"That's right."
The instant he saw Edward nod, Roselle vanished with a spatial jump. When he reappeared, he was already in an old residential complex that had seen better days.
Elderly men and women chatted all around in Sichuan accents. One man in his sixties, fashionably dressed and sporting a perm, was doing "tricks" on the complex's parallel bars, drawing repeated admiring looks and cheers from several women nearby.
Roselle stared at him. He was less agitated than before, but his eyes kept flickering.
Edward and Klein walked over. "That's your father? Hmm, the old man's still going strong. Impressive. From the looks of it, finding you a stepmother shouldn't be difficult."
"My own mother's still alive and well..." Roselle said flatly. He added inwardly, At least at this very moment, she's still fine.
"Uh."
Edward and Klein exchanged a glance. "The old man... has quite a bit of the Emperor's flair."
"So the father takes after the son, huh?"
Roselle gave a cold laugh, turned, and strode away.
The three soon entered an apartment building, climbed to the third floor, and slipped silently into an apartment. A kindly-looking elderly woman was bustling about the kitchen, following a short cooking video.
One moment she checked her phone, the next she checked the pan, and then she was searching everywhere for seasonings.
Roselle hesitated for a moment before looking at Edward. "Can I... meet her?"
"Sure. Something this small won't affect anything. Besides, we can alter her memories." As he spoke, Roselle's armor turned into an ordinary shirt and jeans.
"Thank you."
Roselle drew a deep breath and slowly walked over. Crossing those few meters took him more than half a minute. He stopped two or three meters from his mother, momentarily at a loss, unsure what to do next.
Just