The Gods may have pitied the furball because before its last sprout of mane sheds due to stress, it sensed Mother Qin's whereabouts.
Eve was about to nibble on a cookie when Halfsie blurted out the good news.
[ Host! Host! I finally have the signal!!] It screeched in Eve's mind.
For several months, Halfsie has been reducing its sense of existence.
Since it couldn't give any clue about the heavenly being's mother, it existed in a very low-key manner. In fact, it was so low-key Eve had almost forgotten about its existence.
Halfsie was thankful to the hero who had been distracting its boss. If it weren't for him, Halfsie is certain its host would eye its pitiful fur and maybe pluck them off to pass the time.
Elated by the idea of finally freeing itself from the psychological shackles, it screeched in Eve's mind.
Eve was caught off guard. Thus, the goodie about to pop in her mouth fell to the ground.
Her pupils constricted seeing the chocolate chips and crumbs all over the floor.
You know it's the cookie she's been saving for last because it contained the largest piece of chocolate among the batch. Not to mention, Judas made it for her.
She has yet to savor it, but now,
Her eyes changed as if the crumbled chip were fine spider-like silk about to disintegrate.
Doesn't the furball know that it's unforgivable to desecrate food?
It seems she has to teach it a valuable lesson not to waste food.
Fortunately, before the unsuspecting furball noticed its triggered death flag, it saved itself by uttering the magic words.
[ Host! Mother Qin is back!!!]
Hearing the news cut Eve's train of thought.
Eve slowly sat straight from her recliner, and her hands holding the handles couldn't help but tighten a bit.
She felt her blood boil in anticipation.
[ Is it finally going to start?]
How long has she been waiting for this?
Different scenes flashed her mind, making her smile, but her smile is full of malice.
She has prepared for so long to welcome her.
( Where is she? When will she come?) Eve may be in an excited state, but her tone remained insouciant.
Halfise spied on the target who has been walking in circles in her hotel room, looking anxious, muttering in a muffled voice, and replied,
[ She is in a seaside city in the northernmost part of the country. She did not express when she plans to come, but, according to the plot, Hemiura and Halesia Qin will be coming to Tang's residence in a month.]
Eve's brow furrowed, dismayed upon hearing the answer,
( A pity it's still a month, but it's alright.) She delved into the plans she held for the other and became eager.
When Judas came to the greenhouse, what welcomed him was the sight of his master sitting prim and proper on the recliner with hands tucked on her lap. Her eyes were lowered, and no one could tell what she was thinking. However, the malicious taste on her faintly curled lips and the dangerous breath shrouding her resembles a cunning predator lying in wait.
[ Who is it?]
Judas contemplated who the unlucky person might be.
He carried a platter of newly baked cookies and approached her with a smile.
Whoever it is, he'll help her.
" Master," Judas called in a soft voice. He then mounted the tray on the nearby table.
Eve looked at him, eyes shining, unknown whether it was due to seeing him or the platter of goodies.
" Judas." She smiled and beckoned him by extending her arm.
He half-kneeled before her, took her hand, and answered,
" Yes, master?"
" Please bring me the folder kept on the nightstand."
He looked at her and asked,
" Would that be all?"
" Yes. Thank you."
Judas got up, bowed slightly, and prepared to leave. After taking a few steps towards the door, he heard her speak once more.
" Thank you for the cookies. They were delightful."
He turned around and, with a gentle smile, responded,
" I'm glad you liked it."
***
A few days later,
One pair of almond-shaped and one pair of deep-seated eyes stared at each other. Nobody talked as the atmosphere got tense inside the study room. After a while, an exasperated sigh came out of a stressed father.
" Evangeline, child, I plan on proposing to Iris in a few days, and the wedding will be arranged for a later date. Really, there's no need to hurry." Sylvius kneaded the center of his furrowed brows.
Decades of negotiating in the treacherous business world have never given him this level of strain. Facing this cute but obstinate child of his made him so helpless. He doesn't even know if he should laugh or be angry because of her remarks.
Alas, if she were a boy, he wouldn't think twice about sending him for training, but what can he do? Naturally, he is powerless against his lovely princess and could only lament about such a bittersweet predicament.
" Dad, you don't understand. We are in a hurry." Said Eve as she sat before her father, looking solemn.
They only have barely a month left before that scheming woman barges on the door, but her father is still dilly-dallying. She has given him and Iris more than a year to seal the deal and give her a brother but look! They are yet to be engaged!
Eve couldn't fathom the need to wait for so long when both sides were equally emotional. All these times, she has been hinting at him to just do it, but she did not expect her decisive as hell dad to be so shilly-shallying in terms of love.
Like, Eve just wanted to put her hands on the back of their heads and make them kiss manually and get it done.
Thankfully Sylvius couldn't hear his daughter's inner thoughts, or he would choke to death in embarrassment.
" Child, it's not that simple." Sylvius raised his head and met his daughter's unwavering gaze.
Sylvius opted not to disclose various things to Evangeline because he knew his daughter couldn't fully comprehend it.
He has realized that despite opening up to them and returning to "normal", Evangeline remains deficient in emotional matters.
That fact gave him peace of mind because it meant Evangeline has yet to perceive the hearts of the wolves and bastards dangling before her. On the other, it gave him a headache to make her discern the twists and turns about him, Iris, and his late wife, Lilian.
Recalling his late wife, he can't help but glance at the secret compartment hidden behind the wall. In there is a safe originally designed to keep all his important files. However, it only contained the relics that belonged to him and Lilian.
He still loves her, and that will never change.
It's just that, now, he will try to bury his love, heartache, and part of his soul that yearned her, in the deepest part of his heart, and continue moving forward. He knew that there is no such thing as moving on but just enduring it and living with it, but the mind couldn't dictate the heart. For so long, Sylvius has struggled silently and continuously that his soul has gone tired and weary. Fortunately, Iris accepted his incomplete self and loved him wholeheartedly.
Iris saved him.
She said that he shouldn't continue punishing himself anymore, like a living corpse shackled by remorse and self-blame.
Iris taught him to try forgiving himself and practice living with his demons like an old frenemy. They may never reconcile but at least live in peace with each other.
Recalling his bubbly lady made his lips unconsciously curl. He has not seen her for a week because she went on a medical mission. She should be returning in a week.
His gaze went back to his daughter, who is the spitting image of Lilian. Aside from the brows and hair color she had inherited from him, she is identical to her. However, the incomprehensible matters obscured in those vibrant eyes and her temperament made Sylvius close his eyes helplessly.
[ Well, obviously, they inherited those things from him, or his father or that damn blond bastard.]
Knowing that she won't back down unless he tells her the truth, he decided to confess,
" Evangeline, I can't marry Iris before I deal with the Cross matters first."
The oath he took that day when marrying Lilian is different from a traditional wedding. There are a lot of mysterious forces in the world that can't be explained by logic or science. There are also mythical tales believed in Xia, but it's incomparable compared to Saarthal's.
Especially when it comes to Cross ancestry.
It's not like he doesn't know anything.
Lilian has told him a few things before. It was also the reason why she refused him repeatedly before accepting him.
When Eve heard her dad mention the Cross family, she remembered something.
Hey, forgive her for forgetting the crucial matter. She has been full of yummies, El, Sarien, and vacation that she genuinely omitted the thing she got for her third gift.
" Oh, I forgot. Dad, I have this for you." Eve approached Sylvius seated behind the desk and extended her hand. The curious Sylvius accepted without asking what it was.
When he opened his hand, he saw a small, scarlet vial.
Upon close inspection, it is actually a glass-like container with intricate markings.
And inside is a scarlet-colored liquid.
Seeing the familiar object, Sylvius stared at his daughter in shock.
" How did you get this?" His voice was firm, but the hand holding the vial trembled slightly.
" I took it from Uncle Lucian," Eve answered with a smile.
Sylvius did not answer but scrutinized the vial with eyes full of melancholy.
It is the container with his and Lilian's blood.
Time has passed, but it was still as bright and fresh as before.
He stroked it gently along the delicately etched markings as his mind dived in the sea of memories.
Bound by heart, bound by blood, bound by soul- it was the attestation of their vow.
It sounded like romantic nonsense, but only he knew the heavy price behind those words.
When a female of Cross lineage wishes to bound herself to someone, she can only do so once, and she must willingly surrender all of herself to him.
The blood taken from her heart was stored in the receptacle laded in spells.
They are spells that will protect her lover's life but, in return, shackled hers for a lifetime.
One person for a lifetime, or else, her beloved will die, and her soul will be eternally tormented.
When Sylvius learned of the matter, he persuaded Lilian not to take that step. He is content, knowing she loves him. They need not a vow, for he will keep her feelings in his heart.
But how could Lilian wrong her lover?
By the time he found out, it was already done.
Moved, flattered, and feeling elated, Sylvius was full of happiness that infiltrated deep into his soul.
Since the matter is a foregone conclusion, he could only do something to show his heart for her.
Blood was also sampled from his heart to eternally mingle with Lilian's- their oath of oneness, their vow of love.
But he failed her.
She's gone.
And now, the proof of their unity has been returned to him.
He wanted to take it back no matter what before starting the new chapter of his life.
And as for the reason why- Sylvius himself isn't sure.
Maybe he is cowardly, thinking that having it with him will give him the courage to move forward.
Maybe he is ashamed, thinking that it would give him peace of mind that Lilian won't find him deplorable to continue moving forward without her.
Maybe he wanted to get back the last "viable" proof of her existence and curb a little the yearning and heartache he has been nursing for more than a decade.
Or maybe, he is all.
Sylvius enclosed the container within his palms as if giving it warmth.
His eyes were clouded, and his mind fell into a series of self-doubt and harsh self-torture.
There is a mixture of emotions that brewed in his heart.
It felt like he returned to the day he lost her.
Anguish, sadness, and extreme heartache- a nightmare he never woke up from.
Eve sensed something amiss from her dad. Clueless, she asked the system guide.
( What is wrong with dad?)
( I think he...is very, very sad.) Furball surmised after sensing the gloom surrounding the hosts' father. The evil points did not fluctuate, which meant the cause was not an increasing viciousness. In addition, didn't the host return to him something worth of nostalgia? Humans are prone to sadness when facing stuff like that.
Watching her dad seem lost in darkness, Eve was uncomfortable. It was the first time she saw her father with that expression. He looked so lost.
She recalled the plot behind him and Evangeline's mother and felt unwell.
She remembered her previous life before her adopted parents perished.
They were similar to how Sylvius and Lilian were.
Eve assumes that was what they call a life full of love.
Her eyes once again fell on Sylvius, who sat lifelessly before her.
He has been very good to her.
The identities of herself and Evangeline have come to a very vague distinction making her think that she is also Evangeline. Thus, Evangeline's father, Sylvius, is also Eve's father. Not to mention, he has been treating her very well, like her previous adopted parents.
Having that cognizance, Eve opened her mouth and spoke,
" Sylvius, the fate between you and Lilian has ended, and the living must live on."
Feeling incredulous, Sylvius looked at her with widened eyes and mumbled,
" Child, how can you say that?"
Astonished and pained, he didn't even correct her for calling him by his name. His mind only revolved on two words-
Ended fate.
His reason apprehends, but his heart could not fully cope. Especially when his and Lilian's child was the one to say it.
Eve merely scrutinized him and tilted her head before expressing curiously,
" Do you think she loves you so little she could endure watching you live in agony your whole life?"
[ Isn't love supposed to be like that? Putting that person's feelings and well-being before everything, including yourself?]
Eve didn't know why she thought like that. It's not like she had fallen in love before. But she is certain that love should be like that.
She felt weird as if she had forgotten something.
Sylvius, on the other hand, was out of words.
He could only lean on his seat and let out a heavy sigh.
He recalled Iris' words that day when they visited Lilian's grave.
She said she doesn't require his whole heart, but a space genuine to her is enough.
He was moved, at the same time, guilty because they both knew he couldn't return to her his entire heart.
It was also the reason why he hesitated in promising her.
He had already failed that vow.
He couldn't risk failing once again.
Now, hearing his daughter's words somehow gave him the push he didn't know he needed. Those words gave him peace in both his heart and mind.
He closed his eyes, thinking,
[ How about taking one day at a time?]
He will cherish and love Iris for a lifetime.
His regrets and unfulfilled love, he'll give to Lilian in the next, when he is given a chance.