A mother's concerns

Upon hearing Ophilia's words, Sian's mind raced with thoughts about his own parents. He had been searching for answers, but so far, he had found none. However, he clung to the hope that one day he would uncover the truth.

Gently looking into Ophilia's eyes, he didn't rush her, instead, he softly caressed her face.

After a brief pause, she continued, "After giving birth to her, I had a lot of free time. Mrs. Tanya, Mr. Badonis' wife didn't let me do anything. She insisted I focus on recovering from childbirth and taking care of my daughter…"

Even in the dimly lit room, Sian noticed a glimmer of gratitude in her expression.

"I had no experience in taking care of a child, but I did my best. Waking up several times in the middle of the night was exhausting, yet it brought me joy. Holding her in my arms made me feel complete."

Observing the tenderness on her face, Sian felt a flicker of hope that maybe his mother had thought of him the same way.

But like a fleeting dream, her warm expression transformed into bitterness.

"But then I realized I had forgotten something crucial. I was a slave, used for pleasure in that brothel..." She spoke with sadness, "If my daughter grew up there, what kind of life would she have? Would she be condemned to the same fate, forced into such a life?"

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "I feared for her future... I thought I couldn't be a good mother, no matter how hard I tried. So..."

Pausing, she held Sian even closer. "So, I decided that she deserved a better life, away from that place, away from me... But it wasn't entirely up to me, even though I was her mother..."

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I told Mr. Badonis about my thoughts. He showed me compassion and left the decision about my daughter's future in my hands. He even recommended the orphanage recently opened by Lady Charlotte, assuring me they would take good care of her there..."

Sian had been listening quietly all this time, but now he finally spoke up. "I may not have children, so I can't truly understand your pain, but I think any mother would have done the same as you did... Your story somehow eases my mind..."

After a brief pause, he continued, "I don't mean to say my parents went through the same, but I like to think they might have faced a tough decision like yours... It helps me believe they cared about me..."

"Maybe you think that way, but I feel weak. After leaving my daughter at the orphanage, I spent countless sleepless nights... Even now, I still have nightmares," she mumbled.

"That only shows how much you love her. If my parents loved me half as much as you love your daughter, I'd be really happy..." He paused before saying, "When I got the Sacred Treasure, Pamamo told me something I'll never forget, 'The hardest choices require the strongest wills'."

He gazed deeply into her eyes. "You're not weak at all. It took tremendous courage to do what you did."

Hearing this, Ophilia took a deep breath and said, "From the moment I knew I was pregnant until the night I was with you, I was never with anyone else. I just worked in the kitchen and helped with weaving. You said I could be more selfish, but it's not suitable for my position..."

With a determined look, she stared straight into Sian's eyes. "So, I've decided I'll do anything for you, even if it means I have to die, I'll do it without resisting or questioning. But in return, can you hear my one request?..."

"Even if you wanted to, I wouldn't allow you to die. Who would take care of your daughter?" Sian said, smiling as he gently caressed her cheek.

Ophilia looked surprised. "Could it be-"

"That's exactly what you're thinking," Sian interrupted with a grin. "Tomorrow morning, we'll go find her at the orphanage."

"Ar-Are you serious?" Ophilia's voice trembled, seeming to find it hard to believe.

"Yep." He wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "100% serious. Just tell me which city she's in, and we'll bring her home tomorrow."

Perhaps overwhelmed with happiness, tears welled up in her eyes again, and in a teary voice, she said, "The orphanage is right here in Solaris."

Sian was surprised. "I never expected there to be an orphanage in such a small town."

"Lady Charlotte's idea," she replied.

"This girl seems really committed to making a difference," Sian joked. "But well, that makes it easier."

A bit thoughtful, Ophilia said, "I've heard amazing things about Lady Charlotte. She believes children are the future of the nation, so she set up orphanages in almost every city in the marquesate. She also provides basic education for kids without parents and those from poor families. That's why I decided to leave my daughter at the orphanage. If she gets an education, she'll be fine, even without a family..."

Sian gently touched her forehead with his fingers, and a soft blue glow appeared on his fingertips. Then a rounded purple mark appeared on her forehead but it soon dissipated, releasing a light blue mist.

Seeing the mist, Ophilia was surprised.

"Don't be surprised." Sian smiled. "I can't let my wife be a slave, can I?"

"This feels like a dream..." Her voice quivered, trying to hold back tears. "This... Can only be a dream, right?"

Sian playfully pinched her nose. "What do you think?"

Her emotions overwhelmed her, and she burst into tears.

There wasn't much Sian could do, so he simply hugged her while gently caressing her fluffy ears and hair.

It took some time for her to calm down, but it seemed like she didn't want to sleep.

"You need to rest," Sian insisted.

"I... I'm not sleepy..."

"Are you afraid of waking up and finding out it was all a dream?" He asked.

She shuddered and nodded.

"This isn't a dream, I can assure. You should sleep, or you'll have dark circles when we visit the orphanage tomorrow. You wouldn't want that, right?"

Despite his urging, it took her a while to finally fall asleep.

***

The next day, Sian woke up as he felt Ophilia's head lifting off his arm. It was still very early, so she probably was quite anxious. As he saw her silhouette walking to the water jar, he couldn't help but feel excited.

Her ass was so sexy, round and soft that he wished he could rub his face on it. Unfortunately, her tail was in the way, so he couldn't see much. But it wasn't the right time for that, so he tried to calm down before he got too excited.

"You woke up pretty early," he said.

Surprised by his voice, Ophilia almost dropped the jar. "Did I wake you up?"

"No, but I don't think the orphanage is open yet," he replied, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "Seems like you couldn't sleep well..."

"I tried, but I couldn't sleep..."

"Well, that was to be expected," Sian smiled and walked towards her, "Today, we're going to look for your daughter."

He gently placed his thumbs just below her eyes, and they glowed slightly with a white light. "First, let's get rid of those dark circles, then we can have breakfast and go to the orphanage."