Chapter 128: Liliana’s Return
“Mommy!?”
Charlotte exclaimed in disbelief when she saw her mother behind the door!
Across from her, Liliana noticed the shock on Charlotte’s face and smiled, bending down to gently rub her head.
“I’m back, Charlotte,” Liliana said softly and lovingly.
As the gentle caress graced her head, tears pooled in the corners of Charlotte’s eyes, prompting her to seek solace in Liliana’s embrace with a rush of emotion.
“Wuuu~ Mommy! I missed you so much!” Charlotte embraced Liliana tightly, her voice choked with tears.
After four days of not seeing her mother, she missed her terribly, especially since her departure had been sudden and unexplained, leaving her and her sisters feeling deeply aggrieved.
Noticing her sobbing, Liliana’s expression softened, and she embraced her gently, patting her back softly.
“It’s alright; don’t worry, I’m here now,” Liliana reassured gently.
Charlotte nodded and buried her face in her arms, finally allowing herself to release her pent-up longing.
Inside the room, Charlotte and Iris, upon seeing Liliana behind the door, immediately looked up in astonishment.
With swift steps, they rushed towards Liliana on their small feet.
“Mommy!” The two exclaimed loudly and threw themselves into her arms.
Ready for their embrace, Liliana caught them in her arms.
“Wuuu~ I missed you so much,” Fiona cried, tears flooding down her cheeks.
Iris, too, burst into tears, but she remained silent, simply hugging her tightly without uttering a word.
Liliana smiled helplessly as she watched her three babies cry, embracing them all at once.
“Well, I’ve missed you all too these past few days,” Liliana said lovingly.
Her words had a calming effect, gradually easing their tears and replacing them with happy smiles.
After a few moments of easing their longing, Liliana released her embrace and looked at them with a faint smile.
“How have you all been these past few days? Are you all doing okay?” she asked, giving them a curious look.
After her discussion with Leon regarding the demon troop composition for the impending confrontation with humanity, she promptly left the inner palace for the outer palace without informing her three daughters.
Of course, she didn’t do it intentionally, but she was pressed for time and ultimately left the matter for Leon to convey to them instead.
Therefore, upon seeing the three of them crying, Liliana couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt in the depths of her heart.
Upon hearing the question, Charlotte smiled and shook her head, responding, “For the past four days, we’ve been fine, Mommy; don’t worry about it.”
Naturally, Charlotte was actually concealing her true feelings; deep down, she had been experiencing anxiety and discomfort over the past few days due to the absence of her mother and father by their side.
Moreover, she also had to attend to her two sisters’ emotions, ensuring they didn’t become frightened or cry.
However, knowing that her mother’s departure was to manage matters in the outer palace and fulfill her duties as the Demon Emperor, as her father had explained the night before, she felt it was her responsibility not to burden her mother with additional worries.
Fiona and Iris, upon hearing their sister’s words, nodded in unison, as if they shared the same sentiment as Charlotte.
They perceived that their sister didn’t want to cause their mother any concern, leading them to harbor similar thoughts.
Liliana smiled tenderly and felt a sense of relief upon hearing their words.
She had been concerned that her three daughters might feel uncomfortable or harbor grievances about her absence for the past four days.
However, it appeared that wasn’t the case, which eased her worries further.
“By the way, has your father come out of his room yet?” Liliana changed the subject and asked casually.
She was well aware of Leon’s self-imposed confinement in his room to concoct an antidote for the devouring poison, as he had informed her during their discussion in her workspace earlier.
In response to her question, Charlotte, Iris, and Fiona simultaneously shook their heads.
“Daddy hasn’t been out for four days,” Charlotte replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
“Um! He still hasn’t come out!” Fiona pursed her lips, her round eyes drooping sadly at the thought of not seeing her Daddy for the past few days, which felt like torture to her.
After all, ever since her daddy arrived at the palace, they had never been apart from each other; thus, this was the first time they had experienced such separation.
“Daddy hasn’t come out of the room yet,” Iris murmured, her head bowed in sadness.
Truth be told, among the three, Iris suffered the most from Leon’s self-imposed confinement in his room.
Unlike her two sisters, Iris hadn’t spent as much time with him, which left her feeling deeply upset and burdened with grievances.
Yet, owing to her reserved nature and the pride she inherited from her mother, Liliana, Iris never vocalized her feelings to her sisters, choosing instead to keep them buried deep within her heart.
Liliana wasn’t surprised to hear that Leon had not emerged from his room; on the contrary, she had anticipated it.
After all, concocting an antidote to the devouring poison was no easy feat.
As she directed her gaze towards their saddened expressions, Liliana let out a small sigh and gently caressed each of their faces, one by one.
“Since your daddy hasn’t emerged from his room yet, I’ll be the one to accompany you from now on. How does that sound? Are you okay with it?” Liliana’s voice was soft and gentle.
Charlotte, Fiona, and Iris’s expressions momentarily froze, their gazes locking onto their mother’s in disbelief.
“You want to play with us?” Charlotte blinked, her voice tinged with hesitancy.
“Of course. Wouldn’t you like me to accompany you?” Liliana raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting gradually to one of unhappiness as she observed the trio.
“Eh! It’s not like that, but I was just surprised,” Charlotte hurriedly clarified, her smile tinged with embarrassment.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want her mother to accompany them to play; she was simply taken aback by her words.
The idea of their mother offering to accompany them felt like a distant dream; it had been so long.
Fiona and Iris mirrored Charlotte’s astonishment as they gazed at their mother; their thoughts weren’t far from Charlotte’s.
Upon hearing Charlotte’s words and sensing the stares from Fiona and Iris, Liliana immediately realized her mistake, leaving her feeling both ashamed and guilty.
Being occupied with her responsibilities as the Demon Emperor, she had indeed neglected her three daughters far too much.
In truth, as a mother, her role was paramount, particularly given their tender age, necessitating close monitoring from her.
However, she rarely spent time interacting with them, instead delegating this responsibility entirely to Leon.
Filled with guilt, Liliana’s expression softened as she gently rubbed each of their heads, one by one.
“I know I’ve made a mistake by neglecting you all this time, but I promise to spend more time with you from now on. Can you forgive me?” Liliana looked at each of them in turn, her tone soft with a hint of guilt.
Fiona, Iris, and Charlotte exchanged glances for a few moments before nodding in unison and turning back to Liliana.
“You don’t need to apologize, Mommy; we’re not angry or hateful towards you,” Charlotte said, her palms clenched together, her expression serious.
“Um! Um! Not angry!” Fiona exclaimed, puffing up her cheeks and adopting a comically serious expression.
“Yeah, don’t worry, Mommy, we’re not angry,” Iris chuckled lightly, her tone reassuring.
Liliana felt a wave of relief wash over her, and somehow, the weight of the impending war troubles seemed to dissipate with their words.
With a soft smile gracing her lips, she gently pinched their cheeks, one by one.
“Thank you…”
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