(Iris POV)
Ara? I won.
Ufufufu~ I won~
"Yayyyy! Mama won!" The little dragon cheered while hugging me.
Ara, ara? Why is she so happy that I won? Doesn't she want me to lose so that I can't get to Master? Or is this also another 'cute' thing?
The other 'child' was busy with redirecting the other 'children' back towards the other split bodies of Master so I wasn't able to ask her opinion on it either.
Omniscience also isn't helping since Master was still preventing me from receiving answers related to the little dragon.
I have to admit that this acting 'cute' thing was harder than I thought it would be and to think the little dragon has been keeping this act up the entire time in front of Master.
"Are we playing any more games?" I asked, fully expecting her to have more in store to get back her lead over me.
She looked at me with sparkles in her eyes, "Cai Hong happy! Mama had fun?"
Fun… I might still not fully understand it, but I can safely say that I did enjoy my time spent 'playing' these games. There was… Amusement, I suppose that would be the term for the emotion I felt?
Would that be considered 'having fun'?
"I think that would definitely be considered to be having fun."
I spun around at the unexpected voice behind me.
Standing there with a smile on His face while carrying one of His disciples in His arms was Master Himself.
Not just His split body, but His actual main body too.
"Master?" I muttered, a little surprised that He was there. Wasn't the little dragon keeping Him sequestered somewhere so that He doesn't know what was going on out here?
"Well… About that… Sorry, but this was something I planned alongside with Cai Hong so I knew everything from the start."
Ara, ara? Since when would Master read my thoughts so openly like that?
Master grinned at me, "Well, I have to admit I did learn it from you."
"Ufufufu~ I suppose I deserve that~ Putting that aside, what does Master mean when you said that you planned this out? Did the little dragon not kidnap you?"
"Eh? Who are you talking about?" Master asked with a confused expression on His face.
I tilted my head, Master should know who I'm talking about right? Even if He doesn't… Ah… I see…
Master wants me to say her name.
"Apologies. What I meant to ask was did Cai Hong not kidnap you?"
Master's smile returned, "Ah, that's who you're talking about. Well, truth be told, Cai Hong did take me here somewhat against my will but that's because she thought you were still after me."
"And Master did not return after explaining the situation to her because?"
"Because we both felt this would be the perfect opportunity to help you experience life a little different from the usual."
I tried to use omniscience to understand what Master just told me and a multitude of information came flooding towards me.
Ara?
Ara, ara?
I see now… Master had also been influencing omniscience to only show me what I needed to know instead of all the information about a particular subject.
Now that Master has lifted that restriction, I could now see all the events that led up to this very moment and also the explanations and full information of everything I had asked before.
Master grinned, realising what had just happened, "How was it then? Did you have fun?"
Fun… Ufufufu…
I gave Master a smile that definitely felt different from the other ones I had given Him before, "Yes, Master, I did have a lot of fun here~ It seems that even now, I still have a lot of things I need to learn. Thank you~"
"Papa! Papa! Mama cute!!" Cai Hong squealed while hugging Master's leg.
Master patted her head before directing His attention to me, "Haha~ I agree. You have indeed become really cute~ What do you think about being able to express such emotions?"
I looked down at my hands, remembering the instances where I laughed and simply let myself enjoy the moment instead of trying to influence everything to make it happen the way I wished… Even the moments where I was not able to rely on my Omniscience and Omnipotence as well…
Those times… I suppose they were indeed… Fun.
I returned my gaze to Master and giggled, "Ufufufu~ Isn't it ironic, Master?"
Master tilted His head at me, "What do you mean?"
"I had planned for so long to try and change Master back to your old self and failed so spectacularly at it. Yet now, I found myself changing despite being so against it before."
"To live is to change, is it not? If you stay stagnant throughout your entire life without changing anything, could you really be said to be living at all?"
Ufufufu~ As expected of Master. I suppose it does not hurt for me to try, especially since I am already on the path towards change anyway.
But what else should I change?
Master patted my head again, "The first thing you might want to do is to stop thinking about other beings as just faceless entities. Everyone is different, even if they are all just existences in the end. In the past where I treated everyone equally… That was not a good thing either, you know?"
Ara? I see now… If I were to imagine Master loving me as much as space dust… There's a feeling of my chest clenching uncomfortably.
But if I were to imagine Master loving me more than anyone else… Then I get this really fluttery feeling inside me and it does make me feel happy.
I went up to Master and grasped His sleeve with a hand, "Do you love me then… Master?"
"Ahaha~ If I don't, I wouldn't have done half the things I have for you Iris. Did I not already say that I do indeed love you?"
I felt a warm feeling rising up from my chest.
This is… Happiness?
It's warm…
"Mama! Huggies!" Little Cai Hong giggled before pulling me in for a hug.
I was a little surprised but nevertheless, I hugged her back.
Master then lifted both of us up with a hand and hugged us to His chest as well, cuddling us with His usual care and love.
I suppose I should get used to this new way of living from now on~
Please continue to love us lots, Master~
