“What’s wrong?”
Perplexed by Lena’s reaction, Celia touched the butterfly birthmark on the back of her neck, finding nothing unusual.
Lena quickly composed herself. Her hand flew to her chest, her breathing ragged, and her voice carried a tremor that few would notice.
“Could I take a closer look? I’m quite curious.”
Celia did not refuse. Under the bright corridor lights, Lena clearly saw the black butterfly.
Its vibrant wings spread wide, adorned with delicate patterns that added a touch of dark, captivating allure to the fair skin.
“How beautiful…”
She murmured, lost in thought.
This birthmark was identical to her daughter’s.
While sharing the same name might be a mere coincidence, the identical birthmark—its location and appearance—strongly indicated that the young woman before her was, in all likelihood, her daughter!
Lena’s heart rate abruptly quickened. Her gaze upon Celia grew profoundly complex.
It held a mixture of guilt and doting affection, alongside a hint of inquiry and bewilderment.
How had Celia fared during the years she was absent? How much hardship had she endured? Had she been bullied?
Why had Celia, who should have been a demon princess, become the young lady of a human noble family? And why did she even aspire to be a hero?
Countless questions surfaced in her mind. Though she was Celia’s current landlady, Lena realized how little she truly knew about her.
After all, she had previously regarded Celia merely as a transient tenant, someone she had met by chance.
“Celia, we’ve known each other for so long, yet I still don’t know which noble family you belong to.” Lena calmly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
She resolved to start by learning about Celia’s current family.
“Fiona.”
“Fiona? But they’re a major noble family!”
Lena gasped, covering her mouth in genuine shock.
Lena’s astonished reaction caused Celia to unconsciously puff out her chest, a triumphant expression gracing her face.
The Fiona family was one of the three great noble houses of the Rossi Empire. Virtually every citizen living within the empire had heard of them.
Their influence was so vast that even the imperial royal family held them in extreme apprehension. Rumors even claimed that if provoked, they could depose the Emperor himself.
Though Celia usually disliked flaunting her family background, she couldn’t help but feel a small thrill of satisfaction when she saw her landlady’s shock at her origins.
Lena had known Celia’s family was powerful, but she had never imagined they were *this* formidable.
“However, if Celia is truly the young lady of the Fiona family, why would she be renting a room from me?”
Given the Fiona family’s wealth, purchasing a villa in Vidona would be trivial. They could effortlessly buy the entire city of Vidona.
“Because I ran away from home,” Celia declared, a startling confession. “Didn’t I mention earlier that my family disagreed with my becoming a hero? So, I secretly slipped out.”
A sudden tremor ran through Lena’s heart. “Slipping out secretly?” she asked, her voice laced with worry.
“That’s incredibly dangerous, especially for a young lady like you. Those noble families hostile to Fiona…”
“I know, I know.”
The landlady’s concern inexplicably reminded Celia of the family’s chattering maids. She quickly waved her hand to interrupt, then crossed her arms, a hint of resentment in her tone.
“When I say I ‘slipped out,’ it was more like they tacitly allowed it. How could someone of my mere second-tier strength possibly sneak away from the family without them noticing?”
“Besides, the moment I arrived in Vidona, Orl was already here. They probably just think I’m going through a rebellious phase, so they’re indulging my whims this one time, hmph.”
“Orl?” Lena caught the name.
“Yes, he’s the family’s butler—a meddlesome, incredibly stubborn, and somewhat germaphobic old man.”
As Celia spoke of him, her lips twisted into a pout, casting aside the ladylike decorum she had painstakingly maintained. She appeared quite exasperated.
From her expression, Lena surmised that Orl was likely one of the elders who opposed her becoming a hero, or at the very least, someone with whom Celia frequently clashed.
“What about your parents? Do they also object to you becoming a hero?”
She pondered for a moment before asking the question that weighed most heavily on her mind. At the mention of her parents, however, Celia’s expression faltered, her spirits visibly sinking.
“I’ve never met my parents since I was born. I don’t know where they are, nor what happened to them. Orl has always managed the family, anyway…”
The night wind drifted through the open window into the second-floor corridor. The girl, wrapped in a bath towel, shivered slightly, seemingly feeling a chill.
As Celia spoke of her sorrow, guilt threatened to overwhelm Lena’s heart.
Lena gently embraced Celia, warming the young woman with her own body heat.
“…I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Miss Lena. I’ve long grown accustomed to these things; it’s really nothing significant.”
“Celia, you’re so strong. You must have endured a lot of hardship in the past, haven’t you?”
“Not really. I’m the young lady of the Fiona family. What hardship could I possibly face?”
Breathing in Lena’s floral scent, Celia nuzzled her soft chest with her small face. Then, with a gentle push, she pulled herself free from the embrace.
“Lena, thank you for taking me in. Tomorrow…”
“Why don’t you stay one more day? Wait until Isha and the others return before you leave, alright? I imagine they’ll miss you terribly, especially since we don’t know when we’ll see each other again after this parting.”
Lena had suddenly suggested Celia stay another day. Recalling her two teammates, Celia hesitated for a long while before finally succumbing to Lena’s pleading gaze.
“…Alright.”
Having received her consent, Lena smiled, exchanged goodnights with Celia, and then they parted ways.
After closing the open window in the corridor, she casually picked up a book from the study and then returned to her own room.
Taking out her ring-shaped magic communicator, Lena found a familiar name on the pale blue projection and sent a message.
[Sharlene, could you find a way to get Celia a hero instructor?]
After learning that Celia was her own daughter, Lena no longer wished for her to leave Vidona.
She yearned to make up for the maternal love her daughter had missed.
A moment later, the communicator subtly flickered. Lena glanced at the message displayed.
Sharlene: –After all this time, you contact me, and the first thing you talk about is Celia. Do you know how heartbroken I am?–
“…”
The Hero Guild President, a refined and intellectual lady in gold-rimmed glasses before others, was an entirely different person in Lena’s presence.
She was casual, relaxed, and would even tease Lena from time to time, completely devoid of any presidential airs.
Lena was well-versed in handling Sharlene’s particular brand of charm.
She edited her message and sent it.
Lena: –So, how have you been lately?–
Sharlene: –Not bad. Most of the demonic beasts have been quite well-behaved recently, so there isn’t much going on. I…–
As if a floodgate had opened, Sharlene rambled on, but Lena didn’t read a word of it.
Only when the communicator’s flickering light gradually subsided did she send her request again.
Lena: –Then can you find a way to get Celia an instructor?–
Sharlene: –…You really don’t care about me at all, Miss Lena.–
Sharlene: –I can’t do this. After learning Celia’s identity, not a single hero in the Guild dares to become their team’s instructor…–
Sharlene: –I want Celia to stay even more than you do. With her talent, if she perseveres, her achievements as a hero would be unparalleled. But no hero here dares to challenge the Fiona family…–
Lena: –So, if someone is willing to be their team’s instructor, she’ll stay?–
Sharlene: –Theoretically, yes, but it’s almost impossible. Vidona is just a small place…–
Lena: –Understood.–
After sending that final message, Lena closed her magic communicator, no longer bothering to read Sharlene’s reply.