V2: Chapter 1: My Daughter is So Cute!

One year later.

“Ma... Mama…”

A childish voice came from a dilapidated inn.

“Holy crap! Marquis! She, she called you Mama!”

“Ahhh! She’s so cute!”

“Good girl, call me Uncle, call me Uncle~”

“Hey… you guys…” A pretty black-haired girl in combat gear shoved the men in front of her hard. “Get out of my way! That’s my daughter! And! She’s calling me Mama!”

Bang!

Whether it was the girl’s strength or the men’s unsteadiness, they all stumbled and fell, several crashing into the wall, others sitting on the ground.

“Ouch, boss, you’re still so strong.”

The men sitting on the ground chuckled sheepishly.

“Sister Liang Lin, look, she’s waving and smiling at you!”

A girl covered her mouth in surprise, pointing to the cute little girl on the bed.

Liang Lin kicked the man on the floor, quickly walked to the bedside, and carefully picked up the baby on the bed, stroking the child's little face as if holding a priceless treasure.

My daughter was so cute!

Her face was so soft and chubby, so easy to pinch.

Liang Lin couldn't resist poking the baby's chubby little cheeks.

"Carol, Mama's home."

"Mama, Mama~"

Carol opened her little hands, making "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds. She grabbed Liang Lin's index finger and giggled.

"Mama~"

"Mmm~ Mama's here~" Liang Lin's voice was so soft it could melt anyone's heart. She pressed her face against Carol's, rubbing against her.

Ah~

My daughter was so cute!

Carol's big eyes blinked. She had a pair of clear, sapphire blue eyes, just like Liang Di's, eyes that seemed to hold a vast ocean. Her hair, a color inherited from Liang Lin's black, made her look like a delicate little doll even before she was a year old.

The soldiers sitting on the ground had probably never seen Liang Lin with this gentle and kind demeanor before. They recalled her ferocious face on the battlefield, the cold, merciless gaze as she severed enemy heads. They were all dumbfounded, their jaws practically dropping to the floor. They looked at each other, whispering amongst themselves.

"My God, did you see that?"

"Yes..."

"How terrifying! Could the Marquis's soul have been replaced?"

Liang Lin: "..."

Veins bulged on her face as she slowly turned her head, a chilling smile on her lips.

"If you don't speak, no one will think you're mute. I don't want to frighten my daughter here."

Besides the men, several young girls were also in the room, covering their mouths and laughing. These girls were the soldiers' daughters, or adopted daughters.

“My daughter is so adorable!” Liang Lin couldn’t help but exclaim again, then turned and glared at the soldiers. “Tell me, isn’t my daughter adorable?”

“Adorable, adorable, adorable, so adorable!”

It wasn’t entirely out of coercion; after all, Carol truly was adorable.

“Alright, you can all leave now. I need to put my daughter to sleep. We can finally get some rest these next few days; the recent battles are over.”

“Yes, Boss!”

After all her subordinates had left, Liang Lin changed her clothes and, with Carol in tow, lay down on a small bed. She hugged Carol tightly, looking at the child’s adorable little face, hearing the child call out “Mama” again and again, further solidifying her resolve.

Indeed, having this child was the right decision.

One year ago.

Liang Lin bid farewell to Hillary and Octaville, embarking alone on her journey back to the border. Before leaving the imperial city, she went to see her former subordinate, Ulysses.

“Ulysses, I plan to return to the border. I want to continue fighting with my sword, to protect the borders of Soteland.” Liang Lin extended her hand to Ulysses. “How about it? Will you come back with me? Take Terence with you.”

The moment Ulysses saw Liang Lin, tears welled up in his eyes. He hadn’t seen his beloved Marquis for two whole months. Seeing him again brought a wave of heartache, and he cried, wanting to grasp Liang Lin’s hand.

“Of course! Your Excellency! I’ve been waiting for this day for so long!”

“Hiss~”

Before he could grasp her hand, Liang Lin immediately pulled it away. “Tsk, just being polite. Don’t try to shake my hand with that snotty hand you’ve used to wipe your nose!”

The atmosphere became relaxed and harmonious, and Liang Lin’s sorrow was somewhat alleviated.

“Oh, by the way, Your Excellency the Marquis…”

“Stop calling me that, I’m not used to it now. Just call me Miss.” Liang Lin interrupted him. “You can continue.”

“Yes, Miss,” Ulysses wiped away tears from the corners of his eyes. “There are more than a dozen brothers who came to the capital with me, three of whom have children. I’ve called them all over.”

“That’s good, of course.”

“Last time I told them about you, they didn’t believe me. They thought I was delusional and had gone mad.” Ulysses complained angrily as he led the way. “I even showed them the gold coins you gave me, but they still didn’t believe me. They insisted I went out and robbed them, and told me to be careful lately, lest I get killed by the nobles who threw money at me.”

“Yes, it’s normal that they don’t believe you. If it were me, I wouldn’t believe you either,” Liang Lin replied.

They turned a corner and arrived at the first house.

The person who opened the door was a very familiar young man. Liang Lin recognized him; he was the man who had fought Terence in the underground tavern.

Benson scratched his head. "Uncle Ulysses, what brings you here? Was Terence's food too bad? Well, that makes sense, after all, that guy's all he's got is brute force."

Terrence stood behind him, looking embarrassed.

"Hey... don't talk bad about me in front of my idol...!"

Idol?

Benson's gaze fell on Liang Lin's face.

"Oh, oh, oh! Miss, I remember you! You're the one who beat me and Terrence down that day!"

Ulysses pulled Benson aside.

"Benson, this is the Marquis I was talking about. Quick, quick, call that old bastard Blaze out! Tell him the Marquis has returned!"

"Huh?" Benson made a very dazed sound.

He did go back to call his father, but what he taught was:

"Dad! Dad! Uncle Ulysses has gone mad again! He's started talking nonsense, standing right at the door, come quick! He says he saw the ghost of Lord Marquis again! He even mistook a young lady for the Marquis!"

Blaze's impatient voice came from inside, "Oh, Ulysses, why are you in such a bad state lately? All you do is talk about is 'Lord Marquis,' 'Lord Marquis,' haven't I told you? The dead can't be brought back to life. You should accept the fact that the Marquis died on the battlefield."

"Yo, Blaze, long time no see."

Liang Lin, carrying her sword, leaned against the door and greeted Blaze with a dashing air. But she didn't believe Blaze couldn't remember her signature greeting.

The result...

"No, Ulysses, you even told this young lady about the Marquis's greeting gesture?"

Blaze glared at Ulysses.

Ulysses was speechless, unable to explain himself. He wanted to explain, but Liang Lin stopped him.

Sigh, there was no way around it.

The situation was too fantastical; it was reasonable for a normal person not to believe it. She still had to use the signature swordsmanship of his Kronin family!

"Blaze, watch closely."

Liang Lin stepped forward.

Blaze sighed, "Fine, fine, I'll watch. You guys can come in and have a bite to eat after you're done. We just finished cooking...wait, huh?"

As Liang Lin's movements flowed smoothly, Blaze gradually realized something was wrong. These familiar movements, this familiar fighting style, looked exactly like Marquis Eli's.

"How could it be..."

When Liang Lin withdrew her final movement, Blaze's eyes were wide open, just like Ulysses's had been.

"No, how could you... know that swordsmanship? You? Really? This... this can't be, it doesn't make sense."

Blaze felt his worldview crumbling.

Liang Lin nodded.

"It's just as you think, I am Elijah."

"..."

Blaze rubbed his temples, gripping the doorframe.

"Oh no, Benson, I'm hallucinating too. I think I saw a lady practicing Marquis's swordsmanship."

Benson: "Dad, it doesn't seem like a hallucination, I saw it too."

"..."

A two-second silence.

"Holy crap! You really are the Marquis!" Blaze, as if waking from a dream, rushed to Liang Lin, looking the petite girl up and down, his eyes filled with disbelief. "It's amazing! It's amazing!"

"Alright, since you recognized me, that's good. Let's go, take me to the next place."

Basically, every place reacted the same way as Blaze: first disbelief, then Liang Lin proving herself with her swordsmanship, and finally, everyone believed.

After visiting three houses, Liang Lin suddenly realized something.

“Ulysses, why can’t you gather everyone together so I can demonstrate my swordsmanship for once? I’ve already demonstrated three times, haven’t I? Our time is really precious…”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

"Oh, right."

The clever ones all looked enlightened.

Liang Lin covered her face.

Oh no! With these subordinates whose combined IQs weren't even as high as hers, she was starting to worry about her future.

After some effort, she finally gathered everyone. Liang Lin stood in the middle of her subordinates, surrounded by them, and raised her longsword.

"Are you willing to return to the border with me and protect the Soteland Empire?"

The subordinates answered almost in unison.

"We are willing to follow Marquis Elijah to the death!"

"Say it again, my name is now Liang Lin!"

"Yes!"

"We are willing to follow Miss Liang Lin to the death!"

Ever since learning from her sister that she, in a sense, had also taken over the original Liang Lin's body, Liang Lin decided that she would live under this child's name from now on. She couldn't betray her by taking over the body and then not using the name, letting the child disappear completely from the world without a trace.

"Let's go!"

As Liang Lin and her entourage were about to leave the imperial city, someone caught up from behind.

"Wait! Miss Liang Lin!"

That voice sounded so familiar.

Liang Lin turned around.

It was Prescott. Beside him stood Robin, whom Liang Lin had fought in the sword tournament. Beside Robin was a young girl, his daughter.

Strangely, behind Prescott were two people dressed in black cloaks, their faces completely obscured.

“Miss Liang Lin, please take Robin with you. He also came from the border, but he didn't join the army. You saved him once, and he's always admired you, hoping to join your army someday. But you were already dead then.”

Robin nodded vigorously. “Marquis Elijah, you saved me in a battle once, and from that moment on, I planned to join your army. But after I finished dealing with my family problem, you died on the battlefield, so…”

Robin was a very skilled swordsman. If he could join, Liang Lin would naturally be overjoyed. She immediately nodded in agreement, “Yes, you're welcome.”

“However… I want to bring my daughter, Sylvia, with me. She's also admired you for a long time.”

Robin's daughter wasn't the delicate type. She also had a sword at her waist. Although beautiful, she possessed a resolute air. Noticing Liang Lin looking at her, she blushed nervously and gripped her father's sleeve tightly.

“Yes, I’ve heard from your father that you also like swordsmanship, right? Girls can certainly learn swordsmanship. Come with us. If you have any questions about swordsmanship, you can come to me, and I’ll teach you.”

“Thank you, thank you, Your Excellency!” Sylvia was instantly excited, bowing deeply. When she looked up again, her face was filled with undisguised excitement.

“Edwin, Hazel, you two don’t need to hide anymore. Take off your cloaks. We’re almost out of the capital now; no one will notice you anymore.”

Prescott said to the two cloaked figures behind him.

The two removed their cloaks. What appeared were two almost identical faces; without careful observation, it was impossible to tell them apart.

“Eh?” Liang Lin was stunned.

Aren’t these the twins from the swordsmanship competition?

Hazel stuck her tongue out at her and nudged her brother with her elbow. "Brother, you should tell her why. I can't explain it."

"No need, I'll tell her," Prescott said.

It turned out that Octaville couldn't let go of Liang Lin after all, so she recruited other spies they had planted among the nobles who were already dissatisfied with the Soteland Empire. Among them were Edwin and Hazel's mother, who had been there the longest.

Their mother had also been a swordswoman, but due to imperial regulations, she was forced to marry a nobleman. Less than three years after the marriage, the nobleman died. Many said she was a jinx, but she ignored the gossip and poured all her energy into her two children, teaching them her swordsmanship.

However, she also concealed something.

She actually gave birth to a twin brother and sister, not a twin brothers. But she kept this a secret. She didn't want her daughter to follow in her footsteps; she wanted her children to fulfill the wishes she hadn't completed herself.

In the years following the death of the nobleman, this swordswoman mother met Octaville, and the two, sharing similar views, became friends. From then on, she hoped that Octaville would one day overthrow the Soteland Empire and enact a law allowing women to fight on the battlefield.

“These two little ones are here for trials. Their mother wants them to gain experience on the battlefield. They've never had real combat experience. Although their swordsmanship is excellent, they lack combat experience. Please guide them.”

“So, you're a girl?” Liang Lin blinked, looking at Hazel.

Hazel nodded, hugging her brother's arm. “Yes! Sister Liang Lin! I'm the younger sister, and Edwin is my brother! My brother is the best brother in the whole world!”

Edwin looked at his sister with doting eyes.

Goodness, so both are a siscon and brocon.

What Liang Lin didn't know was that their relationship was more than just brother-complex and sister-complex.

“Alright, come on over.”

These twins are quite skilled. Although they lack battlefield experience, they must have sparred with many swordsmen in private. On the battlefield, they would be top-tier.

However, did Octaville send these two, who are essentially on their side, because she was worried about me ruining their plans?

Liang Lin wondered. Tsk, even if she sent people, sending two little brats like these wouldn't stop her in the slightest. She was probably overthinking it.

In fact, yes, she was overthinking it. Octaville didn't have such complicated thoughts at all; she simply wanted to bring a few familiar people to take care of her impulsive sister-in-law.

“Alright, Miss Liang Lin, then the task Octaville assigned me is complete.” Prescott waved to her. “Goodbye~ Will you be returning to the capital later?”

Liang Lin hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Probably."

"If you can come back, go to the tavern and I'll treat you to drinks."

"Okay."

After saying goodbye to Prescott, Liang Lin and her group resumed their journey. They had no carriage and could only walk. Hiring a carriage would be risky because their group was too large and their simple clothing didn't resemble that of nobles, easily attracting attention. Therefore, reaching the border would take at least a month, even with a relatively fast pace.

Since it was already evening when they set off, they only reached the city near the capital and found a simple little inn to stay in.

Inside the room.

Liang Lin sat on the bed, her mood low.

She was still struggling with the child in her womb, wondering whether to abort it. The more she thought about it, the more reluctant she became. She really wanted to see what her child would look like after birth.

A surge of maternal love welled up within her, and she didn't hate Liang Di as much anymore.

"Liang Di is Liang Di, and the child is the child. The child is innocent..." Liang Lin comforted herself.

After much thought, Liang Lin lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

Finally, she got up, threw on a coat, and wandered around the yard for a while before knocking on the door of Ulysses and Blaze's room.

Knock knock knock!

"Hey, I know you're still awake. Come out and chat with me."

Well, it had a rather forceful, almost "I'm still awake" feel to it.

Ulysses and Blaze rubbed their sleepy eyes and came out, yawning repeatedly, but still managed to stay awake and accompany Liang Lin on her walk.

"Ulysses."

"Hmm?"

Ulysses wasn't fully awake yet. He squinted, trying to see the road ahead.

"If you were pregnant... oh no, I mean, when you found out you were going to be a father, how did you feel?"

Ulysses was dazed, not understanding why the other person was asking him this question.

"Uh..." Ulysses's mind went blank.

Seeing that this person wasn't reliable, Liang Lin asked another person who seemed relatively awake, "Blaze, what about you? When you saw the newborn Benson, what did you feel?"

Blaze blurted out, "Hey, this kid is really ugly, not at all like my handsome self."

Liang Lin: "..."

Okay, it's a pointless question; there's no serious answer.

"What's wrong, boss? Why are you asking? Did you have some romantic entanglements before you died?"

Uh…

Liang Lin subconsciously looked down at her stomach. This couldn't be considered a romantic entanglement, could it…?

Pregnancy was something she was too embarrassed to talk about, so Liang Lin replied perfunctorily, "Oh, nothing, just reached that age, just curious."

Seeing that she wouldn't get anything useful from these two idiots, Liang Lin waved her hand at them, "Alright, you guys go back. Being with you guys makes me feel suffocated."

Ulysses scratched his head, still not fully awake; it was Blaze who pulled him back.

"Okay, boss, you should get some rest too."

Rest?

Rest my ass! I couldn't sleep at all.

Lying back in bed, Liang Lin felt a weariness of wanting to sleep but being unable to.

"Forget it, there are still at least six months until the baby is born. There's no rush to make a decision now. I'll go to sleep first. I can take the medicine later when I've thought it through." Liang Lin comforted herself for a while, and finally fell into a deep sleep in the latter half of the night.

Octaville, still at the Langwendi mansion, pondered for a long time, feeling that she had forgotten to tell Liang Lin something.

Yes, that's right, she forgot to tell Liang Lin that the gestation period for a tentacle baby is only four months.

"Hey? Baby, do you think I forgot to tell Liang Lin something?" Octaville asked.

"You've told her everything you need to. What else could it be? Oh dear, you just overthink things and worry too much. I remember clearly, you've told her everything you need to," Hilary said. 

Octaville frowned, muttering to herself, "Hiss... I feel like I've forgotten something..."

Liang Di woke up in the middle of the night.

When she woke up, tears were still glistening in her eyes. She had a terrible dream; she dreamt that Liang Lin was gone, gone so decisively, left her forever, never to return, abandoning her forever.

"Sister Liang Lin! Don't go!"

She sat up abruptly, reaching out to grab at nothing but empty air.

Liang Di was panting, her clothes soaked with cold sweat. She looked around frantically. The room was dark, the lights were off. She saw what looked like a small teddy bear by the bed, but there was no sign of Liang Lin.

Because it was the middle of the night, Octaville and Hilary hadn't expected Liang Di to wake up early, so they went to sleep in the next room. Therefore, Liang Di was alone in the room.

"Sister Liang Lin?"

"Sister Liang Lin?!"

The panic intensified. Liang Di stumbled out of bed and lit the chandelier. The room instantly brightened. She frantically looked around, searching for Liang Lin.

On the bed.

No!

Beside the cabinet.

No!

Under the table.

No!

Liang Di searched every corner of the room, but still couldn't find Liang Lin. Her bad premonition grew stronger.

Bang!

Liang Di abruptly pushed open the door.

Fortunately, Hillary next door wasn't sleeping soundly and was awakened by the noise. She sat up and shoved Octaville, who was sleeping like a log beside her.

“Hey, did you hear that?”

Octaville sat up groggily, putting her arm around her lover's shoulder. “No, what's that sound? Are you having another nightmare, baby?”

“No,” Hilary frowned, pushing Octaville's hand away, turning over and getting out of bed. “I definitely didn't mishear, there's definitely a sound outside. Could it be Liang Di waking up? Let's go check it out.”

Octaville followed Hilary.

As soon as Hilary opened the door, she saw Liang Di's deathly pale face.

It's the middle of the night, quite frightening.

"Huh?!"

Startled, Hilary jumped, pinching Octaville.

"See? I told you! Liang Di's awake! Look at you, sleeping like a log!"

Liang Di, seeing the two, seemed to see hope. She rushed over, anxiously asking, "Where's Liang Lin? Where did Sister Liang Lin go?"

This…

Hilary and Octaville exchanged a glance.

Octaville spoke, "Liang Di, come back to your room with us."

As she spoke, she reached out to grab her adopted daughter's hand.

Liang Di shook her off, her emotions running high, her voice shrill.

"Sister Liang Lin! Did you take Sister Liang Lin away?! She… she promised me she wouldn't abandon me!"

Sigh… I knew it would turn out like this.

Octaville had a headache.

“Liang Di, this isn’t something I can explain in a few words. Come back to your room with me first, and we’ll talk about it slowly…”

“Sister Liang Lin…” Liang Di couldn’t hear anything she was saying. After waking up and not finding Liang Lin, her already broken heart shattered even more.

But Hilary was clear-headed. She grasped the key words and said to Liang Di, “Liang Di, go back to your room. Liang Lin left you a letter; it’s next to your pillow. She told us not to touch it; you have to open it yourself.”