"Dear, you came back really quickly." Watching his wife enter the hall, Goethe forced a smile and stood up. His husband had just sat down and now opened his arms to embrace the lady before him: "Welcome home."
"I’m back, and you’ve gotten older again, Goethe." As an elf, Anna smiled and patted her husband’s back: "How are our daughters?"
"They’re good. Margaret and Faye can take care of themselves quite well. Speaking of which, I saw Colin when I arrived. Although he’s still as clumsy as when he was younger, he’s now a man who stands tall..." Goethe paused, then looked at his beloved: "Give him and Margaret a chance, will you? Although Leman always says that you dislike Colin even more, seeing Margaret’s happy face when she mentions him, I really don’t want to see the child suffer. We have many daughters, let’s give her happiness."
"Do you think I’m a bad mother, Goethe? I raised Margaret myself. She’s Manli’s child, and Manli entrusted her to me, not to lead her into hell. So I will agree to her marriage to Colin, but I need old Hoffman to swear that he won’t involve him in his messes anymore." Anna looked at her husband’s face: "Manli couldn’t watch her child grow up, and I can’t stand to watch her future as a widow."
"I can bring this up with old Hoffman, but please don’t tell Manli that I couldn’t fulfill her wishes in this matter."
"It seems my sister really has her own ideas. Besides Margaret, did she also mention her household’s Sigro?"
"Of course, at least twice a month. But Manli’s getting old. She’s only on the sixth step and hasn’t climbed as high as you and me, so let’s give her some slack, at least don’t let her be too embarrassed, okay?"
"You don’t need to remind me of that, Goethe. Do you know? I respect Manli because you and she have been lovers since you were young. Back then, you said you were not doing well, but she never complained about anything. So, I will refuse her, but I will pay the corresponding price, a head of the Great Demon, I think, will be a fine gift."
Having said that, Anna smiled and glanced at the hall: "I smell my sister’s perfume. Where is she?"
"In the bathroom, you can go find her," Goethe explained.
"That’s just great. I feel like a poor sod who’s been rolling in the mud all day, and nothing soothes me more than a hot spring." Unfastening the knot on her ponytail, Anna smiled, ready to step out of her lover’s embrace.
"What about me, dear?" Goethe did not let go.
"Today you belong to my sister Manli, and tomorrow you’re mine, so, Goethe, good night." With a raised eyebrow, Anna smiled and left his embrace.
As the man of the house, Goethe shrugged: "Alright then. Hey, how about you come with me tomorrow to see that cute little one Faye talks about?"
"Isn’t it too soon? I remember when we went to see Colin, he was already 12 years old." Having walked into the corridor, Anna backed out, looking at him somewhat puzzled.
"That’s because it was too late. They say he’s a descendant of a Frost Giant, but controlled by a mysterious heritage in his body, limiting his height. Ah, I can’t imagine a giant’s child being shorter than our daughters." Goethe said with a chuckle: "Even if just to satisfy my curiosity, how about it?"
"No problem. If Manli is willing, she can come too. The three of us haven’t been together in a long time; we can treat it like a family reunion. How does that sound?"
"I’m fine with it, and I’ll handle Manli’s side?"
"Let me do that, Goethe, good night."
As his wife walked into the corridor, Goethe sat down on the couch again, picked up the newspaper, and frowned.
"To control the blood of a Frost Giant and yet look like a child..."
At that, he took out his pocket watch and opened it.
The pocket watch itself was striving to work, and inside the case, there was a picture of two children standing together with smiles.
One was him, and the other, his mentor.
"Mentor, how many seeds of hope have you planted in this world..." With a sigh, Goethe closed the pocket watch.
Tomorrow is the day when his curiosity will be answered. Goethe looked forward to it.
Manli leaned on the edge of the bathtub, weighing her options since she got into the bath—based on the current information, it was certain that Faye would not like Sigro.
Anna adored Faye. If she refused to speak up, then her sister would definitely not agree to this marriage.
This was a problem, and Manli felt disoriented by her concern. Seeing a boy beside Faye made her want to erase him from the picture.
Yet she hadn’t considered that anyone who caught Faye’s eye was not a commonplace individual.
What would he be to Anna?
Marriage between elves and Frost Giants was almost non-existent, so it couldn’t be a relative; could he be a descendant of someone familiar?
...That seems to be the most plausible answer at the moment, so Manli decided to have an honest talk with Anna when she arrived.
It was a last resort. She loved Goethe, and had accompanied him since their youth. Through the years of trials and tribulations, she and he had three sons and two daughters, all grown up now, while on the Transcendent path, Goethe had come a long way and would still live for a very long time, while Manli was stuck at step six—just a hundred years for a human. Each year, Manli felt herself aging, and Manli’s sister had died in action with Goethe sixteen years ago, for Goethe’s sake. Naturally, Manli could not bear to harm her daughter, Margaret.