In the young maiden's heart, Rio held a special place, similar to or even surpassing that of Lia and Leon. Despite Lia and Leon being her blood relatives, Rio's forgiveness of something they might never forgive her for set him apart. It elevated him to an almost god-like status in her eyes, and her devotion to him grew stronger.
Although Helia was technically Rio's slave, the mark meant little between them. He never treated her as a slave or used her as such, showing her the same respect he showed Lia. Even though he occasionally teased her, he had decreased it down after she had witnessed the painful experiences because of him.
As Layla and Lia concluded their heartfelt conversation, their gazes toward one another softened, indicating the understanding and empathy that had grown between them.
Layla learned about the series of events that had transpired since Rio's arrival in the Land of Asura, and Lia had been completely honest with her, not shying away from sharing even Helia's wrongdoings.
At first, Layla's emotions flared with anger towards Helia, but as she listened further and learned how close Helia had been to losing her life, her perspective began to shift.
Layla came to realize that, despite her faults, Helia's rigorous training had likely played a significant role in Rio's rapid growth in strength. Moreover, Rio had used the battle techniques taught to him by Helia to defeat both Layla and her grandfather, even though these techniques were closely guarded clan secrets.
She weighed the negative aspects of Helia's actions against the positive outcomes and ultimately decided to forgive her. She acknowledged that Helia's approach to training was similar to her own grandfather's methods, which aimed to push her to become stronger in a short amount of time.
While Helia's training had been fueled by her bitter feelings toward the boy, she had not put his life in danger. In fact, the intense training had helped Rio break through his limits more quickly.
Layla struggled with whether to express gratitude or resentment toward Helia, but in the end, she chose to forgive her, recognizing that Helia, like herself, was also an orphan.
With a newly established understanding and empathy, Lia took out several scrolls from her spatial beast soul and handed them to Layla.
Carefully, Layla drew her own blood and applied it to each scroll, one by one. As she did so, she learned useful new spells, such as [Astral Recall] and [Ancient Disguise], which would help her connect to the mystical world around her as she prepared to live with Rio and her new family.
[Astral Recall] was going to give her a way to directly return to Empress Villa when necessary, and [Ancient Disguise] was going to allow her to change her eye color to red, enabling her to blend in with other asuras.
Following their emotional conversation and newfound understanding, Lia decided to give Layla a tour of the castle.
As they strolled through the grand halls and impressive rooms, Lia introduced Layla to the castle residents, guards, and maids as her sister, explaining that she had been adopted, just like Nyla.
Some of the guards exchanged skeptical glances, rolling their eyes discreetly behind Lia's back. They were surprised by the sudden introduction of another adopted sister, but they kept their thoughts to themselves.
Layla, noticing their reactions, couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious, but she held her head high and continued walking alongside Lia, determined to adapt to her new life.
Meanwhile, Emperor Dylan nearly choked on his tea when he heard the news of Layla's adoption. He was particularly surprised by Lia's decision to make the announcement herself, without consulting him or even giving him a heads-up.
As he coughed and sputtered, he couldn't help but imagine himself as the father of a rapidly expanding family, wondering if he should start preparing for more surprise daughters to suddenly appear in the future.
With a mix of shock and amusement, he pictured Rio surrounded by an ever-growing collection of wives, a scene straight out of a comedic play. He knew about Lia, Nyla, and Layla, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Helia would eventually become part of the mix, given her attachment to Lia and Rio's kind-hearted nature.
Despite his initial bafflement, he discovered the genuine bond that had formed between Lia and Layla.
Shaking his head with a bemused smile, he decided to trust his wise daughter's judgment, hoping that her actions would lead to a harmonious, albeit somewhat unconventional, family. After all, a few unexpected twists and turns only made life more entertaining.
In the evening, Layla met Helia, who approached her with an apologetic expression.
"I want to ask for your forgiveness for my past actions toward Rio," Helia said, her voice filled with remorse.
Layla looked at her with a serene smile and said, "There's no need for you to apologize. I know about your story with Rio, and I understand that the training was essential for him. My grandfather trained me in a similar way, so I know that sometimes pain is necessary to surpass one's limits. You did not endanger Rio's life, and therefore, there is no need for blame. Let us start our new present without the bitterness of the past."
Hearing Layla's forgiving words, Helia felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She knew Layla was right – she herself had gone through similar training, pushing herself through pain to become stronger. Though her feelings of hatred for humans had made it difficult to train Rio, she had always kept her restraint and never endangered his life.
With a grateful nod, Helia said, "Thank you."
Layla smiled warmly, reassuring Helia that she had truly forgiven her. This helped Helia feel even less burdened by her actions.
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