“Alright, breakfast is eaten, and we’ve had enough fun. It’s time to get ready for work~”
Lu Erlu gently brushed the top of Bai Ning’s head with his palm and squeezed Zi Ya’s cheek.
“Okay, Father~ We’re getting ready to head out now!”
Zi Ya tilted her little face up, her eyes curving into crescents.
“I know, Master!”
Bai Ning once again pridefully reached out to swat away the hand that was messing up her hair.
Standing nearby, Long Jiu also nodded in agreement.
During the farewell, Lu Erlu gave a few more instructions.
“Be careful on the road~ Remember to eat lunch~”
The three girls obediently responded while picking up the small cloth bags by the door, waving goodbye to him amidst their chatter.
Watching the three figures walk away laughing and talking, Lu Erlu leaned against the doorframe, blankly watching their retreating backs.
‘The girls have all grown up, and they each have their own jobs.’
‘Sigh, time really flies. Before I knew it, I was already in my early thirties…’
‘And… to focus on raising these three daughters, I didn’t even have time to date. I’m still a lonely bachelor to this day.’
‘But being single is one thing; I can’t exactly tell the three little ones out of the blue that I want to find them a stepmother. They probably wouldn’t accept it for a while…’
‘The father-daughter relationship might even fracture because of it. It’s possible.’
Lu Erlu stood at the door grumbling to himself, his gaze following the three silhouettes as they grew smaller.
The softness of his daughters’ hair still lingered on his fingertips.
Outside, the wind swirled fallen leaves, carrying the sounds of their laughter far, far away.
“Sigh~”
Lu Erlu sighed deeply again. In a daze, he saw nothing but memories of the old days.
When she was little, Long Jiu used to timidly clutch the corner of his clothes, her small body shrinking behind him, not even daring to lift her head.
Now, she could hold her own and would even carefully straighten her sisters’ collars.
Should it be expected of the Dragon Queen’s daughter?
Bai Ning always loved to stand on her tiptoes and ask for hugs.
All day long, she would wrap her arms around his neck while saying things she didn’t mean.
Her mouth said she hated it, yet she wouldn’t let go.
But surprisingly, she was the easiest one to worry about.
From a young age, she knew how to comb her own hair and fold her clothes, as if she had always known.
To this day, Lu Erlu still found it a mystery.
Or perhaps it was an innate talent for being a good wife?
‘Tsundere plus domestic skills… why does that feel so strange? Whatever, don’t think about it.’
And little Zi Ya, who used to be quiet as a child, always sat in the corner hugging a doll in a daze.
This made Lu Erlu worry about whether she had autistic tendencies.
After all, when the Dream Demon Queen was killed, Zi Ya might have witnessed everything from behind the throne.
But unexpectedly, as she was raised, she opened up.
Now she had become the family’s lively mood-maker, her little mouth chattering away, capable of turning a quiet house into a bustling one.
All of this proved that Lu Erlu’s original idea was correct.
As long as one put their heart and effort into education, regardless of race, one could cultivate a good nature.
Even if they didn’t become great talents, at least they wouldn’t harm the world.
Reflecting on human stereotypes of the demon race, he shook his head with a smile and turned back into the house to clear the plates.
The scent of breakfast drifted in the air, mixing with the girls’ recent laughter.
Every bit of it tasted sweet.
Early thirties, ten years of time.
While others were busy rushing for a living, he felt that these were precious days he wouldn’t trade for anything.
In this other world, who else had the chance to raise three demon girls?
Once, he thought he would be all alone, walking solo through this other world and finishing this life in solitude.
He didn’t expect that after picking up three little troubles, he would live a happy life ever since.
Thus, Lu Erlu occasionally thanked fate for this arrangement, which made him feel like a protagonist.
Lu Erlu walked to the window, looking at the clouds drifting slowly in the sky.
The corners of his mouth curled into a gentle arc.
Recalling the bits and pieces of the past, he raised his hand to open the window and whispered to the empty street.
“Walk slowly. Dad will be waiting for you to come home for soup this evening~”
—
“This should be far enough. Father shouldn’t be able to see us anymore.”
Long Jiu stopped walking and waved her hand, her small face carrying a hint of caution.
“Hey, Long Jiu, keep walking! Wait until we turn at the fork in the road ahead!”
Bai Ning hurried to urge her, not stopping her pace as she continued forward, which made Zi Ya behind them unable to resist teasing.
“Sister Bai Ning~ You’re being too careful! Honestly, so what if Father finds out? It’s not like he’d actually scold us~”
“Sigh, Sister Zi Ya.”
Long Jiu furrowed her brow slightly and gently pulled Zi Ya’s sleeve.
“Father loves us so much. Keeping things from him like this is already bad enough.”
“Exactly!”
Bai Ning also turned around, hands on her hips as she glared at her.
“You play the good girl in front of Father all day. If he finds out we’re lying to him, won’t his heart be broken?”
Long Jiu and Bai Ning spoke in unison, together reprimanding their mischievous younger sister.
Zi Ya shrank her neck, her voice weak.
“I know… but there’s nothing we can do about it…”
She hung her head, her fingers picking at the corner of her clothes, looking aggrieved.
“But it’s not like we can really tell him… Right now, we are no longer those little girls who need protection in his eyes, but the Queens of our respective races, right?”
As soon as those words were spoken, Bai Ning and Long Jiu fell silent.
The wind swept through the treetops, making a rustling sound.
Who could have imagined that the three daughters Lu Erlu had pampered since childhood now possessed unfathomable strength?
Having royal blood, they had long since secretly awakened their powers.
Using the excuse of going out to work every day, they had re-established kingdoms belonging to their own races in various corners of this continent.
Only Lu Erlu, who came with a “daughter filter,” still foolishly felt that his little girls were still the fragile and cute versions of themselves from childhood that needed him to protect them from behind.
One wonders what kind of expression Lu Erlu will have when he discovers his daughters’ secret in the future.
Please stay tuned.