"My daughter is so possessive!"
Celia realized something was wrong. Flustered and embarrassed, she tried to pull away. However, the man's strong arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly by his side.
After a few symbolic struggles, Celia glanced at her mother, who was snickering nearby. She had intended to ask for help, but the sight of her mother's face only made her feel more ashamed!
She lifted her head slightly and mumbled, "Lord Ryan, in this position… the baby is going to fall…"
"Didn't you hear what your mother just said to me?"
Ryan replied calmly, "If it dares to fall and make me angry, I'll discipline you right away. But I'll go easy—at most, I'll spank your bottom a few times until you cry."
"No, I won't… How could you… spank me until I cry…" Celia deflated. "Alright then…"
To keep her balance, she simply relaxed her body and leaned into him voluntarily. She closed her eyes, not even daring to look at her mother's expression at that moment.
Clearly, she had always claimed to have a man's mindset in front of her mother, and even said she would never fall for Ryan. Yet here she was, making a fool of herself in front of her mother, ending up so humiliated. Maybe Ryan was doing this on purpose?
Sniffling, Celia thought to herself. Meanwhile, Cecil chimed in quietly from the side, "Lord Ryan is so domineering~"
Stop talking! That's enough! Let's leave quickly!
After all the fuss, Celia finally broke free. She stood beside Ryan and said goodbye to her lovely mother at the door. But after taking a few steps, Cecil called out softly from behind, "Be good, okay? Otherwise, Ryan won't like you anymore~"
Celia didn't want to respond. She silently followed the man, her delicate, doll-like face flushed bright red. During their earlier chat, she had been terrified that her mother might bring up some dreadful topic—just like when the two of them had chatted that morning…
The sunset dyed the ground crimson. The air was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing. Before they knew it, night had fallen.
Celia held the baby in her arms, staring at the ground as she walked step by step. Suddenly, Ryan spoke up, "Your mother really loves you."
"Huh? Oh, yes… she does," Celia stammered, caught off guard by his sudden words.
…Being alone with this man always made her unconsciously stiffen up, filled with nervousness. Even though they had had a baby together and she had seen Ryan's gentle side, they had actually only been with each other for less than two days—and one of those days, she had spent most of her time asleep.
Now, standing next to him, she could clearly feel his breath and the warmth of his body. Their arms brushed against each other's shoulders from time to time. When she thought about how he was her husband, the one she had been intimate with, and the father of the baby in her arms, a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
"Um… Lord Ryan, how much longer until we get there?" she asked, trying to hide her awkwardness.
"We're already here," Ryan replied.
"Huh? We're already here?" Celia had only asked casually, so she was shocked by his answer. She was full of doubts—they had only been walking for three minutes.
While she was still confused, they turned a corner. In the blink of an eye, Celia's eyes widened as she saw a wooden house looming in the distance. No, that wasn't just a wooden house—it was more like a villa!
"Haven't you seen it yet?" Ryan asked.
"I have," Celia replied, her heart filled with amazement as she followed Ryan closer to the villa.
Soon, a railing stretching dozens of meters stood in front of them. At the center of the railing, a wide wooden door stood open. This was such a grand setup… It hadn't seemed like much from a distance, but up close, she realized how beautiful it was. This villa was even several times more spacious than the house Ryan had stayed in the previous day.
In the thousand years of the elf clan's recorded history, there had never been such a building. The only thing similar she had ever seen was in a few poster pictures left behind after the last human invasion. There were plenty like this on Earth, though…
"Are you satisfied?" Ryan asked.
"Mm…" Celia nodded in a daze. Of course she was satisfied—her eyes were practically sparkling. She couldn't imagine how wonderful it would be to live here.
She followed Ryan through the open door. The interior didn't disappoint her either, and she couldn't help but look around. The floor was covered with a layer of lawn, and above the lawn, there were all kinds of entertainment facilities—like a small slide, a toy ball, and a swing swaying gently between two trees, to name a few…
However, Celia could tell at a glance that these facilities were most likely prepared for the baby inside the egg. Ryan's thoughtfulness made her feel a little more fond of him. It seemed he was really responsible for the child she was hatching.
"These are for you," Ryan added.
"Huh?" Celia was confused. No, no—counting both her past and present lives, she was over forty years old. She was a young man… no, a young girl who couldn't possibly like these things. She pressed her lips together, lost in thought for a moment.
When Ryan walked up the steps and pushed open the door, she hurried to follow him in small steps. The villa's living room was even brighter and more spacious, so much so that a cool breeze drifted through it. On one side of the living room, there was a table—probably for eating. On the other side, there was a cozy large bed, and next to the bed, there was a sofa made of expensive material. In the farthest corner, a staircase hidden by a wall led up to the second floor.
Overall, it was perfect!
The heavy weight in her arms and the distance they had walked made her arms ache. So, Celia's eyes immediately locked onto the soft-looking bed—she was dying to flop down on it.
"Tired?" Ryan seemed to notice her exhaustion and voiced her thoughts, "If you're tired, go lie down on the bed."
"Thank you…" Since Ryan had said so, Celia broke into a smile. She shuffled over in three steps, gently placed the egg on the bed, then took off her shoes and collapsed onto it.
She buried her face in the soft quilt and took a sniff— a faint fragrance filled her nose. She rolled over twice, then propped herself up and looked at the man standing on the floor beside her. Timidly, she asked, "Lord Ryan… would you like to lie down with me too?"
"Heh, sure," Ryan's tone rose slightly, and he still stared straight at Celia. "But let me observe for a while first."
Celia had no idea what he was thinking, but his gaze made her feel embarrassed. She slowly turned over, hugged the baby, and faced away from him. And that "sure"—it made her feel like something was off.
Wait a minute… Lie down together on the bed?
"Alright, I'm coming," Ryan said.
"Eep!" Celia's body trembled. She quickly shrank back and mumbled softly, "Wha… what? What do you mean 'alright'?"
Ryan just smiled without saying a word. He walked over to the edge of the bed, squatted down, and reached out to gently pry her arm away from the egg she was holding tightly. There was a hint of teasing in his voice as he said, "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, you won't be left out tonight. To be honest, I'm really interested in you right now."
"What are you talking about…" Celia asked, pretending not to understand. Her voice grew softer and softer, and her cheeks were so hot they felt like they were steaming.
Oh no! Is he really going to… again?