Chapter 54: The New Kid Has a Problem
“Sister, what… what are you two talking about?”
Iluci’s tears still clung to her cheeks, but her expression held no more panic.
“My falls before… they were all accidents. I don’t get what you mean.”
With that, Iluci acted like she wanted no more of them—hurrying off to her room.
“Her acting’s not even Duoluosa-level.” Asteris arched a brow.
Meanwhile, Liang Lai clutched a child-sized nun’s robe outside the bath.
From inside, a small hand poked out—damp with water.
Liang Lai placed the robe gentle in Therilens’s palm, adding: “Dry off full before coming out—otherwise, clothes stick clammy. And colds sneak in easy.”
Pure fussbudget mom.
Therilens gave no reply, just took the robe silent—slipping it on inside.
When Therilens emerged next, Liang Lai’s eyes lit.
The child, clean now—hair untangled—looked doll-like full.
Just… too skinny. Plump up? Adorable overload.
“Come on.”
Liang Lai took Therilens’s hand natural.
Therilens didn’t pull away; compared to before, she seemed far meeker—even stealing glances at the saintess ahead.
“How’d you end up here?”
Liang Lai fished for family deets.
She could guess rough: either dumped by folks outright, or parents gone—so street-wandering.
Therilens ducked her head, murmuring low: “Wandered here. Begging’s gotten tougher.”
As expected.
“Wanna stay with me? I can adopt you—no more outsides. You could be one of the papal heirs.”
Liang Lai figured the kid’d bite—warm rooms here, hot meals, no starve-fear, no freeze-dread.
Sure enough, the words barely landed—Therilens nodded fierce, clutching her hand tight.
“I wanna stay… Mom!”
Eh?!
Liang Lai gawked at the girl, stunned—this kid’d jumped to “Mom” lightning-fast.
Felt like some past-life Wally junior.
“Y-You agreed… just like that?” Now it was Liang Lai’s turn to reel.
Therilens bobbed instant, both hands seizing Liang Lai’s.
“Of course, Mom! You’re my mom from now! If you hate ‘Mom,’ sis works—or anything!”
Liang Lai’s eyes rounded wider—this kid’s sugar-tongue had her dreaming.
She’d thought Asteris and Delucia sweet enough—but Therilens? They were small fry.
Seeing the woman fall mute, Therilens cocked her head, face falling fretful.
“What? Mom, changed your mind? Don’t want me now?” Tears brimmed. “I’ll be good—please, please don’t chase me off, okay?”
“N-No no no no— that’s not it!”
Liang Lai dropped to a crouch quick, dabbing the child’s cheek-tears.
“Just… shocked. Never met a kid this sweet—first day, and ‘Mom’ already? I didn’t even ask~”
Liang Lai’s touch stayed feather-soft, wiping tears while tousling her head tender.
“How could I chase you? You’re so good—even if you balked, I’d talk you into staying.”
At that, Therilens cracked a grin through tears, gripping Liang Lai’s hand fierce.
“Yay! I got a home now!”
Liang Lai kept stroking her head fond. “You’ve got four big sisters too~ Dinner intro time—get along with ’em, yeah~”
“Eh?”
Therilens’s smile hitched a tick; she blinked her big watery golds, head tilt. “So I got four sisters? Ah… Thought you only had me, Mom.”
The line landed odd, but Liang Lai brushed it—kid just musing on the surprise.
“Mm, four sisters—one twin pair’s the sweetest. Bug ’em for play anytime~”
“That so…” Therilens murmured, then bloomed a smile. “Got it, Mom—I’ll get along… f-fine… with the sisters.”
Still weird phrasing.
While Liang Lai chatted with the newbie next door, Delucia’s face hardened.
“Sis, this fresh one’s off—tone rubs me wrong, like she’s jabbing digs.” Delucia relayed Therilens’s words to Asteris.
Asteris nodded too.
“Mm, feels fishy—but can’t pin it yet. Stay sharp. She… seems riskier than Iluci or Duoluosa.”
Shadowkin instinct talking.
“So… tell Duoluosa?” Delucia asked.
“Duh!” Asteris fired back no-hesitate.
And she cracked a queer grin, flicking her eye-bang, pointing downstairs.
“Not just her—loop in Iluci too. This Therilens vibes bad. Better they scrap for Mom’s shine than her— we reap the chaos.”
“My sis is the brains~” Delucia beamed, arm-hooking Asteris. “Let ’em brawl—we stay Mom’s perfects~ Keep her our forever savior~”
Meanwhile, Therilens tugged Liang Lai’s hand, dropping an odd line:
“Mom, when you picked me up… notice anything drop off me?”
Liang Lai blanked a sec.
“Did you lose something key? Didn’t see— you passed out there, so I scooped hasty. If it’s valuables, I can take you back now…”
“No need.”
Therilens cut Liang Lai’s ramble.
“Nothing major.”
She dipped her head, hooking a chilling smile.
“Bad if the wrong eyes spot that thing.”“Sister, what… what are you two talking about?”
Iluci’s tears still clung to her cheeks, but her expression held no more panic.
“My falls before… they were all accidents. I don’t get what you mean.”
With that, Iluci acted like she wanted no more of them—hurrying off to her room.
“Her acting’s not even Duoluosa-level.” Asteris arched a brow.
Meanwhile, Liang Lai clutched a child-sized nun’s robe outside the bath.
From inside, a small hand poked out—damp with water.
Liang Lai placed the robe gentle in Therilens’s palm, adding: “Dry off full before coming out—otherwise, clothes stick clammy. And colds sneak in easy.”
Pure fussbudget mom.
Therilens gave no reply, just took the robe silent—slipping it on inside.
When Therilens emerged next, Liang Lai’s eyes lit.
The child, clean now—hair untangled—looked doll-like full.
Just… too skinny. Plump up? Adorable overload.
“Come on.”
Liang Lai took Therilens’s hand natural.
Therilens didn’t pull away; compared to before, she seemed far meeker—even stealing glances at the saintess ahead.
“How’d you end up here?”
Liang Lai fished for family deets.
She could guess rough: either dumped by folks outright, or parents gone—so street-wandering.
Therilens ducked her head, murmuring low: “Wandered here. Begging’s gotten tougher.”
As expected.
“Wanna stay with me? I can adopt you—no more outsides. You could be one of the papal heirs.”
Liang Lai figured the kid’d bite—warm rooms here, hot meals, no starve-fear, no freeze-dread.
Sure enough, the words barely landed—Therilens nodded fierce, clutching her hand tight.
“I wanna stay… Mom!”
Eh?!
Liang Lai gawked at the girl, stunned—this kid’d jumped to “Mom” lightning-fast.
Felt like some past-life Wally junior.
“Y-You agreed… just like that?” Now it was Liang Lai’s turn to reel.
Therilens bobbed instant, both hands seizing Liang Lai’s.
“Of course, Mom! You’re my mom from now! If you hate ‘Mom,’ sis works—or anything!”
Liang Lai’s eyes rounded wider—this kid’s sugar-tongue had her dreaming.
She’d thought Asteris and Delucia sweet enough—but Therilens? They were small fry.
Seeing the woman fall mute, Therilens cocked her head, face falling fretful.
“What? Mom, changed your mind? Don’t want me now?” Tears brimmed. “I’ll be