Your Highness... (Continued)

This made Maria feel very uncomfortable.

But whenever Maria tried to pull her hand away, Lamaline would forcefully pull it back, squinting Maria eyes and smiling at her.

"What's wrong?"

She asked the question with feigned innocence, her slightly raised eyes carrying a hint of amusement, and also a touch of a little girl's triumphant joy at having gotten her revenge.

This left Maria silent for a long while before she turned her head away helplessly.

"Fine."

"How indifferent... Maria."

Lamaline spoke softly.

Over the years, she has long since matured from the naive young girl she once was. Even when facing Maria, she can confront her true self and launch a fierce attack on Maria.

Maria lived up to her high-attack, low-defense persona; faced with Lamaline's toughness, she simply turned her head away and remained silent.

She gets shy too!

Clearly, Lamaline's resentment cannot be dispelled by mere play.

She wasn't willing to swallow all that neglect after so many years.

You should at least take the initiative a few times, right?

With this in mind, Lamaline's attacks became noticeably more intense.

She moved closer to Maria, her pale cheek pressed against Maria's, the tip of her nose almost touching Maria's cheek.

Her breath felt like a warm current, gently caressing Maria's cheeks.

Why... why are you avoiding me?

Lamaline spoke softly, her gentle voice slowly reaching Maria's ears, tinged with a hint of sorrow and regret.

"Have you started to dislike me because I'm no longer young, and because I'm a mother?"

"..."

Lamaline's words were merely meant to torment Maria, but it must be said that Maria turned her head away when the child was mentioned.

She spoke, her previously slightly reserved expression now turning serious.

"Lamaline..."

"Huh?"

Lamaline clearly didn't realize what offspring truly meant to someone like Maria.

She was stunned for a long time after seeing Maria's bright eyes.

"W-what's wrong?"

Despite having been quite aggressive just moments before, Lamaline still became hesitant when Maria truly met her gaze.

"Logos... he..."

Maria's mouth opened slightly.

Although the matter can now be concluded, she still hopes to get a result.

But just as she was about to ask Lamaline a question, it felt like a lump was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

This left Maria frozen in place.

Lamaline also paused for a moment.

She glanced at Maria, then at the other's slightly hesitant and uneasy expression, and a helpless smile curled her lips.

"Aifanier ..."

"Um?"

"Aifanier, that's the child's name."

Lamaline stopped fiddling with her fingers, simply holding Maria's hand quietly and gazing at her silently.

"As for his surname... do you want me to confirm it with you?"

"No, it's not necessary."

Now everything is clear.

Maria's expression changed several times after receiving Lamaline's approval.

From hesitation, to fear, to confusion and helplessness... until now, to tranquility.

It's like reflecting one's own emotional journey.

Maria ended her silence with a long, drawn-out breath.

That Logos...

That's her and Lamaline's child!

Only...

"I thought you'd look surprised."

Lamaline looked at Maria in front of her and shook her head with a light laugh.

"I thought you'd bombard me with all sorts of questions... but your reaction is so calm..."

"... Um."

Maria rubbed her temples.

She didn't seem to want to shirk her identity and responsibilities.

Only...

Suddenly, I have a child?

I was also absent from all of his past.

This left Maria with very mixed feelings.

As she had mentioned to others before, in Maria's childhood, apart from her family's arrogance towards humans, Maria was still very valued and loved by them.

This also made Maria realize what kind of person is a qualified parent.

Clearly, she falls into the category of those who are not qualified...

She was unsure how to face Logos.

Should I meet him directly and reveal my identity?

It doesn't seem appropriate...

Or... how about we take him to the Hunting Ground for some training, and then explain?

That doesn't seem like a good idea either?

The more Maria thought about it, the more she felt like a Hunter who had just entered Yharnam, helpless in the face of monsters.

Lamaline didn't think that much about it.

She simply smiled at Maria, turning her head slightly.

"You've already seen him, haven't you?"

"Um..."

"So, isn't he cute?"

Lamaline squinted, leaned against Maria, and chuckled as she poked Maria's cheek with her finger.

The aloof and mysterious lady, who exudes an air of mystery in the eyes of ordinary people, becomes as adorable as a little girl in front of Maria.

It's just that it's a bit too aggressive...

"That child was always trying to prove himself... and because of that, he often got injured as a child."

"Later, he quietly joined Rhodes Island... I wouldn't object to him, but it still makes me a little sad that he did it without saying anything."

"They've reached the rebellious phase..."

Lamaline leaned against Maria and slowly began to speak.

She certainly noticed Maria's complicated feelings at that moment.

But she also knew that this matter couldn't be resolved with just a few words.

Maria's absence has been far too long... Even though everyone still has deep feelings for each other, it will still take a considerable amount of time for them to adjust to each other.

So she chose another way.

The story unfolds gradually, using events that occurred during Maria's absence to help everyone get to know each other.

Seeing that Maria remained silent, she sighed and shook her head.

"If you do that, he'll be sad."

"Um?"

Maria turned her head, puzzled.

Lamaline continued.

"That child, though he never says it, has always been proud of his father being the savior of Kazdel... even though he always says he doesn't care when he grows up, that heroes are heroes, and parents are parents, and so on..."

"But actually, he never allows anyone to say anything bad about you."

Lamaline spoke softly, her intention being to put Maria at ease.

Logos will not refuse her.

In fact, these words only intensified Maria's sense of guilt.

Even the Doll standing to the side looked somewhat helpless.

After a long pause, Maria finally came to her senses.

"Feel sorry..."

"..."

Lamaline paused for a few moments.

She silently turned her head and looked at Maria.

After pausing for a while, she finally looked helpless.

"So... you're not planning to meet him face-to-face yet, is that right?"

Lamaline was also Maria's bedmate, so she knew his personality.

Upon hearing Maria's sudden apology, she immediately understood what had happened.

"Um."

Maria took a deep breath and shook her head slightly.

"Now..."

"No need to say more."

Lamaline squinted and looked at Maria with a light laugh.

While Maria hesitated, he reached out and touched her lips.

Although she had just put on the appearance of a resentful widow, Lamaline was never just a decorative accessory.

She was the true queen of the Banshees, and she once led an entire tribe!

She knew that sometimes, when faced with the prevailing trend, personal opinions had to be suppressed.

Maria's initial reaction had already shown her how much Maria valued herself and the child.

For Lamaline, who had waited a long time, that was enough.

Maria wasn't indifferent; she just... had things she needed to deal with...

That's enough...

She knew Maria was no ordinary person, and she also knew that Maria might be facing something terrifying that none of them had ever heard of before...