I wish I had a granddaughter

At that time, Karina also refused to let go, and with her little lover she fought over the right to hold the baby.

Thinking back on it, it really felt like a beautiful memory.

“Sorry, I must have scared you. I didn’t mean to…”

Karina gave up. She couldn’t bear to take the child from Lily’s hands.

Only, Emilia seemed to instinctively sense Karina’s identity. She gave Karina a radiant smile and even stretched out her arms, wanting to leap into her embrace.

“Huh, Emi… what’s wrong? Don’t move around like that!”

Lily looked troubled, glancing at Emi and then at the enraptured Karina. Perhaps Emi could feel that Karina bore no malice?

Every time she quarreled with Ledea, Emi would burst out crying and easily resolve their conflicts. Maybe her daughter was more capable of telling right from wrong than she had imagined.

Although still a little uneasy, Lily trusted Emi’s judgment.

“Auntie… um, do you want to hold her?”

“Really, may I?” Karina’s eyes lit up. “Seeing how much you love your daughter, I almost feel bad taking her.”

“It’s fine. Emi seems to like you very much.”

“Her name is Emi?”

“Yes, she’s called Emilia…” Lily replied. “I named her after my own name—and my big sister’s.”

“How romantic!” Karina couldn’t help but say. “Back then, I named my daughter after my little beloved. My daughter’s name is—”

Before she could finish, Emi let out a burst of joyful laughter. Karina was instantly captivated, and the talk about her daughter’s name ended right there.

Karina gently supported Emi’s back and took her into her arms.

Emi let out peals of happy laughter in Karina’s embrace.

“Oh my, how adorable,” Karina teased her with her fingers. “If only I had a granddaughter like this!”

Emi reached out her chubby little hand and poked at Karina’s full chest.

“Haha, I can’t nurse babies, you know!”

Emi looked up at Karina with a bewildered little face, while Karina beamed brightly.

“Did you feed her this morning?”

“Yes,” Lily nodded. “She already ate her fill.”

“That’s good.” Karina continued to play with Emi’s hands, her pudgy little fingers chasing after Karina’s. “Looks like she’s about ready to learn to walk. The cave is too cold—you should lay down mats or something.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Though I shouldn’t meddle in your affairs, I just can’t help but worry.”

“It’s alright. Thank you for your advice, Auntie!”

“What a darling girl. If only my daughter had a wife like you!”

“Hehe, thank you for the compliment!”

“Speaking of which, where’s your big sister?”

“Oh, big sister—she left a barrier at the cave entrance and went to the nearby city to buy supplies.”

“I see. Life must be hard for you two.”

“It’s alright. Once our daughter grows a bit older, we plan to move somewhere secluded and live a quiet, peaceful life.”

Karina rocked Emi gently in her arms like a cradle. Emi laughed adorably, seeming especially close to her.

“If only this child were my granddaughter.”

Lily showed a troubled expression, and Karina gave her a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, I won’t steal your precious baby,” Karina said seriously. “I’ve been a mother too. I know what a child means to her mother.”

She handed Emi back to Lily, who solemnly took her into her arms and gently stroked her little head. Though it felt rude, Lily couldn’t help but quickly check whether Karina had done anything strange to Emi.

But Emi looked perfectly fine, smiling happily.

Maybe Lily had misjudged Karina.

Karina was only searching everywhere for her runaway daughter, which made her seem forceful—but in truth, she was a good person.

“By the way, I still have some children’s toys. I’ll give them to you.”

“Huh? That’s too much, I can’t accept—”

“It’s fine. I feel a bond with this little one,” Karina said. “Who knows when I’ll ever need them, so let me treat Emi as my granddaughter for now.”

She opened a black vortex and reached her hand inside.

Lily couldn’t help but recall that Ledea had done the same thing—opening a black vortex and reaching in.

Come to think of it, Karina and Ledea did look somewhat alike. Could Karina’s runaway daughter really be Ledea?

“Hm? Curious? This is just a fairly common storage magic.”

“Oh, so it’s common?”

No way it could be such a coincidence—Karina being Ledea’s mother? If it was common storage magic, then it meant it was widely used, right?

Karina pulled out baby toys.

There was a hanging crib mobile, a rabbit roly-poly, a little yellow duck, and a rattle.

Lily looked delighted. She had wanted to prepare toys for Emi but, with no childcare experience, hadn’t known what to choose.

Having an elder’s guidance at such a time was invaluable.

“Auntie, you’re amazing,” Lily said. “If only you were my mother.”

“You really know how to talk, little one!” Karina chuckled. “I’d love to have a daughter like you too. If possible… may I even let the little one call me grandma?”

“Huh? But Auntie, you don’t look old at all—you’re still so young!”

“Haha, such a sweet tongue you have!”

“But, is it really okay for you to give me so many baby toys?”

“They were originally meant for my granddaughter…”

At this, Karina sighed deeply. “But my daughter ran away from home, refuses to even mention marriage. It feels like I’ll never get to hold a grandchild.”

“Don’t worry, Auntie. Your daughter will surely come to understand your good intentions.”

“Not long ago, Teresa said the same thing…”

Teresa? That name… hadn’t Ledea mentioned it before? Or was Lily imagining it?

She looked thoughtful, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall. Surely it was just her imagination—Ledea couldn’t possibly know Teresa!

Karina picked up the rattle and shook it. Its crisp sound made Emi reach toward it with eager little hands.

Karina laughed cheerfully at Emi, her expression tinged with reluctance to part.

“Lily, be careful. Don’t let the baby swallow any small parts.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

“And, I should be on my way. I still need to search for my daughter.”

“Yes. I hope you can reunite with her soon!”

Karina gave a bitter smile. She wasn’t looking for Ledea to reunite—but to force her into marriage. Of course, she didn’t intend to explain that to Lily.

Karina rose from the bed and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. Lily thought for a moment, then decided to walk her out—after all, Karina had given them so many things.

Of course, she couldn’t let Karina see the baby again. If she learned Emi was the daughter of the Evil Dragon, she might turn hostile.

So Lily carefully tucked Emi back into her crib.

She pulled the blanket over her, then followed behind Karina to see her off.

They stepped out of the cave, and Karina turned to face Lily.

“Well, this is far enough. I’ll set up a barrier around your cave.”

“Huh? But will we really be able to undo a barrier you set?”

“Yes. Breaking a barrier is like cracking a code—it doesn’t take much magic. No matter how strong the barrier, if you know the code, it’s easily undone.”

Though she didn’t fully understand, Lily nodded reluctantly.

Karina smiled and laid down a sturdy barrier for her. Waving goodbye, she turned and, in the blink of an eye, flew up into the sky.

Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Lily couldn’t help but feel she was truly a kind and caring elder.

If only they could meet again someday.

But then again, Lily worried her daughter might fall into danger.