Chapter 36: The Poor Newly Found Child
At dinnertime, following the usual routine, Liang Lai introduced the newcomer to the other three children at the table, as well as the Immaculate Courtyard’s servants and nuns.
“This is Iluci—she’s part of our family now~”
Liang Lai smiled and winked twice at Iluci.
“But this child’s a bit reserved; she hasn’t adjusted to us yet, so everyone, let’s all help her out, okay~”
It was pure kid-coaxing tone.
Iluci observed the people around her with timid glances, and upon catching Duoluosa’s none-too-warm stare, she promptly ducked her head—even starting to shiver.
Duoluosa: “?”
She hadn’t done a thing—why was this girl acting like she was terrified of her? Shaking like a leaf, all triggered and twitchy…
Her mind flashed to the goody-two-shoes Asteris and Delucia, and in an instant, she pegged the newbie as a faker!
So Duoluosa’s gaze toward Iluci turned even chillier.
Iluci felt a stare boring into her back, relentless as a shadow; she didn’t dare look up, just kept shoveling the steaming-hot food into her mouth with her head down.
But that gaze clung like glue, and halfway to full, she mustered the nerve for a peek—only to jolt with another shiver at the sight.
She’d barely psyched herself up once… and now this naturally shy child shrank inward even more.
The table’s vibe turned downright awkward; Liang Lai let out a couple of forced chuckles, deciding to break the ice with some dad jokes.
Liang Lai flashed a “V” sign.
“See this? It’s a ‘V.’ So…” She flipped the hand downward. “What about this?”
Silence blanketed the room; all four kids’ eyes locked onto her in unison, sending a prickle up Liang Lai’s scalp.
But she had to soldier on, or it’d get even weirder.
“Come on, come on—guess what this is!” She waved encouragingly, desperate to stir some energy.
Asteris, Delucia, and Iluci just stared in blank confusion, while Duoluosa furrowed her brow in deep thought—and came up empty.
“…”
Liang Lai forced another pair of dry laughs.
“It’s falling leaves, obviously!”
The four little ones: “…”
“Hahaha…” Asteris and Iluci’s people-pleasing instincts kicked in; they mustered awkward chuckles that echoed Liang Lai’s own cringe-fest.
Liang Lai: [facepalm.jpg]
So mortifying—she wanted to crawl into a hole.
The meal dragged on in fits and starts until it was done.
In Liang Lai’s mind, the plan for tonight was to spend some time with Iluci first, gauge if she was scared.
If she was and didn’t mind company, Liang Lai would stay the whole night—kids always got jittery in new places, after all.
This time, Duoluosa didn’t kick up a fuss—not out of obedience or maturity, but her own scheming little motives.
After all these ups and downs, Duoluosa had slowly realized that tantrums wouldn’t budge Liang Lai’s mind or heart.
Keep at it, and she might just turn annoying—who liked a brat throwing fits all day?
Everyone preferred kids who were sweet, compliant, and hardworking…
Since change wasn’t on the table, she’d play along on the surface—then trip things up behind the scenes, tattle where it counted.
No more needling Liang Lai directly and stressing her out.
And yeah, it stung to admit, but Duoluosa knew Liang Lai’s love for her, Asteris, Delucia, and now Iluci was all familial—nothing that’d cross lines.
So long as she kept watch till they dozed off, jumping in to block any funny business… that’d do.
Duoluosa seemed to mature in a blink; Asteris and Delucia clocked it, knowing full well she’d play nice upfront—at least for now.
Just what shady tricks she’d pull next… who knew.
That evening, Liang Lai escorted Iluci back to her room.
It was Iluci’s first room of her own; back home, she’d rated no better than the kitchen floor, a makeshift pallet by the stove.
Now, sprawled on this plush grand bed amid all the lavish decor, tears welled at the corners of her eyes.
“Saintess…” She turned to Liang Lai beside her, voice catching.
“Hm? What’s up?”
Liang Lai rubbed her head with gentle care.
“You’re just… too good. Like… like a god descending to my side!”
Excitement edged her tone.
Liang Lai chuckled. “What kind of talk is that? Anyone seeing you like this would step in to help. Little Xi, you have to believe—sure, the world’s full of bad eggs, but good people exist too.”
Do they?
Iluci racked her brain, dredging up just one faint memory from the depths: a pitying old lady who’d slipped her half a moldy black loaf.
She ached to argue back, but the words died on her tongue—she couldn’t risk souring Liang Lai with her contrarian streak.
This was the sole light in her life; she couldn’t let it slip away.
So Iluci inched closer by degrees until her chilly little hand wrapped around Liang Lai’s arm.
“M-Mom… my.”
The words clawed their way out, her cheeks blazing like boiled shrimp.
Liang Lai’s heart warmed at how swiftly the new girl had come around to “Mom”; she patted her back in reward.
“Mm~ Good girl—get some early rest tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to file the adoption papers. From today on, you’re one of the next-gen papal candidates.”
She laid it out for Iluci, who nodded in a daze—but with an unexpectedly steely glint in her eyes.
“Got it, Mom. I won’t let you down…”
Disappointing Liang Lai would mean losing this warmth and love… No way she’d let that happen!
Iluci didn’t grasp what a papal candidate entailed, or what the throne meant—but she wanted it, wanted to beam that smile from Liang Lai, to be folded into those arms again, cherished, warmed, fussed over.
She was like a drowning kid clutching a lifeline, desperate to soak up every drop of Liang Lai’s heat and sustenance.
She yearned to beg for a hug, just like the one that saved her by day—but the plea stuck; all she could do was fix those silver pupils on Liang Lai, brimming with wordless sorrow and plea.
Liang Lai read the intent clear enough.
“Sweetie, if you’re scared, I’ll bunk with you tonight… But starting tomorrow, you’ll toughen up on your own~ Gotta grow sometime~”
She drew Iluci close and settled into bed.
Iluci’s face buried in her chest, her gaze dim and inscrutable.