I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

"You've grown taller," he said, then frowned. "Why did you cut your hair so short?"

"I just decided to cut it short... What are you doing here? Why did you have to wait until after Mother passed away to come?"

Zeppelin Roland stood by the window, his gaze fixed on his daughter's face. After a few moments, he spoke, "I had a lot of experiments to do before, and I couldn't get away. I just finished them up these past few days, so I came to check on you."

Ophelia's fingers curled up inside her sleeve.

She knew that this was just her father's way of speaking.

From childhood to adulthood, she had heard similar words countless times: "I have a lot of things to deal with today, I'll come see you next week," "The spring festival is to be presided over by a high-ranking noble, I can't get away," "Let's talk about it after I'm done with this busy period."

Then came one "Let's talk about it after I'm done with this" after another.

Not knowing what to say, she simply stopped talking, turned around and went into the house. Her gaze swept over every familiar corner, finally stopping on the mirror of the dressing table on the wall, where she could vaguely see her reflection from when she got her hair cut years ago.

Ji Tian stood half a step behind her, quietly observing the father and daughter without saying a word.

Elena also sensed the subtle tension in the atmosphere and gently pulled Lilith's hand, signaling her to remain silent for the time being.

A few breaths passed in silence inside the treehouse.

Finally, it was Zeppeli who broke the silence first.

His gaze fell on the holy sword at Ji Tian's waist, which he had deliberately suppressed, and for the first time, his tone wavered:

"You've joined the Hero's Squad?"

"Yes"

"Can I quit?"

"cannot."

Elves are naturally long-lived, and for the high-ranking nobles of the Elven royal court who are born with everything, joining the hero's party is not a wise choice.

Knowing that his daughter wouldn't listen to him, Zeppelin stopped trying to persuade her and instead worried about her safety. "Then I'll go and ask the family's demigod elder—"

"I am not a member of your family."

Zeppelin remained silent upon hearing this, then sighed and took out two bracelets that shimmered with a warm, emerald-green light from his robes.

He placed the sacred object on the table, but didn't approach her; he watched her from a distance of several steps.

"Keep these two items with you. One is a life bracelet, which can withstand one fatal injury and can be used again after two weeks; the other is a spatial teleportation device, which allows you to instantly teleport back to the royal court in times of crisis, regardless of distance."

Your mother wouldn't let me give you these things back then, but she's no longer here, so I've made the decision myself.

Ophelia's gaze fell on the two sacred objects, and she stubbornly said, "I don't need them."

"Your mother wouldn't want you to get hurt during this adventure either."

Zeppelin turned and walked to the window, pushing the half-open window open even wider.

The evening breeze carried the scent of grass and trees from the forest, ruffling the ink stains on his sleeves, but it seemed that even the hem of his clothes was reluctant to linger.

"The laurel tree your mother planted has blossomed this year. Pick some to take with you before you leave."

The laurel tree was planted by her mother more than ten years ago. She said that when it grew tall, she would put a table under the tree so that they could drink tea in the summer.

She thought her father had long forgotten.

While his daughter was still thinking about refusing again, Zeppelin walked out of the treehouse, paused in front of Ji Tian, ​​nodded, and then went downstairs and walked away along the path overgrown with weeds.

His steps were steady, and the hem of his robe was brushed by wildflowers, carrying away a few grains of pollen.

Ophelia stood at the doorway, watching the figure disappear around the corner in the woods before turning her gaze away.

Lilith approached at some point and whispered, "Second Senior Sister, your father doesn't seem very enthusiastic... Is he unhappy that you're back?"

"Yes."

Elena walked over to Ophelia and gently put her hand on Ophelia's shoulder.

"He brought gifts and knew the laurel tree was in bloom. He's showing his care for you in his own way."

Ophelia looked down at the two bracelets on the table; their emerald green light flowed quietly in the twilight, like two sleeping eyes.

She reached out and picked them up, then put them on her wrist.

She turned and walked towards the door. "Let's go see the flowers. The moon is already up."

The laurel tree was planted on a small slope about a hundred paces behind the treehouse. Its branches and leaves swayed gently in the night breeze, and its white flowers, like tiny snowflakes, covered the branches, shimmering with a silvery-white light under the moonlight.

Ophelia stood under the tree in silence. After a long while, she raised her hand and gently touched the lowest half-open bud with her fingertips.

Ji Tian leaned against a tree trunk a few steps away, not making a sound to disturb them.

Elena, holding Lilith's hand, stood a little distance away, watching the silver-white figure standing alone amidst the moonlight and blossoms, without approaching.

Lilith lowered her voice, almost whispering, "Sister Elena, is Second Senior Sister... very sad?"

Elena shook her head slightly: "It's not that she's sad. It's that there are some things she hasn't decided whether or not to let go of."

Ophelia stood under the tree for a long time, then bent down, picked up a few white petals that had been shaken down by the night wind from beside the tree roots, and put them into her sleeve.

She straightened up and turned around; her expression had returned to normal.

"That's enough, let's go."

Ji Tiandao asked, "Should we clean and repair the hut before we leave?"

Just as Ophelia was about to refuse, Ji Tian turned and walked towards the treehouse, with Elena leading Lilith behind him, as if it were all a perfectly natural arrangement.

She stood still, the night wind blowing through the woods, gently lifting her short, silvery-white hair. After a while, she finally took a step to catch up.

Moonlight streamed through the cabin window, casting a silvery-white patch of light on the wooden floor.

Lilith had already started cleaning on her own initiative, and Elena helped her sweep away the cobwebs in the corner and wipe away the dust that had accumulated on the table for who knows how long.

Ophelia stood at the top of the stairs, her gaze fixed on the small wooden box in the corner.

She walked over, crouched down, and gently took the thing out of the shadows.

It was an ordinary wooden box, the paint on the edges was already peeling, and a layer of dust had settled on the lock.

She remembers it.

That was a place her mother used to store small odds and ends. When she was little, she had seen her mother put dried flowers, letters, and a few polished stones in there.

She hesitated for a moment, then unlocked the latch.

Inside lay a bunch of dried flowers tied with thin hemp rope. The petals had faded to a withered yellow, but their shapes were still faintly discernible.

On top was a neatly folded strip of paper, the pages of which were already a little brittle, but the handwriting was still clear:

"Little Ophelia, by the time you grow up, your mother may no longer be here. That tree is what your mother left for you; I hope it can keep you company."

Ophelia's fingertips lingered on the edge of the note for a while before she closed the lid and put the wooden box back in its place.

She stood up, walked back to the window, and pushed it open even wider.

The evening breeze blew in, stirring up wisps of dust on the windowsill before dissipating in the moonlight.

She saw the crown of the laurel tree outside the window swaying gently in the night breeze, its white blossoms gleaming softly in the moonlight, like her mother smiling and waving from afar.

"Your mother loves you very much," Ji Tian's voice came from behind.

Ophelia gave a heavy "hmm".

"Your father is the same, he just doesn't know how to express it."

"……Um."

Seeing that Ophelia's mood had improved considerably, Ji Tian finally asked the question he had been wanting to ask:

"Your father's family also has demigods?"