V2: Chapter 32: Rivals +2??

"You know, I've always lived to protect the Empire." Liang Lin hugged her knees, sitting on the ground, looking small and pitiful.

Liang Di, holding Carol, sat beside her, but always kept a shoulder's distance.

"Yes, I know."

Liang Di thought that Liang Lin probably didn't need anyone's comfort or advice right now; what she needed was someone to listen to her, to hear her inner turmoil.

The two sat quietly for a while.

"What you said earlier was quite right," Liang Lin said.

This was a good opportunity to prove herself.

"I was just expressing my opinion, Sister Liang Lin. Ultimately, what others say is just advice; the final decision is up to you." Liang Di's heart was pounding. "I respect all of Sister Liang Lin's decisions, and I support all of them."

Saying things like this would surely make Liang Lin happy, wouldn't it? It would surely improve Liang Lin's impression of me, right?

Liang Lin probably hadn't expected such words to come from Liang Di's mouth. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. "You...you're saying this..."

"Hmm?"

"No, nothing."

Although it did sound a bit odd coming from Liang Di, hearing such support and understanding was truly heartwarming.

Liang Lin thought for a moment and asked, "Why have I never seen those monsters in the capital or on the border? Are they blocked by the walls?"

"Yes," Liang Di stroked the head of her child in her arms, "However, those nobles have been clamoring to tear down the walls lately, probably all instigated by Doris. It's also possible they're just fools, echoing whatever the royal family says."

Liang Lin touched the sword at her waist; she hadn't drawn it in a long time.

"Although I'm worried about you getting hurt, if it's you, Sister Liang Lin, you'll be fine, right?" Liang Di grabbed Carol's arm, making a "cheer up" gesture. "See, Carol thinks so too."

"Hmm..."

Liang Di was right. Her core purpose in guarding the Sotland Empire was to protect all the people within this empire that had raised her. So, the empire's unreliability, its chilling nature, was due to the current king's inaction, and had nothing to do with those innocent civilians.

 “The monsters on the sea are dangerous, aren’t they?” Liang Lin asked.

“Yes.”

“Can only you magicians handle them?” Liang Lin was apprehensive; she had never dealt with such monsters before. “Can someone who doesn’t know magic handle them?”

Liang Lin, usually so confident, now spoke with a deep unease. Liang Di felt a pang of sadness; she didn’t want to see Liang Lin like this.

“We haven’t tried before, but now, I think we can give it a try,” Liang Di reached for Liang Lin’s hand, but hesitated before placing her hand on Liang Lin’s shoulder and patting it gently. “Give it a try, it’s no problem, Sister Liang Lin. Even if it doesn’t work, I’ll protect you.”

Protect… me?

The word felt strange, and a peculiar feeling rose within Liang Lin.

From childhood, the elders around her had always taught her to protect others; no one had ever said they would protect her.

Should I say thank you?

Liang Lin felt slightly awkward.

A person accustomed to strength never shows weakness in front of others. She's afraid of embarrassment, afraid of being ridiculed, afraid of being teased. No matter how strong a person's heart is, there will always be moments of vulnerability.

She can only use a sharp tongue to mask it.

"Tch, if you can do it, then I certainly can too." Liang Lin quickly turned her face away. "I'm a genius, always have been. Even when dealing with things I've never seen before, I can handle them with ease after learning."

Seeing this familiar side of Liang Lin, Liang Di finally felt a little better. She smiled sweetly, "Yes, I know. Sister Liang Lin has always been amazing, she was, she is, and she will always be."

Tsk.

The atmosphere is strange.

Liang Lin didn't turn around to look at Liang Di, probably afraid the other would notice the strange look on her face.

"Idiot, stop talking nonsense. Seriously, the ground is so dirty, and you insisted on sitting down with me. I'm tired, you're stupid. I give up. Get up now, don't get Carol's clothes dirty too."

Hmm, that's a familiar feeling.

Liang Di completely relaxed, smiling as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Sister Liang Lin, I feel like… Carol doesn't seem to have many clothes. The last time I saw her, she was wearing this outfit."

"Uh."

Liang Lin suddenly realized that she had only bought Carol two sets of clothes, and she'd been wearing the same ones every day.

"You're right… I forgot to buy her clothes."

Oh~ poor Carol.

.....

Oh?

This is a good opportunity!

Liang Di's eyes lit up; this was an opportunity to cultivate their relationship!

"Sister Liang Lin, shall we go buy clothes for Carol together tomorrow?"

"No need."

Liang Lin thought for a moment, but still refused. She picked Carol up from Liang Di's arms. "I can take Carol myself. You go ahead with your work."

Going to buy clothes for a child together sounded too ambiguous, especially for our shared child. It felt like going on a date with an ex-wife and my child.

Carol climbed onto Liang Lin's shoulder and waved to Liang Di.

Rejected again, Liang Di was unhappy, pouting, but dared not complain to Liang Lin, looking like a wronged child. Who told her to bring this upon herself before? Being rejected all the time was to be expected.

Even so,

The next morning, as soon as Liang Lin opened the door, she saw Liang Di already dressed.

Liang Di was wearing very ordinary casual clothes, not formal attire, clearly intending to go out with Liang Lin.

 "...What are you doing? I already said I didn't need you to come with me."

"It's just on the way, Sister Liang Lin. Since it's all custom-made clothes, we can just come to our own shop. I also need to check out our family's tailor shop."

Liang Di offered a lame excuse.

"Oh, you want to come with me."

"No..."

"You want to go on a date with me?" Liang Lin asked directly, seemingly accepting her offer.

Liang Di waved her hands in a panic, "No, no, no, it's just... Carol is my child after all... I think I want to spend money on her, buy her things she likes..."

Liang Di's large, watery eyes revealed sincerity, "Then, can you give me a chance to give to Carol?"

"No."

Liang Lin's refusal was firm. Although her relationship with Liang Di had improved recently, she still refused to accept the fact that Carol was also Liang Di's daughter.

"This is my daughter, what do you want to give? I gave birth to her, so she's mine." Liang Lin stubbornly hugged Carol tightly to her chest, as if afraid the other would take her away.

Liang Di muttered softly, unwilling to accept it, "But, Carol only came into being because of my egg..."

"What did you say?" Liang Lin genuinely didn't hear her; Liang Di's voice was too soft.

This startled Liang Di, who quickly waved her hands, "No, no, I was just saying, I can design clothes, and I design really well. I'll come with you to give you advice. Carol is so cute, Sister Liang Lin, your daughter (she emphasized the word) is so adorable, wouldn't it be even better if her clothes were prettier?"

Liang Lin was pleased with these words. Recalling the dresses Liang Di had designed for her, they did indeed look quite beautiful. Liang Lin lowered her head, looking at her daughter's cute little face, and began to waver.

Seeing Liang Lin remain silent, Liang Di knew she had persuaded her, so she quickly continued to coax her, "Besides, we can trust our own tailor shop. I'll even personally oversee the work. Children's skin is very delicate; what if we use some bad material and chafe Carol's skin?"

"What you said... makes some sense," Liang Lin murmured.

Phew~

Liang Di breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking of a reason to approach Liang Lin was more exhausting than fighting monsters in the Seaside Magic Tower.

"Laura, come with us."

Since returning to Langwendi, Laura hadn't had much to do, spending all her time with Gladys, listening to her make up stories and boast.

"Don't spend all your time with Gladys. That girl, besides being a little good at fighting, well… well, she's not even smart."

Liang Di hesitated, wanting to glance at Liang Lin but not daring to.

"Okay, Miss Liang Di."

Laura had been lacking in enthusiasm lately.

"Liang Di, go downstairs and wait for me. I'll wash up and then come down."

Liang Di left, but Laura remained standing there.

"Laura, you don't need to do this. A maid will help me wash up." Liang Lin misunderstood, thinking the other woman wanted to serve her.

Laura bit her lower lip, stealing glances at the child in Liang Lin's arms. The child did indeed resemble Liang Lin somewhat, but more so, she looked like someone else—Liang Di. Lately, she'd heard rumors that the child Liang Lin had brought back wasn't adopted; it was her own flesh and blood, but the father was unknown.

"Miss Liang Lin, may I ask you a question?" Laura asked timidly.

Although Liang Lin appeared fierce on the surface, Laura knew that Liang Lin was always a kind young lady, ever since she rescued all the girls from that bloodsucking basement. Therefore, she wasn't particularly afraid when she asked these questions.

"Ah? What is it? Ask away." Liang Lin stood in the doorway, tilting her head curiously.

Laura hesitated for a few seconds, finally mustering her courage to ask, "Miss Liang Lin, is Carol your biological daughter?"

Huh?!

Asking like that actually caught Liang Lin off guard. If it were any other maid, she would have already scolded her for meddling. But Laura was different. She was now a member of the Magic Tower, a trusted confidante, and even, in the future, a partner/comrade. Therefore, she was more patient with Laura.

"Hmm… it's alright if you know," Liang Lin said lovingly, looking at the child in her arms. "Carol is my biological daughter."

After saying this, she added, "But you mustn't tell the other maids about this. After all, I'm a young lady of the Langwendi family. Being pregnant out of wedlock will affect my reputation."

Laura looked completely stunned.

What was wrong? Her jaw seemed to drop to the floor.

Laura moved her lips, as if she wanted to ask something, but the words stuck in her throat.

"You're not going to ask me who the father of the child is, are you?" Liang Lin guessed what she was thinking, but she didn't want to say.

“Even if you ask, I won’t tell you. Just know that Carol is my biological daughter. If I’m away, remember to take good care of Carol for me.”

Laura nodded blankly.

“You’ve asked enough. I’m going back to change. You go downstairs and wait for me with Liang Di.”

After saying this, Liang Lin didn’t look at Laura again, turned around, and went back to her room.

Laura walked like a wooden statue; clearly, she hadn’t reacted yet. Her heart ached faintly. Laura admired Liang Lin. From the moment Liang Lin saved her, a different kind of feeling had grown in her heart. But she knew she was just a poor nun, and even now, as a magician, she couldn’t be worthy of a young lady from a noble family like Liang Lin. So she hid her admiration deep in her heart.

Of course, besides admiration, there was also a deep adoration.

After hearing about Liang Lin giving birth, although her heart ached faintly, it wasn’t as painful as a broken heart.

By the time she came to her senses, she was already downstairs and saw Liang Di.

Laura, still somewhat dazed and not fully awake, blurted out, "Miss Liang Di, you and Carol look so alike!"

Liang Di, who was sitting on the sofa reading, looked up at this and blinked twice. "Because Carol is my daughter, of course my daughter looks like me."

"Huh?"

Laura's cerebellum shrunk instantly. She pointed at Liang Di, then at the upstairs, her voice trembling, "Mi-Miss Liang Di, aren't you and Miss Liang Lin both girls? Then, then how did you two have children...?"

Liang Di shrugged and closed her book. "Is it that difficult? You know what my true form is. Besides, even if my true form isn't tentacles, there are fertility potions in the magic tower. It's not only male and female unions that can produce children."

Laura was struck dumb again.

Good heavens, in just a few minutes, her cerebellum had shrunk several times.

So, Octaville's ability to give birth was entirely thanks to Hilary, who stole the fertility potion and secretly added it to her drinking water. Although Octaville noticed the water tasted strange, she thought her wife wouldn't harm her, so she drank it all without a second thought.

That very night, Octaville, who had always been in a superior position, was forcibly pinned down by Hilary. The sudden reversal of roles left her bewildered. She tried to struggle, but she was no match for Hilary's strength.

It was a tragic situation. Having always been in a dominant position, she had suddenly become submissive, no longer needing to move her arms or wrists. She found it difficult to adjust.

That night, Octaville once again realized just how powerful Hilary's physical abilities truly were. What terrified her was that afterwards, Hilary seemed to have developed a liking for this feeling, always wanting to be in a Dom. But Octaville is also in a Dom, and the love between these two Doms is truly competitive.

Before going to bed each night, they always argue about who's in charge, sometimes playing rock-paper-scissors, sometimes making other bets. Anyway, the loser has to be the Sub, and each time the one in submissive position looks unwilling, while the one in charge always smiles.

Although not being in charge is unpleasant, in reality, being the pillow princess without moving is indeed comfortable, perfect for lazy people.

On another note…

"This…"

After hearing Liang Di's words, Laura's eyes widened. She choked for a long time, unable to utter a word, standing there blankly at the top of the stairs until Liang Lin came down carrying Carol and nudged her. Only then did she come to her senses.

"What are you standing there for? Is the carriage all ready?"

Laura's tongue went numb; it was Liang Di who answered Liang Lin's question, "Everything's ready, Sister Liang Lin, let's go."

Going to order custom-made clothes would take a week, so after visiting Langwendi's shop, Liang Lin decided to take Carol to buy some ready-made clothes first.

"Oh dear, really, how long has the child been wearing these clothes? Sigh..." Liang Lin felt guilty.

“Sister Liang Lin, let’s go to that street over there. There’s a market today, and lots of new shops. We can browse around; maybe we’ll find something you like.”

Liang Di pulled out her purse, then, remembering a scene from a novel, generously handed it to Liang Lin.

“Just buy whatever you like; I’m not short of money.”

Liang Lin: “?”

Oh well, this girl’s acting up again.

Walking through the bustling market, the streets were lined with all sorts of stalls. Vendors hawked all sorts of items, from sparkling gems to fragrant spices—everything imaginable.

Carol, in Liang Lin’s arms, looked around curiously, her eyes like clear streams, revealing her curiosity about new things.

Suddenly, Carol’s eyes were drawn to a glamorous clothing store. She grabbed Liang Lin’s hair, her gaze fixed on a pale blue dress displayed in the window. The skirt flowed lightly, as if it could dance in the wind.

The shop was clearly newly renovated, and a strong, pungent fragrance wafted from it.

Liang Lin noticed the child's unusual expression and followed her gaze to the dress displayed in the window.

"Do you like this one?"

Liang Di pushed open the door. "If you like it, then let's buy it. Come on, let's go inside."

The shopkeeper, standing behind the counter, immediately put down the clothes she was holding upon hearing the noise at the door.

"Are you ladies here to look at clothes?"

It was a mature woman's voice. She wore a large top hat that obscured the upper half of her face, making her features unclear.

She smiled at the crowd, but her smile froze the moment she saw Liang Lin. Then, her eyes widened slowly, and she took a few steps forward. A light flashed in her eyes, the same light Laura had shown when she looked at Liang Lin.

"Miss Liang Lin, do you remember me?"

The woman removed her hat.