The air was filled with sawdust floating freely, and every time a piece of wood was added to the house, a faint creaking sound could be heard.
Ryan turned to the busy person beside him and asked casually, "Has the bedroom I requested specifically for hatching been built yet?"
"Hmm?"
Karl, who was casting a spell, heard the voice and looked over. When he saw Ryan, he frowned slightly.
"Yes, it's been added. We followed your blueprints exactly without a single change."
"How much longer will it take? My wife is ready to lay the egg at any moment—if we're late, it'll all be your responsibility."
"Uh… what?" Karl was left speechless.
For an elf to hatch an egg, it would take at least a year, even with the most advanced methods. The word "any moment" was far too exaggerated.
"Didn't you hear me?"
Ryan's tone turned low. "I'm asking, how soon will it be finished?"
"Right away, it'll be done right away."
The sun was bright and warm. By then, it was already afternoon.
Celia propped herself up on her knees and sat bored on the threshold, her gaze wandering vaguely along the path Ryan had taken when he left.
She had been holding the baby in her arms all day, and her arms were so sore that she could no longer keep going. Reluctantly, she "took pity" and temporarily handed the baby to her mother to hold for a while.
Cecil, as the mother, had been wanting to hold the baby for ages. Finally getting her wish, she looked overjoyed. She hugged the baby and kissed it, pressing her cheek gently against the eggshell, murmuring nonstop:
"My little one, I'm your grandma… When you break out of this shell, if you're a little girl, grandma will dress you up in the prettiest clothes. If you're a little boy, that'll be even better… Your mom has turned into such a lovely female elf now, and I just happen to want a little boy to dote on…"
Earlier that morning, this young mother—Celia—had been praising her daughter so cutely that after being affectionate with her, Cecil had even dragged her into the bedroom to "study" her thoroughly.
What exactly happened in there… Well, it was a bit embarrassing, that's all.
In any case, since she'd turned into her current form, her relationship with her mother had unknowingly grown much closer, more like sisters than parent and child.
Even though being with her mother felt nice, by the afternoon, for some reason, an inexplicable sense of restlessness welled up in her heart.
It was probably because of Ryan.
When Ryan treated her gently like a wife, Celia did feel a different kind of emotion stirring. But deep down, she was stubborn—she still thought of herself as a man.
As for falling in love with another man… That was probably impossible, right?
A light breeze blew by, sweeping into the house and lifting the hem of her skirt slightly.
She hurried to squeeze her legs together, using both small hands to press down on the skirt hem quickly, her cheeks flushing a little.
It was strange: whenever she had nothing to do, her mind would uncontrollably drift to Ryan, her husband. Then, she would start thinking about that night she spent with him.
Later, she only felt utterly exhausted, and was held in that man's arms as he lulled her to sleep.
She could still vaguely remember that feeling—warm, safe, and so comforting. She'd wanted to stay like that forever…
Then, the next day, she'd laid the egg.
When Celia was in the most pain and despair, Ryan had been like a ray of light beside her, doing his utmost to help her through it.
Ryan was her husband, and more importantly, the father of this egg.
Maybe… developing romantic feelings for him wasn't such a strange thing after all?
No, wait—it was still weird, wasn't it?
"Mom, when will Ryan be back?" Celia couldn't help but ask.
"Oh?" Cecil narrowed her eyes and grinned teasingly. "Little Celia, you've only been apart for a while, and you're already so reluctant to be away from your husband? Tsk tsk, and just now you were still saying…"
Celia's face turned bright red instantly. She glared at her mother in embarrassment and annoyance. "What are you talking about! I just… I just thought I'd ask, that's all. If you keep teasing me like this, I won't let you hold the baby anymore."
"Wah, Celia, I was just joking!"
"Besides… you only gave her to me because you couldn't hold her anymore, right?"
"Couldn't hold her?"
Celia's voice softened. Having her true thought exposed made her feel awkward. "How could I not be able to hold her…?"
Then, she walked over to her mother and held out her hands. "Give her back to me now. I won't let you hold her anymore. Besides, if the baby is away from me for too long, she'll feel uncomfortable…"
"Wah, my daughter is being so unkind to her mom too…"
Cecil pretended to be sad, but still smiled and gently handed the baby back.
"Alright, you're right—the baby really needs her mom's nutrients."
Indeed, Celia's words were true. A newborn elf baby couldn't survive at all without the nutritional care provided by its mother. Being apart for a short time was fine, as the remaining nutrients wouldn't be consumed immediately, but a long separation would be dangerous.
As soon as she took the baby back into her arms, she could feel its weight at once—the magic Ryan had cast that morning seemed to have worn off.
She sat back down on the threshold, carefully placing the egg on her lap and wrapping her arms tightly around it to keep the baby comfortable.
The eggshell felt warm, and she could sense a faint movement from inside.
Celia really wanted to keep the baby with her at all times, but she simply didn't have the strength. Ever since she'd transformed into this form, her stamina and strength had decreased a lot.
After all, just three days ago, Celia had been 175 centimeters tall—taller than her mother. But now, she'd become as petite and delicate as her mother. Her arms and wrists were extremely slender, feeling soft to the touch with no hint of firm muscle, as if they would break with a single bend.
With such physical strength, she would probably have to lie in bed and focus on hatching the egg. But if she lay in bed, no one would be there to keep her company.
She waited for a long time, but there was still no sign of Ryan.
From inside the house came the crackling sound of stir-frying and the occasional clink of a wok being tossed. By this time in the evening, Cecil was busy preparing dinner for Leggo and Kaimet, just like usual.
The elf clan was weak and few in number. Their hiding place was not perfect, and there was always a chance that they might be discovered by some human explorer one day. If that explorer reported them, the entire clan would be doomed.
Once, a young elf girl who had barely escaped danger had brought back news: any elf found outside would inevitably end up as a human's pet. Moreover, because elves were extremely rare, a single elf could be sold for an exorbitant price.
Since then, even though many elves didn't have great natural talents, everyone in the clan still worked hard every day to improve themselves. They did it all to build the strongest possible defense before humans could invade.
Celia was no exception. Some time ago, relying on her high magical talent, she had quickly risen to the noble First Rank within twenty years—a far better achievement than her mother's.
Elves normally progressed very slowly; her mother had taken a full two hundred years to break through to the First Rank. But now, Celia's potential had been exhausted—she could no longer make even half a step forward.