Damien sighed, "Yes, I would be leaving by afternoon. I believe the more I stay longer, the more I find it harder to leave you. You are like sweet nectar. The more I have you, the more I want. But don't worry, before we know it, two years will be over."
Lily smiled, "I can wait for you. All that matters is I can see you again."
Damien nodded and said in an instructive tone, "But remember, you should try to nurture your Light elemental seed just like I taught you. Your constitution inherently makes you powerful, and your cultivation speed faster. I am sure after you nurture your Light elemental seed, your cultivation would increase as well."
Lily softly chuckled, "Of course. I am more excited than you to learn to use my Light elemental seed, especially when you said that Light Laws are one of the Greater Laws. And thanks to your help, I can cultivate faster because of my completely active ethereal core points. I will surprise you within two years, hehe."
Damien kissed her forehead and said, "Sure, you will."
They both dressed up and went outside towards Valentina.
Valentina, as usual, hugged Damien but her eyes squinted upon seeing Lily again.
Damien patted her head and said, "Valentina, why don't you say goodbye to Big Sister Lily? After all, we are leaving this empire soon."
Lily warmly smiled at Valentina to see her reaction. Still, she was again disappointed hissed and refused to even look at her.
Lily couldn't understand why Valentina was not fond of her. At first, she thought it was because she was shy. But over the days, no matter how much she tried, Valentina wouldn't say a word to her, let alone look at her.
She felt dejected whether it was her fault or whether she did anything to upset Valentina. But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't find a reason. She wanted to be close with Valentina seeing as how much Damien cared about her.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Damien sighed, seeing that Valentina was still giving the same reaction. He couldn't understand why she did not want to be friendly with Lily. After all, he had said to her multiple times that Lily was not a stranger and was someone important to him.
But he didn't try to force Valentina and said to Lily in a low voice, "Well, Lily...just give it some time. She still finds it hard to open up to others."
Lily bent closer towards Valentina and said, "It's okay...I will be—"
However, she froze when Valentina glared at her for an instant with her ruby red eyes that seemed to blaze with a certain emotion.
Lily awkwardly cleared her throat, raised her head, and said with a smile, "You are right, Damien. It's fine. Maybe I have been trying to force it too much."
But Lily felt that the eyes which glared at her for an instant carried intense anger. She mused whether it was all her imagination as she couldn't think of any possible reason for Valentina to be angry at her.
"Well then, Damien...I will see you again, and you should return back safely...no matter what." Lily said as her eyes started to become moist.
Damien smiled and gave her a warm hug, and whispered, "You really worry too much. How can I let something happen to me without reuniting with you? Now don't start crying before a little girl."
Valentina clutched Damien's clothes tighter as her fingers almost clawed into her own skin. She couldn't stand Damien being so close with Lily. However, she controlled herself as her claws retracted inwards.
Damien wiped her tears and said, "Now...you should go. I don't want you to see me leaving."
Lily nodded and slowly left while looking behind a few times to see his smiling face. She clutched her chest, thinking when she would see that face again while being healthy and well at the same time.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Thinking that how a young boy like him was setting out to topple other empires for her and risking his life at the same time, she realized how much he truly loves her.
Damien sighed as he saw Lily's graceful silhouette disappear from his sight.
He then crouched and looked at Valentina, "Do you not like Lily?"
Damien felt that something was off between Valentina and Lily. Besides, he knew that Lily interacted with Valentina only when he was with her. So, he couldn't understand what wrong Lily did to make Valentina act like this.
Valentina lowered her eyes and said in a low voice, "I...don't know. I don't want...to lose Big Brother."
Damien raised his brows as a revelation suddenly struck him.
'Is she jealous?' Damien couldn't understand why Valentina would feel jealous of Lily. He couldn't think of a reason that made her think like that.
Damien chuckled, "What makes you say that? Look, even if I love Lily doesn't mean I would let you go. I would always keep you by my side no matter what."
Valentina suddenly looked up and asked curiously, "What is love?"
Damien's mouth froze just as he opened it. He didn't know which explanation he should give her.
However, after a brief silence, he said as he caressed her head, "Love is not something that can be defined or explained. But I can say that it is a pure feeling stemming from our hearts that make us unconditionally care about each other and make them happy. Most of all, when you feel someone is an important part of your existence, then you love that person."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Valentina lowered her head with a contemplating expression as if she was trying her best to understand his words.
She then stared at his eyes and asked, "Does Big Brother love me then?"
Damien smiled as he patted her head, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"
Valentina smiled with an elated expression. However, she narrowed her eyes as she asked, "The same as Lily?"
"Uh…" Damien felt tongue-tied for a moment and continued without thinking much, "The love I have for you and Lily is different. Hmm, like I love you, just like how a brother loves his sister. And the love I have for Lily is just like how a husband loves his wife. I know you might find it hard to understand these things, but once you grow up, you will understand it better."
Damien didn't think that it would be this hard to explain love to a little girl. Especially when the girl was not brought up in society but someone who lived her whole life in a forest with ethereal beasts.
Valentina squinted her eyes, pondering on Damien's words. She now knew that a brother and sister were siblings and a husband and wife were lifelong partners. Without much worldly experience, she could tell that the love between siblings was not the same as between lifelong partners.
Remembering how intimate Lily was with Damien, she didn't like that Damien loved her like a sibling.
She said in a complex tone as she clutched her dress, "I-I want Big Brother to...love me the same as Lily."
Damien had a blinking expression for a moment. But then he chuckled and said, "Look, you don't need to be worried about these things now. Why don't you grow up and experience the world more? Once you are mature enough, you will then know with whom you might feel the kind of love life-long partners have."
Damien thought that Valentina was worried he wouldn't give attention to her just as he gives Lily.
Valentina inwardly didn't feel that her answer would change even after she grew up. She wanted to protest but didn't, thinking that Damien wouldn't take her seriously till she grows up.
She never felt so desperate to grow up and convey her true feelings.
Damien saw her deep in thought and said, "Come on, forget about those things for now, and let's go. We have a journey ahead of us."
