Vol 4. Chapter 146: The Accommodation Problem

Besides, an explosion powerful enough to destroy only a dormitory room... As if something like that could actually kill Mengxi!

After all, Mengxi was protected by a "Miracle."

Under the protection of that "Miracle," even an attack from a Demon King-class existence probably wouldn't be able to hurt that girl.

Hmm...

These explosions...

Why did they feel more like... some form of school bullying?

Back on Blue Star, school bullying had involved things like throwing away schoolbags and smashing phones. In this world, where people's destructive capabilities were much greater, blowing up someone's dormitory room apparently fell within the normal range of such behavior...

In other words,

My dear heroine is being bullied?

At the thought of someone deliberately targeting Mengxi, a trace of displeasure involuntarily flashed through Yumo's crimson eyes.

Sometimes, Miss Yumo couldn't help treating that scheming little girl Mengxi as an adorable younger sister who needed her protection.

—"Should I ask the Black Rose Family to find the culprit and capture them?"—

This thought instantly surfaced in Yumo's mind.

However, Miss Yumo quickly rejected the idea.

No matter what, if she wanted to properly nurture the heroine, she couldn't solve every problem for her. Otherwise, that girl would never have the opportunity to grow.

It would be better to let her handle small matters like this herself.

Her goal was to train the heroine, not spoil her rotten.

...

Setting down the pen in her hand, Yumo returned to the sofa and sat down across from the silver-haired girl.

"Then... what are you planning to do now?"

"Well, about that..."

Mengxi gave a somewhat helpless, wry smile.

"What else can I do? The Plum Blossom Garden dormitory is gone, and even if I move into another room, that might get blown up too... Anyway, according to Ms. Molowa, it might not be safe for me to stay at Yexinlian Royal Academy right now. If explosions can happen inside the dormitories, that means there's an 'insider' at the academy targeting me... Perhaps I'll have no choice but to follow their suggestion and have the academy guards and the Holy Knights stationed here by the Asumos Church escort me back to the Church headquarters."

"Back to the headquarters? Wouldn't that mean going into central Anvika?"

"That's right."

"Then... that's quite far away. And rather troublesome, too."

"Yes."

Mengxi nodded slightly in agreement.

Anvika was the capital of the Crimson Leaf Empire and the largest metropolis in the entire empire.

Although Yexinlian Royal Academy was located on the outskirts of Anvika, there was still a considerable distance between the academy and the city, especially the central district of the capital.

Moreover, entering and leaving the political center of the Crimson Leaf Empire required passing through strict inspections and magical examinations.

Naturally, this was an extremely tedious and time-consuming process.

"Then, after returning to the Church, will you still come to class tomorrow?"

"Of course! After all, at this stage, I can't afford to miss classes if I want to receive the blessing of the Sacred Dragon's Heart."

"Hmm, but the time morning training starts..."

"There's nothing I can do about that. At worst, I'll just have to cut back on my rest a little. I certainly can't be late for morning training."

"But if you do that..."

Miss Yumo couldn't help revealing a worried expression.

After all, the curriculum at Yexinlian Royal Academy was extremely demanding, and the daily training sessions were practically endless.

After enduring such an exhausting day, failing to get sufficient rest would undoubtedly place a considerable burden on the body.

"Wouldn't you become too exhausted?"

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. If I really have to return to the headquarters, that's just how things will be."

The silver-haired girl shook her head rather helplessly.

However,

Halfway through shaking her head, Mengxi seemed to think of something.

Her movements abruptly stopped, and a brilliant glimmer flashed through her pale-purple eyes.

The next moment, under Miss Yumo's slightly puzzled gaze, Mengxi slowly scooted closer and reached out to gently lift a lock of Yumo's beautiful black hair.

"Well, if I don't return to the headquarters and instead stay somewhere near the academy, I won't have to worry about any of that."

"Hm? Not return to the headquarters?"

"That's right. Didn't Ms. Molowa say just now that I could either return to the headquarters or temporarily stay somewhere relatively safe nearby? They'd send a team of guards to protect me, too. Besides, when it comes to the safest place in the academy, I think..."

As she spoke, Mengxi pursed her little lips and widened her watery eyes, gazing expectantly at the black-haired girl before her.

"Uh..."

Although Mengxi hadn't said it outright, judging from her gaze and movements, Yumo had little difficulty guessing her intentions.

Clearly,

This girl...

Wanted to stay at her apartment...

This inevitably caused a trace of hesitation to arise in Yumo's heart.

After all, as far as Yumo knew, Saiboke and the others were still unaware of her special cooperative relationship with the Child of Destiny.

If the Child of Destiny, someone who had supposedly only met her "a few times," suddenly moved into her apartment, it would probably arouse Saiboke and the others' suspicions.

Yumo still didn't want her children to know that she had accidentally exposed her identity as an Abyss Demon.

As a mother, she had her dignity to maintain!

Having her true identity exposed by some young girl, and then being kept in the dark by that same girl for such a long time...

That was simply too embarrassing!

Moreover, considering that Mengxi, that lecherous girl, always harbored strange thoughts about her, there was a ninety-percent chance that she would take advantage of moving into the apartment to get handsy with her.

And right now, her own pure, adorable, innocent little daughter was also living in the apartment!

If the little one happened to notice what was going on between her and Mengxi, it would set a terrible example for a child!

Thinking about this,

Even in the face of Mengxi's adorable pleading expression, Miss Yumo couldn't help revealing a conflicted look on her breathtakingly beautiful face.

...

However,

Just then, a little pink head slowly poked up from behind the backrest of the sofa where Yumo was sitting.

Blinking her sparkling heterochromatic eyes, one red and one blue, the pink-haired little girl directed a sympathetic gaze toward the silver-haired girl.

After carefully observing the silver-haired girl from close range for a while,

The pink-haired little girl shifted her gaze toward Yumo and spoke in an adorably soft voice filled with sympathy.

"Does this big sister have nowhere to live?... Hmm, she seems so pitiful... Mo... Ah, no... Sister Yu, why don't we let this big sister stay with us? We happen to have a few empty rooms here anyway~"

"Yuan... Yuan'er?"

Glancing behind her at the little girl who had made the suggestion, Yumo blinked in astonishment, her azure-blue eyes filled with confusion.

--

Although Yumo was currently suppressing her powers, she had still sensed the presence of her youngest daughter when the little one secretly slipped in through the window.

Therefore,

While talking to Mengxi in the living room, Miss Yumo had remained constantly mindful of her own words and actions.

At the same time, she couldn't help worrying that Mengxi might do something inappropriate.

Fortunately, that girl Mengxi had been relatively well-behaved tonight and hadn't done anything too outrageous.

Otherwise, Yumo genuinely wouldn't have known how to explain things to her daughter...

Hmm...

Speaking of which, she wondered whether that girl was being so quiet tonight because she'd already gotten her fill a few days ago.

Had she entered some kind of desire-free, enlightened state?

Furthermore,

Yumo had originally assumed that Yuan'er would obediently return to her room and wait while there was a guest present.

After all, as far as Yumo knew, her youngest daughter was rather shy around strangers.

However,

To Yumo's surprise, not only had Yuan'er failed to return to her room, but she had actually hidden behind the kitchen door and secretly observed Yumo and Mengxi in the living room.

At first, Yumo's heart had begun pounding anxiously, her worry plainly evident.

The reason was quite simple.

Apart from worrying that Mengxi might do something inappropriate, Yumo was also uneasy about what Yuan'er herself might do.

No matter how adorable her appearance was, her youngest daughter's true nature was still that of an Abyss Demon.

And Abyss Demons undoubtedly found the aura emanating from Mengxi extremely unpleasant. In fact, it would be more accurate to say they utterly detested it.

Yumo was worried that after sensing Mengxi's aura, Yuan'er might lose control, enter a berserk state, and attack her...

After all, back in Wind Facing City, Yuan'er had attacked Mengxi after losing control.

If that child started causing trouble now, calming her down without anyone noticing would undoubtedly be extremely difficult...

However, very soon,

Yumo discovered that she might have been worrying unnecessarily.

The emotions in her crimson eyes gradually shifted from concern to confusion, and eventually to outright bewilderment.

After watching Mengxi for quite some time, her little darling had not only failed to show the slightest trace of hostility, but her eyes had actually begun sparkling with excitement and anticipation!

This left Miss Yumo completely baffled.

???

What on earth was going on with Yuan'er?

(?_??)