A Daughter's Confession

"Hurry up, the Aberrant Beast should have already started moving, there's no time!" Amid the chaos, Moko urged from the side.

The restaurant was packed with customers at the entrance, and a stampede almost broke out in the corridor outside. Amidst the commotion, Xia Liang spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Uncle, Xiao Lu."

With an apologetic expression and a polite smile, she said, "I... I probably can't just run away like this."

"Don't be willful, you are now..." Lin Yun was about to persuade her, but he was forced to stop because Xia Liang's next action was beyond his expectations.

In front of the two of them, she unabashedly took a round gemstone out of her pocket.

The gemstone emitted Hibiscus Purple light, perfectly round and flawless, its brilliance flickering uncertainly in their eyes.

Everyone present knew that this was the Heart Seed.

"Uncle, I'm a magical girl."

Xia Liang opened her palm, placed the Heart Seed in the center, and looked at him earnestly. "If I leave now, no one will come to fight off the Aberrant Beast."

Lin Xiaolu stared at her in astonishment, and it took her a while to realize Xia Liang's intention. She wanted to say something, but then she saw Xia Liang wink at her.

--It's enough if only I confess.

She understood that this was what Xia Liang meant.

"Is this a toy? This is not the time for jokes!"

Lin Yun continued to feign ignorance, trying to cover for her, but Xia Liang didn't give him the chance. With a flash of light, the Heart Seed in her hand flew up, accompanied by scattered magical energy visible even to ordinary people.

She didn't transform on the spot; there were just other people around.

"You... you really are a magical girl..."

Even Lin Yun was at a loss for words, and could only mechanically recite the dull and tasteless lines.

In the current situation, Xia Liang's actions are not actually problematic: one of the three must act immediately, and since neither Lin Xiaolu nor Lin Yun wants to reveal their identities, it can only be her who takes the initiative to clarify everything.

She really didn't need to hide her identity from Lin Yun. After all, Lin Yun was Lin Xiaolu's father, and they didn't have a deep connection. Under these circumstances, revealing her true identity wouldn't be a problem.

That's the logic, but the fact that she made such a quick decision still caught Lin Yun off guard.

In fact, this can be considered a cognitive bias on his part.

Based on his own experience, revealing his true identity was indeed a very serious matter, but he subconsciously overlooked one point: in terms of true identity, other magical girls were different from him.

They concealed their identities simply to protect their personal privacy, unlike him, who was completely afraid to let strangers know his true identity.

Xia Liang revealed his identity but prevented Lin Xiaolu from saying it, intending to deal with the Aberrant Beast himself and thus provide cover for Lin Xiaolu.

Lin Yun could guess what she was thinking and knew there was no need to persuade her further.

Then he turned to Lin Xiaolu: "Lulu, we..."

"Dad."

Ignoring his words, Lin Xiaolu first glared at Xia Liang, then took a deep breath and suddenly shouted.

This is the first time she has properly used this term of endearment since the father and daughter became embroiled in conflict two years ago.

For Lin Yun, this was a long-lost form of address.

He would have been overjoyed to hear his daughter call out like that on any other day—and he still is now—but at this crucial moment, he knew what it meant for his daughter to utter that word.

"Thank you for pretending not to know, but it's no longer necessary."

She turned to look at Lin Yun and said calmly, "I have to go, because I'm a magical girl too."

After saying that, she stretched out her hand and opened her palm.

A pale blue Heart Seed lay there, identical in shape to Xia Liang's except for its color.

She had already realized that her identity as a magical girl might not be a secret. The reason she hadn't admitted it to Lin Yun was simply because she felt it wasn't the right time yet, and she still needed courage.

And now, at this moment, she has made her decision.

Lin Yun sat back down in her chair.

The Aberrant Beast's attack location was some distance away, so there was no real need to rush to escape. The Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau's evacuation notice was merely a precaution, and the other customers' panic stemmed solely from their fear of the Aberrant Beast.

With two magical girls right in front of him, even if he were just an ordinary person, there was no need for him to consider "prevention" or to act so fearful, which would be illogical.

His gaze swept over the two girls in front of him, the last trace of tension on his face fading, replaced by helplessness. "... Have you decided?"

"Mm." Lin Xiaolu nodded seriously.

"It can only be us," Xia Liang repeated.

"... Sigh, you two."

Lin Yun was somewhat amused and exasperated. "Why don't you just come out with me and pretend we got separated? It's not like we're at our wits' end yet. We've hidden our identities for so long, is it really okay to give up so easily now?"

"What? You knew all along, didn't you?"

Lin Xiaolu lowered her eyelids and muttered, "She acted so convincingly, making me work so hard to act."

Lin Yun shook his head and did not reply.

"Should we leave someone behind to escort you out first?" Xia Liang suddenly suggested. "It's not safe to walk out like this."

"You've all gone to fight the monsters, what danger could I possibly be in?"

Lin Yun waved his hand at her and said, "We adults already rely on little girls to defend against enemies, there's no reason for us to make you protect them as well."

"Go ahead, aren't you in a hurry? We can talk about everything when you get back. I only have one request for you."

He turned his head and looked at Lin Xiaolu seriously, earnestly advising her, "No matter what, be careful."

It wasn't through Larkspur's words, but rather the first time he, as a father, said these words to Lin Xiaolu.

However, compared to when he first learned that Lin Xiaolu had become a magical girl, both of their mindsets had changed.

It has been almost two months since my daughter became a magical girl, and I have witnessed all the efforts she has made to become stronger during these two months.

The identity of a magical girl may indeed be dangerous, but it is also the only way for ordinary people to obtain true magical power, and a precious opportunity that countless Mage crave but cannot obtain.

She has already embarked on this path, so my only choice is to help her walk it more steadily and go further.

Lin Xiaolu did not reply.

She gave Lin Yun a deep look, her gaze sweeping over Moko and Xia Liang, before turning and running out of the restaurant.

Moko followed closely behind, while Xia Liang smiled at Lin Yun before catching up with them.

Lin Yun returned their gesture of goodbye, remaining seated. He planned to transform into Larkspur again in a secluded corner after they left, ensuring someone would be there to cover for the two newcomers.

However, just as he was making these plans in his mind, Xia Liang suddenly stopped.

"Ah, I almost forgot."

She stood at the restaurant entrance, then, as if remembering something, took out her phone and began scrolling through her contacts:

"Just to be on the safe side, let's call the junior colleague first."

She spoke these words lightly, but at the same moment, Lin Yun, who was still pretending, remembered something crucial that he had completely forgotten: Larkspur's phone was on him, and...

The device is not turned off.

A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he instinctively reached for the inside pocket of his coat, but it was too late to catch up with Xia Liang's movements.

Before his hand even touched the outline of the phone, he saw Xia Liang slightly lift her eyelids, clearly having already found Larkspur's phone number.

He wanted to shout, but he knew that even his voice could no longer stop Xia Liang.

She smiled sweetly, while he gave a wry smile. Then, as she pressed the call button on the screen, a few seconds later, Lin Yun looked stiffly at his chest.

A melodious bell rang out from here, its gentle and pleasant sound echoing throughout the now empty restaurant.

I'd like to recommend a friend's book, <Please Don't Come Looking for Me Anymore>, a slice-of-life story that's been adored by Big Eyes.