An ordinary family lunch

Lireesa remembered she had borrowed her student's mount and forgot about it after obtaining a deal she expected, hoping the palace staff would treat it well, given her face.

Her face turned unnatural as the memory of exploiting her student came into her mind. Although Liriah Freefaith didn't open a word about it, as a mentor, she must be mindful of her actions.

Tilting her head toward the three sisters immersed in their conversation, Lireesa said, "Alleria, why don't you show your sisters around the manor? I just remember something important."

"Yes, Mom." Alleria nodded and began to guide the group but Lina didn't want to, whining protest.

"No! I'm only staying with Mom!" Her childish screak caused birds to fly away with fright. Lireesa was helpless against her youngest daughter, whose hands firmly gripped her arm.

Lireesa could remove those tiny fingers but she really couldn't figure out a way to comfort the unstable baby missile. Seeing Lireesa not speaking up, Lina initiated the most brilliant method by hugging her mother's arm and hanging in the air.

Speechless at her daughter's coquettish operation, Lireesa lifted Lina up behind her back and walked away, while the three eldest sisters controlled their smiles and watched their mother piggyback Lina. 

Lina's small arm caressed her neck and her slight breathing on the left side of Lireesa's head, tickled the long ears. Lireesa's ear twitched uncontrollably and she felt itchy.

Perhaps Lireesa's movement of the ear distracted her views, Lina bit it lightly, causing Lireesa's footsteps to stagnate and almost trip the ground. Her sensitive ears numbed her central nervous system and she nearly lost control of her body.

"You little…" Lireesa nearly scolded her daughter but from the corner of her eyes, she saw Lina's innocent eyes blinking at her curiously.

The hands which were about to spank her daughter's little buttocks stopped and returned to their position. The annoyance dissipated without a trace and Lireesa sighed. What could she do? Lina must be her nemesis. Every gesture her youngest daughter made was filled with innocence and liveliness.

Could she say her mind blew up and flew away across the galaxies, trembling happily into Euphoria? This was the first time she felt the weakness of being an elf. The ears were too sensitive. "Lina, you mustn't bite someone's skin." 

Lireesa decided to speak and teach her daughter. If she spoiled Lina too much, she feared the consequences in the future were likely what she hated to see. She didn't want her youngest cutie to become another brat who harmed the society and the people around her.

Lina nodded her head listening to Lireesa's speech and replied: "Okay, Mom."

Throughout the journey, Lina's eyes always laid on her mother's strong figure, after looking elsewhere for a while. Lireesa felt bitter and heartwarming, knowing Lina was worried she would disappear from sight.

Finally, finding her target, Lireesa quickened her pace. Norire and Liriah were discussing fiercely, as expected of two close sisters, whose age difference was small. Upon seeing Lireesa, they quickly saluted.

"Lady Lireesa, is there anything we can help you with?" Norire asked.

Lireesa stared at Liriah for a moment and replied. "It's nothing. I want to remind Liriah to go to the palace with my token and take back her mount."

"Thank you, milady," Norire said. But Lireesa shook her head.

"No need to thank me. I felt apologetic, forgetting her mount's condition."

"It's alright, milady." Liriah also replied. "I was about to ask you ladyship but decided to postpone it after seeing the family members happily chattering."

"Here is my token. Go to the palace and bring it here. You can even build a shed for your mount here too." Lireesa, with one hand still holding Lina's butt, reached into her purse to take out a golden token, with Windrunner insignia engraved on the texture.

"Yes, milady." Liriah quickly grabbed the token and sped away. Her sister, Norire had her eyelids twitching, leaving her to settle with Lireesa.

"Lady Lireesa, please forgive my disappointing sister," Norire spoke with a cracked face, prompting Lireesa to chuckle.

"C'mon. It's not like I don't understand your feelings. But when has I ever paid attention to these? As long as it's with another Windrunner, you shouldn't care too much about the occasion. Of course, in a public session, it's different." Lireesa patted Norire's shoulder, a couple of times and adjusted Lina's posture on her back. Her feet headed in the direction of the manor.

Back in the manor, Lireesa responded to her servant's greeting with a nod and whispered straight into their ears to keep quiet. Along the way, Lina began to feel tired and slept on her back. As a child, having enough sleep was the number one thing grained into the mind. Glancing backward at her daughter, Lireesa's sweetness rose the more time she took to look.

Sweetness explosion wouldn't be far away if she continued looking at her daughter's cuteness. Lina's lip pouted and mumbled nonsyllables but her small hand still clenched Lireesa's clothes, the only guarantee for Lina to know her mother was nearby.

Lireesa smiled and asked the servants around for an already cleaned spacious room to let Lina sleep. Following the servants, Lireesa entered a bedroom and nodded inwardly. Her servants seemed to not have wasted the slightest moment, once they arrived at the manor.

She reckoned they didn't even have a rest from the tiring journey. In terms of working ability and patience, Lireesa admitted she was the lazy type when compared with them. The bed was already ready, along with other necessities such as pillows and blankets. It wasn't as luxurious as her manor in her fief but to prepare within a short period of time Lireesa gave a thumbs up.

Lina moaned and probably woke up after hearing the noises and feeling some movements, despite Lireesa trying her best to quell down the disturbance. As an elf, the ears were sensitive to the noises around and Lireesa wasn't surprised to see Lina get out of her sleep.

Lireesa turned around and walked backward toward the bed, to drop Lina, who shook her body, refusing to let go of her arms. "Sweetie, why don't you have some sleep?"

"No! Mommy will disappear after I sleep." Lina pouted her lips.

"Of course not. Mommy promises to stay beside you while you sleep. Let go of your hands, my dear. Mommy's shoulder hurts." Lireesa said in a complaining tone.

"Really, Mommy?" Lina asked suspiciously because she rarely saw Lireesa getting hurt or injured. Her little brain couldn't fathom why her hands hurt her mother. She released her arms around Lireesa and slowly drooped out of her mother's back and onto a soft cushion underneath.

But she remained stoic, staring at Lireesa's figure nonstop, making Lireesa smile bitterly. What a greedy child! Lireesa lay down on the bed sideways, carrying the side of her temple with her palm, and glanced at Lina, who immediately brightened her smile and hopped her head onto the pillow.

Wiggling closer to Lireesa's skin, Lina sighed in satisfaction and muttered. "Mommy must promise not to leave me while I sleep."

"I promise, my dear. Now go have a sweet dream." Soon, after Lireesa's reply, Lina entered her own dream world and mumbled. Lireesa smoothened the hair away from Lina's forehead and scratched her nose lovingly.

It must be exhausting as a young child on a long journey, yet she never heard the slightest complaint except for her short separation from Lina. Even though Lina behaved like a spoiled brat, she understood the proportion. 

Thinking of Lina, Lireesa realized as her child grew, she must also care about her future. Which road of powerhouse should Lina take?

Before, she and the rest of the family members wouldn't care as becoming a ranger profession required very little, except for zeal and willpower. There was no question regarding these aspects, as the ancestor of the ranger profession, Windrunner had millions of ways to train Lina.

Using her mental power, Lireesa scanned her daughter's body and found a fire element alongside the familiar wind element. Windrunner family as their name suggested, wind was almost an inherent trait passed down from generation to generation.

The fact that fire likely came from the paternal side meant there were more doors for Lina to open than compared with her sisters. But as always, admiration for their mother would likely follow her path.

Continuing her trail across Lina's body and limbs, she also discovered Lina had the talent to become a mage, albeit in a normal spectrum. Still, Lireesa wasn't worried because money could fill in the holes.

When she opened her eyes and watched her sleeping dear for a period of time, Lireesa felt her eyelids getting heavy and soon went into dreamland, accompanying Lina.

Lireesa woke up because a bird chirped nonstop at her from the window. She turned her body and glanced at the culprit, which flew away when her eyes landed on it. The light blue silk curtain dangled along with the breeze.

Just from the warm temperature and outside view, Lireesa estimated it should be one or two hours before noon. Her daughter muttered and pouted as she wandered around on the bed. 

Lireesa shook her head lightly, and pinched Lina's nose, waking her up. 

"Mom?" A sleepy tone full of inquiry at Lireesa's action.

"Wake up, girl. We should eat something. You don't want to mess up your routine, do you?"

"What routine?" Lina still remained perplexed, not fully awake.

"Of course, a healthy routine."

"Hug." Lina stretched her slender arms and Lireesa smiled helplessly. She carried her daughter, who hugged her neck and leaned on her, and went out of the bed.

Entering the dining hall, only some servants preparing for the meals were seen. Lireesa asked: "Where are my daughters?"

"Madam, the ladies were playing around the house before they went to sleep. I guess, they're still on the bed." One of the maids reported.

"Wake them all up for lunch," Lireesa replied after nodding her head. "Tell them I'm waiting."

The maid hustled away to follow her orders. Lireesa placed Lina on the chair and took the main seat, keeping herself amused by watching Lina's odd head movement, curious about the new house.

"Do you wanna roam around, sweetie?" To Lireesa's question, Lina bobbed her head up and down, afraid her mother would refuse.

"Only after our lunch, okay?" Lireesa's tone was gentle yet contained firm energies, which Lina felt. No discussion.

She hadn't spent a lot of time since she entered this world but she found out, she was getting gentler. Her worries increased, what if she lost her previous important self, while staying as Lireesa for another millennium?

A certain troll, who lost his arm, shoved his middle finger at Lireesa's inner mindset: 'Excuse me? I never knew you're gentle.'

Alleria, Sylvanas, and Vereesa made their entrance, except with yawns and disheveled hair. Lireesa watched with her twitching eyelids at her daughters' behavior.

Please, you were goddesses crowned by many netizens in other worlds. Have some self-respect. At least, Lireesa could attest to keeping herself clean and groomed. Neat and tidy would be the last option even if time wasn't available.

Take a look at her daughters, none of them appeared convincing; none of them even bothered about their appearances. But Lireesa controlled her mother hen's attitude and tolerated their deeds. She simply announced: "Alright, let's eat."

The five family members, the only close relatives connected by blood, had a sumptuous lunch, which drew curiosity from her daughters while Lireesa nodded inwardly, praising for the appearance. All that remained was the taste because seasoning wasn't the same, but she believed in her servants' talents.

Given a very small amount of time to produce and craft the necessary skills, Lireesa was relieved to let go of the restaurant agenda to these servants.