This was the land of Country C, within the quaint Apricot Village.
Madam Lewis watched the young girl behind the stall, her eyes filled with reluctance.
"Nicie, will you truly not be coming back?"
"I won't." As Eunice Nelson packed up the talisman stone and other related items displayed on her stall, there was a touch of melancholy in her voice. "They're coming to take me away to Green City."
Madam Lewis knew that "they", as mentioned by Eunice, was referring to her biological parents.
Though she had only known Eunice for half a month, she was fond of this young girl. Through their conversations, she gradually learned about the girl's past.
Eunice was lost at a young age and picked up by a wandering priest. He took her in and raised her in his tiny church.
She had grown up to be just eighteen when her master passed away. Now, she was left alone in the world, fending for herself.
She opened a stall and began to tell fortunes half a month ago at the overpass to support her living. She was beautiful, quite unlike those fortune-tellers who looked profoundly ancient. Thus, most people thought she was a young fraudster trying to mystify herself.
Madam Lewis did not care about whether Eunice was a fraudster or not. Back when she had tripped while passing the bridge, it was Eunice who lent her a helping hand and saw her safely back home.
From then on, she would often come to see Eunice, bringing her some homemade snacks. Seeing the girl relish the food brought her joy.
Now that Eunice had found her biological parents, Madam Lewis should have been happy for her. Yet, she felt reluctant to let her go.
"Do not be upset. If we're meant to meet again, we surely will."
Eunice assured her with a calm expression and firm tone.
Once she was done packing the stall up, she took out a talisman stone from her gray cloth bag and handed it over. "Madam Lewis, this talisman stone is for you. Keep it with you at all times. It'll ward off evil and bring you luck."
Madam Lewis took it, somewhat moved.
She did not think the talisman stones had much use, but she was aware that Nicie did not have much in terms of her personal possessions. All she had were some talisman stones and copper coins.
This was a gesture of goodwill from Nicie.
After tucking the talisman stone away, Madam Lewis lifted her head only to see Eunice staring intently at her face.
"What is it?" Madam Lewis was baffled.
Eunice, who was observing her face, sighed silently. She then handed over another talisman stone. "Keep this too. If you encounter any strange happenings that you can't resolve, you can look for me at this address."
Having said this, Eunice left with her belongings.
Meanwhile, Madam Lewis stood in place, clutching the talisman stone in a somewhat dazed state.
Unresolved oddities? What could they be?
Nicie was always so cryptic. Madam Lewis hoped that her family would not find her too bothersome after she returned home!
Madam Lewis sighed, not noticing that the talisman stone in her hand was shimmering faintly, and a row of small characters appeared from nowhere.
It was the Nelson family's current address.
Meanwhile, Eunice had just reached the foot of the mountain when she encountered the Nelson family's vehicle.
A middle-aged couple disembarked from the luxury car. The man was scholarly and cultured, carrying the presence of an upper-class individual with his every movement.
The woman was gentle, graceful, and beautiful. At one glance, one would know she was a noblewoman from a wealthy family.
As soon as Raymond Nelson laid his eyes on Eunice, he immediately recognized who she was.
Eunice looked very much like her mother as if she was a perfect replica.
Raymond's eyes reddened instantly, and he walked up to her as his voice faltered, "Niche, I'm your father!"
Despite the reunion, Eunice’s expression remained calm. She stared back at him, pursing her small face, and replied, "Mr. Nelson, from a biological perspective, you're indeed my father."
Raymond was taken aback.
Eunice continued, "It’s the natural order, an ancient tradition. As they say, man conforms to the earth, the earth to the sky, the sky to the holy order, and the origins of the holy order..."
Before Eunice finished, Raymond already burst into loud sobs.
Eunice tilted her head to look at him, her face full of confusion.
Why was he crying?
Raymond did not expect his beloved daughter, whom he had not seen for many years, to be seemingly less bright than he had imagined her to be.
The noble lady next to them felt quite awkward, never imagining that a situation of recognizing a daughter would turn out like this.
The noble lady, Dahlia Fisher, was not Eunice's birth mother, but her stepmother.
Raymond's first wife had died from massive bleeding during Eunice's birth and could not be saved.
Dahlia was who Raymond married later on. They had been supportive of each other during tough times.
As a stepmother, Dahlia's position was indeed somewhat awkward initially.
However, Raymond kept crying uncontrollably, leaving her no choice but to interject. She tugged gently at Raymond’s sleeve, whispering, "Stop crying. Niche is still here!”
Raymond's tears subsided, and he turned to look at Eunice. His gaze carried a hint of deep sorrow.
"My darling daughter, don't worry. I'll make it up to you in the future!"
What if his daughter was a little slow? He would still spoil her rotten!
Eunice did not mind as long as he stopped crying. She added, “I need to return to the church to get something.”
Raymond immediately said, "We'll accompany you!"
He wanted to see the place where his daughter had lived for over a decade and meet the kind-hearted person who had adopted her.
After all, the other person had raised Eunice to this age. He definitely needed to express their gratitude properly.
Eunice looked at Raymond’s frail physique and shook her head. "Your health won't allow it."
Raymond was shocked.
Men should not admit defeat so easily!
With his sleeves rolled up, he insisted, "I'm fine. There won't be any problem at all!"
Dahlia covered her face, hopelessly saying, "Niche, just let him come with us, otherwise he..." Who knew if he would start bawling again?
Seeing how Raymond was pouting, Eunice understood what Dahlia meant.
She sighed. "Alright, I’ll just slow down my pace.”
Raymond was immediately elated and followed Eunice up the mountain.
Only halfway up the mountain, Raymond was already panting heavily.
Eunice glanced at Dahlia, her eyes conveying the message, "See, I told you he wouldn't be able to manage himself."
Dahlia also looked at him with obvious dislike. "You have to exercise more. We only walked a short distance, and you're already gasping for breath."
Raymond, scorned by his wife and daughter, could only remain silent.
He quickly changed the topic. “Niche, what are you going back to get? If you need anything, just tell me. I promise to buy you the best!"
"I'm going to fetch the grandmaster." Eunice looked back at him, her expression serious. "The grandmaster will come home with me."
"What? Is the elderly man coming home with us?"
Raymond and Dahlia exchanged looks, their hearts pounding with uncertainty.
It was not that they could not afford to house him. They were just unsure if this old priest would be easy to get along with.
