Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst-Chapter 160: VOL 2 - 105: Closer than ever.

"Of course, in the future we'll be together—even with Seraphina. We already have everything planned and even bought our family planet, so the three of us will be even closer in the future than sworn sisters, fufu."

In response to her disciple's question, Eleonora answered quickly, filled with enthusiasm and anticipation for the future, which inevitably put a smile on Liliana's face. After all, it was truly a joy to hear her master so happy and full of energy. However, the girl's expression quickly turned resolute, and she asked in a serious tone.

"Master, doesn't it bother you to share the love of your life with other women?"

"If it were any other woman, maybe it would. But with Sig and Seraphina, honestly, no. They are my sisters, and I love them from the depths of my heart. Besides, the fact that we fell in love with the same man almost feels like it was destined.

"Instead of being something bad, it's something that fills the three of us with happiness. My sisters—the people who have spent the most time with me and who are an irreplaceable part of my life—will continue to be by my side as we share a deep love for the same man. If that's not happiness, then I don't know what is, fufufu."

Wearing a huge smile on her face, Eleonora answered in a sing-song voice as she gently combed her disciple's silky hair. Liliana couldn't help but laugh a little, feeling incredibly happy because even though she had spent most of her life by her master's side, they had never had such an intimate and jovial conversation. As if they were friends of the same age—a clear sign that she was getting closer to her master more than ever.

"It seems like that's a big relief for you, master." Liliana soon commented in a lilting tone, to which Eleonora responded with enthusiasm and a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Of course! I'll even tell you a secret—though I'm only telling you because it's something that will never happen, and you're my disciple. But keep it a secret, okay?"

"Of course, Master." Liliana nodded quickly and answered in a serious but cheerful tone, prompting Eleonora to smile softly before she began to speak.

"Well, you see, finding a partner or falling in love has always been a dreaded topic for us sisters because we got tired of seeing how, when a woman truly fell in love from the bottom of her heart, she almost always ended up giving herself completely to that love, which inevitably led to her family relationships drifting apart—something we didn't want to happen to us.

"This fear reached the point that Seraphina even announced that no matter whom Sig married, she would serve as his maid—even if it meant offering herself as his concubine—something that, to be honest, I couldn't accept. Even though I really love Sig and Seraphina, I couldn't see myself giving myself to a man I didn't love.

"After all, a long time ago, I decided that there would only ever be one man in my life—whether it turned out well or badly, there could only be one—so I had to choose very carefully. Therefore, I couldn't risk being with someone I didn't love. Luckily, Erik appeared in our lives and stole all three of our hearts, solving the problem without even knowing it. Now Sig and I will be the official wives, and Seraphina the concubine, fufufu."

Although a bit surprised by the story, especially by her master's strange decision to have only one man in her life—something incredibly unusual for beings who lived as long as they did—Liliana chose not to ask. She could sense there was something very profound behind that decision, and asking about it might ruin her master's happy moment. Instead, she asked about the second thing that caught her attention, somewhat confused.

"... Master, but why will Lady Seraphina be the concubine if you're all sisters?"

The reason Liliana found it strange was very simple. Although she knew that Seraphina pretended to be a maid, she was not only incredibly powerful but also extremely close to her master—something Liliana learned after the little altercation they had when she scolded Erik.

"Well, that's because of Seraphina's strange fetishes... preferences. Though she's a bit of an odd person, she's a wonderful sister and more loyal than anyone."

Eleonora answered calmly as she took a jar of hair cream from her storage ring, a cream with a soft floral scent, and began to apply it gently to Liliana's hair. At that moment, Liliana couldn't help but ask something she had wanted to know for years.

"I see... though you know, Master, there's something I've always wanted to ask you. Now that I understand how difficult it is to be around someone like Erik or Master Eldurdóttir, I find it hard to understand—how could you bear it and even come to consider her your sister?"

Faced with Liliana's uncertain question, Eleonora smiled understandingly and replied in a calm tone while carefully combing her disciple's beautiful chocolate-colored hair.

"You know, many people praised me for being able to have such a close relationship with Sig, who took my place as the greatest genius in history and ended up surpassing me by a wide margin. But the truth is, although it did hurt a little and wasn't so easy to accept, in the end, I couldn't be more grateful for it.

"The pressure and loneliness of being so far above everyone else is indescribable—something that, although I can't say I wasn't proud of, the truth is that it was more terrifying than anything else. Having such high expectations placed on me made me terrified of failure. And although I learned to live with it over the years, those were four thousand very difficult years for me.

"But everything changed when Sigrún appeared. In just fifty years, that girl who came out of nowhere became the talk of the galaxy. For the first time in my life, I knew what true peace and tranquility were. I no longer had to worry about being alone; finally, there was someone who could understand my fears and worries..."

The master and disciple pair continued talking about random things, as if they were truly mother and daughter, sharing stories, experiences, difficulties, and more—all the while with big smiles on their faces, letting time pass without either noticing.

In the end, it was quite late when Liliana fell asleep on the sofa, totally exhausted from the hectic day full of events and emotions she had experienced. Eleonora carried her to the bed with a smile, then kissed her lovingly on the forehead.

"You really made me feel very proud. Rest; you worked hard, my little one..."

...

...

...

The next day, Liliana woke up in her bed and looked around a bit confused, but the memories of the previous day quickly returned to her. A beautiful smile spread across her face, which soon became serious and determined.

With firm steps, Liliana headed to the bathroom and, after a relaxing bubble bath, proceeded to do something she had been doing for years, something she thought she would no longer need: using healing spells and a potion to erase any traces of the previous day's crying from her face, which inevitably brought a wry smile to her lovely features.

Truly, these last years had been a literal hell for her—always on edge, terrified of losing everything she loved. But in the end, the only one to blame for her suffering was herself. Erik had really never done anything to her; she was the one who got scared for no reason and ended up hating him for it, like a little girl. But that had to change. So, after adjusting her appearance, Liliana took her crystal card and called her master.

"Good morning, Master." The call soon connected, and Liliana greeted in a serious tone. In response came Eleonora's calm voice through the crystal card's hologram.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

[Good morning, Liliana. Did you rest well?]

"Very well, thank you for your concern, Master." Liliana quickly replied, causing Eleonora to giggle a bit before she commented.

[That's good to hear. Make sure you rest these days; you worked quite hard in the tournament and need to recover.]

"I understand, but Master, the reason I'm calling is to see if there's a chance I can meet with Erik today. I want to talk to him and clear everything up so I can move on and start over." Liliana commented briefly, her tone full of resolve, which made Eleonora laugh happily once again. She then spoke with a slightly playful tone.

[Fufu, then come to my private lounge.]

"I'll head over right away."

After hanging up, Liliana checked her appearance one last time, then left her private room and headed toward her master's private lounge. Determined to ask her for help in arranging a meeting with Erik so she could be honest with him—something she felt necessary in order to face the future with a new perspective.

...

Shortly after, Liliana arrived at an exclusive, secluded area that boasted exquisite decor, several levels above the zone where her own private lounge was located. The place was a spacious circular hall filled with Myst, vegetation, subtly beautiful decorations, and a lovely fountain in the center that emitted a pale golden liquid. The wide hall was surrounded by different sets of double doors, all with distinctive seals carved into them.

Liliana walked quickly through the hall until she reached a matte black door with a seal depicting a spear surrounded by lightning. She knocked on it softly. Moments later, the door opened by itself, revealing a large marble-floored hall with an elegant wooden staircase up ahead.

Walking calmly, Liliana took the path to the left of the staircase, quickly arriving at a beautiful sitting room furnished with various sofas and a gorgeous dining area at the back. There she found Eleonora, Sigrún, and—much to her surprise—Erik, all chatting casually, while Seraphina stood behind Erik like a loyal shadow.

Noticing her disciple's arrival, Eleonora turned to her with a small smile, which turned playful when she saw the slightly surprised look on Liliana's face. Then, she extended her hand to point to one of the chairs at the dining table and spoke softly.

"Come in. We've been waiting for you."

"Good morning, master, Master Eldurdóttir, Lady Seraphina, Erik."

""Good morning.""

Liliana quickly composed herself and approached the dining table, greeting everyone with a respectful bow. They all responded in unison before she took her seat. At that moment, plates loaded with sumptuous food appeared on the table, drawing a happy smile from Erik, while two cute wolf pups appeared at his sides from his shadow with expectant looks.

"Let's have breakfast first."

With the arrival of the food, Eleonora spoke with a cheerful smile as she picked up the beautiful silverware on the table. At the same time, it was like a starting signal for Erik, who immediately began to devour his meal as if he hadn't eaten in years—though he didn't forget to share a bit with the wolves, since they started performing a theatrical display of hunger the moment he began to eat.

After breakfast, Eleonora and Sigrún stood up from the table while the dishes vanished. They walked over to Erik, kissing him lovingly on the cheeks before bidding him a cheerful farewell.

"See you later, Erik." After kissing him, Sigrún spoke with a small smile on her face and left the salon, followed by Eleonora, who also said her goodbye affectionately.

"Don't spend too long on your projects today; we'll be back early."

"Hehe, alright." Erik replied with a relaxed smile, then turned to look curiously at Liliana, who wore a slightly uncomfortable expression on her face.

***

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