Although Youfeiliya was very displeased with her daughter's insistence on taking the 'wrong path' of scientific research, and still felt it was a waste of her daughter's talent, she could indeed understand her daughter's thoughts now.
After all, in a sense, her daughter's temperament and personality were truly identical to her own.
Youfeiliya had been groomed from a young age to be the future clan leader, and her life's ideal was to revitalize the family. As for whether this ideal was her own or instilled in her by the family, it no longer mattered.
In the Dragon Witch's view, rights and obligations should be one. Since her growth path had indeed received investment and support from the family, then revitalizing the family became her rightful obligation. Putting everything else aside, this was merely an equivalent exchange, which was very fair.
Youfeiliya also liked such fairness, and equivalent exchange had long become her life's principle.
Therefore, if anyone dared to trample on this fairness, they would have to pay the price.
The family invested in her, and she took the revitalization of the family as her duty. She would not refuse what a qualified family head should do, but this did not mean she would become a puppet for the family's revitalization, only knowing how to mechanically complete her mission and abandoning everything for the family.
With her aptitude, there were actually many shortcuts she could have taken to revitalize the family back then. The simplest among them was to marry into or become a son-in-law of other families in the Dragon Kingdom. With her talent, no other family would refuse. In fact, the families that sought her hand in marriage back then could have worn down the doorstep.
However, Youfeiliya ultimately refused them all. She disdained taking such shortcuts. She had her own dignity and pride.
In life, there are always choices that are theoretically optimal, but that doesn't mean these choices are necessarily correct.
Her refusal back then actually caused a stir within the family. Many elders in the clan accused her of being too young and naive, wasting opportunities, and being too arrogant and unappreciative. Some even brought out the family rules, intending to hold her, the family head, to account.
In response, Youfeiliya did not yield. She didn't even bother to say much to those people. As the strongest in the family at that time, she merely 'kindly' convinced them with 'reason,' and then those old-timers who opposed her 'voluntarily' and quite sensibly went to the border front to open up land for the family's territory.
When was it anyone else's turn to dictate Youfeiliya's life? She would revitalize the family, but how to revitalize and in what way would be decided by her alone.
Since the family entrusted this important task to her, then it might as well be entrusted more thoroughly.
She hoped that from then on, there would only be one voice speaking in the entire family: the voice of her, the clan leader. She would lead the family on the right path, and everyone else only needed to obey, obey, and obey.
The thoughts of those old things were too weak. They were the truly naive ones. The so-called revitalization achieved by borrowing the strength of others would inevitably be influenced by others in the future. And if a family couldn't even be independent, how could it talk about revitalization? How could it talk about glory?
The family revitalization in Youfeiliya's heart had only one choice: to emulate the path of the ancestral Dragon King, to personally open up, personally conquer, and personally develop with her own hands.
Even if this path was the most arduous and difficult, what of it? This was a path of glory, a path of splendor. Only by reaching the end along this path would her Youfeiliya's life ideal be realized.
Beyond this, all other shortcuts were crooked paths, completely meaningless.
However, it's unclear when Youfeiliya herself began to forget this initial ideal.
Thinking about it now, her opposition to her daughter earlier was truly identical to those old-timers who opposed her back then. The only difference was that now she was stronger. Her still weak daughter couldn't replicate her domineering actions from back then and send her mother to the border to dig potatoes.
But similarly, she didn't doubt that if her daughter truly had the ability, she might actually have done it.
Thinking of this, Youfeiliya couldn't help but recall what Dorothy's short stepmother, Annie, had said earlier.
"Alas, as a mother, I seem to be quite lacking."
The Dragon Witch sighed in her heart, feeling a little sad but also a little proud.
She raised her head, looking intently at her daughter, who was still trembling a little from being scared by her. The more she looked, the more pleased she became.
She truly is my daughter, the continuation of my bloodline. Even after being influenced by that good-for-nothing Adam for many years, her temperament and personality are still exactly like mine.
So, although she was still somewhat unwilling, the strong and domineering Dragon Witch, for once, chose to yield. She looked at her daughter and spoke.
"I pretty much understand what you mean, Dorothy."
And after saying this, Youfeiliya, as expected, saw her daughter's bewildered and confused expression. The almost explicitly written 'What do you understand?' in her daughter's eyes made the Dragon Witch slightly happy. She hadn't been this happy in many years. This pure happiness was as delightful as successfully playing a prank when she was young.
"Don't worry, I won't directly give you money or divide a territory for you anymore. That would be an insult to you, wouldn't it, my daughter?"
Youfeiliya spoke again. This time, she saw surprise in her daughter's eyes. For the first time, a light flashed in the eyes of this daughter, who had always been somewhat reserved and distant, treating her mother like a stranger, becoming much closer and softer.
This made the Dragon Witch even more certain that her previous thoughts were indeed correct; this daughter's temperament and personality truly took after her.
"So, choose whatever academy you want. I won't say any more."
As soon as these words were spoken, the sudden brightness in her daughter's eyes brought Youfeiliya some comfort. She knew that, in this way, the relationship between mother and daughter had taken a big step forward.
If she only wanted to improve their mother-daughter relationship, perhaps with a little more effort, her daughter's address for her might change from the unfamiliar "Mother" to the more intimate "Mom."
But...
My foolish and naive daughter, do you think I would truly want to stop at being a so-called 'good mother'?
The Dragon Witch's lips curled slightly, revealing a malicious smile.
This naive child still doesn't understand the importance of convincing people with 'reason' in this world. She wouldn't be so naive as to think that everyone she meets in the future will tolerate and accommodate her like I do, would she? Does she know how many times she would have died already just for her attitude if she weren't my daughter?
In this cruel world, without strength, one cannot move an inch.
It doesn't matter if I become an unqualified mother, even if I'm resented or misunderstood, it's worth it. Only this one thing must this child learn and remember firmly.
Dorothy looked at the Dragon Witch before her with some surprise and delight. She was surprised and amazed to find that this unfamiliar mother could actually understand her thoughts.
And she actually agreed to her somewhat unambitious ideal of 'lying flat,' and didn't directly force her back to inherit the family business.
At this moment, Dorothy suddenly felt a surge of emotion. For the first time in two lifetimes combined, she had a mother, and this mother was even her confidante. Two happy things superimposed, giving birth to even more happiness.
Dorothy unconsciously began to imagine a beautiful life of family happiness in the future.
Hmm, yes, that's how it should be. I don't have so many grand ideals; I just want a peaceful and happy home. Family harmony is more important than anything else.
She looked at the smiling Dragon Witch before her, and the emotion in her heart almost materialized, nearly letting out that most heartfelt address.
"Mom—"
However, as soon as she opened her mouth, she saw her mother's smile turn malicious.
"But..."
The Dragon Witch stared intently at Dorothy. The Apex Witch's aura surged, instantly becoming overwhelmingly oppressive.
"Dorothy, I've heard your reasons, and I understand them. So, isn't it time for you to listen to my insistence?"
"Do you know about equivalent exchange, my daughter? This is my life's creed. I believe in the principle that all things can be exchanged equally."
"And I paid so much to give birth to you, all for the purpose of leaving a qualified heir for myself. Everything I've worked so hard for my entire life must have an heir. But now you've grown up, have your own ideals and path, yet you're unwilling to accept this obligation that should belong to you. So, what will you use to compensate me? Or rather, how can you trade your freedom back from my hands?"
Youfeiliya's golden Dragon Eyes met Dorothy's bewildered gaze directly, and then she domineeringly threw out three choices.
"I'll give you three choices."
The Dragon Witch held up three fingers.
"First, you give up those boring dreams and your dignity right now and come back with me to be my heir. I will give you all the territory to manage, and you can freely construct the blueprint of your dreams. But similarly, you must also fulfill your obligation for the family's continuation; you must become an Armed Witch."
"Second, you can freely control your life. For the next 50 years, you can do whatever you want, and I won't interfere. But after 50 years, I will personally come and capture you. I will launch a lord's war against your territory. If you can successfully resist me, then you will be free. But if you fail and are captured by me, you can only obediently become my heir and walk the path I arrange for you."
"As for the third, this is the easiest. You marry Sophia right now. I hope you two can give me a granddaughter as soon as possible. I don't care who gives birth, but I want a granddaughter. Once you have a granddaughter, you two will both be free. How about it?"
Dorothy: "..."
Sophia, who was witnessing the mother-daughter drama unfold onto herself: "..."