A Little Girl's Morning Routine...
Warm light slowly peeked through the window of a simple house, illuminating the thin curtains that swayed gently in the morning breeze.
Beneath the morning curtains, a silver-haired little girl could be seen sleeping on a soft bed, hugging a stuffed rabbit. A sweet smile was etched on her tiny face, depicting an innocence untainted by the world.
In the near-silent warmth, light footsteps crept into the tiny bedroom, scented with roses.
"Caelan... Honey, wake up. It's morning," whispered Marry El Rose, a mother of one, gently, stroking her little daughter's silver hair.
Caelan squirmed coquettishly, then slowly opened her blue eyes. "...Mommy?"
"Hmm?" Marry smiled. "Come on, wake up. Brush your teeth first, breakfast is ready."
Her tiny hands rubbed her still-half-closed eyes. Caelan El Rose nodded and, as usual, raised her arms to be held. Marry chuckled and complied with her little daughter's request. Because, of course, Caelan was Mama's daughter.
—
A Quiet Morning…
After they cleaned themselves up and changed, Marry carried Caelan into the dining room. She held her little daughter in a wooden chair. Breakfast was already laid out on the wooden table in front of her. It was simple but hearty: warm mushroom soup, toast, and warm milk.
Marry fed her little daughter the warm mushroom soup.
"Open your mouth, honey."
Little Caelan opened her tiny mouth and took a bite of her favourite mushroom soup.
"It's delicious, Mom. Feed me some more!" she begged coquettishly.
Marry smiled… she continued feeding her little daughter, occasionally taking a sip of the mushroom soup.
Marry paused for a moment… She looked at her daughter, who was still busy chewing the soup. She asked, "So… what do you want to do today, honey?"
Caelan continued chewing until her cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel's, and her cheeks were covered in soup.
Marry gently wiped his cheeks with a white napkin.
"I want to bake cookies with Mom!" Caelan replied cheerfully.
"Oh? Why do you want to bake cookies, honey?" Marry asked, a little surprised but curious.
Caelan swallowed her soup… and turned to face her mother and replied:
"Because… yesterday Grandma Dora was sad. If she eats a sweet cake, her heart will be happy, right? Caelan wants Grandma Dora to be happy again," she said innocently.
Marry fell silent. Her blue eyes filled with tears. Her heart warmed. She hugged her little daughter.
"You really are a little angel…" she said, stroking her daughter's head. "Then… let's bake a cake together, honey."
Caelan immediately cheered, raising both hands, "Yaaaay! Mommy is the best!"
—
Flour, Laughter, and Love
A few moments later… the mother and daughter finished breakfast. They both walked into the kitchen.
Marry and Caelan were wearing white aprons. The mother and daughter looked perfect together.
Marry took flour from the storage cupboard and poured it into a bowl. She placed the powder on the kitchen table. As she was measuring the flour… her daughter, Caelan, discreetly took a little flour from the bowl, then…
Puff!
White powder flew into her mother's face.
"Hyaaa! Caelan's flour attack!" her daughter shouted, laughing heartily.
Marry was silent for a moment… then smiled as she looked at her daughter.
"Oh, so this is war, huh?"
Puff!
Fine powder hit her daughter's tiny face.
"Haha…"
The mother and daughter laughed together, holding their bellies.
They played with the flour until their faces and hair were painted white like circus clowns. And suddenly… the kitchen turned into a white battlefield.
After laughing to their hearts' content, they returned to their focus on making the dough.
Caelan sat intently shaping the cookies into various shapes: rabbits, bears, cats, and even one she claimed was a long-haired Mommy, though it looked like a dented doughnut.
Marry couldn't help but laugh softly. For a moment… flour, laughter, and love filled the kitchen, testifying that… a mother-daughter bond could warm a dark world.
A few moments later… the cookie dough was neatly arranged on a baking sheet. Marry placed the baking sheet into the magic stone-powered oven.
The cookies are baked. A sweet aroma spread throughout the house. Caelan sat with her chin on the table, staring at the oven with sparkling eyes.
Once all the cookies were baked, Marry wrapped them in pastel-colored paper boxes with small ribbons, Caelan's own handiwork.
Caelan smiled broadly at her handiwork.
"Caelan made cookies for Grandma Dora!" she said excitedly, holding the box above her head.
"Hmm… of course, Caelan made them," Marry nodded with a knowing smile, even though 95% of the process was done by Marry herself.
Then… Marry and little Caelan cleaned up and changed into clean clothes. Marry wore a red tunic and long skirt… like most mothers. Meanwhile, little Caelan wore a pink t-shirt and skirt.
Marry locked the door. Then… she handed the box containing the neatly arranged cookies to her little daughter.
"Give these cookies to Grandma Dora, honey," she said softly.
"Okay, Mom."
The two of them walked hand in hand toward the village… to Grandma Dora's fruit stall.
—
To Grandma Dora's Fruit Stall...
Marry and Celan walked to the market. Every step Marry took was elegant... like a princess. She and her daughter walked until they reached an ordinary fruit stall.
Marry's blue eyes stared at an old woman scolding her grandson.
"Thomas, come help Grandma look after the shop! Don't just daydream!"
"I can't, Grandma! I have to train to be strong! I... I want to be a shadow hero!" Thomas said, holding a wooden branch.
Thomas swung the branch like a sword through the air. Jumping. Stabbing. And parrying.
Grandma Dora could only shake her head and laugh at her grandson's ridiculous antics.
When Marry and Caelan approached… Grandma Dora immediately smiled brightly.
"Oh! Caelan! Marry! Good afternoon! Want to buy some fruit?!"
"Not today, Grandma," Marry replied softly. "We just wanted to give you something."
Caelan stepped forward, holding up a cake box. "These are Caelan's cookies! For Grandma Dora, who was sad yesterday…"
Grandma Dora was stunned. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Caelan, honey… thank you so much…" She crouched down and hugged little Caelan tightly. "You're such a good little girl."
Thomas's dark eyes stared at his grandmother, hugging the little girl. He pouted and looked away.
Grandma Dora reprimanded him.
"Thomas! Say hello to them. They're… Mrs. Marry and her daughter, Caelan. Marry… is a very good mother, and Caelan… is a very sweet daughter. Be polite!"
Thomas pouted but complied. He stepped in front of Caelan and said:
"I'm Thomas…"
Little Caelan looked up at Thomas's face. Then… she bowed politely.
"I'm… Caelan. Mama gave me my name," she said innocently.
Thomas just frowned at the little girl's innocent words. She stared at Caelan for a moment… then turned his head to look at the twig in his right hand.
"I'm Thomas… I'm going to be a shadow hero."
Marry just smiled warmly. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she watched her daughter mention herself while trying to introduce herself to little Thomas.
Grandma Dora smiled. And as usual… she was trying to unite the two worlds.
"Thomas, why don't you play with Caelan? It'll be good, then you won't be wandering around all the time…"
But Thomas shouted:
"I don't have time to play with a little girl! I have to train to be a shadow hero!"
Caelan snorted.
"Caelan only wants to play with Mommy."
Grandma Dora slapped her forehead.
"Oh my, you both…"
Marry covered her lips with both hands… holding back laughter, watching the silliness of the two little ones.
—
Sometimes Later…
After handing over the cake and saying goodbye, Marry carried Caelan… and walked home.
Thomas watched them go. He observed her every step. Her footsteps… so calm, elegant, and graceful… as if she were no ordinary mother.
His left hand held her tiny head. He felt… like something was strange.
"Those elegant movements… that protective aura…" Thomas stared at Marry as she continued to walk gracefully. "…resembles Red."
But Thomas saw Marry smiling warmly at the little girl in her arms… like a typical young mother. He immediately shook his head.
"No way! Red is a young girl…" he thought. "Red is cool, elegant, but kind… she can't be a gentle young mother."
Grandma Dora patted little Thomas on the shoulder and handed him some cookies.
"These are from Marry and Caelan. Eat them while you watch the stall!"
Thomas pouted, seeing his grandmother still insisting on watching the stall. But he accepted it… and reluctantly, he took a bite. His expression immediately changed. His eyes lit up.
"…It's delicious."
But he remained indifferent. He continued to nibble on the cookies until they were gone. He returned to the stall.
But before he entered the stall… he looked back and saw that Marry and Caelan had disappeared from his sight.
"But if Red were a mother…and had children…what would Red be like?!" Thomas wondered.
—
The Journey Home…
Marry continued walking home, carrying her little daughter. Along the way, the villagers bowed respectfully and greeted her. Some even offered her their produce.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Marry."
"Your daughter is very sweet."
"Thank you for helping me yesterday, Mrs. Marry."
"Mrs. Marry… please accept these fruits."
Marry politely returned each greeting and greeting. Her face held a faint smile.
A few moments later, her left hand was filled with gift bags. Little Caelan also carried a small bag filled with apples.
Caelan's eyes lit up at the gifts his mother had received.
"Mom… the villagers are very kind. Caelan wants to eat these apples," She clutched the bag of apples tightly in her arms.
Marry sighed. She smiled faintly and looked down at her daughter, who was nestled against her chest.
"Be patient, honey. Caelan can eat apples at home," she said softly.
"Hmm… Caelan will eat apples when he gets home, Mom," she said cheerfully.
Marry smiled faintly and gazed up at the sky with her clear eyes.
"I don't care how the world sees me… as long as my little daughter is happy and keeps calling me 'Mommy.' That's enough," Marry muttered to herself.
Meanwhile… a little boy thought Marry was a shadow heroine.
To the fruit-selling grandmother, she was a gentle and kind mother of one.
The villagers saw her as a blessed and helpful woman.
But they didn't know… the world of Eldora, which had lost its sins, once called her a bloody executioner and shook the world of tyranny.
But none of that mattered anymore… because to Marry, as long as her little daughter called herself 'Mommy.' As long as Caelan El Rose could continue to smile every day… all other identities were irrelevant. Now, she was justMama Caelan.