached. A sense of panic escalated in Charles and Robert. Their mother also frowned. But before anyone could do anything, the guard bowed.
"Welcome back, young miss," they said.
Everyone was stunned silly and failed to understand a thing. Under everyone's unbelieving eyes, Shirley stood out and said, "I'm back!"
"What?" Charles blurted out.
Their mother shivered and grabbed the girl's sleeves. "Shirley… Don't joke around like this," she whispered. "We aren't back on Lour Island anymore. If you try something like that… Anyways, hurry up and apologize!"
Inari coughed and cleared his throat. He had to step up and clear this misunderstanding. "I'm afraid… Shirley isn't lying. She is the new owner of this mansion!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" the mother snapped back with anger. She already had a poor impression of the man after his rough handling of Shirley, and now he continued this façade. She really wanted to pummel him senseless!
"Inari is right," Shirley said. Her joke had gone a bit too far, so she apologized. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, mother. The truth is this…"
As it turned out, this mansion really did belong to Shirley now. She did not steal it or use nefarious means either, it was obtained perfectly legitimately! How did she do it? It was related to Princess Samanthie! Back then, when the princess visited and rewarded Shirley, one of the rewards was her assistance in curing Shirley's mother, and the other was this mansion! The funny thing was that Shirley refused a far grander and conspicuous property in the heart of the Engelsheft District. Her reasoning was like Freon's in that she could not handle the lavish life of nobility. It was too stifling for someone as free as her. Thus, after some discussions, the reward was 'downgraded' to this mansion.
Her mother was a bit skeptical, as were her brothers, but the greatest proof was in front of them. The servants and guards came out and bowed to Shirley. They had to accept the truth and like the flip of a switch, her brothers grew excited. All along, they struggled every day for scraps. Money was like the fleeting wind: It was here one moment and gone the next. Their savings were essentially zero! But now, they could see the changing current. Their lives had taken a drastic jump! While her two sons were dreamy-eyed, the mother was hesitant. Was it really that easy? Were there really no strings attached?
After settling in, Shirley went on to explain everything. Since her mother was hearing things for the first time, she had to start from the beginning… Her decision to join the army, meeting Elizabeth and getting abducted, fighting through the Yunyun Stronghold and Kuthong Forest, the battle with Emperor Lianghu, then surviving against the Whispering Shadow, before finally training at the Mordrigan Peaks. There was simply too much to say that the suns fell, and evening approached. Throughout the story, her mother showed a mixture of nervousness, disbelief, and sadness, but she never interrupted. When Shirley finally finished, her mother closed her eyes and sighed. Shirley went through so much yet, she was absent. Guilt racked her heart!