High Goddess Vivian Lu's heart ached for him. She beckoned him over and patted his head comfortingly: "Who would ever toss such a cute and beautiful little qilin onto a trash heap? You are absolutely my own child, born after ten months of pregnancy!"
"Mother Goddess, you're the best!" Ryan Lu instantly switched to full-on spoiled child mode.
"Oh my god!" Lucia Lu and Luna Lian couldn't take it anymore. "Lian-Lian, let's just go back to our rooms and get some early sleep!"
Luna Lian followed her, laughing at Ryan Lu as they walked.
The two sisters lived in neighboring courtyards.
Lucia Lu lived in the northern compound, where the garden was filled with Luminous Golden Chalice Blooms.
The Divine Attendants took great care of them, and the flowers bloomed in clusters, artfully arranged and beautiful.
Lucia took out her life-pouch and withdrew two Flower Eggs, placing them among the blossoms.
"You two have only seen each other in Drake Abyss, right? Haven't met any other of your kind yet? For these days at home, you should spend time with your own kind."
As Lucia spoke, she reached out to gently touch one of the eggshells.
There was a pattern on it.
A little fish kissing a flower.
She gazed at the pattern, and without realizing it, her thoughts drifted to Sean Shaw.
What was he doing right now?
Was he okay?
When would he come out of seclusion?
......
The next day, the whole Lu family, invited by the Qilin Empress Dowager, entered the palace together for a banquet.
The Qilin Empress Dowager pulled Lucia Lu to sit beside her and showered her with praise.
She even said Lucia deserved a proper reward and handed her a Divine Artifact.
Lucia Lu quickly declined, "Empress Dowager! I just happened to memorize my lessons a little better than the others! I haven't made any real contributions or achieved any great merits—how could I possibly deserve a Divine Artifact?"
Quentin Lian also added, "That's right! She's still young and already has Entwined Heart. If she gets another Divine Artifact, she might not be able to handle it. Please, Empress Dowager, take it back!"
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right! Every time I see Lucia, I just want to give her my whole family fortune! I did get a bit carried away. But she absolutely deserves a reward for taking first place—she's brought so much honor to the Lumina Realm!"
Lucia laughed, "How about you just reward me with a cup of wine?"
"No way!" The Empress Dowager considered, then said, "How about this—take this."
She removed an exquisite hairpin from her hair—pure white, with branch and leaf motifs and a single touch of red, quietly extraordinary.
"This is for you!" said the Qilin Empress Dowager. "Look at you, such a lovely girl, and not even a single ornament in your hair!"
"Does this protect against Sonic Assault?" Lucia asked.
"Mm-hmm." The Qilin Empress Dowager personally pinned it into her hair, smiling, "It looks perfect!"
"Thank you, Empress Dowager!"
"I really don't like you calling me Empress Dowager," she protested. "What are you supposed to call me?"
"Adoptive Mother."
The Empress Dowager smiled and pulled her close. "Good daughter!"
High Goddess Vivian Lu watched and shook her head, laughing. "Every time my daughter sits by the Empress Dowager, it's like she's not mine anymore! I get a little jealous!"
The Qilin Empress Dowager pressed her lips together in a smile, then suddenly said, "You kids, go find Qilin Divine Lord Soren Lann and have fun. I have something to discuss with your parents."
The three siblings excused themselves and went to pay their respects to Qilin Divine Lord Soren Lann.
"Empress Dowager, what would you like to discuss?" asked High Goddess Vivian Lu.
"I wanted to ask your thoughts about Lucia's marriage prospects," said the Empress Dowager.
High Goddess Vivian Lu replied, "We actually talked to her about this last night. She said she's still young and doesn't want to think about marriage for now—she'll wait until she's a qualified Divine General."