"You must be Little Leslie!"
Duke Charles widened his eyes, staring at Little Leslie, his face filled with affection.
"I am your mother's grandfather!"
Hearing this, Little Leslie tilted her head, looking at Duke Charles with suspicion.
"Are you really my grandfather?"
As she spoke, she suddenly felt a warm and familiar aura emanating from Duke Charles, instinctively making her want to draw closer.
"Grandfather!"
Once her heart confird it, Little Leslie imdiately rushed toward Duke Charles, stretching out her small arms, signaling for him to hold her.
The mont Duke Charles heard Little Leslie call him grandfather, his eyes turned red with emotion.
He had a granddaughter!
At that mont, Duke Charles' mind went blank, and in his eyes, there was nothing but Little Leslie.
Although he had known that Leslie and Owen had a child, it had always been just news- sothing he had never personally seen.
Now, this was his first ti seeing her!
This little girl, as adorable as an angel, instantly lted his heart.
He instinctively wanted to reach out and hold her, yet hesitated, fearing that his rough hands might harm her.
He remained frozen in place, hesitating.
Seeing this, Little Leslie giggled and hugged Duke Charles' leg. "Grandfather!"
Her sweet voice once again made Duke Charles' body tremble.
Snapping out of his daze, he scooped up Little Leslie into his arms.
Looking at her in his embrace, Duke Charles' eyes turned misty.
From Little Leslie, he saw so much of Leslie-so much of her childhood, her kindness, and her understanding nature.
"Grandfather, why are you crying? Do you not like Little Leslie?"
Seeing Duke Charles' tears, Little Leslie reached out to wipe them away, looking up at him in confusion.
Duke Charles shook his head repeatedly.
"Little Leslie is the best! Grandfather loves you the most!"
The attendants of the Ducal Estate, witnessing this scene, also shed tears.
They had all served the Ducal Estate for years and knew just how much Duke Charles had cherished Leslie and Madelyn.
After Leslie and Madelyn left, the Ducal Estate had grown cold and quiet.
Even Duke Charles had beco withdrawn, rarely speaking.
But now, seeing Little Leslie, the gloom that had weighed on him for years instantly disappeared!
At that mont, Seraphina, who disliked sad scenes, walked over to Madelyn, shaking her
arm.
"Madelyn, I'm hungry!"
Hearing this, Madelyn wiped away her tears and imdiately instructed the attendants of the Ducal Estate to prepare a feast.
As the banquet began, the Ducal Estate beca lively once more.
Throughout the banquet, Duke Charles' attention was entirely on Little Leslie.
He personally held her, fed her carefully, and kept smiling as he played with her.
Little Leslie was also very obedient.
Even though she could eat on her own, she allowed Duke Charles to feed her one bite at a ti.
Both Owen and Madelyn shook their heads at the sight.
Duke Charles, a once iron-blooded general who had fought across countless battlefields, now looked like an ordinary old man, completely spoiling Little Leslie.
Once the lively banquet ended, Duke Charles had not eaten a single bite, focusing entirely on Little Leslie.
His love for her ran deep in his bones.
Returning to Leslie's Courtyard
After the banquet, Owen, guided by Madelyn, entered Leslie's courtyard once again.
By the ti they arrived, it was already twilight.
The sunset painted the sky, and the large canopy tree in the courtyard looked even more majestic, its branches stretching wide.
The golden-orange hues of sunlight filtering through the leaves made the entire courtyard feel ethereal, as if draped in a delicate veil of light.
A faint, refreshing fragrance from the ancient tree filled the air, making Owen instinctively
relax.
This was the place Leslie had always lived.
It was also where he and Leslie had been married.
It held too many of his mories, too much of his past.
Beneath the large tree, the stone table was covered in fallen leaves, and an untouched teapot
sat atop it, as if frozen in ti.
"Since you both left, no one has entered this place. Everything remains exactly as it was."
Madelyn glanced around the courtyard.
Though the scattered fallen leaves made it appear a bit ssy, everything else was
unchanged.
She knew that Leslie disliked anyone entering her courtyard-even she was not allowed.
Little Leslie's Curiosity
In Owen's arms, Little Leslie stared at the courtyard that her mother had often described to
her, her eyes filled with wonder.
"Daddy, is this where you t Mommy for the first ti?"
Her face was full of curiosity.
Owen's mind replayed countless mories.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Yes. When we first t, your mother wanted to kill ."
Saying this, Owen chuckled and began recounting his first encounter with Leslie, sharing the
details with Little Leslie.
Listening intently, Little Leslie found her parents' love story filled with ups and downs.
Especially Daddy—at that ti, his rank and power were nothing compared to Mommy, yet
he had stayed calm and composed throughout.
That was amazing!
Perhaps that was why Mommy fell for him!
After hearing the whole story, Little Leslie's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Daddy, Mommy, you two are amazing! I want to be just like you both when I grow up!"
Seeing Little Leslie's excitent, Owen smiled.
The story of him and Leslie could not be told in just a single day.
After all, there were too many unforgettable monts.
Little Leslie's Wish
Suddenly, Little Leslie thought of sothing and asked,
"Daddy, why did you co back here now? Aren't you about to launch the final attack on the
Celestial?"
Even though Little Leslie was young, she had sharp intuition and could deduce so things
on her own.
Hearing this, Owen did not answer imdiately.
If it had been the old him, he wouldn't have returned at all.
Back then, his sole purpose was to unseal the Godslayer Staff, constantly strengthening
himself in order to survive in this cruel, survival-of-the-fittest world.
He had wanted to beco stronger-and the Godslayer Staff was the fastest and safest path.
But after eting Leslie, his original plans fell apart.
His heart gradually settled on one thought-
To stay by Leslie's side, to beco her most important person.
That was enough.
As Owen remained silent, Little Leslie sensed sothing.
She reached out her chubby little hand and gripped Owen's tightly.
"Daddy, no matter what happened before, from now on, can we never be separated from
Mommy again?"
"I want you both to stay with forever!"
To Little Leslie, nothing else mattered.
She only wished to always be with her parents.
For most mage families, this was normal.
But for Little Leslie, it was extrely difficult.
Her parents were not ordinary people.
They both had great responsibilities.
Hearing Little Leslie's wish, Owen's heart ached deeply.
He loved Little Leslie dearly and wanted nothing more than to stay with her.
But the Celestial lood over them like an unstoppable force.
They were already locked in deadly enmity.
Leslie also had deep entanglents with the Celestial.
Until all of this was resolved, peace was impossible.
As Owen's thoughts raced, Little Leslie suddenly gazed up at the towering tree, watching its
leaves rustle.
"Daddy, this tree is so big, and it slls so nice!"
Owen nodded.
This ancient tree was special.
Even in the manga, small hints suggested it was incredibly ancient.
Little Leslie's voice softened.
"Daddy, I miss Mommy so much. Do you know where she is?"
Her eyes reddened, filled with deep longing.
Reviews
All reviews (0)