Chapter 51: Mr. Mamon's Heart Aches for His 'Beloved Daughter

"Mr. Mamon, I have something I would like to ask you."

After a brief chat, Lillie, her emotions calmed, hesitated before speaking thus.

"It is too serious to call it 'asking'; please speak, Young Lady Lillie."

Mamon continued to tease the little Nebula; the little Nebula was truly so cute.

"It is like this: I have a friend."

But obviously, Lillie still found it difficult to say, using the classic 'I have a friend'.

Mamon chuckled lightly, but did not expose the girl's fragile pride.

"She originally had a perfect family: a considerate father, a gentle mother, and a brother who loved her very much."

Lillie lowered her head, her feet swinging unconsciously, her memories returning to the past.

Back then, how happy she was.

"But once, due to an accident, her father disappeared, and from that moment on, her gentle mother slowly changed."

"She began to disregard her children's feelings, becoming cold, not considering her children's thoughts; she became extremely harsh, terrifying."

Lillie's voice grew lower and lower; yes, she was exactly like that now.

She feared Lusamine, dreaded Lusamine, and even dared not go to see Lusamine.

Because she knew her mother had changed, becoming extremely strange.

"Moreover, she wanted to do something very dangerous; her children finally could not endure it and all escaped that cold, big house."

"Mr. Mamon, do you say this is right?"

Lillie was now very confused; she did not know if her act of escaping Aether Paradise with the little Nebula was correct.

"Family disputes, huh?" Mamon pretended to think.

"Whether this act is right is difficult for outsiders to answer; very well, Young Lady Lillie, let me ask you a question."

Mamon thought for a moment and replied thus.

"Does your friend feel that her mother still loves her?"

Hearing this, Lillie was stunned, but immediately sadly discovered that she did not know...

"I... she does not know; she does not know if her mother still loves her."

Lillie's voice grew even quieter and sadder, her eyes beginning to sting slightly and turn red.

How sad this was; though they were family with the closest blood ties, she did not even know if Lusamine loved her.

"Then the situation is already very serious."

Mamon looked at the sad and painful Lillie and sighed lightly.

Lusamine is truly a Deeply Guilty woman.

Such a cute Lillie was actually forced by her into a melancholic girl.

Never mind; I will go train Lusamine well tonight; today, let her wear black stockings with straps, and tie her hair into twin tails to make her call me Dad.

No choice; Mamon just cares so much for his 'beloved daughter'.

"How should I put it, Young Lady Lillie? If it is my personal opinion, actually, escaping is not a good thing."

But this time, coming to find Lillie, Mamon was here to untie the knot in her heart.

Lillie still lowered her head, raising a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes; she dared not look up, afraid Mamon would see her so wretched.

But Mamon's words, she heard them in her ears.

"No matter what, the bond of family blood ties is not easily broken; I will also tell you a story. Actually, when I was very young, my mother passed away, and ten years ago, my younger brother also disappeared."

Mamon spoke in a flat tone.

"..." Lillie's body froze; she did not expect that Mamon, who looked truly sunny, gentle, and cheerful, was also from a single-parent family.

"But my father never gave up searching for my brother; even now, ten years later, it is the same."

Mamon sighed with emotion.

He had transmigrated, but saying he was reborn was actually more fitting, since he directly transmigrated into this world's mother's womb.

But when he was three years old, his mother in this life had already passed away, and when he was six, his brother Silver went missing.

Mamon, knowing the plot, naturally guessed who kidnapped little Silver, but what could he do knowing it?

Tell Giovanni? Let Giovanni go ask that old monster for his person?

Of course it was possible; although Giovanni was ambitious and cold-blooded, his fatherly love for his children was very sincere and deep, even if it cost his life.

But telling Giovanni the truth would instead harm Giovanni.

Nothing else; because that old monster in Johto was simply too strong; that was the peak of trainers in this world up to now, unprecedented.

Hmm, unless there was a little monster named Cheren in the Hisui region of this world in the past.

"I am sorry; I made you remember bad things." Lillie felt very guilty.

"No, these things passed long ago; neither I nor my father are trapped in the shameful memories of the past."

Mamon smiled.

"What I want to tell you, Young Lady Lillie, is that even though my brother has been missing for ten years, even though there has not been a single trace of his whereabouts in ten years, my father still has not given up; this is the deep affection brought by the family bond."

Mamon's warm voice was very gentle, causing the blonde girl's eyes to blur slightly.

Mr. Mamon's father must be an excellent, responsible, good person.

Mr. Mamon and Mr. Mamon's father are both so excellent and strong.

Lillie thought thus in her heart.

"Of course, my family's situation cannot represent everyone, but I believe that if they are truly family, then no matter what conflicts exist, they can be resolved."

"I will ask one more question, Young Lady Lillie: has your friend ever opened her heart to communicate with her mother?"

"Communicate?" Lillie was stunned.

"Yes—open communication without holding back. Tell her mother your own thoughts and feelings, and boldly speak your heart to her."

"I... don't..."

Lillie pressed her lips together. Exchanging her true feelings with Lusamine... that kind of thing...

She really had never thought about it. Her personality was naturally rather shy—not exactly introverted, but she was absolutely not an outgoing girl either.

"A lack of communication is the main cause of conflict in many families, you know."

Mamen cut straight to the heart of it, pinpointing one of the sources of contradiction in Lillie's family.

Lusamine had indeed become twisted and pathological over the years, but Lillie's and Gladion's inaction was also one of the reasons that had driven Lusamine's "evolution."

After all, Lusamine did truly love Lillie and Gladion—although that love now more resembled a domineering possessiveness and need for control.

Of course, Lusamine's changes couldn't really be blamed on Lillie.

After all, Lillie and Gladion had only been children back then. Lillie was shy and somewhat introverted, and Gladion was a taciturn sort by nature.

Expecting them to open their hearts and talk freely with Lusamine? Without some outside pressure, that was absolutely impossible.

"So that's how it was..." Lillie suddenly understood, and bit her own lip in self-reproach.

"Has Young Lady Lillie figured it out? If you need any help, I could lend you a hand—after all, Lillie is just so cute."

"Eh?" Lillie's eyes went wide in an adorable stare.

"After all, Young Lady Lillie really is a girl who can't hide what's on her mind. Her feelings are written all over her face. That 'friend' is actually Young Lady Lillie herself, isn't it?"

Mamen spoke with a beaming smile, watching the girl's face flush crimson once again.

"If you need help, you can come to me. I'm a pretty strong Trainer, you know."

(End of Chapter)