novelraw Chapter 293: Like a Withering Flower (IV)
Chapter 293: Like a Withering Flower (IV)
Jojo had fun playing with the trio of faeries in the faerie land, playing on the slide that the previous Darling made to surprise the guests, and also visiting the mushroom houses.
They introduced him to other faeries, and though the faeries were scared of him at first, over time they began opening up, and eventually Jojo became the new favorite of the faeries.
They really liked him, because he was truly just an innocent boy who liked to hug his mother, run around the massive courtyard, and also chat nonstop with his friends.
Jojo finally spent three months going back and forth from the faerie land to the hut outside of the entrance, sleeping with his father every night while spending time with his mother and friends inside the faerie land during the day.
Everything was all sunshine and rainbows for Jojo, until his mother suddenly called him during one visit after he was about to return to his father.
Sisi caressed his silver hair and said,
"Jojo, your baby sibling will be born soon enough, so you have to be a good boy and listen to Mommy before I go into labor, okay?"
Jojo had no idea about labor. But he was always obedient to his Mommy, so he nodded without hesitation.
"What can I do for you, Mommy?"
Sisi smiled. She opened her other hand and showed a cold crystal with a unique cone-shaped purple flower seemingly frozen inside.
"This flower is named Astilbe. It represents patience and dedication. Your father has always been patient with me and has never wavered to stay loyal despite our situation..." Sisi said. "I want you to hold this close, and once you’re back to your Daddy, you should give it to him, alright? Tell him to sleep with it tonight, and he will... have a good dream."
Jojo had no idea what his mother was talking about. But he was tasked to bring this strange crystal to his father, and he’d never say no to his mother!
Thus, he nodded and accepted the crystal and said,
"I will give this to Daddy!"
"Good boy," Sisi giggled while patting his head. "You don’t have to come here tomorrow, alright?"
"Un? But why, Mommy? Tutu, Dodo, and Keke said that they’ll take me to try riding a beetle tomorrow!"
"Because the faeries will be very busy tomorrow. Be a good boy and listen to Mommy, okay?" Sisi said. "But remember, if you see the pendant in your necklace shining anytime, you have to hold it tight and close your eyes, alright?"
Again, Jojo had no idea what his mother was talking about, but as a good boy, he had to be obedient and make his mother happy!
"Okay! I will have to go back now, Mommy! Daddy said he’ll hunt a rabbit for dinner!"
"Go, son. Don’t forget to eat a lot, alright? You’re a growing boy. If you want to be as strong as your Daddy, you have to eat and exercise a lot," Sisi said. "And don’t forget to listen to him. Your Daddy can be very stubborn sometimes, but he’s the only one who can love you out there."
"Ah? What do you mean, Mommy? You also love me, right?"
"Of course, but Mommy is inside the faerie land, while Daddy is out there, right? In the faerie land, I am the one who will love you the most, and outside, your Daddy will be your loved one. Got it?"
Jojo nodded again, but he thought there was something strange about his mother.
Though, in the end, he didn’t think much about it, and kissed his mother before running back to the entrance of the faerie land.
"Take care, my dearest son..."
Sisi maintained her smile the whole time, making sure that he had safely left the faerie land before closing her eyes and fainting.
"Darling!"
"Oh no, Darling! What happened to you?!"
"Grandma! Grandma, look at your Darling! She has fainted!"
The faeries panicked as they didn’t know how to handle their pregnant Darling.
Of course, some of the old faeries had witnessed their previous Darling getting pregnant as well, but it was Grandma who took care of everything.
And this time, it was also Grandma who stepped in by summoning vines that wrapped around Sisi’s body and carried her into the ancient tree, the only place where Sisi could give birth without dying instantly.
Grandma Tree put her beloved right next to the Origin Spring, and then used a vine to suck the water from the spring and wrapped her granddaughter in a blanket made out of the water from the spring. It looked like Sisi was covered in water from the waist down.
"Oh my dearest, what should I do with you?" Grandma Tree murmured while patting her beloved’s head. "If only you listened to me back then and allowed the Dawn Star to stay blind for years to come, you would’ve used the miraculous effect of the Origin Spring. It would give you a higher chance of surviving this childbirth!"
Grandma Tree was distressed because Sisi’s labor was far harder than her mother’s, so Grandma didn’t know if Sisi could even give birth to the child she really wanted without meeting death first.
Now, all she could do was wait for Sisi to wake up before she could start her labor. At this point, the water from Origin Spring could only delay her labor for a few hours at best.
"Please wake up, dearest. You’ve given up your life just for this baby; you shouldn’t die before you can give birth to it," Grandma Tree said.
She rarely cried in her immortal life, but this was the second time she did, because she would lose her Darling for the second time due to pregnancy.
Was it an unavoidable fate from the Goddess that befell her dearest granddaughters? If so, then when would it stop?
"Oh, Goddess, I’ve served the earth with my faeries for millions of years. Why won’t you give me leniency just this time and let my dearest live? She is the kindest, the most selfless, yet also the most selfish Darling I ever had. She already went through a lot in her life."
"Please, let her live. I am begging you..."