Vol.1 - Chapter 8 – That's how I know
Xia Ya had been in this small cabin countless times, familiar with every corner.
Without opening the door, he knew what Sennia was doing.
She was waiting for the boiled goat milk to cool down, then feeding it to the baby with a spoon.
Her face radiated maternal glow, her short hair falling beside her ears, her profile as perfect as a sculpture.
No matter how many times he saw it, it was always beautiful.
Though her mind wasn't the sharpest.
As in past cycles, Xia Ya glanced at the situation inside the house and went to the well outside to fetch a bowl of water.
—He didn't have to look, but doing so would make him seem too practiced.
He placed the bottle of hot goat milk in the well water, where Sennia had previously left it to sit quietly.
Witnessing this, Sennia's cheeks flushed red.
"Has this bottle been cleaned?" Xia Ya asked, seemingly casually.
Sennia was slightly stunned, "It... it's clean... it previously held No. 8 Holy Water."
"No. 8 Holy Water isn't suitable for babies."
Xia Ya stood up, poured out the full bottle of milk, then repeatedly rinsed the bottle and even heated it over the fire.
Sennia stood there, mouth slightly open, unsure of what to say, just watching with wide eyes.
She didn't know why she let Xia Ya into the house, maybe she felt she was too harsh on the child and was feeling remorseful, which led her to do so.
But now, he had completely taken over the rhythm of the house, busying himself like a true head of the family.
Watching Xia Ya's busy back, she suddenly felt... a sense of reliance.
An inexplicable trustworthiness, an inexplicable sense of security, as if a weight had been lifted.
—What am I thinking...
Sennia touched her flushed cheeks, forcefully dismissing these stray thoughts.
Half an hour later, Xia Ya came over with a warm bottle.
If only he had the reputation of a Tin Soldier Guard, he could have those invention-loving craftsmen make a nipple.
Sennia wanted to take the bottle from Xia Ya, but he lightly tapped the back of her hand.
"I'll do it."
His tone was indisputable, and Sennia found herself unable to argue, weakly accepting it.
Xia Ya gently fed the goat milk to the baby, the frequency and amount just right, as if he had practiced countless times; a bit more would choke, a bit less would starve, and the temperature was nearly perfect.
"That's enough for now." He put away the rest, demonstrating to Sennia, "Each time, press your face against the bottle; not too cold, not too hot, just right. It's best not to have leftovers; this is the amount each time."
"Oh, oh... got it!"
Sennia hurriedly committed it to memory.
The baby, full and content, fell into a deep sleep, while Xia Ya leaned over, quietly watching her, and Sennia watched Xia Ya.
She suddenly thought that Xia Ya's childlike profile was also quite handsome.
"Her name is Tifa," Sennia said.
"That's a lovely name."
Xia Ya reached out and gently touched Tifa's cheek.
"She'll grow up to be as beautiful as Sennia."
Sennia smiled with her lips pressed together, "Ah, your words are so sweet."
"I'm serious."
Xia Ya said earnestly.
He had seen little Tifa's appearance.
Sennia had a quarter of forest elf blood, which made her adolescence particularly long, something even she didn't know. When mother and daughter let their hair down, it was almost impossible to tell them apart; Xia Ya could only distinguish them by touch and voice.
"Alright, alright, I believe you."
Sennia chuckled.
After a quiet moment, she suddenly said softly, "Thank you, Xia Ya."
Xia Ya shook his head with a smile.
"Save your thanks for later; get ready, we're going to explore the Corrupted Forest."
"Huh?" Sennia was taken aback, "Are you inviting me to battle? By the way, I haven't asked you, what's the deal with Sanya, why is she accompanying you to explore the Corrupted Forest..."
"Of course, I have my own methods." Xia Ya feigned mystery, then explained to himself:
"I've done all this not just to have Sanya tell you the truth; in fact, I know where the real monster lair is, the source of the forest's corruption. I want to take you there, resolve the crisis from the source, and make you the village hero, so you and little Tifa can have a secure future..."
Hearing this, Sennia's gaze suddenly froze.
Then, little by little, it softened, her eyes inadvertently reddening.
Xia Ya was completely different from that man, completely different.
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He always clumsily did those things, then boasted about them like a child seeking a reward.
"Hey, why are you crying..."
Xia Ya said in a panic, waving his hand in front of her.
"Don't cry... did I do something wrong..."
Hearing Xia Ya's voice tinged with a helpless sob, Sennia instantly broke into laughter, her smile filled with maternal affection and tenderness, pulling Xia Ya's arm and drawing him into her embrace.
—Back again, this warm embrace.
[Sennia's favorability towards you has risen to close friend]
In fact, it had already surpassed close friend.
Xia Ya resisted slightly, but 5 points of strength were no match for 25 points, and he finally had to compromise, just holding her like that.
"Behave."
Sennia blushed and patted his head.
"Hmph hmph~"
Xia Ya's clumsiness wasn't an act; it had been a long time.
In the 177th cycle, before Xia Ya went to Synlos's lair, he was busy helping Orinshiru find the Holy Sword Narsil—facing the suspicious Church and the Empire, he had to design a series of complex traps to make them believe that helping Orinshiru find the Holy Sword was just a coincidence, otherwise, it would arouse suspicion. Therefore, he was overly busy and didn't have the chance to visit Sennia.
In the previous hundreds of cycles, returning home once a year had become a reserved project for him.
So, in many ways, this was a long-awaited embrace.
"How have you been these years..."
Sennia asked, stroking his head.
"I'm a wandering hero, just wandering around, doing good deeds..."
"Strange, you're so weak, didn't the Church teach you anything?"
"The Church isn't a charity; you have to sell your soul to join them, essentially no different from demons."
Xia Ya rubbed harder, changing to a more comfortable position.
"So, I just wandered around, maybe the Seven Sacred Spirits couldn't stand it anymore, pointed a finger, and sent me to this village, where I met you."
"Smooth talker..."
Sennia's face reddened again, as if recalling a difficult-to-mention topic.
"Hey, kid, how did you know..."
"Know what?"
"Know that I..."
Xia Ya asked knowingly, "Know what about you?"
"Hey, kid! You're doing this on purpose!" Sennia said angrily, her face red, grinding her teeth for a long time, but unable to say that embarrassing sentence.
—How did you know I was low on milk, hey!
"So, know what..."
Xia Ya elongated his tone, deliberately humming, "If you don't say the problem, how would I know..."
Sennia playfully scolded, her fingers brushing his hair aside, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"You little rascal..."
Proofreader & Editor: Lyra