Selena now stood a few hundred metres away from Eira's home.
She showed signs of hesitation; her heart filled with a mix of emotions.
Her heart was filled with regret. 'If only I hadn't followed Jurgen.'
If it wasn't for the choice back then, would she be in the situation she is now?
She thought of the times when she lived a simple yet relaxing life.
Compared to what she had to give to reach where she was, it would have been better if she had just stayed.
But sadly, one can't change the past.
With her heart burning with determination, the distance between her and Eira's door shortened.
Once she was at the doorstep, she took a deep breath to prepare herself mentally.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
When the door opened, she saw a young woman with black hair and familiar facial features.
'We finally meet again after all these years.'
It had been almost twenty years since she had last seen her daughter.
Looking at Eira's stunned expression, she thought, 'Everything must be perfect.'
"Is that you, mother?"
Tears started flowing from Selena's eyes as she spoke tremblingly, "Yes, it's me. It's been so long since I last saw you. I am so sorry that your worthless mother hasn't been there for you for all these years."
She then noticed that Eira was also overwhelmed by her emotions and was crying on her shoulder.
She then let an inward sigh of relief.
The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to remain utterly indifferent to her presence.
But she realized she had worried over nothing, seeing Eira display such emotions towards her.
Once they were inside the house, Selena, knowing the millions of questions Eira had and the doubts in her heart, urged her to ask any question she had.
'I came prepared.'
"Where have you been all these years?" Eira asked the most obvious question.
"I was at the mayor's mansion... A few others and I were able to escape just a few days ago, on the day Jurgen died." Selena answered.
Hearing the word escape, Eira asked with concern, "Why were you kept there all those years? Did he do something to you?"
Hearing this question, Selena's face turned dark. "Some time after you were born, we were unlucky to have met Jurgen..."
'I was truly unlucky to have met him.'
"...when the mayor saw me, he wanted me to serve him... I couldn't refuse him; otherwise I risked the destruction of our family..."
'I shouldn't have followed him that day.'
"...For years, I became his plaything as he vented his lust onto me whenever he felt like it."
'It was revolting. I wish I could erase every moment I spent with him.'
"What kept me going strong was the belief that if I endured, I could keep you safe. The only benefit that came out of all of this was that I became a cultivator."
'I never thought he would neglect me even after the sacrifices I had made to follow him.'
"Then, by some miracle, after enduring for all these years, finally that beast was killed a few days ago, and now I am free. Free to return home."
'It's a good thing that bastard finally died. How I wished that day had happened sooner.'
"Umm... I realized that I don't really know your name. Father never told me."
"He never told you?" Eira's mother asked in surprise.
She was genuinely surprised by this.
She hadn't thought that her former husband wouldn't even talk about her to Eira.
'Well, it's more convenient this way.'
"Maybe he didn't want you to find out about me and live a normal life. My name is Selena, but you can call me mother." Selena flashed a warm smile as she said this.
But she knew deep in her heart that wasn't the case.
"How about telling your mother how your life has been for all these years?..."
"As far as I can remember, I don't think my relationship with my father was good. It wasn't that bad, but at the same time, he didn't show any affection towards me, especially as I grew older. He would go drinking and visiting brothels and come back drunk."
'Ha. In the end, this is how you turned out, Malrick.'
Selena feigned anger at her husband's indifference and negligence.
And then she heard the story about their escape from Belmora and how Jarek led them to escape.
'This Jarek is so cunning.'
She was amazed at how Jarek was able to achieve such a miracle under those circumstances.
Although she knew that Jarek and Eira somehow managed to escape, hearing the details from her daughter was a real eye-opener for her.
"...Jarek was the one who introduced me to the world of cultivation. He even offered to help me with my cultivation when he could have left me alone, and he even visits me every day to help me."
Selena then remembered how rarely Jurgen used to give her resources.
And here Jarek was giving out resources without asking for anything?
'Are they...'
To clear her doubts, she then asked, "Oh, are you two by any chance together?"
When Eira denied any special relationship with Jarek, she grew puzzled. 'Then why is he doing all of these if their relationship hasn't reached that point?'
She really couldn't understand.
Would Jarek go this far for a mere friend?
She could have understood it if Eira were his partner, but that wasn't the case.
'Well, this makes things much easier.'
But what stunned her even more was Eira's revelation that she was a Grandmaster.
"You are a Grandmaster?" She failed to control her reaction for a moment.
'How is this possible? Wasn't she supposed to be an Advanced Stage cultivator?'
From the information she had on hand, Eira was a mere Advanced Stage cultivator, and that only her protector was a Grandmaster.
'So, there was no such thing as a hidden protector guarding her. It was all hers.' It didn't take her long to put things together, as she realized that the information was wrong.
Then her thoughts started heading in another direction.
'If that is the case, could it be the same for Jarek?'
She had thought that Jurgen died at the hands of Jarek's backers, but what if that wasn't the case?
'Was Jarek the one who killed Jurgen?' When she thought so, Jarek appeared even more unfathomable in her mind.
But she shook her head inwardly, 'No, this is just a speculation. I will soon come to know if that is the case or not.'
She couldn't jump to conclusions.
She would soon have her answers when she met him.