Yasenia began explaining what she experienced after she entered the Secret Realm. How she got so angry that she awakened [Dragon Strength], how she met with Sarah, and how strange she was. Yasenia said, "Her common sense was strange. Although she was strong with a quintuple attributed constitution and also a high-level Mental Nourishing Realm, she was very ignorant of everything. She also was very out of touch with death and killing. Each time we got into a fight, she was very scared."
Tatyana listened, and the more she heard, the more thoughtful she became. Kali chuckled and said, "I also found her strange because she felt like a two-month-old living being. Of course, I bet it was my misunderstanding or that she was special."
Yasenia smirked. "Well, she may have been reborn like me. Don't I also feel like a two-month-old?"
Kali nodded. "You sure do. That's why I haven't thought much about it since then."
Tatyana blinked when she heard that, and then her eyes widened for a second. However, she hid her expression quickly enough for no one to realize her thoughts. "Truly an interesting person. How about you tell me more about her?"
Yasenia nodded. "Well, I have to continue explaining my experiences."
Then, she proceeded to explain how she would talk with somebody, her thoughts about her being possessed by a senior, how she sometimes stopped mid-sentence as if that senior interrupted whatever she was saying, and the strange event while crossing the Heaven Gate.
Tatyana could already guess what Yasenia had encountered. 'So she really is an otherworlder. Moreover, she probably has a system or the soul of a powerful senior inside her.'
Tatyana frowned. 'A system... People with that thing are really annoying to kill. So many tricks, treasures, and luck that I rather not fight them.'
Tatyana praised Yasenia. "Good job maintaining distance with her as you also got closer. If we meet her again in the future, you should tell me instantly who she is."
Yasenia blinked and looked at Tatyana's serious face. "Is something wrong with her?"
Tatyana scratched her snout softly. "Silly girl, if she has a powerful senior inside, wouldn't it be difficult if she can let it out to injure you?"
Yasenia sighed. "Well, I think I was quite harsh to her when I returned from my Trial, so I don't know if she still has a good opinion of me. I was rather numb then, and I didn't want to lose my time with other things that weren't meeting my dears, so I was quite an asshole."
Tatyana tilted her head. "Numb? Was that Trial hard?"
As soon as Tatyana asked, Yasenia was apprehensive. If nervousness could create stomachache for her, she would've probably had to go to the toilet first.
'Time has finally come. I don't have a guilty conscience, but I'm afraid that what I did has crossed mom's limits. Nevertheless, I have to tell her without sugarcoating.'
As Yasenia thought about it, she felt a pair of arms surrounding her head as a soft power moved her dragon body into the woman's embrace. The feeling of being cradled this way was truly nostalgic, making her remember how Tatyana held her almost forty years ago when she was nervous. This feeling made her eyes tear up as she looked at Tatyana's gentle and smiling face. "Tell me, little treasure. I love you so much. What are you afraid of telling me?"
Yasenia confessed, "It is because you love me so much that I'm afraid of telling you."
Tatyana got thoughtful and looked toward the outside of the cave. Then, while she was still looking away, Tatyana asked softly. "Yasenia... Did you fall in love with someone?"
Yasenia's heart instantly dropped, and she immediately answered. "NO! I did not fall in love with anyone."
The others heard fear in Yasenia's exclamation, and they were shaken. Valeria blinked twice and frowned. 'Maybe I've taken entering Yasenia's harem too lightly? It seems that it is not a matter of course... I'll have to work hard then. If I can't, well, I'll see what I do. I'll think about those situations when they happen.'
Meanwhile, Tatyana turned her head back to look at Yasenia and saw Yasenia's honest expression, so her small smile returned.
Yasenia felt her heart about to burst. For a second, she felt as if the person holding her was about to disappear.
The fear she felt in that instant was enough to have her heart still trembling.
The dragoness finally understood how fragile holding Tatyana's love truly was. She was sure that if she crossed Tatyana's bottom line, that was it. There won't be a chance for redemption, and the person holding her like she is now will probably disappear from her life.
This was like a slap to her face that made her reevaluate many of her assumptions.
Meanwhile, Tatyana didn't show any strange emotions on her face. She kissed Yasenia's snout and chuckled. "Don't be afraid, little treasure. If you haven't fallen in love with anyone, I can't think of anything that can upset me as much as you fear."
Yasenia instantly relaxed. That kiss was extremely soothing as if it had returned something inside her.
However, for the first time, Yasenia was really thinking about lying! Nevertheless, she knew that honesty was the base for all relationships.
She took a deep breath and explained. "You see, the Trial I did was a trial to make me gain experience in everything I was lacking. Of course, it made me meet with people with all the qualities to be liked by me, it made me experience betrayal, and it made me experience War on the deepest level. From a common soldier to the general of the whole army."
Tatyana frowned. "You got to experience all of that in one month? That impossible-."
Tatyana's eyes widened, and she looked into Yasenia's eyes, searching for an answer. Yasenia nodded slowly. "Unless the time is sped up inside the Trial."
Tatyana's arms tightened around Yasenia, and she asked with a tremble in her voice, even though she didn't realize it. "How much time?"
Yasenia felt her throat choking up because of emotions. However, she managed to say it calmly. "Twenty-three years."
Even though it wasn't the first time hearing it, they all felt a sharp pain in their hearts. It was truly a long time for them. Although they would probably live hundreds and thousands of years, for a young twenty-one-year-old, a period as long as twenty-three years long was truly a lot. No matter if they were a cultivator or not.
What they didn't expect was to see Tatyana physically flinch, as if something inside got hurt. "Twenty-three years? You've been away from me for such a long time?"
Yasenia nodded, and she felt her sight blur a little.
"I missed you, mom."
Yasenia could finally say those words with the full meaning behind them. Even if she had expressed them before, only now did Tatyana understand them to their full extent. 'So that's why I felt her soul so strange. It is much older than before!'
Tatyana's heart hurt for her little treasure! Can you imagine losing sight of your child for a month, only to realize twenty years had gone by? How would you feel after losing all that time with them?
Tatyana hugged Yasenia tightly and rained kisses on Yasenia's scaly face. "My dear, my love. You've been away for such a long. No wonder you reacted that way when we met. Oh, my dearest, you've suffered."
Yasenia snuggled closer and coiled around Tatyana, some tears falling from her eyes. Her voice, even if it was a mental transmission, it was a little choked. "I really missed you, m-mom."
Only now did Tatyana know what Yasenia did that made her afraid to tell her. Even if Yasenia hasn't spoken yet, how could she not know about Yasenia's constitution?
Did she mind? She did not.
Not only did she not mind, Tatyana couldn't help but hold Yasenia dearer to her heart, melting the frozen heart in her chest a little more.
The reason?
Tatyana was moved because, even when she stayed almost twenty-three years in the Trial, even more years than how much she had lived before, Yasenia had protected her feelings and her heart for her.
Yasenia was so young that having her feelings changed would be normal. How many people entered a puppy love relationship?
Nevertheless, Yasenia not only did maintain her heart, but she also kept it secured for them for twenty-three years after being completely out of contact.
How could Tatyana not be moved? How could her feelings for her dear little treasure not grow?
Tatyana could only shower her emotional daughter with love and pampering, trying to fill that void that suddenly appeared without her knowledge.
Moreover, the fact that she lost twenty-three years of her daughter's early years was a blow to Tatyana's heart; she wanted to accompany her daughter on her journey and be a part of it.
That's why she was willing to give an important item like the [Divine Lich Empress's Body Forging] to her. This skill/item was one of Tatyana's most powerful trump cards and life-saving treasures. Giving this item away was the same as giving one life away.
The others looked on with various reactions to their interaction.
Angel and Evelyn were sniffing as some tears slid down their cheeks. The mischievous girl was also a sucker for these kinds of things.
Meanwhile, the others were looking at them tenderly.
They've never felt truly jealous of their relationship because of how pure it was.
No matter what, if you saw the person you loved being so affectionate, it was impossible not to feel anything unless you didn't love them. However, they didn't feel bad inside. It was to the extent of thinking silly things like, 'I will ask her later for a hug like that; it looks really nice.'
After Yasenia relaxed completely, she felt somewhat sleepy in Tatyana's arms, so she curled around her and closed her eyes calmly. She didn't fall asleep but was on the verge of it.
Tatyana kept caressing Yasenia's wings, neck, head, and horns while she turned and asked the others about their experience.
Angel took it from where Yasenia had left the story. With Mirrory's help, she told her how her ritual went and what happened.
Tatyana couldn't help but frown when she heard the amount of mental damage she had received. "Come here, little Angel."
Angel approached and sat beside Yasenia and Tatyana. She couldn't help but look at the sleeping dragoness softly and caress her. Yasenia took a deep breath and exhaled from her nose, feeling comfortable.
Tatyana took Angel's wrist and used her energy to check her brain. Mirrory's eyebrows and fingers twitched. 'She trusts them too much! Doesn't she understand how dangerous this is? Now Tatyana can kill her with a thought.'
Tatyana retreated her energy and frowned deeply. "Little Angel, your head still had some after-effects, so avoid injuries to the head. They should disappear in a year or so, but they are dangerous."
Angel nodded seriously. "Yasenia has also told me! I will take care of myself, Mommy Tatyana!"
Tatyana pinched her cheek and smiled, "Good girl."
After leaving a smiling Angel, she asked the others about their journey. They didn't hold back before Tatyana and explained what they got, their innate skills, and many more things.
Sierra and Ebirah also presented themselves, and Tatyana got to know the trouble Andrea was in, making her laugh. Andrea scratched her cheek in embarrassment, but she was happy to see Tatyana smile.
After speaking for hours, Tatyana was finally up to date. "I didn't expect so many things to happen. We knew that the Secret Realm was special, but I didn't expect it to have so many things. Even I would have been able to benefit from it."
Yasenia didn't open her eyes, feeling Tatyana's fingers on her scales, and asked with a soft and peaceful tone. "So, mom. Why are you only in the first level of the Unification Realm?"
Tatyana smiled and started explaining the [Divine Lich Empress's Body Forging] in detail.