Chapter 17: I never thought you were a bad kid
“Let’s go home.”
Liang Lai lifted Duoluosa into her arms, holding her sideways with unshakable resolve in her voice.
In the alley’s shadows, a golden figure stood silently.
As the two left, it vanished.
“Haha, so you’re watching too?”
Claudius observed the retreating pair and the fading golden figure.
His mirror-like pupils reflected a looming shape behind Liang Lai’s neck.
Black lines traced within his eyes—the Crystal Tiara’s roots spreading.
In the master bedroom of the Garden of Purity, Liang Lai gently wiped the scrape on Duoluosa’s knee with a medicated cotton swab.
Moonlight filtered through stained glass, casting colorful specks on the floor.
“Does it hurt?”
Liang Lai blew softly on the wound.
“Tell me next time you go out.”
Duoluosa pinched her teddy bear’s ears, stealing glances at Liang Lai’s profile.
She noticed faint dark circles under her eyes, betraying the anxiety of her hours-long search.
A strange mix of satisfaction and guilt gnawed at Duoluosa’s heart.
Why… do I feel sad and happy at once?
“Liang Lai,” she hesitated, “if… if I did something really bad…”
The doorknob’s sudden turn cut her off.
Delucia stood in the doorway, clutching a pillow.
Her hexagram pupils flickered in the dark.
“Mom, I had a nightmare…”
Duoluosa tensed instantly.
But Liang Lai only said gently, “I want to be alone with Duoluosa tonight, okay? Asteris is in the next room.”
Delucia’s pupils contracted briefly but quickly regained their obedient sheen.
“Okay, Mom.”
She nodded, but her shadow maliciously coiled around Duoluosa’s ankle as it retreated.
When the door closed, Liang Lai sighed.
She pulled Duoluosa into a hug, resting her chin lightly on her head.
“I’ve been reading parenting books lately…”
(Really, just recalling short videos from my old world.)
Her voice was muffled.
“They say parents shouldn’t neglect the eldest child just because of new ones…”
Duoluosa felt Liang Lai’s fingers tremble.
“I know what it’s like to be abandoned…”
Liang Lai knew best.
Her biological parents led her to the orphanage gate.
Panic and helplessness overwhelmed her.
In a thin cotton coat, she shivered in the winter cold, chasing their retreating backs, stumbling in the snow.
That day, the snow was so heavy it dazed her.
Small stones in the snow scratched her cheek, but the pain in her young heart hurt more.
Duoluosa froze.
Liang Lai’s warmth, seeping through her pajamas, reminded her of the endless cold nights in the Underground Sanctuary.
This hug was different.
Liang Lai was showing vulnerability—something no human had ever done with her before.
Liang Lai’s fingers combed gently through Duoluosa’s golden hair.
Moonlight through the gauze curtains cast mottled shadows on the sheets.
“Little Duo, I’ve known for a while you’re different.”
Duoluosa’s body stiffened, her heart nearly leaping from her chest.
Liang Lai’s palm rested soothingly on her back.
“When I found you near the Sanctuary, I saw the calluses and scars on your hands… Not something an ordinary child would have.”
Yes, Liang Lai hadn’t noticed at first, but after integrating into this world, she understood nearly everything.
Duoluosa’s nails dug into her palms.
She remembered crawling from the ground, blood-soaked, with Liang Lai’s silver hair glowing like an angel’s halo in the sunlight.
“I don’t know who you’ve tangled with, but it’s tied to the false Pope.”
Liang Lai’s voice was calm, without blame.
“Your crystallization talent is too exceptional, your danger instincts too sharp… Those aren’t coincidences.”
“Little Duo, I know your biological parents… were from the Church. But that’s their fault, not yours.”
Duoluosa’s throat tightened.
Should she confess now?
Admit she worked for Claudius, that she approached Liang Lai with a mission?
Would Liang Lai push her away?
Cast her back to the Underground Sanctuary, like her parents did?
“But I never thought you were a bad kid.”
Liang Lai cupped her face, purple eyes gleaming in the dark.
“Nurture matters more than nature. You’re so young, your life just beginning. With someone who truly cares for you, guiding you right, you’ll grow into a kind, upright person.”
Tears welled in Duoluosa’s eyes.
Liang Lai’s trust was a blunt knife, slicing her conscience.
She opened her mouth, but Claudius’s threat echoed:
“What would Liang Lai think of a traitorous adopted daughter?”
“I… I…”
Her voice choked.
“What if I’ve done something really bad…?”
Liang Lai shook her head, hugging her tighter.
“The past doesn’t matter. What matters is who you want to be now. This will always be your home, as long as you want it.”
Duoluosa buried her face in Liang Lai’s shoulder, tears soaking her pajamas.
She wanted to confess everything—her identity, her father’s name—but fear chained her tongue.
What if Liang Lai’s kindness was only because she didn’t know the truth?
What if those gentle eyes turned to disgust?
What if Liang Lai feared that supreme power?
Kindness didn’t mean courage.
It was natural to seek safety, avoid harm.
If Liang Lai was scared, Duoluosa wouldn’t blame her.
Liang Lai had done enough.
“Sleep.”
Liang Lai kissed her forehead.
“Tomorrow’s a new day.”
Duoluosa kept her eyes open in the dark, listening to Liang Lai’s breathing even out.
She clutched the corner of her robe, like a drowning soul grasping driftwood.
She had to choose:
Stay with Liang Lai, be a good child, and serve her purpose—whether as a papal heir or to fulfill Liang Lai’s dreams.
Or follow her heart, obey Claudius, and seek “revenge.”
She had to decide.
What would her choice be…?