*Crackle—*
Sparks of lightning shot from the Herrscher of Thunder's eyes. She threw the pillow she had punched several times and electrocuted to the side, then walked towards the kitchen full of resentment.
As she passed Mei and her mother, she shot Mei a glare. Kikkaka saw it and gave the Herrscher of Thunder a light slap, sending her staggering.
The Herrscher of Thunder clutched the back of her head and turned to her mother with a wronged expression.
"Is that how I taught you? You must be polite. Mei is your older sister, how can you be so rude!"
Mei's mother looked at the Herrscher of Thunder, a little angry, and poked her forehead.
"What grudges can there be between family? Herrscher of Thunder, do you realize your gaze just now looked like you wanted to kill Mei..."
"Hmph!" The Herrscher of Thunder turned her head away, snorted coldly, and walked into the kitchen without looking back.
"Oh, dear! This child..." Mei's mother looked at Mei apologetically and tried to explain, "Mei, please don't mind her. The Herrscher of Thunder isn't usually like this at home... Maybe she's just in a bad mood..."
"It's alright... I'm used to it."
Mei gently patted her mother's hand and shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind.
After all, when the Herrscher of Thunder first appeared, she had always looked incredibly arrogant, as if she were the sole ruler of heaven and earth. And she acted as if everyone owed her millions, looking at everyone like an enemy she wanted to kill on the spot.
When she first entered the Stigmata Space and saw such a quiet and peaceful Herrscher of Thunder, Mei thought she had mistaken her for someone else.
Now, this was... more like it.
A moment later, the Herrscher of Thunder came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of brightly colored curry rice.
Because the Herrscher of Thunder was currently in the form of a four or five-year-old, she had trouble seeing the path while carrying the large platter, and she walked unsteadily.
Although Mei was still hugging her, Mei's mother took two steps forward and reached out to take the curry rice from the Herrscher of Thunder.
"Thank you, Little Lei. You're such a good girl!"
Even though the Herrscher of Thunder had only taken a few steps with the curry rice, Mei's mother still stroked her head and praised her.
Upon receiving her mother's praise, the Herrscher of Thunder immediately straightened her back, her hands on her hips, looking incredibly proud.
Seeing the ever-changing Herrscher of Thunder, Mei couldn't help but find it amusing. She mimicked her mother's action and reached out to pat the Herrscher of Thunder's head.
*Crackle—Crackle—*
The Herrscher of Thunder's body crackled with electricity as she warily watched Mei's approaching hand.
"Alright, alright... I won't touch, I won't touch."
Mei awkwardly retracted her hand, silently scorning the Herrscher of Thunder in her heart.
*If you don't want to be petted, why did you take on such a cute form... You annoying little brat. Hmph, not as cute as I was when I was a kid!*
"Come and try it. It's been a long time since Mei has had Mom's cooking!"
Kikkaka led Mei to the dining table, placed the curry rice on it, then pulled out a chair for Mei to sit.
Mei didn't fuss any longer. She let go of her mother and sat down to start eating.
Mei's mother sat across from her, watching Mei with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, wondering if, after so long, her cooking would still suit Mei's taste.
Mei took a spoonful and held it in her mouth, wanting to savor the deliciousness from her mother, filled with motherly love.
"Mmph—!"
As soon as the food entered her mouth, Mei's face turned red, and she broke out in a sweat...
So spicy!!
The spice brought tears to Mei's eyes, and her mouth felt like it had gone numb...
Seeing this, the Herrscher of Thunder was satisfied and quickly slipped away.
If her mother found out that she had secretly added a large amount of wasabi to Mei's portion, she would definitely be hung up and spanked soundly.
"What's wrong? Is it bad? Here, drink some water, rinse your mouth..."
Seeing Mei's predicament, she immediately stood up in a panic, poured Mei a glass of water, and stood by her side, wringing her hands.
"No, it's not... it's delicious, Mom..."
Mei's eyes were so watery from the spice that she could barely see, but she still nodded persistently.
This was her mom's cooking! She had already lost the chance to eat her mom's cooking once. Heaven had mercifully given her another chance, and she would never give it up so easily!
"But... but..."
"It's fine, I like spicy food!"
Mei closed her eyes and began to shovel the food into her mouth frantically. If she ate fast enough, the spiciness wouldn't catch up to her!
Although curry rice was supposed to be spicy, Mei had never had it this spicy before...
But, it must be because it's been too long, and she had forgotten that her mom's cooking had such strong flavors!
Kikkaka was also at a loss. She had specifically made the curry less spicy to accommodate the Herrscher of Thunder, so how could it be so spicy for Mei...
A few minutes later, Mei, having eaten like a ravenous dog, died with a satisfied expression. No, she collapsed into her chair, full and content, panting with her mouth open and constantly drinking water.
Mei's mother cleared the table, then sat next to Mei, watching her and fanning her to help alleviate the spiciness.
She quietly watched her daughter, who had grown up so silently, her heart filled with a mix of bitterness and happiness.
Happy that Mei had grown up healthy, sad that she couldn't be by her daughter's side...
After a long while, the lingering spiciness in Mei's mouth had mostly subsided, and Mei's mother had watched her for long enough.
Mei's mother looked intently at Mei's face, wanting to engrave her image into her mind once more.
Finally, although Mei's mother was reluctant, she knew that Mei didn't belong here and that she had things she needed to do.
"Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder's room is over there... When you've rested enough, go find her."
"I..."
Mei was about to refuse, wanting to stay with her mother a little longer.
But Mei's mother shook her head, caressed Mei's face, and looked into her crystal-clear eyes, saying with reluctance:
"You came to this space for something important with the Herrscher of Thunder, right? I've already taken up a lot of your time. As a parent, I can't hold my daughter back...
Go on... Mom is always here, always with you. When you're tired, when you can't walk anymore, when you can't see the future ahead... you can always come home to rest. I will always welcome you back.
This is your home. Mom will always love you."