Little Forget-Me-Not was stunned by that faint voice.
Her eyes instantly brightened, revealing an expression of incredulous joy.
"Mom?"
She called out softly, her voice trembling slightly.
"Mom, are you there?"
Tao Yao gently held Little Forget-Me-Not's hand.
The three slowly walked toward the direction of the voice.
In the corner of the attic, they saw a blue-haired beautiful woman.
This beautiful woman looked remarkably similar to Little Forget-Me-Not.
They shared the same blue hair and emerald green eyes.
The difference was that Little Forget-Me-Not had cute twin ponytails, while this beautiful woman wore her long hair in a single ponytail gracefully draped over her left shoulder.
Although the beautiful woman appeared somewhat fatigued, she still maintained an elegant demeanor.
The moment the beautiful woman saw Little Forget-Me-Not, a glimmer of surprise and confusion flashed in her eyes.
She blinked gently, as if confirming whether what she saw before her was real.
"Forget-Me-Not?"
She asked softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "Is it really you?"
Little Forget-Me-Not couldn't hold back her tears upon hearing that familiar voice.
She wanted to rush into her mother's embrace immediately.
But she suddenly remembered the Shadow Fairy she had encountered earlier.
She forced herself to calm down, watching her mother warily.
"Mom," Little Forget-Me-Not took a deep breath, struggling to control her emotions, "to prevent any surprises from the Shadow Fairy, I need to confirm that you are really my mom…"
She paused for a moment, then asked the crucial question: "When you gently kiss Little Forget-Me-Not, do you prefer kissing the left cheek or the right cheek?"
Upon hearing this question, the beautiful woman was taken aback. Then, a gentle smile appeared on her face as she replied, "Which side does my good daughter prefer for mommy's kisses?"
Little Forget-Me-Not grew more anxious at this response.
She urged, "Hurry up and say! I want to know which side mom prefers!"
The beautiful woman looked at Little Forget-Me-Not's urgency and couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
Feigning difficulty, she said:
"Hmm... this question is so hard to answer; Mommy doesn't know either... How about this, Little Forget-Me-Not lets mommy kiss you a few times, and then mommy will tell you which side she prefers? How about that?"
Hearing that familiar tone and teasing words, Little Forget-Me-Not finally confirmed that the person in front of her was her mother.
Because only her mom would tease her so patiently.
So, she couldn't control her emotions any longer and jumped into her mother's embrace.
The beautiful woman tightly hugged her daughter, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Then, she began kissing her.
First the left side, then the right side.
Little Forget-Me-Not felt a bit embarrassed by her mother's enthusiasm and complained:
"So which side is it?"
The beautiful woman replied with a smile, "Hmm... I don't know; let me try a bit more!"
She kissed a few more times, making Little Forget-Me-Not giggle uncontrollably.
In the end, Little Forget-Me-Not couldn't handle her mother's enthusiasm anymore, covering her face with her small hands, saying, "Mom, the two sisters are still here…"
Hearing this, the beautiful woman finally stopped her affectionate gestures toward her daughter.
She lifted her head and turned her gaze toward Tao Yao and Hiyakura.
Her eyes held gratitude and respect.
"If I'm not mistaken, you two should be the guardians of Cherry Blossom City, right?"
The beautiful woman said softly, her voice tinged with fatigue, "Thank you so much for coming all this way to support us during this crisis in the snowfield…"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but cough lightly twice.
Tao Yao noticed the beautiful woman's condition.
But she had more urgent questions to clarify.
"I remember that the snowfield also has powerful extraordinary warriors for protection, right?" Tao Yao asked, "Can you tell us exactly what happened? Where are your guardians?"
A deep sense of regret and sadness appeared on the beautiful woman's face.
She lowered her head, her voice choking slightly:
"The senior has already perished, killed by the Shadow Fairy. As of now, I am the only remaining strong extraordinary warrior in this snowfield, but…"
She paused for a moment and continued:
"My abilities are limited; I can't protect more people…"
Tao Yao gently shook her head, comforting her:
"It's not your fault; you've already done enough. Besides you, are there any other survivors?"
The beautiful woman took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady: "I'm not sure; the Shadow Fairy has been toying with us. She hasn't exterminated all the humans outright, but has been continuously witnessing our tragedies."
After saying this, she couldn't help but cough a few more times.
Tao Yao nodded thoughtfully: "Indeed, just as I suspected, the reason she behaves this way is simply because she is still learning human behavioral patterns to imitate better…"
"I see."
The beautiful woman said softly, her voice carrying deep fatigue, "Just as recorded, the Shadow Fairy is continuously learning and growing, becoming increasingly troublesome…"
After saying this, the beautiful woman suddenly started coughing violently.
This time, even Hiyakura noticed her unusual state.
"Are you okay?" Hiyakura asked with concern, "Your face…"
The beautiful woman forced a smile and shook her head, coughing twice before saying:
"Cough cough, although I want to say I'm fine, given the current situation, I'm really not well…"
Little Forget-Me-Not became anxious upon hearing this.
She grabbed her mother's hand, her voice filled with thick worry: "Mom…"
The beautiful woman looked at her daughter's worried gaze and forced a smile.
She wanted to comfort her daughter, but a fit of severe coughing interrupted her words.
Her complexion turned even paler, her body trembling slightly.
Tao Yao and Hiyakura exchanged worried glances.
They realized the situation was likely worse than they imagined.
It wasn't merely a matter of the snowfield fortress falling; now they also had to deal with an injured extraordinary being.
Little Forget-Me-Not held her mother tightly, tears welling in her eyes.
She had finally found her longing mother, only to discover her mother's condition was so dire.
She didn't know what to do.
She could only helplessly look at Tao Yao and Hiyakura, hoping they would find a way to help her mom.
Hiyakura couldn't bear the pitiful look on the little girl's face.
So she spoke up:
"It's okay, we will find a way."
As a result,
Just as Hiyakura finished her words,
Little Forget-Me-Not's mother said:
"My dear daughter, can you do me a favor and stand guard outside? Mommy has some things to discuss with the two sisters that shouldn't be heard by the Shadow Fairy."
Little Forget-Me-Not, being obedient and well-behaved, nodded and walked on her little legs to the entrance.
After Little Forget-Me-Not left,
The beautiful woman took a deep breath and said to Hiyakura and Tao Yao.
"I have a request, and I hope you will fulfill it."
"You say."
Hiyakura instinctively replied.
She often helped out, and facing the request of Little Forget-Me-Not's mother, she was naturally very eager.
However,
The beautiful woman made a shocking statement.
"If it becomes necessary, please make sure to kill me!"